the rikrak studio

the friday checklist

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:03:00 +0000

love checklists?

good golly i SURE do!
(but i haven't been able to move to electronic lists, yet. pen & paper for me. how about you?

here's a fun one for you today, sweeties ....

1. be sure to ENTER to win the superFUN *i love my sponsors* $25 gift certificate giveaway

2. enter to WIN this gorgeous vadjutka textile necklace

3. the handmade olympics are coming soon, nicies!

so sign up to be a fun blog sponsor

4. sign on to be a handmade olympics sponsor, too!

{lots of fabulous new exposure for your beautiful shops and teams!}

have a great weekend, sweeties! {and be sure to pat yourself on the back for a great week of getting stuff on your to-do lists DONE!}

YOUR academy awards looks REVEALED!

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:01:00 +0000

mrunmayee delights in ...

amulet boutique + magdamagdaFashion

...............

ariza looks gorgeous in...

wonderxue + ldiamonds

...............

the shimmer story shines in...

nature look + zoe chen

...............

moira charms in ...

concettas closet + rare earth

...............

mrunmayee delights in ...

river of romansk + bagatellesAndCo

...............

good heavens ... you beauties look gorgeous!

so move over hollywood starlets! 

zillion-dollar designer outfits have nothing on our amazing handmaking community!

last week i challenged you to show me your 2-piece handmade & vintage ensembles that you'll be wearing to the academy awards sunday - and i just LOVE that you came up with. your responses were overwhelmingly fabulous!

stunning, aren't they?
gosh i love that handmade can do.

and check out other fun party outfit challenges here like:

your royal wedding guest looks

your 2011 red carpet TIFF looks

from the year before

and from the year before 

your oscar looks revealed: part 1
part 2

  your lovely springtime teaparty looks.

your beach party looks

your winter gala looks 

see you on the red carpet, sweeties!

and have a glamorous, megawatt-smile weekend, nicies, whether your strutting your stuff on the red carpet or dancing in your kitchen doing dishes!

have any faves at the OSCARS this year?   

...............

hope wows in ...

denisebrain + boudoir barbie

...............

isn't erin gorgeous in...

christintina + AdiYesod

...............

kourtney r. amazes in ...

romepure + mettlle

...............

do not faint sparkles in...

old europe jewelry + timeless vixen vintage

...............

the 2012 handmade olympics: call for PRIZES!

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:19:00 +0000

blue ribbon award by vanessaaboer

................

hot-diggity-dog!

it's that time of year again at the rikrak studio + i'm looking for a few fun folks who might like to join the FUN!

the 2012 EDITION of the 3rd ANNUAL rikrak studio handmade olympics launches soon, and i'm putting together some FABULOUS prize packs. i'm looking for a few more folks who are willing to:

---> offer ONE $50.00 gift certificate to their handmade OR vintage OR supply shop (or handmade blog) as a prize. <---

i already have quite a few lined up and would love to have a couple more.

the inaugural handmade olympics (and last year's chart-topping 2011 edition) was, i'm thrilled to say, a supergreat success, with 1000s of nominations of amazing handmade works, AND over 27000 individual votes cast in the final rounds of the fun! yay to great exposure for your lovely shop!

:: THE DETAILS! ::

:: if you're interested :: please apply via email as soon as possible at rikrakmail@yahoo.com with the email title:

---> 2012 sponsor for the handmade olympics - so i can finalize the prize packs and launch the FUN FUN event in march!

please include a link to your shop (or blog) in the email.

the application deadline is tuesday, february 28th.

---> *PLEASE NOTE* : event sponsors, once chosen, will receive:
:: a 150 x 150 promo spot FREE with all event-related promotion.

:: mention in all event-related sponsorship

:: this prize-sponsorship IS NOT an ad-spot on the rikrak studio blog sponsors column. this is a separate entity! (info on monthly sponsorship for march here.)

