Mega Doily Mention on D*S

Check out this great D*S guest post about rope by Meg of Mateo Ilasco. She mentioned the L&G mega-doily rug I made last winter!

I had the pleasure to meet and talk to her at the last SF Renegade Craft Fair, and I have to say that Meg is one of those people that I don't get how she does it all.

She designs her own line of amazing stationery, home, and gift products as well as offering editorial, design and illustration services. She produces Modern Economy , which is a multi-designer sample sale supporting independent designers and retailers.

On top of all that, she's written several books including this super useful book for anyone who likes to start their creative business, called Craft, Inc.

Also... she's currently working on some other book on home decor that I'm REALLY excited about!! I can't say too much at this point....

Thanks Meg for the nice mention of my Doily Rug!

L&G Super Update!

Here at L&G Studio, we've been working hard updating our vintage store, taking photos, blogging, growing vegetables, AND building our own website!

Our very own website! Can you believe it?! We're big kids now and we now have our homepage with our own URL, a page all about us, a page of all the projects we've done, the blog, a direct link to the vintage store, AND our own contact form page...OOH! I'm so excited!!

Come check out our website: www.ladiesandgentlemenstudio.com (don't forget it!) Let us know what you heart and don't heart. Please help us make it awesome.

We're double dipping for the blog for the time being (blogging here at our good ole' blogger home and at the new site), but the goal is to phase out blogger in the next month or so. Please update your links, rss feeds, address books, post-it notes, or what-have-you. We're also working to integrate the vintage store and provide a method to buy originals directly off the site.

Guess Who's BACK??

ME! (two thumbs proudly pointing at myself) But did you really need to guess? Who else would I talk about besides ourselves?! So We're making a comeback with our L&G vintage shop!
We made a new banner with our shelving unit and our logo + a heart! But that's not all....we also got a TON of newer, better, and awesome-er things!

Here's a sneak peak of items we've listed and also some that we'll list later.You're gonna take a look at all this stuff and wished that you never said things like "I'm so sick of seeing the same old stuff!" or "They're so lazy!" or even things like "They're shop sucks and I hate them!"
We guarantee that all those thoughts will disappear after you see all our great new finds! Okay, we can't actually guarantee that....but we hope you will!
See what I mean? It's okay, we won't hold grudges....Becuase we're nice. So remember that.

Enjoy!!

L&G on Poppytalk Handmade: School days!

Check out Poppytalk Handmade Market for this month's: School Days! Check out some L&G's new items!
So for the few of you who aren't going back to school....you can still pretend, right?

This is just a few for now...TONS more will be listed soon, so stay tuned!!

Home Sweet Tomatoes

It's been a long long gardening journey. Remember when we first started our garden from little tiny seeds back in March? Then our very first pea in May...then our first cucumber in July...
And finally now.... this is the moment we've ALL been waiting for................drum roll....
I present you our fabulous tomatoes!!
We've waited far too long and worked way too hard for these babies...evidently, we celebrated by doing a photo shoot.....and of course...added faces on them...That's what you're supposed to do with tomatoes, right?While every other city have already gotten their share of tomatoes, we watched and waited patiently. While everyone else made Caprese salad with their fresh homegrown tomatoes, we quietly put up with store bought ones.
Not anymore....this is OUR time now!! OUR turn to harvest! OUR damn tomatoes! The crowd cheers..... TOH-MEH-TOH! TOH-MEH-TOH! TOH-MEH-TOH!TOH-MAH-LE?

Who do they think they are? Bunch of Socialists?

Found out about this design group awhile back via Core77 called Platform 21.
And guess what? They're Dutch...go figures.
Actually, they're more like a design platform. They're stationed in a crazy Space Odyssey-style chapel in Amsterdam and use the space as their public laboratory where they have design "repair" stations and workshops of all sort, and most importantly, its where people exchange creative knowledge and ideas.
I don't know about you...but they sound like a bunch of Socialists to me! Don't they know that government sponsored design groups, universal health care, and public universities don't work? The whole system is gonna fail and we're gonna be laughing at them from the U.S.of A when that happens......any day now....I can feel it!

Anyways, Platform 21 developed this concept called Repair Manifesto. Their moto "Stop recycling. Start reparing." It's all about repairing what you have....using your creativity.
Sounds a little fishy...I think this is a governement conspiracy to brainwash the people to make them think they're doing something good when in fact they're just trying to use the people for free labor.
Here are the 11 things on the Repair Manifesto: Read it (click photo) and you be the judge. I can't say that I'm totally convinced about this whole repair "manifesto" propaganda.
These chairs have been repaired with duct tape.....clever.....but have they been fully tested? are the child safe? pet safe? dishwasher safe? did they test it by locking bunch of cats in a room with those chairs and see how it holds up after a bunch of cats scratching on it? They failed to address any of that!And here we have cracked walls repaired with Lego blocks (concept by Jan Vormann, I wrote about him last December) You know what this means? This means that they're robbing every child in the Netherlands of their Legos in order do construction repairs for the city!! And look at the poor Asian lady slaving away....she was probably just a tourist that ended up getting forced to work for them! Unbelievable!
This one is just ridiculous....web repair advertisement using yarn on actual spider webs!! I almost died when I saw this. The concept and the story is just way too hilarious. I can just see the spiders getting pissed off waking up with a bunch of words on its web....Ahem, I mean this is serious. The Dutch are so poor that they have to infringe on the resources of a spider for advertisement!Now that you have a clear idea of what life is like in the Netherlands and how grim it is, doesn't it make you appreciate the life you have as an American? They're in such bad shape that they actually have to start using broken objects and repair them! Its just unthinkable!
As Americans we should REALLY be grateful of how privileged we are and how we can afford to buy new things and dispose of them even if they're not broken. The idea that someone has to use their tools, hands, and creativity to fix something is simply unrealistic!
I don't know about you but I got better things to do than fixing something with duct tape and hot glue.
I contribute to the world by educating my readers through my blog about important current issues like this (and few other issues like what awesome thing I got and want)

Sigh...It's only seeing how other parts of the world are suffering is when we realize how lucky we truly are as Americans to be living in the land of Freedom.....oh, and also Bald Eagles, too. They go hand in hand of course.


