Coming in January...

A shop in shoppe, also known as the Survival Annex, featuring work by dozens of amazing artists and curated by our very own Aurora Crispin. Stay tuned for more info! And in the meantime, check out this website!

Lauren's Wishlist

All right, folks- one week and counting until Xmas day....
I was inspired by Derek's list of favorite items in the shoppe to put together one of my own- and here it is!
1. Crayon Rings by Timothy Liles
2. Chartreuse Tea Pot by Russel Wright
3. One Inch Necklace by Nous Savons
4. Yours 'Til Niagara Falls Postcard by Brooklyn Rehab
5. Stuffed Log Kit by My Imaginary Boyfriend
6. Wishbone Card by Threefold Collective
7. A Field Guide to Weeds by Kim Beck
8. Cats Let Nothing Darken Their Roar 2010 Calendar, by Noa Bembibre
9. Wooden Magnifying Glass by Singgish Kartono
10. "Brick" Rest Pillow by Linnea Blomgren

Thursday Photo Assignment: Blue

Wow- look at all these incredible "blue" photos! The color ones are always my favorites. We're going to take a short break from photo assignments during the holidays, but please check back after the first of the year for our next theme. Thanks again, everyone!

Derek's photo


Lauren's photo


Tony's photo


Dana's photo


Sparkie's photo


Linda's photo


Lennon's photo


Gregory's photo


Andrew's photo


Katey's photo


Leigh's photo


Kalli's photo


Tom's photo


Joelle's photo


Beth's photo


Deb's photo

Walnut Crafts

Last night at the market I couldn't resist picking up a bag of walnuts, and I had fun making crafts out of the shells while our soup was simmering on the stove. We've been so busy with work the past couple weeks that I haven't been making much, so it was nice to bust out the ol' hot glue gun and take a little crafting break. Instant gratification!

A Few of Derek's Favorite Things...

It's true that it's my job (and pleasure) to shop for the Curiosity Shoppe. But that doesn't mean I really get to shop in the Shoppe. So this Holiday Season I thought it would be fun to do a little shopping in my own Shoppe. Here's a handful of items I want to take home with me at the end of every day (clockwise from top left, sorta...):

1. Birdie Light by Kiel Mead. Kiel is a very talented young designer working in Brooklyn. He's got a wonderful aesthetic, and hits all the right notes for me: funny, functional, beautiful. (And I just realized he has 2 items on my list! Go Kiel!!)

2. Eye Clock. This is one of those things we sell here that if you get it, you really get it. If you don't, you don't. I love this clock. It's magically expressive and makes me happy. (For those of you asking yourself, "How is that thing a clock??", the one in the photo above reads 10:20. Get it?!))

3. Comb USB. I've been looking for a reason to carry a comb around in my back pocket since 1987. This is the excuse I've been dreaming of. Looks totally badass and holds 2 Gigs of data. And it keeps my hair in check.

4. Jason Polan Curiosity Shoppe Holiday Sampler. One of the biggest thrills of owning a business is collaborating with people you admire. I'm a huge fan of Jason Polan's work. He's an amazing artist, and an all around cool dude. He's always got a million projects going, so I'm especially thankful that he took the time, energy, and effort to make something super special for us this Holiday Season.

5. Handmade Baseball. Not many people know this about me, but I used to be a total "sport". Spent the first 14 years of my life with a baseball in my hand. But you don't need to be athletic, or even like sports to appreciate this gorgeous object. The lemon peel design is based on ye-olde baseballs, but the stitching gives these beauties a real contemporary edge.

6. Rope Money Clip. Hey, it's that Kiel Mead character again! I think money clips are classy. And I love rope. So there you go.

7. Wrench Bottle Opener. Looks like a cast iron wrench, feels like a cast iron wrench, opens bottles in a snap.

8. Letterpress Coasters. I love these super fun "Put It There Pal"coasters designed by the talented Matt Singer. The shape, the colors, the sentiment...right up my alley.

9. The Thing Issue #7. The Thing is a quarterly art subscription started by two amazing local artists Jonn Herschend and Will Rogan. We are 1 of 3 stores in the world lucky enough to carry Issue #7 which consists of a pair of glasses related to a new book by one of our favorite novelists, Jonathan Lethem, and designed by Selima (of Selima Optique) and Matt Singer (Oh wait, that makes 2 people who are on my list twice! Go Matt!!). The frames are super stylish (you can have your own prescription put in them) and the concept is great and fun and totally intriguing.

10. Poem Cup and Saucer (with pen and notebook). My morning ritual consists of coffee drinking and list making. This was made for me. And it looks great.

