Noriko Ambe - Paper Sculptures

I am totally blown away and speechless after seeing the work of artist {Noriko Ambe} and I think you probably feel the same after seeing these. In her artist's statement, she explains that she has been mapping the mysterious land between physical and emotional geography in an attempt to attain something sublime. She focuses on extreme detail - detail being the key point of nature, and we are part of nature. She tries to avoid drawing or cutting mechanical/perfect lines in her work, believing that the subtle natural distortions convey the nuances of human emotions, habits, or biorhythm. It is because of all this that Ambe creates all of her work by hand. My favorite part of her statement was how she explained the importance of the process:

"Using the five senses, perceiving the natural qualities of the materials, I found that I am concerned less about the end, and more about "doing". The process of creating is equally as important as the finished work." - Ambe

This was a great find from {Oh So Beautiful Paper}.

Jaq Belcher - Paper Masterpieces

The work of {Jaq Belcher} is truly remarkable. Each piece of paper is cut by hand to create these amazing somewhat sculptural works of art. Not only do the cut pieces themselves create a unique and beautiful look, but also the shadows created by them. This is not only true talent, but extreme patience as well - I am inspired, that's for sure! Another special find from {Oh So Beautiful Paper}.

Domestic Candy

Being that I was unable to read and understand a word on this blog makes it pretty difficult to talk about the artists work other than saying what I think about it. I love this retro, yet modern look for both accessories and home decorating. Check out the seemingly new Domestic Candy {blog}, as well as the {online shop} on {Dawanda}.

Pumpkin Pincushion

This is a pretty sweet {pincushion} for those who sew and appreciate things like this. It is made of soft natural linen with cream colored hand embroidered designs, a brown stem, and a cute green silk ribbon. This is a functional accessory or can be used as decoration year round - it is 4" in diameter and 3" tall.

Serena & Lily

Stylish moms have stylish babies and of course design stylish nursuries for them. What better way than to do so with many beautiful products of {Serena & Lily}? From the super cute slings for mothers to carry their babies, to the full line of products necessary to complete any nursury, and even great gift items like the {Take Me Home} set. I came across Serena and Lily on {Decor8}, one of my favorite blogs to visit.

Atmostheory Command Posters

To some of you these designs by {Atmostheory} may be ones you have seen before - the first time I saw it was some time last year. I came across it again and wanted to share for those who had not seen it. Ah, the life of a designer with all our key commands. I find myself literally thinking to myself from time to time "apple z" (undo) after doing something I wish I could take back (completely unrelated to the computer or designing...) That is when you know it's bad...If you are interested in purchasing these, they can be found on {My Little Underground}, the online shop of Atmostheory.

Beautiful Sausalito Home

I have been missing the Bay Area - where I grew up - a lot lately. When I saw this beautiful home on {Design*Sponge} today and read that it was in Sausalito, it made me miss it even more! I love the style of this home from the exterior, the red door, the adorable front porch, the decorating style of the living room, and the amazing kitchen :) Thanks Grace, for this great find!

Gardner Design

I think this is a really well done identity for A&M Upholstery. The colors work nicely with the brand created for this business. The logo itself can be taken apart and works well as individual parts as well - as is done with the labels on the fabric swatches. This is the work of {Gardner Design}.

Allison Newhouse ~ Cruet & Whisk

This fun identity system was designed by {Allison Newhouse}. Allison is a designer for {Duffy & Partners}, a design firm that I have previously posted work from. Great work. I love the way this identity/brand carries through on the different promotional items and packaging for Cruet & Whisk.

Office of the Tooth Fairy

I was completely blown away by the work of {Rubber Design}. To be honest, I probably would have posted about 99% of what they have showcased on their site, but decided to start with just one of my faves. I will most likely be showing some more later, but for now you should just go to their site and take a look for yourself. This beautiful piece was designed for the {Office of the Tooth Fairy} - a amazingly designed kit to use when children loose their teeth! SO CUTE! You can count on the fact that if I know you and you have a child at tooth-losing age - you will be getting one of these from me soon. Seriously.

Oh Designers...

I got a kick out of this wonderful printed piece by {Fabien Barral}, the creator of {Graphic ExchanGE}. Not only does he compile a large body of beautiful graphic design on Graphic ExchanGe for us all to see, but he also is a designer himself. Be sure to check out more of his amazing work, which can also be purchased on {Harmonie-intérieure}, his homemade decoration workshop.

UPPERCASE

{Uppercase Magazine} is a truly beautiful example of great editorial design by {Graphic-ExchanGE}. The magazine is a culmination of a dozen years of freelance graphic design experience and four years of this creative entrepreneurial adventure called UPPERCASE - check out the {site} if you are interested in subscribing.

