carpalfun

Yardfolk 2010 Calendars

2009-12-05T21:30:00.002-05:00

After printing disasters - wrapping disasters - even liquor license disasters, we did manage to pull the Yardfolk 2010 calendar together, just in time for the holidays! These dahling 11x17 hanging calendars are printed on 100% recycled paper, and your support will help support Earthroots and emerging Toronto artists.

Click here for more info on our delightful contributors and to see where you can purchase these in fine boutiques in the Greater Toronto Area. Not from these parts? No prob - check out our Etsy store (more to come on that front in 2010!).

Who you callin' chicken?

2009-10-08T10:19:00.000-04:00

Henh?

2009-09-28T21:31:00.000-04:00

Sweet Creamery

2009-08-26T09:47:00.001-04:00

Sweet Creamery

Posted using ShareThis

Why I've Been Blog Slacking...

2009-08-12T00:20:00.000-04:00

Ripped Up Paper Heart

2009-08-05T14:56:00.001-04:00

Charlyne Yi's" Magic Perfume" from Paper Heart
by ThePlaylist

Initial observations about working-from-home.

2009-07-21T14:16:00.004-04:00

You don't brush your teeth until 2:30 pm.
You don't get out of your pyjamas, ever.
Unless you are working wearing your bathing suit on your balcony.
Watching the 9-to-5ers go to and from work is both hilarious and depressing.
You tend to spend more money than you actually make.
You discover that mint in everything is delicious for summertime snacks.

More big news coming from the newly self-employed self-employee, coming soon.

Now, does the Sartorialist ever come to Toronto?

2009-07-13T18:16:00.004-04:00

Click to enlarge:

{via The Pipeline}

No, really, we need something to bring him to our fair city. Toronto Fashion Week? I doubt it. Erm...beer? He doesn't seem like the beer type. Um, a giant tall tower that lights up in evolving colours?!?!? Now that's more like it.

Documentation of Artistic Reinvigoration: Phase 7

2009-06-20T22:51:00.006-04:00

Finished! The practice round that is.

Swirls of paint...

Working the pulls.

Corpses to be made.

A very good indication of things to come.

The mess.

Attention!

2009-06-09T13:11:00.003-04:00

Yelp is my new crack. If you love your city, love trying new things, love writing, love food, love shopping, and aboveall, love ripping into that ostentatious bistro that gave you bad service in a way that counts - this is for you. Join us.

Mustafa Ahmed, 12: spoken word artist

2009-06-07T17:48:00.001-04:00

Mmmmmm...Marion.

2009-06-04T21:14:00.001-04:00

Sorry I'm Late But Stop-Motion Takes a While

2009-05-29T15:58:00.001-04:00

Sorry I'm Late from Tomas Mankovsky on Vimeo.

In My Own Little All-Female Corner

2009-05-27T13:14:00.002-04:00

I was just re-exploring my childhood fondness for Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, and while humming "In My Own Little Corner" (fine, not humming, full out singing), came across this poster for the Japanese stage production of Cinderella featuring an all-female cast. Fascinating.

8 KILOMETRE

2009-05-27T09:07:00.001-04:00

Stella Artois' Smoooooooth Originals. It's all about Old Hollywood, baby.

Lunchboxes are cool again.

2009-05-21T13:47:00.005-04:00

I was one of those kids who carried a cooler to school for lunch everyday. Luckily for me I managed to turn it into one of those quirky 'things' about me, even when I had to put it on top of my new locker because it didn't fit on the inside.

However, now that I'm in my 20s, or because it's 2009, people are just a whole lot more judgemental. Luckily, it's all cahoots with OOTS!
This is my next "splurge" investment. With microwavable containers, machine-washable, and design to drool over, suddenly packed lunches become... amazing. I like to think of it as recession-chic.

"Sometimes it takes more than just one pull to get it all off."

2009-05-19T19:29:00.001-04:00

DOCUMENTATION OF ARTISTIC REINVIGORATION - PHASE 6:

2009-05-09T23:17:00.008-04:00

So I thought I would be banging out posters like a pro this class. You can presume I did not, though if I keep this up I'll have some wicked bikini arms come July. Two thirds through my "practice" round for my poster before mastering an edition of 30 on nicer, non-bristol board paper. As someone in my class best put it: "Whoa, that looks like something you could sell for like... fifty bucks!" I'll let the pictures below speak for themselves. Also, now taking orders.

But more importantly...

Quizno Torpedos are like weird sandwich Pogo sticks and a lot skinnier than what I'd imagine a torpedo might look like.

