Wren Willow (say that 3 times fast!)

WrenWillow is a great little shop on Etsy, that produces 100% organic TShirts, that are silk screen printed with custom illustrations and then hand dyed for that one of a kind hand made t-shirt look.

Marla is the shop owner and creator. She hand dyes and screen prints her t shirts, using her own original artwork. She works in small limited batches and strives to work in as many earth and kid friendly ways as possible. She lives in the Hudson Valley in N.Y., in an apartment over a storage unit office with her daughter, husband and a lovable bedlington terrier. She's quick to point out that " I love our apartment though it is a bit odd to be surrounded with storage units as far as the eye can see. We like to call it zombie fortress zero because we are up high, surrounded by a gate and have no neighbors". Spooky huh?

The name Wren Willow comes from her 2 year old daughter, named Wren Willow. She is the driving force of creativity and is the never ending inspiration behind her work, as well as her daily life.

Besides the super cute t's for adults, kids and tots, Marla has also created a line of doggy t's. The doggy t's are a 100% ribbed cotton black sleeveless tank top and come in a variety of sizes, for small to large pups!

WrenWillow has been an Esty member since 2008. Aside from her Esty shop, Marla is a teacher and she works in New York City and commutes via a train. She claims it's hard to keep it all balanced and not get burnt out, so she sleeps on the train. Marla says she was a creative kid growing up and was considered the class artist. She loved drawing and says it is amazing to witness how artistic her daughter is. Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

To find out more about WrenWillow or purchase something super cute, please visit www.etsy.com/shop/wrenwillow

 

A little something from ThisYearsGirl

Melissa Nucera is ThisYearsGirl. She is a graphic artist who lives and works in Pennsylvania. Nucera has a beautiful daughter, fiance' and 2 crazy cats. She has been sharing her artwork and selling prints on-line since early 2007. 

All of Nucera's images are photo manipulations and collages, using mostly her own photography and or royalty free stock images generously provided for use by the photographers and models. Through her photo manipulations, Nucera likes to create her very own little dream worlds and secret places. She loves wahat she does and hopes that you enjoy stepping into them as well. 

What exactly is Photo Manipulation? Well, photo manipulation is the application of image editing techniques to photographs in order to create an illusion or deception (in contrast to mere enhancement or correction), through analog or digital means. The resulting image may have little or no resemblance to the photo (or photos in the case of compositing) from which it originated. Today, photo manipulation is widely accepted as an art-form. (as defined by wikipedia.org)

Aside from her unique large and small photo prints, Nucera also produces rings, pocket mirrors, pendants, cards, and gift sets. To view more of her work or make a purchase, please visit

www.etsy.com/shop/ThisYearsGirl

Jonathan Capuano & elefint's super cute stuff!

Jonathan Capuano is the founder and designer behind elefint clothing line. He is a graphic designer by trade and works in many different genres. The passion for art and design through his work is the avenue (ANVU) to his audience.

Fueled by coffee and a love for design, his artistic direction is a collision of the corporate and cultural design necessary to deliver every design solution. Design is something that is part of Capuano and he says, "it's always turned ON". No detail is too small for him and he loves that he can communicate through his designs.

Besides his clothing line on Etsy, Jonathan also works in Photo Illustration, Branding & Identity, Photography, Motion Graphics, Web Design and Print Layout.

All of Capuano's designs on Etsy are original and screen printed on American Apparel 100% cotton clothing. Everything is screen printed by hand, made custom for you.

To find out more about Jonathan Capuano or where to purchase his work, please visit www.etsy.com/shop/elefint or www.jonathancapuano.com

Design for a Sustainable Culture Kalon Studios

Kalon Studios is based in Los Angeles, California and Berlin, Germany. They are a young design studio focused on contemporary form and innovative design. Kalon Studios is recognized as one of the most influential and innovative sustainable design companies in the world. They strive to produce products that hold a lasting, intrinsic beauty.

Kalon Studios design focus is as much on quality of design as it is on method and process. All of their products are non-toxic, fully sustainable, and domestically produced in the United States. Each piece is handcrafted to order by traditional furniture makers in New England.

Their name Kalon, is derived from the ancient Greek concept of ‘to Kalon.’ To be Kalon is more than being beautiful; it is having a beauty that both is and inspires excellence. For the Greeks, this meant a beauty linked with moral worth and usefulness. For Kalon, this means making products that aren’t only beautiful in form but beautiful in concept as well.

They believe that true beauty radiates from the whole but has its roots in the details and so from the hardware to their motifs, from the raw materials to their finishes, they laboriously handpick each element so that it too, alone, is Kalon. The Greeks believed that an object that was Kalon had a beauty powerful enough to inspire excellence in those who beheld it.


It is their sincerest hope that the products will do this as well – that the thoughtfulness and consideration put into each object they’ve made will pour back into the homes they grace and the world of which we are all a part.

At Kalon Studios, they make every effort to be as green and sustainable as can be. In their efforts to find sustainable solutions to manufacturing, they’ve engaged the newest and sometimes the oldest methods and materials.

They have used raw materials that are renewable, biodegradable, non-toxic and food safe. They finish their woods with oil which they have developed that is so green, so-non toxic that it’s practically food grade. :)

They've made use of the industries most local to us in our manufacturing.
For Kalon, sustainability is defined as having multiple intentions all of which center on the idea of balance, of giving as much as they take, be it through economics, the environment or on the everyday human level.

Simple, cool, and seductive. The first range of products was launched in 2007 and it set the tone for the brand: quietly suggestive, playful, functional and understated. These qualities stem from the ethos that the pieces should invite and never impose. Casual and effortlessly beautiful. The result is that each product stands out while seamlessly blending into its environment.

Using only the highest quality sustainable materials, each product is domestically made in the United States, sustainably produced and hand-crafted to order.

To find out more about Kalon Studios and purchase their products, please visit www.kalonstudios.com