Launching This Curious Life on Etsy

In the spirit of Marie Kondo, we've been cleaning house. And as we've come across several items that no longer serve a purpose in our lives, but we know they have much joy left to give. As a solution to this, we've launched a new Etsy page - focused on sharing vintage goods and supplies. 

This Curious Life seeks to pair these vintage items with new homes, where they will be loved and bring joy. Join us in this effort to offer a second life to unique artifacts and treasures. 

Additional items will be added regularly!

2016: Another One Bites the Dust

Halloween has passed, which means the next time I go into the store, I'll be bombarded with holiday decor. Christmas is right around the corner, followed by...[drumroll]... 2017. 

In preparation for 2017, or, to help you get your holiday shopping done early, I've released calendar designs for 2017 on Etsy. 

Designs for 2017 include:

– Black and White Abstract

– Abstract Flower Designs

– Black and White Florals

– Rainbow Florals

Each calendar is a simple, clean, modern designs, that stand in a black wooden easel. Visit fivefeettall on Etsy to see the full line and place an order. Quantities are limited!

Saturday Morning at the Felter's Market

Peak farmer's market season has almost passed, but there's one market that never goes out of season.

I discovered the Felter's Market at the Eastown Bizarre Bazaar back in June. Featuring felt food goods, as soft, safe, washable toys for children ages 3+, their products are adorable, creative and they never go bad!

I love this imaginative alternative to plastic toys. But what really sets this concept and booth apart for me, (other than the clever name) is the attention to display and packaging details. Wooden quart baskets, wire bins, gingham table spreads, beautiful tags and stickers— all these things come together to create a lovely little scene. 

And just the other day I stumbled upon an in-store display at Pinky's Place on Alpine. The Felter's Market had built a full-on food stand within the antique mall. Once again, the product presentation really carries through and sells the brand concept. 

And in case your mother didn't teach you to eat your fruits and veggies, The Felter's Market has meals for the diner goer as well. The pieces are separate so you're little chef can build their own meals! (and all at affordable prices!)

The owners, Josh and Sam, started The Felter's Market in Grand Rapids but have recently moved to Canada. Their Etsy shop is on hiatus while they settle in, but you can see what other brilliant things they're cooking up on Instagram!

Work in Progress: Proto Puppets

I had so much fun making the custom animal slippers with ScrappyLynn, that I wanted to make more animal faces. Which led to an attempt to create puppets from our sweater stash.

I'll be the first to admit, they all look slightly demented. I haven't got the cute factor quite figured out yet.

But I think there's potential here. Hopefully by next fall, I'll have my puppet faces figured out and we can gather a menagerie and put on a show!

From Santa's Workshop

Working hard to restock inventory on Santa's little helpers! 

Elf hats are perfect for gifting wine (/booze!) at holiday (/birthday!) parties! Made from upcycled sweater scraps, hats slip over the top of most any bottle. Look for a new supply to be added to fivefeettall.etsy.com soon!

Hamburgers, Monkeys and Pacman. (oh my.)

3 things that this OCD designer has an inexplicable fascination with.

And people know that. And when people find these type of things out, you tend to start to accumulate an unintentional collection… I daresay have enough hamburgers in my house to feed an inanimate army.

My ingenious mother, however, is always able to take these ideas to a new level. Maybe you remember Christmas 2013 when she made this set of potholders that when stacked, made a fairly epic hamburger. So in 2014, she topped herself with this awesome Pacman bag. When carried across the body and worn at the hip the right way, it looks like it’s chasing people down the street!

What I love about Pacman (aside from the existence of the game as a whole) is that this simple yellow circle (with a chunk missing), is universally recognizable. I find this bag delightful for it’s simplicity and the automatic smile it illicit — plus it holds a boatload!

That clever lady is currently offering a made-to-order Pacman Bag on her Etsy site — if you want to star in your own game! 

2015: The Final Countdown

Rain and wind, and blowing leaves kept us company all weekend. It's clearly fall. Which means that winter, the holiday and the new year are right around the corner.

In preparation for 2016's arrival I've released six calendar designs on fivefeettall.etsy.com.

Designs for 2016 include:

– Black and White Abstract

– Abstract Flower Designs

– Black and White Florals

– Cream and White Florals

– Rainbow Florals

– Pantone Swatches

Each calendar is a simple, clean, modern designs, that stand in a wooden easel. Visit fivefeettall on Etsy to see the full line and place an order. Quantities are limited.

Scamper About

The first day of Fall was last week, which means it's the season for sweaters, scarves and slippers. Crafting partner ScrappyLynn is stocking up on her traditional sweater slippers, but releasing this year are also made-to-order animal slippers.

Keep your toes warm on the chilly fall mornings with our favorite animal friends. Currently available are Cat, Fox, Raccoon, Pig. On the docket for our next sewing day are Panda, Lamb and Superheros!


Slippers are available in small (W5/6), medium (W7/8) or large (W9/10). Like the traditional sweater slippers, they are lined with fleece and have durable, microfiber bottoms. 

Place your orders early, before the holiday rush!  Custom orders take about a week to fill and then will ship regular first class mail. 

