roadside scholar

stuff i found on the highway of life

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pull + push mansion planter

if the landlord won’t give you access to plant a green roof, you could still achieve it in miniature with this wee (about 4″ x 5″ x 5″) mansion planter from japan’s nobuhiro sato for his pull + push company. it’s solidly made of mortar, glass and brass. nobuhiro seeks to incorporate architectural details into his home accessory products, so i urge you to find joy in the architectural details like the chunky stairs and the window railings!

you know you’d probably get a lot of great light in the place if those windows face south…

p.s. i like his ashtray (not that i’m advocating) and incense burner too!

find them all at mollaspace.

via betterlivingthroughdesign

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anna woltz illustrations

beloved readers, you may find the little snippets about my life to be a tad dull, but hey, for me this is a creative outlet and a place to seek inspiration and a space to get personal. is that not the essence of the interweb? anyway, today i will tell you that when i was a youngster, i went to a small school where i was the only asian kid. in the whole school. and i can’t really even call myself asian, i am a halfsie pacific islander, being a happy-go-lucky filipino half the time! knowing i was the only one there made it a surreal experience at times, especially when kids would try and guess what nationality i was. i wonder if the reaction would have been the same if this wonderful illustrated book from colorado artist anna woltz had been available then. anna has created a playful soft cover illustrated book and toddler tees which feature a multicultural culinary alphabet lesson for her company, wondertoast. check it out:

i think this is such a terrific way to engage a child’s curiosity while educating them about food and other cultures. maybe if these had been around back in the day, i wouldn’t have been bombarded with that pesky “are you hawaiian?” question all the time. and i actually think the whole alphabet featured as a fun oversized print would be a marvelous piece of art in a kid’s room, or anyone’s kitchen for that matter.

thank you so much for the photos, anna!

buy her adorable and very affordable items at wondertoast, and find anna on her art blog or baby blog.

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a trip to kup kup land and beyond

look at the happy, magical pincushions, brooches and more that have flown out of the mind of talented spanish artist kima and into her kup kup land. the vignettes are a wee 19 cm x 14 cm (7.5″ x 5.5″).

i frequently daydream about being a fairy or a gnome and living under a tall flower in the forest, and this is one of those times…

wait – hold on a minute – i’m snapping out of it to show you her slightly melancholic and disturbing acrylic, pencil and ink illustrations!

well, now i don’t know where i’m at in my head. this is all really great art.

check out this etsy shop to go to kup kup land, that etsy shop to see the lil’ butcher girl illustrations, and afterwards her blog too!

via craft via plush you

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doug boehm prints

i love this monster mash set of four prints from pennsylvania artist doug boehm, and not just because it’s halloween today! i think this set would be great in a media room (my media room). these images are prints of his original paintings. doug has a bfa from the tyler school of art, and also has an impressive list of clients including rolling stone, the philadelphia enquirer and seattle weekly. he has been recognized by american illustration and the society of illustrators for his talents. take a peek at his colorful, anthropomorphic, slightly askew creations.

 

i love his lines and his strong-jawed characters, and feel their anxiety. is it sinister tension or a sad doomsday loss of control? i can’t tell.

i still think i like that mummy the best.

see his fantastic portfolio on his website, and purchase his prints at thumbtack press!

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soda by amy designs

after having a look at the beautiful letterpress business card, i knew the line from local artist amy carolyn allison was going to be special. the collection of home and personal accessories she has created for her company, soda by amy, is warm and welcoming, and the small luxuries like letterpress and belgian linen couldn’t possibly go unnoticed. amy was a furniture and interior designer by trade before she decided to focus her talent on her own line. she has degrees in art, interior design and furniture design from adrian college and kendall college of art and design. it sure looks like she is putting all her talents to tremendous use!

see those wavy pattern pillows in the pile? that hand silkscreened linen/cotton fabric is available in three colorways by the yard!

i did not see her wallpaper at the show, and now it is making me insane:

i love her whimsical themes and the selection of assorted media she uses. those porcelain cups with their sweet etchings are delicate, but substantial and simply exquisite. then again, everything in the line feels that way.

see the other charming things in her collection, make purchase inquiries and contact amy on her website.

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attack! pillows from brokesy

i think this limited edition series of attack! pillow sets from california artist brokesy is a riot. sarah is originally from a heavily wooded area in ontario, and her frequent childhood half mile walks through the canadian forest to get to the school bus (and anxiety of being eaten by bears while doing it) serve as inspiration for her playful appliqued pillow line. she has an mfa in costume design from the california institute of the arts.

grab ’em before they’re gone at her etsy shop.

via decor8 and notcot

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super fun lunchbags by stephen savage

look at these fun insulated lunchbags, designed by new york illustrator stephen savage. aren’t they cute?

besides making these munchlers, stephen is an award-winning children’s book author. he also creates illustrations for numerous publications, including the new york times.

they begin shipping on august 31 at built, so hurry!

via drawn!

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