The Fabulist never leads you wrong… and today she led me to the work of Dan Hiller, who manages to merge the style of old style engravings of tentacles and humans… to create the most mysterious imagery of couples, mother, father, and what looks like alice! These incredible “altered engravings” are available not only in prints and wood… but also engraved on moleskines at Modofly! You can see images of these and more on the next page…

p.s.
Londoners can pick up his works at The Sunday Upmarket at the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane…

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September 4th - 8th in fforest farm, Cardigan, West Wales ~ Howies will host 75 people with free food and accommodations at the DO Lectures

How could anyone say no to that? And what do you have to do in return? Simply DO something ~ with your life, with your abilities, with yourself… all they want is to bring together some brilliant minds, great speakers, musicians, and more for 4 days of pure inspiration while taking in some gorgeous wilderness. I want to go!

We change nothing by just talking and moaning. words need actions. They need Do. Dick Dastardly was right, ‘don’t just stand the, DO something’.

So how do you get into this seemingly life changing experience? Read all the info on the next page, and sent a letter to apply!

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So this engraving trend has been huge lately… grab a laser engraver and you can throw everything from moleskines to macbooks to…. well, you name it! Joe from EngraveYourTech and EngraveYourBook, sent over one of his creations, and it arrived while i was out of town, so by the time i got back i was so jetlagged and tired that when dan and i first looked at the moleskine, it took a second to remember that it was laser engraved. In fact first we were there touching it and looking at it up close arguing whether it was engraved or just silkscreened in this matte brownish color, since you could barely feel the indentation…

So we did the only thing we could do… get SUPER up close (200x) shots to see what was really going on… and here you can see, its clearly engraved enough just to scrape that black layer off… and then we even cut a tiny chunk out of the corner to see the colors underneath (you can also see pics of that, and slightly less upclose pics on the next page)… and if you still aren’t convinced, there is also a video on the next page of this exact pattern being engraved on a moleskine…

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The press release starts off “In these days of soaring gas prices, yelps of cash crunches and real estate depression, the last thing anyone would do is destroy money. Well, anyone but Yoko Devereaux that is. Launching for spring/summer 2008, Old Money, is a collection of coins hand cut into works of art Yoko has attached to aged sterling silver necklaces. As Creative Director, Andy Salzer, explains, “It is about taking something that is so relevant in our society and then destroying it.”

Somehow, i think the destruction of pennies, to turn them into 88$… is not exactly the dumbest way to “destroy money” in a recession, but that’s just me. Personally, i have always admired some of the more gorgeous designs to appear on money, and this is a beautiful way to isolate those elements… now if only they would make one with that one pound coin that has the dragon on it! See a close up on the next page…

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On fun ways to kick off your Monday, i’m sure most of you are familiar with Andrew Bell’s Creatures In My Head. For those who are not, he has the most incredible doodles of critters he dreams up, and they amuse me daily! Well, on great uses for $18, i’m in love with his adorable new book! DO NOT EAT: a collection of creatures by Andrew Bell… a glossy magenta softcover filled with glossy pages of his daily creatures, sculptures, paintings, illustrations… and an awesome set of pull out postcards! My favorite postcard is definitely the “Hey Everyone, it’s TAC O’clock!” one… which i’ll give you a sneak peek at on the next page!

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Remember when “toy stores” used to be for kids, then there was that shift of “toy stores” like kidrobot and giant robot… toys for grownups and saved in boxes as collectibles and untouchable toys when that vinyl toy trend kicked in hard? Well, due to some combination that i’m getting old and more of my friends are having babies, or its that time of year, i’m suddenly finding myself shopping for baby gifts more and more lately… and what’s been really fun, is watching these vinyl toys transform back into stuffed toys for our little ones!

We all know that gifts for kids under 3 are really more gifts for their parents, seeing as the kids will barely remember them as they grow up anyhow. So for all the playful parents with a love for vinyl toys, various cheeky, slightly twisted characters, and designs from incredible artists… here’s a little roundup of stuffed toy options which i am considering toys that have come full circle, and are perfect for the babies of parents who loved the originals that inspired them… break down of the toys above on the next page!

