As the weather warms and the first day of spring beckons — er, today — the 70 percent off sales of Holiday 2008 become but a dim memory. Sadly for us suckers, a new season ushers in serious retail lust: whether it’s a fresh coat of paint, cute dress, artwork, lacrosse stick, picnic basket, or paperbacks, if it’s new to us, we clearly need it. To our everlasting chagrin, we’ll never have the scoop on a sale at Lanvin, but accessible artwork and design objects are now on the rise, thanks to a growing number of independent artists and resurgence of private salons.

And why not take advantage? You may think you have the skills, but let’s be honest: the world of crafting extends a bit beyond another Popsicle-stick sculpture. You could also try your hand at recreating famous photography by the likes of Philip-Lorca DiCorcia, but that’s (a) not exactly original and (b) time-consuming, albeit entertaining. So let’s leave it to the up-and-coming creatives, shall we? … Read More