xlmammals

nathan matthews, rest in peace

2010-02-25T13:31:00.000-08:00

the art/design/skateboarding community in vancouver is mourning the loss of a local artist who lost his battle with cancer.

i didn't think i knew him. in fact i was pretty sure i didn't. his name was familiar. but as i found myself reading more and finding pictures, i learned that this was the artist behind gianthuman.com. i had found out about him and seen his work, almost 8 years ago now and all of a sudden the information started to hit me like a tonne of bricks. furiously the blurry attempts to place a time when i had met him and talked to him started to flood in. i forget the place, time or date but this i remember:

i remember he was small and skinny as i approached him to tell him i really liked his work.

i remember sharing the same interest in the design is kinky website/blog.

i remember him asking me if i had a website, and i remember shyly replying, "i don't have one yet", i don't know what he said after,

but i remember they were encouraging words. and that was that.

i remember feeling really awesome after meeting him, commenting on how nice he was.

its so strange how memories like this, people we meet, can sit below the surface for so long and how i wish it was under different circumstances, i took this walk down memory lane to remember. what an incredible loss.

to everyone you may meet, or have met.. realize that under all the pile of memories we collect in our lives, we will remember... so be nice.

rest in peace nathan matthews.

rabbit dude lemmings...

2010-02-25T13:30:00.000-08:00

skills

2009-11-20T11:31:00.000-08:00

beautiful typeface created by design student olga balina from russia. http://olgabalina.co.uk

inventory

2009-11-18T15:05:00.000-08:00

if you're a boy and you like looking good. this is a great blog to go for some inspiration to impress your dates and potential ex-wives. inventory is a magazine based out of vancouver and these guys definitely know style.

www.inventorymagazine.com

feeling the love?

2009-11-18T14:29:00.000-08:00

love. i love it. i hate it. but mostly i love it. these super sweet prints are from theloveshop on etsy. you feeling the love?

gooooolllllllldddd

2009-11-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

gold. seriously when did gold take off like this? i know its been hot and all but i remember a time when women would deny jewelry in gold and swear to never wear it or like it... all i have to say is that this gold come-back is serious. gold flatware? looks good to me: brushed gold, elegant with sleek contemporary lines, i like it a lot. made in italy, by the design house MEPRA. truly glamourous.

i got these images from my daily read of ohjoyblogs.com and this bike is seriously off the chain, maybe over the top but seriously decadent... designed by arumania, known for a no-limit attitude for gold and the un-practical, this bike is 1 of 10 track bikes produced and is plated in 24k gold and adorned with swarovski crystals and at a mere 80,000 euros or (21,000 euros for the un-adorned version), you can get this hand delivered to you by a man in a tuxedo wearing white gloves.

packaging love

2009-11-06T11:44:00.000-08:00

i totally geek out when it comes to beautiful packaging. i've been known to buy $10 bottles of evian and have never drank the water. i've brought beautifully designed cereal boxes on a 15 hour flight home as a souvenir for myself. i've done some extreme things in the name of packaging love so as you can imagine trips across the border will find me at the the usual stops: the whole foods, the local co-op and other beautiful grocery stores like the metropolitan market in seattle. what's more about these grocery stores in the states is that they sell alcohol as well and i will tell you flat out, i have bought many many many bottles of wine without having any idea what it would taste like. so this amazingly packaged beer from portland brewery full sail, was such a knock out, super detailed down to the super cute and witty bottle cap messages underneath. i loved the robins egg blue label and the typography is so sweet. so great. super bonus, the beer was super tasty as well.

heading to point roberts to pick up some books across the border next week and i can't wait to see what that little ghetto marketplace has in store.

20x200: today's specials

2009-11-04T10:43:00.001-08:00

1. contact sheets: parsley stenwiess

2. west nineteenth street (yellow dress): joseph holmes

3. to live with you alone, red boiling springs tennessee: taj forer

4. elvind: michelle arcilla

beautiful and affordable prints from the jen bekman gallery's project 20x200.

love these so much.

nice...

