Vintage Globes Get Fun Face Lifts By Wendy Gold

I have already written about Wendy Gold's decoupage work, specifically her Art de Toilette toilet seats and bathroom scales. Now, the designer has moved out of the bathroom and into the world of globes. I can't tell you how thrilling a find this was for me personally, since I actually collect old vintage metal globes myself.



The "Imagine Nation" globes are handmade using vintage globes whose geography is no longer accurate. Wendy finds, cuts and creates the art that she then decoupages onto the old globes. From Superheros to Rock and Roll, each is one of a kind. She also takes on commissions. The globes vary in size from the small novelty bank globes to the larger traditional 30" diameter globes. Prices range from $99-$300.

World Peace Globe:

To The Rescue Globe:

Wild World Globe:

Bon Voyage Globe:

Where The Wild Things Are Globe:

ABC Globe:

Long Live Rock n' Roll Globe:

Flutter By Globe:

Everly Gold Globe:

Oil Spill Globe bank:


A little video as how globes are made:


To purchase one of these globes or commission one of your own contact Wendy Gold.

Sweet! The Tweet Towel Dries With 140 Custom Characters.

The other day I received a great little gift in the mail. A Tweet Towel from We Are What We Do, a global movement that inspires people to use their everyday behavior to affect big environmental and social issues.



The woven white dish towel had a personal embroidered Tweet to me from the folks at the London-based We Are What We Do, which showed through the clear window of the mailer:




When unboxed, I saw that the 42 X 60 cm absorbent white woven cotton towel had a diagonal hanging hook on reverse corner and embroidered detailing along with the personalized or custom "tweet".




I cannot deny it. It is hip, fun and functional. And a brilliant idea for marketing and branding a company or product. Not to mention that the proceeds from the affordable and clever gift go to fund a worthy cause.



The idea came from mashing up traditional crafts and digital communication. For those less tech-savvy, a "tweet" is a 140 character message that you can send via the website Twitter. And a tea towel is... well you probably know what they are.



All profits go to the We Are What We Do Charitable Foundation, funding their digital inclusion projects to get different generations talking more, sharing more and spending more time together.



Tea towel details:
* 42 X 60 cm
* Absorbent white woven cotton
* Diagonal hanging hook on reverse corner
* Satin taffeta label
* Packaged in an A4 gift box with clear panel to view personal messages

Machine wash at 40 degrees max. Do not tumble dry. The tea towel is shipped from their responsible suppliers in Turkey and is embroidered in the UK. All the packaging 100% recyclable and they ask that you recycle it as well :)


Get your own Tweet Towel (and one for a friend) here.

Learn about We Are What We Do here.
Shop for their other products here

The Walnut & Maple Wood Boxeo Desk by Cliff Young, LTD.

I'm just in love with this modern walnut and maple wood desk with polished stainless steel legs. The design, with it's floating top and drawers tucked beneath, remind me of the classic mid-century modern George Nelson floating top desks for Herman Miller, only in a more modern and streamlined version.





The 300-10PCK Boxeo Desk, Dimensions: 78"W x 30"D x 31"H

* Stained plain sliced walnut with satin finish. All maple drawer interiors. Polished stainless steel legs.
* Features: Four touch latch drawers.
* Fully customizable


Request price and availability here

About Cliff Young:

For over 40 years, Cliff Young Ltd. has brought to life an extraordinary furniture collection that tastefully combines modern day sophistication with the warm, inviting feel of old world craftsmanship. Designs inspired by our modern lifestyles, luxurious wood veneers, clean sumptuous lines, perfection of style and a cutting edge, incredible textures and finishes, an organic mix of materials. The underlying strength of a well-thought functionality, solid engineering, eco-friendly mindfulness.

Vik Muniz' Ashtray Recreates Classic Art In Ashes And Cigarette Butts.

If you are at all familiar with the work of artist Vik Muniz, you know it's not unusual for him to use such a bizarre medium as garbage, literally, in his artwork. In this beautiful limited edition ashtray, Muniz takes the classic 1818 painting by Caspar David Friedrich, The Wanderer, and recreates it in ashes and cigarette butts which was then photographed and screened into porcelain.

Caspar David Friedrich's The Wanderer above the Sea of Fog (1818):


Muniz drew the image with ashes and butts, originally in 1999. He then photographed the image and had it screened onto a beautiful porcelain ashtray made at Limoges in Bernardaud, France. The rim of the ashtray is then hand-painted in silver leaf.




