Wooden Things

Cross-stitch isn't normally something you'd instantly think of as modern or certainly not 'fashionable' which is why I am so grateful to the designers at GravGrav who have chosen to revolutionise the use of cross-stitch by vamping it up and using it in their wooden bags and clutch collection.

GravGrav take the classic and elegant style of a cross stitch pattern (the birds and flowers you're used to seeing embroidered on table clothes and vintage clothing) and impose them on to these striking wooden bags, giving society a graceful yet minimalist injection of cross-stitch. The variety of clutches, back packs and purses from GravGrav are handmade using only the most premium of woods, suede leather inserts and colourful yarn to give it a luxury feel.

But style has its price and GravGrav wooden cross-stitch bags range in price anywhere between $205-$880.

Although, despite the price these bags are genuinely gorgeous, hand made in every way and inspired by nature which is evident in the choice of materials and the themes of flowers, fruits and birds which influence the cross-stitch patterns. A definite piece of pure beauty that may very well make you reminisce about a different time.

GirlGreyBeauty

After watching the numerous body art tutorials of Youtuber 'Madeyewlook' I got really in to body art as a whole and started to appreciate the artistry of make-up. And Andrea Reed, the hands, face and brains behind GirlGreyBeauty, is now hands down one of my favourite creative beauty guru's. I first stumbled upon her Instagram, where I was rendered awestruck by her array of both perfect make-up applications and totally abstract uses of make-up.

GirlGreyBeauty is an artists who dabbles in a variety of different beauty aspects, such as hair, lips and face, whilst also reviewing cosmetic and beauty products. But it's her creative make-up looks that appeal to me the most; specifically her fancy lip art and facial art series like the 'work in progress' collection ( 'paint by numbers' as seen to the left).

Within her 'work in progress' series there are four different styles that truly are fantastic artistry's to behold, especially when you think they've been drawn on the face using make up and by the artist themselves, and it is hands down worth you checking out the rest. GirlGreyBeauty is a truly amazing make-up artist and I'm looking forward to seeing more of her zany work.

One a Penny

Skateboard fanatics and designers alike will be glad to know that you can very easily make your own personalized version of the penny board now thanks to these free downloadable files from MyMiniFactory courtesy of designer Simone Fontana, who shows a perfect tutorial of how to print and assemble you're very own replica Penny Board. 

Of course because of the limited printing capacity of the 3D printer, this means that Fontana's download comes in five pieces that need to be put together using steel bars to give the board a bit of stability, but other than that it's pretty much a simple process that's a lot cheaper and more original than you going out and buying yourself a brand new board.

You can mix and match your Penny Board by picking your own wheels and printing each section in different colours etc; go mad with it because this is an awesome free download for the creative boarders out there. And whilst you're over at MMF don't forget to tip the designer, give back to the amazing creators out there. 

The Micro Bit

BBC's Micro:Bit is probably the greatest contribution made to IT students up and down the UK in history. It's all very well teaching British children how to use Word and other Microsoft programs, but ICT cirriculum's up and down the country should be pushing to teach children code and the work that goes in to making the interfaces we're used to using with our PC's. 

The Mirco Bit educational initiative is set to show year 7's all over the UK by giving away them away for free to every year seven student, helping them to get creative with the technology they spend so much time playing on. 

The miniature computer measures 4cm by 5cm, has 25 LED's, comes in a range of colours and can connect to mobiles, raspberry pi's and even plant pots, with the ability to connect to other kits and allowing for children to develop on the basic skills they learn. BBC mirco:bit will help children easily program with a easy-to-use software on the mirco:bit website that can be accessed on mobiles and tablets too. It's powered by a mirco usb cable put if you're wanting to make your micro:bit portable then you can pick up a battery pack for a couple of quid on the internet. 

I won't go in to the specs of the BBC micro:bit but a couple of the awesome features are the on-board motion detector that will allow the micro:bit to be turned in to a spirit level, a built in compass and the Bluetooth smart technology which means that the BBC micro:bit is more than well equipped for getting the kids hands on with their pocket sized computer. 

I just had a vision

Everyone loves a good old nostalgic moment and with Projecteo you can keep your happy memories close at hand in the form of a miniature slide projector that with the click of a button will display your favourite Instagram pics for a personal slideshow. 

