Minimega is a design studio and online shop that creates fabulously patterned and colourful stationery, paper products, gift wrap, cards and more. Their dots, triangle or nautical pattern gift wrap would make even the strangest present look fantastic. I wouldn’t mind framing a sheet or two. On top of great products, Minimega is focused on the environment with 100% recycled paper, vegetable-based inks and no unnecessary chemicals. I really love Minimega’s product photography and styling. Full of colourful details, the shots are just plain inspiring. I’m fairly certain any design studio would benefit from an frilled ice cream paper decoration… (Oh and Minimega even has an awesome blog bursting with hue!)

Love illustrator Lucie Sheridan’s ‘Prolonged Daschund’ print. Available in blue and red, this long whimsical weiner dog is just plain happy-inducing. Couldn’t you see he/she as a children’s book character? Running across countries, wrapping around landmarks – there is no shortage of tall tales this happy daschund dog could get up to.

Do I need Pineapple Ring Sticky Notes? No, I definitely do not. But I may be able to convince myself I do based on my love for Hawaii and unique desk supplies. The sticky note packaging is also an example of simple but perfect packaging. I don’t think these pineapple rings would be as fantastic without the tin can to keep them in. It’s amazing how you can re-imagine boring, corporate yellow post-its with a little imagination in shape and packaging…

(spotted on mochi things)

Castle is an Australian homeware and design company at the top of my current obsession list. The mastermind of colour-loving designer Rachel Castle, the line is just bursting with creativity and vibrant hues. From bedlinens and cushions to fabric garlands and one-of-a-kind art pieces, Castle seamlessly fuses exquisite handcraft detail with a geometric design soul. I just love Castle’s handstitched embroideries with their bright colours and blend of fabrics including vintage French linen, flax Belgian linen, Australian wool, moleskin and velvet. Oh and the styling of their product photographs is ridiculously stylish. I wouldn’t mind living in those set designs. Yes, I think I would be quite happy to wake up in some colourful sheets with a handmade fabric garland draped across my chic art pieces. What more can I say other than I am utterly in love with Castle!

I love these animal cards and prints by Vancouver designer/illustrator Mélanie Kimmett. A fantastic combination of vibrant colour palettes, splashes of geometry and modern style. How cute are those wintery creatures that look as though they are zipped up in snowsuits as colourful confetti-like snow falls? I met Mélanie when we worked together a couple of years ago and within days of meeting her, I was totally overwhelmed by how beautifully she could illustrate. In addition to always having an awesome haircut, she is one of those people that can translate anything into an modern and whimsical illustration with a true sense of colour and style. I am lucky to call her a close friend so I get to see her fabulous product line evolve firsthand. From the beaver’s pink tail to the sheep’s chic striped horns, these colourful creatures just make me happy. Mélanie currently sells blank cards and art prints. How great would these modern animals look in a baby nursery? I am pretty sure your little one would end up being a designer!

(for details, pop over to mélanie’s etsy shop and print shop)

I am officially obsessed with this gorgeously neon inspiration shoot on Brooklyn Bride (especially that balloon photo). The goal was to highlight how a modern wedding could use neon to accent white and neutral bases and the results are full of vivacious colours and gorgeous styling/photography. Neon is not a typical wedding hue so it is quite thrilling to see this twist on things. I’m thinking this idea, from fashion to paper goods to decor, could be used for any event or photoshoot. I already have some interior design ideas inspired by this fantastic shoot. I also think I need to buy some fluorescent painter tape and paper. Honestly, how can anyone hate neon? It is colour palette bursting with pure joy!

(spotted on hunter harmony’s pinterest; photography via brooklyn bride where you can read all the credits)

1,000 white envelopes containing poems were strung throughout a garden in Madrid, Spain in a recent installation by Luzinterruptus called ’1,000 Poems by Mail’. Created as part of poetry festival Poetas Por Km2, each envelope contained a poem written by one of the 17 poets participating. The envelopes were softly illuminated as a centrepiece for the three day festival and on the last night, were offered to the public as a memento or easy-to-address note to a loved one. I just love this type of street art…

(spotted on the artist and his model)

I am more than considering buying a last minute ticket to Melbourne to see this extraordinary ‘Spring Orchard’ paper creation by Gloss Creative. A 30-foot vine made with a kilometre of rope and over 2000 individually crafted paper pieces of fruit and vegetation, the installation was designed for Melbourne’s GPO fashion centre to celebration contemporary art and the spring birth of new fashion. I love how Gloss Creative described their work: “we have created a ‘new generation’ orchard, a mass of overgrown, monstrous fruits & vines bursting over the balconies, down to the ground floor.” If it is this gorgeous in photographs, I can’t even imagine how incredible it would be in person. What a feat of vibrantly colourful paper art, breathtaking detail and craftsmanship.

