p.s. like all roundups, click the images to find out more!

"It all started back in 2006. Level Vodka invited star designer Hussein Chalayan to create a pioneering work of art with a focus on taste. He was given completely free rein. The result was The Level Tunnel - a 15 meter long, 5 meter high, traveling installation that captures the essence of Level Vodka. After a mind-blowing journey, the project is now nearing the finish line. The 6th of May 2008, the tunnel will have its world premiere in Mexico City. " See images of the process, press kit, and final product on the next page!

Rainbow is not only a wooden stacking toy - that opens up the possibilities with its bright colors and playful curves... but add the mallet to it, and each piece becomes its own tuning fork! It has received numerous design awards including the Bundespreis for product design in 1998, Germany and the German Design Award Wooden Toys in 1997. And although its pricey at $175 - i can see this being a great gift for parents of new borns... or any designer regardless of age...

p.s. don't forget to take the Consumer Survey in there...

Over 28 thousand people turned up to Leake Street, effectively an underpass within sight of the London Eye and moments away from Waterloo. And yes, I was among them. We all know I can't resist a good stencil. So how could I possibly miss a stencil only event, just a train hop away? Not to mention, the Cans Festival was the kind of event that brought in the A-list of street artists like Bsas Stencil, Run Don't Walk, James Dodd (dlux), Tom Civil (civilian), Vexta, Prism, Daniel Melim, Altocontraste, Bandit, Roadsworth, 3D Del Naja, Artiste-Ouvrier. Blek, Sten, Sadhu, C215, Lucamaleonte, Lex, Orticancvoodles, Kaagman, Dolk, Pobel, M-City, Vhils, Btoy, Coolture, Schhh, Borbo, Sam3, Faile, Eine, John Grider, Logan Hicks, Pure Evil, Dot masters, Dan, Eelus and Banksy.

Starting with the art... The space within the tunnel was itself a hodgepodge of mock classical sculptures, trashed and stenciled cars, vans, even a playground. There were rugs, couches, and even a piano, all of course adorned with the patina only a tunnel could bestow. The combinations pushed the boundaries of the bizarre and the contrasting styles of the artists clashed as often as they complimented, yet somehow it all worked. It was as if everyone just suspended belief for a moment to soak it all in and it was particularly surreal as the sun was setting.

So, are you ready? See my highlights from the Cans Festival on the next page... and even MORE in the Gallery (there were so many, i couldn't fit them all here).

Why Delight? Well i'm openly vouching for them because you cant afford to have something go wrong when shipping to your MOM ~ the gift wrap is gorgeous (no chance of gaudiness here) ~ and the selection of products is perfectly fun and gifty, while still useful and gorgeous for any situation. Some of my picks above are the: Grassy SIGG Bottle, Bio-Degradable Indoor Japanese Maple, Bambu Serving Set, Lomo Fisheye Camera, Bamboo Bath Caddy with Wine Glass Holder (i so want this!), Grobal Self Watering Pots, and Blooming Tea Sets.

p.s.
Hey mom, you so never saw this post.

So in usual NOTCOT fashion, we couldn't help ourselves, and picked up an issue, took a few sneaky shots in Target of the display, and walk you through the whole process in pictures on the next page! I suppose my one biggest question is... these bags made in Vietnam, are they actually out of bags people have recycled? Or did they use new bags to make the first batch of bags to get this whole program rolling?

Anyhow, just got back, and i can't get that house out of my head ~ video on the next page of a walkthrough of the set, but unfortunately, low res, and it could use a few better shots of the house - see the movie to see it properly? Also interesting to note... gwyneth paltrow in stilettos and pencil skirts *running* away from giant robot on grates, seriously? And product placement galore as well - his need for burger king, and constantly flipping those LG phones... OH and i was drooling over those Audi R8s the whole time too (thanks, nick, for the reminder in the comments).

I came across Wing-Ip Ngan's Etsy store a while back and fell in love with his prints - so colorful and whimsical...They remind me a bit of the nonsensical phrases on notebooks and cards that I used to come across during my childhood in Thailand - lighthearted and a little bit random. Wing-Ip uses a Gocco primarily to print and I have to give props to his Gocco skills - all of his prints are made of multiple screens and colors (registration is no easy feat, people, at least not with our little B6 machine).

More of Wing-Ip's prints can be found in his Etsy store. For some of his graphic design work, check out Ink Design.

But today the Flip Video cameras came up again, and i was browsing the accessories, and i must admit i'm terribly intrigued - they have an Underwater Housing coming soon! And they already have an Action Mount! The Action Mount is basically a standard tripod screw in mount with velcro straps that you can attach to bikes, helmets, trees, cars, anything you can strap it on to! Can you imagine how crazy random reviews and spontaneous videos could be with something this tiny when accessorized for any type of weather/mounting? I know this isn't the only option to accomplish these things, but it did get me thinking about everything from car-videos to underwater product reviews... and for a mere $140 for a 2GB Flip Video Ultra, it's a pretty tempting idiot-proofed toy.

Anyone tried out the quality of the video and the user experience? Is it worth it? Close ups of the accessories i'm curious about on the next page...

... I have yet to brew my first sorapot of tea - more to come on that later... But for now - check out the freshly launched official Sorapot site! On the next page see the unboxing of it out in Topanga Canyon... a few sneaks peeks for you of the factory in the making... and a refresher diagram of the making of the Sorapot and how this is a testament to the power of design blogs to help small designers get out there!

So MarioKart for Wii as one extreme... on the other end of the gaming/driving spectrum... getting back to my house after midnight (and the xbox still being in a box in the uhaul somewhere) i was thrilled to be greeted by a large amazon box with the GTA IV Special Edition set for XBOX (also available for PS3)... seriously, no one does schwag like Rockstar - beyond innovative gameplay and gorgeous graphics, their packaging and schwag always manage to blow my mind. So although i haven't played the game yet, the unboxing of the Security Deposit Box, Art Book, Duffle Bag and more is not to be missed... see it all on the next page!

So - MarioKart or GTA? Which will you be driving this week?

The image above is what happens when i stick my camera inside the envelope... for more context move on to the next page... it's brilliant because its such a clean professional looking envelope on the outside, yet you can't help ripping it apart to learn about new places on the inside...

I wrote a post about Studio Lo a few months ago. I was (and remain) struck by Studio Lo's minimal use of materials, gorgeous packaging, and the way each object is flat-packed and constructed by you, the user. In order to get more insight into their work and process, I decided to ask them a few questions about their work and process, and Eva Guillet and Aruna Ratnayake were kind enough to let me interview them. Check out the interview after the jump.