roadside scholar

stuff i found on the highway of life

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Archive for March, 2008

sarah thirlwell contemporary wood accessories

i love the contemporary handturned birch, ash and sycamore home and personal adornments with vibrant acrylic accents from uk artist sarah thirlwell. sarah uses sustainable timber and reclaimed acrylic to create these pieces, and her collection includes vessels, vases and jewelry.

sarah will be exhibiting at the liverpool design show from june 19th – 22nd, 2008. see her full collection and contact her on her website.

via cribcandy via designklub

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i love the (eighteen) eighties tee shirt

okay, this inspired embroidered tee designed by nathan stilley CRACKS me up.

yep, minutes later it’s still funny. ah, memories…

find it at threadless, where you can request a reprint in your size if you find it sold out (and where you may go broke buying tee shirts).

via rare bird finds

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jaime derringer illustrations

am i the last person on earth to know about these fun illustrations from california artist jaime derringer, aka etsy seller jaimers aka the dynamic force behind design milk, one of my regular stops in bloggyland? she uses a combination of hand drawn and digital techniques to create her limited edition collection.

i knew jaime had a good eye for minimal style from her blog and now i can see the genesis of it all. or was it the blog that came first? no matter. it all works. i love the happy colors and graphic details too.

see jaime’s full collection right here, make sure to check out her terrific blog and while you’re over there, browse through her cool finds in her design shop, called vitamindesign.

via at home with kim vallee

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iris schwarz illustrations: miniview

look at these enchanting and slightly surreal digital collage pieces, from swiss artist iris schwarz. there is something familiar about these delicate works which draws me to them, like i’ve seen them in a museum or maybe while i was daydreaming. iris uses ink, pencil and acrylic, and also draws upon a variety of vintage influences and imagery to complete her intriguing collection. even her shop name, which is called paulette edition, was inspired from her love of things old fashioned and very french! ever curious to know more about the brains behind the operation, i asked a few quick questions…

q: how did you get into creating these lovely illustrations?
a: after my graduation in graphic design and illustration i’m now self-employed for about ten years. graphic design always was more of a job, but illustration/drawing/painting is my real passion. i started with editorial illustration for several magazines and newspapers, today i work more as a freelancer, selling my art and illustrations online or direct to my audience.

q: what inspires you to make art?
a: art – contemporary, but even more the old schools (italian renaissance, the dutch school – i adore this accurate work), fairy tales, craft – i’m impressed by certain skills people have, victorian illustration. almost everything old… illustrated books, textiles, furniture (antique shops or flea markets are my obsession, especially in paris!), nature is very important to me, sometimes a conversation, beauty.

q: do you have a favorite medium to work in?
a: a pencil, a brush and paper. but, i must admit my iMac (photoshop) and me became really good friends too!

see the conplete collection, purchase these pieces and contact iris at her etsy shop.

thank you iris!

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snapshot sunday

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best of the week on roadside scholar

oh hello there. what are you going to do during earth hour today (you are participating right?)? i plan on drinking some wine by candlelight and having a nice chat with the hubs myself. before we turn our electricity off though (at 8 pm your local time, for one hour), feel free to take a peek at some of the week’s most popular posts, just in case you missed it… you can click on the photo to read the posts and click on the text links for more info about the companies and items.

the beautiful illustrations of jerry seguin and matt stuart’s street photography

bernhard grafl’s organic dear deer and a few questions for gypsy and twink

an informative let’s chat! with virginia glass artist elizabeth perkins

so, do you call it spring when it is sunny out but 35 degrees? i don’t think you can. your comments and emails keep my chin up everyday though — thanks for your support! have a pleasant weekend and i will see you next week with a miniview featuring a terrific digital collage artist, a great let’s chat! with a superhip illustrator and a fun cup and mug round-up. over and out!

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cool necklace round up

gather round kids, it’s time for the weekly round up, and today we’re having a fun look at some clever and unique contemporary necklaces…

fine tune metal pendant from antlitz design

english summer necklace from mixko

elizabeth scott’s shallow water necklace; moskow necklace from charlotte tollstén

sherry truitt’s bull’s eye blue spirit necklace

catherine chandler’s pod necklace

branch necklace from sharma designs; hedgehog button necklace by the magpie’s nest

zipper necklace from frans van nieuwenborg and martijn wegman

small petals necklace from yoko izawa

nesting box necklace by ruth baillie for her birdland creations

gold knit collar necklace with semi precious stones by barbara silverstein

silicone star planeta necklace

know yourself pendant from melanie favreau; small glasses necklace by small things designs

third time’s a charm necklace

18k gold vermeil adage necklace from kimberly baker

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tall cu side table by kristalia

if i had seen this guy last week when i was doing my side table round up, i would have included him. i love the simple design and versatility of c tables (do you call them u?), to be used as table, seat or tray. this tall cu table from monica graffeo for kristalia is made of durable polyurethane, so it can take a beating inside or out.

the table measures 15 3/4″h x 25 5/8″w x 17 3/4″d, it’s $439, and it’s available right here.

via betterlivingthroughdesign

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