inspirations splendides

twist & slide sink

2009-04-21T02:24:00.001-04:00

Ever since I grew into an addiction of looking up interior design and home decoration, I've been wanting a bathroom that is waterproof, and the water would just flow into the floor. I like the idea of an open concept bathroom where you needn't shower walls, and the bottom of the shower is made of wooden planks. Little did I know, there are also designs coming out with sinks that also flow into the ground! I'm not sure how I like that idea, but I guess it's all one and the same. Check out this awesome twisted sink by Eumar called the Abisko Washbasin.

(Source)

pyramid for a bookcase

2009-04-19T01:36:00.007-04:00

After my previous post about the Thought Bubble bookshelf, (apparently a similar one can be found by Fusca Design,) my boyfriend sent me another bookshelf beauty and its pentagonal friend.

The Pyramid Modular Bookcase by Fitting is a work of art. Made in Italy and with aluminum, this would be quite the art piece in anyone's home. Not all have the coloured backing, but I think that nicely accentuates the shelves! (Source)

And here's another pyramid bookshelf made of wood, quite stunning as well!

The second item is the Pentagon Seating, designed by Thomas Tritsch and manufactured by Quinze & Milan. It looks fantastically futuristic. I am never too sure about these type of harsh seating. I would think that our behinds would be sore from sitting on such flat surfaces without cushioning or support. In any case, I think it would look great in any home that can afford so room contributed to seating. Go to their website, click or "Original" and discover other colourful, vibrant and unique pieces that would spice up any home or office! (Source)

thought bubble bookshelf

2009-04-15T06:40:00.003-04:00

Sometimes the simplest designs are the smartest. Kian Lau from China made a post about a bookshelf. It's not just any ordinary bookshelf. It's one in the shape of a thought bubble! Seems like a really simple idea, doesn't it? How come no one has thought of it yet? Maybe someone has but never implemented it? Anyhow, I cannot decipher simplified Chinese, only traditional Chinese, so I am not sure who designed it or where the image is from. I initially thought he had designed it and thought, "Oh cool, how brilliant! And designed by a fellow Chinese!" I'm quite sure, though, that his blog is just a design collective, just like mine. Okay, enough speech, onto the product!

Here are several other posts that I found really inspiring: coffin-shaped cigarette holder (how ironic!), a clock made of a dish, fork and spoon (I want one in my kitchen), a light bulb-shaped candle (talk about return to the old), a clothespin hanger, and so many more. I will end up linking over half of his blog, so why don't you check it out for yourself?

Edit: I translated the simplified Chinese to traditional Chinese. A source isn't provided. Oh well!

ligne roset

2009-04-11T23:18:00.003-04:00

Need some colourful modern furniture to spice up your living area? Want to invite friends over and have a heart-to-heart? Ligne Roset's designs are perfect for mending lost connections amongst friends and families. These sectional pieces fit perfectly as a puzzle would. Rearrange them however you want, and these pieces will still look magnificent and pop in any home. The citrus colour range is fab!

(Source)

£56 in exchange for pictures of space

2009-04-06T16:40:00.004-04:00

If someone told you, while you were in college, that in exchange for a £56 camera, you can get pictures of space, would you believe them? Mind you, it's not easy what they did; the students spent endless extra-curricular hours on the project, even during their vacation in the summer. With the assistance of their teacher, four students in Spanish Catalonia were able to take magnificent photos 20 miles above Earth with a Nikon camera that cost £56. Strapped to a weather balloon, the camera was able photograph its journey while taking readings with its radio receiver of its progress into the stratosphere. Read the Daily Mail news article for more information and pictures of the students and their camera-operated weather balloon.

"Meteotek was our experiment to see if we could accurately measure the Earth's atmospheric conditions at 30,000 metres, take pictures to prove the experiment and then recover the instruments attached to the balloon after its deflation," said team leader Paretas, 18.

"We were overwhelmed at our results, especially the photographs. To send our handmade craft to the edge of space is incredible."

Here is another article with more photos: link
Visit the Meteotek website for more information.

for your home

2009-04-05T18:25:00.004-04:00

It's the last month of the school term. Everyone is swamped with assignments, labs, essays...I've got two essay deadlines and three exams coming up, so bookmarks have been collecting and I have too many things I want to blog about! Here are two fabulous items I'd love for my home:

1) A gorgeous modern shower by KOS
KOS is a company from Italy that specializes in bath tubs, shower cabins, and basins. Their modern designs must be rare; I can't really imagine seeing one of these in a typical house, especially in North America. One can dream! My favourite are the shower cabins. I absolutely kosmic z2 and floor. The tubs are quite magnificent as well, especially the grande quadra and grande angolo. They aren't kidding when they say grande; they are massive!

via Pure Contemporary

2) Want to wash your hands in a waterfall?
Designed by Octopus Design and Bruno Sacco of Hansa is this beautiful faucet, which Jenny Rector from 3rings has granted the title of a water sculpture. The elegant sculpture uses an on/off button and LED temperature meters, far off from the knobs and handles we are used to. Bathrooms and washrooms have far too many cool gadgets for those who can afford them...but let's be honest. How much time do you spend washing your hands?

via 3rings

And as a little extra, my boyfriend saw this Down Low seating by Upwell Design, based in San Francisco, and immediately said he's getting them. I am not sure I understand the appeal! The only thing I could think about when I saw this was: where would my legs go? The concept is great and I know our male gaming companions would love them, but they're just not for me.

bruce branit's world builder

2009-03-26T04:27:00.006-04:00

I posted this in my other blog, 4x6 & Words, and felt the need to re-post on this blog. It is not only inspirational in its visual effects production, but the story itself is quite touching. I would not be able to place myself in that position (or watch this film again) without tears building in my eyes!

