“Humanity’s excessive production of material waste poses a critical environmental threat, and the problem is only escalating, especially in the past few decades with the rapid development of powerful electronic tools and persistent consumer desire to upgrade to the newest available technology,” the team, led by Professor Soekheun Choi, wrote in a paper published in the ASC Applied Materials and Interfaces journal.

“The poor disposability of electronics,” the researchers continue, “is especially an issue for the newly arising field of single-use devices and sensors, which are often used to evaluate human health and monitor environmental conditions, and for other novel applications. Though impressive in terms of function and convenience, usage of conventional electronic components in these applications would inflict an immense surge in waste and result in higher costs.”

Traditional circuit boards are manufactured from resin, glass fibers, and metal wiring, making them somewhat bulky and harder to recycle. That means that millions of single-use circuits in things like personal wearable devices, point-of-care medical devices, and environmental monitors simply get tossed in the trash every day.

In response to this issue, the team — assembled from the University’s Bioelectrics and Microsystems Laboratory in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering — turned to an exercise in “papertronics.” They created a single-use, amplifier-type electronic circuit board made from renewable and biodegradable materials like paper and wax.

The started by printing out electronic channels using wax onto a single sheet of filter paper. The wax was heated to 266 degrees Fahrenheit for two minutes so it could soak completely through the paper. The next step was to fill in all the areas not covered in wax with both semi-conductive and conductive ink. The team then screen-printed conductive metal components onto the paper before bonding the layers together with Thru-hole technology. Lastly, they cast a gel-based electrolyte at 140 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes onto the sheet.

The tiny, flexible circuit board proved effective when it came to resistor, capacitor, and transistor functions. If left unused, it could biodegrade over time with minimal permanent waste left behind — but the team also demonstrated that the board could be completely disintegrated within seconds with just the smallest of flames. And because of the limited amount of materials required, producing these paper circuit boards would likely be very inexpensive, and easily scalable for mass production.

Professor Choi and his team are excited by the potential their creation has to curb e-waste on a global scale. As they explain: “All electronic components are paper-based and integrated on paper-based printed circuit boards (PCBs), innovatively providing a realistic and practical solution for green electronic platforms.”

The post Research Team Creates Paper Circuit Board to Curb E-Waste first appeared on Dornob.

“This is how this little collaboration came about, exactly at the time when I just started a new fiery paper artwork — the Phoenix,” the UK-based artist said in an Instagram post alongside Rohulskyi’s video. “It seems symbolic because Bogdan’s life in Ukraine has been burned to ashes, but from the ashes a new chapter of his life is rising and beginning to take flight here in the UK.”

However, Brodskaya admits that the poignant comparison only came to her after the fact. “In truth, there was no mental concept or idea that inspired me to create this artwork in the first place.”

“If I really have to attach any words to this artwork,” she continues, “I would say that this portrait is about coming into your personal power and burning down…old patterns and beliefs in order to give rise to your Higher Self — the part of you that is pure light.”

“Yet every time you take courage to follow your heart and your true self, the fire of the Phoenix gets stronger… until it is no longer possible to suppress it,” Brodskaya adds. “…Phoenix comes out in its full glory to purify and burn down everything that no longer serves the real you.”

The details on the face and bird are exquisite, with intricate tiny folds, cuts, and curls. Bright yellows, oranges, and reds explode across the black background of the three-dimensional art. The entire portrait is composed of only paper and glue. And as an extra delight, Brodskaya included a hidden message written in pen on a few of the feathers: “Watch me rise like a Phoenix, from the ashes, to become a heroine, of my own legend.”

Brodskaya got her start as an artist in 2006 when she got her first job as a graphic designer and illustrator. However, she soon gave up digital design to embrace her passion for hands-on art in the form of paper quilling.

“Paper always held a special fascination for me,” she says on her website. “I’ve tried many different methods and techniques of working with it, until I found the way that has turned out to be ‘the one’ for me: now I draw with paper instead of on it.”

