Friday Finds 01.20.12

Diana: Clown Nose Ceramics by Tomas Kral

Of the many awesome products/designs I've stumbled upon this week, I covet none more than these cork-topped canisters by Slovakia-born, Swiss-based designer Tomas Kral. My infatuation was sealed as I scrolled down the series of photographs on this page. Levity at its best.

Jaime: Letters in the Mail

I love getting snail mail—an all-too-rare occurrence—so I was excited to learn about "Letters in the Mail," a new subscription service offered by The Rumpus, the online culture magazine. For only five dollars a month, subscribers receive a new letter every week, from heavyweight writers like Dave Eggers, Jonathan Ames, Margaret Cho, and Stephen Elliott. Beats bills and junk mail!

Kelsey: Mood Rocking Bed

Lately I've been amassing a list of design-y Etsy vendors that break the crafty, Portland-esque mold and offer something a little more linear and hard-edge. The Mood Rocking Bed isn't quite that, but seemed too remarkable not to mention. Whether sleeping on the human equivalent of a hamster wheel is a really, really clever idea or a really, really terrible one is up to you; in the meantime, take a gander its upcycled hardwoods and carbon steel.

Anna: Jaaam

When I first heard Pogo's rendition of Alice (using songs from Alice in Wonderland) in 2009, my son Jude (6 years old back then) was hooked. Then, Pogo remixed music from the Pixar movie Up and we couldn't wait for the next remix to come. Well, here it is, called Jaaam from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air…Jude doesn't get it, but it might be my favorite Pogomix ever.

Sonia: Tight Wallet

Tight is simplicity in its perfect form. With just enough space to hold all of your essentials, this modern day wallet is compact enough to fit anywhere. Brooklyn-based designer Jack Sutter hand makes each wallet from recycled leather to reduce waste and gives each one a stylish & unique touch.

Katie: Guerrilla Crocheting

I may be slightly late to the knitting trend, but I couldn't help but share these crocheted creations. Using yarn as her medium, New York based artist, Agata Olek has made incredible installations and random acts of yarn, part of a movement called "guerrilla crocheting," or yarn bombing, if you will. For Olek's work in particular, it's impossible not to admire the brilliant color scheme and creativity that goes into each knitted master piece. Feeling inspired? Take a look to see where these knits are popping around the world—loop by loop.

Megan: Cuppow

Turn a canning jar into a travel mug. Part hippy, part artsy—otherwise known as hipster in my book—but still pretty clever.

Leah: Magnolia Handbag

It's time to take the training wheels off of your everyday handbag and ride in style with this upcycled handbag from Alchemy Goods. This sleek handbag is constructed from used bicycle inner-tubes. It makes for one heck of a durable bag. Bonus? It’s also water-resistant. Other killer details include a shoulder strap made from a seat belt and a zipper-pull made from a valve stem tube. Not only will you feel good for buying it, you'll look good wearing it.

Tammy: Invasion of the Little People

Watch your big city steps: London-based artist Slinkachu's street art installation/photography project, "The Little People," infuses mini figurines with life-size objects throughout city streets. Behind Slinkachu's project is the notion that city residents should be more aware of their surroundings, and with these humorous installations to look for, why not?