floor stencils

following on my stencil post, a little paint and the right stencil can do some amazing things for your floor as shown here from domino magazine.



floor stencils from the stencil library have an amazing selection from their japanese range.

japanese earthenware

i keep wanting to buy white porcelain dishes as my everyday ware, but this color and durability is pulling me the other way. simple matte black finish on the outside with a thick layer of translucent crackled color inside. this japanese-style earthenware is extra durable, twice fired, dishwasher and microwave safe. from cb2.

stenciling

an inspiring stencil {above} by toy shop collective. using these types of examples can be inspiration for use in other types of media than just street art. i've included a few good tutorials. one using photoshop for creating a three layer multi-color stencil and another on the how to's of street art.

beautiful work featuring the toyshop collective by visual resistance and a stunning bus kiss i just adore. what's interesting about these collectives (out of ny) is they use art to transform and liberate public space not to vandalize it.

osborne + little

i just couldn't resist posting this fun promo image from osborne and little wallpapers and fabrics. love all the graphics here and their pillow collection is also on my want list now. another excuse to drive to seattle. (found via nebopeklo).

habitat

loving this pendant light from habitat. i'm trying to figure out where the light goes, but wherever it does, the shadows must be amazing.

found typography and open minds

be a design group is a blog where designers can test new ideas. i've always liked their openess to this thought and their opinions on what is happening in the design world. their logo idea of everchanging "b's" and "a's" of found typography is brilliant. they have now come up with a gallery of all 250 collected "BA" photos. each time you arrive at their site, a different "BA" appears. i think they have hit on something designers always enjoy, "change".

be a design group is a place where one can share observations and comment on cultural trends. their definition of design is intentionally broad so that the subject matter of their posts can be diverse and unlimited. they say it is intended to be more than just a discussion on graphic design as a specific career path. their belief is that to be a great designer you must be an active growing designer. by exploring how design affects all aspects of life. they keep growing and help others grow. it is their goal to be an influence in the design community and the culture at large. i am all for growth and an open mind. thanks BA!

things i keep dreaming about

scool1, originally uploaded by poppytalk.

sometimes things come along that just keep me thinking about them. at times i'll find myself in a conversation or something, and these things will pop into my head. here are things i keep dreaming about:

margaret kilgallen's work (thanks andrea for the coolest link)
this room (it all works so well together) thanks mav for the inspiration.
this mud oven thanks kath for your inspiration (if only i had a backyard).
and i know this is a repeat for some of you, but for my new viewers you just can't miss misprinted type and all his wonderful work and free beautiful fonts (so inspiring).

new flickr toys

fd has added a new addition to his collection of flickr toys. random photo browser etches a selection of random photos that have been favorited by at least one person. you can then view random photos from the favorites collection of various users and go off exploring on wild tangents. another one i like is the framer. toys wonderful toys!

eight

8, originally uploaded by poppytalk.

a collage experiment i'm working on. handmade paper collage, photographed (no scanner at the moment) which gives it it's own look, and then pulled into photoshop. i want to take it further yet, but also want to get a better feel for it online since it needs to stand beside other work. speaking of which a few links for the weekend:

agency net - a cool ad agency sims-like experience.
advertising/design blog - full of ad goodness.
the designer's lunchbox

tootles!

because you're mine

there is just something about that lyric. having some johnny cash stencils to paste/paint somewhere could be interesting. i grew up on his music, always dug his classics. it takes me back to my childhood and somehow comforts me. interesting post at be a design group about the new poster design for the upcoming movie. a movie poster without photographs. nice for a change. (see below).

dreamy

hey hula, isn't this beautiful? i am sooooo inspired! and so happy i found dreamy a blog by rhonna farrer a very talented (and i'm not saying that lightly) digital wizard! rhonna allowed me to show this image of her beautiful art journal. i found her (via the green frog studio via ky). what can i say about this artist, 'cept she's got talent and a lot of it. she designs these amazing digi-kits that are available at two peas in a bucket a website offering scrabooking glory including digital (my fave) with resources, tutorials, fonts, digi-kits, oh the list goes on and on, and i can't do it enough justice - just go there! where have i been? dreamy rocks the proverbial kasbah!