The Grammar Cheat Sheet

2009-05-07T12:20:00.002-04:00

It's confirmed - double spaces are evil !

DOCUMENTATION OF ARTISTIC REINVIGORATION - PHASE 5:

2009-04-26T22:47:00.008-04:00

The studio and my other, more productive, colleagues:

"Aites, this is how it is done!"

The brave go for the textiles. Risky move ladies, but I like it.

Drying rack full of our dreams and wishes waiting to be realised in paint.

Feels like spring.

An Exquisite Corpse or two.

DOCUMENTATION OF ARTISTIC REINVIGORATION - PHASE 4:

2009-04-26T22:07:00.004-04:00

So here are the bare bones of what my final screenprint will look like.

It's something of a more personal project, I suppose because my main hope for taking this course was to do something creative for myself, as opposed to always thinking about what might look best on a store shelf or best boost sales for bread. Admittedly, it was a little difficult to try and do something without thinking about how I might be able to make money from it, but once I realized what I wanted to do... yes, I think the challenge became entirely about sorting out which animals best represented my family. (Have you ever done that? Sheesh, the skeletons come tumbling out of the closet, I tell ya'). The result: My father, the safari-researcher (complete with convincing disguise), my mother the ostrich, my middle sister the lemur, my youngest sister the tortoise, and me, the elephant.

Despite being warned, I was stubborn enough to believe that SuperMe would be able to fly through this one critical step. So believe it, folks; the biggest pain-in-the-ass about screenprinting is building that friggin' screen (actually, trying to find a competent wooden frame to start with may also tie for that award). I should probably mention that I complicated things by resorting to old screenprinting frames from OCAD that just happened to be ginormous. Who even knows how to spell "ginormous" anyway. Thus, I spent my last class stretching, stapling, rinsing, and coating my two gargantuan friends ready-to-go for next class. Fingers crossed.

DOCUMENTATION OF ARTISTIC REINVIGORATION - PHASE 3:

2009-04-25T21:52:00.003-04:00

"My Thesis" separated into layers.

3 layers - background, highlights, and outline.

Subject: my zoology family portrait.

Thoughts & Feelings: I think I made this more complicated than it had to be. trying to figure out the ideal background (top layer in the picture above) was the main doozie. In the end, it all boiled down to just throwing in some text. Excellent.

DOCUMENTATION OF ARTISTIC REINVIGORATION - PHASE 2

2009-04-23T23:12:00.007-04:00

At Function 13 in Kensington this past weekend was the closing party of Halo Halo's 100 Ways to Live show - tons of art, a brilliant live auctioneer who was more punk than pomp, and 100 sticks. I made $2 donating two $1 works of art to the auction (get it, 100 cents?), one of which was a collabo with this guy. Speaking of which, that means I owe him 75 cents, at least. Here are our one-day, one dollar creations:

By freshly_snipes

By Wooden_Tofu

What can I say? "Art" brings out the best, and worst, in people.

And some shots from the show and 100 sticks.

Sticks by Jeff. Didn't have space in my apartment for this, but came very close to bidding on this and reconstructing it on my wall. Ah well, someone more deserving out there is building magical leprechaun bonfires in their kitchen with this.

Step-by-Step, Ooo Baby.

2009-04-21T09:04:00.003-04:00

DOCUMENTATION OF ARTISTIC REINVIGORATION - PHASE 1:

So as I had posted a few weeks back, I had decided to take up the 'Screenprinting for Illustrators' course put-on by Halo Halo, led by Jeff and Jan (who both happen to be super talented but also so unbelievably nice that it's hard to be embittered towards them for it). Despite being a titch nervous going in, asking myself, "Yo, are you sure you're ILLUSTRATOR enough?!", within the first 15 minutes I knew I was in good company.

First things first, perhaps it is just my longing for some sort of education in anything, but throughout this thing I can't stop referring to things in school project terms. Think "homework", "group projects", and "thesis", but stick "super-duper fun" at the beginning of all of that. And we even had a guest speaker. All to the sweet sounds of Live Free or Die Hard playing in the background. The result? A fun, bizarro group project called Exquisite Corpses to whet our appetite for dundundun: The Thesis.

Photos to come, if you can handle it.

*Note: I just keep calling it a Thesis, they mostly just laugh in my face when I formalize it like that.

Innit she adorable?

2009-04-15T14:59:00.003-04:00

FOR A WANTED CRIMINAL MAYBE!