Dutch Tulip Fields

Check out these photos taken in Spring of 2008. This magnificent sight can be seen in northern Netherlands - the middle of the {tulip season}. With more than 10,000 hectares devoted to the cultivation of these delicate flowers. This Dutch landscape is absolutely breathtaking - a kaleidoscope of colors - of tulips bursting into life. The bulbs are planted in late October and early November and are in full bloom by the end of April/early May. More than three billion tulips are grown each year and two-thirds of the vibrant blooms are exported, mostly to the U.S. and Germany. In the first picture - you are seeing 60 million tulips blossoming.

Radiator Heater Painting

This radiator heater has been refreshed with a white coat of paint then prettied up with a cheerful blue floral design by San Francisco's Robinson Finishes. I am unable to find a Robinson Finishes website, but those interested in their decorative finishes can see more of their work {here}.

TapeSwell

{TapeSwell} was born from a vision of turning dull, brown and tacky tape into something that wasn't so painful to look at. Packaging tape was in need of a modern makeover - and that's just what they did! Whether they are used together or separately, the labels, tapes and wraparounds let you put a personal touch on any box, package or envelope.

Crazy?

I think this artist may be borderline nuts crazy - but absolutely amazing just the same. {Motoi Yamamoto} started this form of art following the death of his sister. In Japanese culture, salt is not only a necessary element to sustain human life, but it is also a symbol of purification. He uses salt in this way to create large scale patters on floors. He also uses it in baked brick form to construct large interior structures. Motoi views his installations as exercises which are futile yet necessary to his healing, especially the labyrinths.

A couple weekend projects :)

Aside from recovering from being sick all week, running errands, and doing laundry this weekend - I got in a few hours of sewing :) Here are some of the results.

Earth Hour - Before and Afters

Earth Hour was something started in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and quickly grew to be globally observed. On Saturday March 28th, 2009 - more than 1,000 cities in over 80 countries observed {Earth Hour} - in homes, office towers, and landmarks by turning off their lights for an hour starting at 8:30pm local time. This was done to raise awareness about climate change and the threats from rising greenhouse gas emissions. The before and after images were found on {The Big Picture}.

Bespoke Press

So, really I didn't just print this for the beautiful green color I love so much. The gorgeous geometric teamed with the simple typography made for a fresh, fun, and still formal wedding invitation. This all went together in a metallic matching green envelope with natural cream color lining with a geometric design. Check out more great work on {Bespoke Press} Did I mention I love letterpress?

Studio On Fire

Check out these awesome and unique wedding invitations! Not only are they excellently designed with beautiful clean typography and graphics, but so creative to incorporate sewing and a perforated detachable RSVP card! That's not all - this whole invitation folds up into a self-mailer! This was co-designed by the bride and groom themselves, then Gocco printed and then stitched together. This piece, along with a lot of beautiful letterpress designs can be found on {Studio On Fire} - and on fire they are!

Drinking Bottle Lights

This United Kingdom based designer has found a way to creatively reuse plastic waste drink bottles for decorative lighting. The collects the bottles then cleans, sandblasts, and transforms them into decorative shapes that become unrecognizable from their original shape. These forms are then screwed into the inner shade, which is made of recycled card. Each lamp shade is handmade. Designer {Sarah Turner} has come up with a great way to reuse materials that are otherwise considered waste products - they have a nice modern look to them.

Be back soon...

Been pretty sick - I'll be back soon.

As promised...

Rome, Italy

Sorrento, Italy

Burano / Venice - Italy

Santorini, Greece

Dubrovnick, Croatia

Sunset while on the cruise :)

As promised, here are some more picture from my adventures in Italy and the Mediterranean this past summer. As I continue to go through my over 5,000 images - I will be sure to keep posting more.

Fire-Poi Typography

How cool is this!? Fire-spun typography - took designer {Nir Tober} about 15 hours, 2 sessions, and 30-50 shots per letter to successfully complete the whole alphabet.

Yorktown Road

I think these textile accessories are really nicely done - very simple and clean. Carol Gilbert, the designer of {Yorktown Roads}, uses materials drawn from the natural world and alters them with random folds, pleats and seam-lines. She uses linen and wool because of their beauty and versatility, allowing the texture and form of the original material to shape the work and enhance particular aspects of the textile in order for them to be seen in a new way. All of the work is produced in her small workshop - the fabrics are hand-dyed, she drafts all the patterns herself, and she constructs each piece.

She also makes these great wool coasters with re-purposed leather on the back. Love them!

All of these can be purchased on her {Etsy} shop.