Spike Gets Socked

A custom request from the site last week, led to this....

Sock Dinos—something of a crossbreed of a stegosaurus and a brontosaurus—soft, plush and lovable. 

Normally I'm a maker of monkeys, but I'm always up for a challenge. So when this request came in, I was happy to oblige. I particularly enjoy working with socks, adapting the traditional sock monkey, and unleashing the potential of a whole circus. 

Expect more dinos to show up on Etsy in the future. In the meantime, if you have a special request, or a unique idea, send me a note, we'll see if I can figure it out!

Slipper's that are the Cat's Meow

I'm so pleased with these! I made these as part of a Crazy Cat Lady Gift Set for a Christmas present, and I think they turned out adorable!

Now let's be honest, ScrappyLynn actually made them, but I dreamt them up, designed them and helped with production. These Cat Slippers are not unlike the scuff slippers we make for Etsy. Actually, they're exactly like that, but with dimensional ears and a face!

ScrappyLynn might be offering them as part of her Slipper collection next year. Possibly different animals as custom order options. Custom, made to order — because of size/stocking difficulties. We're thinking frogs, cats, monkeys, raccoons and foxes. Look for them in the near future and/or get your requests in now!

CALENDARS ON SALE UNTIL WED 12/17

You can still get them in time for Christmas! I'm doing Calendars at $10 each thru Wednesday. Two designs available. Find them on my Etsy Shop!

When Samplers Get Rowdy

Been stitching like crazy and there's new embroidery pieces available on fivefeettall.etsy.com! 

Mimicking some of my favorite images from pop culture, and a few key phrases, there's a little something for everyone. It's a combination of stitched edges and painted interiors. Not your traditional sampler, but I think Grandma would still be proud. 

I love making these— they're silly and fun, and I love watching the images gain energy as the color and lines are added.

I have a few more in the works so check back on Etsy in the next few weeks! OR, feel free to request your own custom piece!

The Future is 2015

Halloween is over. Which means we're in the throes of holiday time. And holiday time means gift giving and planning for the next year.

Which is why it's so perfect that I have new calendar designs available on Etsy! It's kind of a universal gift, so consider everyone on your list taken care of ;)

There are two designs available for 2015, an abstract black and white patterned calendar with a black wooden stand, and a colorful floral design with a brown wooden stand.

Each calendar measures about 4.5" x 5.25" and comes with a wooden easel stand (with the stand, it measures about 6.5" tall, and its 4.5" wide). 

You can check them out at fivefeettall.etsy.com.

Serving up Tea & Daisies

My new vintage Pyrex inspired screen-printed tea towel from Janet Morrin on Etsy looks absolutly fabulous hanging in the kitchen below my Pyrex collection!

My Pyrex is all Flamingo pink from the 1960s and Pink Daisy from 1957, mixed in with a few of the pink restaurant serving pieces!

Kisses and Hugs for February

There's something appealing to me about old typesetter's letters. Probably the combination of vintage, wood and typography. I've been collecting letters of various sizes for awhile now and have begun combining them to stamp out cards and phrases.

For Saint Valentine's it's XO. Two simple letters that can mean so much.


Essentially it's rubber stamping but with acrylics rather than a stamp pad. I love how every imprint is just a little bit different then the last. Intrinsically handmade and one of a kind, like a thumbprint.

This set of Valentine's Cards and other cards are available on Etsy. 

Michigan State Pride

There's a lot of Mitten State pride in Michigan (though with the winter we're having, we're all beginning to wonder why we still live here). I just made these little ornaments to celebrate that Michigan Love .

I used a Michigan cookie cutter for the shape and outlined them with a blanket stitch. They're quite adorable in their various colors and stitched hearts.

I've just posted them here on Etsy. More color combinations to come!
 

(Let's Go) Exploring Embroidery

Over my extended Christmas break, I turned to a new project...a twist on traditional samplers... pop culture embroidery (surely no copyright violation here....!).
Inspired by a card I'd receive a while back, I suddenly began stitching out my pals Sophia, Rose, Dorothy and Blanche one afternoon. And then while watching the Dear Mr. Watterson documentary I was inspired and began on Calvin and Hobbes. I'm quite smitten with how each of these turned out—it's a simple combination of embroidery thread and acrylic paint, displayed in an 8 inch hoop.


I was going to post this on Etsy but I posted it on Instagram while I was working on it and someone purchased it via the comments there. Well that's a good sign, I guess I'll be making more of these! 

Hey! I know her!

Look who's famous! It's the woman who taught me everything i know.There is nothing that she cannot fix or make (except maybe a doorbell!)

Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood's arts article in Sunday's GR Press featured the practical art of sewist (and seamstress) Jenny Lynn. (yes we're related).

She's been quietly sewing for 45 years, it's time she got a little attention! You can read the full article here, and see some of her finished projects here.

Oh Snap! I Found Cute Cards

In a Christmastime cleaning binge, we found these decks of old playing cards—Animal Snap, Snap and Donkey. I was so smitten with the size and sketches on each card, that I immediately began making them into greeting cards.

The cards vary from cute little animals, motivational sayings and nursery rhymes. I've made some of them available on Etsy here.