That's right folks - this is the most invigorating and realistically surreal story I've read about in a loooong time. And Gus van Sant (or Vice, to cut their losses) ought to make a movie out of this because our generation would flock to see this bad-ass hipster in action. Starring Michael Cera as Kari Ferrell.

Load up on those carbs.

2009-04-09T10:52:00.002-04:00

Toast your own art onto bread and by default $1 goes towards Feeding America. Think outside of the "Virgin Mary/Jesus-on-toast" concept. God's already been there, done that.

{Thanks to Danni L. for this great link!)

For those of us who need some self-control.

2009-04-01T13:10:00.003-04:00

Temporarily make Facebook, your email, and Twitter off-limits to yourself for any amount of time so you can finally finish that best-selling novel, business plan that will save you from your miserable job, and write to your pen-pal. Courtesy of Steve Lambert.

Sadly, currently for Leopard users only. Oh well, who shall I Facebook poke now?

It's here!!

2009-03-25T15:56:00.004-04:00

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE teaser trailer and stills.
"You better look out below!"

Robot birthday cupcakes by Sach Steffel

2009-03-23T09:25:00.003-04:00

For her 4-year old son. Awesome.

(via Bunch Family)

How did I miss this?

2009-03-19T10:08:00.002-04:00

Yes yes, somehow it seems like in the last few weeks suddenly everyone is talking about that little thing called Twitter, with an increasing number of participants joining everyday. (Which brings up the issue of whether or not the already shaky site can handle the surge of newbies tweeting in. Really, the first time I got the "your account has been deleted" message I freaked. I now get it regularly and just refresh my page.) In any case, with more people tweeting, I think it makes websites like Twitscoop a lot more interesting. Twitscoop highlights the most popular words at any given time (they update themselves every 20 seconds!) that are popping up on Twitter, giving a general sense of some of the topics of the moment and trends. On that note, follow me on Twitter.

Hey, I think I just used that font!

2009-03-18T16:52:00.003-04:00

I hate bad movie posters and I reaaaaallly don't hate this one. Fingers crossed the movie will be as lovely as this work is.

More than just Bjork

2009-03-18T12:19:00.000-04:00

Iceland from Eva Sturm on Vimeo.

"China's Return to the Land"

2009-03-12T11:06:00.004-04:00

Fascinating, and sad, TV report from the BBC on how China is having to turn back to agriculture now that the world is simply buying less.

Feel good movie.

2009-02-27T15:06:00.002-05:00

Started watching Young@Heart last night, which is a documentary that is supposed to be a real "feel good" movie. So far, it feels overrated. This, in comparison, is pretty darn good.

I've been slacking.

2009-02-22T09:58:00.003-05:00

Alright, I know, I'm like the million other bloggers out there who have somehow lost their commitment to their darling blog. Blame it on the economy, okay. Truth be told, have come across little that is inspiring enough, and suited to this blog, in the last couple weeks (you guys don't want to hear about me being stressed and losing sleep now, would you?!). Thus, in an attempt to curb all these issues - check out HALO HALO Screenprinting. I've signed up for their workshops - and hope to absorb their obvious talents by assimilation. *Note: in a state of weakness, sometimes my internal dialogue becomes external.

Make T-shirt Pretty Win Award.

2009-02-02T09:03:00.001-05:00

"graniph T-Shirt Design Award is a global design competition which is open to everyone regardless of age, location or experience. With over 30.000 designs submitted over the past competitions, it has uncovered some great talents on tees."

Do it.

How to Tie a Bow-Tie

2009-01-28T16:16:00.001-05:00

Bon Iver covers Feist.

2009-01-26T14:04:00.001-05:00

Bon Iver does a sweet rendition of Feist's 'The Park'. Click here to download the free MP3 from Yellow Bird Project.

An EASY DIY project

2009-01-22T14:23:00.005-05:00

I love do-it-yourself stuff, but sometimes it's just one little thing that deters me (ex. I need a glue gun? Forget that. An electric mixer? Sigh. A welding torch with a 5-pronged tip? Um... no). Here, at last, a trick from Anthropologie's store designer (damn her) for all those used magazines you just can't bear to trash...

From Apartment Therapy...

Directions:

Pull out any subscription cards from inside the magazine. (And subscribe if you like it--it's so much cheaper than buying off the newstand!)

Flip open the magazines and leave the cover out to the left. Thumb threw (about) ten pages, then fold them in half towards you, tucking the page ends back towards the binding. The crease should be on the right side, and the loose ends should be on the top.

Repeat for the entire magazine, including the back cover. (It's okay to vary the number of pages a little, so don't worry about counting them.)