:: PLUS: becoming a sponsor for this SPECIAL event + donating your prize of a $50.00 shopping spree in your shop WILL NOT COST YOU any other monies. you must just be willing to let the winner redeem the prize in your shop once won! + i'm happily including you in all of the promotion, for FREE as a thanks!

:: don't worry - you can still WIN if you're a sponsor: prize sponsors are eligible for nomination/ are eligible to win in any category except the one they are sponsoring!

:: the event will run for approx. 5 weeks! yay!

.........

so hey - it's a winwin situation! great promotion for your lovely handmade shop + then just let a happy winner have a little shopping spree in your lovely shop!

fan-tastic!

i will notify all successful applicants on wednesday, february 29th (or sooner!)
thanks so much!
and get ready for something funFUNfun, lovelies!

woowee!

come advertise with the rikrak studio blog in march!

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:27:00 +0000

i just love my sponsors! i'm so thankful for their kind and artistic support each month! and i'm just delighted with how things are going, growing here on the blog with you lovelies. thank you!

so i'm very happy to be offering a few new ad spots as of today for MARCH.

with march comes a great time to continue building your wonderful indie business! AND... the 3rd annual Handmade Olympics will be starting in march! (i.e. lotsa great traffic to the blog!) woohoo! i hope it might be the perfect opportunity to showcase your beautiful shops & blogs for all of those handmade-loving shoppers & bloggers & media out there! it's such a great time for fresh starts, and i'm offering a few new ad spots, all at GREAT prices!

if you feel that your shop, group, Etsy Team, or blog would be a good fit with the rikrak studio blog feel & focus, and are interested in rates, please email me at
---> rikrakmail @ yahoo.com <---

there's lots of continued fun coming up on the blog: funfun guests, little inspirations, more fabulous giveaways you're not going to want to miss, great games, fantastic features, and, as always, a few extra fun surprises, too. being part of the fun is a great way to boost sales, increase exposure and build your little business in the handmade community, too!

i'm a handmaker & mommy and know it's a challenging economic time out there... so i try to keep the rates nice & reasonable and promote your wonderful businesses as best i can all month!

i also love designing ads for folks that need them, too.
so just let me know if i can help!

so come & be part of the fun!
thanks so much, lovelies!
k.

family day: DIY + handmade family tree ideas

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:48:00 +0000

DIY + handmade family tree ideas

{ clockwise from top left }

custom family tree print in teal

custom family tree

4 generation photo family tree

custom family silhouette portraits

custom illustrated family tree

DIY flower family tree

genealogy descendant chart

..............

happy family day, wonderful ones.

here in ontario we're celebrating family.

in honour - here are some of my fave DIY & handmade family tree projects from last year (thought they might inspire again today!)

so cheers to family: the ones we begin with & the ones we surround ourselves with as we grow; the ones we are given & the ones we seek out and gather.

hugs cuties.

..............

DIY + handmade family tree ideas

{ clockwise from top left }

DIY birds of a feather family tree

circle of love custom family tree

personalized family tree in almond

blank family tree print in orange

DIY family fan chart pdf

city mouse or country mouse?

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 21:06:00 +0000

 chicago & rotterdam by eva galesloot

.............

lovin' these clever city paint roller illustrations by eva galesloot.

thought you might, too, sweetie!

is it a city mouse or a country mouse weekend for you, nicies?  

hope it's bright & beautiful, sweeties.

city 

a gorgeous necklace giveaway with vadjutka

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:05:00 +0000

woohoo! today we're visiting again with one of my all-time favourite artists, the brilliant textile superstar vadjutka.

as you might recall, judit masterfully weaves together oh-so-many of my favourite things: gorgeous vintage textiles, beautiful colourful dangly jewelry and an eco-forward, always brilliantly friendly approach to creating.

it's my great pleasure to invite you to tour around the beautiful vadjutka shop today: gorgeous bracelets, rings, necklaces, brooches and more with vivid personality! i love it!(& read on to see how you can WIN one of gorgeous spring-forward pieces!)

vadjutka

shop | blog | twitter | facebook

..............