How does it work? Well, you sign in with Instagram and pick nine of your favourite Instagram pictures, which then gets developed on to a single cell of 35mm slide film and is inserted in to a small black wheel. Then all you have to do is wait for your Projecteo and wheel of images to arrive in the post. It is that simple. And once you've got your Projecteo you can project your photos on to any surface as a homage to the retro days of projecting. 

And there's endless possibilities as to what you can use a Projecteo for; its not just a way for you to keep your photos in a nostalgic way, Projecteo would make an awesome and very personal gift for a friend or family member. You could give Projecteo as a wedding keepsake or a customized valentines or birthday gift. Projecteo is so small and cute you could keep it in a pocket, on a desk or even on a necklace. 

Projecteo costs £23 for the mini projector itself and the wheel of nine images and comes with free worldwide delivery, and for roughly £6 for each new wheel of nine images you can have as many old memories as you want. 

P.S. if you're interested in getting your hands on the tiny Instagram picture then look online for people's 'friends codes' so that you can get $5 off the total. 

Rock, Scissors, Paper!

As Nerf has proven you don't have to be a kid to enjoy shooting a plastic gun and playing army with your friends, and with PaperShooters there's now a better way to get even with your buds and sharpen up your shooting skills. 

PaperShooters is a construction kit that lets you build all the components of your weapon; including the air chamber, springs and trigger mechanism. You can interchange the cardboard skins on your plastic 'skeleton' so that you can blend in with your battle field as you go to war. 

The ability to construct your own 124 piece weapon will give you extended fun before you do get round to mastering your weapon, ready for firing rounds at objects up to 65 feet away. 

No more collecting your plastic ammo after an intense shooting battle, because PaperShooters ammo is ultra safe, mess free and 100% biodegradable because the pellets are made out of paper, therefore no more ouchies when you do eventually get hit. 

And you'll never run out of ammo because each PaperShooters kit comes with a mold so that you can continuously make soft splat ammo, giving the perfect blend of functional and fun all in one innovative package. 

And you can get your hands on a PaperShooters 'Zombie Slayer' for just £30, which includes the authentic looking plastic and cardboard weapon as well as a wall target for accurate shooting and endless fun. 

I'm having a pity party; so make that cake for one please

Birthday's just aren't what they used to be - all the cake and bouncy castles and friends (do you remember those?) - well, at least you can still have the cake.

Introducing the Sparkling Wonder Cake that caters to all those who want to give a little pizaze to their otherwise grumpy day; cake is the cure for all. Well, unless you're wheat intollerant, in that case the Sparkling Wonder Cake probably isn't for you, that is of course unless you like imminent bloating... Your call.

But for those who want to have their cake and eat it, just strike a match, light your sparkler and sit back and watch your birthday go off with a little fizz. It's quite underwhelming actually but hey, that's what happens when you get older. And when the excitement has died down, simply crack open your tin of Sparkling Wonder Cake and stick your fork in it. Everything tastes better out of a tin, doesn't it just?!? 

And this cake isn't just for the lonely bastards on their birthday's... You can have a little slice of your own misery whether you're saying 'Thank You', 'Happy Birthday', 'Sorry', 'Good Luck' or spreading the 'Love'. Perfect for every occasion. And guaranteed to put a smile on your grumpy mug when you're sitting their being a self depricating son of a gun and all for just £6.99.

Paper Fairytale

If you think you're journal is a one of a kind then you really need to get a load of these Polymer Clay Journals that really bring a whole new meaning to the word 'ethereal'. 

These Polymer Clay Journals are amazing feats of art that combine realistic 3D form with magical characters to create journals that are truly one of a kind and thought provoking. They're the work of Etsy shop owner Mandarin Duck who is a London based designer that specializes in Polymer clay artistry with anything from journals to jewelry to tutorials for you to experiment yourself. 

The life like creatures featured on the skins of these journals are gorgeous and so greatly detailed in they're layers, surrounded in the complimentary scenery, bound to make your writing more exciting and adventurous. And if you'd like a Polymer Clay Journal then it'll cost you around £300 for a bespoke journal, or roughly £15 if you'd prefer to follow a tutorial and try your hands at one of these unique pieces. 

