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Entries in studio (358)

Tuesday
Jun082010

and the winner is . . .

teena from pasadena who will be rocking heather brown's fabulous green with aloha tote all summer long.

many mahalos to all the readers who filled out my little survey! while i suspected that you all swooned for style and design, discovering that eco-friendly finds was third on your list of favorite features was a delightful surprise. let's hope our designer friends heed our call for more sustainable goods from hawaii!

if you simply must have one of heather's organic totes to call your own, you can scoop one up on heather's website as well as at mu'umu'u heaven's kailua outpost.

congratulations teena!

be back tomorrow with some fabulous big island design!

Monday
Jun072010

photo.phile: tammy wahl photography

hello hello! starting today, a new weekly feature will be brightening your mondays with a curated gallery featuring the work of my favorite local photographers. it seems like i find myself in a constant swoon over all the gorgeous imagery filling the interweb with charming interiors, fabulous street style, delightful weddings, dreamy travelogues, and 'ono cuisine.

these little glimpses of lovely living have tempted me to experiment with my camera to improve my rather pedestrian photography skills. much to my delight, the islands are filled with so much talent that i was inspired to share a peek from my growing collection of the brilliant photography being developed in hawaii.

for the debut of photo.phile, i am happy to introduce you to tammy wahl who, alas, will be moving on from kaneohe soon. idyllic scenes and small moments documenting her family's stay in hawaii fill her portfolio along with portraits of the handful of lucky families who found themselves in front of tammy's camera when her services were for hire. it's simply impossible not to smile and wish your family photos were just as playful and full of joy.

{photo.phile notes}

what inspired you to pick up a camera and start clicking?
i’ve always had an interest in photography, but i never really thought i had the ability to take it seriously. finally, when we moved to hawaii, i decided to buy my first dSLR and commit to learning! really though, it was wanting to take great pictures of my children on a regular basis, especially in our beautiful surroundings, that finally pushed me to do it.

photography muses that spark your imagination?
i have loved hanging out on a photography board called ilovephotography.com that has been an incredible source of inspiration and learning for me. i’ve also discovered some of my favorite photographers from that board.

favorite island moment caught on "film"?
it’s really hard to pick a favorite, but my most recent favorite is one of my son at the beach, using a fisheye lens that i titled on the edge of the earth. i love that it turned out exactly as i had planned, with the bright colors, and the pure joy on his face. i often get great pictures of my daughter so it’s especially rewarding to me when i get something special of him as well.

any simple tricks to share on how to capture a happy keiki photograph?
make the experience fun for them! plan an outing and then just capture them doing their thing. let them have fun and just get in there with your camera. take pictures of them while they are “in action” and you’ll end up with images that are more real and special.

which camera stays close by for everyday shooting?
i actually keep a little point and shoot in my purse for everyday shooting. it’s nothing special and those aren’t the images you will see on my blog, but that allows me to just capture regular life. when i want to take the special pictures, it’s my canon 5d mark II that i adore!

pay it forward with the best photography advice shared with you:
the best advice i was given was to learn the light. it’s so much easier to take an amazing picture if the light is right. and also to practice, practice, practice. you can read all you want, but until you get out there and do it, you’ll never really get it. i found that to be so true for me.

mahalo tammy!

i hope today's peek inspires all the mamas and papas out there to take your keiki and camera on a playdate!

p.s. hapa | hale hearts modern photography of all kinds be it fanciful, dreamy, lomography, through the viewfinder, cheeky portraits, b&w, etc. snapped by photo geeks of all stripes. if your photography rocks the right aesthetic, click here to submit your website or recommend a favorite for consideration.

