Archive for the ‘Heart to death’ Category

Magical ‘Childs Own’ Paper to Plush

April 26, 2012

Any one who knows me, knows that I hate plush toys, I really truly dislike them, they are great for children under the age of ‘loves Barbie’ after that I am sure they become disease infested dust collecting, dog toys, that are terribly slippery when placed on polished timber flooring in ones house.

That being said, I am always rather partial to children’s idea being forced into reality especially their crazy little drawings of different creatures and people. Whilst they push you to the limits of what’s annoying/humorous/tiring/hygienic, that also push their own little imaginations into the unthinkable.

Some of the faces and drawing our little team members have doen are pretty cool and I have found a website that turns such drawings into very cool plush toys!

Child’s Own Studio is an amazing website/craft artist who puts children’s crazy/amazing drawings into beautiful handmade plush toys.

Each one a perfect recreation as it passes from imagination into plush toy existence. On the Child’s Own Studio Website, there is also some very cool accompanying stories from the children that make the original drawings.

As per the site, Child’s Own Studio is described like this by the site.

“Child’s Own Studio is a place where your child and a craft artist, together, can create a keepsake to be cherished for a lifetime”

all so cool, my favourite is “Steggy off to school”

I know this is not the first of this kind of idea. I remember seeing child’s art being recreate by adults some time ago, but the fact the Child’s Own Studio turns them into cool plush dolls for the child to keep, I think is very cool.

Please goo and check out the site, or the Flickr

I love the annotation to explain the computer. Totally cool.

 

 

Cardboard Arcade anyone?

April 11, 2012

I am buying a super-pass. I love Children’s’ imagination, especially the check code on the front of all the machines.

At our house. Gum leaves are ‘tickets’ and tree branches, are bad witch’s walking sticks.

Helena Perez Garcia : Interview & New Art

April 4, 2012
A while back we featured some works by Helena Perez Garcia, and liked them so much that we contacted her for our brisk interview. She was quiet happy to contribute to our humble site and here are the results. Please check out her website – it, itself, is an amazing piece of design and illustration.

 
Interview (email) with Helena Perez-Garcia, April 1st 2012.

Panda: Your art is amazingly visually and mentally inspiring, what inspires your work?
Helena: Lately, I’ve been very inspired by literature. I always have next to me a notebook to write down quotes or ideas that cross my mind while reading. I also find inspiration in art and cinema.
Panda: Behind the art, how do you unwind, or is that part of the process?
Helena: For me it is very important to unwind when I am stuck. In that case I stand up and do something different, like going for a walk, hanging out with friends or going to the cinema. Those activities are really part of the process, because lots of ideas usually come to my mind while doing so.

Panda:  If you could have an intimate dinner with any 4 living people who would they be? What would you guys eat and drink?

Helena: That’s a difficult question, because most of the people I admire are dead. If I had to choose I would say Jarvis Cocker, Barbara Kruger, Stefan Sagmeister and Paula Scher, I bet they have very interesting things to tell about the art and design world! I would have a vegetable lasagna, ice tea and anything with chocolate.

Panda: What music are you listening to at the moment?, what was your first musical memory?

Helena: At the moment I am listening to the last albums by Lykke Li and Death Cab for Cutie, and also to Niños Mutantes. My first musical memories are the lullabies my mother sang to me when I was a kid. I also remember the cassettes of spanish songwriters that my parents played in the car while heading to our holiday destinations.
Panda: Finally, is there any art or design medium that you have never used that you would love to?
Helena: There are so many different techniques I would love to try! Like engraving, silk screen printing, embroidery, collage… 


Included with Helena’s responses were some beautiful art works to feature here on Pandainabattlesuit! Enjoi!






Thanks so much for the candid  responses to our interview questions!


Although they are not probing they give a good insight into the differences of the artists we feature and the fact that these great artists/designers/architects support our site by participating is very rewarding!


Some nice food to eat

February 23, 2012

We are on one of our lovely regular getaways to the beautiful city of Coffs Harbor. Whilst here we stay at our relatives’ house near the beautiful and fast becoming boutique village of Sawtell.
Whilst here you cannot go past this café – Café Treeo

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We stopped here as the menu was by far the best on the strip (today on first avenue) and seemed to have the most delicious, least pretentious, sharp but minimal atmosphere of all of the cafes.

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We ordered the baked pear and caramel pancakes (yes for breakfast) and the corn fritters. Both were to die for and I could not recommend this spot more.

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So many cafés open up in smaller towns and villages like this and proceed to overcharge under cooked and all over act like dick heads to make their patrons think they are getting a slice of Newtown or Lygon street. They forget that most of their clientele won’t be seasonal families. It will be joe neighbor that loves a good all day breakfast.

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Amazing Illustration – Helena Perez Garcia *swoon*

February 9, 2012

These are just some of the amazing illustrations doing the rounds on the interwebs, getting the artist Helena Perez Garcia well deserved kudos, you can see a lot more of her work over here at her website.

I will further feature some of her work after contacting her shortly, but these few pictures, just capture how truly amazing an illustrator and artist she is.

Hope you enjoy. I have to say my particular favourite is the wizard of oz parody.

These works by Helena are really eye catching, and I think I would like most of them on a t Shirt.

I imagine this is how my young daughters imagine their clothing is made.

i would definitely vote for him, such a sharp dresser.

Typical clinical waiting room, not as scary without the bellowing fire.