Brodskaya’s unique and dramatic style has quickly made a name for her among art-enthusiasts and celebrities. Among her 200 projects and commissions over the past several years, she has made paper paintings for Oprah Winfrey, Nieman Marcus, Paramount Pictures, Hermés, the Country Music Association, Starbucks, and Target, to name a few. She has also authored a book entitled Painting with Paper: Paper on the Edge that sheds light on her creative process. The artist posts all her latest pieces on her Instagram and Facebook accounts.

The post Yulia Brodskaya’s Phoenix Portrait Mirrors the Life of Her Ukrainian Collaborator first appeared on Dornob.

How can paper (even the toughest, thickest paper) be used as a vessel to hold liquids and transport them on-the-go? The answer becomes immediately clear upon an introduction to the genius design of the Uphold Cup.

Unlike the folded swans and fantastic folding fans of origami yore, the Uphold Cup isn’t made of paper. Instead, it uses polymer polypropylene (PP) as the basis for its construction. Stiff yet incredibly foldable, PP is malleable in its own right, allowing the user to fold over and over with relative ease while retaining a shape strong enough to hold both cold and hot beverages (up to 100°C in temperature).

Of course, in an age where more and more people are looking to sustainable materials in everything from their homes to their beauty products, a reusable travel cup is nothing new – many people have made the switch to things like reusable water bottles and straws in an effort to ditch unnecessary plastic consumption. But the Uphold Cup does edge out its competitors with one small (but very important) caveat: it’s not only portable and reusable, it’s foldable, transforming into a flat disc when not in use, making it both cute and super easy to store.

And it’s not just a novelty, either; the Uphold Cup’s materials are food-grade and BPA-free, so users can expect foldable functionality that’s both sturdy and long-lasting (not to mention fun to play with!)

There’s something hypnotizing about the Uphold Cup’s accordian-like unraveling that, similar to its traditional inspiration, instills thoughtfulness and peace — something extremely satisfying about the design that gives it that extra je ne sais quoi not found in your standard reusable coffee cups and water bottles.

A winner of the 2021 Goldreed Industrial Design Award, the Uphold Cup was, according to Yanko Design, “made as a rejection of single-use culture,” and it certainly delivers with its origami-inspired flair that’s both hypnotic and eco-friendly. Compact, reusable, refoldable, and most of all, fun, this cup is sure to fold its way into users’ hearts before long.

The post The Reusable Uphold Cup Folds Away Like Origami first appeared on Dornob.

“Kami is the Japanese word meaning ‘god,’ ‘divinity,’ or ‘spirit’; but it also means ‘paper,’” Shibata explains. “Kami reside within nature. They dwell in the sky, in the ground, [and] in the wind, as well as various objects such as old trees, big rocks, and manmade creations. Kami move freely beyond time, universe, and places, appearing during events, as well as in our houses and our bodies. These spirits also dwell in paper. In the religion of Shinto, white paper is considered as a sacred material.”

Shibata hopes to use the traditional method of Japanese paper cutting to draw attention to “the delicate relationship we as humans have with the environment.” Her interest in paper cutting started when she began to play with the needles, strings, and leftover fabrics in her mother’s quilt and patchwork atelier shop as a child. She moved to New York after high school and experimented with paper art and stained glass before enrolling in the Printmaking and Sculpture mixed media department at the National Academy School in New York. In 2015, she moved to Paris.

Shibata sees her paper art as a way to travel to strange worlds, and her travels to new countries have broadened her ideas about what those worlds can look like while reinforcing her appreciation for her Japanese identity. The landscapes she creates are often surreal, mysterious, and even ghostly, occasionally offering a glimpse of a shadowy figure within the forests and dense cityscapes. She’s fascinated by the way the layered cut-outs interact with each other, creating highlights and shadows that she sometimes enhances with strategic lighting.

Even her smallest works can consist of many sheets of paper and hundreds of hours of careful slicing. These pieces might be enclosed within a goblet, apothecary jar or vase, and illuminated with a single tiny bulb for an enchanting effect. But Shibata’s “paper worlds” are downright jaw-dropping when they’re at their largest, crafted as interactive experiences within art galleries. Currently, Shibata is working on an installation she calls “Inochino-uta, Poetry of Life,” a large-scale project consisting of over 100 pieces of paper suspended from the ceiling. It’s set to be exhibited later this year.

