A fine gentleman who goes by the name Terry Border has been brightening my days with his "Bent Objects".

He breathes life into everyday objects with a bit of wire and a lot of quirky humour.
The photos are just fine speaking for themselves. So enjoy.

Planet-hogs Anonymous Newbie

I found this fantastically informative interactive piece online, a green calculator/finger-wager, if you will.

After a short series of entertainingly animated questions, I found out that though my ecological footprint may be lighter than the average American, (pause here for dramatic effect) it would take 3 planets to support a world in which each person lives the way I do. And, I recycle/compost everything; carpool/bus to my workplace which is only 2.3 miles; seldom buy new books, clothing, furniture—blahblahblah.

I guess the bottom line is: You can always be greener. And also: Design can change the world. Yeah, I said it. 

Find your score and more info at Global Footprint Network.

Bookart and paper engineering

... these are a few of my favourite things. Next to raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, of course.
This fantastic book by Tristan O'Shannessy manages to combine the two and crowns it with some very eye-pleasing design on the actual printed pages. Although I'll readily admit that it took me a moment or two of unabated staring to move on to the content beyond this amazing form.
That is one boss book.

Calling All Typophiles!

Kokuyo offers these and a few other colorful sets of wooden puzzle blocks to practice English, Japanese and illustration skills. Yup, all 3 images are created from the same set of shapes. 

I have been lucky enough to find within my circle of friends a huge chunk of talent in illustration, which I can admire and try to match for the months to come, and I felt like sharing some of her work here.

I especially love to indulge in her colour compositions, but that is only one of the many things to enjoy. I heartily recommend that you check out her deviant art gallery as well, if you like what you see here.

I’m not really into fairies, but. . .

I think these meticulous creations have enough appeal for feather-weight creatures and mortals alike.

This fashion and home collection are just plain charming—and so full of thoughtful imagination, I just wish they came in life-sized versions, so I can drape myself (feather-clad) over a fern bench and daydream about an acorn and berry banquet while awaiting my bumblebee ride. That's right. It just got a little girly up in here.

From the books: Fairie-ality and Fairie-ality Style

Where Creative and Disturbing Meet

If you must repeat this for your Thanksgiving dinner, find the instructions here. But perhaps there is a better application for this meat adorning technique. . .  . Send it to us if you try.

Does Retro times Retro make Retro squared?

The idea of taking retro films (at least they are retro to ditzy twentysomethings like this humble blogger) and creating even more retro book covers leaves me with a bit of postmodern whiplash.

But that time I was at the receiving end of a guy crashing into the tail end of a traffic jam sure didn't feel quite as good as looking at these designs. Actually, that felt awful. Moving on.

The graphic designer behind the blog spacesick creates an ever growing collection of brilliant book cover designs for the good, the bad and the ugly in film history, reminding me that the best work can come from projects you do "just because".

Okay, "Shaun" is not retro. It's just awesome.

It also turns out that the the designer is merely a year older than I am.
If you'll excuse me, I'll go play in traffic now.

The Special Talent of Creating Your Own Photo Opps

Check out these sweet (no pun intended—okay, yes, it was) photos from Netherlands-based furniture maker by day/photographer by night Siebe Warmoeskerken a.k.a. De Vetpan Studios: Cookie Splash! I can’t think of a better way to spend time with a cookie. . .that is, before I eat it. (I do like cookies.)

Someone once told me

Today, I would like to share a few findings from one of my other favourite Blogs.
At someoneoncetoldme.com, people spread the word about wisdoms, insults, and oddities that have stuck with them. The format of presentation is always the same: words written (or painted) on a white pad, framed within a black and white photo.

The result, however, varies from the ridiculous over the attention seeking to the wonderfully profound. Or the wonderfully simple.

The fact that every statement is a multi-leveled self portrait makes browsing through the blog a rather inspiring experience.

Toys For Big and Small

I have a confession. When I was a youngen and Christmas rolled around I had a tradition (for a few years at least) of gifting my little brother with very advanced Lego kits. The motive was not to encourage his fine motor skills, nor was it to boost his cognitive abilities via construction directions. No, it was just so that I, his big sister could satisfy my desire to play with and build large, sprawling Lego infrastructure (cities, airports, etc...). I let him help (sometimes) but really it was a selfish act. I'm telling you this because I saw this block set, and it is getting close to Christmas, and I do have a daughter. Therefore I now have a legitimate excuse to purchase a toy, that in actuality she will enjoy quite a bit, but alas so will I.






Check them out at
http://www.shhhop.com/product/playshapes-74-wooden-blocks

Happy Farewell-to-the-Berlin-Wall, Germany!

. . .and Happy Anniversary to the people who were moved to paint:

Life and Literature

They say that every book we read changes us one tiny bit.
Now, there is a sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with.
It is also very much and very visibly true for those individuals who choose to make their love for a certain piece of writing permanent as a tattoo.
I will refrain from bad puns concerning literature getting under your skin. Or maybe I won't.
The boundless love for words expressed in literary tattoos is fascinating in its own right. And in the hands of the right artist, the typography of text tattoos can be brilliant, either going with the natural organic shapes of the body, or creating a striking contrast between a convex muscle and a straight line of crisp type.
Illustrations, on the other hand, turn a body into a life-sized picture book.
There are worse things to be.

Literary Tattoos grow more and more popular, and are an amazing case study of the importance of literature in our lives. Or just a love letter to your favourite punctuation mark.
In either case, they are beautiful.

Something tells me this one might have been the result of a drunken design agency christmas party.