I’ve always got a few DIY projects on the go and the latest has led me to Tonic Living, a fantastic online source for creative fabrics. Nearly all the patterns are retro inspired but they’ve also got some great complementary basics. Fair warning: choosing just one pattern is nearly impossible. I checked out with 4 this morning – all in black and white – of course.

 
Image Source: Tonic Living

I’m a bit of a google junkie and I often find myself searching for something specific and stumbling upon all kinds of great bits in the process. The other day I did a search for “white Queen Anne sofa” and discovered Kittos Marimekko, an independent textiles boutique located in New York City. I love that their textile designs are both bold and organic – what a great combination.

Photo Source: Kiitos Marimekko

If the Bendant Lamp had an arch nemesis, this would be it. The Concerto Black Chandelier. Props to The Home Depot for carrying such a cool line. Check out how Color Confidential used it in Episode 75.

Photo Source: The Home Depot

You know you’re a true recycler when you look at a bowl of pistachio shells and you think to yourself, “I must be able to use these for something.” The authors of the How Can I Recycle This? blog began with this thought and are now proving to the world that you can repurpose virtually anything. What’s really cool about this blog is that it acts as a public (and global) forum for all to offer up their own unique and often ingenious repurposing ideas.

Now…what to do with those “non-recyclable” bottle caps…

This piece is noteworthy on so many levels but what I really love about it is the idea that it has the potential to give the average everyday person the feeling of being creative. The Bendant Lamp is ingeniously designed. Each piece comes flat, you bend the leaves however you choose and…voila! A one-of-a-kind designer pendant lamp designed by you! MIO has been creating sustainable products since 2001.

Photo Credit: MIO

Every now and then I come across a photo that really makes me wanna be a kid again. Can’t you just smell those nostalgic scents of summer from this one? Thanks Veer!

Photo Credit: Veer

Creative minds from around the world have been uniting at the HOW Design Conference every year since 1991. This year, the three-day conference attracted nearly 4000 attendees, over 45 speakers, a resource centre packed with industry suppliers, and me! Most of the sessions I attended were useful in content and sometimes even inspirational but for the most part, I attribute the success of the event to its inherent social nature. Attending the HOW Design Conference: $1075. Being in a room with 4000 creative minds: priceless.

Attendees fill the auditorium in the Hynes Convention Center for “10 Secrets of Typographic Success.” Speaker: Allan Haley

Goofing around with new friends after day 2 at the conference. Location: The Clink restaurant at The Liberty Hotel.

If you ever find yourself in Boston you must make a point to cross the bridge to Cambridge and stop by the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Their collection of hand blown glass flower specimens is well worth every penny of the $9 entrance fee but they also have an amazing collection of taxidermy animals (I know - eew - but also very cool!), sea creatures, dinosaur fossils, bugs, minerals, gems and meteorites.

One of over 3000 glass models created by artisans Leopold Blaschka and his son, Rudolph. Models were commissioned from 1887 - 1936.

After months of tinkering, the letterpress at Wink Press is now running! Nearly 100 years old and it still purrs like a kitten. Sunday, April 27th marked the very first print run for Wink Press. Simple business cards did the trick. Some say that practice makes perfect but I prefer the notion that beauty is in the imperfections.

Above: Hand set lead type. Script - 18 pt. Murray Hill. Sans - 8 pt. Univers.

Recently voted “Best Place to Whip up some Art” in the Georgia Straight, Blim is a community based art resource center that facilitates screen-printing, button making, drawing, knitting, local experimental audio, film screenings, animation, video, dance, spoken word, visual art, creative workshops, and crafts in the independent field. They even offer classes on how to make a sock monkey. Simply put, Blim rocks. If you live in the Vancouver area, it’s definitely worth swinging by Main Street to check out the studio or visit their website for a current list of workshops.

Photo Credit: Blim