Last post for today...

I basically write notes about these posts on the side... and leave them there. I promise I'll update them on a more organized basis in the future.
Maybe...
But lately I've been redesigning cupholders for cars, in hopes of encouraging a stronger sense of organization within a car...
Or at least helping people remember their Starbucks coffee cups before they leave the car.
But I stumbled upon this
Saab
Which is basically a flip out cupholder. I can't get over how nifty the flipping function of this cupholder is. It's both sleek and well balanced (The bottom feature actually flips into a base for your drink)
The only thing that would make it perfect is an adjustable ring for different sized cups
...and maybe a heat sensor but that might be a bit excessive..

There's actually a few videos posting throughout Youtube of this contraption, that's just how captivating it is. People really like spinny objects.

Just to avoid any copyright issues, I'm simply going to post a link.

Luxirare

The majority of this blogger's creations are all industrial meets fashions. She goes as far as creating the metal clasps fixtures of her bags, which is just fantastic.
But what I really appreciate is her ability to cater to her own needs.
It's hard to find an acceptable camera bag which both protects your camera, leaves room for the fifty other wallet/ID's you need to carry, and look stylish.
I've been following her lately, but she's definitely got the do it yourself aspect down.

Cheese graters....

So this thing looks like a cheese grater.
...Except it's not...

 It's really a pen holder....

Here's an image for scale

 

The story of this device starts with a cup of yogurt. Or really, just me trying to save some money....

If you're me, a yogurt cup is a perfectly acceptable container for all of your art supplies.

Plus it shifts into a convenient water container for your next painting project.

However....if you're a more aesthetically concerned individual (such as my roommate) a yogurt container belongs in a recycling bin.

So as a more design friendly solution, she decided to buy what I call the cylindrical cheese-grater.

I'm..not really sure if it's actually a pen holder or not, but it looks pretty cool when it holds my pencils...

It seems like a strange object to blog about, but I've been noticing it everywhere. When I get a chance I'll post more stalkerish photos of these objects in context, but I've seen them in:

• Metal working studios
• Coffee shops
• Office buildings.

I mean, they're pretty cheap but the I just enjoy how Ikea manages to sneak their way onto every work space throughout Oakland.

And they're really not friendly for colored pencils, once the shavings and lead nicks build up.
In a way I can see that being useful....since it forces you to clean up your supplies...but personally I think this thing has capabilities to create fantastic grated cheese.
(Or a cool lampshade, but that's not as amusing.)

Lighting.

Basically, I am obsessed with playing with the forms of light and shadows.
The problem is.. the more experimental a light can be the more material and electricity it involves.
In this day and age, that gets us no where.
Anthropologie (a ...fairly expensive clothing store) happens to give a creative alternative to most lighting methods.

 They utilize news paper like the above lamp.

 Spoons and forks!

And somehow get away with simple lightbulbs alone.

The thing is, regardless of their ecological methods..the prices range from $300 to $4,000 depending on designer.
Anthropologie's market consists of a mass of very devoted shoppers, who are willing to pay for their pricey vintage creations....but the store exists as more of an inspiration for me.

Some of the less recyclable materials out there happen to be

 

Styrofoam and plastic bags. 

I've seriously never seen an acceptable way to reuse these things...

So there's this whole concept of UP-Cycling, which is basically reusing materials towards new useful product. You're not technically going back to the materials original elements, but you're not wasting NEW materials for the sake of your new item.

The problem is....I have no idea how plastic bags could hold up against the heat of a bulb, or how I can mess with the opacity of styrofoam to properly showcase a beam of light.

That's what experimentation is for...but styrofoam is such a hassle to work with.

• Styrofoam crumbles more than a coffee cake, it's honestly the most frustrating substance
• Buying solid blocks of Stryofoam to reshape would be counter productive....because then I'm not reusing materials...
• This is more personal but when this stuff squeaks together, I want to cry.

But there has to be a way to make these look more attractive. I mean, if Anthropologie can sell a a chain of spoons for $4,000 (Seriously, Look for yourself.... ) , I can make a pretty shade out of plastic bags and styrofoam.