“I cut paper to express my thankfulness to the ‘Kami’ spirits for having been born in this life,” Shibata says. “Each cut, each page is a prayer. My process helps me to be quiet and clear my mind in meditation or prayer. I purify my soul through the act of cutting paper. By interacting with the ‘Kami’ spirit material, I can connect to this spirit world with our own.”

The post Layers of White Paper Spring to Life in Sculptures by Ayumi Shibata first appeared on Dornob.

But what about your everyday, run-of-the-mill laser printer? Could such a device be used to create technologies that make it possible for us to interact with our electronics in an entirely different way?

Prelonic Technologies thinks so. The company envisions a future where paper-printed objects like keyboards could serve as the interface for our phones, tablets, and smartwatches, all without the excess waste that’s created with other wireless, more temporary hardware. Take wireless keyboards, for example – a popular alternative for those that want to work exclusively on their phones or watches, but require a keyboard to handle more complicated tasks like editing photos, building spreadsheets, or even performing music. But while these wireless keyboards are affordable, they’re not always practical, used a little only to be quickly discarded, and creating waste that our already beleaguered planet certainly doesn’t need.

Enter Prelonic Technologies. Founded in 2007, the company’s aim is to create “flexible printed electronics” to produce cheaper hardware that’s more eco-friendly, according to Gizmodo. Temporary, more affordable hardware that’s also recyclable? Who couldn’t get on board with that?

The company recently demonstrated this technology, dubbed Prelonic Interactive Paper (PIP), by posting a video on their site of a set of printed piano keys created by a standard laser printer. So much more than a piece of paper, however, the sheet is adapted with a circuit layout sandwiched between layers of conductive carbon, with a tiny NFC (near-field communication) chip in between. This is actually less complicated than it sounds, as the layout itself is relatively simple. And unlike NFCs that usually drain power quickly, this printed paper keyboard actually gets all the power it needs from your smartphone. Just place it atop the board, pair it with the accompanying app, and you’re ready to jam.

This application, while useful and impressive, is nothing compared to the possible applications of PIP. Think not just piano keyboards, but full-on QWERTY keyboards that make it easier to interface with your smart devices without having to bust out the laptop. And it could also be used to create custom interfaces for specific applications like Photoshop, an already existing technology that’s not nearly as cost-effective as PIP. Printed, custom keyboards and interfaces created on-demand that are also environmentally friendly and have the capability to be powered by your smartphone? Now that’s what we call making beautiful music.

The post This Printed Paper Piano’s Power Comes from Your Smartphone first appeared on Dornob.

“Colorama Skatepark,” set in an old 20th-century warehouse renovated by French architect Patrick Bouchain in 2004, is an installation created as part of Lille’s World Capital of Design 2020. Commissioned by La Condition Publique (the cultural institution currently occupying the warehouse), the indoor skatepark fuses the architecture of the space with new ramps and brightly-colored details.

The brick walls are reinvigorated with shoes of peach and pink, overlaid with bold murals in neon green, orange, red, and yellow. The concrete pillars that punctuate the interiors are also colored, making them feel like a more active part of the design of the space. Ilori’s colors and motifs derive, in part, from the details of the building, while the skateable features were developed in collaboration with local skateboarders and Decathlon skateboarding product manager Jean-Philippe Rode.

Those elements include two corner quarter pipes with banked ends, a volcano ramp, and a central hybrid module. All of these obstacles were made using FSC-certified recycled paper from Skatelite, a renowned manufacturer of premium skate ramp surfaces used by pro skaters. If you’re not familiar with the ins and outs of designing a skatepark, using paper for this purpose might sound odd, but Skatelite’s products are weather-resistant and nearly indestructible, designed to deliver a balance of speed and grip.

As you can probably imagine, the way projects like this are carried out has changed substantially due to the pandemic. Ilori participated remotely in the construction process during the coronavirus lockdown, overseeing La Condition Publique’s staff as they built and papered the new indoor skate park.

“It was important for me and La Condition Publique to design a skatepark that was inclusive and not intimidating but inviting for all ages and all levels of skateboarders,” Ilori says. “They really wanted to celebrate one of the different ways La Condition Publique, a cultural venue, can be used to bring people together, and they felt that I could create this experience.”

