Deconstructed Signs Turned into Abstract Art

Fabio Zanino takes old advertisements, signs and warnings, deconstructs them and rebuilds them into these fascinating abstract pieces. Although there's no way of telling what these signs previously said, it's a cool way to reuse, reformulate and even rethink the message behind these warnings. This is good recycled art. More pics after jump.

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Salvaged Ladder Shelf

I'm thinking that this would look so awesome in my soon to be finished art studio. Talk about a creative, upcycled storage solution. It really wouldn't matter what kind of ladder either, as long as it was old looking and still in sturdy condition. A metal ladder would look good in a more modern room, whereas a wood would give such a warm feeling.

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Junk Dunk Recycled Electronics Sneakers

I think these are brilliant. Clearly uncomfortable as far as shoes go considering they weigh 8-20 pounds, on the other hand, a great sculpture and an exploration into all the things we waste. Created by junk-metal artist Gabriel Dishaw, these shoe replicas are made entirely from scrap metal parts, old electronics, computers and held together with wire and glue. The intricate details, the colors and the patterns that can be created from waste are fascinating.

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Mitten Prepping for Winter

I'm wearing sweaters, pulling out the scarves and locating my mittens. You can never have enough mittens. No really. They're both an accessory and a necessity. I get cold easily and now realize after many years of toughing it out, that wearing mittens (or gloves) are the ticket to keeping warm and in my case not turning blue. I knit (sorta) and with the days so much shorter, I feel the urge again to cozy up on the couch knitting away with a good movie on, so here are some potential mitten patterns that look super cozy.

Hello NY Winter Accessories from Pickles
A full matching winter set of hat, gloves and scarf. Super stylie and cozy.

Warm Winter Mitts with Embroidered Stitch from Pickles
Adorable mitts, that look more challenging than I think they really are.

Lady Moss Mittens from Craft Leftovers
Sweet attention to detail on this pattern.

Subway Card Mittens by Subway Knitter
A handy way to carry your subway card and never have to take your mittens off. May also help protect against H1N1.

Recycled Sweater Mittens
If you're more of a sewer than a knitter, here's a good option to take an old sweater and transform it into a pair of mittens and a hat.

Fingerless Mittens
For those needing a more functional mitten or just half a mitten, this is a cute pattern.

And if you're looking for some eco-friendly yarn, learn more about them here, here, here and here. Look for natural fibers, wool, banana, coconut, bamboo, recycled fibers, organic cotton and more.

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Amazing Art Videos

Lately I've been seeing a lot of videos that have blown me away. Artists using video as their medium to record their artistic process. The beauty of these videos is not what they eventually create, but it is the evolution of their art as it changes and morphs into something new.

White Box by Makato Yabuki




COMBO by Blu and David Ellis



Sand Animation by Kseniya Simonova (as seen on Ukraine's Got Talent)



I love all three, but I think the Sand Animation is truly amazing. And isn't she beautiful?

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Outdoor Rock Fire

We just had a part on Saturday to celebrate the end of Summer, start of fall and to catch up with old friends. We had a raging bonfire in our outdoor fire pit, but I really wish we had a smaller cozier fire with less smoke to stand around. I love this idea for a small fire - it's attractive, contained, not smoky and it uses a biodegradable fuel can called EcoFuel, which seems like an eco-friendly version of sterno cans. I'm still doing my research on the little canisters, but they claim longer lasting fuel source, low emissions, safe and warmer than the ones people have been using for chafing dishes. The original idea came from green prefab goddess, Michelle Kaufman, who says that wood burning devices emit particulate at the rate of 20 to 60 grams per hour of operation, which can be unhealthy, especially for those with sensitive lungs.


Materials

• 2-3 cans of EcoFuel (about $4 each)
  
• Metal canister, box, or even ceramic planter.
• River rocks, other stones, recycled glass, anything you like as long as it can't burn or melt (enough to fill the box)
  

Step by Step

1. Fill up the container almost to the top with rocks
   
2. Place the EcoFuel canisters level inside the rocks
3. Place more rocks around the canisters without covering them.
4. Light the fires according to their instructions and enjoy the warmth.

You can also watch the video of Michelle Kaufman here.



via Michelle Kaufman's Blog

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Vintage Compact Turned Perfume Case

I'm not much of a make up person. I'll put mascara on if we're going out at night, but that's about as far as I go. Still I love the idea of make up and cute bags and little cases - especially vintage compacts, but I don't need one for foundation. However, turning one into a solid perfume carrying case, is right up my alley. The original idea came from Danny Seo's book, Simply Green Parties, by way of Planet Green. It's a super simple DIY project that would make an awesome gift.


What You Need

• Used makeup compacts, thoroughly cleaned


• 1/4 cup of solid beeswax


• 3 tbs jojoba oil


• Approximately 60 drops of essential oil - lavender, chamomile, rose, or any combination
  


• Pyrex measuring cup

Step By Step

1. Put the beeswax in the pyrex measuring cup and melt in the microwave until just melted. Probably less than a minute.
2. Add the jojoba oil to the melted beeswax, which will keep the perfume from going rancid.
3. Add the essential oil. Can mix and match.
4. Stir the mixture and then pour into the compact. Let completely dry.
5. To use, dab fingers over wax and apply wear you normally apply perfume.

via Planet Green

photos courtesy of Esty sellers Judy Go Vintage & The Way We Wore

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Habitat Machines by David Trautrimas

The Oil Can Residence

I fell in love with these digital collages last week - part retro vintage, part architecture, and part miniature world. David Trautrimas buys vintage and retro kitchen gadgets and tools, takes pictures of them and then collages them digitally into the fantastical rusty scenes. His series is called “Habitat Machines.” I love the architecture of it and hope it inspires some designers for the future. More pics after the jump.

The Measurement District

Coffee Pot Towers & Electric Razor Cooperative

The Sprinkler House

Waffle Iron Heights

See more pictures at Inhabitat

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Needle Felting - Who Knew?

I may actually be a textile artist at heart, because when I see beautiful and simple creations like this out of wool, I admit to swooning just a little. Yesterday I had to kill some time waiting while my computer went into the shop, I bought the September issue of Martha Stewart Living. It was a so-so issue, until I reached the article on Needle Felting. Wow, that's beautiful stuff - warm, soft, organic and it looks oh so easy to do. Look on for more pictures.



Needle Felting is the process of taking fluffy wool and poking it hundreds of time into a material (usually felted wool) to create and sculpt a shape. You can use yarn, pieces of felted wool, and even fibers. There's no glue, no toxins, no sewing - just a needle poking into the fibers which interlocks them like velcro.

Unfortunately the directions for how to needle felt aren't on Martha Stewart's site yet, but the September issue has a beautiful article on how to do it. There are also lots of good how tos elsewhere on the internetz - here, here and here.

Martha does have a great tutorial though for how to create this adorable little clutch.
photos via Martha Stewart

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Etched Altoid Tins

I love it when fabulous art meets reused materials. Altoid tins are incredibly practical and useful little boxes - they stay closed well and are a great size for small items. The cover of the altoid tin leave something to be desired, but once you get rid of the paint on top, it leaves a beautiful surface to decorate and an etching seems like the perfect medium for the job.

These amazing etched altoid tins are done by Laurence Crunch. Some of the designs are his originals, but most are copied from others illustrations and etched on. I don't claim to know much about etching, how challenging it is or how toxic it really is, but I do love the effect. There do seem to some more advanced techniques that are less toxic.


via Dude Craft & The Steampunk Workshop

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