Maybe it's far too late at night—or early in the morning—or maybe I just can't bear the thought of losing a loved one. Whatever the reason may be, the 9 minutes and 15 seconds World Builder brought tears to my eyes. This brilliant work of art was created by filmmaker Bruce Branit. Does his name ring a bell? It might, because you've probably seen his work before on your television set or the big screen. The visual effects section of his resume includes hit television shows Pushing Daisies and Lost, the 21st century King Kong film (2005), the film rendition of Sin City (2005), and so many more. In Branit's words, the touching short film is a story where "a strange man uses holographic tools to build a world for the woman he loves." The video is also available in high quality.

Additional link: World Builder on Facebook

pretzel ring with salt diamonds

2009-03-09T17:28:00.004-04:00

There are a lot of things I love. Jewelry is one of them. I adore necklaces, rings, bracelets, anklets, headbands; the list goes on. Another thing I love? Food. To combine the two, Roni Baram has designed and put together a Pretzel Ring. It's not just any ring; it's a ring embedded with salt diamonds. How quaint! What's there not to love about edible jewelry? This is one handy snack! (Source)

escalator marketing

2009-03-05T03:11:00.004-05:00

There is an unbelievable number of escalator marketing out there and I'm only finding out about this now. Why is that? Like I said in my last post, making use of public, everyday objects to advertise your product is probably the cleverest thing to do. What better way to brand yourself than a method that jumps out at consumers and have them really think, "Wow"? Surround them in their everyday elements! I chose two of my favourite ones to show you; there are so many more that can be found here!

(Source)

scotch brite's "sponge"

2009-03-05T02:48:00.002-05:00

I absolutely love outdoor, public advertisements. The ability to make use of public space and incorporate and transform commercialism into public use should be praised. I love guerrilla advertisements! And with that, I believe Scotch Brite should win a prize of some sort for this brilliant "Sponge" drinking fountain. What better way to demonstrate the absorbency of their sponges? More pictures can be found in the source link below.

(Source)

slide + stairs

2009-03-05T01:54:00.004-05:00

Leesha is nicknamed xsparkage on the World Wide Web. She is best known for her YouTube videos that act as makeup tutorials for cosmetic lovers worldwide. The girl has beautiful skin, great judgment for ravishing looks and fantastic hair! Anyway, the other day on her Twitter, she tweeted with a link and said she really wanted the item in the link. What was in that link? This stunning staircase is both a slide and stairs! How cool would that be to have in your house? I'd walk up those stairs just to slide down again and again!

Does anyone know where this is from? Seriously, I need to know!

camera lens calender

2009-03-05T01:37:00.003-05:00

For all you camera lovers out there who needs a way to keep track of dates, like me, you're in luck. Photographer Sharad Haksar has created something that's going to blow your mind. This isn't a regular camera lens but a Camera Lens Calendar! Each ring represents an aspect of the calendar—the year, month, day, and date! This little baby will last you from last year (2008) to 2032. I want myself one of these! (Source)

eyeclock

2009-03-04T22:44:00.006-05:00

Mike Mak Design created a brilliant clock that really makes you think at first glance. Can you guess how it's read?

His design has the "eyes" acting as the hands of the clock. The position of the eyes replace the position of the hands on a clock. The left tells the hour and the right, the minute. Isn't it cool?

(Source)

dutch tulip field

2009-02-25T23:40:00.006-05:00

There is a wonderful blog called Abbey Does Design Scouting in which she has a little feature called Daily Dose of Green. In it are some brilliant gardens and absolutely beautiful parks and lands! One of my favourite is this colourful Dutch tulip field.

Stunning, isn't this?

More can be found here!

love is most inspiring

2009-02-24T22:15:00.005-05:00

A few stories that are utterly intriguing and unbelievably whimsical...

ONE. A story about an elaborate and fantastically romantic proposal on the Brooklyn Bridge. Guys, take note!

TWO. How did you meet your significant other? I met mine through his best friend. This couple met on the set of Sopranos as extras!

THREE. The perfect Valentine's Day presents for children are no longer store-bought cards with cartoon characters on them with speech bubbles. Try emptied matchboxes stuffed with m&m candies or candy corns. Wrap the boxes with construction paper, tags, etc, and tah dah!

After Two Months of Sitting as a Draft...

2009-02-22T00:11:00.001-05:00

I originally made this post on December 19th, 2008. I never got a chance to add everything I wanted to add and thought I'd have a chance during my Christmas break to revise the post. Little did I know, I'd be one busy, popular bee scheduled to the max with dates and gatherings! Here this post is, finally. Some of my favourite finds are in here, especially the little French girl's videos! Enjoy!

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I think I found the cutest little girl in France who should become the next J.K. Rowling. Or, she could be an actress and win an Oscar. Too cute!

The light-hearted pastel colours in Shimoda Hikari's illustrations are actually disguises for her underlying dark themes.

MTV in Canada is nowhere as creative as MTV Europe, which commissioned a short with the song "No Limit" by 2 Unlimited.

Learn the brief history of communication in one minute with a brilliant stop-motion film.