2009-11-03T11:58:00.001-08:00

been a fan of jeff (ng) staple's vision and ideas for a while, although a lot of their clothing hasn't really moved me, this, i really like... combine a hand drawn typeface with a really sweet message equals love for me... i think im going to have to buy this online, anyone know if any vancouver retailers carry staple design?

i heart ed kwong

2009-11-02T11:22:00.001-08:00

"its kind of like an out of body experience" is how i describe what it feels like to see ed's work. different parts of my imagination that are usually blanketed over, are awakened and brought to life. ed is amazing and on top of that a super gentle and down to earth guy. sublimely talented. he is in vietnam right now, so im hoping he's gonna have some more beauties like these in his sketchbook. check him out, you will be a better person for it. www.edkwong.com

insanely gorgeous!

2009-11-02T11:16:00.000-08:00

monday mornings need some serious kick starting for me but my favourite blogs usually do the trick... this monday was no exception (even though with daylight savings, i technically had an extra hour.) via the super fantastic, www.swiss-miss.com these are some insanely detailed paper cut outs of maps of new york city by karen o'leary. im getting dizzy just thinking about keeping track of all the white spaces and all the cut out spaces. so crazy! awe-inspiring... just what i needed...

beautify your bike

2009-10-30T10:53:00.001-07:00

via designspongeonline.com this morning. i swooned and at the same time wished it wasn't raining so i could take my bike out and buy one of these amazing, hand carved, leather bike seats. these are so gorgeous! i checked out the artist's site kara ginther of madison, wisconsin and she also does beautiful carvings into shoes, belts all things leather and a collection of leather bound books is coming soon. so beautiful!

over the pond

2009-10-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

a little invite i did for a friend in london town, hope you guys have a blast, and all you businessy types loosen up those ties! live jazz is always fun!

calligraphy styles

2009-10-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

last month, the lovely people at VIBC, the vancouver international bhangra celebration society threw an beautiful, intimate dinner party/fundraiser hosted and prepared by vancouver's favourite chef, vikram vij.

with this lovely event, i was commissioned to create 50 hand-written and hand painted invitations for this special night.

these were definitely a labour of love and i am really happy with the results and have gotten some great feedback. here's a look at the invitations and a sweet shot of a place card at the evening's event*.

(*will be coming)

time flies

2009-10-28T09:55:00.001-07:00

geesh time flies! i have been on a 6 month hiatus from blogging, literally its almost been 6 months! but im back and im ready to go! so much new stuff has happened in the last 6 months that its going to be crazy to try and get caught up and share with you here but it will be done! glad to be back, i've missed you!

happy friday!

2009-05-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

happy friday everyone! i thought i'd get the weekend started with this sweet motown jam! there are lots of amazing crafty things going on this weekend, MakeIt debuts at the Roundhouse Community Center tonight, with drinks and a dj after 4pm and running all weekend, as well as the ever so amazing GotCraft? happening at the Royal Canadian Legion this sunday! im kinda bummed my weekend plans fell through and i won't be participating in the shows but that means i get to do some shopping! stay tuned to see what kind of treasures i bring home!

good morning you!

2009-04-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

this is so awesome. that's all.

via swiss-miss.com

black kids are cool!

2009-04-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

i went to this super fun concert last week at the commodore where the black kids played with mates of states and bought this sweet canvas bag! these are definitely my favourite for the summer and the graphic on it is just hilariously weird and bizarro. me likey!

check out their music for some fun dance party tunes www.blackkidsmusic.com

go watch this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaa4eGOtrTg

too pretty not to post

2009-04-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

i know these have been circulating all over the internet, but how lovely are these earth day cupcakes from the gorgeous jewels of new york? so amazing. i wonder if they taste as good as they look. you know? sometimes they don't, but these are just so beautiful to look at.

check out recipes they post online and other beautiful things they sell at http://www.thejewelsofny.com/

i heart thu cao

2009-04-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

i just got back from cuba yesterday and have lots to blog about but first, i want to give regular shout-outs to people i've met doing really sweet things, i think i'm going to make a mini-series out of it, so first up: this incredible goddess like being, thu cao.

this is what people have to say about her:

Thu Cao was born on a tropical island in the far East to a family of misguided idealistic Communist, to be raised in the Northern BC Mountains by a pack of cheeky wild wolves. For the last decade Thu has made a humble home in the beautifully sedated City of Vancouver. Thu is a self taught artist, who is titillated with painting portraits of desire and all its many faces.