AND...

if you're ever lucky enough to be in beautiful budapest, be sure to visit judit in-person at her amazing new brick & mortar shop, too!

..............

and now... one lucky rikrak studio reader will WIN

---> this beautiful mixed media necklace <----

valued at $41 USD

1. visit the beautiful vadjutka shop.

tell us what your favourite piece of jewelry is.

= 1 entry

2. heart/fave the vadjutka shop on etsy.

... & tell us.
= 1 entry

3. become a friend/ like vadjutka on facebook.

... & tell us.

= 1 entry

4. post about this giveaway {with a link here} on YOUR facebook page.

... & tell us.

= 1 entry

5. subscribe to the vadjutka newsletter.

= 1 entry

6. inspired by judit's beautiful shop, what's something you're looking forward to about SPRINGTIME?

= 1 entry

7. follow BOTH vadjutka { she's @vadjutka } AND the rikrak shop (that's me! @therikrakshop ) on twitter

... & tell us.

= 1 entry

8. follow or burn the rss feed to the rikrak studio blog

... & tell us.

you can become a google friend connect *follower* by clicking "follow" on the top left of the blog home page OR subscribe via email or *reader* on the left hand column.

= 1 entry

9. tweet on twitter

... about this giveaway and come back here and tell us! be sure to include @therikrakshop so i can find you!

= 1 entry

10. blog about this giveaway

... come back and tell us.

= 1 entry

11. grab one of my rikrak studio buttons,
like this one from the left hand sidebar, for YOUR BLOG!

and add it to your blog!

{ ... just copy & paste the text in the box above onto your blog sidebar! thanks!}

12. :: PLEASE NOTE ::

each entry must be its own comment.

thanks! ::

..........................................

:: RULES ::

a) it is possible to have a maximum of 11 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as its own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of the vadjutka giveaway will be chosen on

friday, february 24th @ 11pm EST.
d) open to contestants worldwide.
e) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.

................................................

the valentine's day menu recap

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:40:00 +0000

happy molar tooth plushie by squidhead

...............

what did you dine on for valentine's day, sweeties?

a romantic homecooked dinner with loved ones?

a fabulous restaurant feast with dear friends?

little rikrak, you ask?

why ... he ate his tooth!

eek. yes - after a fun-filled valentine's day party at school where he reported eating(you'd better sit down for this menu, sweeties!)

22 cinnamon hearts

5 sugar heart cookies

4 chocolate hearts

3 chocolate kisses
(eek again!)

(and pretty much none of his healthy lunch - ya i know - who can blame him - it's valentine's day!!) he swallowed his loose baby tooth during a "giant gummie worm" finale to the party!

alak.

alas.

how would you handle lost or *eaten* teeth with the tooth fairy?

ever happen to you as a child?

remember what the tooth fairy did?

happy eating!

whatcha lovin'?

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:20:00 +0000

love is all you need pencil pack by earmark

........

happy valentine's day, sweeties.

whatcha lovin' today?

this morning i'm enamoured with little rikrak's vibrant oil pastels kick; snowy hills flying up into clear blue skies; warm warm coffee in my favourite mug; pink & red together again; my lovely family (and their charming antics!)

et tu?

hope it's a lovely day, cutiepies!

the art of urbanity: new york city

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:35:00 +0000

:: wonderful city art by :: 

1. TaylorsType 

2.jennasuemaps                                                     

3.NestaHome                                                     

4.julene                                                     

5. albiedesigns 

6.Architette Studios

7. Gooseberry Designs 

8. parada creations

9.REDSTARink 

10. LisaBarbero                                                     

 11. gigart                                                     

12. matteart                                                     

................ 

hot diggity dog, nicies!

we're headed to one of my favourite urban spots next week: the beautiful new york city.

oooh how i love it there.

so happily i've been there many many times over the years, and each time is as enchanting as the next... so many favourite spots, such amazing art & design, and lotsa beloved sites.

and today i'd love for YOU to be my tourguide - to hear YOUR fave spots you'd recommend:

what's your favourite thing to do in NYC? places to eat? spots to stroll?

