Artsy Swag » design

10 Awful Video Game Covers

sanela — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:06:49 +0000

For a video game maker to produce the best game that they can, all of their money often needs to be spent on things like wonderful writing’ (the obvious exception to this being Mass Effect 3), good graphics, and superb sound. Unfortunately, this doesn’t leave much money left for the box, so it’s little wonder that some people try and hire students from the local community college to help them. If not, why would these monstrosities exist?

#10: Ninja Golf

We know ninjas mean stealth and sneakiness, but what possible tactical advantage does he get by playing his golf games at night? The answer to this question, by the way, is “None, although no-one will ever see me embarrassing the honor of my family by doing this”. Also, that clearly isn’t a ninja; that’s the guy with the big sword who Indiana Jones shot in that marketplace in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”.

#9: Final Fight

Unfortunately, despite having ‘Fight’ in the name, the game does not offer you to the chance to pit a man who could only be the result of mixing the DNA of Terrence Stamp, Sylvester Stallone, and a Ghost Rider era Nicholas Cage in a battle to the death against a man who looks uncannily like Saddam Hussein or a thin Stalin.

#8: Ico

Thank God that we don’t have to try and work out the plot of this game via the box art, or we’d all be screwed/insanely confused: “So, it’s a young Michael Cera frolicking around the countryside hitting windmills with planks of wood? What about the ghost girl? Does she tell him to ‘use the force’ everytime he misses his target? No, wait that’s Star Wars….this is a dumb game”.

#7: Courier Crisis

Finally, a game that allows you to accurately simulate what happens to Watson at the end of ‘The Reichenbach Fall’. Was the eponymous courier responsible for preventing Watson from reaching Sherlock in time? Probably not, seeing as this game was made in the early 2000’s by a person who, when they researched about this game, evidently confused ‘couriers’ with ‘wrestlers’. Although, if you live in NYC, you’ll all know that this game is completely based on real-life.

#6: Checkers

On the advice of our lawyers, we aren’t going to make any jokes or insinuate that the older guy in this image is finding more joy in the company of that child than is legally allowed in all states, apart from Alabama and Georgia. You’d have thought King Arthur would object to this as well, but let’s face: that guy looks a bit of a dick, and also, just like Sean Connery.

#5: Bust-A-Move 2

Anybody who knows their Doctor Who history will instantly know that this box art is an exact representation of what the title sequence for the original 1963 series starring William Hartnell was going to look like. However, the bigwigs at the BBC objected (for some reason) at a couple of things, namely the screaming purple face which makes the pictured head look like an oversized blackcurrant, the matchsticks which are holding his guys open (obviously a makeshift homage to A Clockwork Orange), and of course, the fact that in the background there are several more clones of this hideous scene. Pussies.

#4: Ultima V

Remember that dickhead knight who looks like Sean Connery from the paedo-tastic Checkers game above? Well, karma seems to have got him because by the looks of it, he’s about to have the flesh stripped from his bones by the Knights Who Say ‘Ni’. Or some owls in big flowy capes. Whichever, really. Although that frightened worried stance he’s taking might be a result of the electric sparkling probe that lady seem to be trying to insert into his bottom.

#3: Mega Man 2

So many questions need asking of this, so we’ll just lead straight into them. Is the plot of this game focused on Mega Man trying to rescue the rest of his suit from an evil laundrette owner, hence why he only appears to be wearing a sleeve? Has he teamed-up with Iron Man, what with the bright silver suit and everything? Why is he being watched by a giant brain on an altar and an Angry Birds-esque head rendition of the Cheshire Cat? WHY IS HIS ARM A BOWLING PIN?

#2: Super Man

No, it isn’t. Anyone who buys this thinking this is, like, Superman: The Early Years needs to stop deluding themselves right now. From what we can deduce, this game is about Alan Rickman being stalked by the robot from Lost in Space in the middle of Stonehenge, his character trait of which is to fire his gun into the air wildly at random intervals. Also, there’s clearly no ‘S’ on his suit. D- for accuracy.

#1: Ninja Scooter Simulator

Quite frankly, what other game could have reached the top spot of this list? We could spend literally all day poking through this image and dredging up all of the oddities. For instance, where does he hold his sword when he’s riding? Do the handlebars have spikes on as well? And where does he buy those phat rims, from P Diddy’s garage sale? But, we like this game too much to hurt it. We’ll be on eBay looking for a copy if anybody wants us.

written by: Oliver May
copyrighted © artsyswag.com

7 Amazing Designs That Will Blow Your Mind

sanela — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:14:05 +0000

I hope you’re interested in bringing some style into your life, because here are 7 most interesting and most original designs from the world of art and urban living that we carefully searched and brought to you. Enjoy!

1. Bus stop ad that smells of baked potatoes

Imagine waiting for a bus with scent of baking food, spreading about in the air all around you! That is what I call smart advertising. The ‘mccain ready baked jackets’ outdoor campaign brings an interactive, multisensory display to bus shelters throughout the UK.

2. Starry night interactive animation

Greek artist and electrical engineer, Petros Vrellis, has created an interactive animation of Vincent van Gogh’s painting ‘The Starry Night’. Left alone, the visualization sends the paint daubs of the saint-rémy night sky into swirling patterns of motion, governed by the mathematics of particle dynamics. A touch interface allows viewers to deform the image, altering both the particle flow and the sound. when not touched, the visualization will return to its natural state.

3. Creative sweatshop: jelly + light

“Light & Jelly” is series of lamps cast in jelly by Le Creative Sweatshop and then photographed by Fabrice Fouillet. The results of combining this common household food with differing light sources are very colorful and look stunning.

4. Reconfigured cabinet cards

We can thank Alex Gross for turning these stiff cabinet cards from the Victorian era with those unfortunate people with constipated face expressions into lively characters that appear like they have just strung out of some Marvel’s comic book. He takes poor dead bastards who kicked it 100+ years ago and repaints them as pop icons. The result is marvelous!

5. Blind passengers

German designers Julian Appelius and Karen Olze have created ‘Blind passangers’. The screen series consists of six sublimations on polyester to be affixed to the inside of the car window. Figure options include Botticelli’s muse, Simonetta Vespucci, the bust of Nefertiti, Vermeer’s Girl with the pearl earring, Arcimboldo’ ‘Spring’ or two cherubs by Raffael, all depicted at 43 x 36 cm. The blind functions as a shade the true passenger of the vehicle while simultaneously displaying a famous art historical image to passers-by.

6. Lid sid by Luka Or

Israeli designer Luka Or has created the ‘Lid Sid’ for Israeli company Monkey Business. The pot and pan accessory offers one effective way to let off some steam in the kitchen, literally. Sid is a small figure which hangs over the edge of a pot, propping its lid open to let out some excess heat while food is simmering.

7. Chocolate bar smartphone

This year for the Valentine’s Day in Japan, you’ll be able to honor the tradition of buying chocolate to your loved one, but this time, instead of the regular chocolate, you will be able to buy a chocolate bar shaped smart phone, designed by Tadaaki Wakamatsu, that will be released and available for sale on February 14th.

