Bespoke Letterpress Christmas Shop is Open…

Tags

Christmas, Christmas Wrap, Greeting Cards, Johannes Gutenberg, Letterpress printing, Powerhouse Museum, Printing, Vivienne Westwood, Wrapping Paper, Young Blood Markets

(Image from here)

Following on from yesterday’s post on ‘Modern Day Snail Mail’ – and, my pledge to make the time to handwrite more often in this modern, digitised world we now text in; it seems timely that today I bring you the very lovely Bespoke Letterpress (and news that their Christmas Shop is now open for business…)

I’m the proof – you can’t throw away tradition. (Vivienne Westwood)

Lovely letterpress printing is a form of relief printing and was first invented by Johannes Gutenberg way, way back in about 1439.  For the longest time – or, until the 19th century at least, it was considered the norm in terms of printing.  Then, offset printing was introduced and the craft of letterpress was moved aside for the more efficient ‘modern’ way of printing…

More recently, like many arts and crafts of old, letterpress printing has seen a renaissance. Happily so, I say.

I first discovered the particular old-meets-new charm of Bespoke Letterpress a couple of years ago – I think it was at the Powerhouse Museum’s Young Blood Designers Market. I’ve long enjoyed the old-fashioned craftsmanship of letterpress, but the Bespoke stand jumped out at me because of a print they had developed around ‘Love you the longest time‘.

My sister has signed off both telephone conversations and letters to me with, “Love you long time”, for as long as I can remember. So, of course, I had to get this for her…

Love you the longest of time by Bespoke Letterpress
(Image source unknown)

I think I may have mentioned my slightly anal habit of selecting a themed, matched Christmas wrapping style each year. I’m seriously considering the Bespoke double-sided wrap for 2013. The big question is, do I go with the Nordic/Confetti option oor the Holly/Stars…? What do you think?

Nordic/Confetti double-sided wrapping paper
(Images from here)

Holly/Stars double-sided wrapping paper
(Images from here)

Of course, that would mean I’d have to go the whole hog with gift tags and red and white striped ribbon, too…

Bespoke Letterpress Gift Tag and Ribbon
(Image from here)

Do go and check out the Bespoke Letterpress Christmas shop – it’s quite gorgeous. You can find the beautiful double-sided wrap and much more…

3-D Art is All the Rage at (CTRL)(P) – Objects on Demand

Tags

3D printing, Art, Art exhibition, Art Museums, COTA, Courtesy of the Artist, Digital art, Marc Newson, Modern art, Museum of Art & Design, New York, Object Gallery, Printing, Sydney, Visual Arts

Opening Night at the (CTRL)(P) – Objects on Demand Design Lab and Pop Up
(Image by TSL)

The technology allows you to design an object in virtual space and transmit the data to another machine to ‘grow’ or ‘print’ that object in 3-D. (Marc Newson)

It seems that 3-D art is all the rage…

‘Them’ by Richard Dupont, Group of eight figures
Cast pigmented polyurethane
(Image from Galerie Maximillian)

In a recent NYTimes article, ‘Artists Take Up Digital Tools’, there was much talk of  the current ‘Out of Hand: Materializing the Post Digital‘ exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. Apparently, in one section of the exhibition, devoted to demonstrations of 3-D printing and scanning, people can get full body scans and purchase miniatures of themselves in three sizes.

Sounds pretty cool, right?

Well, what if I told you you could get a 3-D miniature bust of yourself right here in little ol’ Sydney-town?

(CTRL)(P) 3-D Man
(Image from Object)

It’s true. You can.

In a collaboration with the very talented peeps from COTA (Courtesy of the Artist),  Object Gallery is currently fitted out with 9 3-D printers.

And, we are all invited to drop in and use the equipment, attend a workshop to learn how to print our own designs, listen to a talk, shop, or come along to one of the many events and take a 3-D photo of ourselves.

I went along to the opening on Tuesday night. And, I have to say, even a technologically challenged almost-Luddite like me was fascinated. IT IS SERIOUSLY COOL!

If you aren’t into having a wee bust of yourself, you can check out the jewellery by Cinnamon Lee, Cesar Cueva, Nancy Malik, Bin Dixon-Ward and more. These incredibly complex pieces are made out of a single piece of material and so light to wear.

3D Brooch by Bin Dixon-Ward on sale at (CTRL)(P)*
(Image by TSL)

3D Ring by Bin Dixon-Ward on sale at (CTRL)(P)*
(Image by TSL)

The exhibition runs at Object Gallery until 25 January, 2014. The gallery is located at 417 Bourke St, Surry Hills, NSW 2010. If you’d like to check out the workshops on offer, you can do that through the (CTRL)(P) website.

