Red thread

This clip titled 赤い糸 which means red thread, illustrates life’s big + small moments with a red thread. A brilliant production by Okushita Kazuhiko [奥下和彦].

Watch out when the thread snaps and heals back .

Initially I had wanted to just tweet this to friends immediately after watching but I really couldn’t bear to leave the rest of you (who don’t tweet) in the dark!

JooJoo

The illustrations of Toronto-based artist Afsaneh are so sweet and adorable. And they are housed in her shops JooJoo + Persian Garden. Then equally sweet are the polymer clay figurines and jewelry she makes, many which are based on her drawings and these are housed in JooJoo Land. In Afsaneh’s new 2010 calendar cards, the sweet drawing of 2 hugging penguins for February makes me want to hug someone (I know) too!

Btw have you started your Christmas shopping? I started mine officially last month (unofficially almost any other day :D) and am restricting myself to buying handmade as much as possible. I’ll be scouting around for great buys and will jot them under chapter “Great buy”. If you like to recommend something or direct me to a shop, just let me know!

Bike stack

I’m captivated by the candid depiction of cluster titled “Bike Stack” by bicycle artist Taliah Lempert, whose bicycle paintings have appeared in major newspapers + magazines, including Japanese bike magazine, 自転車人.

The drawings sold in her shop are not restricted to paper prints but prints on tees, caps, baby onesie and a colouring book for kids.

Jill Browning

I’m attracted to the symmetric artwork by Indiana-based artist Jill Browning not only because of the vibrant colour-mix, but also because it instinctively conjures an image in my head. Looking at each of four designs above, I see stacks of books, streamers/long necklace, arrows and a railway track respectively. I asked hub if there’s something else he pictures, and he said a dining table for 6 (bottom right). I believe symmetry should be this interesting!

Web 2.0 origami look-alike icons

Left to right, top to bottom: Firefox, Twitter, Basecamp, RSS, Gmail, Stumbleupon, IE, Mint, delicious, Digg, Skype, Opera, Apple, iTunes, Flickr

Free to download at I am Paddy.

Hatchin

This beaming Tutfur Dandy is a freehand cross-hatching (drawing with parallel lines) artwork by artist Sage Benart of Hatchin. What a stunning and clearly a very unique portrayal of everyone’s favourite dandelion!

Teddy bears and tulips

How apt to have found this little scene to remind myself that my teddies + other stuffed companions should get into a hot bubble bath pretty soon and afterwards hang out under the sun.

This adorable piece of artwork named “Teddy bears and tulips” is by Sarah Knight, a talented artist who has a cool shop SarahKDesigns.

JR brochures

One the things I will do when I’m overseas, particularly in Japan, is to collect free brochures (pamphlets or leaflets) and free catalogues (or even product packages) with chic and beautiful illustrations. And in the case of Japan, these printed materials can be found in many places. (Perhaps someday I should show you my little collection.) The main JR (Japan Rail) train stations in the cities are a good place to start collecting because they display different brochures such as those for holiday getaways to other parts of the country reachable by their JR trains, of course.

Here you will see a few of the latest brochure covers for Autumn/Fall, from different regions. They can be viewed online, see links at the bottom.

If you have noticed, the first 3 are targeted at ladies only.

[Images from JR West (http://www.jr-odekake.net/tabi-supli/), JR East (http://jreast.eki-net.com/), JR Kyushu (http://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/ryoko/index.jsp), JR Hokkaido (http://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/travel/domestic/index.html) -- links are intentionally left inactive]

*Can’t find the name of the illustrator.