Colorama aims to engage the growing skater community in Lilles, France, also inviting BMX riders and other urban sports athletes to partake in the fun. Whether they’re engaging in skating, dance, basketball, or parkour, users get to enjoy a highly unique street art-inspired environment. The park opened in September 2020, and in the future, it’ll also host events and classes, including educational and employment opportunities.

“This project also finds its place in la Condition Publique’s will to forge a bond with its neighborhood,” reads the project’s press release. “By inviting neighbors to a warm and family-friendly space dedicated to sports, it allows them to gather together and get to grips with this cultural place, where they may [otherwise] feel as ‘outsiders/outcasts.'”

“La Condition Publique also shelters not less than 20 organizations from cultural and creative sectors and accompanies its neighbors in realizing their projects. In addition to this, it strives to enhance collaboration with the social, urbanistic, and associative actors in Pile, an underprivileged neighborhood in Roubaix where the venue is located. In that respect, la Condition Publique searches to organize rendezvous in various forms in order to generate new dialogs within this community.”

Ilori, who began his practice in 2011 as an upcycled furniture designer, draws many cultural influences together into his trademark visuals, including traditional Nigerian parables and West African fabrics. He likes each piece to tell a story, often bringing “Nigerian verbal traditions into playful conversation with contemporary design.”

The post Colorama Skatepark: A Vivid Urban Cultural Center by Yinka Ilori first appeared on Dornob.

It may look like there’s a real tree growing within this art studio, but take the time to examine the image a little closer. Notice how the branches at the far right side actually follow the contours of the wall? See the edges of the paper upon which the leaves are printed peeling away from the ceiling? The illusion of the tree’s presence is so complete, it’s almost hard to believe someone didn’t build a room around it — but it’s all (literally) a matter of perspective. If you were to slide a few steps to the left or right within this physical space, the illusion would break as its architectural features began to fragment the imagery.

Pulling off these optical illusions isn’t a matter of using Photoshop or otherwise manipulating the final image. It all comes down to a surprisingly simple process of printing an enormous photograph out on many sheets of paper and then assembling them to fit the space. But it does take painstaking precision for Los Angeles-based artist  to pull off the hyperrealistic qualities of these incredible installations.

Hundreds of printed images plastered across the walls, ceilings, and floors, of several rooms allow us to physically enter the photographs, something Engman finds to be a bit of a paradox within his own work. He believes photography derives its power precisely from the fact that it can’t be entered, explaining that he tries to be mindful of this fact even as he exploits it when creating his 3D scenes.

Much of Engman’s documented work in this series has been rendered as “photographs within photographs,” in which he takes an original photo, applies it to a room, and then photographs the finished product before it’s disassembled. Recently, he extended this concept to a physical space that viewers could actually enter. “Containment for the Fotofocus in Cincinnati” takes his “Containment” piece and translates it to a purpose-built temporary structure within an art gallery, allowing for physical immersion in the art. But it’s in the tension between the safety of the built environment the adventurous, uncontrollable spirit of nature that these pieces find their greatest power.

Engman adds: “In the piece titled Prospect, the combination of the ocean with the studio is a marriage of prospect and refuge and the metaphoric associations of the two. In the case of prospect these associations are adventure, excitement, and a feeling of freedom. For refuge they are safety, comfort, and a looking inwards. Prospect and refuge are not mutually exclusive in a binary sense, but they are at times in conflict with each other, and this conflict, to my thinking, is central to much of what we want and work for.”

“There is a correspondence, for me, between the prospect and refuge conflict and the tension between illusion and materiality that I see as intrinsic to the medium of photography. The latter has long been a subject of my work. By “illusion” I am referring broadly to the power we invest in photographs to tell us the truth about the world, to be a record of it, to “capture moments,” as it is said. By materiality I am referring to the stuff of photographic objects, their actual truths: ink, paper, frame, and physical context.”