And, if you aren’t already familiar with the very talented peeps at COTA, they are well worth a visit. They run two galleries – one in Surry Hills and one in the Strand Arcade, featuring new works in contemporary art and design.

Incredibly knowledgable and helpful if you are searching for just the right contemporary piece, too. One of my favourite places to visit, especially if the lovely Nina is around.

* Images taken on my iPhone and really don’t do the pieces justice.

Chase and Wonder Screenprints are Just Lovely

Tags

Art, Cats, Christmas, Christmas Gifts, Design, Dogs, England, Graphic Design, London, Printing, Retail, Screen printing, Shopping, Silly season, Worcestershire

We are officially in the run up to the silly season now. I’m hearing on the news here in Oz that retailers are expecting online sales to be up for the Christmas buying rush. So, with that in mind, today’s wee offering comes to you from the deliciously quirky duo at Chase and Wonder – all delivered to your door at the touch of a few keyboard strokes, wherever you may be…

Dandy Lion by Chase and Wonder
Limited edition of 400
2 colour Screenprint
Paper size – 210mm(w) x 300mm(h)
(Image from Chase and Wonder)

Faye Pearce and David Aspinall founded Chase and Wonder in late 2010 with the simple aim of creating finely designed products with British personality. They design and print all of their products in their converted cow shed in rural Worcestershire.

It also sounds as though they might just be soul-mates, given they met at primary school and reconnected in their early twenties while in London. That just makes me like their lovely screen prints even more (what can I say – I’m feeling the love today!)

Anyhoo, these lovelies have quite a reasonable price-point for the silly season – and are especially great as potential gifts for those hard-to-buy for boys in your life…

Sophisticated Dog by Chase and Wonder
Limited edition of 400
2 colour Screenprint
Paper size – 210mm(w) x 300mm(h)
(Image from Chase and Wonder)

Manners Maketh the Man by Chase and Wonder
Limited edition of 400
2 colour Screenprint
Paper size – 210mm(w) x 300mm(h)
(Image from Chase and Wonder)

Sophisticated Cat by Chase and Wonder
Limited edition of 400
2 colour Screenprint
Paper size – 210mm(w) x 300mm(h)
(Image from Chase and Wonder)

Chase and Wonder have lots more to see at their store. You can check it out here.

Héctor Sos & His Paper Faces are Kind of Mesmerising…

Tags

Business, Graphic Design, Materials, Paper, Paper Faces, Printing, Publishing

From the Paper Faces Series by Héctor Sos
(Image © Copyright Héctor Sos)

At first glance, the Paper Faces series by Héctor Sos was just a little kooky. But then I felt compelled to go back and investigate further. Maybe it’s my brief history in the printing industry here in Sydney…

the Paper Faces project was created with the intention of linking the use of CreatorVol paper (a coated paper for offset printing) with the idea of the publishing industry as natural and vital, hence the visual relationship between paper and face. From this idea, and also from the need to show the qualities of the paper in a four-color printing process, is a series of distinctive structures made ​​with paper covering the face of the different models.

I can’t say whether Hector was successful in his brief, but it certainly made me look twice…

From the Paper Faces Series by Héctor Sos
(Image © Copyright Héctor Sos)

From the Paper Faces Series by Héctor Sos
(Image © Copyright Héctor Sos)

From the Paper Faces Series by Héctor Sos
(Image © Copyright Héctor Sos)

From the Paper Faces Series by Héctor Sos
(Image © Copyright Héctor Sos)

If you would like to see more in the Paper Faces series, or learn more about Héctor Sos, check out his website here.

Epice Spices Things Up…

Tags

Accessories, Art, Clothing, Design, Fashion, Fashion Design, Menswear, Paris, Printing, Scarf, Shopping

épice scarf
(Image from here)

épice scarf
(Image from here)

Well, it wouldn’t be a trip to Paris without one or two beautiful scarf acquisitions now, would it? And, one of my favourite scarf labels has got to be épice.

Launched by Bess Nielsen and Jan Machenhauer in 1999 with the goal of creating gorgeous textiles for pleasure – subtlety of colour, softness of touch and beautiful weaves and prints, an épice number guarantees you many admiring comments (I know because I always get them when I’m wearing my, to date, sole épice scarf).

épice scarf
(Image from here)

épice scarf
(Image from here)

And, for you fashion forward boys who like to accessorise… Don’t think you miss out. Epice has been creating their mens collection since 2006. With the same authenticity and style, and quite fabulous enough for us to ‘borrow’ when the urge strikes…

épice scarf for men (& sometimes women!)
(Image from here)

If you are lucky enough to be heading to Paris, the Epice showroom is at 79, rue des Archives, 75003 Paris. Otherwise, their website is charming. You can get to it here.