I hope you enjoyed these 7 great and unique designs that we prepared for you. There will be more of these soon.

Written by: Sanela Todjeras

copyrighted © artsyswag.com

29 Weirdest Public Phone Booths

sanela — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:59:08 +0000

Public phone booths can have the strangest designs, as these below prove. Here are 29 weirdest public telephones ever. Some look really great, like the ice phone booth from Aliaska or the one completely covered in knitting, while others are rather peculiar. It would be great if there were these unique phone booths all over the world in all cities instead of the boring old ones.

1. Shark Phone Booths

If you somehow end up in Russia you’ll probably stumble upon some of these shark booths. Artist Renald from Petrozavodsk thought it would be interesting to replace regular phone booths with these. I agree. it’s great!

2. Swedish Rikstelefon

Honestly, I can’t see the connection between Sweden and Chinese rickshas, but it looks awesome. I wonder how is it that these booths didn’t pan out.

3. Knitted Telephone Booth

This unique phone booth that is completely covered in knitting can be seen in London. Unfortunately, we don’t know who is the artist or where did (s)he get the idea for this creative phone booth design, but it’s really colorful and lively. It would surely brighten up any grey concrete city.

4. Ice Phone Booth

Ice phone booth looks really cool, literally as well. The only problem is that we can’t have anything like this in the continental areas during the summer.

5. Creative Japanese Phone Booth

Really stylish, well done Japan!

6. Mobile Phone Booth on Bicycle

This looks really profitable. I hope the phone-rider stops with pedaling while you’re talking, because I really can’t speak when I run.

7. Hello Kitty Phone Booth

This is really cute phone booth, and I’m assuming it’s coming from Japan as well.

8. Modern Phone Booth in Italy

Italy started its modernization by making the phone booths more “in” and “chic”.

9. Antique Phone Booth

What would Doctor Who give for this booth?

10. Yellow Monkey Phone Booth

Sorry, but looks simply retarded. Does it have a yellow banana shaped headphone?

11. Fun Booth

Apparently, you can find this in Toronto. It is a relics from a time when a “text” was a book and a “mobile phone” meant one with a really long cord.

12. Homer Simpson Phone Booth

Watch out! He’ll eat you up while you’re speaking.

13. Phone Booth in Salvador, Brazil

Cute… Even the phone booths in Brazil are in accordance with the spirit of carnival.

14. Chicken Phone Booth

This makes no sense! Why is it blue? Is it a chicken or a smurf?

15. Funny Phone Booth in Jeju, Korea

It’s an Asian thing…

16. Zurich Phone Booth

Well done Zurich… Making us all feel like two hundred years behind you, considering that this picture was probably taken sometime during the 90s.

17. Globe Phone Booth

I’m guessing – Japan, again…

18. Egg Shaped Phone Booth

I’ve would have said “dumb”, but still, the girl in the picture seems cute.

19. Banksy’s Murdered Phone Booth

Here is one piece of work done by the world wide well-known and somewhat notorious artist, Banksy – the Banksy’s phone booth. I’m pretty sure he was inspired by all those low budget crime movies in which the murder takes place in some public phone.

20. Cell Phone Booth

This is my absolute favorite! This would come in really handy for all those people that have that nasty habit of speaking too loud in a public places or in transportation. Also, it would be rather useful for the numerous love birds that need to express their affections in the same places.

21. Portable Comet Phone Booth

Some guys hacked an old hair dryer into a portable phone booth called “Comet Phone Booth”.

22. True British Phone Booth

This adorable phone booth designed in the shape of a tea pot (or is it the other way around – a little tea pot in the shape of a phone booth) simply screams Britain. It even has a small crown on the top as a symbol of the royal family. It doesn’t get more British than this.

23. Japanese Phone Booth

It would be really great to talk inside of a phone booth designed like a cute glass owl. She would take care of what you say and make sure everything that comes out of your mouth is pure wisdom.

24. Parrot Phone Booth

This huge blue parrot will remind you not to parrot in your conversations.

25. Traditional Chinese Gate Phone Booth

You’ll get in touch with the vast and rich Chinese tradition by using this unique phone booth shaped like a traditional Chinese gate.

26. Fruit Shaped Phone Booth

Tasty!

27. Aquarium Phone Booth

28. Squirrel Phone Booth

Actually, I’m not really sure if this is a squirrel or not, because I can’t see if it has tail, but anyhow, I’m guessing it is located in some National Park, Zoo or something like that.

29. Phone Booth on Boat

And at last we have another mobile phone booth located on a boat this time. It looks rather useful, like some sort of radio connection.

Written by: Sanela Todjeras
copyrighted © artsyswag.com

Sources: 1|2

Scenesters – The Most Common Human Cliches

sanela — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:15:35 +0000

Are you sick and tired of scenesters, too? Do you sometimes have that feeling like there are just few possible looks and that all the people look same, like everybody is following some stupid pattern? It is really sad if you think about it. A real proof of lack of creativity among people.

A 29 year old graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in illustration, Rob Dobi, apparently also gave this idea some thought and made a project named Your Scene Sucks, where he criticizes these cliches and these “template” people (whom he calls scenesters, according to Urban Dictionary, scenester is a person who tries very hard to fit the stereotype of a certain scene; often having to do with a specific genre of music).

It makes me wonder why don’t these people try wearing something different, something that suits just them, that says something about who they are and has nothing to do with current trends.

These are the most common scenesters these days and what are their musts and what their outfits inevitably include. It must be really difficult living with such low self esteem and having to follow each and every stupid trend. I almost feel sorry for them.

But, then again no… Just one look at the images below representing neotrash/redneck makes me wanna punch him in the face with those bedazzled spikes on his vest.

Or this guy! I can already imagine him giving some crappy lecture and telling about his deep life changing experience that is now supposed to inspire the unfortunate listeners.

I think I know this guy…

And this girl, too…

This is my WOW character.

Imagine loosing your partner while wearing your “rockabilly duo” outfit! Then you would have to be just a regular douchebag.

This steampunk freak, actually, looks pretty good! Probably because it is too far gone, and nobody really wears stuff like motorcycle goggles and mechanical monocle, at least not on the regular work day, and when they leave their houses…

There are the most common scenesters these days. How many of them do you meet everyday? Which are your favorites/which do you hate most? Feel free to comment.

Bacon Obsession Taking Over Animal Print Craze

sanela — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 08:53:24 +0000

After the Bacon Font article, I started wondering what is this obsession with bacon all about. And then after doing some quick research (meaning googling) I found out ten more weird things with bacon design or should I say print, cause this bacon craze is definitely supressing animal prints. These days it is not about zebra, tiger or leopard prints. No, the bacon design is roughly and decesively taking the spot light.

1. Bacon Briefcase

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No business meeting can go by without this stylish briefcase. Just imagine yourself striding in the conference office with this thing in your hand! There is no deal you won’t be able to seal.

2. Bacon Coffee Mug

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OK, this one looks a bit yucky, I have to admit. And I won’t even start with the suspicious content of the mug. Of all the tasteless and tacky bacon items, I think this might acctually be the worst.

