May 13 
while the grown-up me would be hesitant to mark up a page, the little me who daydreamed about the coveted sixth grade assignment checking out books at the school library would have made fast friends with this sweet owl & branch bookplate stamp from hilo's niko art.
$12 online.
Feb 17 
it's almost time for the whales to swim back north so with a little cut and paste and, voilà!, a show and tell of all the finds inspired by the planet's largest inhabitant collected over the past year. enjoy!
1 - teach your keiki all her abc's with strawberry luna's w is for whale print.
2 - the cheerful graphics of sirena con jersey's whale tote perk up a standard issue book bag.
3 - two trick pony's handscreened print takes your wall on a fanciful whale ride.
4 - elegantly designed magnetic whale tongs are a dinner party conversation starter.
5 - sterling silver is coaxed into a charming whale pendant.
6 - add a little whimsy to your entry with this playful whale tail door knocker.
7 - jot down notes on this cute whale chalkboard complete with blowhole chalk holder (also stocked at three potato four).
8 - show your gratitude with fugu fugu's 100% recycled big thanks note card.
9 - craft your own whale goodness with nikoart's handcrafted rubber stamp.
10 - announce your house number to the neighborhood with this fun-loving ode to moby.
11 - delight tiny sea explorers with eco-friendly little whales wallpaper by pottok prints.
art, craft, design, home sweet home, niko art, paper goods, style dressing room, kitchen, studio Nov 24 
the official holiday season is upon us so i hope you enjoy today's kickoff of holiday finds collected throughout the year. the economic uncertainty means many of us will be shopping less so consider this a friendly reminder to shop locally when possible - be it your favorite island maker or spending your dollars at a neighborhood shop.
alrighty, on to the good stuff . . .
1 - make waves with the new eco-friendly in-house line from organic keiki (boy's tee here).
2 - island fishtales introduces new gyotaku prints and colorways to its homegrown collection (free shipping on orders over $50).
3 - lucky pebble offers up a handcrafted cuddly duo perfect for playtime.
4 - delightful designs from jolie + jane embrace all that is sweet about childhood (available from cupcake boutique at ward warheouse which is offering free shipping on small items until dec 7th).
5 - inspire tiny recyclers to become little builders at the beach with green toys' sand play set
6 - make reading fun with nemu*nemu, a locally produced comic that chronicles the everyday adventures of two bff's and their stuffed pups.
7 - create crafty christmas surprises (and thank you cards for the pile of presents) with niko art's charming rubber stamps.
8 - cupcake also stocks tiny toms, the wee addition of toms shoes who gives a pair of shoes to children around the world for every pair purchased.
Jun 26 
max the alien *pepper
way back when, big island artist nicole holi was one of the very first etsy finds shared with h|h readers, and i am happy to report that, after taking a breather from crafting, niko art studio has made its long awaited return to everyone's favorite indie emporium.
in addition to a fresh batch of handmade toys and figurines, nicole recently introduced her very own rubber stamp line featuring simple but adorable line drawings that crafters and scrapbookers have found irresistible (her sweetie even makes the woodblocks for each stamp).
hobo cat & the tuna sandwich
niko art studio is also stocked with more traditional forms of art making from original artwork to archival prints of nicole's fanciful if idiosyncratic illustrations.
click over to the etsy shop to take a peek at all of nicole's creations.
p.s. welcome back nicole!
Nov 8 
the conversation + twinkie
the longer i stare at nicole holi's the conversation print the more questions pop into my mind. who are they? why have animal heads been superimposed on their bodies? where would they shop if they stepped off the canvas? and the eternal art question . . . what does it mean? yep, this is definitely not your parents art but yet another exciting etsy find.
nicole (aka nikoart at her etsy shop) is a true emerging artist from the big island and a recent
uh manoa art grad who, in the process of getting her degree, received many accolades for her unique p.o.v. in addition to working in mixed media, she is also crafting plush toys like twinkie who i wouldn't be surprised to find in the pages of where the wild things are.
there are not that many venues in the islands for emerging artists like nicole to show their goods so i encourage you to stop by her etsy shop which gives artists & crafters an alternative way to make a living while following their dreams.