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Highlight of the Dwell on Design LA exhibition… the STORE! Design superstore, A+R, and the best art+architecture bookstore, Hennessey + Ingalls, made up the Dwell on Design Store in front of the west hall of the LA convention center ~ and it made the trip worth it. While i spent about 5-10 minutes wandering the show floor, it was the store that really grabbed me… Andy forgot to tell me how many more of my favorite products were being added to the store (unfortunately not on the online store yet!) for this special pop up store! And Phillip of Citizen Citizen was here with more of his fabulous collection than is usually found in their stores as well!

As anyone who ran into me over there knows… i was like a kid in a candy store, oohing and ahhhing and dying to buy things i’ve been posting about, that A+R now has… so if you’re in LA and bored tomorrow, perhaps pop by the pop up store in front of the exhibition… it’s before you even have to register for the actual show (Free Ticket To the Dwell on Design Exhibition: BDODEC). Take a look at the pics of the store and a few of the hottest items available!

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Freshly back from the Veuve Clicquot Los Angeles launch of the Globalight designed by Karim Rashid ~ and many a glass of bubbly later, i’m excited to share some fun pics of the Globalight up close and personal with you! As for the event ~ it was held at the W in Westwood, and it really brought me back to freshman year of college days… it was Thurs, so all the frat parties were in full swing, although driving over, it seems like one had a bit of a disaster quite early, with 3 fire engines and 4 cop cars and a sidewalks’ worth of overdressed college kids anxiously waiting… and when we arrived at the party on the terrace of the W, it seems like much of the same crowd had overflowed… from the girl manning the door list to the many guests we asked about what they thought of the Globalight and the party… the crowd was a very clueless LA mix of so called actors, musicians, real estate agents, male models, and even biochem profs ~ all who seemed taken aback by being asked what they thought of the event, and quickly came to explain that a friend of a friend brought them or fwded them an invite… the best rumor of the night - (heard second/third hand) apparently word from the guy who represented the product - the Globalight will be produced with speakers built in soon, and a special stand, so you can simply tilt the Globalight itself to pour it… i guess we will wait and see!

Also, in the main bar downstairs, we saw a crew setting lights in the backroom in the lounge before popping up to the Veuve party… and stopping by on the way down, we found it was because Sunsilk was shooting a documentary on DJ Tatiana ~ a model turned international DJ, who not only is the music director for Bebe, but also runs her own music studio now…

See pics of all the maddness on the next page, including a youtube vid of DJ Tatiana and her Sunsilk winning vid…

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I did a double take when i saw Kacper Hamilton’s theatrically sinful 7 Deadly Glasses over at Dezeen, and had to see more pics!

Here is Kacper’s description: “These red wine glasses are based on the 7 deadly sins. Each glass encapsulates a sin, which is revealed through the ritual of drinking. The ‘7 Deadly Glasses’ are about celebrating passion and encouraging the user to be sinful in a theatrical fashion. Handmade in England. Limited Edition. Available to order.” See the full set and all his gorgeous photography on the next page!

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A gift from Cartier ~ Assouline published “les must de Cartier” and describe it: “1968—the year all certainties were shattered, it was in good taste to burn what one loved and to trample underfoot the values of yesterday. If, in this new world of dissent, luxury was no longer appropriate, the taste for beauty didn’t completely disappear. No, luxury was not dead! It simply needed to be reinvented. In the midst of this new counterculture, which burned all belongings and luxury markets by creating a lighter that landed with the impact of a bomb - “Les Must” de Cartier saw the light of day. Hovering somewhere between tradition and modernity, Cartier’s lighters, pens, watches, glasses, jewelry, leather goods and perfume engulfed the world. Cartier justified luxury by offering a more perfect modernity. Protected by a panther-skin slipcase, this limited-edition volume invites you to visit the delirious parties that followed every new “must”.”