3. Bacon Ornanment

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What happened with regular ornaments like lanterns, candles, bells, bows, stars, etc. I guess it wore out with time. Luckily, we have new bacon-like ornaments for this year Christmass tree. Isn’t it just wonderful? And they’ve acctually written “A Holiday Tradition” on the box! I really can’t recall of the time when I was traditionally hanging bacon crisps on me Xmas tree.

4. Bacon Wallet

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Another stylish item from our greasy heart attack causing collection is the adorable bacon wallet. It would go great with your bacon briefcase.

5. Bacon Balm

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Now, this one almost makes sense! I mean, if your so obsessed with bacon and simply love eating it, then wearing a lip balm that smells and I guess tastes like bacon makes prefectly sense. Still, it would be a bit awkward kissing someone with lips coverd in bacon grease. Your partner might take you for a slob and think you didn’t even bother wiping your mouth after eating a pound of bacon for brunch.

6. Bacon Shoes

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You’ve got bacon briefcase and bacon wallet by now. Why stop there? Bacon shoes are just what you need to complete your fatty outfit. With these babies on your feet you’ll be absolutely invincible! No pork could escape you.

7. Bacon USB

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This looks so tasty and crunchy! I would be chewing on my USB stick all day long if I got this one. And, yes… Ii am aware how that sounds.

8. Bacon Cell Phone Cover

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While we are still at tech gadgets, we might as well mention the bacon cell phone cover. You can now cover your phone in bacon now. And that’s not all, this bacon case is also vegetarian-friendly as it’s made out of boiled wool. The case’s maker Antje Schmitt from southern Germany has been surprised by how many orders she’s received from people who want to wrap their phones in bacon.

9. Bacon Dress

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For all stylish ladies out there, here goes the bacon dress. You would probably want to accessorize this one with some bacon earrings, too.

10. Bacon Earrings

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What could be better than a piece of crispy bacon? How about two pieces, one for each ear!

Bacon Font – the Utterly Delicious Font

sanela — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:36:21 +0000

Photographer Henry Hargeaves made a real bacon font for all of us bacon lovers out there. It is a bit weird, I have to admit, and I can’t really see what was his point or where was he going with this highly caloric design , but, still, it looks pretty cool and is definitely different from any font I’ve ever seen before. I wonder if he decided to fry it after he finished the whole alphabet. It would be even better. Just imagine crunchy, tasty bacon letters! Yummy!

source

The Worst Wedding Dresses Ever

sanela — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:37:19 +0000

Most people think that there’s no such thing as ugly wedding dress, well these people in the images below definitely prove this is a great misconception, because these wedding attires are as hideous as possible and look like a piece of nightmare. There are definitely some things that you should never do or wear on a wedding, like thong dress, and especially if you are the bride.

Paint ball wedding, so classy...

Some people we expect to have bad taste and organize cheap and tacky weddings and there’s no surprises at all. But the strangest thing is when you see some wedding dresses that were actually created by world famous fashion designers, like Jean Paul Gaultier, Vera Wang, etc, that look absolutely hideous. What were they thinking? Maybe those are “high fashion” models made just as a from of artistic expression, and were not meant to be worn at all.

Can she even walk in this?

What are they – hippy, gay?

Groom is, in this case, even more stylish than bride.

Southern confederation flag wedding dress

Only in Russia

Soul mates

Is it fluffy enough?

Another white trash wedding. I have to say the bride looks absolutely charming… for a grizzly bear.

This looks like something Lady Gaga would wear for her wedding. I only fear that now, since it is already seen online, she will have to find something even more bizarre to top this dress and be the ultimate winner on the freakishly looking brides competition.

Simply cheap…

Wow! Now this look is the absolute winner in tastelessness and tackiness. She looks like a porn star. I hope this is the outfit she kept for the first wedding night and only for her groom’s eyes.

Vera Wang is loosing it, if you ask me… The poor model wearing the dress looks like a complete fruit cake that her family decided to marry off without her even realizing what is going on.

Alfred Hitchcock bride

The peacock bride decided to carry a baby instead of boring old flowers that every bride carries. Cute unique idea…

Where does a wedding take place if not in a cathedral, and when that was canceled, the bride decided to herself do the impression of one.

NOw, this one is a bit more moderate. The bride does not preset the whole cathedral, just the wedding bells.

This charming young couple decided to get married in their birth suit. They just put some body paint and make up and are ready to go. I especially appreciate the bride’s ringers. It brings so much elegance to her look.

Why is her dress so torn out? I guess the designer was trying to achieve that romantic fluttering effect, but the result was quite opposite. The bride looks like she’s just been in a cat fight.

LOL! This is the most ridiculous wedding dress I’ve ever seen. Poor bride needs so many assistants while standing still. I wonder what will the first dance look like.

Awesome Split Faces of Family Members

sanela — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 07:00:55 +0000

Here are some really awesome split family faces made by graphic designer and photographer Ulric Collette. Sometimes the resemblance between parent and child or between siblings is really obvious. The easiest way of comparing people is bringing the images of them side by side, and even better way is combining these two images in one like Collete did in these photos below. It looks a bit freakishly, especially the ones presenting parents and their children, but it also shows how much they resemble to each other.

Father/Son: Laval, 56 & Vincent, 29

How much do you and members of your family really look alike? Quebec, Canada-based graphic designer and photographer Ulric Collette has created a shockingly cool project where he’s exploring the genetic similarities between different members of the same family. By splitting their faces in half and then melding them together, he creates interesting new people that are sometimes quite normal looking and other times far from it. He calls this series Genetic Portraits.

Twins: Laurence & Christine, 20

This looks pretty good. I wish someone could make me a split family face, or if I find some spare time I might even try it out myself.

Son/Father, Nathan, 7, Ulric, 29

Brothers: Christopher, 30 & Ulric, 29

Father/Son: Denis, 53 & William, 28

Daughter/Mother: Veronica, 29 & Francine, 56

Sister/Brother: Karine, & Dany, 25

Mother/Daughter: Francine, 56 & Catherine, 23

Sisters: Catherine, 23 & Veronica, 29

Brothers, Matthew, 25 & Ulric, 29

source

New and Even Weirder Kobi Levi’s Shoes

sanela — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 07:36:17 +0000

Kobi Levi has built reputation of a quite eccentric shoe designer. For some reason he thinks of a classic shoes as dull and unaesthetic and he tries to create a new modern shoe that will have a completely different form and shape. He went so far in changing the shape of a shoe that it became unwearable. He combined the elements of nature like flowers, birds and animals, but also some from the urban life – like a gum stuck on the shoe that turned into a heel. His shoes are definitely something different, new and interesting, but I have to admit I would never wear anything like this in public. What do you think?

Tulip

Front and back shoes

Sports elegance

Puppies

Blow shoes

Androgen

Twist shoes

Rolling stone shoes

Gum heel shoes

Arm chair shoes

Sling shoes

Cart shoes

Although, I would call these “Senior citizen shoes”, because they so adorably remind me of retirees in my neighborhood when they go shopping.