Fold the cover to the right, over the first crease, and tuck it in towards the binding to secure the folded pages. You'll have a semi-circle fan shape.

Repeat for any other magazines. Place them back to back, with the flat sides together. If you're stacking two on top of each other, rotate the second layer a few degrees so that they stack like bricks, and not directly on top of each other. This will make them more stable.

Yes, We Can Dingbat.

2009-01-20T18:31:00.003-05:00

Resigned to the flu bed today (but not foggy enough to not watch the Inauguration), I still have to throw in my shoutout to the Man of the Moment today. Congratulations, Obama, and congratulations world. Now celebrate with (downloadable!) Obamabats! Great for essays.

Nick Cave's Sound Suits

2009-01-13T14:25:00.007-05:00

Some of the most amazing pieces of wearable art (if you can call it that) I have ever seen. One of the most intriguing aspects of Nick Cave's "sounds suits" (and no, I don't think THAT Nick Cave), is his grounding principle that a costume can inspire someone to become someone - or something - else for a moment in time. At times traditional, at other times somber, but almost always animated - these suits are what dreams are made of. Check his interview with B/D here, currently showing at the Jack Shainman Gallery in NY.

Oh, and what the hell, here's some of that other Nick Cave for ya'.

Blurb.com

2009-01-12T13:20:00.004-05:00

This site has definitely been kicking around for a while, but as wormy ideas of musings and doodles squirm around in my head these days, the thought of ol'Blurby has been keeping me busy. Would be great to compile photos as other memories as a gift to someone, cause really - who actually prints their digital photos these days?

Creepin' on Craigslist Creeps.

2009-01-08T13:47:00.002-05:00

As an avid Craigslist user, with my fair share of weird & wonderful transaction encounters, this helped reassure/worry me that this online world be a frightful one.

{via Coudal}

5 Great Things About Hong Kong - #1

2009-01-08T10:10:00.003-05:00

Mmm.... dessert balls. Whether it's filled with fresh mango, a sweet bean paste, or whatever other delicious gooey concoction they can come up with, it don't come tastier (or fresher) than this.

5 Great Things About Hong Kong - #2

2009-01-08T09:56:00.004-05:00

Shopping. In this way Hong Kong has done me a huge favour: and that is discourage me from any further expeditions of consumerism (well, at least for the time being) back here in Canada. How can anything possibly live up to glories of Argyle Center and it's jam-packed boutiques swarming with cheap & cheerful clothing, accessories, and knee socks? Or the newer and rather unconventional set-up of their malls (picture taking an escalator up 12 floors and walking back down through winding boutiques)? My transition therapy for now will have to be Pacific Mall, till we meet again, sweet shops.

5 Great Things About Hong Kong - #3

2009-01-06T09:45:00.001-05:00

People walk around with songbirds in quaint birdcages.

5 Great Things About Hong Kong - #2.

2009-01-01T19:23:00.003-05:00

The city that really never sleeps - and instead stays up shopping and eating. Night markets, delicious curry balls, soups, desserts and pastries on every street corner, and even the mall is open till 11pm...

5 Great Things About Hong Kong - #1.

2009-01-01T18:38:00.004-05:00

Cafe de Coral: This massive chain puts McDick's to shame. Large, legible, well-designed signs, constantly evolving menus, aesthetically superior packaging and the service of clean and nutritious meals? And did I mention you could get this -
for the equivalent of $5 CAD?!?! (Okay, I know, that's the power of conversion), but seriously, bring this bad-boy to Chinatown and I won't eat another Egg McMuffin in my life.

'Been Slacking!

2008-12-18T09:56:00.003-05:00

Hello friends and those who are still checking my site after, (heavens!) 2 weeks of not posting anything. As we all know, the holiday season is knocking at the door and I have been left here gasping for air after a hurly-burly couple weeks of non-stop graphic designing and christmas shopping and witnessing my father perform a mountain-man dance in front of hundreds of employees. At least he didn't cross-dress this year.

But yes, I will be back and at it, and with an upcoming holiday trip to HK, be sure to catch some more goodies soon.

Thanks, and happiest of happy holidays.

"So broke so poor catch the 97 Bloor"

2008-12-05T09:55:00.001-05:00

I, too, get on the TTC.

{via Torontoist}

Paint or Die or Love Me

2008-12-01T16:43:00.006-05:00

With a dining table like this, who cares what's for dinner?

Get on Santa's "Good" list.

