Summer has unofficially been here for a few weeks now, but I’ve been coveting these wardrobe additions for even longer. A few tees, some shades, and I’m basically set. This is the lowest maintenance season and I plan to not only show it, but embrace it 110%. What’s on your summer wish list??
Cosmic Nuggets’ Maskz illustrations overlay magazine pages and feel decidedly circus-like to me, making them extra perfect for summer. I love the symmetry and the limited palette of red, yellow, and black that give each and every piece an almost sinister feel.
There is some doubly awesome stuff going on with The Good Twin’s Zodiac Pin + Posts! Astrology can be intriguing to me (and I definitely match my Scorpio profile), so sporting one of these abstract pins and having a sweet postcard to go along with it is loads of fun. Can’t wait to pick up one, but be warned that they sell FAST.
Chisel & Mouse, besides being a fantastic name, is the place where brothers Robert and Gavin Paisley bring their passion for beautiful buildings to life. Each sculpture is made from plaster and etched metal details through a combination of traditional sculpting, moulding and casting with CAD, and 3D printing. The end result is nothing short of art.
I have two things on the brain lately: summer and the color pink. In my mind the two just go together in a no brainer sort of way. I had the chance to team up the two when HP kindly asked me to try out their latest innovative product, Sprout.
Sprout is a touch-screen Windows PC that has a touch-sensitive mat and projection surface where you’d expect to see a keyboard. The interface is surprisingly simple. The mat and the monitor act like two screens, and you can seamlessly drag objects between the two to create. The hood that extends over the screen is called the Illuminator and includes a scanner, depth sensor, camera, and projector. It’s responsible for projecting that second screen onto the mat, but users can also photograph objects and make 3D scans with its help. Total magic. Don’t feel like using the touchscreen? That’s cool, just unsnap the pad and use the keyboard that comes with Sprout.
I’d recently squirreled away a pack of ombre tissue paper and knew it would be perfect for the creation I had in mind. The first thing I did was lay out a piece on the pad and scan it with a single touch of my finger on the screen. Then I cut out letters to spell out SUMMER and arranged them on the pad beneath the Illuminator. Another touch of that blue camera icon on the screen and we were in business.
After pulling both images that I’d just scanned from the monitor to the projected screen on the pad, and just a little manipulation, I’d created a fun and bright desktop wallpaper design. It took a total of about 15 minutes and I loved getting to use my hands in conjunction with Sprout. Nearly all of my design work take place on a machine these days, and I can’t tell you how good it felt to create something more analog once again.
Who ever said that amazing home decor has to be so freakin’ serious? Front and Moooi Carpets teamed up to create just the opposite – a series of rug that look like a colored pencil frenzy gone right. Each scribble rug is irregularly shaped and available in a variety of color ways. (Of course they’d also be a lot of fun in a kid’s room!)
Stained glass, right? Think again. Marta Alonso Yebra creates 12-inch square light boxes filled with melted gummy bears. She first discovered the technique while working on a student architecture project, and years later still finds herself obsessed with the process and end result. Now she and Mayice partner Imanol Caldéron Elósegui create these glass fixtures by melting and dripping gummy bears to create the swirled effect.
The classic brown bag has been turned into wearable bags and accessories at the hands of Urban Kraft. Constructed of super strong, durable kraft paper material that’s tear resistant, these pieces are washable and made to last. They’re great for protecting your goods throughout the day and beyond.
Offbeat, quirky, and absolutely wonderful. Those are the three things that immediately come to mind after viewing the work of Jessie Breakwell. Jessie’s vibrant paintings are the perfect escape from reality, her most famous series being Tropicana featuring animals oozing with personality. Make some of Jessie’s art your own in her shop.