Banana slips

Coffee

These I MIGHT even wear sometimes

Mommy and daughter

Swan

Madonna (or any other blonde)

Toucan

Top 10 Coolest and Weirdest Houses

sanela — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 07:42:11 +0000

Here are some really cool and weird houses. Some are probably photoshopped, but some look real and I would even enjoy spending a day or two in a house like the one with the piano for example.

The rock house
This looks pretty impressive. I wonder if it’s for real. It would be great if someone could build a house like this. But I imagine it is awfully difficult to hollow out a rock.

If the Internet Were A House
Do you see a toilet too?

Up
They probably really loved the movie.

He’s always watching!

This is one hell of a boring neighborhood, so they decided to do something to light it up.

Its Got One Killer Mortgage

Meanwhile, On Tatooine
This looks great. It’s like the house is made inside of a big rock and it fits with the nature and the scenery.

Sphinx House, Pyramid Outhouse
Now, this is just plain dumb, if you ask me.

Let me guess, the owner of this house plays a piano.

Leggo My…House-o
It looks like a warehouse. And it could use some windows.

Water Tower House Mistaken As Alien Aircraft

bonus
And the coolest, weirdest and best house ever!

Would You Stay in This Crazy Rock Hotel?

sanela — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 06:49:33 +0000

Anyone who has ever attempted to travel through Europe on a budget has probably ended up staying in some fairly strange places. But nothing we’ve ever experienced can top this proposal for “Barcelona Rock,” Poland-based UGO Architecture‘s entry in an international competition to design a “bohemian hostel for backpackers.” While from the outside the building looks like a strange part of the natural landscape, the structure contains fifty rooms with windows, a swimming pool, spa, gym, cinema, pub, and a small climbing wall for beginners (advanced climbers are meant to scale the hostel’s exterior). Let us know in the comments what you think of the concept.

A typical room
I guess it’s not really good idea to take the rooms on top if you’re afraid of the heights.

The structure
I have to admit I still can’t see where the windows are.

Rock climbing on the side of the tower
This is an excellent idea for all rock climbers, if they don’t want to use the boring old stairs, or if the elevator doesn’t work.

Viewing deck
Wow! This really looks amazing. I guess I would like see this hotel being built next month when I go to Barcelona.

Street level
And this is how the hotel would look like in the street level. Sadly, this doesn’t look as impressive as the view from top.

Splash!

sanela — Mon, 30 May 2011 06:57:39 +0000

Photographer Alan Sailer loves blowing things up in the air, especially succulent fruit. Have a look at these creative photos below and see some interesting images of fruit blasts caught in the right moment. Enjoy!

Models of Architectural Masterpieces Made Out of Toothpicks

sanela — Wed, 18 May 2011 07:53:08 +0000

Stain Monro from New York City has a really interesting hobby. He creates models of famous architectural masterpieces from around the world in toothpicks. And yes, it probably is as difficult as it sound and it most certainly requires a lot of patience and a steady arm. Here are some of his best works. Enjoy!

Origami Dress

sanela — Tue, 17 May 2011 07:39:33 +0000

Origami is the art of folding any type of materials to create sculptural designs. And now the origami folding techniques are also used in the fashion industry. The designer Mauricio Velasquez Posada has created a series of origami dresses for a fashion show. It seems to me this isn’t the best outfit in case it rains, snows or anything like that. Also, it seems a little difficult to move in this kind of dress. Since these dresses are disposable, I hope the price is in accordance with that.

Creative Plant Pots

sanela — Thu, 12 May 2011 10:37:00 +0000

A group of very creative and talented designers from Kazakhstan designed these amazing and adorable little plant pots with human faces. The original idea was to put the face of the gardener on the pot, but then they decided to add faces of gardener’s family. It looks really crazy and cute. I know if I ever decide to take up gardening, I would like to have these funny pots.

Edible Pieces of Art

sanela — Sat, 07 May 2011 08:30:33 +0000

In the images below you’ll see the work of the Creative Design Studio “s.El” made for various promotional projects. Everything is made entirely from food. It looks really amazing. I can barely cook anything and when it comes to creatively decorating food I’m even worse, but apparently there are really creative and talented people who are willing to do that for us. The only problems is I’m not sure if I would have heart to eat something so beautiful. I mean, it is like you’re eating a real piece of art. You wouldn’t eat Mona Lisa, would you?

Patterns from Nature

sanela — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:55:09 +0000

The dictionary says that the texture is the preferred orientation of elements constituting the material. Almost every object in nature has a texture and they are found to be most unusual and interesting.

Bluetooth Jewelry

sanela — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 13:16:13 +0000

Were you ever in a dilemma what present to give to your girlfriend – some jewelry or modern technology. Most girls would probably prefer jewelry, but there are women that love gadgets too. For those girls the ideal present would be a bluetooth necklace! Have a look at the images below to see how it looks like. I think it’s really neat, and I would like wearing this. What do you think?

Incredible Candles Shaped Like Food

sanela — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 10:53:23 +0000

Here are some great candles shaped like food. They look really tasty, but you should probably skip eating them. I don’t know where is this madness of food shaped everything coming from, but I like it. It maybe isn’t the best idea, but it’s interesting, and it looks really great. Also, if you have really small kids you shouldn’t put this sort of decorations on you dinning table.

Vintage Egypt Travel Posters

sanela — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 20:17:15 +0000

Egypt has been showing the world its real face lately, courtesy of live TV news and social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. Scenes of passionate protests at daily demonstrations stand in stark contrast to the idyllic imagery used to tempt tourists and vacationers. This Luxor-ious selection of vintage Egypt travel posters sheds a nostalgic light on the travel industry’s biggest pyramid scheme.

Hairstyles that are really over the top

sanela — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 09:46:17 +0000

Here are some astonishing ideas for all ladies that like to experiment with different hairstyles and aren’t intimidated if something is a little bit more exotic. Well, if you ask me, these hair-dresses are definitely not my cup of tea. This is not something that I would feel comfortable having on my head, but I have to admit it looks really great!

Room designed in the old-timer car style

sanela — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 09:16:53 +0000

One Polish couple of designers were so obsessed with old-timer cars, or more precise the classic ACCobra 427, that they decided to design for themselves a whole room made entirely of car parts of this automobile from the 60s. Here’s the result of their work! It looks really amazing. I would love having a room like this in my home some day.

Complete History of the Batmobile

sanela — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 09:39:35 +0000

Here goes a real treat for all Batman lovers – a complete history of the batmobile! It is really interesting following the development and noticing all the changes that the design of the most awesome car ever went through. My favorite is the 1987 model and Tim Burton’s one from 1989, which one is yours?

The best wine cellar ever

sanela — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:07:54 +0000

You love wine and would like to start creating a small private collection, but you don’t have enough space for wine cellar? Why not try something like this? Really amazing idea that can easily be fitted in any kitchen no matter how small. Have a look at the images and scheme below and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

House on the waterfall

sanela — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 12:00:26 +0000

Have a look at these amazing photos of the famous Frank Lloyd Wright house over the waterfall. Fallingwater has provided enjoyment to many people over the years; as a stimulating weekend retreat for the Kaufmann family and their friends, as a source of pride to the architect and his associates, and now – cared for by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy – as an exceptional experience for visitors from near and far.

