Andrew Bird premiered the new video for "EyeonEye," from his latest album, the not-bad-but-not-particularly-surprising-either Break It Yourself on Etsy, the online handmade marketplace. And thus, the twee universe practically imploded. more ›

The latest addition to the shelves of our home bar may not be drinkable, but we're no less excited for it to join the team. Design*Sponge recently clued us in to An Illustrated Guide to Cocktails, a handsome little book written by Orr Shtuhl with accompanying artwork by Elizabeth Graeber. more ›

...this comes along. And it can be yours for just $600 from artist Karen M. O'Leary! more ›

The incomparable Amy Mikel introduced us to Etsy, and ever since it's become a favorite activity to scour the site for handmade Chicago-y crafts, jewelry and artwork. In that vein, here are a handful of Windy City-themed collectables to catch us up on what we've been missing. more ›

Show where your el loyalities lie by hanging this Blue, Red or Brown line handmade felt ornament in a prominent place of honor on your Christmas tree. Or share the love and just buy all three. $8.50 each. more ›

Printed with the artist's original design onto a 13X19 poster, this retro immortalization of the now-defunct Berwyn Spindle will say to your dinner guests, "those junky cars mean more to me than any Walgreens ever will!" Printed and signed by the artist; and if you want the Spindle design printed on your wedding invations, the seller can do that, too. Poster $15. more ›

Chicago-based CircaCeramics prints funfunfun colors and patterns on their handfashioned porcelin wares, as seen on this sampling of their tile series. The stout and moderately-sized tiles are hangable or perfectly suited to use as a trivet. Measurements: 5 1/2" square, 1/2" thick; weight of one tile is 1 1/2 pounds. $25.
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Not content with candidate Cabbage Patch Kids? Rock the air quotes or the terrorist fist jab in style: with presidential candidate finger puppets. McCain/Obama finger puppets sold separately. Handmade in Chicago. $20. more ›

Just because it's funny. Handpainted. $8. more ›

We unsuccessfully fought the urge to not post this, as we are still in the throes of Halloween fever, but these Chicago Christmas greeting card sets are just too delightful to ignore for now. Three Christmas variations on the Chicago flag theme come separately as a 12 card set, supplied with red envelopes. Beautiful! But probably the best part about these cards is the greeting on the inside: "Chicago Christmas. Celebrate early, celebrate often." $16 more ›

This cosmetics bag is entirely handmade, fashioned from pre-washed printed fabric of Illinois windmills.* The 10" by 6" bag is 100% cotton and machine-washable. $4.99. more ›

This simulated vintage poster, inspired by the Shedd Aqarium, is an original design by the artist and is the first in a planned series that will include the Field Museum and the Adler Planetarium. Created here in Chicago, elements of the piece are hand-applied on canvas panel board, fashioned and textured with layered strips of antique paper to give it its old-timey feel. Want it? Buy it! more ›

This Chicago artist uses actual library cards to fashion the front and back of her 3.5" by 5" journals, with 80 college-ruled pages in between. Each journal is festooned with a unique literary quote. Bilblio-cool. more ›

We are loving these handmade pocket mirrors created using real CTA maps. For $6, you can personalize your mirror by specifying your neighborhood or "L" stop, or just gamble for a random one. The mirrors measure 2.25 inches across and come packaged in a drawstring bag. more ›

Yeargh, this stuff sells out fast. Local outfit Orange Beautiful's limited edition "Motivate Prints" are back. The set of four includes "get your sh*t together," "get on with it already," "quit your bellyaching" and "do something about it." more ›

This adorable Illinois necklace is cheaper than a movie. Cute!
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Just us, or is time kinda standing still today? Maybe it's because I had a second this morning where I for some reason believed today was Friday, which it is not. more ›

A new documentary is in the works to illuminate the flourishing DIY trend. Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY Art, Craft, and Design is the product of first-time filmmaker Faythe Levine, who was inspired to create the documentary after attending Chicago's Renegade Craft Fair in 2003: more ›

Our love of Chicago paraphernalia continues. This handmade cuff bracelet, $32, dresses up or down. more ›

Bah, what a great bag. And only $35. more ›

It's not going to be summer forever, cupcakes. Maybe it's time to start thinking about staying warm in the months ahead? This scarf was inspired by the El. Note its green, orange, purple, blue, pink, yellow, brown, and red lines stripes; its bus and skyline screenprint; its token buttons. Christmas is a mere 155 days away! And Hanukkah a mere 151!
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Etsy lingerie shop GartersByKristi sells, among other things, sports-themed garters. Above are the Bulls and Sox garter sets ($29.99 and $28.99 respectively), but there are sets for the Cubs and Bears, too. Suck it, Blackhawks! more ›

With the usual hustle and bustle of city life, sometimes it's so nice to just enjoy simpler times and places. That's why we love Jennifer Larkin, the owner of JKL Creations and The Paper Peony. We're suckers for well-done letterpress items, and Jennifer's have a sweet, clean design. more ›

Parking in our city during the winter is an especially trying act. If you've shoveled a spot adjacent to your building and "saved" it by means of a spare chair or ironing board, or even been embroiled in a debate about the morality of doing so, you'll appreciate these space saver cups by Chicago based Circa Ceramics. more ›

Goccos are the holy grail of the crafting world—simple, handy, solid—so when the Japanese-made printing machine (sort of like silk screening, but easier) went out of production, print fans were crushed. Since 2005, Goccos have been tough to find, but today, local stationary go-to Paper Source got some of the "big daddy" Goccos in stock. Ayee! The $395 PG6 can make prints up to 6.5" x 9.3", and Goccos can print on paper and cloth. more ›

The Neighbors Project is backing a pilot program in Uptown that provides "social marketing and technical support for local corner stores that carry fresh produce and to encourage more corner stores to follow suit." more ›

So much so she posts the process of her paper creature creations on her blog. Esther's cards and stationery are delicate pieces that are brilliantly colored without losing their subtlety (like the bunny Zaha, right). A resident of Little Village, Esther says, "I find confectionery inspiration from the many colorful bakeries there and in the surrounding neighborhoods." more ›

Michigan Avenue, a new luxury magazine, has set a new launch date: September 17. Dan Uslan, most recently of Where Chicago magazine, was named the publisher today. There's a Where Chicago magazine? Live and learn. [Crain's] more ›