BOOK WE LOVE: Design*Sponge at Home

Design*Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney (Artisan Books).

Start clearing off space on your coffee table now. I have a new found love of interior design books, and can often be found perusing through stacks of them in bookstores. I have found the winner. This book is by the creator of the hit design blog, Design*Sponge, which also happens to be one of my all-time favorite blogs.

Divided into five categories including sneak peeks, DIY projects, DIY basics, flower workshops, and before & after, Design*Sponge at Home captures the essence of the blog: creative, sophisticated, and beautifully artistic. The first section includes photos of gorgeous homes from all over the world, with tips sprinkled throughout, such as how to renovate on a budget, highlight a favorite collection of books and objects, and use reclaimed wood in your house. Bonney even gives us a look into her own Park Slope apartment, and how she makes the best of some of its quirks, including a ten-degree slant throughout the rooms, and its lack of natural light.

In the chapter on DIY projects, you'll learn how to make recycled cake stands, map-covered boxes, citronella candles, and so much more. Bonney will teach you sewing and floral design basics, how to paint furniture, and the necessary skills to create your dream home on a budget. The before and after chapter will change the way you view your space. Each renovation project shows the exact cost, time, and level of difficulty. Unlike many other before and after sections that I've seen in interior design books, which make it seem like every individual has endless funds for renovations, Design*Sponge focuses on keeping budgets low.

Design*Sponge at Home will have a permanent home on my coffee table, and I will continue to read the blog almost daily. The book is beautifully thought-out with gorgeous photography, and provides its reader with hours of inspiration, entertainment, and ideas.

Click here for more information.

An Interview with Artist Stephanie Stouffer

Stephanie Stouffer lives in the quiet and beauty of rural Vermont, a place that nourishes her and her art. She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, and for ten years was a designer with Hallmark Cards. There she received extensive experience designing for the social expression and decorative accessories markets. Since 1983, Stephanie has been working freelance, and her art is licensed on many products, including Rugs, Tapestries, Needlepoint Pillows, Stoneware, and Caspari Cards. We sat down and asked her how she got started in her career.

HCZ: When did you realize you wanted to be an artist?
Stephanie Stouffer: Ever since I was a child, I've enjoyed drawing. I have always found pleasure in art and the process of sitting and working on art. It is very peaceful and healing.

HCZ: How did you get started in your career in art?
S.S.: I was at Bennington College planning to major in English or Psychology, but then decided to follow my heart to get a more structured and disciplined art instruction. I attended the Rhode Island School of Design.

HCZ: Did anyone help with your decision to become an artist?
S.S.: Yes, the counselor at Bennington College helped me realize my dream.

HCZ: Do you feel that being a woman has ever affected your career?
S.S.: I majored in sculpture at the Rhode Island School of Design and at the time, it was very male-dominated, masculine work. The workplace was hot and much of the work dealt with using bronze and similar metals. It was in the mid-sixties.

HCZ: What companies have you worked with throughout your career?
S.S.: The first job I had was working for a toy company called Hasbro Toys. I worked modeling doll heads, but then I got married and moved to Baltimore. There, I got a job working for a man creating heraldic arms, or rather, family crests. My next job was teaching art at a public school, but after my divorce, I took a course and became a Montessori teacher. I did not make enough money to support myself, so I went to work for Hallmark. I was now living in Kansas City because that was where the headquarters of Hallmark were, and I worked for Hallmark for ten years. I moved to Vermont almost thirty years ago and started working with a representative who enabled me to go beyond wrapping paper and greeting cards. She would take care of contracts and large corporations because I did not want to deal with that.

HCZ: What made you decide to become an individual artist and was it a difficult decision?
S.S.: I decided to go out as an individual artist after I began to realize that I did not want to live in a city and go to a tiny cubicle each day. It wasn't a hard decision but I had to be very self-disciplined. I was able to free-lance for large companies but at my home studio.

HCZ: How do you get your ideas for the paintings and designs?
S.S.: I get my ideas from catalogs. They are my research. I also go to stores to see what's being sold and I try to stay informed of the trends on the market. Most of the work I do comes from my own imagination and sense of design.

HCZ: What tips do you have for young women interested in pursuing art?
S.S.: My advice is to believe in yourself and that your work has value. You must
also have basic drawing skills and a solid foundation in art, whether you're
female or male. Self-discipline and being able to organize your workspace and
time is also vital.

Jewelry We Love: MICHE MOZAIX

Miche Mozaix consists of the creative mother/daughter team of Deborah and Lauren Asberry, self-taught jewelers who devised a way of securing bits of clay together using grout as their adhesive!

They use fresh clay, custom glazes and grouts to create a unique style of mosaic jewelry and art pieces you won't find anywhere else. Due to the process they use to create the pieces, most of Miche Mozaix's jewelry is reversible and versatile.

Their style is very different from 'traditional' mosaics and the tiles are NEVER broken. The jewelry line was introduced late in 2009 and has continued to evolve as Deborah and Lauren add additional styles and finishes to the line.