When Wright came to the site he appreciated the powerful sound of the falls, the vitality of the young forest, the dramatic rock ledges and boulders; these were elements to be interwoven with the serenely soaring spaces of his structure. But Wright’s insight penetrated more deeply. He understood that people were creatures of nature, hence an architecture which conformed to nature would conform to what was basic in people.

For example, although all of Fallingwater is opened by broad bands of windows, people inside are sheltered as in a deep cave, secure in the sense of hill behind them. Their attention is directed toward the outside by low ceilings; no lordly hall sets the tone but, instead, the luminous textures of the woodland, rhythmically en-framed. The materials of the structure blend with the colorings of rocks and trees, while occasional accents are provided by bright furnishings, like wildflowers or birds outside. The paths within the house, stairs and passages, meander without formality or urgency, and the house hardly has a main entrance; there are many ways in and out. Sociability and privacy are both available, as are the comforts of home and the adventures of the seasons. So people are cosseted in to relaxing, into exploring the enjoyment of a life refreshed in nature. Visitors, too, in due measure experience Wright’s architecture as an expansion of living.

Fallingwater opened a new chapter in American architecture, and is perhaps rightly considered Wright’s greatest work, for he was first and foremost an architect of houses. In its careful yet startling integration of stone walls anchored to the bedrock and modern reinforced concrete terraces hovering in space, Connors states that Fallingwater may be understood as ‘one of the great critiques of the modern movement in architecture, and simultaneously one of its masterpieces’. Yet we cannot help feeling that there is more to this design than even that; this is an architecture that seizes our imagination, letting us see space and habitation in ways that seem new, but which we simultaneously feel to be ancient, somehow fundamental to our human nature

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Fairy tale houses

sanela — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 10:56:37 +0000

Wow! These houses are amazing! I would be lying if I said that as a child I dreamed of living in a house from a fairy tale, the truth is I still dream of having a home that looks like these in the images below. it might seem a bit silly to someone living in a cupcake house, or having a home that resembles Hobbit’s house in the Middle Earth, but I could really live in such a house. It would be great, and on top of that these houses seem really functional.

Of course, houses of Antoni Gaudi are in this collection too, because on e of the most distinctive characteristics of his architecture is that fairy tale effect, which could best be seen on his houses in park Guell. The buildings flanking the entrance, though very original and remarkable with fantastically shaped roofs with unusual pinnacles, fit in well with the use of the park as pleasure gardens and seem relatively inconspicuous in the landscape when one considers the flamboyance of other buildings designed by Gaudí.

Morbid restaurant in Belgium

sanela — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 07:00:12 +0000

Great restaurant, but unfortunately I hear it’s been closed for two years now. I wonder why? I guess it has something to do with people losing their appetite among all these skulls, bones, blood and whole morbid atmosphere in the restaurant. Aside from that tiny problem of people not being able to eat in it, it is really a great restaurant, with truly unique design, but somehow that wasn’t enough. This is what I call bad business managing, but still great photos, though!

Shaggy Cars

sanela — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 08:25:31 +0000

Now this is really original idea! I’m not sure why would anyone do this to his vehicle, but it looks incredibly cute and adorable. I wonder if they can ride it when it rains. Probably not, unless they have a huge hair dryer in their garage. Also I wonder what happens with the motor. Does it overheat? Those are all technical issues that the designers have already probably solved. Here are some photos of the best, hairiest and shaggiest cars ever! Enjoy!

The history of Japanese concept cars

sanela — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 10:08:20 +0000

A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car prototype made to showcase a concept, new styling and new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced. Concept cars never go into production directly; in modern times all would have to undergo many changes before the design is finalized for the sake of practicality, safety and cost. A “production-intent” vehicle, as opposed to a concept vehicle, serves this purpose. Here are sixty six models of Japanese concept cars through the last fifty years since 1957 till 2009. Pick your favorite!

Toyota Proto, 1957

Toyota Publica Sports, 1962

Nissan Prince Sprint 1900 Prototype, 1963

Toyota Concept, 1966

Mazda RX 87 (Bertone), 1967

Isuzu Bellett MX1600 (Ghia), 1969

Toyota EX-1, 1969

Toyota EX-II, 1969

Mazda RX-500, 1970

Isuzu MX1600-II

Nissan 126X, 1970

Nissan 270X, 1970

Nissan 216X, 1971

Nissan Skyline Concept, 1972

Toyota EX-7, 1972

Toyota RV-2, 1972

Toyota F101, 1973

Nissan AD-1 Concept, 1975

Nissan NX-21, 1983

Nissan CUE-X, 1985

Daihatsu TA-X80, 1987

Mitsubishi HSR II, 1989

Nissan Boga, 1989

Nissan Figaro Concept, 1989

Nissan FEV, 1991

Mazda London Taxi, 1993

Mitsubishi ESR, 1993

Suzuki EE-10, 1993

Nissan AP-X, 1994

Toyota Moguls, 1995

Nissan Hypermini, 1997

Nissan TrailRunner, 1997

Nissan KYXX, 1998

Honda Fuya-Jo, 1999

Mazda Miata Mono-Posto, 1999

Isuzu Zen, 2001

Toyota POD, 2001

Isuzu FL-4, 2002

Honda IMAS, 2003

Honda KIWAMI, 2003

Honda Pro Drag Civic Si, 2003

Nissan Jikoo, 2003

Toyota FINE-S, 2003

Toyota MTRC, 2004

Infiniti Kuraza, 2005

Mazda Senku, 2005

Mitsuoka Orochi, 2005

Nissan Zaroot, 2005

Acura Advanced Sedan, 2006

Mazda Nagare, 2006

Nissan Terranaut, 2006

Acura Advanced Sports Car, 2007

Mazda Taiki, 2007

Nissan Mixim, 2007

Nissan Bevel, 2007

Nissan Pivo-2, 2007

Honda FC Sport Concept, 2008

Mazda Kiyora, 2008

Honda P-NUT, 2009

Infiniti Essence, 2009

Nissan Land Glider, 2009

Horny underwear

sanela — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:15:38 +0000

Wow! Have a look at these creatively designed pieces of lingerie. This is definitely something completely different from what we are used to see and what is Victoria’s Secret offering. The designer of these most unusual underclothes is Laura and she is from San Francisco. You can enjoy looking at this great collection and maybe get some ideas for your own original lingerie, but you might wanna go easy with deer antlers, shells and ammunition. The point of this “horny” underwear is making fun of women and all the trouble they go through to attract men.

Guess what’s this

sanela — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:35:24 +0000

Can you guess what is this item in the photos below?

This is a USB flesh drive, pocket memory made in steampunk style. It is enclosed in a wooden box, decorated with copper, with some tiny measuring device and the same tiny flywheels. It comes with the appropriate “vintage” holster. Inside you’ll find 8 GB of memory – not really impressive – but it costs $ 300.