this is what i have to say about her:

this beautiful, eclectic and uncomprimising soul dabbles in between the lines of love, lust and the humanity of all sexuality. her work is vivid, frank and invigorating both visually and consciously and it translates so clearly onto canvas and paper. necessarily graphic the shock value in itself can give one an epiphany of sorts. can you handle her art? come and see for yourself tonight at the libra room: her second show following her premiere solo exhibit "the beautiful sex" last fall. "S' approcher" is at the libra room, 1608 commercial drive from 8pm-1am.

vinyl rugs - arzu firuz

2009-04-03T10:27:00.001-07:00

i found a link this designer's work from ohjoyblogs.com and i found this amazing project! vinyl rugs from french designer arzu firuz. they must be laser cut to get that elaborate detail and the result is so exquisite! im not sure how practical these are but seriously, floor art has got to be one of those supreme indulgences, that and a specially made for outdoor flatscreen tv.

tres cool indeed. check out the website: http://en.arzu-firuz.com/collections

new series coming!

2009-03-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

spring friends

2009-03-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

i love spring and the sweet flowers that it brings! i've transformed my balcony into a container garden for the warm weather. here are a couple snaps of my new buddies and as soon as there is a bright day, i'll post the whole family!

these last two weeks have been home reno weeks and after 3 years in my apartment, i finally have beautiful baseboards and moulding up! thanks to my amazing friends and a miter saw from my dad, we did it! before and after pics will follow as soon as everything is complete, i still have to sand the putty off and paint!

three for five

2009-03-23T17:26:00.000-07:00

gardenias

2009-03-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

emily carr's new logo

2009-03-06T13:40:00.000-08:00

emily carr university, the womb of artsy, hip, creatives that get cultivated on vancouver's pride and joy, granville island has got a brand new look.

what do you think of the new logo? it was designed in-house and is quite a departure from the original logo mark.

i'm still deciding.

what are your thoughts?

www.ecuad.com

science and sons

2009-03-06T09:53:00.001-08:00

this is so crazy cool! who needs a new mp3 player? just plug in your ipod headphones into this amazing ceramic piece of art. no batteries required. designed by canadian industrial designer, tristan zimmerman. check out his other work at www.scienceandsons.com. such a beauty!

mark giglio

2009-02-24T12:32:00.001-08:00

found via swiss-miss.com, is the whimsical wood workings of california based illustrator mark giglio. i love that the little wood forest he crreated and the pencil pirate is just too adorable. he has an online shop where you can purchase his illustrated totes and t-shirts. too bad these lovelies aren't for sale.

check out mark's work at www.penpencilstencil.com.

blim community art market series

2009-02-20T11:19:00.001-08:00

i will be at the launch of blim's series of community art markets starting march 29, 2009 from 11-6pm at the Cambrian Hall, Main and 17th. this will be the launch of babyelephantdesigns printed range of cards and the kick off to all the spring and summer craft fairs to come!

xl thimbles

2009-02-20T11:15:00.001-08:00

these are so adorable. they look like extra large thimbles. kinda transports you into the world of thumbelina for a minute.

i got this image from my daily dose of designspongeonline.com

i'd love to get my hands on some of these, but where? the search begins.

smooth & mellow

2009-02-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

eye candy break from work today.

all images from http://sfgirlbybay.blogspot.com

walumtimes day project

2009-02-11T11:04:00.001-08:00

i think smart successful independent women think they are supposed to hate valentines but, i dig it. its so tacky and red and plasticy, but i do like these cheesy days especially when i think about celebrating it with all the people i love. valentines day sucks because its "reserved" for that special person, and if there is no special person, you feel like you need an anti-valentines day party or something. so valentines for everyone i love.

i saw this great project on designsponge.com and have decided that this will be my project for the occasion, i will personalize them too so stay tuned & keep a look out in your mailbox. i gotta hurry!

xoxo

p.s. valentines became walumtimes many years ago when the server at a very low key richmond sushi spot wished my bf and i at the time, a "happy walumtimes day!" on the top of her lungs, it was so hilarious. i'll never forget the amazement i felt about how much cooler the word all of a sudden sounded.