(photography by Sam Ali and Marcel Aucar; images via gloss creative’s blog and stylehunter)

Given my now full-fledged obsession with modern embroidery and typography, I pretty much yelped when I saw these gorgeous embroidered business cards by designer Nina Gregier. She decided to create the textured cards in reference to her latest project – fuchsia embroidered type. One glance at that project and I fell in love with Nina’s woven letters. They are so full of imagination, geometry and bold colour. Wow. The colours look amazing next to the black paper. Don’t you wish more business cards were tactile and hand detailed? Even the back of the threads on the flipside of the card is beautiful. I will visit Nina’s website regularly to see what handmade brilliance she dreams up next!

(cards spotted on lovely stationery)

I love these paper sculptures by Barcelona artist Jordi Ferreiro. Amazing how a gradient is formed by sheets of carefully arranged paper. Love that orange, blue and green combination bursting with texture…

‘Recycled Shadow’ is a Spanish street art installation created by architectural collective Meva. Inspired by the disturbing fact that 938,000 free daily papers are distributed daily in Madrid and most end up garbage cans, the artists folded hundreds of newspaper pages into windmills that were then hung on nylon mesh above a Alicante, Spain street as well as the courtyard of the Ministry of Environment in Madrid. The recycled windmills bring attention to a civic issue while also providing whimsical shade to people on the street. I love the look of that picturesque Spanish street and the shape of shadows created. As Meva commented about their installation, “the windmills are organized to provide shadow with a simple changing pattern, each of them rotates and balances on its own to the rhythm of the gentle summer breeze.” Beautiful street art with a message. Is there anything better?

(spotted on designboom)

I first became smitten with the work of designer Sarah Illenberger when I discovered she was behind the fantastic cover of one of my favourite books, Papercraft (the second photo above). In addition to clever photography work like the raining watermelon I posted about previously, Sarah creates brilliant handmade paper pieces for publication covers, advertising pieces and set design. I was thrilled to read on the weekend that in September, Gestalten is publishing an entire book devoted to Sarah’s spectacular work. The cover, shown at the top of this post, is just plain fabulous. It’s amazing how a few twists of gold paper becomes a modern croissant. How great are those slices of speckled sausage? I can’t wait to read Sarah’s book and marvel at her handmade wonders and zest for making everyday objects joyful.

(read about on design boom; photographs via gestalten)

Mixing CMYK colours with customizable details, designer Igor Perkusic created this unique hairdresser business card design. Cut along the dotted lines on the back of the card and you can create the hairstyle of your dreams. While most business cards end up in a drawer, I’m thinking these fun little characters will get prime real estate on your desk and maybe remind you to book your next haircut!

(spotted on card observer)

Paper-Cut-Project is an Atlanta studio overflowing with paper craft talent. These wigs are just some of the 20 paper pieces they created for Kate Spade’s Lillian Bassman collection window displays. Both the wigs and collection are inspired by the famous 1961 Bassman photograph, “A Touch of Dew” featuring windswept model Lisa Fonssagrives behind the wheel of a convertible. Such chic, modern and strong paper design with a true sense of motion, I wouldn’t mind having one to display as art. Those ponytails. Oy. The wigs are on display in Kate Spade store windows in New York so if you see them, please send a photo my way!

(spotted on strictlypaper; photograms via paper-cut-project and 1stdibs)

It’s quite extraordinary what people think to do with post-its. From artful window coverings to giant patterned walls, the sticky squares seem to have endless oppourtunity. Perhaps it is because we spend our work days staring at the task-filled squares? I love ‘post-it structures’ by yo shimada of tato architects because of the uniquely creative folding. Oy, the dimension and texture created! On show at the gallery artzone in kyoto city, the installation of 30,000 post-its creates a architectural wall of florescent paper. Perhaps this idea could be re-created in a more durable paper as a purchasable screen or room divider? Next time you are bored at work, raid the supply closet and start building your own happy wall of neon. Send pictures please!

(thanks for the inspiration shoplet!)

(photographs via design boom)

In this vibrant series, brilliant artist and photographer Carl Kleiner explores the endlessly alluring golden ratio. Upon first glance, it is easy to think these are computer generated images but “Golden Ratio & Friends” is actually a set of still-life photographs crafted in paper. Fantastic colour palettes, bold patterns, the beauty of the golden ratio – Carl never ceases to amaze me with his talent! (see the whole series here)

(spotted in it’s nice that magazine, issue #6)