I Love Durban, Crystal Campbell

I recently came across this illustration, done by Crystal Campbell, who worked as a designer at Modern Museum (where I work). But now she's off to do her Masters in the UK. Good luck to her.
She is also part of a creative collective, Rosebud&Grumpers.
She has done some brilliant work check out her portfolio here.

Eskom Advert

"Athough other commentators have accused this billboard of only being effective 50% of the time [that being at night...when it's dark and the lights go on], because it's sponsored by Eskom (the South African state electricity provider), it makes sense. You clearly only use lights at night - so to us it makes perfect sense...and in winter in Joburg more people are driving home at night in any case.
However...it's all very well not to waste electricity, but what about all that paid for advertising real estate that they're wasting instead?" Cherryflava

I think its a cool ad, the fact that so many South African's have a negative image of eskom, and the fact that they DO have the monopoly. It doesn't matter that they telling the public to use their product less, its about casting themselves in a good public light (no pun intended).

Anyway I think Its really cool, and as much as I'm probably immune to that kind of brand advertising (being a cynical graphic designer) I still think it works well to achieve that. via Cherryflava

Etsy of the Week, CircaCeramics

I've been meaning to do a post about CircaCeramics for a while now, so It was only a matter of time.
I think they're brilliant, the duo (Andy Witt & Nancy Pizarro) are a pair of ceramicists running a studio in Chicago. I love the graphicness of their ceramics, and the colour pallete is brilliant.

I've been interested in the process of applying decals to porcelain and earthenware for a while now, hence my first Etsy post on Lusterbunny (note the similarity).Thanks to them, and their blog, I learnt more about the process as well as being more than a little inspired.

See there Flickr pics, their Blog, and their Etsy Shop.
As well as an article on them in The Storque.

I love Broccoli, Plush

I'm in the process of adding a range of plush toys called I Love Broccoli hand made by my friend Chantelle Roberts, to The Empire Collective Etsy Shop. They're, super cool and the felt makes them so cuddly. They should be online in a little while, and there's a bunch of different ones.

UPDATE: done uploading, but more to come.

Orange

Ok I blame Denise of Freshly Found for my current addiction to orange, Its one of those obsessions that slowly you manage to get under control until someone (ahem) brings it to the fore again. Anyway I asked Denise if she'd mind me continuing from where she left off by posting some things (orange) that are super cool.
Above are really cool, scarab beetle room dividers by EggDesigns, a South African Industrial and Interior design company. The do some Brilliant stuff.

And I'm very lucky in that the new Alba by Furni Creations also happens to be orange, so I can add it to this post. I love every single clock that these guys produce, they're brilliant.

And heres a new find, via NotCouture (in a roundabout way) these marbled resin rings by Free People are really cool, very simple, but very cool.

I can think of a few more people that have either very cool orange (ahem, Skinny laMinx) tea-towels or other people who have a similar love of the colour (ahem, Orangebeautiful/The SCOOP).

Me been Tagged, Arrrg

Ok here goes, I've bin tagged for the second time, (you can tell the novelty hasn't worn off yet, cus I've kept count, hahaha a whole 2). This time by Jesse of Jezzeblog.

And here are the 7 things: hmmmmm,
1) I drink far to much tea, it has to be unhealthy.
2) I am loving Japan and I, a band from jo'burg at the moment.
3) I'm in the process of trying to write my 12 000 word Btech Academic report for my graphic design degree. Arrrrggg!!!
4) Currently I'm holding my breath, until I sell my first item at my Etsy Shop. (it may be a while :)
5) And am an admitted Estyaholic
6) At this very moment I have Orange on the brain, thanks to Denise of Freshly Found.
7) I cant wait for the 3rd of October, when DesignBOOM is announcing the results of the Premio Vico Magistretti furniture competition i was shortlisted for. Hold thumbs!

Hmmm, and the people I'm tagging are:
Sunday Workshop
Freshly Found
Smoke & Ochre
Lead & Light
Throughfares
Whimsical Delights
Workingclass Heroes

Phew, I'm done.

Flickr Finds

Image by Elif Sanem Karakoc.

Image by nancz.

Image by Elkie.

Image by 9x13.

All of the above images have just recently been added to my favorites on flickr.
Very very cool images, that I just had to share. Also I learnt for the first time what on earth a dyptich is (thanks to 9x13's pics).

