This is a movie clip for the New Zealand Book Council. I love how the story comes alive and peels off the page. I wonder how long it took the talented book sculptor to create this? It’s just lovely.
Via Ness Donnelly’s blog.
I don’t like Valentine’s Day. There, I’ve said it. It’s not the romance that I have a problem with. It’s the whole contrived nature of the day. I don’t like to be told that I have to be romantic on this day or that day. For me love and romance should be much more spontaneous.
But anyway, no doubt when the day comes I’ll get on board. And gifts are always good. Here are a few romantic presents that caught my eye.
All You Need is Love Hand Printed Card - £2.99 from Bonbi Forest
Antique Patterned Cold Enamel Bangle - $59 (approx £37) from Style River
Forget Me Not Dish - $17 (approx £11) from Prince Design UK
Limited Edition Blue Heart Print - $25 (approx £16) from Beeb Design
Set of Three Song Bird Ornaments - $20 (approx £13) from Anna Joyce Design
And you can wrap them all up in Love Little’s gorgeous screen printed button print wrap. It’s just £2.50 per sheet and comes complete with a matching tag.
I love the ethos behind Turtle Love Committee. The owner, Adrianne Zahner doesn’t wear much jewellery. Just her wedding ring and a few favourite pieces. And that’s what her company is all about - key pieces that you’ll cherish.
Turtle Love Committee started out as a source of unusual wedding and engagement rings and grew from there. They now stock a range of eco-friendly, artisan jewellery.
Visit the website at www.turtlelovecommittee.com.
I’m thinking that ‘A Bicycle Made for Two’ (top left) would make a lovely Valentine’s Day gift.
I’ve just bought a pack of these for the designers at work. Such a good idea and yet so simple. The idea for The Storyboard Book came about a few years ago when the creators were doing some storyboard sketches for a television commercial. The director wanted to explain an idea and grabbed a piece of paper to sketch out the scene. But of course he had to sketch out the frames first.
The Storyboard Book is lightweight, portable, and durable and perfect for storyboarding, sketching, list making, visualisation, plans, doodles, and just about anything else. The idea is simple - a frame for the action and space for the notes.
Buy yours at www.thestoryboardbook.com. They cost just $12 (approx £7.45) for a pack of three.
I think it was the dead rabbit that initially drew me to this event but when I read on I couldn’t help but be intrigued. The Family Event Installation explores our knowledge of ‘family’ and in particular the relationships between family members and how they change over time.
According to the artist Naomi Kendrick, ‘The work takes us on a journey in which surreal flashbacks associated with early memory are recalled; objects are unearthed through a process of seeing, opening, touching, smelling, listening; and stories are glimpsed, though fact and fiction remain blurred.’
The interactive nature of this installation appeals to me and particularly the use of the different sense.
If you’d like to go along here are the details:
What: The Family Event: An Installation by Naomi Kendrick
Where: The Middle Room, 203 Slade Lane, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 2AE
When: Preview on Friday 12th of February 6.30 – 9pm and then ‘view by appointment’ 13th – 21st February
There’s more information on the artist’s blog at http://deadrabbit-ablog.blogspot.com
Fans and followers of Lady Luck Rules OK will be familiar with their IP dispute last week. On Friday morning the independent jewellery and accessories label posted a message on Twitter, claiming their Russian Doll design had been ‘blatantly ripped off’ by internet retail giant ASOS. Judging by the influx of sympathy and support from fans and fellow independent designers, this hit a nerve. ASOS was quick to respond, removing the item immediately, promising to investigate and to contact the supplier of the item.
Sadly, it seems that disputes of this kind are not as rare as you might think. Lady Luck’s subsequent blog post outlines a number of similar disputes, despite their signing up to Briffa’s Design Protect scheme.
The growing popularity of social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook brings this kind of dispute to the public’s attention. No-one wants that kind of publicity. And it can’t be a bad thing when small independents are facing large corporates and retail companies.
Reading through Lady Luck’s blog post, the thing that struck me was just how damaging IP theft can be. Of course we’re familiar with the financial consequences. It’s hard enough for independents to survive and to compete with the high street, without having their designs stolen, mass produced and sold at a cheaper price. The cost implications here are obvious and added to this is the time it takes to fight these disputes. But what may be less obvious is the personal consequences. In her post Lady Luck owner Leona Baker writes about the painstaking process she goes through to create each piece of jewellery from the initial research to all the little touches that makes her jewellery unique. She goes onto say, ‘Sometimes people say we should be flattered when this happens, but we really only ever feel hurt because something that was very special to us has been spoilt by someone we’ve never met.’
Leona offers tips and advice for anyone who has found themselves in this situation. She is also inviting people to join in the conversation by leaving a comment on her blog. To weigh in and have your say go to www.ladyluckrulesok.com/journal/2010/01/artwork_theft.php.
Further information on protecting your intellectual property can be found at www.briffa.com.
If you like Babushka nesting dolls you’re sure to love these Bobo Babushkas with added attitude. They come in a number of different themes including the Rocker Chic gals, the Triple Trouble ladies - ready to wreak some supernatural havoc, ‘Night at the Opera’ singers and Classic Lolitas, complete with parasols and pinafores.
They cost between $90 and $150 (approx £55 to £90) which is really quite reasonable considering they’re all hand painted, absolutely one-of-a-kind and are eager to travel the world. They ship all the way from Australia for just $10.00 (approx £6).
To buy yours go to www.bobobabushka.etsy.com.
Out of all the categories on this blog Jewellery is perhaps the busiest. I’m extremely fond of accessories and always on the look out for new and unusual designs. This sparkly necklace from Elle F Bijoux is a bit of an eye-catcher. The base is a 1920’s pocket watch casing, filled with vintage and contemporary gems, rhinestones and buttons. A very pretty piece indeed!
Shop from www.ellefbijoux.etsy.com.
‘Shiney’ Necklace by Elle F Bijoux - $100 (approx £61). Delivery is only $10 (approx £6) from NYC.
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