(or if you haven't been quite yet: where would you LOVE to go in NYC?)

i'm excited to hear of new spots to discover!

yay travelling!

.............

:: wonderful city art by ::

13. girlscantell                                                     

14. petitcollage                                                     

15. confettie love

16. birdAve 

17. lauraamiss                                                     

virginia kraljevic 
fadeout design 
blancucha 
JhillDesign 
PixieChicago                                                    
shannonpix                                                    
going underground
wallartshop                                                      

what have you WON?

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:14:00 +0000

you know how i LOVE to giveaway all the handmade goodness i can here at the rikrakstudio, sweeties!

so... now we'd all love to see what you've won!

so if you've been a lucky duck and won a prize here on the blog in the past couple of years, please take a couple of pictures of you & your beautiful prize (and tell us why you love it!)

and send it to me at rikrakmail at yahoo dot com

and i'll share your tale & pics & links here on the blog!

thanks sweeties!
can't wait to see you & your prizes!

(if you'd rather include just a link to the prize and some of your thoughts about it, that's great, too!)

(and it's never too soon to win another prize: like this months' fabulous *i love my sponsors* giveaway!)

have a lucky weekend!

the collectors: miniature cars with judy kaufmann

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:15:00 +0000

....................

i just love seeing what folks are collecting. i guess i kind of feel it tells us just a little bit about what inspires them, what they love, and what they choose to surround themselves with in their home. today, i'm delighted to present the next in the rikrak studio's collections series: quick questions with a wonderful artist on what they're collecting, (apart from their art supplies! ) you can also check out my *the collectors* series on Etsy, based on these posts! hope you'll just love judy kaufmann's charming minature cars collection!

....................

it's an absolute PLEASURE to showcase today's fabulous collection, curated by a graphic artist i absolutely adore. after you've oogled at judy kaufmann's beautiful mini cars, be sure to sure to visit her dynamite print & prints shop, where each & every beautiful design will inspire.

thanks so much, judy!

judy kaufmann
site | shop | twitter | blog

...................

who (are you) : I'm Judy Kaufmann, a Barcelona based Illustrator who likes to
draw animals, people, houses, cars, trees and everything repeatedly. I work as a Freelance illustrator and I sell my prints on Etsy also.

what (are you collecting) : miniature cars.

when (did you start) : The first memory I have is from when I was 4 years old and stole a toy car from a boy in my preschool. That car was probably the first in my collection.

how (many do you have?): Almost 80.

where (do you find them) : Everywhere: I received many of them from my best friend, my twin sister gave me a lot of them, my close friends all know I collect them and give them to me for birthdays, my ex-boyfriend left me about half of his childhood collection, and I even have some that were given to me by a boy when I was traveling in India.

where (do you keep them) : In my house, where I continually move them around.

what (‘s a crazy/interesting story behind one) : This collection was a project I started with my best friend when we were very young. She lives in a different city now, but every once in a while she will still send me one in the mail; the last one, which I love, was sent to me from Amsterdam.

what (piece would you like to add): The Citröen 3CV, a car that was typical in my home country, Chile, in the 1970-1980s.

why (do you love them) : I love them because they add a lot of color to the house, they´re very cute, and I´ve always loved car designs.

which (one is your favourite) & why : I have two: the first is the green Citröen DS, because its an amazing and very unique design, and even more so in miniature. The second is the Volkswagen Camper with a small trailer attached, because who wouldn´t love to own a real one?

what (else do you collect) : I collect small wooden birds, wooden soldiers, and I have a collection of glass siphons.

what do you collect, nicies?