Ice Lolly: Update

"Water that floats freely and makes contact with minerals is able to regain its vitality and its crystal structure. This was the inspiration for Dutch designer Nienke Vording to develop a series products for water consumption." via Core77

Its a very "Nice" idea, not sure if it goes much beyond that though, I cant help thinking its a little contrived... although that sounds a bit too harsh. Whilst I applaud those people that drink natural water, I can hardly see how the "Ice-lolly" is making it more accessible or practical. But to be fair I'm not sure what the designer's original intention was (His website is in Dutch). It's a "Nice" idea, but not sure whether it's much more than that.

UPDATE: In hindsight, that was way too harsh... An anonymous commenter posted this:

"Ice lollies with a laser crystal as a rod. The ice has various flavours: mint, red pepper, lavender, rampart note, star anise and other fruit. Each frozen element uses its own taste and fragrance to flavour the water without further additives. - So i guess its a natural alternative to a chemical filled ice lolly." Anonymous

I can't be sure if this is the designer "defending" his work, it would sound so, and I apologise for the harsh tone, it wasn't intentional. Just a passing thought.

I think they look brilliant, and I think that forgetting to include how cool I thought they were in my previous entry may have made it sound all the more harsh. eeeek sorry.

Amazing work, by Nienke Vording

Etsy of the Week, Smosch

Meet mini Mr Winterlips, one of the many "Buttcrack characters" designed and crocheted by Sandra of Smosch.com. They're all brillliant, but the one above caught my eye more than most. check out her Etsy Shop or her blog, Smosch.

Hard Edge? Fashion & Photography

Ok, first off I appologise for the vagueness of this post, but these guys (Sunday Workshop, unappreciated.scholar) are super busy, and I'll get all the proper info (maybe and interview, if I get a chance) when its possible.

Anyway, I came across their blog Sunday Workshop, and apart from the pictures being really cool (I couldn't believe most/if not all are from my home town Durban,RSA), but the fashion is also really cool. Its definitely more Haute Couture than fashion, "Hard Edge" as they put it, but cool none the less. As soon as i glean more info out of them, I'll post it.
I'm hoping they'll be interested in being featured as the fashion component in a magazine I'm working on at the moment (but thats still in the wings).


From a featurette on them in a local e-zine : www.thebeard.com

It Struck a cord.

I came across this image whilst browsing through flickr. And all I can say, is that it struck a cord. Photo by Violaceousdaisy

I was born on a pirate ship...

These "tongue depressors" are brilliant, done by Tamara Shopsin, they most definitely tickled my funny bone. Although I must admit I didn't catch on right away, but when I did, it got a sincere chuckle out of me. The fact that I love pirates just makes it that much better.
Some very cool stuff to check out at her site - Tamara Shopsin.com.

Luke Chueh Paintings

I love Luke Chueh's paintings and I'm can safely say that I'm mortified I don't live in LA so I could go to his exhibition at the 1988 Gallery ...aaararrgg! But seriously I went to his site, and besides the fact that all his paintings are so cool, they look especially so when they're displayed as small thumbnails next to each other. very very cool.

Is Print Dead?

A very cool article about the fate of printing, as we know it...
Dam dam daaam.
But I really like the origami "illustrations" on the article are really cool. Illustrated by Jennifer Daniel and Erin Sparling. Check it out at A Brief Message : An Inconvenient Truth. I recently made a origami squirel of which I'm quite proud, I'll try remember to post it some time. via The Serif

Etsy of the Week, The Black Apple

Unfortunate I've limited myself (due to justified addiction) to only post one Etsy find per week, or else every post of mine would be a new brilliant thing/person I'd found on Etsy, and not much else.

Like Emily Martin from Georgia USA, who is The Black Apple, "curiosity peddler and picture scribbler".
Her paintings and prints are some of the cutest portraits/characters ever. I think they're brilliant, you can check out her Blog, or her Etsy Shop.

Visual Activism

This is a poster campaign I'm doing as part of my Btech (4th year/degree show) in Graphic Design, specializing in Visual Activism and the role of graphic design in the communication of Public Service Announcements and constructive social commentaries. Uploaded at Flicker.

This one is stuck up on Botanic Gardens Rd. Durban, South Africa.