Man Made DIY

A decade ago, office organization looked the same as it had since the advent of the personal computer: inbox/outbox, some filing cabinets, storage boxes on shelfs for extras, and drawer organizers.

Now, in the era of smart phones, tablets, multiple computers, all sorts of input devices, electronic bill pay, Stamps.com, docu-scanners... (should I keep going?), staying organized in your home office is very, very different.

Professional organizer Angela Kantarellis offers her seven roadblocks to an organized workspace in 2012, and what to do about them.   … read more

I make routine visits to the hardware store. At least weekly, usually more. I'm at the craft store multiple times a month, and a regular at the fabric shop, art supply emporium, and every thrift store on the high street (Which, in my city, is actually called High St.) 

Doing what? Well, finding supplies to make stuff, of course. I'm constantly sourcing materials to cut out, slice up, reconfigure, then glue or sew back together to make something else entirely.

John Austin, on the other hand, takes a different approach, and heads straight to the office supply store.… read more

For centuries, the adage "the right tool for the job" has rang true in all sorts of creative, artistic, and handmade fields. That's no different in 2011, where the image-heavy, fast production-centric digital world demands we keep up with the times. And so, we turn to gadgets and technology to make our creative world more productive and more awesome.

But, which accessories and gadgets to invest in?   … read more

Artist Eric Daigh uses red, black, yellow, and blue push pins to create photo-realistic art portraits. His work really takes advantage of the "realistic far away/geometric up close" phenonomenon that happens with "pixelated" art. I love the variations in distortion that are visible in the above photo.

   … read more

I'm just gonna say it: If you can, at least, safely and accurately wield a pair of scissors, it's simply unacceptable to have a plain, straight from the store memo board: either cork, magnetic, or dry erase. There are so many easy ways to make it interesting: make it woodgrain, turn it into bold graphic shape, build a handprinted inspiration board from scratch for way less than the office supply store, or create a double duty DIY dry erase board.

Or, take a cue from Michael, and go straight up vintage map-y.   … read more