Some hilarious drawings by Wilhelm Staehle for Silhouette Masterpiece Theatre—clever, witty and somewhat cynical. More here.

Ever heard of a Singing Highway? There's one in Lancaster, CA created for a Honda commercial.

Another highway, this time in South Korea, can sing "Mary Had a Little Lamb"! (Also check out the behind the scene footages starting here.)

3191, b&w,150

2008-12-18T10:29:00.009-05:00

Now that I am back home in Toronto, I have been out a lot more often, and, thus, have a lot less time to explore the World Wide Web. Hopefully I will be able to find time to myself and do what I love most soon—finding other great stuff to inspire me and sharing it with the world. Here are three things that have been sitting on my browser for the last three days:

1) 3191 A Year of Evenings is a visual blog by Maria Alexandra Vettese and Stephanie Congdon Barnes. Living 3191 miles apart, these two women have only met once in their lives and communicate with each other through photography. Almost every evening, they take a photograph every Monday to Friday and combine them to make beautiful diptychs on their website. A year ago, they took photographs every morning and have since turned those into a book which I just purchased yesterday at Indigo. What a beautiful concept, one I would love to try with a distant someone!

2) Found on the streets of Moscow by The Satorialist is a lady dressed in black and white. Her perfectly matched assembly reminded me of my love for form-fitting leather jackets, black boots, cowl-neck sweaters, and of course, tulle dresses. She makes looking good look so easy! (Source)

3) Last but not least, Christiaan Postma entitled Clock. Consider this a follow up to a post I made two weeks ago where I featured a project by Nadine Grenie. She had formed a French message with the hands of 500 clocks. And now, a different, and perhaps even more fascinating, project of a clock that spells the time out for you.

The starting point with this project was a personal study about form & time. I put together more than 150 individual clockworks and made them work together to become one clock. I show the progress of time by letting the numbers be written in words by the clockworks. Reading clockwise, the time being is visible through a word and readable by the completeness of the word, 12 words from “one” to “twelve”. The size of the clock is 1,4 by 1,4 meter.

There is also an animated sample on her website that you must see!

lover of

2008-12-17T02:25:00.007-05:00

I am a lover of photographs. Visuals move me. Visuals that move are not as appealing to me as ones that require my concentration, my own interpretation of each of their preceding and following. I adore still life, found objects and scenery. I love distance (and hate it when it takes part in my romantic relationship) but absolutely crave intimacy. Everyone has their own perspective of art, whether it is what art means to them or what they make into art. Photographs frame one's view, capture one's environment or give birth to one's vision.

1) A photograph I cannot seem to let go of...
(Found in the LiveJournal community the_polaroids by user thelittlestbear)

2) The Cat Cam by Michael Benjamin...

Cooper has been taking his own pictures for over a year now! Once a week he wears this light weight digital camera fastened to his collar, which snaps a new photo every 2 minutes. Thanks for your help assembling the camera, Pierson!

3) Roland Bello's photography that hits me with nostalgia... (Source)

colours that pop

2008-12-17T01:09:00.004-05:00

Sometimes you just gotta relax, take a second and remember that it's okay to have fun. If you need a reminder, take a visit to the new Las Vegas bounce house designed by the duo from FriendsWithYou. Find your inner child in this playground filled with giant inflated balls and spread with colour. With characters like Shoebaca and Bumble Grump, how can you not have a good time? My favourite is Penelope the sleeping elephant. Each character has their own video on the fun and interactive website. They have many other fun projects too. Very kawaii!
(Source)

Vinheta Ó Paí, ó is a mesmerizing 50-second video in which every frame is a painting. I believe this is a opening of a Brazilian TV show. Unfortunately, I cannot read or understand any Portugese (I believe?), so this is as much information as I can give you!

Vinheta Ó Paí, ó from BRABO on Vimeo.

julien vallée

2008-12-16T12:49:00.007-05:00

I have only briefly scanned through Julien Vallée's website this morning and my head is already spinning from the multitude of colours and the depth of the elements. I'm in too much of a hurry to share these two videos I watched before I went to bed. Julien hails from Montréal and is a motion and design graphic artist. His work is colourful, sharp (some literally), vibrant, and will jump out at you through your screen. His three-dimensional work has an unexpected effect on the interaction between elements in his art and even interaction between human and graphics. Take a few minutes to watch these videos because they will blow your mind.

Globo Logos from Julien Vallée on Vimeo.

MTV-One from Julien Vallée on Vimeo.

trickery

2008-12-16T01:45:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to me! I'm finally done my first term of my fourth year! It feels absolutely fantastic to be home. I got some marks back today from a final exam on my Walt Disney course as well as a critical analysis essay for Comfort Television on Lipstick Jungle. I did very well and I'm so satisfied with myself! Above all, I won a free CD from CHUM, which I have to pick up sometime. Their station is unfortunately in the middle of nowhere. And with all these good news comes the bad news that my car wouldn't start today, leaving me worried, stressed and cold, already running late for my cousin's birthday dinner, which I ultimately missed. What inconvenient timing for a breakdown! Thank goodness for the rescue by my friend's father!

Anyway, my favourite YouTube video for the day. Titled "Western Spaghetti," this is a video very well done by the stop-motion artist PES. I have always been fascinated with this type of trick film and admire those who accomplish a smooth and seamless video. I'm in the middle of watching his other stop-motion films and my jaw is on the floor. Enjoy! (Warning: KaBoom! has great effects but involves clowns. Scary, flashing clowns. Watch at your own discretion.)