“The tension between illusion and material is exhibited in these works most notably by the different ways in which paper in used to construct images. In the piece titled Refuge, for example, the image of the wooded scene was printed onto over 150 pieces of paper and then physically cut and affixed to walls and objects within an architectural space. The room itself was then photographed and the resulting image printed onto a single sheet of photo paper. In the case of the former, the physical properties of paper are acknowledged. In the case of the latter (and this applies to the majority of photographs), everything about the presentation is designed to deny that the paper exists at all. What matters and is emphasized is the illusion, or, if you like, the lie.”

The post Chris Engman’s Optical Illusions Allow You to Step Inside Photographs first appeared on Dornob.

Most of us spend over four hours a day on our phones. That’s 1,456 hours a year.

We’ve become so attached to our mobile devices, we often peruse them first thing in the morning, while we’re commuting, on our lunch breaks, and pretty much any other time there’s a lull and we’re feeling bored. But imagine what we could be accomplishing in that time instead.

Cutting back isn’t easy, of course. Even if you’re determined to slash your screen time, you’ll probably keep your phone nearby to perform basic functions like making calls, and from there, it’s easy to fall right back into bad habits.

Knowing that many people are feeling fatigued by a constant influx of information and digital interaction, Google’s digital well-being initiative offers a simple DIY way to deal. Created in collaboration with London-based design studio Special Projects, “Envelope” is exactly what it sounds like: a paper envelope that slips over your smartphone, transforming it into a simpler device. You can download and print it at home, folding it over your screen so that the buttons still light up subtly for easy use.

The one big catch, unfortunately: is that it currently only works with the Google Pixel 3a phone.

“Many people feel that they spend too much time on their phones and struggle to find a balance with technology. Special Projects — a design and invention consultancy in London — have designed a series of special paper envelopes which completely transform the functionality of your smartphone for the time it is sealed inside, allowing you to enjoy fewer distractions for a little while. One envelope turns your phone into a very basic device which can only make and receive calls, while the other turns your phone into a photo and video camera with no screen, helping you to focus on what’s in front of you.”

“Printed buttons which subtly light up allow you to dial and take photographs, creating a calm but magical ‘Envelope User Interface.’ Special Projects were inspired by a recent trend where people purchase a second, simpler phone for holidays and weekends, as a way of limiting their access to technology.”

“They wanted to create a more accessible version of this, which would enable people to try a day without a phone without committing to purchasing a new device. You can download this pdf and print it out to make your own envelope right now. Currently, the experiment only supports the Google Pixel 3a. You can download the app on the Play Store, and all the code is available on Github.”

This project is a fun, free alternative to permanently switching to a so-called “dumb phone,” like the flip phones we all used circa 2010 — but it obviously has its limitations. Paper is flimsy, and you’d probably have to replace the Envelope pretty often. And underneath that paper sheath is still your same old expensive smartphone with all of its temptations.

Ultimately, if you’re looking to go on a smartphone diet, you’re probably better off deleting the vast majority of your apps and seeing how long you can go without downloading them again. But, if nothing else, Google’s “Envelope” is a good reminder to put our phones down a little more often.

The post Google’s Minimalist “Envelope” Aims to Make Your Phone Less Distracting first appeared on Dornob.

Using the hashtag #StayArtHomePejac, the artist is encouraging people to reimagine their surroundings with paint or paper cutouts. After completing his own “window series” of artworks, he put together a simple tutorial showing how to join in on the fun. Even if you’re not artistically inclined, you can get great results by using your computer screen as a light box to trace imagery onto paper, cut your drawings out, and place them on the glass.

The artist explained the movement in an Instagram post, stating: “In these strange lockdown days, I believe that one of the best therapies to fight anxiety or boredom can be creativity. I have always believed as well, that there is an artist inside everyone. I encourage you to create your own ‘window series,’ true urban art at home. Let your imagination fly and post the results on social networks. Every piece of work counts to create an antidote against monotony. The pictures you send to my profile will be shared. Together we will defeat this virus!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_E62GZAXe2/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_P6utaj6bi/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_PRKS4He6K/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_O21zglPrH/

Most participants choose to create simple paper figurines that interact with buildings, trees, and other objects visible from their windows. Some fun examples have included enormous cats stretching on rooftops, monkeys dangling from power lines, dinosaurs walking across hilltops, witches on broomsticks, and scenes that turn the sky into underwater scenes full of sea creatures.