It is a bit expensive, but I’m sure all fans of steampunk will be more than happy to give this amount of money to have such a stylish and unique USB flash drive. What do you think?

Punk’s not Dead

sanela — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:59:55 +0000

Vivienne Westwood, British fashion designer and businesswoman, is largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave into fashion mainstream. Some say it lost its point by becoming mainstream and that it is now only a bunch of safety pins, razor blades, bicycle or lavatory chains on clothing and spiked dog collars for jewelery. Here are some of her shoes notorious for making people fall while wearing them. (We all remember supermodel Naomi Campbell falling down during a Westwood fashion show in Paris in 1994). In my opinion, these shoes are extremely ugly, uncomfortable and they make people fall down! The question is why do people still buy these extremely expensive shoes.

Chantilly Castle

sanela — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:00:17 +0000

Chantilly Castle or Chateau de Chantilly is located near Paris in France and from 1386 to 1897, the domain was passed on by inheritance to different branches of the same family, without ever being sold.

The ORGEMONT family (14th – 15th centuries), followed by the MONTMORENCY family (15th – 17th centuries), one of the most powerful families in the kingdom and which largely contributed to its development, especially in the time of Le Connétable (the Constable) Anne de Montmorency (1493 – 1567). A friend of kings François I and Henri II, he commissioned Jean Bullant to build the Petit Château. Later came the Bourbon Condé family (17th – 18th centuries), cousins of the kings of France, the most famous of whom, Le Grand Condé, entrusted the lay out of the grounds to André le Nôtre, and finally Henri d’Orléans, Duc d’Aumale (1822 – 1897), the son of King Louis Philippe of France.

The Duc d’Aumale inherited Chantilly from his great uncle, the Prince de Condé, when he was eight years old, in 1830. He had the Grand Château, which was razed to the ground during the French Revolution, reconstructed in order to house his magnificent collection of paintings, drawings, objets d’art, books, etc.

In 1884, the Duc d’Aumale, who had no direct heir, bequeathed the Chantilly estate to the Institut de France *, subject to the Condé Museum being opened to the public. The Duc d’Aumale’s wish was for the estate to use, maintain and help restore this magnificent cultural heritage. Not only the Château and the Condé Museum, but the Grandes Ecuries, which has housed the life museum of the horse, the Park which includes many attractions.

The only remains left of the medieval Orgemont fortress are the bases of seven towers, lying in the moat ditch. In 1484, Pierre d’Orgemont, who was childless, bequeathed Chantilly to his nephew Guillaume de Montmorency.

Le Connétable Anne de Montmorency (1493-1567), comrade in arms to King François I at Marignan, played an eminent political role under both François I and Henri II, who often visited Chantilly. Anne de Montmorency commissioned the architect Pierre Chambiges to renovate the medieval château. Around 1560, he commissioned Jean Bullant, who was already busy working on his Château d’Ecouen property, to construct la Capitainerie or the Petit Château, the oldest standing part of Chantilly.

Son let’s build a car

sanela — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:00:27 +0000

Nothing is more precious then spending quality time with your son. Here’s how one guy decided to make this quality time even better. He took three different car models and combined them all into one car for him and his son to ride. The boy although still at a very young age helped his father in this project. The result seems amazing and it looks like they had a pretty good time.

The Worst Trophies Ever

sanela — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:30:42 +0000

Now, these have to be the world’s worst trophies ever! I feel sorry for the actors and sportsmen that were awarded by these gruesome, tacky and silly trophies. They look really silly while holding on to what is supposed to be a symbol of their success, but it looks more like someone decided to make fun of them and give everybody a round of good laugh. Prepare yourselves for the worst trophies ever!

This trophy look like something that Homer Simpson could win on some sort of doughnuts fast eating competition, but unfortunately I didn’t manage to track down on when is this delicious trophy being given.

This one is actually a serious award it is the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for the best short science fiction of the year was established in 1987 by James Gunn, Director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at KU, and the heirs of Theodore Sturgeon, including his widow Jayne Sturgeon and Sturgeon’s children, as an appropriate memorial to one of the great short-story writers in a field distinguished by its short fiction., but it got on this list because of it unfortunate design. You’ll have to admit that it looks really silly!

This funny bowl of fruit is trophy for winning a tennis tournament on Florida. Teenage tennis player Gianni Mina doesn’t seem to excited with his trophy and hardly bares to crack a sour smile for the cameras.

OK, this one makes somewhat sense, because it is Tiger Woods Foundation and they decided to put a small tiger on the trophy, yea, yea, cleaver idea, right? Wrong! It looks simply ridiculous and like it lacks good taste! Sorry, Mr. Woods, this one simply wont fly.

Meanwhile, snooker star Ding Junhui, winner of the Pukka Pies UK Championship, was rewarded with 276 pastry treats. He is donating his prize to a homeless charity in Sheffield, where he lives.

‘The least I can do is try to help some of those less fortunate than me at Christmas by donating these pies – hopefully, there are enough to stop people going hungry,’ he said.

Just to show that it’s not that easy being an actor we put the image of Johnny Deep as he receives the Bahamas International Film Festival career achievement award. The only trouble seems to be that Johnny might not manage to pass the control on the airport because of the oversize, overweight, overover trophy. Nevertheless, it still looks darn cute!

Renee Zellweger seems to hide her real emotions pretty good while holding this less then impressive prize at the Hasty Pudding Awards annual Woman of the Year Parade in Massachusetts. I’m not even going to start with the symbolism of the cauldron. It is simply demeaning…

Oh, Christie Kerr… What were you thinking? It’s not even about the trophy here. It’s simply the wrong angle, wrong pose, it simply looks wrong. It’s simply not possible to look at this image and see anything else but…

The golden poo award! You’ll have to admit it sound luring. It is annually being given to the America’s worst company of the year. Well, I guess the trophy is tuned with the title. However, maybe they should have gone with something more subtle.

And finally, here goes the worst trophy ever! I mean, ti has to be. I can’t come up with a person who would proudly keep this one on his shelf. It simply looks like there is something more going on then just plane wrestling. Maybe, they should have gone with some different clutch, some that doesn’t seem so “intimate” as this one.

Written by: Sanela Todjeras

Steampunk Computers – Between Vintage and Modern

sanela — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:31:25 +0000

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction and speculative fiction, frequently featuring elements of fantasy, that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used — usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England — but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of “the path not taken” of such technology as dirigibles, analog computers, or digital mechanical computers (such as Charles Babbage’s Analytical engine); these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or with a presumption of functionality.

Steampunk is often associated with cyberpunk and shares a similar fanbase and theme of rebellion, but developed as a separate movement (though both have considerable influence on each other). Apart from time period and level of technological development, the main difference between cyberpunk and steampunk is that steampunk settings usually tend to be less obviously dystopian than cyberpunk, or lack dystopian elements entirely.

Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by individual artisans into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical “steampunk” style, and a number of visual and musical artists have been described as steampunk.

Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by enthusiasts into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical “steampunk” style. Example objects include computer keyboards and electric guitars. The goal of such redesigns is to employ appropriate materials (such as polished brass, iron, and wood) with design elements and craftsmanship consistent with the Victorian era.

The artist group Kinetic Steam Works brought a working steam engine to the Burning Man festival in 2006 and 2007. The group’s founding member, Sean Orlando, also created a Steampunk Tree House that has been displayed at a number of festivals.

In May – June 2008, multimedia artist and sculptor Paul St George exhibited outdoor interactive video installations linking London and Brooklyn, New York City in a Victorian era-styled telectroscope. Evelyn Kriete, a promoter and Brass Goggles contributor, organized a trans-atlantic wave by steampunk enthusiasts from both cities, briefly prior to White Mischief’s Around the World in 80 Days steampunk-themed event.

In 2009 artist Tim Wetherell created a large wall piece for Questacon (The National Science and Technology centre in Canberra, Australia) representing the concept of the clockwork universe. This steel artwork contains moving gears, a working clock, and a movie of the moon’s terminator in action. The 3D moon movie was created by Antony Williams.

The Syfy series Warehouse 13 features many steampunk-inspired objects and artifacts, including computer designs created by steampunk artisan Richard Nagy, aka “Datamancer”.

From October 2009 through February 2010, the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford hosted the first major exhibition of Steampunk art objects, curated by Art Donovan and presented by Dr. Jim Bennett, museum director. From redesigned practical items to fantastical contraptions, this exhibition showcased the work of eighteen Steampunk artists from across the globe. The exhibition proved to be the most successful in the museum’s history and attracted more than eighty thousand visitors.

Here on these images you can see a computer made out from restored Victorian Organ built in the 19th century. This handу all-in-one workstation has an iPhone dock, three monitors, scanner, webcam, printer, keyboard and many other useful things that many Steampunk fans would second!

It really looks great, like a combination of old and new, vintage and modern. I would love having a computer designed this way. What do you think? I hope you’ll find it as amazing as I did.

Also, here are some more examples of steampunk computers I found on web. Enjoy!

Wolfgang Keyboard Bench

sanela — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:52:02 +0000

This for sure isn’t the most comfortable bench that I’ve ever seen, but it surely is the most creatively designed. Wolfgang Keyboard Bench by designer Herbuta Nolan (Nolan Herbut), which has already experimenting with a floor lamp made from those same elements, collected from several key keyboards.

I wonder what it feel like to sit on this bench and if the keys can actually be pressed. It seems to me that it can easily be broken, and that keys can easily get stuck. Also, it probably isn’t the best idea to propose to your heaviest guest to try it out.

Also, after working all day on your computer, when you finally get home you’ll probably want to sit down on something more comfortable and something that won’t remind you of your work as much as this chair will.

Aside from this few objections, the Wolfgang Keyboard Bench seems to me very interesting and it for sure has the most original and creative design that I’ve ever seen. What do you think about this chair?

images source
Written by: Sanela Todjeras

Crazy designed lamps

sanela — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:00:51 +0000

Maurizio Lamponi Leopardi lives and works in Milan. He was involved in advertising photography until he switched in 2001 to create table lamps, as he loved all his life to build and create things with his hands. Price lamps from 1750 $ to 2000 $.

Vanity Club in Las Vegas

sanela — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:00:05 +0000

Nightclub Vanity Club in Las Vegas – have a look at the magnificent interior decoration and style, developed by Mr Important Design. The deep rich colors, that are in the room, emphasize a single plan design. I wonder if all this luxury is going to provide a good time too.

Sleeve blanket

sanela — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:19:17 +0000

Everyone who likes reading in bed is familiar with the feeling of cold arms. Spanish fashion designer Andrea Ayala Closa for your happiness in bed came up with an idea to solve this: a ‘sleeve blanket’ to keep the arms warm.

It has gloves, but it also features an opening for the index finger to allow readers to turn pages conveniently.

This seems like so great idea. I would like having something like this. The only thing that worries me is how will I roll around in bed.

What do you think about this idea? I hope you won’t find it ridiculous, but you’ll like it as much as I did.

via

Crazy bottle designs

sanela — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:55:22 +0000

Have a look at some of the strangest looking bottles and bottle holders. Some of these are pretty cool, while the others a bit too much if you ask me. Basically, I fine with it all, except for the ones shaped like male genitals, dildos, and stuff like that. I don’t think I could enjoy in drink from that kind of bottle, no matter how good it were.

Interesting and creative tea designs

sanela — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:53:22 +0000

People probably got tired of usual tea bags and normally designed packages for teas. Here are some new and creative ideas for you how you can make drinking tea much more interesting and pleasant. Some ideas are a bit weird as for example, cigarette tea. It makes ma feel a bit sick, but there are also some that are very funny. For example the yellow submarine, origami tea or finely dressed tea. Which one is your favorite?

Cool folding backpack bicycle

sanela — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:26:27 +0000

Bergmönch, a combination of a rucksack and a ‘downhill machine’. Due to a smart folding construction, this two wheeler can easily be converted into a backpack. Bergmönch is an innovative folding bike that transforms into a backpack in just 2 minutes.

In mountaineering the buzz comes from your ability to clamber over any terrain however rough, always with one objective in mind – the summit. But descending is hard on the joints, and so it’s a necessary evil. It’s quite different with mountain biking. In that case descending is an adrenaline-fulled thrill worth working for, bringing you effortlessly back to the valley and enabling you to cover large distances. The “Bergmönch” combines the two. It’s a sports device which can easily be carried uphill, and which mutates into a fun-filled downhill device par excellence for the descent.

An integrated system of rucksack and scooter. Uphill you can climb unrestricted with free hands and senses in touch with nature, then swoosh back down to valley level either standing or kneeling. If the terrain is really rough, you can stand on the Bergmönch with your weight well back. Otherwise you can ride kneeling, with relaxed muscles for the descent. This geometry is the logical result of numerous theoretical, and later empirical, evaluation procedures. The riding position, upright, low and set well back to the rear, and the different-sized wheels, all create a well thought-through vehicle concept, which ensures superb handling and safety downhill, while achieving a perfect compromise between compactness in uphill mode and comfort downhill. The overall design concept together with clever detail design solutions allow you transport the “Bergmönch” comfortably and snug against your back, and yet also to enjoy its extreme ground-covering performance with ultra-low weight.

When descending mountains our joints are subjected to forces many times our body weight, as step by step our legs have to brake the descent of the body. Everyone knows the consequences: eventually the muscles in the upper thigh ‘soften’ and sooner or later your knees hurt. Your walking becomes less secure. Sometimes you end up more stumbling downhill than walking in full control. Studies have shown that 67 percent of all mountain walkers have knee problems, followed by pain in the ankles, hips, shoulders and spine. But travel with the Bergmönch and this problem simply vanishes into thin air, and you can roll down the descents instead, absolutely ideal for the joints.