And just because I thought this Mr. Clean ad was amusing and very clever. Part of DesignYouTrust's "Deceiving Billboard Ads - Part IV":

greenland, iceland, toronto

2008-12-14T02:00:00.005-05:00

I only just discovered A Cup of Jo very recently, a blog by Joanna Goddard, a magazine writer based in New York. Seriously, a brilliant woman with words in the Big Apple, has she the dream life or what? Within the week of reading her blog, I'm head over heels in love. In a recent post, I encountered some beautiful photography that I could not wait to share.

First is the work of Joel Tettamanti. He is a Swiss man with a breathtaking perspective and the good fortunes of traveling around the world with his camera. The photographs from Greenland are what caught my attention. His works from France are also unreal. Wouldn't I love to travel, not to mention have his skills! (Source)

And then there are these photographs from Iceland (has no ice) from Glamour.com where Joanna is a blogger. She wrote about Bob O'Connor's dreamy photographs of Iceland. Absolutely astounding to say the least. My boyfriend's always wanted to go to Reykjavik. I think I'm siding with him on this one; must start saving!

And last but not least, not found on Joanna's blog but through my visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)'s website. If you aren't Torontonian, you are probably unaware that the AGO recently re-opened with a large transformation designed by the world renown Frank Gehry. Go ahead and Flickr search some photos because you will be shocked at its magnificence. Upon reading the AGO home page, I learned that Edward Burtynsky's photographs of the AGO's transformation is currently on view at the art gallery. His work has always focused on capturing the landscapes of the world in both the nature and manufactured terms. A lot of his work involve our interaction with natural resources such as oil, mines, factories, and much more. His photographs will really open your mind in how we as humans affect the world. So, if you live in the GTA or will be visiting Toronto, try and take a peek at his AGO collection. I would say it is a must-see. And the great thing is, it's free! (Source)

cloud nine

2008-12-12T05:59:00.004-05:00

I have one short of ten tabs on my browser that I need to be rid of. They have been sitting here, some for days, because I can't seem to group them with other similar-topic items. So here they are, one to nine of goodies.

1. Clever creative bench advertisements! These have been around for a long time. I've seen some but not others. If I were to guess, I would say you have already laid your eyes on the Istanbul book bench. But the rest are quite unique, such as the Kit Kat bench! The Denver Water one made me laugh. There are more on other blogs, so feel free to go on a hunt! (Source)

2. Riitta Ikonen (I love her name, by the way) has an very strange but brilliant way of implementing her own costumes and inserting them into "natural" places. She would dress up as an earthworm in the forest or a leaf in a tree. She's also been a herring, seaweed, snowflake and icebergs. I will leave it up to you to check them out—just be careful of the roadkill page, please. I was not blessed with the same warning. Skip that and jump to the Bonus page for some fantastical non-bloody joy.

3. Ah, photographs by Alexandra Carr. She is all sorts of fantastic and I adore all of her works! I especially love the "in the evening" set, crave the haircut of the girl in "paul," and don't get me started on the "white rabbit" series! Cecilia is a pure beauty and the nostalgia in "vivre sa vie!" OH MY. I couldn't really bear to show you only one sample, so two will do... Uh, let's move on before I change my mind. (Source)

4. The satire of Pepe Smit's work absolutely kills me. (And the fact that she shoots in D300, AH!) Her photographs are filled with semiotics that are hilarious and cynical and beg for you to take a longer look and read the message behind the imagery. As Margriet Kruijver writes about Pepe, "With pleasure Smit explores the clichés and [taboos] of our society. Clichés as the innocence of children, feminine beauty, motherhood and art itself are all being tackled." Her work is so clever and will have you questioning the arbitrariness of our lives. (Source)

5. Matthew Genitempo is another brilliant photographer I discovered this week. I just added him to Flickr and cannot wait to see more of the stuff I adore. The following are from his Big Winds set (shot in 120) and are just two of the 200+ photographs he has. He shoots in film (35mm AND medium format!) and Polaroids. You gotta see for yourself. (Source)

6. Words cannot describe the beauty of Mua. This hanging design is made of steel and wrapped in wicker. They say it "was designed with lovers in mind. The organic shape invokes the idea of two people intertwined, embracing each other." I wasn't sure, but they reassured me that at a certain perspective, Mua will look like a big heart. I have always dreamt of hammocks when I was young, but this is my new dream. (Source)

7. This Fill-in-the-Blank [If you...] note card is hilarious. I was so close to purchasing it until I realized it only comes with one. I can just think of all the lovely or naughty things that would fit those blanks. (And as I am writing this, I realize that I am sure my boyfriend will read this [hi, boyfriend] and write me tomorrow to comment on it.) Supermarket also has lots of other great stuff that would be well for the holidays as gifts. Check it out! (Source)

8. What do you think of guitar strings bracelets? WearYourMusic.org has them for sale anywhere from $9.99 to $500.00! What is with the ridiculous price, you ask? Well, they have collected celebrity guitar strings from some of your favourite artists! I actually learn about this from the Try JM Blog. Yes, John Mayer's strings definitely go for $200.00. Among others on the site are Ani Difranco, Keith Richards, and Eric Clapton, and Carlos Santana, just to name a few. They look cool, and some of them are engraved and customizable with diamonds or other gems and such. I think I'll just stick with my Tiffany! (Source)