Get Passive Aggressive!

I've left a few post it note rants in my time that end up spanning three separate notes - double sided might I add - which is when the Post-It Note Roller would have come in handy. The Post-It Note Roller lets you get your notes down without having to cram it all on one sheet, allowing you to roll out as much as you need all in one pretty pink go. 

No more restricted telling offs in the office, no more post-it notes losing their stick and fluttering around the place; with the Post-It Roller you can literally paste your notes on any surface as if laying down wallpaper. 

The Post-It Note Roller is spunky and fun, letting you be creative with your notes; making a great gift for the 'passive aggressive' post-it note culprit in your dorm room. And at roughly £8 it's a nice filler present. 

Unofish

If you've got a bit of a basketball obsession and you've got money to splash then maybe you should invest in a handcrafted leather basketball that takes swag to the next level. 

Unofish are the designers behind these sexy basketballs who use a range of different patterned and treated quality leathers to make these striking basketballs that'll make you feel like a queen or a king. Several of their 'crocodile' inspired balls feature alligator embossed leather, whilst balls like 'the state' have cross sections of pony hair leather which add an elegant edge to the material. 

With an Unofish basketball you're paying for great quality and finish to beat all others. And although your game might not be on your ball game definitely will be with everyone marveling over your basketball as you will stand out and above all others with your £160 basketball. 

Chocolate!?!

Forgive me for making your mouth water but forget that diet you're on for a minute, give in to temptation and dribble over your screen as you marvel over this new Cadbury's bar. 

This limited edition chocolate bar by Cadbury's is their Dairy Milk Spectacular 7 which features a row of each of their seven dairy milk flavours; perfect for those chocoholics out there who can't make up their mind and end up with more chocolate than they rightfully should have. Asides from the classic whole Dairy Milk chocolate, you get a row of Turkish Delight, Oreo, Daim, Caramel, Whole Nut and Fruit & Nut. A row for each mood! 

Except for the fact that you probably wouldn't dare to dip in to this sweet temptation as only 50 bars are being made. (I know, it hurts me too). And the only way to get your hands on one is to follow the Cadbury Twitter page and wait for contest details! 

Lazy Basketball

With society like it is it's a given that someone would come up with a way for people to play sport without having to move. And that product is the Lazy Basketball chair by Campeggi; a seat designed to allow you to shoot hoops without having to move an inch (well, depending on your shot to miss ratio). 

The metal structure of Lazy Basketball is covered in a synthetic net that catches the ball the minute you score a shot, and rolls it straight in to the arms of your friend in the other chair, ready for a game of back and forth free throwing. Lazy Basketball is colourful and would make a great garden game for both able bodied and disabled people alike. And although some may argue that Lazy Basketball will breed a, well, lazy generation, I'd argue that you're more than likely to miss the hoop altogether and end up running after the ball; as well, isn't it better to be sitting in the garden or house having an interactive game of Lazy Basketball than to be cuddled up in your room with your computer under your nose? 

Lazy Basketball is a great and fun invention and for roughly £600 you can get your hands on one of your own, ace for adding a new flare to your games room and getting your arms moving. 

My geek box

You're running low on cool action figures and need a new useless let utterly cool gadget to tinker with, then have no fear because My Geek Box are on hand to send you your monthly dose of madness. 

For £15.99 a month you can get a My Geek Box jam packed with awesome retro gear and geeky gamer gifts delivered right to your doorstop, ready for you to open up and play with. Your mystery items come with a different theme each time; ranging from zombies to heroes to video games and even your favourite films! All you do is sign up, select which shirt size you are, wait for them to pack your stuff and when you get your box you rip it open as if it's Christmas come every month.

If you doubt their awesomeness then you're going to want to check out their past boxes; they truly are well worth the money. And if you're looking to give a My Geek Box to someone who still has to hide behind the pillows when they watch Doctor Who then the Kids Geek Box is the one for you. Kids Geek Box is designed for padawans, with clothes to suit the age of the intended child with more appropriate and less horrific items to fill their room with. 

