Fabulously Handmade Art at Etsy

Okay... so I've joined Etsy.com (see my shop with its one test painting in it... more to come soon!). Etsy is an DIY ecommerce platform where you can sell your handmade wares (art, clothing, jewelry... anything you make with your own hands), and sell online. It's an easy setup for someone like me. While the contents of my own shop are a bit slim at the moment, I've got an extensive list of favorite items being sold by other people:

Recycling Old Vinyl into New Designs

The other day, I was walking the dog, and I came upon a box of "free stuff", sitting on the sidewalk. Naturally, I stopped, and marvelled at a collection of old vinyl records. Despite not owning a record player, I felt compelled to tuck the collection under my arm, and continue on home. They've been sitting in my living room for a few days now, and I'm wondering what to do with them. Scanning the internet for inspiration, I found these cuffs, on "Cut Out + Keep - a step by step crafty community" (a punk or retro precursor to Etsy.com?). I was thinking of making a mobile, however.

Any other suggestions? If anyone has any thoughts, I'll take them, and promise to photograph and post what I end up creating.

Edible Art

To pretty to eat? WD-50, a trendy New York restaurant is where Wylie Dufresne pushes his culinary creativity. Food, in the shape of things squiggly or cubed and standing up tall are his signature in this nouvelle cuisine spa for the senses. I have not eaten here, but was intrigued by a friend's Facebook posting of photos from food they'd ordered, while dining there. It got me interested in reading more.

Above photo: "Knot foie".

Is This Building Sinking Into the Ground?

Is this parking lot straight or is it on an angle? You be the judge. According to Flickr's user, jpelletier (who uploaded the image), this stellar piece of modern architecture is located in Seattle, Washington.

Young Designers on the Move in Australia

Andrew Maynard Architects is full of good ideas, including hosting a well thought-out design space called Latitude @ designEX, which showcases the work of young designers.

Tubes and irregular forms are the look of the day, as these contemporary designers develop interesting spaces by changing the line of sight.

Bubble-Wrapped Olympics

Will spectators at the China Olympics swimming events be able to keep their eyes on the sport? Just over a month ago, China unveiled its new "bubble-wrap" swimming arena, capable of seating 17,000 spectators. The honeycomb-like ceiling of the arena will be lit up at night with LED lights, illuminating the structure, inside and out. Concerned about bird droppings? well according to the chief architect (in this Reuters article), birds won't sit on transparent surfaces, and whatever else should fall on the exterior will be cleaned by rain water. As for the interior, they plan on cleaning it by hand, twice a year. That's a whole lot of housework, if you ask me.

Decorating Ideas... for the Prince of Darkness?

Enter the sci-fi world of weird. Report-writing has never been more macabre (or life-like) than it is on Richard Riley's desk (http://www.tomspinadesigns.com/), described as an "elegant and extremely unique piece". I think it would be fodder for nightmares, myself. Design intended for shops, theme parks, "home theatres", and perhaps film sets, can now add a touch of living of the surreal to your home. This realistic-looking "Deluxe Werewolf" stands at 6 feet tall, and can grace your home for $6999. Think of how much fun the kids would have at Halloween!

Blue Cake and other Homemade Delectables

I am now officially counting down the days until the Carp Farmers' Market opens its gates once again, to the culinary (read: baking) challenged... those of us making the pilgrimage are hoping to fill our long-emptied pantries with delectable homemade goodies and home. That blessed day is now less than a month away. I've marked it off in my calender, with a 3-day reminder, just in case.

Among my many favorites, is an artful cake maker who aptly calls herself, "The Girl with the Most Cake". Her works are eye-catching, colourful and exotic creations, showcased in an old-fashioned glass case, set up on top of a table. There are usually crowds around her stall as people line up to see her unusual designs. They are quite fantastic, indeed, and of course, they are quite delicious.

Art or Science?

Welcome to the universe's own art gallery, which boasts endeavours that have been in the works for billions of years, and will likely continue, well after our species is extinct. NASA documents these natural phenomena with Astronomy Picture of the Day.