9. Finally, a melting man in Buenos Aires. WTF? I know. To bring awareness to climate change and global warming, a man in Argentina situated himself in Plaza Francia and created the effect of him melting all over the pavement. I still don't understand how he did it, but I am told there are probably multiple layers in the grounding. I hope so... Strange but effective! (Source)

PHEW. That is ALL! Thanks for catching up with me. It's time for me to work on my readings now and study away for my exam in three days. Best of luck on your finals should you have any!

free nylon & dresses

2008-12-11T20:16:00.012-05:00

I don't even know how my wonderful boyfriend discovered this, but it's a dress that I would absolutely love to wear. Then again, I don't doubt that I would absolutely destroy it in seconds. Or, like my boyfriend fears, I would get paper cuts all over my body and probably dye it red. This is a dress made by Jolis Paons, completely made out of phone book pages! (Source)

For my Creative Processes class I designed and made this paper dress purely out of phonebook paper! I pleated, stuck, sewed, and glued everything by hand.

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And lots of thanks to DreamEcho, I have learnt that Nylon and Urban Outfitters have decided to bring Canadians and Americans another one year of Nylon magazine subscription! For free! How fabulous is this? Sign up soon—while supplies last! (Source)

My boyfriend has advised me that it's all gone. Sorry, loves! If I find goodies, I'll try and remember to share!

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If you haven't heard of The Sartorialist, well, listen up. Scott Schuman has spent 15 years in the fashion industry and founded this wonderful blog to showcase fashion across the globe. This blog has been publicized in magazines and newspapers worldwide. The outfits he find on the streets of some of the most influential cities in the world are raw, inspirational, glamourous, and worn by everyday people! Forget fashion models. We should be looking to our neighbours for fashion advice! There are always fabulous outfits, but this one really spoke to me. The pieces really come together despite the mismatched colours. It's something I would totally wear, and, oh, the accessories! (Source)

pixels, food & wood

2008-12-11T18:57:00.004-05:00

Found on Flickr by the trusty folks at DesignYouTrust is Diego "Karramarro" Sanz's pixel works. These actually made my jaw drop. What a reminder that we no longer live in a 3-D world. We are completely surrounded by pixels and they are our reality (whether they are in our computer or GameBoy monitor or printed out life-size! (Source)

I don't know who Anna is, but she is a crafty girl. She must also be a big Wall-E fan, because she produced two amazing pieces: in a bento box and out of wood! The Wall-E bento looks absolutely delicious. She even created little meat boxes to resemble the garbage cubes Wall-E makes! The wooden version is just nothing but astounding. It is immaculate and so detailed. Too detailed! I would love to make one of these for my little sister. The wooden figure is a little out of my league; I think the bento box will do! (Source)

colourless boxes

2008-12-11T17:41:00.003-05:00

To any one who has been speculating about my Christmas wishlist, look no further. This is a must-have for me and anyone who wishes to spice up their bedroom, study, living area, or any other room in your apartment/loft/house. Reinier de Jong has created the five-part Expandable REK Bookcase. Tuck it in as a decor or pull it open for it to be functional. Unfortunately, this doesn't come cheap; it can be yours at a shiny € 5.500,00. I also love the cabinet and wall storage he designed—these can be found on his website. (Source)

Something about pure black and whiteness interests me. Esther Stocker's 2008 installations is something out of the ordinary, especially if you were to be present there, surrounded by nothing but unpredictable lines jumping out at you. These two installations also reminded me of Michael Phelan's minimalist art, also of the two-tone nature. I adore it all. (Source)

iceland & sweden

2008-12-11T02:46:00.005-05:00

My boyfriend has been raving to be about Blue Lagoon for a while now, but despite seeing some marvelous pictures of it, the beauty was never etched into my mind as these pictures by Peter Baker have. He isn't just any American on vacation in Iceland with a decent SLR; Baker is the founder of a design company named Elevated Works and each of his captivating photographs will no doubt have a hold on you. He also has a Flickr in addition to his site for you to feast your eyes on. Enjoy! (Source)

Whoever you are, Sannah Kvist, I think I'm in love with you. I am a complete sucker for using negative space to emphasize a single object. It sounds easy to achieve a beautiful composition by way of nothingness, but it's difficult to make the photograph—in addition to being aesthetically pleasing—interesting. These take my breath away. I actually have to breathe as I'm scrolling so I can take advantage of the two seconds before my eyes yearn to move onto the next photo. See for yourself. These are my favourites from the singles on her website. There are series and commissioned works too. Too much for me to handle. Source

colours & circles

2008-12-10T03:39:00.004-05:00

Forget squares and triangles and rectangles and octagons, circles are my favourite shapes. And here are tons of circles in all sizes and colours. I don't even know how to begin with Mac Funamizu's creation, his new project titled "Tired of Numbers." These would be extremely handy on the work desk or in the bedroom. Basically, these two devices measure the humidity and temperature in your environment. With the humidity measuring device, the amount of blue is the percentage of humidity, with a tab every 25% to help you read it. With the thermometer, count the big circles for tens and small circles for ones if you're at double digits. And Mr. Funamizu says, "Red circles become blue when the temperature becomes negative." How brilliant?! I want one of these bad boys. They're stylish and practical (if functional! (Source)