veer(y) nice

some more well-designed wallpapers from our friends at veer.

travel ephemera

some travel ephemera featuring some excellent graphic design from the 1920's and 30's. stuff that would definitely stand up against works today. and to think there were no computers back then (amazing). the first one (above) is a luggage label for "imperial airways - the british air line," circa 1928.



travel brochure "tours to the ussr 1932."  published by intourist. signed "a. salensky '31."



travel booklet "rhodes - the island of roses," 1938. designed by pizzi & pizio - milano-roma. published by the ent nazionale industrie turistische (enit - italian state turist department) and the ferrovie dello stato (italian state railway).

and other worlds

there's a guy here in vancouver who makes these almost daily.

collage street art

hula, i think you might dig this collage street art. or maybe you've seen judith supine's work before, i shouldn't be so presumptuous. very very cool (i'm still trying to understand it but visually it's grabbing me). and this i like. and talk about easter eggs. and i kind of like wacky doodler. she even has stuff from vancouver.

on the way to the market

a few rag tag links today:

tag sale tales new thrift store blog
nifty thrift pool from flickr
value village thrift store

flickr fave quilt

flickr faves, originally uploaded by poppytalk.

my flickr fave's group kind of would be a cool quilt. might have to check into the process.

ink + water

i was struck by this watercolor by stina persson for marie-claire horoscopes. (doesn't it look like a sagittarian? i think it's the ga-ROO-vee earrings.) some beautiful pen and watercolor work. also found some more of her work at cwc tokyo. another pen and watercolor artist here by the name of chico hayasaki. reminds me a bit of the ill designers work (sans the incorporation of photography).

typebox's katakoto word font

typebox designer akira kobayashi has come up with a unique new concept: a bilingual "word-font" using the japanese katakana writing system. all words are represented in one-to-one translations between japanese and english, and are organized alphabetically by their initial in english: upper case = english words; lower case = japanese translation. download your free gift from typebox here.

comic strip generator

something to add to my play department. (via coudal).

60's a go go

1960's a go go life and society - cbc archive clips
vw van quilt pattern
cool 60's design exhibition at the canadian museum of civilization

functional cooking design

i am going to sound like i work for these people but i don't. i just love their new products and happened upon them today at my favorite kitchen store. can i just say how excited i was when i saw these crème brulée decorating templates. they are so fun! they even come in a holiday set. and check out their recipes while you're there.

prepping veggies, is sooooo yikes - but this is the coolest and the latest in making that julienning so much easier. i hardly have time to peel let alone julienne - but these would definitely make the job fun and make me want to julienne away.

this picture does not do this tool justice. if you make pies, or breads and want to baste your pastry/dough with a little butter. well this is THE tool! fill the handle with butter, pull the cap, and there's one of those cool silicone brushes that withstands high 500 degree heat. and baste away. and no more germs on those brushes.

and what about this peanut butter and jelly spreader? like how come i never thought of this?

and i love the transluscent color of this spatula. reminds me of turquoise and silver earings.

and then lets put them all in this see-through utensil holder.

weekend mix

a few things that caught my eye this week:

natalie's flowers
jovi schnell's paintings
yesterday at space
collagegirl's photos

the plug

nice stuff from the plug (belgium). (via ekosystem.org). and also found some gems from the os gemeos twins in heerlen, holland. and a whole pile of links from flickr group streetsy/discuss session.

i'm liking this toy camera set. and this one too. i think it may be time to visit this place to get one of these holga's before i drive myself crazy.

free thursday

yay! so many free things today!

