Sisyphus - The Kinetic Art Table

As a fan of staring in to space for elongated periods of time, this kinetic art table - Sisyphus - is the perfect way for me to escape reality. 

Sisyphus is the clever table designed by Bruce Shapiro that incorporates sleek electronic movement with art as well as home comforts. The Sisyphus tables that are offered as rewards in Bruce Shapiro's Kickstarter campaign are modern and artistic and perfect as main living room pieces, coffee tables and spellbinding end tables. 

You can really see the tables namesake in the design; "In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned to roll a boulder up a mountain for all of eternity" which you can see clearly in the way that the metal ball forever rolls in the sand to create hypnotic, ever-changing patterns. 

The Sisyphus sculptural table is made of a metal frame, and a layer of tempered glass put over the top of the kinetic movement that makes it a fully functional yet elegant looking piece.

Now I'm not going to spoil the magic of it, but if you head on over to the Kickstarter campaign page you can check out all the production and manufacture processes that go in to making Sisyphus.

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.

Dinara Kasko: So Good

It's funny to watch when singers try their hand at acting, because more often than not it's a great flop. Some people should stick to what their good at. But in the case of architect Dinara Kasko, experimenting with baking was probably the best thing to happen to the culinary world.

Ever creative Dinara Kasko started out her career in architecture and design and worked as so for several years before discovering baking; which she now does as more than a hobby, taking masterclasses over Europe to share her passion and delicate hand with many the avid baker.

It's insane to think that these delicious looking edibles are the handy work of a home taught pastry chef, but her eye for detail and the minimalist (courtesy of her background in architecture and design) is definitely a key factor that benefits her food experimenting. In true architect style Dinara Kasko utilises an appreciation of texture, shape, composition and form to create her delicious desserts that appease the eye in the way that a stunning structure would. Angles are perfect, lines are straight and the finish is more than stellar. Maybe more architects should try their hand at baking and patisserie.

If you'd like to read more - or most definitely see more - of Dinara Kasko's gorgeous edibles than her new concept 'Geometry' features in #16 of SoGoodMagazine where you can find her recipes to try your hand at, or even just to appreciate the effort that goes in to making these flawless masterpieces.

A Toast... to Toasteroid

I'm a sucker for a good Kickstarter project (hell, I've backed more than my fair share of stuff that's totally awesome but totally unnecessary too) and this new project from Toasteroid is no exception. 

This nifty kitchen appliance makes mums post-it note lunch doodles seem feeble in comparison, as it gives you the ability to turn breakfast time in to a fun doodling work shop. The Toasteroid is a smart toaster that allows you to print any drawn design on to your bread. Using the Toasteroid app you create your design and send it wirelessly over to your toaster, whenever you want! You can customize your image, unlike other printing toasters that have stencil slots... meaning the possibilities really are endless. And it's not just a pretty creative bit of kit, the Toasteroid is durable; made out of die cast aluminium this thing will stand the test of time and blend seamlessly in to your smart kitchen. 

The Toasteroid not only thinks about enjoyment, it also raises the game of the average toaster, removing all those aspects of the normal toaster that you loathe so much. Such as removing crumbs, the Toasteroid has a crumb removal tray. And fitting long and thick slices of bread in to your toaster is an easy task thanks to Toasteroid's ingeniously wide slots. (Seriously, why don't more toasters do this stuff?!?)

Why not wake your other half up with a weather alert printed on their toast using the Toasteroid's Weather Forecast Synchronization technology (I'm not joking, this is a thing!)? Or get the kids to draw funny cartoons on their toast to make meal times a little bit easier and a lot less hectic. 

The Toasteroid is a timeless design that I sincerely doubt you'll run out of uses for and it comes in to sizes. The first being the Toasteroid Mini which browns two slices of toast whilst only singing your design on to a single slice; this is offered as a reward on Kickstarter for $65. Or the regular Toasteroid which cooks two slices of toast with your creation printed on both slices. This comes in at $85; practically a steal for what they're offering. 