Daniel Eatock has done something brilliant. Out of markers and pens that artists use everyday to creating illustrations, he has turn our tools into art itself. After his Pantone Pen Print in 2006, he has created the Prismacolor Pen Print and the Felt-Tip Print. With the entire set of pens, he put them in tubes and touched the pens to paper for the colour to soak through a large stack, sheets of paper. The furthest paper from the pens in the stack are still tainted with the paint. There are some interesting effects. Daniel's prints are individually numbered and for sale on his website. Source

have your cake and eat it too

2008-12-10T02:33:00.005-05:00

I'm not a big fan of cakes. I don't even eat cakes for my own birthday. But after seeing these photos, boy, do I ever want cake! For flickr user fsumaria, cake is synonymous in camera. Why do I say that? Her husband got her a custom-made cake baked in the shape of a Nikon D700. It is so delicious looking that it would suffice for the real thing. But nope, her husband followed that up and bought her the real thing! Damn, woman! Lucky! More photos can be seen at her Flickr. (Source)

To follow up with that gorgeous cake, here is a place where you can have some candy and cake. Within the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Florida, you will now find Serendipity. Does that name sound familiar? Yes, it's related to infamous Serendipity 3 in New York City! The interior looks posh and glam, is brighty lit and accented with orange and pink. I can't wait to try this place out! (Source)

buildings

2008-12-09T19:45:00.003-05:00

This batch of inspirations today is a collection of variants of buildings. We have photographs of buildings, and we have buildings, essentially on buildings. Let me explain.

Thomas Kneubühler is an absolutely brilliant photographer from Montréal who explores themes of space, privacy and appearances in his photographs. He reminds us of the things we encounter everyday and often neglect to acknowledge or completely miss. Amongst all his fabulous series, this is my favourite. Office 2000 presents a series of office buildings lit in the dark. His detailed captures allow us to peer into the office spaces of various floors with various levels of clarity, depending on how open the blinds are. This is fascinating yet voyeuristic and perverse at the same time. The large, repetitive urban façade is reminiscent of Andreas Gursky's work. (Source)

A series of what seems like window blinds or items solely for decoration purposes, IUKBOX (who makes some of my favourite things in the world—recall the pine lumen candles?—which would make a great holiday gift, by the way) has created negative cutout of drawings. These stenciled items are of various major cities in the world: Paris, Stockholm, Toyko and Helsinki. Available for purchase, they are not exactly on the cheap side, at a minimum of €345 per screen. (Source)

strange, important things

2008-12-09T09:02:00.004-05:00

Oops, it's been five days. Here we are. There are 16 days until Christmas and I'm starting to feel the spirit despite the rainy weather. The snow is melting and the sky is dull but it feels great. I haven't been to the mall in ages so it'll be interesting to visit one and see all the holiday decorations and emphasized displays as a result of overflowing stock rooms!

Here are some things that caught my eye lately:

She has so many other fantastic sculptures and projects on display on her website. I really enjoy the Yes Collection and Barbarians as well. Her use of chains and heavy, concentrated objects vs. empty space is very strategic.
the most important things are not things by Ester Partegas - (Source)

A personal music video with scrapbook drawings by Violenn Simon. A project created for ENSAAMA School of Visual Communication, Paris 2008. Music by The Doors.
People Are Strange (Scrapbook Drawings) - (Source)

People are strange from Denis Fongue on Vimeo.

Lolo Knits with Marzipan

2008-12-04T22:48:00.003-05:00

I don't have much today not only because I'm too busy studying, but also because there isn't anything that's caught my eye aside from some photographs and a video of Lauren, a.k.a. Lolo and her knitted marzipan! Her website veganyumyum.com is full of recipes for the vegans out there (you can try them too even if you're not a vegan!) I need to try this out myself!

Lauren says:

I’ve always enjoyed cooking, and when I went vegan four years ago the kitchen became my favorite room in the house. I love experimenting with all sorts of food. Except for beets. And garlic. And pretty much anything that has been pickled. But hey! We all have our weird preference and dislikes, right?

on Scene 360 Illusion // more on her Flickr

123 & 60

2008-12-03T18:21:00.006-05:00

My biggest, biggest love for the day goes to Hakan's Room 123. Words cannot begin to describe how much my adoration for the photographs themselves. When I visited the actual Room 123 website, I was in another world. The photographs speak for themselves and the music accompaniment is incredibly fitting. You will regret missing out on this.

Warning: Room 123's website contains nudity.

An ingenious campaign for the Nikon S60. It detects up to 12 faces! And how do they communicate that idea? With these brilliant photography. So clever! (By Euro RSCG Singapore.)

on DesignYouTrust // on Fubiz

experimental. innovative.

2008-12-03T17:19:00.005-05:00

*I have been having major trouble accessing lookbook.nu for the last several days. I wish I could feature more outfits, but I can't see a single thing. If anyone know what is wrong or can help me fix this issue, please contact me.

When I saw this, my mouth dropped. Ice sculptures have been made for dozens of years and we always marvel over them. The melting process is evidently more interesting as shown by the following project titled Melting Men.
Melting Men - (Source)

A project by Nadine Grenie, a message is posted every 12 hours with more than 500 clocks. At my initial sighting of this project, I thought that it was clever she used clocks and positioned them to create a phrase. At second thought, these clocks are ticking. A minute later, each letter would be skewed as the hands would no longer be in the right position, which is why the message is only displayed every 12 hours. What a ingenious idea.
500 Clocks Research - (Source)

more Photos

Michael Oswald created some brilliant art to depict androids, more specifically, a gynoid. Very futuristic and beautiful.
Robot Puppet Women - (Source)

his Website // more Photos

double takes

2008-12-01T00:19:00.003-05:00

There are two photographer/artists who caught my attention today and had me doing double takes. A second look is more than necessary when you are faced with their art. The details and concepts will make you go "wow." Without further ado...