.................

all images by judy kaufmann

matchmaking

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:43:00 +0000

all images by jeanette johns

.........

what a charming matchmaker musician & writer john k. samson is! he's set me up with a wonderful new love: the beautiful work of artist jeanette johns.

samson's  gorgeous new release provincial (you might know his work best from the fabulous  weakerthans  or his amazing lyrical book fame) is all things brilliant  (listen here on paste (my fave: *the last and*). and i'm simply adoring the beautiful cover art by jeanette johns.

isn't her work delightful?

wow.

a perfect pairing. 

what are your favourite pairings of late?
what are you listening to? 

(& check out some fabulous classic album design here, too!)

the february * i love my sponsors* giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:16:00 +0000

....................

yay!
aren't you the loveliest readers around!
thank YOU, sweet nicies.

thanks for your encouraging words & dear dear comments. it's a pleasure to read thru your comments each day. i always love seeing what you have to say! and thanks for playing all the little games and activities on the blog, for your warm and wonderful emails too!

AND... thanks so much to all of you lovelies out there who have really made my day by supporting my little adventures, as dear sponsors. you nicies mean the world to me, and i really appreciate it! so with a thankful heart, and a happy focus on the wonderful spreading of love that comes with february... a little giveaway for all of you!

{ the prize } a fabulous $25.00 gift certificate

from me to YOU to spend in
ANY ONE OF MY SPONSORS' shops or on their blogs!

that's right...
one lucky winner will get to spend the prize in any of my sponsors' e-shops or blogs!

1. visit my lovely sponsors' shops & blogs.
(as seen on the left hand column).

come back here and leave ONE COMMENT per SHOP on what your favourite item is from their works or your favourite post is from their blog! = 1 entry per comment. = 20 possible entries!

you can visit as many sponsor shops/blogs as you like and comment once for each shop/blog.

---> in the case of a sponsor that is a BLOG: please visit the blog & tell us something you ADORE about it!

this months' sponsors are:

vadjutka

valerie tyler designs

buster and boo

the vintageholic frog

studio jewel

modern buttercup

theme fragrance

claire & me

ella belle boutique

prairie blossoms
tickled pink paper + ink

yoga thoughts
angel face botanicals
 simple joys paperie 
 
 the little red door

2. heart / fave each of the above shops on etsy OR follow/subscribe to each blog/site

= 1 entry PER shop or blog.

3. in the spirit of february & love, call or email or text or write or visit a loved one or friend and cheer their day!

= tell us a wee bit about it here!
= 1 entry

4. come follow or subscribe to my little blog

and join the fun everyday!

you can become a google friend connect *follower* by clicking "follow" on the top left of the blog home page OR subscribe via email or *reader* on the left hand colomn. (please note:---> to WIN this particular giveaway you must be a rikrak studio follower or subscriber! thanks nicies!)

please leave me a comment about it.

= 1 entry

5. grab one of my rikrak studio buttons,
like this one for YOUR BLOG!

and add it to your blog!

{ ... just copy & paste the text in the box above onto your blog sidebar! thanks! }

6. tweet about this giveaway
= you can tweet about this giveaway ONCE PER DAY for the duration of the giveaway! (one entry for each tweet!)
and come back here and tell me about it. please include my twitter account in the update: i'm @therikrakshop on twitter!)

7. follow me on twitter
i'm @therikrakshop
= 1 entry

8. blog about the giveaway and tell me about it here.
= 1 entry

9. do a facebook update
about the giveaway with a link, and tell us here

= 1 entry

10. please just make sure that each entry is its own comment!

.................................

RULES:

a) it is possible to have numerous entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!

c) as always, this giveaway is open to all contestants, worldwide.

d) for this particular giveaway, YOU MUST BE A RIKRAK studio follower or subscriber,
old or new! thanks!

e) the winner of this giveaway will be chosen from random.org on

wednesday, february 29th 2012 @ 11pm EST.

f) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account

doesn't link to one. thanks.
g) thanks so much everyone! and thanks for visiting the blog!