“After only a few days the response of the public has been overwhelming with literally hundreds of submissions being sent in from more than 50 countries worldwide and counting. Reaching places all over Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Turkey, USA, Vietnam, Iran, India, Brazil, etc., the initiative is poetically standing up to the spreading of the virus. Having a new, simple way to play and create as well as capture and share this unique historic moment seems to be providing participants the feeling of a common shelter from otherwise tough and complex reality.”

Pejac says he’s heartened to see so many great results shared to Instagram, and they just keep on coming. Best known for his stunning interactive outdoor art, which ranges from small painted scenes to sculptural installations on public walls, he’s inspired street artists around the world to examine their surroundings for opportunities to express their creativity.

“When talking about Pejac, the key terms are ‘message’ and ‘adaptation,'” reads the artist’s bio. “No matter if he works on paper, canvas, or in public, he has tremendous ability to adapt his work in order to pass a clear and powerful message. Whether drawing a map of the world draining into a sewer or painting a chilling take on an iconic photograph of a Buddhist monk burning himself, his art is provocative and critical, capable of stopping the observer in his tracks. In order to achieve such effect, he [uses] different visual languages, reaching for unconventional tools or finding alternative ways to present the finished work.”

The post #StayArtHome: Turn Your Windows Into Interactive Art first appeared on Dornob.

In previous decades, fake plants made of silk or plastic offered a common solution to this problem, but most of them weren’t exactly convincing. Today, you can occasionally find some pretty authentic-looking artificial houseplants, but they aren’t cheap, and you’ll have to keep them dusted to preserve the effect. So why not do away with the pretense altogether and move in a different direction?

Artist Raya Sader Bujana lets you enjoy the looks of every single one of those trendy houseplants without requiring even the slightest bit of care. Her incredible miniature creations are made of paper and stand just a few inches tall. Each individual sculpture in her series “Tiny Big Paper House Plants” looks so uncannily real, you’ll wonder for a moment whether somebody actually managed to breed tiny versions of these snake plants, cacti, and more.

Even more incredibly, Bujana has crafted baskets and planters to go with each one. Look closely and you’ll see that many of them are woven just like their full-sized counterparts, some so intricately that they “almost took my sanity,” as the artist says on Instagram. That’s where you’ll find many detailed shots of her creations, which give us a sense of just how much work goes into each one.

“I’m dedicating an entire post to this basket, cause it nearly killed me,” she writes. “If you followed the process on my stories you saw how long it took me to weave this tiny thing, with a hundred gazillion paper threads that I hand cut. It was fun and nerve-wracking, but fun… I enjoy things that challenge both me and my patience. What do you guys think of this one? I think it’s my favorite basket to date…”

Luckily, you don’t have to be as talented as Bujana to enjoy these little masterpieces. The artist sells her creations on Etsy, so you can collect a miniature paper nursery of your very own. Unsurprisingly, you have to act fast when they’re posted, because they tend to sell out in a flash. Bujana’s paper plant crafting expertise has already netted her over 100K followers on Instagram, many of whom are waiting breathlessly for her next items to appear.

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BARCELONA ???? Nos vemos mañana y el Domingo en el @festivaletbcn con muchas cositas nuevas, todas mis plantitas estarán de visita y esta vez traigo lupa ???????? Habrá prints nuevos, pins, collares, miniaturas y ya no me acuerdo que más porque estoy muy cansada ???? Quien viene a saludarme? ???? @leocroma #paperart #paperflowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #paperartist #pursuepretty #paperengineering #papersculpture #blooooms #dsfloral #DStiny #botanicalpickmeup #urbanjungle #plantlady #plantmom #etsyshop #festivalet2019 #rayasaderbujana #ohwowyes #miniatureart #dslooking #abmlifeiscolorful #thedesigntip #graphicdesigncentral #mymodernmet #molliemakes #designlovefest

A post shared by Raya Sader Bujana. (@littlerayofsunflower) on Dec 13, 2019 at 9:57am PST