This particular image is a nebula... a mass of dust and gas, and a couple of stars. It looks to me, like a contemporary art canvas, or perhaps the close-up of a glassy monster eye.

The surreal glowiness of the bottom image (with the black tree silhouettes) reminds me of those black velvet Elvis-styled tapestries of the 70s.

Sea and Food

"I'd like to be under the sea In an octopus' garden in the shade" ... Well, Ringo Starr can now eat his heart out, in this underwater heaven on earth known as the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island--one of the more unusual in the Hilton hotel chain. Inside this glass-domed room, one can marvel at schools of fish while dining on fine "Maldivian-Western fusion cuisine".

Clearly, this kind of restaurant would be near impossible to maintain year-long in a northern hemisphere. Indeed, it is located in the Maldives. Make your reservations early, for it apparently fills up quickly. Also, the restaurant's underwater life span is an estimated 20 years, and it has already been in the water since 2004.

Yet Another Wooden Bike...!

Okay, since I've started this blog, I spend a fair amount of time looking up new (and hopefully interesting) material to write about. On my informational journey, I think I've uncovered a new (at least to me) phenomena: the wooden bike. It seems that--while I was so busy with my urban life--I'd never noticed these hand-tooled creations before. Much to my surprise, I've now uncovered a third one in as many weeks. Photographer, Harley Palangchao, says this pic was taken in the Phillipines.

This is the meaning of freedom, and according to what the near-naked, buffed riders are (or are not) wearing, there's not a whole lot of protection, should they take a spill--I mean, look at the first guy's hair, and the blur of the bushes behind them... Clearly, these mean machines pick up speed!

Getting Tanked

According to this guy (I think his name is Mero Pyaro... it's hard to tell), here's a drawing of one of the world's first tanks. Apparently, it was to be built large, so that many men could hold it over themselves, as they ran, in step, toward the enemy.

In his article about the evolution of military tanks, Strange Tanks, he discusses the weirdness of tank design, over the years... and weird, it is.

Powerful Paper

I've noticed a great deal of ingenious art work coming out of Scandinavia. In particular, Denmark seems to cover its share of the design market. Peter Callesen is one such designer. His paper is not only his canvas, but it's also his artwork, as he creates clever cut-outs. I've marvelled over cut-outs in the past--their intricacy never ceases to inspire a sense of time and profound patience.

Callesen's work is a bit different than an average Hallmark card: he not only delicately cuts up the paper, but he has concepts that make you think beyond his fairytale-based work. Some are small, but many of his works are life- or giant-sized. Even Ikea couldn't come up with anything *this* good.

Test Tube

Youtube has a little secret spot, known as "Test tube". It's where they experiment with different ideas, including this one, called Warp. It looks like Cheerios floating in outter space. When you mouse over the O's, other little O's spawn from the bigger O, showing what's related. As you listen to the videos, it draws a line from one watched vid to the next. Clicking the colour-coded dots on the top right of the page brings you back to the associated video that you watched.

I'm not sure how useful this is, but it sure is pretty design. And kind of fun, in a bored, poke-around-the-internet kind of way. Check out the "Top 10" Super Bowl ads here.

A Very Gehry Good Idea

Contemporary Canadian architect, Frank Gehry has created giant, out-of-this-world designs. His weird, larger-than life, organic shapes are reminiscent of Paris' Restaurant Le Georges, a top-notch Parisian gem, located at the top of the Centre Georges Pompidou, and boasts one of the best views in all of the city.

Back to Gehry though... his exhibit, an ocean and continent away from Paris, is called Experience Music Project. Located in Seattle, it captures the spirit of enormity... Enormity of thought, and perhaps, making those who wander through it feel rather miniscule. Revel in giant organic shiny shapes.

For the Handy Woodworker

What better way to release pent-up frustration, than to excercise in the great outdoors? Well, here's a twist: how about riding a new set of custom-built, man-powered wheels... made out of nature's own material? Lee Valley, in their quest for the ever-innovative yet functional, discovered the work of Marco Facciola, a Canadian high school student from Pointe-Claire, Quebec: the wooden bicycle.

Perhaps next on the agenda: wooden cars?