LustList >> Calligraphy Return Address Stamp
Love these custom calligraphy return address stamps from Primele…
Available here.
Via SwissMiss.
MASH: Purveyors of the Fine
In my recent wine label researching, I came across the design firm MASH, based in Australia. And I think their stuff is just awesome. Any of these would definitely catch my attention immediately on a shelf.
Seemingly unconstrained by any wine world standards, MASH creates their concepts based on the people and ideas behind the wines they are designing for, coming up with a real and full identity for the wine as a whole, rather than just designing a little rectangular label to stick on a bottle.
Their concepts are totally unique fully realized in every detail, and they also simultaneously are sophisticated enough visually avoid sliding into gimmick territory, which could be a danger given how into the concepts they get.
For the wine above, MASH created the concept based on the identity of the man behind the Small Gully wines, a Mr. Stephen Black, who formerly was a chemist who worked in pharmaceuticals. So MASH ran with the chemist thing, calling the wine “Mr. Black’s Concoction” and designing a retro apothecary-ish feeling label.
The other concept they created for Mr. Black is Black Magic, which has the “label” laser-etched directly onto the glass instead of using a paper label. They said they wanted it to look as if perhaps the winemaker himself scratched the information on to the bottle, and the subtle etched glass also works perfectly to complement the concept of “black magic.”
The concept for this cheeky, almost creepy wine, called Return of the Living Red, was born out of the fact that the wine is “non-vintage” — the two grape varieties are from two different vintages — meaning it is “ageless.”
Once again, MASH took the idea and ran with it, coming up with a whole identity for the wine based on this “Return of the Living Red” idea…
“This was a complex fine wine with no listed age; a mysterious and intriguing wine. To compliment this the nature of the product, Mash developed a concept to create a small pack containing missing and/or supproessed crime files implying the existence of the living dead in and around the vineyards.”
“With the use of disturbing illustrations and fascinating old photos on a toothy uncoated paper the concept was brought to life. A slip knot with old twine and a deep red wax dipped bottle went with the old crime file folder to create one of our favorite wine packaging pieces.”
For Inkwell, they came up with the imagery, the inkblot, directly from the name, and left the label free of any other text or design. The name itself resides on a neck label. The simple black and white palette is used to great graphic effect, and the inkblot is artistic and literal without being in your face or cheesy.
Here’s another one where they based the concept off of the man behind the wine– the o
wner of this winery also happened to be a magistrate judge, so they decided to go with the idea of “The Guilty.”
wner of this winery also happened to be a magistrate judge, so they decided to go with the idea of “The Guilty.”
The label has only the ambiguous and creepy black and white photo, from which it is impossible to tell whether “the guilty” is the defendent or the judge himself, and the handwritten info at the bottom.
More MASH labels to come…
Summer Lovin >> Al Fresco Dining
Don’t you love how during summer, it seems like weekends turn into progressions of outdoor meals? Mimosa brunches in the yard, lunches at sidewalk cafes, afternoon BBQs, dinner under the stars…
This past weekend, especially with the World Cup going on as well as the NBA finals, felt like a lazy series of BBQs at friends’ houses. So fun. But I’d imagine pretty much any outdoor meal in one of these settings would be pretty wonderful.
Images from Brabourne Farm blog
Toothpicks + Glue.
Sculptures made of millions (literally, up to 6 million per) and hundreds of liters of glue by Stan Murno.
via Lost at E Minor
Stan Murno website.
Must See >> Banksy’s Exit Through the Gift Shop
Very curious to see Banksy’s documentary “Exit Through the Gift Shop.”
If you’re unfamiliar with the mysterious/prankish street artist Banksy, who pulls stunts like replacing art in museusms with his own pieces and whose work sells for millions, or to read more about the premise of the documentary, check out this article in the NYT.
Since Banksy’s work regularly plays with irony and the idea of “the art world,” many people have questioned how “real” this documentary is. Of this issue, the Melena Ryzik says in the NYT article:
“Ultimately, wondering whether “Exit Through the Gift Shop” is real or not may be moot. It certainly asks real questions: about the value of authenticity, financially and aesthetically; about what it means to be a superstar in a subculture built on shunning the mainstream; about how sensibly that culture judges, and monetizes, talent.”
See more Banksy work here.
Brown paper packages tied up with string…
This weekend, on the weekend directly between Kyle’s birthday and mine, we are celebrating both and having an “A Few of Our Favorite Things” Weekend.
That’s pretty unrelated to this video, but watching this cute video of a brunette and a blonde (just like us!) made me excited about spending the weekend doing fun stuff with ma roomie.
How can you not love a stop-motion animation video of two girls with glasses, cupcakes, a dog, a typewriter, costumes, and Anthropolgie-ish styling?
Happy early birthday Kyle!
Designy Gadgets >> Little Horn Speakers
For the designy music lover, these “Little Horn” speakers by Specimen Products might be the perfect present. And, they’re actually not so little– they’re three feet tall, making them, according to Specimen, the ideal height for projecting sound when placed on the ground.
And, you can totally custom color them.
via Cool Hunting
Above and Beyond >> A Homemade Ascot and Ascot Guide
I would say I pride myself on giving pretty good gifts (although not on remembering actual dates of birthdays or to put things in the mail on time, which does in fact matter just a little bit), but when I come across people who make homemade gifts like this, I am just amazed.
This, all these images, are images of a gift this girl made for her boyfriend’s birthday. Not only did she sew him an ascot (so he “will be well-equipped if time travel is ever invented”), but she designed and made this accompanying suite of materials to go with it.
It even includes a little according booklet showing how to tie an ascot.
It might not be the most practical gift ever, but just the fact that she would take all that time to think of, design, and make something so detailed is so touching.
Details on how she (Livy, of the blog A Field Guide) made it here.
