Lego Fusion Is Here!

Have you heard about LEGO's latest release that lets you view your LEGO creations in 3D and interact with them? It sounds amazing! All you need is a special fusion kit and a tablet or smartphone with the LEGO app loaded on it. So cool. I can't wait until my boys are old enough to enjoy stuff like this.

Crayon Art Sculptures

An artist by the name of Hoang Tran takes Crayola crayons to a new level with her amazing pop culture sculptures. I can't believe she's able to get this much detail on the tip of a crayon. Incredible!
I LOVE the Game of Thrones set, but they're all equally impressive, don't you think?

Beauty and the Beast 

Game of Thrones sigils

Star Wars

Survivalist iPhone Case

Check out this iPhone case that a Vermont woman invented. It has pliers, a ruler, a wire cutter, a bottle opener, a saw, three screwdrivers, and more. It's hard to believe all of that can fit into one little phone cover, but somehow it works. What an amazing invention.

When Fish Can Drive

This is so cool! The fish pictured in the video below is actually driving the car, which is operated via a webcam that tracks the position of the fish within the tank. Living proof that positive things can come from people who have too much time on their hands.

Nature's Orchestra

This is one of the most amazing things I've seen in a long time. Playwright Robert Wilson recorded the harmonious sound of crickets one night. With a little recording magic, he was then able to stretch out the sound they make "by as much as one would have to stretch the life of a cricket to equal that of a human." The result is something that sounds very much like an intentional orchestra. Bravo, mother nature!

Listen to the full recording here: https://soundcloud.com/acornavi/robert-wilson-crickets-audio

The Wonderland Project

Check out these breathtaking photos from professional photographer Kirsty Mitchell. They're all a part of her Wonderland Collection, which pays tribute to her deceased mother who loved to read and tell great stories. These photos certainly tell stories of their own, don't they? Stunning!

Yusuke Oono's 360° Storybooks

Japanese artist Yusuke Oono creates storybooks that read frame by frame like a regular book, but also transform into 360° sculptures. It's amazing what can be done with simply a few sheets of paper and a pair of scissors, isn't it?

The process..

Snow White

Food Figures

Who is in the mood for a little art exploration? I sure am! That's why I'm happy to have stumbled across this project from photographer Klaus Enrique Gerdes. He recently recreated Giuseppe Arcimboldo's famous 16th century portrait paintings using real fruits, vegetables and flowers. You can see some of Arcimboldo's originals below for comparison with Gerdes' interpretations. I'm amazed by both portrait versions. They're creepy, yet mesmerizing. If you stare long enough, you sort of expect them to start moving, don't you?

The 16th century painted version

Gerdes' photographed version

Another painted version

And Gerdes' photographed version

Unexpected Rainbows

Artist Gabriel Dawe (hat tip: Dude Craft) has some of the most amazing rainbow-inspired art installations I've ever seen. They're made from cotton thread which is strategically arranged to create unique, colorful patterns. I know that art speaks different things to different people, but to me, these exude happiness. They're gorgeous.

Plexus No.6

Density of Light

Plexus No. 11

Not So Ordinary Things

Ever heard of Los Angeles-based artist Andrew Lewicki?  Me either, until I stumbled upon a review of his work on one of the design blogs I follow. Interesting stuff, isn't it? The Oreo cookie manhole cover is definitely my favorite. There's something about imagining a handsome, sweaty, McSteamy kind of man crawling out of the ground with a gigantic cookie shell like this one that makes me smile.

Louis Vuitton waffle maker. 

Accordion Obscura

Feed the Squirrels

We have a walnut tree in our backyard which means that come fall, our lawn is bound to be a walnut paradise. Every squirrel's dream! I don't mind. In fact, I like the idea of having a little fun with it. Something like this hilarious Big Head Squirrel Feeder would no doubt be entertaining.

Geek Alert! Social Media Attire

Geekologie has an interesting sartorial-inspired post honoring all the colors of the social media rainbow. What does that look like? It's kind of cool, actually. I never realized how Where's Waldo-esque Pinterest colors were. As Geekologie points out, an outfit like that could double as a Halloween costume so that's a bonus.

Unlikely Mediums in Art

You may recall my post from a few weeks ago regarding beautiful knife art displays. Today's post promises something equally unexpected.

Artist Marcus Levine creates striking pieces of artwork using nails! Even more amazing is the fact that he doesn't use sketches, drafts or mapping before he begins a project so the end result is always a surprise.

Incredible!

Globes Galore

Lately, I've had a major sense of wanderlust which may explain why I'm so drawn to these amazing repurposed globe projects.  Aren't they fascinating? I love it when something ordinary takes on a new, inspirational form.

1.  Clock - Dishfunctional Designs
2.  Night Lights/Art - Positive Ponderings
3.  Disco Ball - Six Axle
4.  Grill - Inhabitat.com
5.  Bowl - Rose of Sharon Blog
6.  Kitchen Light - The Inspired Room

The Amazing Ryan Berkley

Ryan Berkley is an incredibly talented illustrator whose work very much reminds me of something out of The Wind in the Willows.  Each print comes with its own story too. Aren't these characters great? My sister Katie is in love with this stuff and I can see why. These portraits really bring me back to my childhood. It's hard not to smile!

We're lucky enough to have Ryan's artwork on display here in Seattle at the Assemble Gallery in Greenwood. If you're ever in the area, you should definitely check it out. The shop is small, but it packs a mean punch of talent.

Yodamelon

Watermelon will never be the same! Isn't this a great way to turn a sweet summer snack into something fun? See how it's made at Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons.

Animated Alphabet

This awesome alphabet video is courtesy of The Daily What.  I've always been fond of storytelling through stop motion.  Hello Amazon commercials!  Am I right?  They're just so darn eye-catching.

P.S. If you don't follow The Daily What, you might want to.  The site has so many interesting things to see and read about!


The Alphabet 2 from n9ve on Vimeo.

Incredible Things

If you've never been to the site Incredible Things, you may be missing out on reviews of some of the coolest gadgets out there. 

Take this, for example. It's such a simple idea, but so brilliantly useful!  I am constantly looking for my keys. Inevitably, they end up buried beneath groceries or tucked away in the dirtiest crevasses of my gigantic purse.  BUT,  with a light switch like this, I'd never have to wonder where I put my keys again.  

JELL-O Mold Competition

If you've never heard of The JELL-O Mold Competition, you don't know what you're missing! (Admittedly, I only recently discovered the event myself so I didn't know what I was missing either.)

The NYC-based competition has been around since 2009.  It's goal is to gather together top-notch creative talent to help prove the point that "food is the universal language of design." And what better medium to use than JELL-O, a favorite among cafeteria lunch lines and senior citizen picnics alike?

Here's this year's grand prize winner, Jelly Fishin'.

But the coolest use of JELL-O, in my opinion, is the JelTone.  It's a fully functional piano made almost entirely from tiny molded JELL-O squares.  Listen to the sweet, soothing melodies it puts out. So cool!

Art At High Altitude

Artist Stan Herd has spent the last 30 years of his life perfecting representational earthwork design.  His art has been featured in Rolling Stone and Esquire magazines as well as television and radio programs like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and NPR's All Things Considered.  It's easy to see why so many are eager to spread the word about his work -- it's grand in scale, yet intricately textured and detailed.  I am simply in awe.