Air Tattoos: Wearable Art for the Neck by Logical Design

What stunning paper jewelry pieces – we’re already waiting for ours to arrive in the studio!

But to start at the beginning: Logical Art is a London-based design studio run by Hanhsi Chen and Yookyung Shin who started to work together after graduating from the Royal College of Art. The duo just launched a new project – Air Tattoo – on the crowd funding website Kickstarter. You can still support the project on Kickstarter by pre-ordering your very own Air Tattoo until September 9, 2012.

Some stills from the Kickstarter film explaining the design process

Air Tattoo is a collection of wearable delicate drawings. The original material that was drawn onto – paper – becomes the piece itself in the transformtion process from drawing to piece of jewelry. The idea behind this project was to convert delicate hand-drawn patterns into air-like “tattoos” or in other words to produce stunning paper-cuts that can not only be framed and put onto the walls but that you can wear every day.

One of the questions the PaperPhine studio faces most often is if paper and paper yarn weren’t to fragile to be worn as jewelry. The Logical Art studio faced the same question so they set out to find a suitable paper for their purpose because they absolutely wanted to use paper to keep the quality of the delicate drawings. They say that “We managed to find a kind of special eco-friendly paper. The paper keeps all the great quality of normal paper (soft texture, light weight, beautiful tension), yet it is very strong. It is water-resistant / tear-resistant material as you can see from the video. We completed material tests already. Strong enough to wear, even for rainy days. You can wear Air Tattoo multiple times unless you try hard to tear it.” And once more it has to be added that the toughness of paper should never be underestimated.

Definitely a project all paper-lovers should back on Kickstarter!

Raw Art Letterpress: Where the Wild Things Are Print and What About Lunch Print (note to boyfriend: “What about lunch” is a Winnie The Pooh Quote – I didn’t commission it!)

At the PaperPhine studio we do have a keen interest in recycling (in case you ever wondered why your paper twines come wrapped in different papers: we have a huge stash of papers that are waiting to be re-used). While we mainly recycle papers and cardboard for wrapping and packing Colette who runs Raw Art Letterpress actually found a way to recycle cardboard to make her printing plates.

A peek into Colette’s studio in Northern California, USA

After making her first alphabet stamps out of erasers in 1998 Colette discovered her interest for making prints with words. She explains herself that “Traditional printmaking techniques are pretty complicated and precision is important. I’m impatient and I don’t follow instructions very well so I experimented and came up with what I call the ‘raw art letterpress’ process. It is essentially the same as traditional letterpress, but I use cardboard for my printing plates and I cut out each letter from playing cards. I have at least 200 different plates and I usually make a new one every day.”

HA HA HA Print and a Binary I Love You/Te Amo Print by Raw Art Letterpress

What I like about Colette’s prints are actually their “rawness” and the look of the handcut letters. There are lots of highly sophisticated (and beautiful) letterpress prints out there but it’s nice to have something bold and colorful from time to time especially if it either transmits a very cheerful message or is wonderfully abstract like the Binary Valentine’s Card – it’s definitely on the wishlist for Valentine’s day!

Update: February 15, 2012: Linda really got a nice red envelope yesterday… with the Binary Valentine’s Card inside and a little note from her boyfriend… so he IS reading the blog from time to time! And card is just as beautiful as shown in the pictures or even more so when you can also feel the texture.

From time to time there are really adorable and great projects over at Kickstarter (a crowd-funding plattform). There were a few really interesting letterpress projects in the past but at the moment the Love on the Run project by porridge papers caught our attention. We know the guys from porridge papers and they’re not only really nice but also very dedicated and Love on the Run has been their way to give back to the community.

Important stuff first: Check out the Love on the Run taken Nationwide on Kickstarter now, donate and be part of it!

Porridge Papers about Love on the Run: “This event is, and always has been, a free event focused on giving love back to the local community. During the event, participants attend an open house where they compose original love notes on antique typewriters. Each note is left with a recipient’s address and hand-delivered by our volunteers free of charge on Valentine’s day.” If this is not sweet (note to all the boyfriends of the PaperPhine-girls: we want hand-typed messages in bottles, too!).

With Kickstarter Porridge Papers is trying to raise money to create a how-to manual including everything from tips on locating and servicing typewriters that are almost 100 years old, to ideas on organizing delivery of each and every note in the community. Also they want to create a trademark that ensures that the Love on the Run event and the ideas and values that it was created from will be upheld no matter how many cities participate.

There are some pretty sweet rewards when you pledge for the project over at Kickstarter so have a look and also check out the Love on the Run website (note to boyfriends: some of the rewards include the typing and sending of personal Valentine’s notes).

Paperself’s Paper Eyelashes that are Inspired by the art of Chinese paper-cutting (Concept Designer: Ting yu Wang)

“This is the beginning of a paper revolution” is a statement right off the website of Paperself and definitely one I like even though I think it will be a couple more years before this London based platform will really show if they can keep their promise. Launched in 2009 by London based designer Chunwei Liao, Paperself unites artists, designers and manufacturers from East to West. Their most well known product are their Paper-Cut Eyelashes and even though I’ve seen some of them before I really enjoyed finally seeing all the designs on the Paperself website.

The Intertior Origami Collection by Paperself (Designed by Y.M.Hsu)

I’m quite curious about the “stonepaper” that Paperself uses for its interior origami collection. Currently there are only two pieces – the vase and the bowl – but I hope that there will be more soon because these two two pieces are quite promising and their shapes make for signature pieces.

Paperself’s Transformer furniture and lightning

The last current Paperself product is a modular cardboard system called “Transformers” that allows you to build your own coffee table, seat, light or as seen on the second picture above even a whole booth for a fair. The cardboard modules are flat when shipped, can be recycled, be printed or painted. As with Paperself’s Origami series this modular furniture system offers even a lot more possibilities and hopefully the Paperself team keeps its promise of a paper revolution and keeps playing with their great basic ideas and systems.

