SKYY Vodka and amfAR Create Special Limited Edition Velvet Flocked Bottle For The Holiday.

SKYY’s First-of-its-Kind “Flocked” Blue Velvet Bottle Will Help Consumers Give Back This Holiday Season.



SKYY® Vodka’s iconic blue bottle is donning a new festive look this winter, all in the name of the true holiday spirit. SKYY, the number-one domestic super-premium vodka in the US, and the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), one of the leading nonprofits dedicated to ending the global AIDS epidemic, are partnering this holiday season to launch the exclusive SKYY Vodka Blue Velvet Limited Edition Bottle.



The sophisticated, soft-to-touch bottle is flocked with an intricate, blue velvet pattern – a design element never before used in the spirits industry – making it the ideal, unique festive gift for consumers who want to give back this holiday.



“We incorporated the baroque pattern into the design because over a year ago when we began the process we felt strongly about velvet baroque patterns to connote style and elegance. However, it had never been done before so we had to innovate the technique. Fast forward to launch time for the SKYY holiday bottle, and baroque the biggest trend at all the fashion shows. So while we were planning our bottle, the big fashion houses were thinking the same thing with their clothing lines. Most of the major designers are integrating baroque details into their collections. Adding the velvet texture to the bottle made it sexy, touchable and holiday-appropriate, and fortunately, on-trend.” Says MDG Creative Director Gabrielle Rein.



“amFAR is an incredible organization that contributes greatly to the ongoing battle against AIDS,” said Jason Daniel, Brand Director, SKYY Vodka. “We are thrilled to partner with them on the Blue Velvet Limited Edition Bottle which not only showcases SKYY Vodka’s dedication to quality, innovation and style, but also our commitment to charitable giving. For holiday parties this year, we hope folks reach for the SKYY Blue Velvet Bottle as an easy and fun way to give back to their communities.”



A fashionable twist on the iconic SKYY cobalt blue glass bottle, the Blue Velvet Limited Edition Bottle makes it easy for gift givers to show their true holiday spirit in style. In honor of the partnership, SKYY has also created two festive specialty cocktails:

amfAR Holiday Spirit Martini:
3 oz. chilled SKYY Vodka
Hint of Cinzano Extra Dry Vermouth

Fill shaker with ice, add SKYY Vodka and a drop of Vermouth. Shake vigorously then pour into a chilled martini glass.

SKYY Vodka Mistletoe:
1 ½ oz. SKYY Vodka
1 oz. Raspberry Liqueur
Squeeze of Fresh Lemon Juice

Mix ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Strain into chilled, martini glass and garnish with cranberries.

The SKYY Blue Velvet Limited Edition Bottle will be available for a limited time at liquor stores nationwide for a suggested retail price of $18.49 for 750 ml.

About amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world's leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested more than $340 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide.

source: PR Newswire
images courtesy of SKYY Vodka

Walking Shadow Drawings By Jason Ratliff.

above: Walking Shadow, Old Man

Jason Ratliff describes himself as an artist first and a graphic designer second. He creates illustrations with a mixture of ink, acrylic and a light dose of whimsy. What inspires him are colors, composition and how they interact.  In his own brand of artwork, color and composition are key. These values are reflected in his beautifully illustrated Walking Shadow series of drawings which are available as prints in various sizes.

Walking Shadow 9 (original available here)

Walking Shadow, Old Lady:

Walking Shadow, Superman:

Walking Shadow, Cat:

Walking Shadow, Cat 2:

Walking Shadow, Rooster:

Walking Shadow, Bicycle:

Walking Shadow, Guitar:

Walking Shadow, Lunch:

Walking Shadow, Monkey:

Prints, iPhone covers, canvases, t-shirts and notecards of these illustrations are available for purchase here at Society 6.

Finer prints of these are available here at Saatchi Online

The Artist, Jason Ratliff:

Location: Indianapolis, IN, United States
Website: http://jasonratliff.net
Work: Graphic Designer
Education: Graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Visual Communication Design. Studied under Dennis Ichiyama.

The Hippest Christmas Nutcracker You'll Find This Year.

Last year, West Elm carried some cool modern versions of traditional nutcrackers that I posted on my list of hip christmas decor over at ThisNext, but not this year. But alas, no need to cry because this year CB2 has one of the hippest takes on a traditional nutcracker.



The Inked nutcracker is carved from white pine and painted red, white and black. He is tatted with "Naughty" on his right arm with an intricate montage of skull and candy cross bones. And the word "Nice" scripts his left arm in a cozy scene of fireplace logs and mistletoe.




The man in the big red suit has a permanent place in this nutcracker's heart in the form of "Santa Baby" etched on his chest. "Ho Ho Ho" banner decks out his handle. Cool.





dimensions: 4.75"Wx4.25"Dx16.25"H
details:
• White pine
• Silk screen print and painted details
• Wipe with clean dry cloth
• Made in China

$29.99 buy it here

Introducing Clomm Watches Terra Firma Collection - Modern Unisex Timepieces With Seven Unique Faces.

Clomm is a relatively new boutique watch brand established last year by founder and creative director Gary Fidele. Their first collection, TERRA FIRMA (which translates to "on solid ground"), consists of seven modern and minimalist unisex watches whose faces feature materials such as cork, rosewood, oak, and black or white ceramic. The newest and most expensive addition to the collection is a Malachite face watch priced at $630 USD. Other watches in the Terra Firma Collection range from $450-$490.



The line of watches has Swiss Made Ronda movements, sapphire crystals, Aerospace grade stainless steel bezels and cases and real Italian leather bands. All the models have sweep second hands and luminous dials. No numbers and spec lines only on the ceramic faced watches add to the clean and modern design. Each watch weighs 110kg and measures a generous 60.0 x 52.0 x 15.0 mm and is 47mm in diameter.



Each Clomm watch comes in a nice wooden box:


The Watches
Rosewood, $490:

White Ceramic, $450:

Black Ceramic, $450:

Cork, $490:

Oak, $490:

Rosegold, $490:

Malachite, $630:



About Clomm
Specialized in creating minimalist and distinctive design with timeless appeal, the brand takes inspiration from the 12th century Anglo-Saxon word “Clomm” meaning "to grasp", reflecting the founders' English roots. Clomm products are made from materials of premium quality, embracing design, engineering and craftsmanship. The philosophy of the brand has been very clear from the beginning- To combine minimalist design with uncompromised quality.

The Designer

As a product designer from the UK, Gary has worked across a wide range of disciplines, designing everything from furniture and household items, to surfboards and wetsuits for clients around the globe. In 2011, with his broad experience and the desire to develop unique products, he created his first timepiece collection "Terra Firma", which is now available on the Clomm website and at our selected retailers.


Clomm watches