leaves of clay ceramics

Beautiful functional and sculptural stoneware with great organic style from the talented hands of North Carolina potter and Etsy seller Michele Humphrey for her leavesofclay shop. Each piece is imprinted with different leaf species from the trees nearby.

I am pretty sure I need to touch these right away.

See more at Michele’s Etsy shop and the Leaves of Clay website.

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tammy marinuzzi pottery

i am enjoying this fun whimsical terra cotta work from florida artist and very observant people-watcher tammy marinuzzi.

see more and contact tammy on her website, and view more pieces at the mary lou zeek gallery.

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hudson beach glassware

look at this beautiful, functional glass collection from hudson beach glass. the four artists who make up this collective — john p. gilvey, wendy gilvey, michael benzer and jennifer smith — use several techniques, including casting the glass by hand and etching it for even more texture and depth. nature and the sea are influences, as you can see from the organic detailing they’ve included on these pieces.

purchase select pieces here and there, and see more of this sculptural collection on the hudson beach glass website.

via the ecosalon

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bocina watering can

i keep my ugly watering can for my houseplants underneath the kitchen sink, but i would strongly reconsider my decision if i had this curvy stainless steel bocina can designed by mikaela dörfel for auerhahn. it is absolutely worthy of a place of honor, somewhere at eye level where i could frequently enjoy it.

i love it when form and function are married so beautifully together!

find it at uncommon goods or pro-idee.

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maison martin margiela cheers ring

grabbing the brass ring has a different meaning now, with this engraved piece from avant belgian designer maison martin margiela. look at the discreet bottle opener on the bottom, for impromptu and emergency openings.

this is clever and functional too and i love the texture of the material and and warmth of the aged looking metal.

$135 right here.

via uncrate

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ceramic birdball house from green and blue

multi-disciplinary designers gavin christman and kate knapp of the uk company green and blue have created a sculpturally pleasing birdhouse made of slipcast ceramic. they call it the birdball because it follows the rounded shape of natural nests. this functional house is well suited for titmice and other small birds, with an opening large enough for them to get in and and keep predators out. the response to this product was so positive that they added a squirrel-proof peanut feeder along the same lines to the collection:

i really wish they could have created an opening on the bottom for regular cleaning (instead of having to do it using a skinny coathanger), but i can appreciate how that would have messed with the design lines. that said, i think it is simple and gorgeous and i can imagine a heavily forested yard with these hanging around all the tree boughs.

the houses are available in terracotta or white wall mount or hanging form, the feeder in white only, and you can find them on the green and blue website or at hen and hammock.

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karim rashid console furniture

these ease and relief storage pieces, part of the first collection from acclaimed designer karim rashid for horm, are handsome and functional. as you can see they can be vertically or horizontally oriented, and come in a goodly variety of colors and veneers to match your personal decor and storage needs.

find them at generate.

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mesolini contemporary art glass

bainbridge island, washington serves as major inspiration for gregg mesmer’s and diane bonciolini’s sleek glass dishware.

multiple steps go into the creation of mesolini glass, including hand rolling, pouring into ceramic molds and kiln firing. each glistening piece has their signature cutoff edge, due in part to the distinctively craggy nature of the material. it’s also a very convenient place for dinner party plate passing and holding.

perhaps even more beautiful than their functional pieces are their public art works. check out this fantastic 10 x 10′ beach glass quilt. the beach glass collected for this project was donated by many supportive local residents. isn’t that neighborly?

this substantial, 312 square foot mural map of the island was commissioned by the local rotary club, for placement at their gateway park. it’s composed of concrete and more than 30,000 pieces of recycled glass.

their pieces make terrific wedding gifts. for info on how to purchase, and to view their many other items, click here.

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