...........................

artists 101: alex steinweiss

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:51:00 +0000

supercool album art by alex steinweiss

...............

ever judge an album by its cover?

me too!

love meeting artists?

me too!

artists 101 is just for you, cuties!

today we're talking alex steinweiss!

graphic designer alex steinweiss is credited with inventing the album cover in 1938!

wow.

that's cool!

before alex's amazing art, lp records came packaged in plain brown paper sleeves.

now that's a fabulous designerly invention!

above are just a few of his fabulous album covers from over such an illustrious career!

which one's YOUR fave?

what's YOUR fave album cover lately?

(i'll be sharing mine wednesday!)

art + science: the cool cool world of bubble rasters

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:12:00 +0000

::top image:: pipedreams III/ bubble raster at work in the ontario science centre

:: 2nd image:: close up of the bubble raster via 44oz flickrstream

..............

what could be more fun than capturing photos of your loved ones?

how about capturing photos of loved ones, then having them magically appear, bubble-ized, before your very eyes on a high-resolution embolograph (bubble raster!) that's a couple of storeys high?!

totally brilliant!

pipedreams III is a permanent art & science installation by the fabulous bruce shapiro : the art of motion control (all of his projects are amazing! check ribbon dancers & his sisyphus series.) this particular project wows me at the fabulous ontario science centre (thanks d. & j. for your fabulously kind gift!)

folks pose for a  picture of their beautiful face in a nearby booth and then, low-and-behold, your image is sent, real time,  over 96 tubes that "utilizes a series of computer controlled pneumatic           solenoids to inject small bubbles which slowly float up the tube, serving           as pixels." the image eventually floats all the way to the top and a new image begins again at the bottom!

so cool!

hard to say if the kids or us adults might love it more (it WAS pretty tough pulling mr. rikrak and i away from the endless artistic possibilities of it!)

wouldn't one be fun in your front room?

or as a photobooth at a wedding? :)

have a bubbly weekend, cuties!

.................. 

:: below :: prototype bubble raster set up in the designer's home.

cool.

decision time: eye glasses

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:33:00 +0000

:: top collage :: 

red glasses note card

fierce deer hipster print

hipsters' spectacles + zipper necklace

four eyes embroidery hoop art 

:: middle collage ::

nerd with her camera print

love pillow cases set 

glasses pouch 

pink granny eyeglasses

:: final collage ::  

vintage dior eyeglasses

glasses letterpress enclosure card

better to see you with my dear note cards

fancy paper glasses

........

i'm on a new-glasses mission, sweeties.

it's been 8 great years (i know... too long!) with my good ol' tortoise-shell, ovaly, far-too-scratched-up frames & now i'm looking for the just right new pair of specs for me.

it's a great time for glasses wearers, don't ya think? even fashion & celebrity seem to be embracing eye-wear! thus, lots of fun styles & looks for us all.

it's exciting: i've got a new everyday look on the horizon.

but to be honest, it's daunting!

so many gorgeous styles. so many fun colours.

choosing one look to suit all our various kinds of days & sensibilities & styles seems crazy, doesn't it?

mr. rikrak's new glasses are super dashing! but i'm on the fence regarding my own style!

so show me your specs!

got a pic of you in yours? we'd love to see

how are you feeling about wearing eyeglasses (or not?) these days, nicies?

show me your red carpet looks: academy awards style

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:18:00 +0000

poshfairytale couture + vanessarwilliams

.....................

pstore + leilanniland

.....................

taylor says + lamfine designs

.....................

karla wheeler design + yystudio

.....................

SDmarie jewelry + kimeradesign

.....................

it's that time of year again!
when we all head to the oscars, walking the red red carpet with our favourite dashing hollywood star!

*swoon*

now i know you're probably very busy preparing your acceptance speech, doing interviews with vogue & ellen, and tactfully having to turn down offers from johnny depp, george clooney, & jean dujardin who are all begging to escort beautiful you! ... but be sure to take a second and show us the handmade (or vintage) lovelies you'll be wearing to the academy awards!!

just...
1. choose a fun gown (or something else)

2. choose a fun accessory for the look.