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SURPRISE UPDATE to celebrate Small Business Saturday will be live for 24hrs starting in about 6hrs (midnight Spain time) This time I’ve included some slightly larger framed pieces as well ???? 12 Necklaces in total and 9 Framed pieces ????They are a perfect accent for your wall and can also be used as an ornament if you like ☺️ lots of Birth Flowers in this update. After 24hrs, if something hasn’t been sold it will be removed from the shop ???? There is 20%off on everything in the shop except originals through next Monday and all orders above 120€ will automatically be upgraded to express shipping ✈️ (applies to the US and Europe) and also, all orders above 35$ have free shipping to the US AND Spain and very reduced shipping costs to the rest of the world ❤️ All orders will ship on Monday ☺️ Hope you love these as much as I do ???? ???? @leocroma #paperart #paperflowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . #botanicalpickmeup #blooooms #paperartist #pursuepretty #paperartistcollective #etsy #birthflower #plantlady #urbanjungle #designmilk #designboom #graphicdesigncentral #dslooking #designsponge #dscolor #dsfloral #ohwowyes #rayasaderbujana #creativityfound #craftsposure #calledtobecreative #molliemakes

A post shared by Raya Sader Bujana. (@littlerayofsunflower) on Nov 29, 2019 at 8:42am PST

Bujana also crafts tiny cacti contained within miniature bell jar terrariums, wearable pressed paper flowers in glass lockets, life-sized paper flowers and ferns, paper food replicas, and additional non-paper items like enamel pins and framed prints.

Do these tiny paper plants make you want to start a collection that will never die?

The post Black Thumb? These Tiny Intricate Paper Plants Will Never Die first appeared on Dornob.

The Seattle-based coffee giant may have eliminated most single-use plastic straws at its stores, but its new “cold cup” lids that don’t require straws aren’t necessarily much better. They’re still made of plastic derived from fossil fuels, after all, and they’re not recyclable everywhere. Other supposedly recyclable or compostable materials (like the cups themselves) must be processed in industrial facilities that remain rare.

Considering that most consumers are still demanding convenient disposable products, what’s the answer to this ongoing problem? A new offering called the Unocup probably isn’t it, but it certainly takes a step in the right direction. Its makers say the plastic lid invented in the 1960s is an outdated model that requires two parts when in reality, we’ve only ever needed one.

This paper cup makes it easy to protect your beverage and drink on the go just like a plastic lid, but it does so using a unique folding design. The top folds into its own built-in lid in just a few motions — just fold over each flap and insert the tab. That’s less time than it takes to fiddle with a plastic lid, firmly pressing it down on all sides to ensure you don’t end up with your beverage all over your lap. Its creators also claim they’ve shaken, stirred, and even run with the closed cups without any spills.

It seems like a folding paper cup would easily collapse in your hand, but Unocup says its “uniform structure” creates a “strong and consistent body” that will hold up to your grip and fit easily within your hand. The drinking spout is curved and free of sharp edges, but you can also just fold back the flaps to drink from the open cup if you prefer.

The Unocup Kickstarter page reads: “Customers desperately want a cup which they feel will contribute to waste reduction, while having no compromise to the drinking experience. Unocup uses a well-tested patent-pending folding design to create its own lid as an integrated top. The cup is a breeze to fold, hold, drink from, cheaper, and of course, a lot more sustainable.”

“Unocup’s design is optimized for mass-production using existing cup-making machinery. Using Unocup will yield significant cost and energy savings in manufacturing, storage, and transportation that would otherwise be spent on plastic lids.”

This cup feels a bit like an in-between design that could help us reduce pollution on the path to something better. The problem, of course, is that it’s still disposable, and there’s no mention on the project’s Kickstarter of options for recycling or composting in facilities that already exist.

A real solution would require collaborative efforts between consumers, government bodies, and businesses, with most of the onus on the latter. Companies should be held responsible for the endgame of the goods they produce and innovate accordingly. Imagine what it would be like, for instance, if to-go cups were made of environmentally safe biomaterials that dissolved over time.

The post Folding Paper Cup Makes Plastic Lids a Thing of the Past first appeared on Dornob.

Start with your own paper airplane, which could be made of paper, card stock, cardboard, balsa wood, or foam. Then attach the POWERUP module, which is connected to a pair of propellers, to the tip. This module also contains an onboard flight computer with autopilot, gyro accelerometer, flight telemetry, and night flight abilities, allowing you to control the airplane remotely with your smartphone.