2008-11-28T14:03:00.004-05:00

One of the best things I've discovered this week (thanks to Torontoist) is Santa in the City, where good cheer visitors scroll through letters to Santa from kids who just might not get a visit from Santa this year. In partnership with social centres around the GTA, you can read through the letters and "adopt" the letter you want, and to any degree you want, fulfill that child's wishlist. Above, one from Joshua, aged 9. For me, I gotta find some Dora goodies and a Barbie.

M/M (Paris) 2009 Catalogue

2008-11-26T15:52:00.003-05:00

For those of you who, like I, cannot afford a poster for 200 Euros, but prefer to safely admire them from a nice comfortable online distance, feast your eyes on M/M's 2009 catalogue. I am especially loving their 2008 decoupage-esque posters. Mmm/m/m//m/mmmmmm....

Cute, furry little pole-dancing animals.

2008-11-25T23:53:00.003-05:00

As if I needed another reason to adore animals, strippers, and... Orangina? The fab French come up with a perhaps rather traumatizing interpretation of the Circle of Life for Orangina. Naturellement Pulpeuse. $10 cover, 19+.

{Thanks Michelle!}

Be Sweet cushion

2008-11-25T12:04:00.003-05:00

Love this merino wool cushion, with a social conscience, too. Question is: Do I sit on this? Who cares?!

Look out! 100 movie spoilers in 5 minutes!

2008-11-20T10:23:00.004-05:00

Save hundred's of dollars in rental and late fees, and use that time you save to do something more useful! Like... umm.... wait... hold on.....

{via CollegeHumor}

Thought about Xmas yet?

2008-11-18T21:13:00.006-05:00

It's time to start, or at least think about, the holidays. Judging by this nightmare, there's no better place to start than at the cozy, parking-free domain known as Etsy. After a must needed hiatus from this site (my Visa couldn't handle the pressure), I was back, and in business! Lo and behold, the thing I simply could not resist was this badass brass octopus necklace from Toronto's Chrys Designs Jewelry.

And for your cutie'p-tootie girlfriend (ahem, hint, cough, hack), why not send her an old-fashioned love letter, with 88% less time and effort than it would take to actually write an old-fashioned love letter?

Yes, the little "I Love You" postcard comes out of the envelope. Awesome. And if it couldn't get any better, it is completely affordable through Etsy. There's even something for that jerk who left you before the holidays. Ohhhh, diss!

Even a rainy weekend wouldn't bring her down.

2008-11-15T20:08:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time... from Capucha on Vimeo.
Some cheer on this drab Saturday in the city.

Interview with Spraygraphic.

2008-11-14T10:56:00.001-05:00

Here it is, me yapping about my vision for our planet and how I fit into that vision. Well, not really. Check out my interview on Spraygraphic here.

The New York Times - "Special" Edition

2008-11-13T16:50:00.002-05:00

Read all about it.

ABC3D

2008-11-13T09:47:00.002-05:00

"ONE OF THE MOST DELIGHTFUL AND INNOVATIVE POP-UP BOOKS I HAVE EVER SEEN.—Robert Sabuda

MARION BATAILLE is graphic and book designer who has never before been published in this country. She lives in Paris. This is just a hand-made mock-up of the actual book which publishes in Oct. 2008. We couldn't be more excited about it.

Also for those asking that's the incredible 30's trio The Boswell Sisters singing "Roll On" "

Check out ABC3D here. Watch the video and enjoy the brilliance.

"For the discerning fashionista".

2008-11-12T11:20:00.005-05:00

This is one of my favourite sites to pick up unique clothing pieces, and this is coming from someone who is a) skeptical about buying clothing online unless it is of the mass-produced tshirt variety, and b) skeptical about buying vintage in general. Thus, it speaks volumes that I have poured my former fashion-student faith into Nasty Gal Vintage. Updated regularly with glorious finds, this site has saved me from personally rummaging through the musty bins of junk to amass the diamonds-in-the-rough onto one, functional shopping site. Here, two of my fave vintage dresses on the site, fresh outta the 80's. But it's best to react quickly - there is, obviously, only one in stock. These two are, er, already "SOLD OUT". I could possibly be the culprit.

Kickin' it old school.

2008-11-11T15:22:00.004-05:00

Real life Photoshop. The tagline reads "As real as it gets". Love love love this.

The Snowman Scarf.

2008-11-11T15:07:00.003-05:00

I remember watching 'The Snowman' at school every year as a child, and today, I think I might love it even more. Almost like a "Le Petit Prince" effect - a beautiful, simple story that earns even more appreciation as I get older and life, gets, well, a lot more complicated. Now wouldn't it be nice to remind yourself of simpler times with this official "The Snowman" fair-trade alpaca wool scarf? It even has Raymond Briggs' signature on it!