string of pearls

2009-02-10T23:10:00.000-08:00

my most recent addition to my succulent family. i've been wanting this one for quite some time now, so excited to have found it!

i was just in calgary this weekend, weather was awesome, it was good times seeing good friends. i definitely recommend you checking out this new charcuterie called farm on 17th avenue amazing cheese, wine and meats. they even had bottles of erath from oregon on hand and to j & v's delight, rogue's chocolate stout! also the coup's next door companion, meet for some retro good times, they even have gourmet styled "ants on a log" on their menu, fresh celery with organic almond butter and raisins on top... yum!

moooi

2009-02-04T09:39:00.000-08:00

thanks to my new roomie p, i got introduced to this wicked site. www.moooi.com i've seen their pieces floating around showrooms and design stores around town, but the site is great it gives designer info, a spec sheet, but no prices. we all know what that means. nevertheless, the no prices feature really encourages my unrealistic fantasies about decorating my apartment with beautiful pieces from this website on a regular basis. sigh.

i've seen the horse lamp around but i've never seen the rabbit table lamp. designed by front, it definitely captures a surrealistic vibe, that alice in wonderland weirdness and cuteness all mixed up in to one.

the smoke series, by maarten baas a collection where the wood on the furniture is burnt and as the wood starts to crack and create beautiful patterns, a layer of epoxy is coated and the pattern is sealed off and becomes a part of the aesthetic and is described as "creating the strange sensation of sitting on burnt furniture".

check out moooi.com for some serious eye candy.

moo

2009-02-03T18:03:00.001-08:00

another bit of eye candy from lifeiscarbon. northern lighting is the design team out of norway that created this coveted piece entitled moo.

check out the rest of their collection at www.northernlighting.no.

cool take on the whole moose/deer/antler theme that has been going on forever now. would you hang it up? definitely a conversation starter.

glass slippers

2009-02-03T17:15:00.000-08:00

from lifeiscarbon.com a fantastic site featuring scandinavian design and aesthetics.

these are amazing! hand blown glass heels by glass artist asa jungnelius based out of sweden.

eames chairs

2009-01-30T12:15:00.000-08:00

i absolutely adore the design of the eames shell chairs and find myself asking do i buy the knockoff that looks exactly the same? or do 1 go and pay around $250 and up for the original versions? is it about aesthetics or authenticity? i've always been caught in the middle as i totally appreciate originality and workmanship, but my wallet has other beliefs.

after seeing this movie. i've made my decision, i will save up and get the genuine goods.

this video is amazing all that hard work and labour, how much thought and planning that went into the design, how meticulous the measurements and details are, i could go on but ultimately without a doubt the eames chairs are worth every penny - - when i'll actually see one in my living room.... it might be a while.

(thanks to w. for first showing me the film)

starlight republic

2009-01-30T12:11:00.001-08:00

all by now

2009-01-30T12:10:00.001-08:00

starlight republic

2009-01-28T19:23:00.000-08:00

happy new year, chinese styles...

2009-01-26T17:56:00.000-08:00

gung hay fat choy! i think my year has officially started now. consuming as many of these little sugar mandarins as i can is how i am going to celebrate. this year, will be about learning. going to learn how to cook classic spanish food. the best paella ever! and im learning mandarin and prepping for a new part time job...

it all begins now!

i will be updating this blog a lot more frequently than the last couple months. i feel bad but i don't think many people are actually reading anyways so i'll officially let that be my get out of jail free card.

so happiness, health, fortune and good friends to you all.

happy holiday dudes

2008-12-23T15:37:00.000-08:00

quiet on the blog front... busy on the work front

2008-12-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

i can't believe its been a month since i've posted. i even remember thinking i have things to post about too. i really need to put in some effort in this, how easily i forget things. especially to those of you who actually read this. so much for my moniker babyelephant.

anyways, i've been getting super busy on the craft fair front as i've started incorporating some new designs and items to sell... i will be posting pictures from got craft! tomorrow at the canadian legion:2205 commercial drive, (at east 6th avenue) its from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.

hope to see you there, swag bags for the first 30 people through the door so get there early!

thanks for reading...

hope is a powerful thing

2008-11-05T00:03:00.000-08:00

i don't know whether it was the skeptic in me or the fact that i had given up on american politics altogether, or the fact that i just didn't believe it could happen that made obama's win so riveting for me. anything is possible. this is something i believe, i even tell people this; i've read the books, memorized the quotes, but this was happening in reality. not just something inspirational said by some dead philosopher. i felt a huge relief for all the american's i know and love, or may not even know yet. i feel better knowing you can choose wisely with your hearts. you are safe now. today i felt and saw the impossible possible.

i never thought i would thank the states for anything besides ben and jerry's creme brulee ice cream and thanksgiving day sales, but thank you america, thank you for the hope.

holiday craft fairs announcement!