Wednesday
Jun022010

shop toast diy favor kits

thank you to everyone who has filled out the survey so far! today i wanted to share more craft happiness from our friends at shop toast who are expanding their diy favor offerings just in time for your summertime socials.

one of the sweetest ideas is the new stamp champ station now hosted at the kaimuki shop where you can personalize mini muslin favor bags ($1/each) with the shop's rubber stamp selection of a-b-c's and 1-2-3's. keep it minimal with a monogram or greet guests with a cheery banner created just for your celebration. then simply fill the bag with your favorite treats, homemade baked goods, or whatever else you please.

starting next week, you will also have the option of ordering a custom rubber stamp when the press/repeat kit is officially released. there are four designs in all and, since favor bags are included, the kit should be a welcome alternative for faraway friends hosting an off-island party.

press/repeat

next up are toast's lovely tying the knot fabric wraps in a rainbow of 28 colors to coordinate with your celebration. the diy sets include favor boxes, wooden message picks (which can be customized for an additional charge), and your choice of wrap. minimum order starts at 24 sets and additional sets of 12 are also available to accommodate larger guest lists.

diy kits can be ordered online (please note: there is a two week turnaround time for custom orders) and at toast's kaimuki storefront:

Tuesday
May182010

simply stated

monk seal + nene

amy ruppel from portland is one of my favorite artists so you can imagine my disappointment upon discovering that i had missed not one but *two* of her state series collections last year which just so happened to include hawaii. i first met amy's art hanging in a trailer at one of the first thread shows in san diego many years ago and found myself instantly smitten with her sweet offerings which featured little bird illustrations softened by a layer of beeswax so i am just crushed that the hawaii originals have already found a home.

while i am still holding out for an original piece of art so that i can enjoy the soft, cloudy glow crafted via encaustic (an ancient artmaking technique that is happily enjoying a modern day renaissance), prints from amy's state animal and state bird series are quite affordable ($20 to $45) and can be ordered online to brighten your walls with a lovely modernized hawaiian monk seal or nene silhouette.

take a peek and do let me know if you discover any favorites of your own.

{photo credit: amy ruppel illustration}

Tuesday
May042010

pop star

hope everyone enjoyed a lovely weekend filled with the sweet scent of springtime blossoms and may day festivities! with spring in bloom, it seems the perfect time to share a little eye candy from oahu illustrator kat reeder who has created an enchanting world of candy colored vintage pop starring hula girls and island lovelies.

at first glance, you can almost hear a hint of skirts swaying and beachy 'dos being swept aside by the trade winds, but dig a little deeper and you will discover layers of sketches mixing with digital brushstrokes and handpainted details to create the fresh now-meets-then charm of kat's illustrations.

happily, kat was kind enough to share a peek into her world and i discovered that her roots (born in peru and raised in miami before arriving in hawaii) add a bright, latin-influence while her love of art nouveau, tropicalia and retro packaging from bygone eras are the top notes inspiring her cosmopolitan coquettes. don't you just love all those luscious locks befitting 70's starlets and crime-fighting angels?

sally's song
hawaiian girls

2009 w's triple crown * this dream of mine

{designer notes}

how has living in hawaii influenced your work?
i've lived many places, but my senses have never been aroused like in hawai'i. i am bombarded by natural beauty and color. the skies are the bluest blues. the flowers are unapologetic in their vibrance. the intensity in my work palette is richer since moving here. i can't help it. i'm surrounded by beautiful things.

what is your definition of good design?
good design stays with you for a long time. it tickles your intellect and makes you feel something real. designers love to dissect grids, layouts, and fonts but all that means nothing to someone who's mesmerized by packaging. good design smacks you in the face. good design you keep in a shoe box, under your bed, with all your sketches.

little moments of bliss that recharge your soul?
discussing art with my husband, who is also my best friend. making up funny songs about my dog lola. opening a fresh jar of nutella.

local delights that are a must in your beach picnic basket?
chicken empanadas from valerio's bakery, ube roll from golden coin, and a six-pack of inka kola (peru's national soda) from the latin market on s. beretania.

pay it forward with a few words of wisdom that were passed on to you:
the best advice given to me recently was by wonderful local artist mark swanson. i was feeling insecure about hawaii embracing me as a digital artist. he told me i had to ultimately create art for myself and everything else would fall into place. he was right.

mahalo kat! (ditto on the nutella)

kat's artwork has already graced the coveted w's triple crown poster and has gained the notice of a growing list of local galleries. upcoming projects include an official calendar for 2011 but, until then, you can order up prints and more in the online shop.

p.s. personal commissions are also welcome!