Deck the halls with boughs of sabers.

2008-11-11T14:49:00.002-05:00

“Neon was an obvious choice for me,” he said, referring to the set of his Spring 2009 Paris debut show. “I think the simple melding of tradition and modernity aptly suits the mood at the moment. we are all looking to a brighter future.” Here, Gareth Pugh's nightmarisly delightful concoction for London's Topshop, er, holiday, display.

Love it or hate it, (I, personally love it. If you want your red/green, reindeer and rosy-cheeked elves fix, go, well, anywhere else and you'll find it), it's an attention grabber.

{via Style File}

Spraygraphic AOTD.

2008-11-11T13:06:00.002-05:00

Thanks, Spraygraphic, for picking me as your artist of the day! Check it out on the link, and don't forget to check back this Friday for my interview.

Criterion.

2008-11-10T14:34:00.010-05:00

It's always been a secret dream of mine to design movie posters and their accompanying packaging. Now, I can continue to be jealous of those who do with this collection of fantastic DVD covers from (what else?) the Criterion Collection. These show just how beautiful covers can be, which again, prompts me to ask why Hollywood insists on dumbing down their own DVD releases with lame-azoid covers. Anyway, enough with being disappointed with one segment, instead, let's celebrate the good. Here's some Criterion. Below, some of my favourites:

"It's been a long time comin'..."

2008-11-05T09:11:00.002-05:00

For those of us who didn't stay up to watch this, or, er, don't have cable, here it is, Senator, oh, let's just throw it out there, President Obama's acceptance speech.

Palin as President.

2008-11-04T16:13:00.004-05:00

This is way too much fun - I mean, so long as it never crosses into the real world. Er, just stay in the World Wide Web, President Palin.

{Thanks Rod for this.}

Tonight is the night, the end of...

2008-11-04T12:00:00.001-05:00

This. Fucking. Election.

The fellow behind the canvas.

2008-11-03T16:12:00.002-05:00

So we all know the face of Mona Lisa - but how many know the face of da Vinci? See how portrait artist Woldhek cracked that code in this video.

{via Coudal}

Christopher Doyle's Identity Guidelines

2008-10-28T14:09:00.004-04:00

Came across this while, coincidentally, in my own mind was mulling over a brand guide I'll be working on with my friend. Would love doing this for myself as I've been doing a huge haulout of my closet and reimagining my "brand" a little. Would be interesting to do this each season as a personal documentary; goodness knows how we look speaks volumes about who we are - or at least who we'd like to be.

3-D is the new 2-D.

2008-10-23T09:38:00.005-04:00

Excellent excellent site showcasing the fine work of Amsterdamians (?) Barcinski & Jeanjean. Especially love the concept behind their site for FITC Amsterdam 2008 - it involves cowbells and Brazilian percussion so what more do you need to know? I could link directly to it but then you'd miss out on the fun of tracking it down in their mini virtual Amsteramian world.

99% fun without 3-D glasses. 127% with.

{via Computerlove}

We have more in common with the Yukon and Nflnd than we thought...

2008-10-15T09:40:00.004-04:00

Holy crap! That's a lot of blue! As we beach ourselves back onto the shores of Tory-manned Canada this morning, here's a quick and comprehensive look at how Canada voted (note: the GTA's propensity for Red - man, are we ever products of our environment), compliments of CBC.ca. Nice interactive zoomy map there!

Kriegsmann on Flickr.

2008-10-10T10:48:00.002-04:00

I wish I was the one who found that box in Venice...

A Passion for Fashion and Twisted Ankles

2008-10-06T13:15:00.004-04:00

Models, including Canada's own Jessica Stam, literally fell head-over-heels for Prada's, well, heels this past week at Prada's Spring 2009 show. I've never seen anything like this. It's just so blatantly ridiculous to be pushing fashion, even haute couture, to these levels. Below, poor Katie Fogarty one of the many casualties at this show.

{via fashionologie}

'This American Life' tees

2008-09-30T20:14:00.006-04:00

Back from a rainy week in the Dominican, and, like most vacations, feeling like saying "oh, Marge, I feel like I need a vacation from that vacation" while crossing my legs and throwing my head back, Starbucks in hand, and what the hell am I even talking about anymore?