Great concept, great use of interactivity, can't wait to see how the world is going to utilize this product. 

Airjitzu

Hands up this might be one of the more juvenile products I rave about but it is definitely one of the most fun too, providing endless hours of entertainment to adults and children alike.

 

Okay, so picture this; you're walking through your local shopping centre when movement in the Lego store catches your eyes (as it does). You approach the window only to find a squad of young children playing with rip cord Lego toys and battling it out mid air with old school Beyblade style spin tops that appear to have been meshed with Lego, only instead of hitting the ground, these things fly!!! You're beyond mind blown so it's only natural that you storm in there, pick up an Airjitzu of your own and load as many mod's on to the structure as possible to make your Airjitzu the Airjitzu to beat all others.

 

On a serious note the Lego Ninjago Airjitzu's are probably some of the best toys you're going to find for under £10; making them great filler presents as well as the perfect toy for kids to save up their pocket money to get. There are six different 'types' of Airjitzu ninja's, which are basically different colour schemes and Lego characters for you to collect. And what people are loving about the Airjitzu's is that because they're made of Lego, they're a really solid toy that can survive a kid's constant abuse/play.

 

Impeccable quality, impressive flight capabilities and easy assembly make this an awesome toy for all ages. I was astounded by the flight these things get and the way that you don't care when your Airjitzu gets completely destroyed by it's opponent because it just means you can reinforce your Airjitzu defences better next time with an assortment of your Lego pieces.

 

 

Famous OTO

Tomorrow morning kids all over the world will be waking up eager to rip in to layers upon layers of wrapping paper, and if you've got 'em one of these bad boys you better be careful they don't tear clean through the cardboard. 

Famous OTO are a small, New York based toy company who aim to bring enjoyment to kids with nothing more than illustrated cardboard. These cardboard playhouses for kids offer unlimited hours of play with their top quality prints and easy assembly and storage capabilities. So now those hooligans you love to hate can sell ice-creams and taco's galore with these awesome playhouses. 

Each truck comes with a fold-down window for kids to serve food from and they are plenty spacious so your little one's can set up shop and play for real. And if you want to get your hands on an OTO Taco Truck or OTO Ice Cream Truck then all you need is £40. And if you're not a kid person and cats are more your bag, then they even do a smaller sized OTO Ice Cream Truck for your cats to burrow away in. 

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. 

Collar Keepsake

Everyone who has owned a dog knows how difficult it is to lose a much loved member of the family. And there's no better way to pay homage to your beloved pet than to keep their picture framed in the circle of your pet's old collar. 

The Collar Keepsake is a memorial to a beloved pet, cat and dog alike, that'll hang in your home in beautiful memory of your animal. It works by sandwiching your picture between the minimal frame - which includes a hanging slot in the back of the rigid structure - then you tighten your collar around the thick outside of the frame to make your pet's picture the focal point of this decorative wall hanging. 

Collar Keepsake comes in three different sizes to fit the diameter of your pets collar and isn't just limited to being a memorial piece for your departed pet, you can also use the Collar Keepsake as a way to immortalize your puppy's play days when he graduates up to a bigger collar. It's a lovely piece great for keeping your pets close to heart. 

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. 

Deliciously Morbid

I have no idea what on earth possess these two men to melt the faces off of these cute chocolate bunnies but whatever the reason the effect is oddly breathtaking. These two artists and filmmakers, Lernet & Sander have collaborated on many a project, but this video by far takes the chocolate... There's something almost artistic in their horrifying act of melting chocolate bunnies to nothing more than a puddle of dilapidated chocolate. In fact, it's actually quite amusing to watch irons, hair dryer's and space heaters slowly melt the life out of the bunnies eyes. 

Lernet & Sander use humor and wit to create this fantastic film, and if you're left wanting for more then you can always purchase a print of the bunny in pre-melt stage as he stares his fate straight in the heating element. This film is fun and sadistic and everything you need to traumatize Easter for the neighborhood kids. 

