Portrait Cufflinks

by Ami Kealoha

Individually modeled and cast in gold, silver, white gold or platinum, Eleven Forty Design's portrait cufflinks are the perfect diminutive homage to yourself, loved one, hero or pet. Send a picture or chose from their portfolio (options include Ghandi and Flash Gordon) and after a few weeks you'll be able to flaunt the unusual accessory. Cleverly, as cufflinks the mini sculptures are profiles that snap together as a bust for display. Each pair starts at £275 from Eleven Forty.

via UrbanDaddy

Amy Stein: Domesticated

by Jonah Samson

Amy Stein creates amazing dioramas that explore her own version of natural history in her photographic series called "Domesticated." The photographs in this series were inspired after meeting a number of taxidermists and becoming interested in the psychology behind venturing into the wild to kill an animal and then paying a considerable amount of money to reanimate it and make it a permanent fixture in the living room. "To me this practice came to perfectly symbolize our schizophrenic relationship with the natural world. We consciously insulate ourselves from the wild around us and the wild within us, and then we subconsciously long to reconnect with the natural world."

The images often involve re-creations of real stories of human and animal encounters in a small town in Pennsylvania that borders a forest. Once she has a story that she finds interesting, she researches the behavior of the animal involved, scouts locations, casts people and secures the appropriate taxidermied animals to recreate the event. Because of the "freeze-frame" nature of a photograph, it is nearly impossible to tell that the animals in the images are dead. The mix of real and fake creates an effect that is wonderfully unsettling.

Domesticated
Through 26 April 2008
Paul Kopeikin Gallery
6150 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035 map
tel. +1 323 937 0765

Raw Fusion WMC Party 2008

by Doug Black

This year's WMC is on the way and Miami's getting lucky with another CH-sponsored party. Just like last year, the event is brought to you by Raw Fusion Recordings with the addition of Brownswood Recordings and G.A.M.M. Located in Miami Beach's oldest club, the night features live performances and DJ sets by some of the hottest talent in the club scene (including CH's own DJ Scribe). The event is $20 or free with RSVP. Click on the flyer for more info.

Raw Fusion WMC Party 2008
29 March 2008, 10pm-5am
Jazid
1342 Washington Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33139 map
tel. +1 305 673 9372

Carta, Inc.

by Brian Fichtner

I first discovered the delicate hand-bound books of Angela Liguori nearly eight years ago, while working at a design shop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she happened to be a resident teacher at Hollander's School of Book and Paper Arts. Now based in Boston, Angela continues to produce custom-made invitations, business cards and books through her graphic studio, Carta, Inc.

In addition to her own studio work, Angela collaborates with her longtime cross-oceanic partner Silvana Amato on limited edition books produced under the imprint of Edizioni Almenodue (which translates as “press of at least two”). Working with a number of artists, illustrators, calligraphers, papermakers, and writers, the two create wonderfully unique editions that hearken to a bygone era.

Browsing her Etsy shop, I was hard-pressed to limit the highlights of such a diverse collection. The Italian recipe book, designed and hand-bound by Angela and Silvana, contains twelve Italian recipes printed on an accordion book structure with rounded corners and a baker twine enclosure. For die-hard food book collectors, there’s a limited edition publication of “The Fruit, Herbs, and Vegetables of Italy,” from the 1614 manuscript by Giacomo Castelvetro. Hand-bound in link stitch with white linen thread, it features illustrations by Rita Ravaioli. (See more images after the jump.)

Bed

by Jonah Samson

Few stores out there offer to give you just what you want in bed, but a great little shop in Vancouver called "Bed" (that also sells online) has made that its motto.

For several years, Bed has been offering some of the most unique bedding available by making products that are all about dramatic patterns and brilliant colors. I love the endless combinations of colorful floral patterns, but it's the cowboys and pirates that make me want to put on my p.j.'s and settle in for the night. If patterns aren't your style or you're looking for something to coordinate, there's an endless selection of brilliant solids. (More images after the jump.)

All of their bedding is made with 100% pre-shrunk cotton and is manufactured locally. Check out their up-to-date website for samples, where they've divided their products by fabric and then subdivided them by color. Most of the images throughout the site are direct scans of fabrics (wrinkles and all). Choose the fabric, choose the color and then choose the size—it makes for easy online shopping. Of course, if you're in Vancouver be sure to stop by the store in person.