Flipping through the 400 pages images in this Cartier logo embossed leather bound, gilded paged, panther print covered slipcase of a book… i just relived the decadence of the late 60s, 70s, and 80s… and it looked like a hell of a lot of fun. Take a peek of some of my favorite pages on the next page… from a young christopher walken in bond flicks, to elephant polo, to warhol and studio 54… good times.

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So. Cute. Adfunture has teamed up with quite the lineup: DITA Eyewear, Staple Design, Suitman, Revelator, Black Cross, GUE and Puma, to create this 100 piece limited edition series of YOKA SC Edition. The 10-inch tall vinyl figure will be put up for sale on June 12th, 2008. $100usd each, and only 100 pieces will be available. All sales will be donated to Red Cross Society of China. It’s absolutely beautiful, and a gorgeous gesture on all of their parts to help with the tragedy in China… i particularly like the puma branding on his feet. More images on the next page…

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With all this traveling the last month, it’s been far too long since i’ve done a roundup, so here’s an intense little brick of 100 of the top NOTCOT.org posts in the last 2 weeks! Also 100 of the tops of TasteSpotting and NotCouture on the next page as well! So check them out to see what’s new, what you might have missed, and as always - you can always submit your own finds to share by clicking the “add next pic” icons in the top left corners! Click the tiny pics to find out more!

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Cartier is taking on love ~ and was kind enough to surprise me with a DHL package this morning with a little gift in it (more to come on that later) ~ in part announcing their new Love.Cartier site. Today i learned the story of their classic “love” bracelet - the iconic piece with the screw heads along the band - and a screwdriver to lock you in - “In the 1970’s, imagination soared to new heights and any folly was possible. Cartier created the ultimate symbol of loving commitment: in the manner of handcuffs, the famous bracelet closes with a tiny screwdriver. Its humorous impudence appealed and was immediately adopted by legendary couples as a cult jewel. Love is a provocative talisman, a rallying cry for modern love, totally free from convention.”

In their marketing comeback, they have created a site dedicated to love - manifested in music, art, and film. The music is nice if you’re into that romantic mood setting stuff… and the art seemed a bit buggy on their flash site for me… but i was surprised that the films are what really caught my eye, and i actually sat here going through all 12 in order and loved them. The filmography is absolutely breathtaking ~ the black and whites, playful uses of light, gorgeous parisian backdrops… *swoon*… and they go through 12 tiny fragments of love stories tackling: The Declaration, Forgiveness, The Kiss, Infinite Love, Hero of Love, First Love, A Life of Love, A Loving Liaison, Love on Hold, Knowing How…, Seduction, and The Decision. Personally my favorite are First Love, Seduction, and Love on Hold - i’m sure you’ll see why - if you have the time i recommend you go through them in order though, renowned director, Olivier Dahan, ends every pieces with a hint of what you see at the start of the next ~ and weaves them all together in such a beautiful way… see a few screenshots on the next page…

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NOTCOT Note: Here’s another lovely post from Anna of Sub-Studio ~ and i totally had this on my list of things to post when i got back! I guess that’s why she’s a perfect fit for NOTCOT =)

Gregory Buntain is an Industrial Design major at Pratt Institute. Currently working for Brave Space Design and developing his own projects at Pratt, he exhibits a great design eye and really great carpentry skills.

My favorite project is Carbon, a set of diamond-shaped salt and pepper shakers. My only gripe with the project is that they are made of injection molded plastic (I would love to see them in wood). Gregory’s website showcases a bunch of different projects, many of which begin flat-packed and are assembled by the user. He includes lots of great photo-diagrams on how to assemble or use each piece.

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*Phew* ~ i’ve been running around since May 15th, and finally got back home, and as fun as the trip which ended up taking me through 9 states… it sure feels nice to be back. Been a long day driving up from charlottesville to DC then flying back to LA, unpacking, feeding myself, and trying to make sense of the slew of emails… yay for virgin america though, it is far to fun to watch loads of current tv, cartoon network, and Ocean’s 12 on the way back - hope you don’t mind if i call it a night and try to get back on track tomorrow… it’s going to be a busy week with events popping up to fill this whole week already!

This is a quick pic out the window as we started descending into LA ~ the mountains looked awesome at sunset.