To the Dutch (if you're American born citizen, DO NOT read this!):
Ahem...Everything I said above about the Dutch and your country was all just an act for my American readers. It's okay, they don't know that both Dylan and I have been to Amsterdam and think it's the BEST place ever! I have to be extra harsh on you guys so we don't seem suspicious and "unpatriotic"...whatever that means.
So we're cool, right? I can go live in your country and hang out with your awesome people anytime, right?
What? No?! WHY NOT?!
GOD!! I'll do anything....I'll repair ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you want me to!!! I just wanna live in Amsterdam!!!! Please just let me live there!!! PLEEEEZE?!!!

Spread Your Love with Moss!

I. Love. Moss.
Actually I'm too obsessed with moss that's beyond love at this point. Everything about moss makes me happy....They're fuzzy, soft, green, and cute...what's not to love?
I've been wanting to grow moss for so long!! I would literally steal moss from going on hikes...or even from my relatives' backyard to try to grow them at home inside and out but all failed miserably. Especially with our south facing house, there's just too much sunlight and heat all around to grow it successfully...But I shall not give up!!
Seeing these various moss graffiti artists like Edina Tokodi (aka. Mosstika) and Anna Garforth is totally inspiring. Imagine running into such pleasant surprises while walking around the streets of NY.
If anyone feels the need to spread their love for moss as well, here's a recipe to make your own version of moss graffiti! (from Environmental Graffiti)

You will need a blender to make the mixture and if you plan to grow your moss outdoors you will also need a seed tray filled with compost.

• Several clumps of moss
• 1 pot of natural yogurt or 12oz buttermilk (experiment to see which works best)
• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
• Plastic pot (with a lid)
• Paint brush
• Spray-mister

Seemingly, getting the recipe to work can be quite difficult, the location and weather conditions need to be spot on. Moss thrives best in damp areas so if you have to grow it indoors make sure you spray it with water frequently. As soon as it starts to grow, transplant it in your chosen location and watch your graffiti art spread.

Laser cutter is so last year...

I want my own rotation molding machine!

Check it out:


Also a video...a little long...music not that great, but awesome machine nonetheless.

Feeling Insecure?

Ever feel like whatever it is you make or do isn't that great, and even though everyone tells you that you're doing great work, you're still not convinced because you think there are others out there doing better work than you?
Well, rest assured that all those thoughts are totally true and aren't just self perpetuated. What I'm gonna share with you today will further confirm all your the insecurities you have about yourself.
So unless you're prepared to feel like crap, I suggest you not read this post.


Okay, ready?
Seriously....You ready?


So, I stumbled upon these AWESOME (x 100!!) laser cut "Insecurity" envelopes by artist/designer Johnathan Keller . The concept and result is just ridiculous....actually let me reword...it's total crap-your-pants-ridiculous. After seeing his work, I was not only disgusted, but filled with rage. Disgusted and angry at the fact that there is actually someone like JK Keller out there who thinks he's better than me. Yeah, I know...who the hell does he think he is?!

Also I HAVE to share this other project that I can really care less for.... This is a series of American Sign Language hands he made from matchbooks found on the street. These are just two of the many conceptual projects he's done. I know...it's absurd.On top of that.... his significant other, Keetra Dean Dixon is just as disgusting as he is. I mean...do they just sit around and do nothing except create ridiculous conceptual art/design? I mean, come on! Get a real job!
(by Keetra Dean Dixon)

I made the mistake of looking at everything they do, and I'm warning you again before you do that yourself. I wish I never saw their work or knew that they exist. If I could turn back time....Oh...Cher, why won't you help me?
Alright.... I'm gonna go wallow in my own pathetic life and stuff a bunch of chocolate, Pringle chips in my face and then cry myself to sleep. Maybe everything WILL be okay...but most likely not.....

Tea Towel Love

I had the pleasure to meet a local Seattle designer, Dinah of Dinah Coops this last weekend at the UCU sale as her neighbor vendor. Dinah creates a sophisticated line of sustainable slikscreened tea towels made with 100% linen from Eastern Europe as well as printed wooden tablemats, coasters, and jewelery. All her creations are as nice and humble as Dinah herself.
We did a trade and I had to get the green and yellow tea towels for the great design and especially since they're the colors of our kitchen! There's always room for one or two more tea towels!
In return, Dinah picked up Piano Nobile's Sweet Pea print notebook!
I love trading for goods!
(Photo from Dinah Coops)
(Photo from Dinah Coops)

American Designs are JOINing in!

OMG! I'm LOLing w/ X-citement and IDK why!! This new Core 77 article just came out highlighting the US design club movement and guess who they're featuring: JOIN Design Seattle and it's bff Brite Collective. The article basically prophesizes that design awesomeness is on its way to the USA on the wings of design clubs like JOIN sprouting up around the country. Read for yourself to find out the full scoop including profiles of Chicago's Object Design League and Brooklyn's American Design Club and efforts to get the government more involved in supporting independant design. Thanks Core 77! So great to see the momentum building! Everybody now: U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!...