I’ve seen this set of 100 Pantone Postcards online but somehow resisted buying them. Most of the images shown in online stores were surprisingly dull. Well, now that I have seen these fantastic photographs by big bang studio, I am in love! Mailing colour swatch postcards around the world sounds like a perfect new hobby don’t you think? It sure would brighten up a stack of mail. Keeping a box of these giant colour swatches on your desk to make random palettes out of sounds quite perfect too. Come to think of it, maybe I “need” two boxes…

(you can buy a set here or here)

Tree of Life by Gary, Aaron & Khairul is a brilliant print I spotted on the Anthology blog yesterday. From afar, the piece looks like a textured tree ring but upon viewing up close, the rings turn out to be hundreds of graphic animals walking in procession around the tree ring curves. The designers created the print “to highlight the responsibility we have in letting animal species thrive in their natural environment.” Tree of Life is a pretty perfect print – meaningful, clever and striking with an socially conscious soul.

(to buy a print of the poster, go here)

I am a longtime fan of Spanish artist and designer Ana Montiel. She has a dreamy eye for colour and exquisite use of pattern. When visiting Art Hound yesterday, I was reminded of Ana’s many talents and upon taking a closer look at her portfolio, fell in love with the Faux Crystals drawing series. A beautiful vision of the intricate details and texture in crystals as well as their many vibrant hues. I wouldn’t mind one (or seven) of these prints for my walls!

Look up “gorgeous” in the dictionary and I imagine you will find these Stars by Seb Lester prints (right next to a photo of George Clooney of course.) Sparkling gold ink screen printed by hand on royal or midnight blue paper, the dreamy Van Gogh quote is beautiful from a distance. But, upon closer look, the word stunning doesn’t seem to do justice to Seb’s typography made up of ‘hundreds of thousands of tiny stars’. Limited editions of 100 prints, both colours are sold out which kind of shows that you should never drag your feet when buying art! I will dull the pain by dreaming of a second edition…

(photographs via keep calm gallery)

The On This Day Calendar looks like a geometry and rainbow-happy wall calendar with room for regular ol’ reminders but magic lurks among those handsome shapes. Each day features a black, heat-sensitive square that reveals a historical fact when touched. Once the square cools, the trivia fades away. I’m pretty sure this would brighten any morning and probably make you the hit of the office (if you don’t mind line-ups to fondle your calendar that is…)

(images via luckies)

Once glance at the work of Australian artist Rebecca Baumann and there was little doubt that she would become my latest colour hero. 100 flip clocks of colour, an outdoor installation of smoke bombs, a 12 kg explosion of confetti – Rebecca’s work embodies the joy of colour. Using tools such as fans and conveyor belts to bring motion to streamers, tinsel and other brightly hued materials, Rebecca is constantly studying colour and movement. I had no idea a thick wall of gold tinsel sounded so beautiful in the wind. Also love the burst of colour brought to Wellington Street Bus Station in Rebecca’s native Perth. I can’t wait to see what the future brings for this brilliant artist and her work. Hey Rebecca, if you ever need someone to cut streamers or test smoke bombs, just let me know!

(photographs via rebecca baumann; more videos on rebecca’s youtube channel)

I spotted this fantastic Birds of Australia print by Amy Borrell of Cake With Giants on Creature Comforts yesterday and fell in love. In fact, I nicknamed the birds ‘dapper flappers’ and couldn’t stop imagining the birds around Vancouver sporting similar vibrant accessories. If only the sky was full of such stylish feathered creatures!

(found via creature comforts; photography via cake with giants where you can buy the print)

As you may already know, I love when magic can be found in the seemingly boring, everyday items and tasks that surround us. That’s why I’m rather fascinated with the work of artist and photographer Alastair Levy. From covering one side of an oak plank with highlighter ink to create a beautiful pink glow when leaned up against a white wall to organizing ballpoint pens into a bold triangle pattern, Alastair is constantly re-imagining and injecting colour into the everyday. Just look at the top right image of his piece ‘Keep Going’. A modern circle of colourful cubes created with what? The peeled off stickers of a Rubik’s Cube. Now that’s re-imagining things!

(photographs via alastair levy and its nice that)

Is there a blog somewhere devoted to Anthropologie windows and displays? If not, there should be! The creativity, attention to detail and sheer awesomeness of Anthropologie store displays never ceases to amaze me. It is refreshing and inspiring to see a company make design and craftsmanship by hand a priority. Yep, “Antropologie window designer” is definitely one of my dream jobs. I particularly love the focus on using recycled items. Case in point? The fantastic origami-inspired Summer 2011 windows created with old envelopes or the bold geometry of colourfully painted recycled planks. Anthropologie’s Spring 2011 windows were created with the over five million corks collected at stores. The gorgeous displays brought attention to the Cork Forest Conservation Alliance, recycling and Earth Day. Bottle caps, wire hangers, clothes pins – one person’s trash is another person’s stunning window by Anthropologie! The last photo shown is one I snapped at the Rockefeller Centre location in New York. Even sale jewellery has a background of gorgeous roses made with recycled paper. This post could honestly include hundreds of photos showcasing the brilliance of Anthropologie window display designers but I had to cut myself off! They are true creative and colour heroes. Perhaps there needs to be a ‘part two’ devoted to this topic?