2008-11-02T17:51:00.001-08:00

after halloween rolls by, the holiday stuff is up. it is shockingly fast. i can't believe the clocks have been set back, november is here, the holidays are just around the corner! xlmammals will be participating in the gotcraft! holiday market december 7th at the cambrian hall on commercial drive, looking forward to our first ever gotcraft event! stay tuned to see if we will be at the blim winter market on december 20th. must get busy! AHHHHH!

for more information on gotcraft check out www.gotcraft.ca

anna maclellan

2008-11-02T17:22:00.001-08:00

i had the pleasure of meeting this super talented local artist a few weeks ago and can't wait to show you her work. anna's mixed media art has a beautiful nostalgic quality, given that she has amazing hook ups with vintage paraphernalia throughout the city, and has this twisted appeal of the stepford wife meets cute furry animal. anna uses vintage paper dolls and mixed media to create her collage series. i especially love the fact that she's names all of her pieces in this series. her prints are great and i am looking forward to acquiring a few myself! she has some really beautiful one of a kind pieces built with found and saved treasures that resurrect these found pieces into solid art works.

where the colour is in toronto

2008-11-02T16:49:00.001-08:00

ryan mcginness

2008-11-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

while i was in toronto a couple weeks ago, i missed out on takashii iwasaki but i literally walked into this ryan mcginness show in the distillery district in toronto. i've been an admirer of his work since i began my career in design. i have always loved how intricate and smooth, simple and ornate his art is. i had only seen his work in books and to have been able to see them up close was such an awesome surprise. the show was called aesthetic comfort, lots of neon in his work and lots of large scale canvases. he also created these amazing scultpures, with his art applied somehow to each individual piece.

swoon for takashii iwasaki

2008-10-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

i am heading to toronto tomorrow for some quality time with my mama! so to make the most of our trip, i've been trying to scour the internet and friends to figure out what to do and where to explore! luckily, i came across a show at the LE Gallery in toronto featuring a solo show by takahii wasaki. he is a japanese artist who studied at the university of manitoba. i've seen his work before and was in awe at the whimsical nature of his art and even more impressed with a series of hand embroidered pieces each just as colourful and intricate as his paintings. i am so excited to be able to see these works up close.

check out his website at http://takashiiwasaki.info

(images from http://takashiiwasaki.info)

the scandinavian eye

2008-10-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

so one of my favourite blogs is emmas design blogg, an amazing photographer and eye based in sweden she's opened my eyes to some really amazing artist and interiors from her neck of the woods, here is the latest sampling of what i've learned and got out of visiting her blog.

check out jenny almen's fantastic line drawings adorning cushions. so inspiring, i love the simplicity and the boldness all at the same time.

camilla engman has been a household name for me that i've been aquainted with thanks to the internet, but a collaboration of her work and another artist named elisabeth dunker is new to me, and together they have created studio violet. i love these artists and their prints, to die for.

so much coveting! is this bad?

(images from http://emmas.blogg.se/ & http://www.studioviolet.se/)

kitschy kootenays

2008-10-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

my trip to the kootenays was fantastic, the area is surrounded by mountains and the changing colours of the trees was an amazing sight to see flying in. lots of activities including a traditional dhoukabour dinner with fresh perogies and russian bortsch, so delicious, wandering up and down the main street in nelson and in and out of alleys and small antique shops.

one of the coolest things was finding all this random "alley art" there are definitely some artistic people living in nelson for sure. one of the perks of working with an organization that has some contacts with bc transit, we had our own special city bus shuttling us back and forth from castelgar to nelson! this bus had a purple, seafoam and yellow colour scheme which was pretty odd, but added to the little quirky touches this area has to offer.

i am a little disappointed that i didn't just go for purchasing this vintage polaroid camera, it was $80 bucks and my frugal side was like "what's the point" but then when i got home, my boyfriend reminded me that polaroid is pretty much obsolete, and this would have been a jewel. bummer. oh well.

nelson + castlegar

2008-10-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

here is a little homage to the "alley art", the oddities and quirkiness that is nelson that make for some really interesting photographs. how random is the power ranger?

brand yourself!

