Heidi Kenney (aka My Paper Crane) will be visiting Seattle this weekend for her first-ever solo show at Schmancy, entitled If You Lived Were Here You Would Be Home Now. The work she's been previewing online looks absolutely amazing, and the good news for non-Seatte folks is that Schmancy is already offering online pre-sales.

If you are in Seattle and headed to the show, be sure and show up early to snag a home-baked cupcake, complete with Heidi-crafted cupcake topper.

If You Lived Here You Would Be Home Now
all-new plush art by Heidi Kenney
Opening Reception: Friday, August 8, 6-9pm
@ Schmancy
1932 Second Ave.
Seattle, WA 98101
ph: (206) 728-8008
www.schmancytoys.com

I could not believe this find in the CRAFT Flickr pool: user genegrl1 made this scarf featuring the symbols for the different dharma initiative stations from the TV show Lost. It's reversible, so it looks like she used a double knitting technique.

Radialvedic is an art show running through the end of August at Johansson Projects in Oakland, CA. The show features works by Kristina Lewis, who uses zippers, drinking straws, and other everyday sorts of materials to create really stunning art pieces. The show also features works by Jill Gallenstein and Kana Tanaka in ink and glass. It looks like a tremendous show! Via Cool Hunting.

Radialvedic

July 17 - August 30

Johansson Projects

2300 Telegraph Ave.

Oakland, CA

Their motto is "When professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong," and it couldn't be more apropos. Cake Wrecks is a blog is full of funny and impressive cakes and great commentary. Pictured above is a James Bond plane crash wedding cake. Thanks, Patti!

Collin @ MAKE points us to this clever interactive artwork: "Fold Loud" by JooYoun Paek (NYC) is a musical toy played by making folds to complete various electrical contacts. The design uses conductive fabric and threads to perform on the flexible paper surface. It uses human voices, and when multiple contacts are made, they harmonize. Check out the video on her site.

Modern Craft posts about the stunning artwork of Cayce Zavaglia, who creates intricately embroidered portraits on painted-and-sanded linen.

Spotted on Apartment Therapy Chicago: Artist Virgina Fleck takes re-use to a whole other level by creating these colorful mandalas from discarded plastic bags.

Saw these on Modern Craft: Holly Wales is a talented illustrator (check out her "Household Objects" series) who also creates fun assemblages and collage work. I love her animals made from tape.

Just what I've always wanted for my desert cardboard sculpture garden: instructables user delappe created this tutorial for turning your Gandhi avatar (or any 3D avatar, really) into a cardboard sculpture. Via Collin @ MAKE.

Japanese artist Takashi Iwasaki paints, draws, and does collage--but it's his embroideries I'm nuts for. Iwasaki hand-embroiders each piece, which feature a visually arresting blend of bright candy-pop colors, geometric patterns, and free-form organic shapes you just can't tear your eyes away from. See more at Takashi Iwasaki online.

Over at Core77, Michael DiTullo (Design Director for Converse) sketches a shoe in a real-time video. I found it just mesmerizing to see the shoe take shape on the page. They also point out a few key tips that Michael uses for better rendering, including rotating the page frequently and keeping a supply of sharp pencils nearby.

More:

• DIY Shoes - CRAFT Video Podcast
• Handmade Shoe Roundup
  

A find from the CRAFT Flickr Pool: Audrey Robots made a classic IC bug, but with seashell wings!

More:

One minute project "Chip bugs" on MAKE

Collin @ MAKE writes:

Ranjit from Brooklyn created this pleasant device and displayed it at the recent Figment Festival - seems a prime candidate to replace the windchime, hmm ... windstring? - come see and hear this-- um-- whatever it is

An unbelievable find in the CRAFT Flickr Pool: Alicia made this cake featuring Tom Selleck's likeness. I want a mustache piece!

So simple, yet so lovely: these bearded men were laser engraved on wood for Christopher Bettig by Engrave your Book. Spotted in the MAKE Flickr Pool. These guys combine three of my favorite things-- lasers, wood, and bearded men.

Jonah @ MAKE writes:

We've posted lots in the past about NYC Metrocard art projects, but this one might just take the cake. This Metrocard bicycle is completely covered with hundreds of the cards, perhaps to make a statement about human powered vehicles vs. taking mass transit and the environmental impact you will have (not to mention the cash you will save) when you take your bike to work. In any case, it's a cool thing to do with your expired cards.

In a french advertising campaign for detergent, photographer Vincent Fournier took these shots of ladies in sweater suits performing various home activities. It's clear that the sweaters were turned at different axis to align the sleeves with the legs (and head) and the collar for the arms. I wonder what the sewn-up bottom of the sweater looks like. If you have any more info on this campaign, post it in the comments!

These suits remind me of work by Austrian artist Erwin Wurm, who often encapsulates people in different garments.

They're also reminiscent of my Laptop Compubody Sock.

Paper City
July 10th - August 15th, 2008
Opening Reception: July 10th, 6-8PM
Mixed Greens Gallery
531 West 26th Street
New York, NY 10001

Flickr user thisisloveforever (Brooklyn, NY) made this plush red snapper and mounted it to a board. I love the embroidered label and patchwork fins! Found in the CRAFT Flickr Pool.

For more shoe projects, check out the latest issue of CRAFT: 07!

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Bobby Solomon at the Kitsune Noir blog points out that there's an article in Dwell on how the Little Field of Flowers rug by Tord Boontje is made. From this picture alone you can see how the die cut felt flowers are woven in to make a soft bed of pleasant shapes. (Thanks, Collin!)