Vik Muniz, Untitled ashtray, 1999
Screen printed photograph on Limoges porcelain with hand-painted silver trim
1¾ h. x 7½ x 6½ inches,
Published by the Peter Norton Family Christmas Project.*
Produced in a limited edition

Priced at $650. You can order it by contacting info@artwareeditions.com
Or for $500 (and 20% off right now), you can buy it at the MoMa store here

*Each year since 1988, art collector, software entrepreneur, and MoMA trustee Peter Norton has commissioned an art edition to celebrate the Christmas season and holidays. Created by artists represented in the Nortons’ own collection, and sent as gifts to personal friends and members of the art community, these art objects are designed to be interactive and playful, and to foster engagement with the world of contemporary art.

Sweet Bread. Now, Toast Yourself.

The post just prior to this one today featured the fabulous new music video for the song "Last Leaf" by Los Angeles quartet, OK Go.



The stop motion video features illustrations burnt into toast with a laser. Created in conjunction with the Samsung Create Your World website to promote their new NX100 digital camera, the site also features a fun and easy interactive way to place your own image on a piece of toast.



Simply upload your image, choose your level of toast darkness and voila!



Go toast yourself here.


See the Stop motion video of laser burnt toast for Last Leaf by OK go! here.

Stop Motion Laser Burnt Toast For OK Go's Last Leaf Video.

The latest video for OK Go's "Last Leaf" is a lovely and sweet stop motion animated video featuring the illustrations of artist Ge­off Mcfetridge on actual toast.



The charming video was made by burning toast with a laser and shooting still images of each piece of toast. It took 15 still shots for every second of video and 2,430 pieces of toast were used. And if you're wondering.... all 215 loaves of bread were past their sell-by date & rescued from certain disposal for the shoot.



Di­rect­ed by OK Go, Nadeem Mazen and Ali Mo­ham­mad of Serious Business Design. Produced by Shirley Moy­ers, the piece was made in part­ner­ship with Sam­sung NX100 iFn, and Create Your World.


above: Los Angeles quartet OK Go

See more videos by OK go here
An­i­ma­tion art by Ge­off Mcfetridge, Cham­pi­on Stu­dio



Be sure to check out how you can burn your own image on a piece of toast here

The Seventh Artist Edition Yo-Yo Is Illustrated By Travis Lampe

The seventh in an on-going series of Artist Edition Yo-Yos, this latest hardwood yo-yo features original artwork by Chicago artist, Travis Lampe.

The unadorned yo-yos themselves are a work of art. Made in the United States and turned from a single piece of Hard Rock Maple, they are made in the traditional fashion of yo-yos from the 1920s. While most modern yo-yos are made of high-impact plastic or aircraft-grade aluminum, these wooden yo-yos are meant to evoke a simpler time in American history. The yo-yo is the second-oldest toy in the world and still one of the most popular; it’s with this heritage in mind that these wooden yo-yos were chosen.

Other Yo-yos in the series featured the work of, amongst others, Brian Morris:

and Jeremiah Ketner:


This Artist Edition Yo-Yo will be $15 each, limited to 30 pieces worldwide, and will never be manufactured again. One side is laser-engraved with original art by the selected artist, while the other side is engraved with the artist’s signature and the Steve Brown Gallery logo.



The goal of this series, as expressed by Steve Brown Gallery, is to provide people with a work of art that is meant to be part of their everyday life. It is their hope that this yo-yo provides you with simple pleasure for years to come.



Yo-yos manufactured and engraved by Arizona-based YoYo Factory.


You can find other Travis Lampe originals for sale here.

A New "Old" Set Of Wheels By Harry Allen For Areaware. The Pick-Up.

above photo by Mark Rabiner for The New York Times

Designer Harry Allen loves trucks. His immaculately restored 1964 Willys Jeep was recently featured in the New York Times, but it was his fond memories of playing in the dirt that lead him to the idea of "Pickup". The beauty of any pickup truck is its utilitarian aesthetic - four strong wheels and the capacity to haul cargo and Harry turned that aesthetic into functional art as his latest piece for AREAWARE.

Below is Harry Allen at his Pound Ridge home with his restored Willys and his basset hounds, Ben and Emma:

above photo by Mark Rabiner for The New York Times

Harry had function on his mind as he cast a toy pick-up truck and turned it into a catch-all bowl. As with all REALITY products, it is the material transformation that completes the idea. The cool-looking "Pickup" is an objet d'art that can serve as a bowl for keys, coins or even a planter for small succulents.



The Pickup by Harry Allen is now available in chrome ($150) or white ($85). Blue chrome ($180), gold ($150) and orange ($85) are available for pre-order. Made of resin and marble, measuring 5 x 12 x 6 inches. Buy them here.

Artists Are Seeing Stars For Ralph Lauren & Polo Jeans

In early 2010, Polo Jeans Co. Ralph Lauren commissioned over 50 of Europe’s most exciting young contemporary artists to customize actual three-dimensional stars made from the finest American denim.