2008-10-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

one of the blogs i love to check out daily is swissmiss. such a keen sense of what's going on in the design/art/multimedia spheres, so inspiring. so today, during my usual peruse, i saw a link to this guy: christopher doyle who created a branding/identity guide on himself. so amazing and nerdy at the same time. love it. it's the ultimate combination in a dude: amazing+nerdy=love!

check out the entire post at johnsonbanks

read ! swissmiss

salmon punch-buggy no returns

2008-10-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

heading to the kootenays tomorrow morning, been super busy with work, we moved offices (boo) from main and broadway and now are in burnaby, if you're out there, let me know. i have no friends in burnaby yet!

check out this amazing salmon coloured vw beetle i snapped in richmond last weekend. so sweet!

i am hoping for some sweet pictures of castlegar and nelson... and maybe some shopping finds as the scene in nelson for crafters/arts i'm told is

a-MAZING! if anyone has any suggestions, comment me!

have a great weekend!

fall days

2008-09-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

in the past few weeks, i've realized just how beautiful and serene of a place the sun yat sen gardens are. it's been ages since i've been there and i think its such a gift to us vancouverites. a few weeks ago, accompanied by a tip from erin templeton, about an owl in the gardens, my roomate and i went to try and get a glimpse of this owl. sure enough there he was. such a magical creature, seems like he found one of the few garden oasis the city offers to take a rest.
sun yat sen gardens

wanted wanted my cards!

2008-09-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

i was hoping for this forever...

to have a shop i love, carry the cards i love to create, and with some incredible support some energy worked in my favour. i created the succulent cards because i was so inspired after visiting susan's shop for the very first time. i've never approached a store before, but something about this place felt really "right" (i know, a little cheesy) but i went, put my fears of failure aside and went in and sure enough, she loved them and took them immediately! it was such an amazing feeling, i just dropped off 12 new succulent cards at wanted! so excited!

wanted

columbia at east pender

604-663-0178

2DTD's

2008-09-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

fall blim market 2008

2008-09-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

the blim fall market was such a great afternoon, the sun was out, the turn out was good and so many lovely people and lovely pieces people were selling! we introduced another new xlmammals collaboration, the 2DTD's 2d teddy bears magnets/pins! (new post to follow) we met so many wonderful and talented people! thanks nicole for being such a fun table neighbour and taking the only picture we have of the day with the two of us! check out nicole's work and blog at http://itsyourlifeshop.com/

the lovely ladies in the bottom picture, tiff, julie and allison, cute little bobbies that i forgot to actually buy at the end of the day, hopefully there are some left and allison with her lovely line of jewellery called district thirty. check out allison's work at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5622894.

sew much fun!

2008-09-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

this is what we were doing instead of posting to this blog on friday! cutting, sewing and preparing for the fall blim sale which was so much fun! photos are coming up next. thanks to everyone who came out to check us out, you making time for us is much appreciated!

look what i found!

2008-09-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

check out these amazing little crocheted succulents and cacti by brazilian artist, thais veda. these are so cute, I can't get over it. pining away for them right now. find her work on flickr, under crochet jardim! can someone get me one of these? pretty please?

like, whoa

2008-09-26T20:17:00.000-07:00

salivate over this. an installation piece from the venice architecture biennale, pencil drawings from the japanese pavilion designed by artist/architect junya ishigami. i love how delicate and whimsical the sketches are. so amazing how these sketches literally transformed into architectural structures made entirely of plants and flowers. so much beauty. sigh...

images from designboom.com

still succulent...