In any case, my fine-feathered resorting partner, Michelle, introduced me to that little podcast known as This American Life. As I'm listening to their 'Going Big' episode, I discover the winners of their recent t-shirt design competition. Here: the winners, and some of my personal faves.

DUCK! GUN SHOTS!

2008-09-19T09:46:00.010-04:00

It's possible that this video alone will save P. Diddy's career.
Thanks to Justin for this diamond in the rough.

A final, depressing thought on this Friday.

2008-09-19T09:46:00.008-04:00

Rickrolled.

2008-09-19T09:46:00.004-04:00

During the joy that is my daily commute on the subway this morning, I couldn't help but rip out this ad in Metro today. I was compelled. Fascinated. Unsure if this was real, or just some bad joke, but it just looked so genuinely bad that I couldn't help but follow the link to funcareer.ca. And ah ha! (Insert Giant Corporation's name here) got me good. Kudos to the people behind this prank, because I would otherwise have never bothered to check out their site.

A meal fit for a criminal.

2008-09-18T12:54:00.002-04:00

That makes Paul J. Kneale either a genius or a wacko.

NOKIA's Design Manifesto

2008-09-16T11:59:00.002-04:00

A corporate manifesto that gives us cynical and internally embattled designers a bit of hope. And hey, though actions speak louder than words, it is commendable for Nokia to at least strive towards their goals here.

{via chroma}

"You won't hear me laughing as I terminate your day."

2008-09-15T14:05:00.002-04:00

With help from Nick Hooker (and the PhotoBooth app?), Grace Jones successfully scares the b'geezus out of us with her new single.

Aesthetic Apparatus

2008-09-14T11:16:00.003-04:00

Minneapolis based Aesthetic Apparatus uses their aesthetic apparatus for screenprinting to create dozens and dozen-zos of band posters, art, and (hey, we all gotta pay them bills), Burger King crowns. Check their store for tons of good stuff for your walls.

Now get ready for the most intense screenprinting video ever:

Summer's Ice Cream

2008-09-14T01:20:00.003-04:00

Studs that remind me of wistful sun-drenched visits to Summer's Ice Cream in Yorkville. Farewell sweet heat, hello pistachio ice-creamed ear baubles.

T-postman Sam.

2008-09-07T14:27:00.003-04:00

This is great. T-shirt subscriptions from T-post based on the latest and greatest current affairs, like the man who woke up from a coma after 19 years (illustrated above, obviously).

TIFF brief

2008-09-07T13:47:00.003-04:00

Day -1: On the eve of the TIFF opening, standing in the sweltering sun with makeshift program visor to pickup tickets to Detroit Metal City.

Day 1: TIFF begins! In true spirit I celebrate by going to an unrelated Vice party.

Day 2: Volunteering in English, Cantonese, and French. A bit past midnight (okay, they were behind schedule), enjoys first movie, DMC. Laughs, headbanging, and one Q&A later, home and watching Laguna Beach at 3:30 am.

Day 3: Waiting 2 hours for Lebron James and abandoning that ship for Faubourg 36. Noting how Nora Aboudezer should have ditched the jacket-part of her outfit that afternoon. Volunteering, gets to be a ballot girl on stage, watches Spike Lee introduce Youssou Ndour.

Day 4: Early morning Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Different from book but not bad different. Bad cold. Tourists with TIFF questions for me tonight, bring a hanky.

It's almost Christmas again...

2008-09-03T17:05:00.005-04:00

And by Christmas I really actually mean The Toronto International Film Festival, where we essentially do the same thing: lots of unnecessary lining up and dreading the end of it and oh my god i think i heard Brad Pitt on the rooftop can I leave him some cookies.
This year, I have the privilege of not only playing attendee, but also volunteer. So far, I have scored tickets to 'Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist' (good book, by the way), as well as 'Detroit Metal City' (movie poster, above). Some other ones I'm hoping to snag tickets for are:

7915 km
Hunger
Seraphine
24 City
Birdsong
Achilles and the Tortoise
Afterwards
Blind Loves
Faubourg 36

See you film buffs there! In the buff!

Where ma' bees at?

2008-09-03T12:51:00.001-04:00

HelptheHoneyBees.com

Zune Arts loves cobras and ice cream, too.

2008-09-03T10:23:00.007-04:00

Zune Arts has been kicking around for a while, but luckily for us, they keep the goodies coming. I mean seriously, I do not think there exists a more fun (funner?) scrolling menu. The seemingly endless lists of animated shorts (some collabos between both the designers/artists and musicians) seem to march along a path right in front you, coming alive as you tickle their cute and sometimes scary selves with your mouse.