Recall crop circles that were suspected to be left as markings by aliens who visited earth? Recall the movie Signs, where crop circles were used as signs that aliens were invading? Try sand circles. The following are the work of Jim Denevan, and they are incredible. Words cannot began to describe how I feel about his work. Can you imagine the time it took to create these pieces of art? These are just a small sample; his other works are just as, and probably more, impressive.

on DesignYouTrust // his Website // more Photos

In a series called Hope & Fear by Phillip Toledano, photographs of models are manipulated for their bodies to be covered by repetition of one item. The following are a few examples. There is one on his website where a girl is covered by female breasts. My emotions are quite mixed on that one; I cannot decide for the life of me whether it intrigued, disturbed, shocked, or scared me. I suppose that would be the idea. Another series titled America the Gift Shop is just as controversial. Extensive analysis of his work could result in some very interesting finds. A quote from Toledano:

I believe that everything should start with an idea, whether it be a single image, or a series. I also believe that a photograph should be like an unfinished sentence. There should be space for questions.

on Scene 360 Illusion // his Website

polaroids with love

2008-11-30T19:25:00.005-05:00

There's so much great stuff I want to show off today, most of which are photographs that are truly phenomenal. I'll break this down into a few entries as I should be writing my 3000-word essay on Lipstick Jungle instead of looking up daily inspirations. I can't help it; there are too many wonderful things in the world waiting to be discovered and publicized.

Let's start with some Polaroids found on the_polaroids of LiveJournal:

By user: fotograffs - (Source)

By user: xclit_eastwoodx - (Source)

Andrea Joseph has finished her first ever Moleskine in which the entire book is of sepia illustrations. Her drawings are brilliant and she is undoubtedly one of my favourite illustrators ever. I follow her work on Flickr and her blog avidly. Do check her out!

grey, grey sky

2008-11-29T12:29:00.003-05:00

With winter approaching and the weather getting frigid, it's no surprise that grey is a big hit amongst fashion gurus lately. Mind you, colour is definitely in this season and many are taking advantage of incredibly bright hues that will make your outfit pop. Knitted sweaters and cardigans are also very popular. With that said, I think I will still agree to these featured outfits below and stick to my greys.

ass scratchin' by Pauline T.

Oh my mary janes by Ashley S.

mice try by Jessica C.

oui, mais by Samantha M.

whimsicality & tranquility

2008-11-29T03:09:00.006-05:00

There are two photographers I want to share today. Both of whom I read about on DesignYouTrust.com. I am so inspired by both: one for the way she captures the everyday, the tones of her photographs and the tranquility of her photographs, and the other for his ...ridiculous abstract and creativity in personifying everyday objects. I use the word "ridiculous" because I just have not an idea how else to describe him!

We'll start with Rune Guneriussen, a Norwegian photographer who juxtaposes household items and places them on beaches, in forests, in places you would not imagine. The photographs are incredibly fairy-like and give off a supernatural, whimsical feel. The irony of some of these photographs, especially the one with globes, is fascinating. I do these no justice; you must visit his site to take a look for yourself.

on DesignYouTrust // his Website // more Photos...

The second is Erika Svensson, who I am now head over heels in love with. Her photographs have a tranquil hue that relaxes the soul and a feeling of softness, clarity and spaciousness. It's incredible how she works with texture and negative space. Take a look:

on DesignYouTrust // her Website // more Photos...

une boutique en ligne

2008-11-28T07:39:00.002-05:00

Having reopened their store on Halloween, Adeline Affre is now restocked with lots of jewelry goodies with their Spring 2009 collection. They're also offering free worldwide shipping! And did I mention they do some great photography? Click on "More..." and you'll be splashed with some colourful imagery! I think I just might pick up these two:

Bague Nuage

Collier Yo

black, red and shoes

2008-11-28T02:22:00.002-05:00

Here are some favourites of mine from lookbook.nu today:

i love new york by Joyan B.

Colourful Leggings by Tammy T.

A View From The Roof Tops by Claire M.

lost my shoe, late for school by Mrieke K.

black + blum

2008-11-27T20:17:00.004-05:00

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to all the Americans! We (Canadians) already celebrated turkey day a month ago, unfortunately. Unfortunate because I am definitely craving some turkey and mashed potatoes right now! Anyone want to save me some leftover?

