Imagination Kids

I was in Iceland last week and what a great trip it was! I will tell you more about a little later. However, it is truly a land of ice, ocean and volcanoes! These great, eco-friendly puzzles by Imagination Kids are made in the US but they could very well represent Iceland.

Punctuation mark

Punctuation mark is a showcase of ceramics and crystal by young, acclaimed designers Mari Isopahkala and Sami Ruotsalainen. The new cups and plates are born from a common idea and have developed side by side. The materials are different and the works are independent yet inter-related. Red and white clay work beautifully with crystal glasses and the whole process is shown in the sketches on the gallery wall.

Punctuation mark 22.3-5.4.2012 at Köln im Studio, Pursimiehenkatu 26 C, Helsinki

Diamond light

Very classy Diamond halogen light by Swedish designer Eric Therner. It can be bought directly from his web shop.

Minakani Walls

Lovely wallpapers from French Minakani Walls. The studio offers custom size and exclusive motifs printed into high quality non-woven paper. The one in the middle is my favourite.

New from Habitat

I have another school related post for you: Habitat has launched a series of new chairs that look like old school chairs with colored legs. This would be a good painting idea if you ever find any old school chairs from flea markets.

Pencil holder

Do you remember this pencil holder everyone had to make at school as their first wood work? It is starting to look nostalgic again and luckily a friend made me one. Just so simple and pretty! Or maybe you like the more rugged concrete version sold by vonr.fi? I know I like them both.

Find your story

Beautiful images from my hometown Helsinki. Special small moments in life. These pictures are from a short film by director Miikka Lommi for YLE, Finland's national broadcasting company. Produced by Kennel Helsinki.

Watch the film here:

https://vimeo.com/38775974

Hooray for Helsinki!

This book is great! It is published by Tammi both in Finnish and English and it was released for the ongoing design capital year. It's a children's book including a story about a family's summer day out in Helsinki. It is also a book for anyone interested in Finnish design. There is plenty of information about designers, famous Finnish brands and interesting stories behind Helsinki's architecture.

Inked puppets

I like these tattooed puppets by artist Norma V. Toraya from New York. Check out her Crankbunny-shop!

Photos via Crankbunny.

Taped jars

I needed some jars for my paintbrushes and here they are. As you can see, we eat a lot of jam and now the old jars can have a new life and look with some Japanese masking tape.

Wood-like floor tiles

These floors are not wood but tile! Treverk Home by Italian Marazzi is a floor tile that looks like wood but is resistant to frost and moisture. There are four different colours and three different sizes. This could be a great solution for those who dream of having a wooden bathroom floor. I'm not usually a big fan of materials imitating each other but I saw this 'live' today and it does look surprisingly good! And it's available at your local K-Rauta.

Photos by Marazzi

Culinary colour palette

I found a stunning French blog and I want to share it with you. These great photos are from a blog called Griottes which focuses on food and has magical, outstanding photos. I became of a total fan of this Pantone inspired food styling! Wow!

Photos by Griottes.

Kaari by Mikko Laakkonen

Designer Mikko Laakkonen has designed a new coat rack for Martela. Simple, light and easy to move Kaari comes in three colours and in two sizes -with three or five hooks. I like the look of it and I could see this working well in private homes too.

Pastel birds

Spring is coming and so are the pastel colours. These Early bird pendant lights by Danish Alma's room are cast in glazed ceramic and they come in seven delicate colours. Welcome spring!

Mute from Japan

These beauties come from Japanese design studio Mute. Simple and elegant!

Brooklyn to west by Ariele Alasko

I have to share this most amazing woodwork that I just found. It's by designer and sculptor Ariele Alasko from Brooklyn and it's all made from recycled wood and driftwood. Check out her website. Super nice work!!!

Photos via Brooklyn to west.

Inspired by neon

I'm inspired by bright neon colours. I made a simple necklace out of neon pink shoelace and wooden beads. I also recently bought this great set of bracelets that looks like straight out of the 80's! The painting on the wall is a gift from talented Suki and headband from H&M.

Carl Larsson

This weekend was so beautiful and sunny! Some more sun was added to our days when we went to see the Swedish master Carl Larsson's exhibition in Ateneum. There is a constant summer and happy children playing in almost all of his idyllic, detailed paintings. What a beautiful world he presents!
The exhibition offers lot's of activities for the younger audience from tying ribbons to a rug to coloring of spinning tops. The kids had a lot of fun trying on the period clothing and playing with toys from the Carl Larsson era. Definitely worth the visit!

Carl Larsson in Ateneum 10.02.-29.4.2012