One of Deborah and Lauren's core beliefs is that it is vital to give back whenever possible and make opportunities for the jewelry to benefit others. Lauren designed both the 'Autism Awareness Puzzle Piece' Necklace and the 'Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon' Necklace so that a portion of their sales can benefit their respective causes. For National Heart Health Month, they introduced a piece called 'Heartbeat'. It consists of two tiles with the grout in place of the heartbeat line.

The most sought after pieces include the 'Peace Sign' jewelry line, which is available in a variety of colors and finishes and on everything from sterling silver ear wires to macrame chokers for men. They also create bookmarks, key chains and even bobby pins so giving MICHE MOZAIX as a gift is always in style!

Hip Chick Zine spoke to the ladies behind the jewelry line.

HCZ: What inspires you?
We're both inspired by the tropical breezes and colors of places like the Caribbean Islands. We'll be traveling there in early March to soak up some sun and inspiration and hopefully share some of our jewelry designs down there!

HCZ: What's your favorite travel destination?
Dominican Republic is a favorite destination, but also places like Jamaica and Cozumel, Mexico are so colorful and lively like the feeling we try to translate into our jewelry. It's a stark departure from the frigid cold we experience here in Cleveland, Ohio!

Check out and support their jewelry revolution by clicking here. Their store can also be found here.

Fashion Feature: THE ART OF COUTURE

By Ela Hawes
Contributing Fashion Writer


This week’s Paris couture shows express a fine elegance and day one opens its gates to the realms of Dior's embroidered red silk and black degrade, white silk, tulle jackets with a meld of wool and " tromp l'oeil " dresses. Feather whites, black and red all resembling the art of Russia and the illustration influences from Rene Gruau, the hispanic designer once more managed to put himself forward with the explosive ideas of culture and linguistics of design. Brush strokes and iridescent embroideries distilling the virtuoso chiaroscuro effect of chalk shading, the contemporary approach of John Galliano causes the impact of the first day. The eclectic hair and make-up, pastel-colored soft eye shadow and bright red lipstick unify with the Stephen Jones hat designs.

The investments in the future of fate, the surpassing realms of a visionary and the dignified futuristic street style, Armani mused with the idea of amalgamating leather, chiffon and silk with a color palette of parliament blue, neon red, neon green, feather white with a liquid mercury mirror effect. An African feel in the abstract cuts, the geometric forms and the innovative touch of architectural designs radiate to a higher state of craft and beauty. The gem stone influences on organza, the metal threaded silk and hard molded sci-fi looks have been styled with cartwheel hats and fencing mask studded with crystals. Perhaps an architect would ponder on the luxurious ideas on the future of power dressing with Armani Prive.

The royal romance of Chanel, and the paradise of the front row celebrities such as Kirsten Dunst, Janelle Monae, Vanessa Paradis, Karen Elson, Gaspard Ulliel and Diane Kruger. The obsolete approach of Lagerfeld can be seen through the commune usage of his rough-edged tweeds, will weaved, layered chiffon dresses, see through unitards and frilled petite coats. The mirror perception of a feminine look is accompanied with influences of the futuristic patterns from Shanghai, the color palette varies from a mix of floral patterns to pink and grays with much influence from the artist Marie Laurencin. The styling sparks through as Stella Tennat and Freja walk down the runway with Lagerfeld's creations.

Givenchy is renowned for dressing the likes of Grace Kelly in the history of fashion. This time Ricardo Tiscy has gone wild with his dreams of hailing her with the Japanese toys and robots and influences from the dancer Kazuo Ohno. The not explicit cuts with bird wings stitched onto the hem of the organza, the layers of chiffon compels the work of art with the giant warrior hats. As the looks were presented on hangers at the place Vendome, the feathered tulles burst with Tisci's craftwork of neon colored bodice and crusted Swarovski crystals.

A promising name for the world of fashion, the 31-year-old designer whose work has been seized by Dior, known for his elaborate work both in women’s wear and menswear, Alexis Mabille originated the theme from its actual location of runway, Musee Bourdelle's Antoine Bourdelle. The clientele list varied from Carla Bruni, Keira Knightley, Dita Von Teese and Rihanna. Mabille has created the elegance of the classic cuts with overskirts, which transforms to capes, duchess satin, lace, floral patterns, hand-painted colors and asymmetric one-shouldered gowns. A detailed styling with dangle earrings and clear make-up adds to its high quality presentation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ela Hawes is a freelance fashion journalist and an artist based in London. She has been working for broadcast TV channels and newspapers since the age of 17 as a journalist and a fixer. After working on the fashion desk of an international economy newspaper for a while, she branched out to the fashion and art industry.

Ela admires the thin line of well-tailored, creative outbursts of design and fabric. What inspires her most is the unity of intelligence and style blending itself to our everyday wardrobe. She especially loves diamonds.

PHOTOS OF PARIS by Joanna Tanger.