(most photographs via anthropologie+you as well as lauren love, square one studio, katy elliott, chloé douglas, the design process, playstudio1801, platinum blonde life, mimi and caca, dustysusan, mday212, mjc, the design process & chloé douglas)

I’ve always found predetermined tabbed sections in books or files kind of stifling. Who’s to say where one topic ends and another begins? Sometimes you just need a removable tab to mark your own spot! Enter these great Sticky Tab Dividers from Semikolon. Notebooks, cookbooks, file folders – you can throw a little colourful organization into any part of your life.

(photographs via see jane work)

‘Your War is Old, Your Game is Over’ is a SoFA Gallery installation by New Zealand artist André Hemer that recently caught my eye. Love how the negative space creates graffiti-like typography and most of all, that the floor is littered with the colourful dots that formed that shape. Perhaps the most artful confetti ever! Amazing what beautiful and imaginative art you can make with simple circles of colour. (click on the image for a closer look)

(photographs via public delivery)

My love for desk and office supplies seems limitless so I can already think of a million uses for Millimeter Milligram Transparent Stickers. Available in scalloped edges, triangles, circles, rings and more, these stickers add a nice punch of colour and creativity to your calendar without blocking the important information. Another rather ingenious element of these stickers? They can be placed on a whole host of items that you probably would not want to mark up permanently. Textbooks, appliances, special documents… Anything can benefit from a colourful transparent sticker! (p.s. as always, I love how MMMG photographs their products. Great inspiration!)

(photographs via mmmg)

Oh how I love the small, folded cards in the “For Get Togethers Collection” by designer and illustrator Kathryn Whyte. A fantastic mix of art deco-like details, typography and modern-day wording. Can you think of a nicer card to receive through your letterbox?

(image via kathryn whyte’s etsy store)

I’ve seen a lot of really creative paper promotions but never one this beautiful or frame worthy! A piece by GF Smith, the aim was to showcase the company’s range of digital papers while highlighting the incredible technological potential of modern digital presses. Digital artists FIELD were hired to create 10,000 unique and colourful illustrations inspired by the micro details of paper fibres. One of the most exciting facets of digital print technology is that is allows for personalization of a print job. ‘Variable imaging’ allows “unique prints to be produced from an established document framework”. It is quite a technical affair that you can read about in detail in this september industry feature. Overall, the printing of this piece is a work of art. A unique illustration for every single promotional folder and inside paper – how spectacular is that? Gorgeous illustrations, handsome graphic design and one great display of innovation.

(photographs via september industry)

I have always loved Papel Picado, a Mexican festive decoration that translates into “perforated paper”. Stunningly elaborate designs are cut from tissue paper or plastic using a template and small chisel, allowing artists to make many flags at one time. Papel picado with various motifs including nature, love and skeletons are strung up in vibrant rows of colour for festivals, weddings, baptisms and holidays. Such a beautiful handmade art form that brings rich colour and detail to a celebration. Time to try making some papel picado for an upcoming fiesta!

Oh and some fascinating information from wikipedia about the colours selected for papel picado:
“Sky blue or pink and white are commonly chosen for celebrations in honor of the Virgin Mary, yellow and white for parton saints, vibrant pink, orange, and purple are the key tones employed for ofrendas (offerings) associated with the Day of the Dead. Shades of purple are also widely used at Easter. The colors of the Mexican flag – red white and green – are set aside for venerating the nation’s patroness, La Virgen de Guadalupe, as well as for commemorating Independence Day, Sept. 16th. Rainbow hues are appropriate for Christmas and non religious festivities.”

(photographs via krickett, emiliano rodriguez, andrea docksey, visit san antonio, mexican sugar skull, wickedlady, kristina husby, sebastian ibarra, roving gastronome, love and lavender, thomas aleto, mexican sugar skull, andrea m. gómez, delexed, bullshit artist, timlewisnm and thomas aleto)

You may have already seen this RGB Wallpaper by Italian studio Carnovsky. It received a lot of attention last year and I was reminded why when I was rifling through some inspiration folders last night and rediscovered the incredible project. I was inspired to post it here just in case it hasn’t been seen by everyone and because I want to make sure the genius colour-focused project is saved for prosperity on plenty of colour! The wallpaper contains overlapping primary coloured illustrations of subjects such as animals and sea creatures. When a red, green or blue light (RGB colour) is shone upon the room’s paper, one of the three overlapping patterns is visible and the other two are hidden. Such gorgeous illustrations and a real feat of colour theory. Months later, I am still in love with the innovation and beauty of this project.

(photographs via creative review)