On surprises and coincidences ~ the awesomest present just arrived at my doorstep! And can i just say that Dead As We Know It is not only an incredible creative agency ~ i’ve long been a fan of just about everything they’ve ever done ~ are incredibly fun to brainstorm with over breakfast in snowstorms ~ and they even helped design the NotVentures logo and banner! So when this surprise stamp arrived today ~ i was touched, excited, and am now stamping just about everything in sight (yes, including my hand). See more pics of it on the next page!

p.s. Oh. and as for the coincidence part ~ they also designed the awesome Thor/Acura S.H.I.E.L.D. Assessment Test i just wrote about in the last post!

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Another beautiful week at NOTCOT.org means another gorgeous roundup! We’ve got exploding water balloons, bouncing gelatin, a duo of gobies and more. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

Another london special from Justine! Check out the incredible Mighty Pencil she discovered…

If I could be any sort of artist, I would want to be an illustrator. There’s something just awesome about the medium. Needles to say, when I got back from lunch at the Worship Street Whistling Shop, I was thrilled to find The Mighty Pencil Vol 1 waiting for me and just had to share a sneak peek at it!

The Mighty Pencil is “a somewhat mysterious illustration resource, spreading their words of wisdom” and their first book - truly a fantastic piece of work that brings together so many talented illustrators. Check out a peek inside and some of my favorites on the next page!

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Beautiful roundup from a beautiful week at NOTCOT.org including finger noses, baby aardvarks, spraypaint cans in the making and so much more. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

SO CUTE. Who doesn’t need two mini herds of 15 brontos and stegos for their wall? Posted this signed pair of prints from The Bird Machine recently on NOTCOT.org, then gave in and bought them. They just arrived and are so adorable, had to share close ups! Check them out on the next page

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Just came across this absolutely stunning octopus print and skateboard design by ZSO (Sara Blake). Apparently it is a “charity piece for a skate deck art show happening in LA for Heal the Bay. I don’t know much about the other artists or even where it’s happening right now, but I was just happy to make a skateboard for something to help wildlife. Orginal drawing is pencil and ink. Board is a digital print on Moab Entrada rag bright with mixed media (acrylic, ink,pencil), and gel medium.” SO beautiful ~ see it fully and in sketch form on the next page!

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Spy novels + fun cars + limited edition books = gorgeous book design from 007 and Bentley for the latest James Bond book, Carte Blache. There is a die-cut bullet hole that pierces each book - inside each copy you find a single polished bullet with a distinct number. (I wonder if any other secret information is hidden in or on the bullet!)

As for the design - “The Special Edition is designed by Brett Boydell. In his ten years at Bentley, Brett has been involved in the interior design of the Bentley Azure, Brooklands and, most recently, the Continental Supersports. He also manages the Bentley Branded Goods studio, where all Bentley-associated products are created.” Additionally, the book is in a metal box shaped into outline of the new Continental GT. The look of this sleek abstracted sculpture reminds me a lot of the Infiniti Essence and Mercedes Rising Car sculptures. Take a peek at the sketches and renders of the 007 and Bentley Carte Blanche Special Edition on the next page.

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Seriously, did you just think of the Petite Lap Giraffes? They are everywhere, right?

Well, kicking off this Saturday, April 30th, Thinkspace Gallery is showcasing ‘Elements and Oddities’ from Jacub Gagnon and Yosuke Ueno. And i’ve just fallen for these dark detailed animal meet objecty paintings of Jacub Gagnon. Beautiful! Can’t wait to see them in person ~ check out a preview of some of my favorites on the next page!

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What a week we’ve had at NOTCOT.org. This week’s roundup includes Star Wars in Iconoscope, nunchucking Easter bunnies and painting with fire. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

This week’s NOTCOT.org roundup is brought to you by PopPressed which also shares fun design and style content ~ including features from NOTCOT!

Safe houses, Virgin oceanic and luggage yobots are all a part of the roundup fun from NOTCOT.org. To find out more about each post, click on its individual link.

Thanks, Veuve Clicquot, our Milano Design Week sponsor! We adore their new origami inspired ice bucket, Clicq’up.

Air Vases by Torafu Architects got an update this year at Canon’s Neoreal Wonder exhibition in Milan ~ these delicately cut paper vases that “seem to wrap air” ~ were made from print outs of their favorite pictures on Canon cameras, printed on Canon printers, then cut into beautiful Air Vases! The display in the corner with them floating like jellyfish, and sitting on a mirrored base that created an infinite world of floating Air Vases was beautiful!

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Gorgeous April Bottle Green bottles available soon in the UK. These stunning bottles for Bottle Green are the limited edition, Fashion Targets Breast Cancer series. The beautiful designs are by illustrator Monsieur Qui through the agency Colagene. See label close ups on the next page, the subtle splashes of color are so fun!

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It’s hard not to be drawn in glass bubblers, plants, and large canisters mysteriously hooked up… spotted out in Ventura Lambrate in Milan, this is the Compost Distiller by Lisa Johansson from the Royal College of Art. The unit is no ordinary compost bin. The beautiful system turns plant-based waste into biofuel, soil nutrients and compost. Unlike your typical composter, the unit includes subsections for both fermentation and distillation processes between the bin and garden composter, allowing you to harness more energy and nutrients in the waste before it becomes soil. See more about how this contraption works as well as close ups on the next page!

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Through a courtyard in Milan… following some mysterious arrows… a few turns, and into a mysterious doorway… we weren’t sure quite what we were in for… then somehow ended up inside Stone Island’s gorgeous room showcasing their Autumn/Winter 2011 collection “The Moon_ The Ultimate Rock of Stone” (Yes, insert giggling fit here) ~ but the room and display were gorgeous, life size vertical displays of models wearing the new collection flipping through… floating perfectly lit panels showing the actual goods… and a gorgeous HUGE moon, so close, yet so far, reflected into the dark space… See more pics of the lovely space on the next page. I’d love a magical moon room ~ something so otherworldly, maybe feeling like you’re floating in space?!?!?!

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Thanks, Veuve Clicquot, our Milano Design Week sponsor! We adore their new origami inspired ice bucket, Clicq’up.

Justine spotted the beautiful lamp (Gice) and chair (Moon) from The Dutch Standard while running around Milan. Mesmerizingly sci-fi, these reflective, woody spheres can’t help but draw you in… take a peek at the next page to see how the Gice light and Moon chair look!

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