OK, I'm getting a little into this.

Stepping back a little - another major plus is that the people behind Zune have made the individual videos really easy to embed into sites, or MyFacebookenoratiStumble.Digg.icio.us.

One of my faves has to be 'Meltdown', created by Epoch Ink to the soundtrack of Goldfrapp.

Now, back to lineup. Tickle tickle tickle, boo.

Hello, old friends.

2008-08-29T00:33:00.002-04:00

The past few weeks, oh my, how quickly they have passed. In the moments that I have had a chance to write, my ridiculously tardy internet connection refuses to allow me to upload anything, and then all the other moments in between I have spent laughing, crying, nursing wounds that have formed into scars (that's real, not just metaphorical. ask anyone who's seen my mess of a knee), and just sitting back and wondering what the heck is going on around here.

But, good news, I have found the most daaahhling coffee shop at a nearby gallery with quick wireless, and will be back in full visual swing soon! In the meantime, I have made a discovery to be shared with you all: boiled egg, grapes, cheese, and avocado all taste damn good together.

If you live in Toronto and need help...

2008-08-14T19:55:00.002-04:00

help me help you - August (toronto)
Reply to: comm-797001111@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-08-14, 5:54PM EDT

i made a promise to someone i'd help 100 strangers with BIG things in their life. These things can be how to drive a car, learning a new skill, or figuring out a troublesome personal task in their life...etc.

A taste of things i've done:
i've delivered a lunch and dinner to someones grandmother while they were out of town for a week,
i've shoveled driveways of 2 elderly homes on my street in the middle of the night on the worst and 2nd worst snowfall this past winter
i've help find jobs for a single mother, 2 unemployeed/intelligent/educated forieners who had a hard time getting a job, i've tutored several people in leaning more fluent english. I've personally helped people move from their home, find a new home, install curtains in someones house,help someone with their detailed plans to propose to their girlfriend, proof read resumes and just offer a few kind words of encouragement to someone down on their luck..
So now i ask....how can i 'try' to help you today?...

Oh, Canada.

2008-08-13T00:27:00.002-04:00

At the Olympics, while other countries dress in traditional garb and professional suits, we instead embrace the fact that we are so multicultural and hip that there is no one 'garb' or 'suit', and strut out in something decidedly more... urban. And it's green. And made in China. And from HBC. Thus making it a mystery hidden in a puzzle engraved with dichotomy and wrapped in hemp.

Go Team Canada!

A Creative Community

2008-08-12T23:27:00.007-04:00

Darnit!

Crappy wireless internet connection is keeping me from posting those glorious images I so love, so for now, you'll just have to take my word for it when I write that Spraygraphic is a pretty exciting spot for lovers of creativity. Pretty easy to make your own mark, and earn the right to call ultra talented people from Brazil your "friend".

Celebrate 6 with YWFT.

2008-08-01T13:50:00.003-04:00

YouWorkForThem is design duo made up of Michael and Michael from Minneapolis. This is their 6th year of doing great stuff out of their shop (I like snagging tees from their site, and it shows up at my door at an alarmingly quick turnover rate). And so, we congratulate them by downloading the 23 free illustrations they're offering on their site. Er, congrats, guys.

I see Saul.

2008-07-28T15:18:00.005-04:00

The Coen Brothers' new movie, "Burn After Reading" (set to premiere at the 2008 Venice International Film Festival before hitting theatres on the 12th), and their oh-so-Saul Bass inspired movie posters. However, it is near impossible to find out who was behind these creations. And, oh goodness, I pray that the DVD cover will honour this aesthetic instead of suffering from the "heads blended into the background with epic landscape along bottom instead of kickass movie poster image" formula. Aka, the 'V for Vendetta' effect.

Now, some Saul for the Soul:

Australia.

2008-07-28T14:57:00.003-04:00

Having always been a fan of Baz Luhrmann and his no-fear approach to true, over-the-top entertainment and imagery, his upcoming film starring muse Nicole Kidman (as well as Hugh Jackman), looks to live up to his style, and with a dash of old world Hollywood.

Design won't save the world.

2008-07-22T16:50:00.006-04:00

Nice notes.

2008-07-22T10:36:00.004-04:00

Love Whitelines notebooks, FOB from Sweden. Enviro-friendly with "non-conflict" white lines that make your writings and scribbles the star, without annoying black or blue lines stabbing into them from all sides. My binding of choice? Perfect bound. And did I mention rounded corners? Hoooooo sheeeit. Available in select stores in Canada.