3. cut & paste a direct link where i can find each of the two items on the net into your comment.

4. make as many 2-part outfits as you'd like (feel free to include goodies from your own work, too, if you' like!)

5. next week i'll include 10 of your looks in a follow up post, and i'll be sure to link to your lovely shop/site, too! great free advertising for creative, dressed-to-the-nines YOU!

6. and hey... if there are LOTS of entries, i'll get the random.org generator to pull a few for us to see!

can't wait to see what you come up with this time, nicies! see you on the red carpet, cutiepies! i know you'll look marvelous!

and check out other fun party outfit challenges here like:

your royal wedding guest looks

your 2011 red carpet TIFF looks

from the year before

and from the year before 

your oscar looks revealed: part 1
part 2

  your lovely springtime teaparty looks.

your beach party looks

your winter gala looks 

see you on the red carpet, sweeties!

.....................

azucena delarosa-doherty + starlet vintage

.....................

polished two + nuichan

.....................

milloo + crimsonhouseofstyle

.....................

inner evolution + rozmarinjewelry

.....................

maria jewelry designs + plus size clothing

.....................

chabri + 2212 jewelry

.....................

dominique ansari + glam girls unlimited

.....................

shireeodiz + decadent designs

.....................

winter on the lake

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:04:00 +0000

our wintry lake :: image by kristal davis / rikrak

............

snowy winter has finally arrived.

and the lake is lovely in white: fishing huts punctuating.

i so adore the pixelated view of snowfalls dusty in the camera viewfinder.

how's your winter looking, sweeties!

(please share fun photoy links if you have them!)

road trip

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:58:00 +0000

her little red suitcase photograph by sugarlily

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back from a wonderful little road trip to ottawa, nicies.

traveled with a dear friend.

to see some dear friends.

so good to be back visiting our old hometown.

i'm a lucky girl indeed.

i so love a great road trip.

the fun visits.

the great music.

the adventure of stops along the way.

the yummy road-trip treats that inevitably make their way into us en route!

and best of all: exploring places and friendships; catching up and learning more.

been on any good road trips lately, sweeties?

come advertise with the rikrak studio blog!

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:45:00 +0000

i just love my sponsors! i'm so thankful for their kind and artistic support each month! and i'm just delighted with how things are going, growing here on the blog with you lovelies. thank you!

so i'm very happy to be offering a few new ad spots as of today for FEBRUARY.

with february comes a great time to continue building your wonderful indie business! i hope it might be the perfect opportunity to showcase your beautiful shops & blogs for all of those handmade-loving shoppers & bloggers & media out there! it's such a great time for fresh starts, and i'm offering a few new ad spots, all at GREAT prices!

what are we reading { part 5 } ?

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:53:00 +0000

one of jane mount's brilliant * ideal bookshelf * prints

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sure has been a busy week here: meeting a WHOLE BUNCH of fun new friends in the blog-a-thon,  making art from special mementos , oohing & ahhing over cool stamps and lovin' gold!

so let's cheer our friday by taking a little break, and hear what you're reading these days. novels? cookbooks? inspiring blogs? great magazine articles?

tell us {&  what do you think of it so far?}

hope your day is filled with yummy tales, nicies!

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5-minute handwritten memento art { part 1 }

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:36:00 +0000

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i'll confess: i'm a paper-keeper.

little scraps of handwritten memories fill boxes and boxes at our home.

but let's liberate those most special 2-D keepsakes and give them the attention they deserve!

i've been saving a very special-to-me piece of paper for years now: the luggage tag from my beloved grandmother's 1960's vintage over-the-shoulder samsonite bag. { i love that bag. now mr. rikrak lovingly uses it everyday these past few years) and the memory of my grandparent's great travel adventures is alive for me in that well-loved luggage and the tiny scrap of paper she took with her to locales around the world. her handwritten name and address (& the great shape of the tag itself!) thrill me!

here's a super easy project i've just finished for a new colour-themed art-wall we're making at home. (more on that later!)

you can use ANY special-to-you paper memento. in the past i've used a special event ticket, a receipt stub from a special dinner, a handwritten recipe from a loved one, etc. the possibilities are endless!

