Yes, ‘green’ is everyone’s new favorite color. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that pop culture is beginning to embrace eco-stewardship - I just have a little migraine from Ed Begley Jr. beating me over the head with it this week. But who knows, with hype like this maybe they’ll actually make Earth Day a federal holiday and give postal workers extra time off to garden.

Ahh, now I’ve done it. I’ve gone and made myself sound cynical. I’m really not (that much). How can I be when faced with the kind of sincere and joyful upcycling exhibited by indie businesses such as rikrak whose line of bibs and blankets, purses and patchwork is pure sunshine. Kristal Davis‘ clever use of bright vintage fabrics gives new and modern life to material that might otherwise end up in the rag bag. One item I think particularly brilliant is the reusable wrapping cloth - a product created from vintage material, crafted to beautifully wrap and re-wrap small gifts like cds and books - and in doing so prevents wrapping paper and ribbon from being trashed. A great way to green it forward.

1. quilted fabric cards, 2. cutie little tags, 3. felt gift card pouches, 4. sweetiepie little lovenote mailbox….full of lovenotes!, 5. reusable wrapping cloth part one, 6. reusable wrapping cloth part two!, 7. new card holders!, 8. little toy quilt - little ted modelling, 9. finished bibs!, 10. almost ready…iron-on heart patches, 11. little stars play mat, 12. little soft blocks

Do you know any child that doesn’t have at least one Eric Carle title on their bookshelf? I’m hard pressed to think of one. From the Very Hungry Caterpillar to the Grouchy Ladybug his distinctive style of illustration has placed him in the pantheon of children’s book illustrators. While it may be old news to those living in the area of Amherst, Massachusetts, I recently learned of the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art - with thousands of annual visitors, numerous workshops, classes and exhibitions (currently showing the work of Arnold Lobel of Frog and Toad fame) it seems like an amazing place.

And like most museums it has a gift shop, except this one is packed with all things Carle, including their newly released line of fabrics - my favorite depicting lines of holey foods (also see the pic of the museum cafe’s famous Hungry Caterpillar cookies complete with chew holes). To celebrate the new fabrics, the Carle Museum is offering crafty Junior Society members 10% off fabric orders through April 30th - just mention JrSoc during checkout!

Always on the lookout for great kids patterns, I’m excited to share some recent work by artist Mike Lowery over at the Argyle Academy. Pretty great, right? I’m thinking Monster Kid sheets and bunny wallpaper. And then check out his Alexander Pirate shirt - who doesn’t need one? Arrrgghhh!

I’m also completely charmed by this gift Mike created for his expectant wife Rachel, a welcome parade for their new daughter Allister.

Pictures don’t do justice to the work of artist Tom Luckey. Literally. Not for lack of skill on the part of the photographer, but because of the overwhelming scale of his installations which tend to fill entire rooms from floor to ceiling making it impossible to capture in full. Known to make children squeal with delight and parent’s arch their eyebrows in concern, Tom is the architect of fantasy jungle gyms.

Featuring ribbon-like platforms that appear to float in mid air connected only by a tangled web of netting, these site specific installations turn our ideas of playground equipment on its head. I spent some time watching kids parade like ants through the Luckey Climbers’ installation at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago which resembles a deconstructed tree house. Brilliantly creative, you’ll find Tom’s handiwork in more than a dozen cities around the country. Pay a visit to his website to see if there’s one near you.

I am completely taken by the work of English artist Fiona Hewitt and her special retro Asian imagery. Inspired by vintage toys, communist-era propaganda, the Fifties, the Forties, sweets and Chinese packaging she has perfected this highly stylized design style. Fiona has several fine art prints available for purchase on her site and has also developed an absolutely gorgeous line of children’s activity kits under the name Dumpling Dynasty. They’re so simple in concept (when was the last time you saw a kid’s shoe shine kit?!) but meticulously detailed with lush colors, text and illustration. Find all of the Dumpling Dynasty kits here.

If the title of this post didn’t ring a bell, it’s from the old English nonsense rhyme:

Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John,

Went to bed with his trousers on;

One shoe off, and one shoe on,

Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John!

The talented folks over at Mignes have firm grasp on the concept of joyful design. This kid-centric Dutch line of diaper bags, backpacks, storage cubes and pillows is beautifully handcrafted from wool felt, cotton fabric and canvas with a charm that stems from exuberant flowering vines, bouquets, colorful animals and nesting birds in a fantastically happy palette of colors.

Alright, so if I ever found myself in one of those impossible ‘adult in a kid’s body’ movies (like Freaky Friday or Big) as a six year old with a credit card, I might start filling my room with the following pieces.

DucDuc Alex Bed: available in twin or full with optional toddler rails

Boodalee Tree Sheets: leaf patterned duvet with woodgrain sheets

Pkolino Clothes Tree: free-standing, functional art

Mod Topper Table: multi-functional bedside table

Luau Lamp: lifts from its recharging base to be carried around like a lantern

Flensted Hedgehog Mobile: brilliant Danish company with a huge selection

It’s been ages since I last posted an update on the Flickr.com group I administer called Play Food! It’s a photo sharing forum to showcase all manner of handcrafted play foods: crocheted cakes, felted flapjacks, sewn sandwiches and knit noodle kugel. Believe it or not, we’re now more than 500 members strong with around 1,300 images of some of the tastiest crafts you can imagine. Below is a sampling of recent buffet submissions.

1. Cupcake Bliss!!, 2. Pasta sauce, 3. fruit bowl softie, 4. Handsewn Wool Felt Play Food Set, 5. Leche Louie, 6. berryberrycharlottecakeee, 7. Fresh Felt Veggies, 8. Cheeseburger & Fries, 9. more oranges, 10. Pretzel Play Food, 11. Happy Toasts, 12. le carrot, 13. Garlic Bread 3, 14. Chocolate Cake, 15. Clementine season!, 16. Pancakes Ring

Our pals over at Threadless are having one blowout of a sale including all of their kiddie tees for a mere $9. a pop! Select from dozens of styles from their 24/7 design contest winners. The sale runs through the end of the day Wednesday, March 26th (today!) so go stock up on some summer wardrobe basics!

In her most recent JrSoc post our lovely guest blogger and musicology badge guru Amy Trulock introduced us to the phenomenal site Kiddie Records Weekly. Recently I’ve spent a little more time browsing this online audio archive devoted to preserving the golden age of children’s records at at the risk of being redundant I’m compelled to feature it again. The archive was compiled between 2005 and 2007 and showcases 200+ recordings from the mid forties through the early fifties, each of which can be listened to via download or audio stream. Ranging from Bozo at the Circus to Billy on a Bike, there is a wide range of storytelling, music and instructionals (Manners Can Be Fun!) all with the charming patina of age.

“Over the years, these forgotten treasures slipped off the radar and it became our mission to give them a new lease on life by sharing them with today’s generation of online listeners. Each week throughout the year we added a new recording and before we knew it, our one year project turned into three! Although we will not be continuing beyond 2007, Kiddie Records Weekly will remain online and we will update the Bonus Records section every now and then. So whether you are hearing these records for the first time or reuniting with a childhood favorite from long ago, we hope you take great pleasure in your trip down memory lane!”

Honestly though, the reason I wanted to revisit KRW is because they have not only beautifully preserved these audio recordings, they also restored the brilliant album covers. Now for those of you that share my love of vintage children’s illustration, the graphic design and artwork on these covers will make your heart beat just a little bit faster. I have shelves of old storybooks that I glean inspiration from on a regular basis but I’ve never laid eyes these lovelies before. See a selection below and then go grab your kiddo, a couple of juice boxes and visit the site for some retro story-time.