Thursday Photo Assignment: Trees

Phew- these 12 and 14 hour work days in December are a doozy! Sorry I didn't get these up earlier! Looking at these beautiful tree photos, which are so lovely and quiet, are the perfect way to end a very busy day. Thanks to everyone who sent in their pics!

Next Thursday's photo assignment is: "blue". Please email your pics to smartsandcrafts@gmail.com before next Thursday if you'd like to participate.

Derek's photo


Lauren's photo

Natalie's photo


Brooke's photo


Leigh's photo


Kalli's photo


Caroline's photo


Beth's photo


Caitlin's photo


Kathy's photo


Tom's photo


Joelle's photo


Sparkie's photo


Andrew's photo

Mission Holiday Block Party!!

We are so very thankful to have a shop in such a wonderful, vibrant, and unique neighborhood. Much of what makes the Mission District of San Francisco great has to do with our fantastically creative and hardworking neighbors. We are very excited to be participating again in this year's Mission Holiday Block Party. Please come down this Friday, December 11th and visit each and every one of the friendly, independently owned businesses in the neighborhood participating in this festive and fun event. From 5 to 10pm we'll be offering 10% off everything in the Shoppe, as well as free drinks and snacks. We've got tons of great new stuff arriving every day, so now is the perfect time to come say hello and pick up a little somethin'somethin' for all your friends and family. See you Friday!!!

Wooden Gift Tags by Miss Natalie

The holiday season is in full force, and we are hard at work packing and shipping orders, making sure we have lots of fun items in stock, and helping customers pick out the perfect gift items for their loved ones this year. You all know by now that one of our very favorite things is working with artists to create exclusive items for the shoppe, and we are so excited that our friend Miss Natalie created these special, limited-edition wooden gift tag sets for us this year.
Natalie created a set of 4 hand painted, wooden gift tags that can be used to adorn your presents, and then be kept as Christmas Tree ornaments for years to come. There are only 36 sets available and they're going fast, so get yours while you can! (Click here to purchase.)

Stencil 101 Workshop this Thursday

Ed Roth knows a thing or two about decorating with stencils. His how-to books, Stencil 101 and the new Stencil 101 Décor, are favorites of ours at the shoppe, and not only include awesome project ideas and instructions, but tons of plastic stencils that are ready to use. And we're not talking grape leaves and teddy bears here- Ed's designs include muscle cars, birds, and houndstooth prints. Actual patterns that we'd be happy to decorate our walls and furniture with.

Lucky for us, he will be stopping by the shoppe this Thursday. December 10th, from 7-9 pm to host a Stencil 101 Holiday Card Making Workshop. It's free to the public- no reservation required. Just stop by after work for a glass of wine and a little craftin' with Ed. It's guaranteed to be a blast.

Strange States of Matter Opening Reception Tonight!

We have spent the past week ooh-ing and aah-ing over Tom Bonauro's amazing prints in the Shoppe gallery, and we'd love for you to join us tonight from 6-9pm to honor Tom and celebrate the holidays with a glass of bubbly. What makes this show particularly exciting for us is that Tom has created a variety of works that are not only beautiful, but affordable. From the framed works, to the limited edition "What the Hell" prints, this is the perfect opportunity to join the ranks of the SFMOMA and add a piece of Tom's work to your own personal collection.

Oh yeah, and we're offering 10% off all items in the Shoppe!!

Here are the details:
Tom Bonauro/Strange States of Matter Opening Reception
at the Curiosity Shoppe
Tonight! Saturday, December 5th, 6-9pm
855 Valencia Street, San Francisco
415-671-5384

Hope to see you there!

Coin Purse Love

One of my favorite new items in the shoppe this holiday season is the handmade Kisslock Coin Purse from eleen. (I plan to "gift" one to myself for Christmas.) We met Eleen at the Renegade Craft Fair last year, and she was kind enough to make some of her lovely coin purses for us to sell in the shoppe. They are made out of grey wool with a cute wool ¢ appliqué on it, and you know we're all about appliqué right now- and she even let us choose the interior fabric design. (We chose woodgrain of course!) I have had a kisslock coin purse closure in my craft bucket for a couple years now and still haven't made anything with it, and these little purses have inspired me to find the perfect fabric and give it a try.

Speaking of Renegade, they are putting on some holiday craft fairs this month in Chicago and SF. Check their website for more info!

Thursday Photo Assignment: Hands

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving- was that already a week ago?? These "hands" photos are great! Next week's theme is: "trees". Email your photos to: smartsandcrafts@gmail.com before next Thursday if you'd like to participate!

Derek's photo

Lauren's photo

Andrew's photo

Tom's photo

Joelle's photo

Caitlin's photo

Janet's photo

Hana's photo

Beth's photo


Sparkie's photo