Survival Laces

I'm a bit of prepper, it's nothing to be ashamed about, and when the apocalypse does finally come around don't turn up on my doorstep expecting me to sleigh your zombies. Na, uh, get your own survival gear. And the latest in the line of cool Survival gear I've unearthed on the internet are the Survival Laces. 

Survival Laces are exactly what they say in the name; laces to keep you well equipped in any sort of survival, adventure and wilderness scenario. They're a way to carry important emergency equipment without lagging down your bag by carrying extra weight. The Survival Laces are made with 550 paracord  - which as any camper knows comes in handy everywhere and anywhere - and one strand of fishline in the core. 

Each set of Survival Laces also comes with an ingeniously covert fire starter; consisting of a one inch ferrocerium rod in the metal aglet and a four inch strand of tinder that's extremely flammable and waterproof so you can light a fire with ease. Survival Laces aren't only full functional, they're made of high quality material and come in a stylish array of red, khaki and black that can go in either your shoes or your hoodie, perfect for carrying around without making it obvious you're packing a lot of equipment. 

Prices for the Survival Laces start from $8.50 and if you're still new to starting a fire then you can get your hands on the Deluxe Survival Laces which have a full length strand of tinder in the core of the laces so that you'll never run out of fire. 

Crazy Arms

Ever wish your Lego characters could do more than just lift their arms up and down at their sides? (Yeah, I know it might not be the most prevalent thing on your mind but it's damn important to a plastic figure enthusiast let me tell you.)

Well a set of Crazy Arms will let your favourite brick based figure do out of the box things such as carrying a sword and a bow in their arms, finally you can let your little Lego man salsa!!!

Crazy Arms is a crazily genius invention that takes the pose ability of the plastic mini figures to a whole new dimension. Crazy Arms are removable, letting you modify at your own pace without tampering or damaging your figures. The plastic Crazy Arms parts snugly fit in to the inner holes on the figures hips and provide a loop support for the arms to fit in to which then allow you to pose your figure however you like. 

Crazy Arms are amazing for letting children and adults alike unlike modelling and playing potential by interchanging their figures limbs and they come in a variety of initial colours; white, black, tan, dark tan and dark grey with more colours to unlock as the Kickstarter campaign gains pledges.

And for $20 you can get your hands on three pairs of Crazy Arms in whatever colour you long for.

Clampersand

Why would you use a simple c-clamp when you can fix that shelf together using a clampersand? This pun intended product started life out as nothing more than the doodling of Tony Ruth, but eventually morphed in to a physical product which is typographically superior to the c-clamp in every way. 

The Adjustable Clampersand is a genius little tool that's both functional and aesthetic. You needn't worry about keeping your Clampersand hidden away from sight because you'd be proud to use this as a bookend or a note keeper, eager to share the pun with your equally artistic friends. 

And for $55 you could be the proud owner of a fresh Clampersand that'll give your projects a stylish edge all coutesy of the mad doodlings of an illustrator and the clever tinking of mechanical designer Tim Haley.

Saving the world one beer at a time- casually

How much energy is wasted each year powering our fridges and keeping our soda's, beers and ciders cool? Well I know it's a lot when you consider that you could be keeping your beverages cooled naturally.

eCool is a product developed by four guys from a small town in Denmark that utilizes the damp and cold of the earth to keep your drinks chilled. The eCool system is placed deep in to the cool earth (about a metre underground) and uses the natural dampness and cold atmosphere of the soil to keep each 33cl can refridgerated all year round. 

The eCool is a perfect camping accesory for those who want to crack open a cool beer in front of the fire with their friends, and it would also be perfect for storing fizzy drink cans at a family barbeque with its 24 can capacity. It's a convenient and organic way of storing and cooling your drinks and as it requires no electricity think of all the oil you're preventing from being fracked. All you need to do to get a cool drink is crank the handle and rotate the belt that keeps the cans stored, and suddenly all the cool berevages you could possibly want all for the cost of $369.