September 24, 2009

The Collector

So over the past few years, I've started to collect small plastic figures called Dunny (insert joyous squeal here).  Actually, the truth is I'm infatuated with Dunnies.  The choosing of the box, the excitement of not knowing-- Is it one I have?  Is it a secret one?  Will it be awesome?  Aaaah.  Dunnies.  My collection has started to spill off of a shelf and onto my desk.  Below is a photo of my newest acquisitions.  The pizza delivery one is probably my favorite right now.

Kidrobot puts these amazing limited edition blind box series out.  The blind box concept is just like Cracker Jacks but better-- a surprise toy is in the box and I don't have to eat all the Cracker Jacks to get to the toy.  Many artists have jumped on board to design their own Dunny-- Gary Baseman, Amanda Visell, Huck Gee, and many many more!


Check out Kidrobot's site here:

http://www.kidrobot.com

Happy Collecting!
Jess

My new favorite club

I recently discovered a "hacker collective" called NYC Resistor. They are a group of people that are passionate about the DIY movement, and every week they host a craft night. Every Thursday night, people come from all over the New York city area to work on their projects together. I must say, it's pretty exciting! Everyone is working on different things, from robots to knitting and everything in between, and they are all happy to share about their projects or help you with your own.

One of my favorite sights the last time I went was this sign someone had tacked up:

-Shelby

I got a Papercut

I recently received a pleasant surprise in the mail.  One of my favorite paper artists, Matthew Shlian, has just released his latest self-published title, Papercuts.  This cool papercraft book has over 15 models that you can copy, cut and create.  The templates are well laid out and include some instructions and smaller diagrams to identify all those little cuts and folds.  The designs range in complexity but should not take more than an hour to build.  The characters are quirky and make a welcome addition to a few of the other papercraft collections that have hit the shelves this year.

I was able to get a sneak peek of some of these critters a few months ago when Matthew asked me and a select group of designers to adapt and design some additional papercraft figures that are included in the accompanying bonus disc.  Drawing inspiration from his Chef and Sasquatch designs, I developed my first two papercraft designs.

Radiohead is a classic cathedral radio from the 1930s.  Twist his nose dial to change the frequency and watch his eyes roll around in his head.

Pinhead comes with adjustable arms and four different moods allowing you to customize and build ten pins before knocking them over in a few frames of desktop bowling.

If you are interested in these little guys and many more fun papercraft projects, the signed Papercuts books can be purchased directly from Matthew’s excellent website.

-Kyle