proxy magazine - adobe's design magazine
our type - fine type from europe has versa small cap light for free (via coudal)
itunes 5 - is free for your downloading pleasure

wall stencils + papers = fun

download these wall stencils from pb teen for a fun stenciling time in a fun stenciling place.



and this snappy shot is asking to be downloaded as your newest wallpaper.

surf home

this table says it all to me. come home please. and no harsh corners for those wobbly toddlers.

busy bees

pretend you're eating these while you link around. (they look so yummy)! there is so many newsworthy items in the blogworld. all worth a visit if you haven't already.

one good bumblebee launched her new site. love the new buttons!
rosa, ana and hilda are launching a retail store in lisbon and
red current has launched a new site for self-portrait tuesday - love the design and idea of themes.

knits and textiles

i'm in love with this weekender bag from offhand designs out of san francisco. their knit and crochet handbags are so snap!

surface design a fantastic resource for textile design inspiration
knitwhits has some fantastic knitted bags as well.
the people tree an amazing group of artists out of india using lovely textiles.

lunchboxes, leaves and fall colors

september is one of my favorite times of year. i love routines. i'm able to manage my time more effectively. i like when classes commence, the smell of new lunchboxes, papers and new pens and pencil cases. i like the cooler air, the falling of leaves and having all my friends in town. to ring in this new season, i found this fun lunchbox slideshow featuring lunchboxes of days gone by. i have always admired japanese lunchboxes and found some nice ones here. and leaf identification and their fall colors have always been an interesting pastime.

please help new orleans

please help new orleans-- give what you can, originally uploaded by jakedobkin.

found via streetsy.

oh snap!

i've been wondering what alternative words to use instead of "cool" myself lately and found the answer with the flickritis group. (pretty soon flickr is going to become a reference tool too). anyway, speaking of flickr, i've finally re-organized my images there (a boring job; but much needed) and am feeling a little more under control in the flickr world (things can get pretty messy there fast). i now have three sets: graffiti + street art, photos and my banner art. it took me a while, but i finally figured out how to post images on my blog without having to upload to flickr first. i also belong to three groups, (well two actually - the retro kid and streetsy) and don't know how i got signed up for the flickritis group and have no idea how to get myself out of it either; but maybe that's why its called flickritis...

exposure

bought this issue and i wanted to share a bit of these sparkly kind of kaliedescope designs featured within. first off hypnoteis out of the netherlands. i also like his faded pieces, muted colors, a little worn. acidbird you will see hong kong designer, johnny cheuk's remarkable work (be sure to click on "colour gradients"). and nuzma begum out of the uk. all exciting stuff!

izik levy

i saw this link yesterday over at tania's and just had to contact the artist about these fantastic robots. the glass robots are not yet available in vancouver, hopefully they will be by next spring. if you'd like to order one, they need to know a few things:

[1] head colour (white, grey, or black) - all are opaque

[2] body colour (green, blue, or clear) - all colours are transparent

[3] type of chain/cord (sterling silver or black waxed cotton)

[4] length of necklace (usually comes on 16")

it'll take 2-3 weeks to complete the order and ship it out. robots are $60 tax included + shipping. they are setting up a paypal account to facilitate credit card payment. e-mail izik at i@iziklevy.com or izik will be at this craft fair on september 10th in toronto.

cool

i never thought i'd be posting about a fridge, but is this not the coolest fridge ever. giving a stronger reference to furniture than a large domestic appliance, this refridgerator can be transformed from the traditional vertical orientation to a horizontal sideboard.

hope

i'm having a hard time with posting something today with all that is going on in new orleans. it's really rather devastating and things just seem to be getting worse, rather than better. i woke up yesterday or was it the day before? thankful that the hurricane didn't hit them, and then to hear the news last night of all the flooding and devastation that is taking over. it is so horrendous to think of every scenario taking place, i can't even go there. i can only pray that the rescue efforts taking place will be successful and that there is no more suffering soon.