Jessica Nebel

German native and recent grad from the Royal College of Art in London, Jessica Nebel is well on her way to becoming the next 'it' person in industrial design. Recent projects like the 'Take-away sink' and Wool-light' are giving her international acclaim.The wool light is made of 100% wool, pose able and ever changing to create an array of soft and fuzzy shadows for an invitingly warm glow on a summer evening.

Amy Adams of Perch Design

Amy Adams is the designer behind Brooklyn-based ceramic studio Perch. All of Perch's products are made with low impact, non-toxic, eco-friendly loving care-- not to mention creative style and practical sensibility.

Perch was a part of this year's HauteGREEN in New York, an annual showcase of sustainability in design and I look forward to seeing them in upcoming years.

Oslo Press

Word spreads pretty quickly across the blogosphere so if you haven't heard of Oslo Press yet I'm delighted to be the first to inform you about them! Wood veneer and 100% cotton papers make up these elegant customizable invitations in a variety of veneers, inks, and designs. Husband and wife duo Jen and Glenwood concocted the idea in 2006 when planning their own wedding and already have a cult following of aspiring brides and grooms.

Japanese Rice Art

The craft of rice growing has evolved into a different type of art for Japanese rice farmers in Inakadate. Each year farmers combine the aesthetic qualities of yellow, purple, and green rice leaves for an impressive display of craft and crop. The eco-friendly art will be on display until September's harvest. via designboom

The New Birds at Grass Hut

English Barn Owl
Pinky

I'm in beautiful Portland, Oregon this weekend and stumbled upon Grass Hut, a local studio, gallery, and shop run by artist Bwana Spoons and Justin "Scrappers" Morrison. Their current show with over 30 different artists, The New Birds, showcases bird-themed art with proceeds going to the Portland Audubon Society. This is a definite must-see if you're in the area but feel free to shop online too!

No Sudden Moves
Amy Ruppel

Mathew Feyld

Hummingbird House
Amy Morrison

Kokeshi Dolls at TokyoCube

These are so adorable! I picked up a few Kokeshi dolls in San Francisco's Chinatown back in the fall but mine are not nearly as cute. TokyoCube has a great collection of toys of all sorts.

p.s. great wikipedia fact "The word 'kokeshi' is also used in Japanese as a euphemism for dildo."

via sweetinvaders

Little Odd Forest

Fun home accessories by LittleOddForest. Singapore native Lynda Lye founded the crafty design portal in 2004 in fulfillment of whimsical childhood fantasies.

Be sure to visit Lynda's blog as well.

Lorena Siminovich

It was so difficult for me to chose only a few collages by artist Lorena Siminovich. I adore the characters in her work. Originally from Buenos Aires and relocated to San Francisco, Lorena creates completely one of a kind customizable pieces out of recycled and vintage papers from all over the globe.

Visit her portfolio site here and look over the purchasables here!

Thout Design

Canadians of Thout Design concocted the wonderful idea for this Holey Stump. Its sleek, stylish, multi-functional, and stores beer in its holes--if required. Available in aqua, green, and white I can't imagine a chic Canadian cabin in the woods without one.

CinqCinq Designers (5.5)

I've never seen such an eclectic collection of products and styles from the same design firm. CinqCinq or 5.5 designers based out of Paris have an impressive collection of more or less functional items and spacial design. Many items are hand-built, re-built, re-cycled, re-used and just plain resourceful!

Feinedinge

The new collection from Feinedinge is out and its spectacular! All products are handmade with love by Sandra Haishberger in her Vienna, Austria studio
Feindinge means "Fine Thing" in German and I absolutely agree! Catch her in New York next week at the ICFF. She'll be represented by Austrian design super collective Pure Austrian Design

Nicole Jacquard

Sculptor and Jewelry artist Nicole Jacquard hand crafted this beautiful piece out of wood, 18k gold, steel and plexi-glass. She currently works as a professor of Jewelry and Metal smithing at Indiana University.

Reddish

Beautifully hand-crafted and genuinely cross-stitched! Reddish design studio out of Israel keeps us on our toes with a variety of home goods that cross boundaries between modern functionality and country-home kitsch.

Check out their site for an up close shot of the stitching--and don't miss the digital cuckoo clock...

Chet and Dot

Portland, Oregon's Chet and Dot creates adorably cute plushies, bags, cards etc which can be purchased via her Etsy shop or a number of retailers throughout the Portland area. Stock up for Easter, or unplanned children.

From her Etsy profile, "The cuter the better, in my opinion." Agreed.

Christine's wieners a winner!

You heard me right. Christine Domanic of Jackrabbit won Etsy's Upcycle Contest with her wiener bench made of re-used, recycled and upcycled goods! Who doesn't want 369 wieners to cuddle up with and have a glass of milk on on a cool february night??

Get more of Christine and other crafters at the Bay Area Makers Faire in San Francisco this May put on by none other than the creators of Make and Craft magazines.