bltd

Kris posted the JUXTAPOSED: Religion from Mike and Maaike back in October of ’07, and I can honestly say I’ve never stopped wanting it. And now, as if to torture us further, they’ve created a second series focused on “seven of the world’s most seminal texts on power” which is offered in a numbered, limited edition of 50.

“2,451 pages 2,390 years 2,251 wars 432 revolutions 90 empires 7 books 1 shelf.”

Approximately 60lbs.
36″ W x 5″ H x 8″ D

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Hand cranked music boxes, they’re not just for monkeys in red hats to dance to anymore… uh, right? This music box brings to mind the vintage versions, except it’s small enough to keep handy. Have a listen to what it sounds like on youtube:‘Valser d’Amelie’.

The nice illustration/graphic design on the package is by Maria Helena of the 2.2 design studio.

About 1.6″ x 2″ x 0.8″
Material: Metal, Paper
Available Tunes: ‘Are you lonesome tonight’, ‘La vie en Rose’, ‘My Way’, ‘Valser d’Amelie‘ (listen to it on youtube)

Batteries? Don’t need ’em. Power outlet? No ma’am. Arian Brekveld’s carafe uses the natural self-cooling properties of terra cotta to keep its contents cool. And its silicone base protects tables from scratches.

Designer: Arian Brekveld
Terra cotta and silicone
11 x 3.2 inches � holds one liter

Instead of doing lots of little posts on each individual cork bowl I’ve come across, I’m going to do one big one covering the ones I’ve bookmarked so far.

Brooklyn-based home furnishings company Grenkol creates an interesting palette of textures with their Domino Lamp series, consisting of cast oriented strand board concrete coupled with candlelight-brightness low wattage incandescent light bulbs. I really love the industrial toggle switch as a finishing touch. Available in 1, 2, and 4 socket configurations and also offered as a set.

It’s never too late to start an art collection, and don’t you dare say you can’t afford it because there’s several sites out there that will prove you wrong. Maybe you can’t afford big-city-major-gallery-brand-name art (goodness knows most of us can’t), but there’s quite a bit of ‘budget’ art that runs around $20-$100 for smaller prints. I personally got lost on Little Paper Planes* the other day, and ended up buying three small prints for under $100, which is not bad at all. So, if you’ve got some blank walls begging for a lil’ bit of art, check it out.

shown above, left to right:

Sweet Like Harmony Print by Kelly Allen, $65.00
Christie Print by Alika Cooper, $50.00
Helen Ireland Print by Erin Gilkes, $20.00
Julia Rothman Letterpress Print by Julia Rothman, $25.00
Universe Kite Print by Brandi Strickland, $30.00

*and no, they didn’t pay us to plug their site, just in case you were feeling skeptical.

Thanks to Arian Brekveld for what’s probably the sexiest squeeze bottle I’ve ever seen. I hear it’s dishwasher safe, it’s made of polypropylene plastic with caps in several colors, and for a few extra bucks it’s also available in stainless steel.

Designer: Arian Brekveld
8.2 x 2.3 inches
Design-Plus Award 2006

You’ll never be at a loss for words with these cards. With three sentiments spelled out in nice script, you’ll be able to hand the appropriate card to the recipient without getting tongue-tied. There’s thirty three of each card in the box, so get your fingers ready to do all your talking.

“thank you”, “sorry” or “f*ck you”

Cards: 2.625″ x 2″ box: 8″ x 2″ x 1″

This clever piece of functional art combines a printed clock graphic with a real working clock mechanism. I’m thinking office or kitchen.

-Lightweight, high-qualitity canvas frame
-420mm x 297mm
-Requires 1 x AA battery (not included).

First introduced in 1997, the Elflugan is an oldie but a goodie. The built-in dimmer switch means the 19 bulbs, with a total output of 60 watts, are ready to glow for any occasion.

by Lundgren & Strandberg
Available in red, white, and anthracite grey
12.6 x 3.1 x 14.1 inches
19.7 x 4.9 x 22.8 inches, $459.86, available here

You say whaaa? Well, it’s an eternally tapping copy of the artist’s (Nik Ramage) own hand. You simply flick a switch to start or stop the resin cast fingers tapping. You know, so you don’t have to do it yourself, which frees you up for other important matters. Well worth £480, right?… Er, if you’re swimming in cash, that is.

Materials: Cast resin, steel and motor.
Dimensions: Human hand.
Power: 2 x AA Batteries (included)
Edition: 10 artist’s proofs. (Only 1 remaining)
Colour: Masking Tape.

Designer Michiel Cornelissen creates a perfect blend of technology and readymade craft with his 30 Pencil Icosahedron kit. The connecting joints are 3d printed, and coupled with 30 pencils (provided by you) creates a cool icosahedron shape. I would prefer to skip the lamp shade function and just have them around to play with as a sculptural toy.

Black and white cotton dhurrie rug. Just about the prefect thing to add a traditional touch to a room without commiting to a troublesome color palette.

medium: 6’w x 9’l, $699.00
large: 9’w x 12’l, $1,099.00

Our second free header spot* goes to Martin Zampach. His ICEBLOX look like a lot of fun (note that the silicone mold can be used also for making chocolate, jelly and biscuits), so he gets a little free spot here on BLTD. We asked him a few questions about the design process:

What inspired you to create this product?
Actually inspiration came from my childhood when I was playing tetris like crazy on small one-purpose game handheld. Then It came to my mind again when I was in Moscow in summer 2007. Actually creator of this game is Russian engineer who designed it in 1984. I’ve got the idea that with ice or chocolate cubes could be fun too.
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Maybe it’s not picnic weather just yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t prepare for it. This flatware is pretty clever in that the fork and spoon fit inside the handle of the knife, and then all 3 snap shut inside the cover. That means you have your own flatware for picnics, camping, or, if you’re particularly OCD, at restaurants.

Measures 7″ long x 1.5″ wide.
$16 per set