Happy Weekend

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01/ Fruit Juices shows us exactly how much liquid is products from a single piece.
02/ Mysterious animal crates were left around Paris to announce the reopening of the zoo.
03/ A Tribute to Budgie showcases bird illustrations made from food.
04/ This Chinese beekeeper isn’t afraid to wear a coat of 450,000 bees. Uhhh…
05/ The transparent Axor Starck V makes the everyday faucet beautiful.
06/ CafeCat slowly melts his marshmallow self away in your hot beverage.
07/ Check out the 50 most amazing tree houses in the world.
08/ Screen Identity is a 7-foot tall smartphone exhibiting our digital sense of self.
09/ A journey of self discovery that includes wearing other peoples’ clothes.
10/ Rachel Sussman is on a journey to document The Oldest Living Things in the World.

This week on Design Crush:
I revealed the second half of my collaboration with Nissan – the new Murano!
Check out Houndworthy, a shop full of thoughtful things for pet and owner alike.
Dubbed one of the best gifts ever by my mom, Mother’s Day + Kolo’s photo books are a natural fit.
Taking a peek at my trip to Craftcation in retrospect.
I’ve dubbed 2014 The Year of the Textile, beginning with the lovely work of Caitlin Wilson.
Every Mother Counts + Minted have teams up to donate 20% of all art print proceeds through 4/28 to expectant mothers!
Tiny everyday objects are matched by color in the Tiny PMS Match project.
Modern birdhouses that both you and your avian visitors are sure to enjoy.
Serene dessert scenes from Jordan Sullivan.

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Every Mother Counts + Minted

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This past January I had the chance to sit down with Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Every Mother Counts, and Mariam Naficy, founder and CEO of Minted, to hear about their newly formed partnership. If you’re unfamiliar, Every Mother Counts is a non-profit organization created to increase public awareness and support for improved maternal and child health. EMC is committed to ending preventable deaths caused by pregnancy and childbirth around the world. You don’t have to be a mom to appreciate the importance of such things.

 

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For every art print purchased through Minted 2% is donated to Every Mother Counts. But Mother’s Day seemed like the perfect time to take things up a notch so they’ll be donating a whopping 20% of art print purchases! Order by April 28th and use the code DESIGNCRUSHEMC.

 

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Minted‘s art, journals, stationery, and decorations are all great fits for Mother’s Day. I love the idea of putting together a special little brunch full of printed touches and decor with all of her favorite foods as a surprise. Or maybe creating a tiny version of a gallery wall with some favorite art and photography from Minted’s huge selection. Any way you look at it, this is a great fit for everyone!

 

EMC is supporting Midwives for Haiti (MFH) work to increase the number of skilled birth attendants available to assist pregnant woman in Haiti

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Craftcation in Retrospect

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Photo: Matthew William Photography

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A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending and speaking at Craftcation in Ventura, California. I’d met one of the organizers – Nicole Stevenson – over the course of several other conferences and was flattered when she asked me to sit on panels about advanced social media and keeping track of your time.

 

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Kelly of Studio DIY was kind enough to play driver to Brittni of Paper & Stitch and myself after picking us up at LAX. It was a fast trip up to Ventura – fueled by Cadbury Mini Eggs – where we were welcomed by a hotel full of washi taped walls and tons of fun little details.

 

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There were three definite highlights of the trip for me, the first was seeing Brittni work her magic for a floral accessories workshop she was teaching. Riding in the car with buckets of flowers, then seeing them in her room for a few days confirmed my belief that they do a mind good.

 

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Second was a crazy craft libation tour I went on Thursday afternoon. (That’s the cool thing about Craftcation, it’s not all about crafting but rather making in all of its forms.) About thirty of us piled into a shuttle and were driven around Ventura, stopping at four different spots – Ventura Limoncello Company, Surf Brewery, Plan B Wine Cellars, and Ventiki. I’d say it was a success based on the fact that the shuttle got louder after each location.

 

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Lastly, Friday night ten of us headed out for a dinner which didn’t go quite as planned but was a blast nonetheless. I got to spend some much needed time with friend and keynote speaker Lisa Congdon and met two other amazing ladies in the process. After exploring a little of the downtown area we hung out at the Busy Bee Cafe, eating the requisite fare and drinking.

 

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Photo: Matthew William Photography

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Photo: Matthew William Photography

My two panels were held back-to-back that Friday on the top floor – that view! I’m always nervous speaking to a crowd full of non-bloggers when it comes to social media, but I think the crowd in attendance got something out of it. And I think i was able to inject a dose of reality to the time management panel with my off-kilter methods. At least I made them laugh!

Saturday morning Kelly, Brittni, and Brittany of The House That Lars Built (As an aside, Kelly and I and Brittni and Brittany were assigned rooms together. Hilarity ensued.) headed back to L.A. and said goodbye to the sleepy town of Ventura. My soul was happy.

 

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Photo: Matthew William Photography

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Happy Weekend

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01/ Check out the Alphabet Sandwich – an A to Z of food between two slices of bread!
02/ If my dentist had an office like Horacek Dental I’d be there more than twice a year.
03/ Mutaro the hedgehog models masks made just for him.
04/ A poster that shows off the categorization of The Many Varieties of Whiskey.
05/ The Man Behind the Mountain, a look at the artist behind Salvation Mountain.
06/ Food Textures showcases texture, shape, and form rather than edibility.
07/ Plastic bags as art isn’t a new concept, but plastic bag landscapes are.
08/ An illustrated guide to the bicyclists of New York City.
09/ A world map using every country’s coinage.
10/ Awesome 3D optical illusion classified ads!

This week on Design Crush:
If you missed it on Monday,  have a listen to Mixtape #35: So Young and Full of Sparks.
Have a hoppin’ Easter Sunday with these 17 projects!
Intoxicating work from Bing Wright featuring shattered mirrors and sunsets.
The countdown to Mother’s Day is on – thought about a gift yet?
Beautiful, colorful, geometric textiles from Cotton & Flax.
Show-stopping handblown glass pendant lighting in the Neverending Glory Collection.
Kinetic paper sculptures by Matt Shlian.
Check out innovation that excites with Nissan at the New York International Auto Show.
Stay creative this month with these 12 April DIYs!

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Matt Shlian

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Matt Shlian refers to his creations as kinetic sculptures and his title as paper engineer. Each piece he creates conveys a transfer of energy and light in the purest form. Matt says he begins with a system of folding and at some point the material takes over for itself. Now that’s truly being one with your art.

 

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Neverending Glory Collection

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A show-stopping line of handblown glass pendants make up Lasvit’s Neverending Glory Collection. You might recognize the silhouettes of iconic chandeliers from five of the world’s most eminent concert halls and theaters – La Scala in Milan, Palais Garnier in Paris, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, and the Czech Republic’s Estates Theater in Prague.

 

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(via Design Milk)

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Bing Wright

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New York photographer Bing Wright’s Broken Mirror/Evening Skies is a series of sunsets captured in shatter mirrors. Intoxicating is the first word that comes to mind, followed by riveting because I can’t top staring at them. The finished photos measure 4 x 6′, the viewing of which I’m sure is both of those things times a thousand.

 

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(via Colossal)

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