Rotofugi, the awesome toy store, has made an incredibly gorgeous little animation, The Collectors, which showcases some of our favorite toys animated and collecting… HUMANS! So awesome, totally made me smile. See it on the next page!
Vitamin’s Urban Gnomes have expanded their family! From the adorably edgy gnomes, come new lines which include money boxes, bottle openers, salt and pepper shakers, and a kitchen timer! See some of the other designs on the next page as well ~
ATYPYK! With their playfully edgy line of products that never cease to amuse, the french design duo of ATYPYK are just as fun in person! On booths i was totally giddy to see at Maison + Objet, this was high on the list, and they did not disappoint! Such a fun booth display, both designers dressed in strikingly blue suits, and exciting new products for fall… my favorite being the mustache pencils! For those of us who have commitment issues (or decision making issues) to tattooing our mustaches on our fingers… these are the perfect way to switch them up with each mood.
Also noteworthy ~ their placemat like stack of product catalog one sheets… everything new playfully collaged in black and white on one side, and the back has all the current products… really, it just screams to be colored on. So take a peek at the pics on the next page to get an overview of all the goodies!
Merci beaucoup, Veuve Clicquot ~ who loves design as much as we do, and brought me to Paris to cover Maison et Objet 2008! More design discoveries to come… and i am just freshly back in LA… already!
Xylophone Bin, 2008, by Dominic Wilcox - Made of Oak + Steel. Created for a VIPP Charity auction in NewYork to raise money for Chernobyl Children’s Project International and Foodbank NYC.
“When the pedal is pressed the lid opens, releasing a ball that travels down a ‘helterskelter’ set of xylophone steps around the bin. Each time the ball hits a step, a note is played. The xylophone steps are cut in increasing lengths so that the note gets deaper as the ball gets closer to the bottom.See the 2 videos below, The Xylophone Bin video and a ‘Making of’ video. As part of the auction event Vipp bins have been customised by artists, designers and celebrities including Bono, Michael Stipe and Helena Christensen. They are on show at the Conran shop East 59th st, 1st ave, New York from 4th - 17thSeptember 08. Auction will be held on the 18th september 08.”
See the videos on the next page!
Skip Hop’s new Baby Log comes with an “Illminated Time Capsule” ~ and with a name like that, what tech loving new dad wouldn’t want one to play with? With 4 leds, the time capsule creates a gentle glow, helps parents keep track of the time for every entry no matter how little sleep they are on, and even has a timer for monitoring nap/feeding times… and its tucked away in a canvas covered binder… so as techy as it seems on the inside, it still fits in and looks traditional on the outside. It is a 6-month book to track everything from feedings, changings, doctors visits, gifts and more… and at $39, this one is definitely going on my gifts for new parents lists! And as your child gets older, i’m sure the time capsule will prove useful in new situations as well! See more close up pics on the next page!
Since being up in SF this weekend has been a bit silly vacationy feeling ~ we did something we haven’t done much of since college ~ ended up wandering around the Daiso (like a japanese 99 cent store) and found some really weird stuff… amongst that stuff were these bizarre squeeze and inflate stick on boob balloons and a swan phallus? So for the $1.50, i couldn’t resist seeing how they worked, and getting some shots of the ridiculous graphic instructions… we are assuming they are a vinegar and baking soda type of thing (but are unsure!) ~ you basically burst a liquid packet and it has a reaction with the powder, and creates a cold burst of gas that expands the balloon, etc. We even made a video to show you how it worked, and images of them dissected as well… so click on to the next page to see the fun!
Random discoveries at Outside Lands include the City Bag Trade ~ Kendra Stanley takes old rain jackets and refashions them into grocery bags… while i’m a bit mixed on the pattern design (which is also downloadable) and the visible edge stitching ~ i do love the material and concept… best part of using rain jackets, other than the lightweight and crazy vintage/recycled logos? Functional Pockets! I gave in and got a NASA one with two button pockets AND a zip pocket! It’s a bit large on me though, might have to do some hacking to taking the handles up an inch or so… See more pics on the next page!
Super Soaker “the original high performance blaster” Bottle Shot!!! Finally a fabulous upcycling use for all those empty water bottles you have, but are not supposed to have anymore. I am now up in SF (just drove up yesterday, hence the digital silence), and on the way up stopped by a target in the middle of nearly no where when i got tired… and couldn’t resist this 5$ Super Soaker Bottle Shot! You can attach any bottle to it up to 2 liters (i’m dying to go find a gorgeous 2 liter bottle to try). Awesome thing, great water pressure (just used it to wash linhchi’s windows while hanging out of them, and some hipsters totally stopped and watched which was awkward once i noticed) - shoots up to 20 ft, but we have yet to measure that… and unfortunately it doesn’t pressure up like the old super soakers, so when you pump, it shoots! The only downfall is it is a little leaky around the pump - i tried to take it apart, but its 5$, plastic, and seems to be glued together… so we might hack it up.