The fabulous folks at NOTCOT blogged about fabulous items from a Black + Blum today. Their designs are fabulously innovative and contemporary. Check out their website; I'm sure you'll find several products fit for your home too!

desk tidy? — desk organizer

A porcelain desk organiser which takes its idea from an observation that many people use mugs to hold their pens. Combining this idea with the iconic plastic tube desk organiser of the 70's inspired the form. At a quick glance the decoration has a traditional feel, but look closer and you will see modern day desk items hidden in the pattern.

fruit loop — fruit bowl

A hand crafted fruit bowl made from a single piece of free flowing steel wire. It will add a piece of sculpture to any table and is ideal for holding fruit.

ring ring — magazine rack

A modular wall mounted magazine rack made up from just two nickel plated steel rings. Once one is fixed to a wall (using just two screws), it is possible to hang additional rings underneath. It is also possible to hang ring ring from the ceiling with multiple ring rings hanging underneath. Each ring ring can hold plenty of magazines.

pine lumen candle

2008-11-26T17:56:00.003-05:00

Pine Lumen Candle - Source

Conceived from a study in light and interactivity, the Pine Lumen Candle is a detailed pine tree silhouette, acid-etched in stainless steel. Light the wick and the candle projects the tree onto the wall – an atmospheric shadow that moves organically with the flickering flame. Uses a small, replaceable fuel cell and protects surfaces with its soft, polyethylene base.

This would make a brilliant gift for the holidays!

surrealism takes over

2008-11-26T17:11:00.006-05:00

Christopher Gilbert - (Source)

Christopher Gilbert is truly a photographer extraordinaire. His work is fantastic and has so much implications. One simple portrait can be manipulated to have so many readings and hidden messages.

Porcelain Cans - (Source)

Are you one to squeeze your pop can when done your soda? I doubt you'll want to squeeze these delicate cans. They're made of porcelain. These hand-painted porcelain cans are made by Lei Xue. I don't think you'll find Sprite or Coca-Cola in these ones.

simple; layered; complex

2008-11-26T02:21:00.002-05:00

I absolutely adore the fashionistas at lookbook.nu. They've got great style and really know how to dress. From all over the world, young adults get to show off their best outfits and strut their stuff on a simple and perfect website. How I wish I had an invitation code. If you happen to read this and have got one to spare, consider sending one my way!
Here are some of my favourite outfits as of late:

keep it simple, stupid - (Source)

Not only is this gorgeous Canadian girl stylish and fun, she's got fabulous shoes! Look at those wedges! Love her multi-colour nails too!

creative liberties - (Source)

This Canadian cutie is showing off her layers of stockings, knee-high socks and boots. Love the shades she's got going on. Laces stockings are totally hot this winter.

DASH - (Source)

Shifting the focus away from the beautiful Californian sun, this San Diego girl is sporting two layers of black (three on the left) with a belt to top it off, stockings and Mary Janes to seal the deal. Gotta love Forever 21.

chalk series by michael neff

2008-11-25T23:23:00.008-05:00

Michael Neff has combined light, shadow and chalk to create an innovative form of sidewalk art. This chalk series outlines the shadow of everyday objects and highlights the negative presence of trees, fences, railings, whatever you may find on the streets of New York. Not only is this a brilliant idea, but the photographs themselves are also well-composed and aesthetically pleasing. Upon looking at his website, you'll also find Michael Neff as a photographer who has a great eye for night images and details. Visit his website for more photographs of his chalk series and his other work.

(Source)

fairy tales

2008-11-25T18:14:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, one of my favourite blogs, Hello, Lover... Shoe Daydreams, wrote about "Living the Fairy Tale," being in a stable and happy relationship that conquers minor disagreements and works to both parties' favours. She stress that we must:

1. Choose our battles;
2. Recognize our moods;
3. Let the other person help;
4. Be open-minded;
5. Have a barrier;
6. Have a good story; and
7. Recognize what you've got.

I can honestly say that my relationship has no issues and have all seven boxes checked. I live a Disney relationship, it's true—from how we got together to every minute we spend together. Princess Poochie really has great advices and I loved that she plotted in the fairy tale comparison in there. Don't live your life dreaming of a happy ending, but enjoy every moment you get to spend with the person you love.

VS Energy International Ukraine - Source

A calendar made of matches? As each day ends, light a candle and burn the past away. What a brilliant idea. Whether you have a love for calendars or not as I do, this would have you looking forward to everyday!

tiles and words

2008-11-24T23:01:00.000-05:00

This is, in my opinion, the ideal sanctuary after a busy day of work, telephones, computers and human interaction. Found on Georgia's blog, these tile designs are spectacular and would really spice up one's home. They make your bathroom look exceptionally clean. Check out the top left image in the ascot pun home page. Maybe it's the size of that space that's the appeal, but this makes me want to hop in the shower right now!

juxtapose and light up

2008-11-24T17:27:00.000-05:00

Photography with Realistic Effects - (Source)

With genius positioning, these photographs use juxtaposition to create a strange and clever surrealistic effect.

Creative Billboards for Sony PSP - (Source)

I love photographs that replace its obstruction with a seemingly transparent view. These also make for a great advertising strategy!

To Do Tattoo - (Source)

I'm a list-maker, list-lover, and always misplace my grocery lists, to-do lists, etc. Recently, I downloaded a grocery list application on my iPhone and somehow lost that list! There is no way I can lose my hand!

Dog Lamp LED - (Source)

This is just adorable beyond words, and so simple. I wonder if they come in other animals!

welcome to inspirations splendides

2008-11-24T17:12:00.001-05:00

As an avid blog reader, I discover new inspirations everyday. Whether they be that of fashion, advertising, illustrations, technology, or photography, I absolutely adore new finds that surprise me and make me go "wow." The creative minds of our society today are full of unexpectedness. My list of wants and wishes grows and grows each day.

I hope you enjoy this blog, this massive list of interesting finds that I come upon day after day. Feedbacks and comments are greatly appreciated. Let me know of what you'd like to see more!

Keep an open mind and let yourself get carried away.