MJ Wall by Limpalux

Beautifully designed and made by hand out of paper are these stunning lamps by Limpalux. The German designers Anja Eder and Michael Römer are the responsible duo behind these lamps that are built segment by segment out of Japanese paper in a carefully selected range of colors that makes the lamps glow friendly once they’re switched on. with a background in sculpture these lamps do make a statement in themselves but at the same time they don’t overpower a room – definitely lamps I would love to have in my flat if only there was some space left that would do them justice.

Moonjelly and Corona (detail) by Limpalux
A peek into the Limpalux manufactory in Wuppertal Elberfeld, Germany.

Product photography by PATRICIA EICHERT PHOTOGRAPHY

FESTEN winkel + lunchroom in Maastricht, The Netherlands (photo by Mikkili.com)

The Dutch are wonderful people. As Austrians we have to say that we’re not very convinced about their mountain-driving skills (sorry) but they make it more than up with their love for design and good food! And these are two excellent reasons why you should definitely stop by at FESTEN winkel + lunchroom if you go to Maastricht. A beautifully designed space to relax and have some coffee or lunch – or to browse through carefully chosen pieces from around the world (… the braider’s bobbin with Paper Twine coming from our studio).

FESTEN winkel + lunchroom in Maastricht, The Netherlands (photos by Mikkili.com)

Address: FESTEN winkel + lunchroom, Mickeleersstraat 1A, 6211GX Maastricht, The Netherlands
FESTEN webshop with a smaller range of goods:http://www.festen-leshop.nl/

More about FESTEN can be found in this blog post by Mikkili – and they definitely know a thing or two about design as well!
(Thanks also to Mikkili for the permisson to use their photos).

Out of the first edition of Paper Runway Magazine

It’s still nearly hot off the press – and it’s fresh out of my mailbox! The fabulous first issue of Paper Runway Magazine that is all about paper, paper and even more paper! And of course I had to get a real paper copy with a lovely stitched spine (even the rather paper-blind boyfriend had to positively comment about it) – but you can also have a look at some pages of the first issue here and buy it afterwards…

So what it’s all about – well, beautiful photography of paper design, paper fashion and amazing illustrations for paper-related articles – all excellent for “before and during the morning coffee” after you’ve found your copy in the mailbox. And then there is page after page filled with smaller pictures and descriptions of paper products and paper goodies you all want to have – excellent reading after the first cup of morning coffee. And – last but not least – there are wonderful tutorials and I’m currently wondering for which not-so-grown-up occasion I can make the confetti dipped goodie bags (designed by tokketok) – to start you working right after you’ve finished that third cup of coffee!

Head over to Big Kids Magazine to read the whole interview with Nikki and Maree – the paper- and designloving ladies and fresh-baked publishers of Paper Runway Magazine.

Yes, you can also find a PaperPhine product in Paper Runway Magazine – have a close look at the “In the mood for blue…”-pages – Thanks Nikki and Maree! And a note to the significant other with my birthday coming up in 7 days: I want everyhing from pages 9, 20 and 38 and a lot from in-between!

Ilvy Jacob’s Foldbags (Photography by Igor Kruter) and the new Paper Phone Sleeves

Back in December I wrote about the Paper Bags by Ilvy Jacobs – and back then I thought that it would be quite clear to that a certain person what I wanted for Christmas… but well, it wasn’t. On the other hand back then I did not clearly point out where to buy Ilvy Jacob’s paper bags online but now I do!
And I really like the idea of the new Paper Phone sleeves as well – my phone and its memory capacity replaces all the small papers with something scribbled onto them I used to carry around with me – and now it’s possible to put that new memory device back into a jacket made of paper – fabulous!

Note to a specific other person who might be reading this: I think I like the darkest one best, thanks!

It’s paper, it’s modular, it’s origami and it comes in bright or subtle colors – so definitely something I enjoy a lot! I’ve stopped by at Ruti’s Root little shop regularily lately to see if there were new models to admire… and now one of the bowls is mine (still on the way from Haifa, Israel – but soon it will get a place of honour in the studio!)

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It’s not “only” paper but it’s recycled paper from all over the country that Ruti collects with the help of her family, friends and friends’ friends – so next time you open a chewing gum you might have a second thought about throwing that wrapping paper away (and also the 199 following wrapping papers). And indeed there are often a lot of small papers that you don’t want to throw away because the colors are too nice, the layout too pretty or the memories too sweet (I have a whole drawer of them myself). Modular origami is wonderful way to recycle these small treasures and Ruti Ben Dror (who it behind Ruti’s Roots) also adds that “This kind of art combines my passion for shaping and color-matching, with my love for nature, while attempting to preserve and reuse pre-existing materials.”

… I wonder what customs officials say if my collection of small papers turns up in Israel… perhaps I have to try to see the huge bowl that can be made out of them!

I had the sneaking suspicion for quite a while now that it would be nicer to put the books the other way round into the bookshelf – a lot more paper to see and admire! Identifying a book you are looking for might become a bit more difficult but on the other hand all those pages offer a lot of possibilities for some folding – take these great books by Isaac Salazar as an example!

I can even imagine more graphical designs like patterns in the shelf… no, it might not be the best idea to start folding books you still want to read but everybody I know has a couple of books stashed away that can’t be thrown away for one reason or another and won’t be read again either.

I looked around but I couldn’t find any homepage by Isaac Salazar except his page on flickr. But has a shop on etsy selling his “books” (thanks Jane!). Isaac Salazar works as an accountant and has stumbled upon making what he calls “Book Art / Book Origami”.