2008-09-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

someone once said they were "blessed with mass market tastes..." but these succulents are popping up in tonnes of random searches, design blogs and stores (i came across a display at the cross) and getting super popular... i could totally be late and the last one to have got the memo about the succulents, but blessed or not, i love them. here's a sneak peek at the newest babyelephantdesign cards! i hope you like them! we are working away at our projects for blim this weekend! come to blim on saturday to the fall craft show, you're invited!

so succulent

2008-09-24T00:09:00.000-07:00

thanks to my bestest gal pal, i have fallen in love with succulents. the donkey tails in the last photo have been my pride and joy since last christmas. they are perfect in every way, unique shapes, little to no water (its actually hard to kill them) bright light and i have added to my little urban garden oasis since then with three others. i've also wandered into the most amazing little flower shop on the edge of chinatown at east pender and columbia called wanted. the owner of this store is amazing and has given that area a little magic. i can't wait to go back and pick up some more little ones to bring home, she also has amazing vases and vintage pieces. check her store out for the perfect gift. i've also been inspired to create new cards of these fine botanical buddies of mine. i'm super excited about them and will be sure to thank susan at wanted for the added inspiration.

go and get a succulent!

xlmammals heart boardgames

2008-09-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

there has been a re-birth. a renaissance, if you will in the name of milton bradley.

we have been transforming the weekend warriors to pictionary parties and last night topped it off. usually we play with 4 people, but last night xlmammals hosted a super rocking board party with almost 10 people during the course of the night and the competition was intense, such great energy and people were having a great time, there was some dance party action, lots of board game night appropriate snacks and bevvies. i think xlmammals should put on a tourney, now that the fall months are approaching this will give us something to do for sure!

thanks so much for coming out everyone! we will do this again soon as there was no sure fire winner in my opinion, although the come back was definitely immaculate...

board game night = epic, and to be continued...

p.s. next time, i will take pictures! i'm new at this blog thing, but now i know, camera in bag, always!

a jewel of a design blog

2008-09-19T13:42:00.007-07:00

please check out this amazing blog!

emma's blog features amazing photography of interiors, amazing styling and romantic still life photography with a scandinavian perspective. when i first saw this, i felt she literally tapped into my space fantasies and posted a play by play of what i love and didn't even know i coud love. check it out to be inspired.

babyelephantdesigns returns!

2008-09-19T13:42:00.005-07:00

after a long hiatus, babyelephantdesigns has returned with new cards and new characters. stay tuned for more work at the blim fall craft sale september 27, 2008.

babyelephantdesigns is also starting up an etsy online shop so keep an eye out!

tshirts are coming this fall also. hopefully right in time for the chaos we call christmas.

i am getting so excited with every post of this blog that my mind keeps thinking of new things to write about even though i put off starting this blog because i didn't know what to write about! with the gray fall months coming up, i am looking forward to many nights of blogging and resizing pictures for this blog. hello new addiction, good bye facebook. well, maybe not.

rock in my pocket

2008-09-19T13:42:00.004-07:00

rockinmypocket is a new york based studio run by the other half of xlmammals, wallace (aka the walrus) at the blim summer craft sale, wallace exhibited some of his favourite photographs of vancouver and a small sneak peek at his "subway perspectives" series in cards. his subway series is stellar and nothing short of amazing! taking the train tracks of the NYC metro, he creates an optical experience that is as visually stunning as it is though provoking.

blim summer craft sale

2008-09-19T13:42:00.002-07:00

xlmammals debuted at the blim summer craft sale on july 25, 2008. to fickle weather and new friends. we introduced our first collective project which were the xlmammals original pin-cushions! they were quite the endeavour to produce, but each and every one has their own story of love, sweat, and tears poured in, along with a sprinkling of curse words. xlmammals will be back with new creations for the blim fall craft sale, taking place september 27, from 12-5 at blim. (main and 17th ave, vancouver, bc) come by, we'd love to see you!

we are xlmammals... nice to meet you!

2008-09-19T13:42:00.001-07:00

welcome to xlmammals and welcome to our blog. we are designers, photographers, musicians, artists, crafters, sewers, writers, philosophers, painters, dinner-makers, dish-washers, plant-growers and life-lovers. this is our collection of random doodlings, things that make us stop, things that make us busy, things that make us laugh, things that make us think and things that we love. thank you for being a part of this. we love you. we really do.