Hamster Cages.

Other than enjoying design and craft, I love animals. I have been the proud owner of many pets through my childhood, from rodents to exotic animals. Since moving into Newcastle as a student my pet collection has decreased, but I still manage to keep my corn snake Kairo. A few days ago my long haired Syrian hamster Obi passed away. I thought I might share the cage that I built for him, designed to give him a more natural way of living. It was inspired by the ‘German’ hamster cages, and it’s just under 1m long! R.I.P my little man.

 

Orla Kiely.

So, after a busy few weeks at my new placement, I have found a good source of graphical inspiration from a talented designer called Orla Kiely. I love the simplicity of her work, and also the trendy colours which work well together.

Nest.

From Yanko Design, this is a very simple yet clever way to organise those pesky paperclips. You place paperclips around the egg in order to balance and protect it. How cute. The designer does also state that if something does manage to hatch, then you should contact him.

Clockwork Sparrow.

I came across this beautiful piece of work whilst browsing on Pinterest the other day. I adore birds and intricately detailed machinery such as pocket watches, and this combines the best of both. I love how the artist here has captured the curiosity and emotion of the bird through its eyes, It’s amazing. I have no idea where I could buy this from, but if anyone happens to find out, let me know!

Animalask Clock

This quirky clock from Westergaards is designed to teach children the time in a fun and inventive way. As the hand moves to every hour, a new animal is ‘released’ into view, showing that learning the time doesn’t have to be boring. The clock is made from a powder coated mild steel and can be bought at the above website.

Beautiful Gift Wrap

If there’s one thing I truly enjoy, it’s taking my time to carefully wrap a gift before I give it to someone. Today I found a beautiful way to use brown paper coupled with odd bits and ends to create a really simple and rustic finish. Thank you to Carolyn and her wonderful blog, Homework.

Back To Nature

If you don’t like the glass back on your iPhone, then why not go for one of these? A German company called Eden is offering wooden veneers which can replace the original glass on your iPhone 4/4s. The FSC certified wood is available in different varieties and can be put into place in 3 minutes using the screwdriver provided. There’s something so beautiful about mixing natural materials with technology, and this way you can ensure that your iPhone will be individual.

stream of consciousness

Beautiful gestures and quick thoughts on paper. I feel a lot of designers take the sketching phase for granted in favor of photoshop and illustrator, but sketching is an essential part of good design. These are sketches by Dieter Rams, in a 1984 article for Domus Magazine. It’s remarkable to see how little the finished designs deviate from his initial concepts.

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Simon’s Cat.

Everyone with a cat has times when your sat at home thinking ‘Why is my cat being so stupid?’ Recently I found a collection of short hand drawn animations about the weird things that cats get up to. If you’re an owner, it’s sure to make you laugh! The animations can be found here.

Lytro

Lytro is an exiting new camera with some amazing technology, shortly to be released. The Lytro lets you capture and share what you see in an entirely new way. Unlike ordinary cameras, the Lytro records the entire light field, cpaturing all rays of light travelling in every direction through a scene. This means that you can endlessly refocus your images, after they have been taken!

I recommend visiting their website where you can try out this technology in their sample gallery (Go on, it’s fun!).