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5-minute DIY handwritten memento art decor project

all you need for a project like this is:  
   ::  a flat special-to-you momento 
  :: a little bit of archival tape (available at art & craft stores) (or    regular masking tape if you prefer)  
   :: a inexpensive frame to match the porportion to your memento 
   :: a piece of paper to use as a background (or you could use a mat

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how-to 

1. choose a special to you paper souvenir. (liberate it from your keepsakes box!) 

2. cut a piece of plain paper to the correct size as a background to your frame. (don't forget to clean the glass so it'll look extra fabulous!) i used white paper - but choose whatever colour or patterned paper you'd like!

3. play around with placement of your special token of love within the frame. my luggage tag has a great shape, so i liked it best with ample *white space (i.e. blank space!) around it, positioned to one side. centering it, or placing it in the top, or bottom, or any corner will give different fun effects!

4. gently secure your memento to the paper backing.

5. add to frame (i repurposed one, and painted another out-of-use frame white for my next project! )

6. stand it on your desktop, on your nightstand, on the mantle, hang on the wall, and smile everytime you see it and think of your special memory!)

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one of OTHER my favourite things to do with special scraps is to make them into Christmas tree decorations. then they're forever a part of our special memories, and we swoon & feel great joy with a tree filled with tiny notes for just a few weeks each year! try it! you'll love seeing your grandfather's signature hanging from a ribbon on one bough, or that adorable doodle your best friend drew in class from public school or the 1st time your child wrote their name!

care to share any FUN ideas on how to display your most special paper keepsakes?

blog-a-thon

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:11:00 +0000

happy wednesday, cutiepies!

thought we'd start a fun new tradition here on the blog today - it's mid-month & what better-a-time then to thank you all for coming by & playing!

so leave us a link to your own blog + it'll be a superfun way to meet new folks + share your writings with everyone!

it'll be a permanent, up-date-able feature on my sidebar here, so all can visit your lovely blogs!

can't wait to visit all of YOUR beautiful blogs!

have a great day, sweeties!

{ps: have a gorgeous online shop? add your link to *my talented, talented friends* page here for all to see, too! }

my favourite things: great postage stamps : industrial design

noreply@blogger.com (the rikrak studio) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:09:00 +0000

:: above ::

british royal mail design classics

american industrial design stamps

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gosh.

there's something so romantic about it.

a well-designed postage stamp.

wee little artworks to brighten any piece of mail.

my affection lies not in a philatelic way.

but in a *swoon over great little designs* sorta way!

sure. their charm may be fleeting. added to a letter or package, their adventure into the world may last only 2 days to say a week.

but i think a gorgeous stamp makes a great first impression. it's the icing on the cake. who's with me?

as small business owners, we spend lots of time at the post office, don't we cuties!? i know it's seen it's heydey and all, but i still ADORE great stamps! i'm still giddy with delight when i see upcoming issues of well-designed stamps (such is not always the case - like any artform, there sure are lots i'm not a fan of!) and countdown the days til i can happily adorn my mail with new releases and send them around the world!

i feel they add great charm to any letter, packet or box. professionally & personally.

my very faves are always iconic graphic design classics.

here are some i love from the industrial design field: paying due homage to great designers!

do you love stamps - for their passing fancy of a week on an envelope?

or maybe as a collectible?

written any fun paper letters lately?

swoon.

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:: below ::  

design italiano stamps 

denmark's Christmas seals 1962 (industrial fields)  

 usps charles & ray eames postage stamps

canada post's industrial design by francois dallaire