Don't let the airlock hit you on the way out

There's no better way to communicate to your dorm room mates that you're a hard core science and gaming fan than to paste one of these bad boy's on your door! 

Sci-Fi Door Decals are awesome accessories for any nerd or intense gamer out there who wants to bring a little bit of cyborg, mechanical or hyperspace in to their bedroom. 

These Sci-Fi Door Decals are removable and perfect for any teenagers bedrooms, offering four different varieties; Airlock, Armory, Freight Elevator and Lab Door, all great ways to make you feel as if you're in a fast paced science fiction film with a dead end and a bunch of morlocks heading your way... 

Except for this time you don't have to punch a code in to get out. And if you want a gun cabinet on hand in case of an emergency, or a freight shaft that lowers you to your secret bat cave, then all it takes is £35 and a spirit level to make sure you don't hang the decal at an angle.

Shave it for later

Exams are coming up and there's no better way to get yourself organised than to begin with your pens, pencils and other stationary. (Okay, maybe revision is best, but pretty and functional things never fail to make everything better.) And if you do want to get yourself in order, then this Pencil Shaving Desk Tidy by UK based designer Clive Roddy is the perfect, quirky little accessory to get ready to hardcore hit the books. 

This neat and fun Desk Tidy was designed to mimic a giant pencil shaving, in which the natural spiral shape of the shavings provides a space to keep your abundance of stationary tidily stored away. Each Pencil Shaving Desk Tidy is handcrafted from sustainable Birch Plywood and can either be hand painted in any of the three primary colours; Yellow, Blue and Red, the colours you get on most pencils. 

Pencil Shaving Desk Tidy has a large storage capacity that lets you store up to 75 pencils, brushes, rulers you name it... The plywood spiral lets you organize yourself stuff in to separate sections between the layers of ply, keeping them compactly and amusingly stored. And for just £25 you can get your hands on a Pencil Shaving Desk Tidy; and I really can see these making a cool adornment to any studious kids desk, or even in the middle of the table in an art room to spruce the place up a bit. 

Instamag

Thanks to the invention of camera phone's everyone's a photographer nowadays; we all fancy ourselves an artist when we post our pictures to Instagram and buff them up a little with filters, trying to share our great eye for detail and composition. And there's really no better way to permanently display your creations than in the form of little 2x2 inch square magnets courtesy of Ninemags. 

By simply syncing your Instagram account to the ninemags website, you can select photos from your Instagram feed to be printed out in the form of great quality photographic magnets; perfect for sticking on the fridge as personal and artistic note holders. And for $14.99 you get free delivery all over the world and nine of your Instagram pictures there in your hands and as a tangible object. 

Sticking these ninemags up all over your house will help bring back those memories of a time and place where you snapped your picture, bringing Instagram to life with your amazing images. Ninemags would make a great gift for a photo fanatic, or just a nice way to treat yourself and bring your home to life. 

Tiko

It seems to be the case that 3D printers just aren't practical in size. They're bulky, and loud and give off god awful fumes, and don't even start on all those cables sticking out of the back. You see how I haven't even mentioned price yet? But what if someone made a 3D printer that's silent, compact, tidy and costs just $179? Well thank heavens for Tiko. 

Tiko is the unibody 3D printer that does it all and more; despite it's compact size of 39 cm tall, it has a relatively large printing space, with the electronics and mechanics behind all the hard work being shrunk in to a tiny compartment that looks both attractive and clean. It supports all the usual 3D printing materials; PLA, ABS, Nylon, Hips etc... With a spool chamber in the top that easily fits the average one kg roll of plastic. 

Rather than having tons of runners that control the movement of the printing head, Tiko consists of three sets of arms that move easily and freely without the shaking movements of many 3D printers, that lets you get high precision and accuracy with your printing. 

And because Tiko is enclosed, the wind and a slight breeze won't blow the arms about and mess up your design, and in corporation with Tiko's wireless function this means that you can take Tiko anywhere. Great for printing on the go and ace for repairs when you're miles from civilization, as Tiko can connect straight from your laptop to the device without any internet connection!

Tiko is flexible; which means that you don't have to fight to get your 3D printed item off of the bed, or leave it in a wash to dissolve the excess plastic over night, all it takes is one little bend and you've got your printed item ready to go.