The Bergmönch allows you to enjoy the mountains as you never could before. This means that it also brings in a completely new target audience for mountaineering or mountain hiking. Sports and nature enthusiasts who until now felt a lack of ‘action’ in this leisure activity, can now with the Bergmönch experience an extremely stimulating and high fun-factor mountain activity.

In contrast to other mountain experience offerings such as summer toboggan runs, the Bergmönch can be used anywhere and at any time. This ‘decentralisation’ will help generate cleaner Alpine tourism and more sustainable mountain use.

Homemade robots

sanela — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:20:36 +0000

I’m not sure if the person who made these adorable little robots should be called a creative designer and artist or a genius inventor. Maybe the first phrase is a bit more accurate, because these robots aren’t very functional nor practical, but on the other hand they really look awesome! There is even a competition where people who make this sort of robots from easily available parts get together end they chose the best robot by various categories.

Concept car – Vedrover

sanela — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:45:58 +0000

This is a new modern Russian concept car named Vedrover. Its name comes as a combination of two words, first is “ведро” that in Russian means bucket (apparently because it is shaped like a bucket), and second one is rover as an obvious association to a well known brand “landrover”. This adorable little car is the last word of Russian automobile industry and it is still only a concept. I’m not sure if this idea will ever come to a realization, but it looks pretty cool, and I would like to have something like this.

Creative bookshelves

sanela — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:00:49 +0000

Just one small detail can make a room look completely different. These are some very creative and unusually designed bookshelves.

Unusually shaped aqauriums

sanela — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:31:47 +0000

An aquarium (plural aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants. The term combines the Latin root aqua, meaning water, with the suffix -arium, meaning “a place for relating to”.

Here you can have a look at some of the most creative and unusually shaped and placed aquariums from all over the world. It’s always nice to be in contact with nature, and this inventive designers managed to place fish tanks and aquariums in places you can’t even imagine. Just scroll down and you’ll see what I’m talking about. I especially liked the bathroom sink aquarium, it looks really interesting.

Sofa Aquarium
Priced at just $12,000, this sofa features aquariums on both sides.

Bathroom Sink Aquarium
Moody Aquarium Sink will spice up boring routines such as washing hands and brushing teeth.

R2-D2 Aquarium
Modeled after the most well-known astromech droid in the galaxy, this R2-D2 holds a 1 3/4-gallon aquarium tank in his central compartment.

Coffee Table Aquarium
Instructables shows us how to build an aquarium coffee table.

Telephone Booth Aquarium
Benedetto Bufalino and Benoit Deseille have transformed a regular telephone booth into a functioning aquarium.

iPond Portable Aquarium
It is on sale in Australia and comes with gravel, water and a live fish. It has a built in speaker at the bottom and a headphone jack.

Old TV Aquarium
Ever wondered what to do with that ancient 26″ wooden TV set laying around in your grandparent’s garage? Turn it into a unique aquarium.

Local River Plant Aquarium
Beautiful aquarium by Mathieu Lehanneur breeds freshwater fish and vegetables. The vegetables strip minerals and nitrates from the water, effectively purifying it for the development of the fish.

Bathtub Aquarium
This modern bathtub with built-in aquarium will surely spice up your bathroom.

Infinity Aquarium
The repetitive geometrical shape of Infinity aquarium creates a visual metaphor to life in the fish bowl. Hand crafted from cut glass, Infinity aquarium scales down a vast concept of time and space.

AquaDom
The AquaDom in Berlin, Germany, is a 25 meter tall cylindrical acrylic glass aquarium with built-in transparent elevator.

Bus Stop Aquarium
This bus stop is a real design from Brazil, dubbed “AqurioMania”.

Spacearium Aquariums
Canadian company called Aquarium ASP has created the Spacearium, a thin, hanging aquarium that be used as a room divider, lighting element, or for good old fashioned decoration.

Desk Aquarium
The MILK desk comes with a built-in fish tank option that gives you a place to rest your eyes and provides a touch of daily nature.

Macquariums
Cool aquariums made from the shell of Apple Macintosh computers.

Gun shaped digital camera

sanela — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:00:10 +0000

This is one awesome digital camera designed by Franziska Dierschke. You really get to shoot pictures with it-literary. Some people might say that the gun shaped design is a bit too much and that it is somewhat tacky and tasteless, but I think it’s pretty cool and very funny. I would even like to have one of these. Unfortunately, this gun camera is still a concept and is not yet available for sale.

Smoky art

sanela — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:24:54 +0000

Have a look at this interesting new sort of art. It is the smoke art. Abstract photography is nothing new, and people constantly come up with new — or re-invent old — versions of photography techniques. One of the ones that is going like wild-fire (excuse the pun) around the interwebs at the moment is the art of photographing colored smoke. In case you’d like to try it out yourself, here are a few useful tips on how it’s done.

The best way to get ‘cleanly’ lit smoke photos is to use a clean environment with controllable light. A studio would be ideal, but anywhere you can hang up a black background is perfectly usable. The most important thing when photographing smoke is getting enough light to freeze the motion of the smoke in mid-air. You can do this by using a lot of light (think direct sunlight falling through a window) or by using one or more flashes. When you’re photographing the smoke, you’ll want to make sure that no stray light hits the front of your camera lens (this will cause glare or solar-flare type effects), nor on your blackened background (because that will bring out definition in the background, which you don’t want either).

When you are photographing, it is easiest to let the smoke rise on its own volition. Instead of trying to manipulate the incense stick, try wafting some motion into the air to disturb the even plume. Alternatively, you can try to create interesting shapes by making the plume turbulent: try introducing a ruler, an upturned spoon, or a sheet of paper into the plume to alter its shape and ‘feel’.

Now that you’ve captured the photos, it’s time to take it to your digital darkroom. Crop your image to a composition that works for you, and then use levels or curves to adjust the contrast of your photos. You’ll want to make sure that the background is completely black (hold the alt key while adjusting the black-point levels slider in Photoshop, it gives you a preview of what you’re actually doing), so it turns into a pure white when you invert the image.

Once you’re happy with the background, invert your image, and decide if you like the black or white background best — stick with whatever you prefer, but often the white backgrounded images have a lot higher impact. If you have stray smoke, dust, or details in the background you’re unhappy with, use a brush with the same colour as the background (i.e white or black) or clone tool to get rid of them.

To colorise the smoke, use the hue and saturation tool. You can apply the color to the whole image in one go easily, because your pure white or black background will be unaffected by this tool (if it does make changes, then your background needs some work first). Alternatively, you can colorize part of the image, or use multiple colors, by making a selection of a part of the smoke, and use the ‘feather selection’ command to create a gradient. Using the Hue and Saturation tool now results in colorizing parts of the smoke image only. Nifty, yes?

Silkscreen print on wood, paper and cotton

sanela — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:19:39 +0000

Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink as a sharp-edged image onto a substrate. A roller or squeegee is moved across the screen stencil, forcing or pumping ink past the threads of the woven mesh in the open areas.

Screen printing is also a stencil method of print making in which a design is imposed on a screen of silk or other fine mesh, with blank areas coated with an impermeable substance, and ink is forced through the mesh onto the printing surface. It is also known as silk screening or serigraphy.