Archive | May, 2011

[ mobilier de carton + Bibicarton ]]

27 May

Bibicarton cardboard furniture

Cardboard furniture by Bibicarton

Cardboard furniture by Bibicarton

I just discovered Bibicarton recently and I must admit I am bit mad at myself for not knowing about it earlier.  I always get a bit peeved when I discover some local creative thing which has been around for a while, and which I should definitely already know about!  I mean, if someone if making custom cardboard furniture in Melbourne,  I feel I really should be across that!

ANYWAY.  Sarah Mouchot creates recycled cardboard furniture under the name ‘Bibicarton’, in Melbourne!  Some of it is very wacky but some of it is quite cool… and I must say in general it seems very well crafted – not like the usual flat-packed slot-together stuff you see around a lot these days.  In contrast, Bibicarton furniture appears to be very sturdy and solid, and sealed almost like papier mache?

Sarah also gives cardboard furniture making workshops!  ALSO I believe she may be French.  This is not a confirmed fact but is a conclusion I am jumping to following a bit of googling and twitter stalking.  Cardboard furniture workshopping AND a french accent!?  Oui oui!  Super fun.

Cardboard ‘He and She’ side tables with drawers by Bibicarton

And behind the scenes…!

[ ilustratii + The Curious Explorer ]]

27 May

Marc Martin – The Curious Explorer’s Illustrated Pocket Companion to Exotic Animals A-Z

The Curious Explorer’s Illustrated Pocket Companion to Exotic Animals A-Z’ – a book and A-Z illustration project by Marc Martin

Melbourne illustrator Marc Martin is a quiet achiever.  He created this incredible collection of bold and beautiful A-Z illustrations for a very special self initiated project – a little book entitled ‘The Curious Explorer’s Illustrated Pocket Companion to Exotic Animals A-Z’.  It is TRULY so exquisite – though the book itself is rather little(!) – so if you REALLY want to admire Marc’s amazing animal illustrations, you should definitely pop over to the online shop and nab a limited edition A4 giclee print!  Beautifully printed in vibrant colours, they’re a steal (most are $50!) – and such perfect painterly pieces for any little person’s bedroom!

Marc would also love to give you opportunity to WIN one limited edition print (of your choice!) and a copy of his sweet little book!

FIRST please share the love by visiting Marc’s website and having a browse through the full collection of prints!

THEN pop back here, and leave a comment letting us know your FAVOURITE illustrated exotic animal.

A winner will be selected at random and notified by email tomorrow.  How lovely!  Thanks Marc!

I asked Marc a few questions about this beautiful little project -

What inspired you to create the ‘Curious Explorers’ book?

The idea behind the book was to do a bit of a world safari of animals. I like the ‘old world’ idea of bizarre, unknown creatures in far away lands, when people weren’t very familiar with a lot of animals and the notion of the ‘exotic’ was still new. I drew a lot of inspiration from old books on flora and fauna – Ernst Haeckel’s ‘Art forms in Nature’ is a big influence, as are my illustration heros Eric Carle, Charley Harper and Bruno Munari.

How long have you been working on this project?

The idea for this project started over a year ago when my lovely partner Skye and I were traveling overseas. I did a lot of drawings whilst we travelled, and some of those drawings (especially the drawings of Borneo and Indonesia) somehow developed into this book. The feedback from the first book I did (A Forest) was really positive, so I knew that there was an opportunity to carry that momentum through to another book.

Which is your favourite print!?

Hmm, I think the Loris is probably my favourite – I love their big eyes. I actually spend way too much time on Youtube looking at videos of them!

L is for Loris – illustration by Marc Martin

What is next for Marc Martin?

I’ve got another, larger book coming out later this year through Erm Books, which is really exciting. It will probably be more of an artist book rather than a narrative or conceptual based work, so I’m looking forward to cutting loose and doing something really amazing. That should also coincide with a show in September at Lamington Drive, so it’s going to be a busy few months leading up to that!

And for all the animal lovers, there’s also an A-Z poster due for release in a couple of months, and more animals added to my webstore.

AND, most importantly, a friend and I are teaming up to form a new studio – LANZ+MARTIN. We’ve just finished an identity for Perimeter Books in Thornbury, and we’re on the lookout for new creative clients to work with!

The Curious Explorer’s Illustrated Pocket Companion to Exotic Animals is, as the name suggests, perfectly ‘pocket-sized’ and assembled by hand, with a soft cover.  What would be AMAZING, I reckon… is for this beautiful project to be published properly, with a beautiful hard cover… and distributed to all the best book shops in the land!  Now I KNOW there are some clever publishing people reading… if Marc’s stunning work has struck a chord with you today, he would love to hear from you! That’s all I’m SAYING.

X is for X-Ray fish – illustration by Marc Martin

W is for Walrus – illustration by Marc Martin

Z is for Zebra – illustration by Marc Martin

articol via The Design Files

[ raman Machetatorii fara joburi? ]]

27 May

Raman MACHETATORII fara Joburi?!

Stiu de treaba asta (printare – macheta holograma) de mai bine de 2 ani … totusi nu am vazut nici un demers in privinta asta :) Si atat timp cat preturile pentru printarea 3D sunt inca destul de mari, nici nu mai stiu ce sa cred! Ce facem, ce alegem? Sarim un pas al evolutiei catre machetare perfecta sau asteptam ca piata machetelor printerelor 3D sa raspunda la cerintele reale ale studentilor de la Arhitectura si nu numai?! Voi ce parere aveti?

[ selecţie + inspiraţie pentru casă ]]

26 May

Iată ce am descoperit în dimineaţa asta! :) Un studio de design cu magazin online: Heimastore. Au un site foarte frumuşel! Mă tentează – văd că se foloseşte din ce în ce mai mult texturarea cu hârtie de împachetat sau carton simplu şi arată foarte bine! :) Am ales numai câteva dintre produsele lor şi le-am grupat frumos, zic eu, pentru voi, ca să vă inspire şi pe voi în dimineaţa asta! :)

HEIMA

Inspired by the lust for travel, photography, music and design you can say that a Heima piece is one stubborn work of whimsy. It doesn’t stick out, it stands out. The patterns are, simply put, colorful springboards on their own. So it’s not just furniture. It’s a lifestyle we promote.

We advocate a lifestyle. We live for the carefree, the indie, the trigger-happy. We live for the fella and the bonnie lass. There’s pretty much something for everyone who wants to live a little different, style and substance in a unique package.

Indeed, a Heima home is a happy home. And you don’t even have to have all our furniture to feel so. A patchwork couch, paper organizers that come in pretty patterns on a funky yet functional desk, or an armchair that shyly sits on the corner for your own time-out, these are enough to make every day a happy day.

The happier fact is that it doesn’t take much to own one. Although inspired by foreign culture, Heima is quality made locally – Filipino – and proudly so. Our chairs stand tall and boast of detailed craftsmanship, individuality, and a smooth flight of fancy.

We create and look for things to make the senses smile, things to make your heart flutter. You know, something to make you happy.

[ lampa la borcan ]]

26 May

AVOCA JAR LAMP

jar lamp, design squish blog

jar lamp, design squish blog

Jar lamp by UpCycle.

This lamp is made from re-using Avoca glass jar. A hole is drilled in the cap and a lamp fitting is offered through.