It's so easy to use too with it's super friendly and easy software, meaning you don't have to fiddle around finding the right tools on the creation platform; making it fun and effortless. Tiko is light and strong, and after listing all these awesome features I'm wondering why I haven't headed on over to Kickstarter to get my pledge in?

Tofu Cute!

For all things kawaii, UK based shop Tofu Cute sell the most amazing Japanese gifts and tasty snacks to keep your sweet tooth happy. They sell anything from stationary to DIY candy kits to crazy flavoured Ramune soda, so you'll definitely find something to make an awesome gift out of. 

First off Tofu Cute have blown my mind with their speedy delivery; I ordered Wednesday night and got my delivery first thing Friday morning. And when you open your box to see it packed to the brim with yummy yet wacky flavoured treats and cute little kawaii gifts, you can't help but turn in to a fan girl. 

With Wasabi flavoured Pocky and Grapefruit flavoured chewing candy you really are spoiled for choice with Tofu Cute. By far the cutest of their range are their plush collection; they've got Alpaca plushes, Red Panda plushes and Tofu plush phone holders, more plush than you could get your hair bunches around! And if you want to peruse their items with your own two (maybe three) eyeballs, then Tofu Cute travel around the UK doing comic conventions and other events; so you can get your hands on them with experience. 

Smells so... Ooh sparkly!

I know I'm not the only one who walks around Ikea sniffing every single candle within a ten foot radius, and when I got my Imperial Candle in the mail it was only right that I sniffed the essence right out of it. 

But the scent's aren't what make these candles truly amazing (though that is a contributing factor) what makes them unique is that once burned for a couple of hours, as the wax melts revealed to you is a hidden jewel. 

Wrapped up safely inside a metal parcel is either a necklace or a ring of the buyers choice, that you can pull out of the wax with a pair of tweezers and carefully unwrap, exhibiting the concealed piece of jewellery for the recipient to wear about. And in every Imperial Candle you will find an article of jewellery with a value between £10-£2000. (Yes, I did put three zero's after that two!)

These luxury handmade candles are made from 100% natural soya wax and each candle comes in a scent that will set your mouth to watering. And I vouch for Imperial Candle here in saying that the Birthday Cake Candle smells phenomenal, like you're actually eating creamy butter cream frosting! Imperial Candles have a burn time of between 120-150 hours so that the smell is long lasting. 

Imperial Candle sell a series of gorgeous smelling delights to suit any occasion; from Birthday's to Valentine's to Christmas and candles that are suitable all season round with refreshing and rich scents. Alongside Candles they also sell bath bombs that fizz in the bath to release your hidden gem; making excellent gifts for any time of the year!  

Libre

I've sent so many typo's in my texts and emails all because of the size of my thumbs; these thumbs just weren't made for mobile phones. Which is exactly why I've pledged for Libre, a wireless keyboard that lets you connect via Bluetooth to several different devices at once; giving the option to seamlessly connect to three different Bluetooth profiles; Windows, Android and IOS all with a tap. 

Libre is an awesome mobile keyboard from CaseStudi that's thin, light and includes all the features you could possibly want in a wireless keyboard. Libre is only 5mm thin and weighs just about 200g, making it a perfect, compact carry around companion. CaseStudi seem to have thought through the functionality in depth as Libre Keyboard has a very useful back light, illuminating the keyboard at four different strengths and letting you work in various lighting conditions without disturbing others. The polyurethane material keeps the keyboard light and thin, not sacrificing any durability or aesthetics in this choice as the wood grain pattern keeps the Libre looking natural and sleek. 

If you've got an iPad then the Libre Folio set is perfect for you; using a series of strong magnets, Libre can be an iPad case, a cover and a Keyboard cover, letting you customize your iPad accessory to suit you. Even if you don't religiously worship Apple then the standalone keyboard is the Libre for you; just as spill proof and sturdy as the iPad Folio set. 

And if you're interested in learning more about Libre, then head over to Kickstarter to see the campaign they're currently running, and to get involved and pledge. At roughly £30 for the wireless keyboard plus delivery to the UK, it is definitely worth it.