A good example of how my head feels most of the time, and perhaps Mrs Panda.

iPhone-SLR [mattebox]

January 27, 2012

I like this app. It is simple and elegant, and has all the mod cons of a lot of other iPhone cameras, without the wanky ‘real camera look’ to put your off.

Don’t get me wrong I really do like and use the Procamera app, and well who could go past Hipstamatic, but this one just wins.

The pictures that I have taken with this app far out perform any other pic with iPhone.

Some samples taken from the website show exactly the great quality pictures that can be taken but it is more the interface that gets me in.

The simple and screen-wide view finder, has minimal information and the buttons are concise and tell you only what you need to know, it takes a little getting used to, but once you are aware of all the information at your gazing eyes reach, then you can just use it like a normal camera. It even lets you know what ISO that you are shooting at, and the distance (macro etc). Getting to used to the lock and slide action only took a few shots and then was abused by myself in exploiting the artificial light capture on different scenes.

The adjustments take a little practice to get good results but for professional camera peeps that know how to rock the D-SLR functions this should be a breeze, for me it was a case of using the sliders, saying oh..thats cool!, and then saving the picture. The app gives you the ability to adjust the last picture that you have taken, and then if you like the settings of adjustment that you have come up with you can save it.

The ability to be able to set your white balance then lock it to take a shot of another scene is magical, and the slider controlled adjustments can recreate most filters available on the app store at present, sans ticket tape label and funny glasses of course.

 

The app designed by Ben Syverson took two years for him to develop and refine it back to the minimal app it is. It is apparently based on the Hexar, which is a great camera I am told, that was simple and easy to use but still created beautiful photography.

 

There is also a web-based tool at Mattebox.net that allows you to mimic the adjustment found on the iPhone app. I like it all. I recommend it, but don’t for a minute be expecting speech caption bubbles, 1970s toy camera filter or clipart rabbit ears.

 

‘Triple Soya Chino Frappe’ Anyone?

January 19, 2012

I found this a little while ago. I cannot remember where, sorry if it is one of the excellent blogs I read daily, but I just can’t So I will instead now turn my attention to stating the fact that even if you didn’t actually use it for its real purpose, that it would still be excellent to own.

 

This is an espresso press. Espresso any where any time with or without power.

It is the Presso, and can be purchased here

It looks really great and if you are into all things manual labour and are willing to throw out your nespresso cube then this is a great tlaking point for your to buy and put into beautiful coffee making action

Friday night lights.

January 14, 2012

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Walking around last night in the cool but very tolerable early evening Sydney air was just so good I had to write this.
China town on every other night including tonight has the best vibe. Maybe it has something to do with glorious foods on offer, the bustle of the night markets or the close quarter human contact with other people enjoying the same.
And can I tell you last night was no different. It was a complete eye fucking candy tour of one of the best parts of Sydney.
You can almost smell the ‘getting ready for CNY’ in the atmosphere.
Knowing that I can just get in the car with my team and walk around here, letting my two and four year old also enjoy the experience is magical. Not in a ‘Gandalf the white’ sort of way but more in a ‘Silvermist in a hipster dress’ sort of way.

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If you drop down this way. Dinner is sorted. Automatic and sorted. Dumplings. Steamed vegetarian dumplings. Not going to say they are the best in Sydney cause as far as dumplings go I am pretty sheltered.
China town’s colors fuck your eyes on any given night but combine them with CNY prep a nice evening sunset and a cool/war summers breeze and it is heaven.

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This picture inspired this post. It is rare that just having a fun happy experience can inspire a non sarcastic objective post for me any how.
Sydney does this every week end my team and I go for noodles or what ever.
The more I write this post the more when I read it back it sounds like babbling bullshit.
I don’t. Care this time.
Just stare at the pictures please.

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Last night was a dream night in China Town Sydney. You should have been there.

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Tiny Books of Goodness

January 13, 2012

Recently whilst looking for a better web platform for viewing my instagr.am account I stumbled up on a little company called Printstagr.am

They do all sorts of little printing jobs and formats only using your Instagr.am shots.

From there assortment of products many stood out to me but on one in particular grabbed my eye totally – I live tiny things, miniature things, not in a horder needs a clean out sort of way but in a way that they just make me simply happy.

So I went through the very easy task of logging into their site and creating these adorable little things.

They are great value for money, and if you have an Instagram account, I would be totally recommending you get some.

At only $10 for three little books, each with 24 beautiful scaled square little photos they make the perfect gift, or novelty item for your house.

Each one has a hardcover, the postage delivery time was a bit interesting, but considering that I ordered them pre christmas, not caring if they would be delivered for christmas or not I have to admit the wait wasn’t too bad. Just not the usual 6-7 days from CH or HK that your would expect.

Honestly, if this isn’t a reason to download the instagram app, and abuse it I don’t know what is. I just want to squeeze the little books cheeks and say “isn’t you cuuuuuute”

Each Book contains 24 photos, and they are magnetised, so they stay together like A Miniature bookshelf, or you can stick them to your fridge.

Honestly, these are great for a gift, or just a novel way to get your digital prints, into a common area that you can easily look, would be great tiny little digests for a short travel trip or party.

I cannot emphasize enough, how much I love tiny versions of things. Micro Machines were the start of the obsession I think.

I have just fallen in love

January 11, 2012

Regretsy.com is hilarious. I cannot believe I have not found this earlier. Associated websites, including passive agressive notes, and lamebook are also equally as fantastic.

 

Do your self a favour.

 

Some examples…


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