On random ideas… why are there no designer water guns? We should have a competition, or just a friendly water gun design themed week/month/etc ~ i bet even modding some super soakers, we could make some incredible things… that lead to a designer water fight? Anyhow, i digress, see the pics of the awesome little water gun that can be expanded to have so much ammo on the next page!
First off, i just want to apologize to Wright, they’ve been kind enough to send me some of their incredible catalogs, but the timing was when i was caught running around between trips this spring ~ and i’ve only just gotten to cleaning house and organizing and catching up on everything (yes, perhaps i do need an assistant?)…
Anyhow, i’ve been reorganizing like crazy, and i have notes and lists and scribbles everywhere, finally deciding and prioritizing the future of NOTCOT and where i want to take this ever evolving company we’ve grown ~ and inbetween it all, finally finding more time to have fun and catch up on all these books that have stacked up. For those who may not know, Wright is pretty much one of the most impressive auction houses of modern design pieces, and their catalogs are completely mind blowingly inspirational for any designer. Based in Chicago, i have been kicking myself that its just to far to make last minute invites to openings, but for today i’m catching up and drooling over their catalogs, and while doing so i just stumbled on these Enzo Mari Animali and Pesci Puzzles from 1974. They even come in their original boxes. Can you name all the species? See images of both and the catalog page on the next page!
p.s.
I’m thinking maybe my new way to deal with sharing books on NOTCOT will scan in favorite pages that are extra visually inspiring… thoughts? ideas? I’ve been having a hard time trying to figure out how to “review” books - and i certainly want to avoid the grade school summary styled book reports!
While at Comic-con i finally got to take a peek at the FULL set of Friends With You’s Wish Come True blindbox toys by StrangeCo… and i’ve been secretly wishing for the adorable red mushroom looking guy that was one of the mystery colorways! Anyhow, i was at Royal T in culver city today, and noticed the red guy as one of the open samples and had to have him… there is something so mesmerizing about rocking it in your hand as it refuses to fall over and emits this subtle chime like sound… (see the video on the next page to know what i mean)… i also decided to take a new approach on the unboxing of these guys… ripped the box open and scanned in the details so you can see all the graphic design that’s so fun both on the exterior and interior of it! So go see the pics and vid on the next page!
Adorably evil ~ with its perfectly balanced archnemesis… Love this new little -Minus from Lab81, with his devious eyes, tiny side slanted horns, and batwings… and his positive counterpart is +Plus, who has that innocent wide-eyed look, tiny halo, and angelic wings. See more images of these adorable toys, their gold versions, and the incredibly lit window display on the next page!
Cleaning through Comic-con pics ~ as far as purchases go ~ these little guys were truly irresistible! the Rocket World Insurgent Wilderness Gruppo (aka I.W.G) crew in shrunken zipper pulls and airborne paratroopers! So here are some quick pics of the booth, the toys (i couldn’t help myself and had to open them up at lunch, so yes, that’s a fork in the pic - and a few so so pics from the hotel), and the packaging… adorably tiny boxes for all of these!
Shit Happens. Dog Poo Bags by Junge Schactel, the design duo, Nina Dautzenberg and Andrea Gadesmann. How cute is their studio puppy, Cuno? And don’t these bags just make you wish extremely talented packaging, branding, graphic, experience designers made everything in your world? See more pics below ~ and i’m also totally in love with the branding of Junge Schactel with their pull strip, packaging opening branding that is on their flash, portfolios, and even physically on their business cards!
So, for those of you who follow my twitter or facebook ~ you already know i ran away to San Diego. It’s been far too long since i’ve been back in these parts, and i’d forgotten how much i missed it! So, spent yesterday popping by all my old houses/apartments/neighborhoods/etc, getting a burrito, and hiding out in little italy. Anyhow, we just popped by comic-con today for a few hours, and it’s absolute insanity, massive crowds, yet everyone is so nice, and they keep things flowing so well. Also - SO giddy to see the toys i’ve been lusting after… in person! And super nice to meet up with a bunch of the comics and toy guys in person as well, of course. So here’s a mad roundup to show you some of my favorites, click the pic to see the full gallery of my images running around the convention floor… and now i think i’m off to the zoo.
On sex toys and massage tools that you can leave out, and people can easily assume they are sculptural play things - Jimmyjane has done it again with their new line of CONTOUR Ceramic Massage Stones. “Jimmyjane introduces CONTOUR Ceramic Massage Stones, offering a modern take on traditional hot stone massage. With smooth, polished surfaces, they glide over the skin, relieving tension as they go. CONTOUR Ceramic Massage Stones retain heat, and can be used at different temperatures for extra stimulation - warm them up to soothe or cool them down to refresh. Made from double-fired porcelain, they’re ergonomic, bio- compatible, durable and easy to clean. With every surface designed for massage, each CONTOUR offers limitless possibilities.” The designs are designed in house, and certainly have that distinctively minimalist style that is so Jimmyjane. For a mere $25 each, i’m extremely curious to get a pair to experiment with! See more close ups, and more information about the CONTOUR line (including some massage techniques) on the next page!