The creators of the POWERUP just released version 4.0 of their design, adding some new features to their previous kit.

They explain: “POWERUP 4.0 is the smartest, most intuitive paper plane kit we’ve ever made. It makes it possible to fly with ease and smoothness in a variety of conditions. Say goodbye to nosedives and choppy flights. We’ve added a new on-board flight computer and two new sensors: gyro and accelerometer, combined with two thrust vectoring motors.”

“That means flying POWERUP 4.0 is smoother than ever, and can now do all this: easier aerobatics (master impressive tricks with ease), wind stabilizer (so you can fly in windy conditions), launch assist (even bad launches will recover and fly), and auto stabilizer (so even your lopsided folding technique flies remarkably). That’s right. POWERUP 4.0 can auto-loop. So you can master tricks and awesome aerobatics by simply pressing a button. We’ve [also] added two high-speed motors to POWERUP 4.0. That means you’ve got double the thrust, additional maneuvering possibilities, and sharper turns. And together with the flight assist, you can fly just about anything.”

Adding flight telemetry and stats to the package means you can “learn to fly like a pro” using real-time analytics like heading direction, thrust level, and turning angles. You can even download your flight data to optimize your techniques.

Optional LED lights make it easy (and fun) to fly the POWERUP 4.0 at night, and don’t worry: the soft front bumper of the onboard computer will protect it if you accidentally fly it into a wall or the ground. The POWERUP even gives your paper airplane its own landing gear in the form of two rear wheels and one front wheel, making it possible to launch off a surface instead of using your hands.

The whole thing weighs just 19 grams, and it takes 25 minutes to charge using a micro USB, with a wireless range of up to 230 feet. If there’s one caveat, it’s the fact that you only get 10 minutes of flight time per charge.

Sure, you could get any number of drones or flying gadgets that don’t require you to build any of the components yourself. But participating in the creative process is part of the fun, and it’s a great skill to encourage kids to learn. That makes it a great gift for any budding engineers in your life.

“This adds a layer of fun and wonder to the project, yet it also adds an additional challenge because students are adding an engine and a power source that must be balanced on their plane’s design,” says Mark Gerl, Director of Innovation at the Fulton Academy for Science and Technology.

The POWERUP 4.0 just completed a round of crowdfunding on Kickstarter, raising over $1 million USD to go into production. The kit will be available to the public at a retail price of $129 sometime next year.

The post Power Up Your Paper Airplanes With This High-Tech Flight Kit first appeared on Dornob.

That’s certainly the case in the work of John Ed De Vera, a multidisciplinary designer who uses paper cutting techniques to create three-dimensional lettering, portraits, and scenes. His technique involves layering cut paper shapes over each other to produce shadows that add depth to their overall compositions. While some paper cutting artists might spend hundreds of hours slicing the tiniest details into massive sheets of paper for gallery installations, De Vera’s work shines precisely because his simple shapes come together in such surprising and pleasing ways, breathing life into each subject in a way that almost feels like magic.

Based in the Philippines, De Vera has created portraits of figures like Stan Lee, Daenerys Targaryen, Wonder Woman, Willy Wonka, Beyoncé, Prince, Donald Glover, The Black Panther, Stephen King’s It, and a ton of other beloved characters and pop culture notables. Though each illustration may only consist of a few layers of stacked paper, the subjects’ identities are instantly recognizable — a true testament to the artist’s talent.

De Vera says his love for experimenting with different media first encouraged him to start working with paper. All it takes is a stack of quality sheets in an array of colors, an X-ACTO knife, plenty of backup blades, adhesive, and his own eye for precise proportions to produce these impressive results.

“My philosophy of creativity has so far led to finding new ways to push and innovate my craft, unafraid of learning new things and twisting them in my own creative way,” he adds.

“Each element of these illustrations was drawn on a bond paper, transferred on special paper, and individually cut by hand. The cutouts were then mounted on top of each other, depending on their layout and arrangement, similar to the process of making paper toles [a 3D paper decoupage technique]. The more protruded the elements were, the more shadows they would create, adding dimensionality to the whole image.”

De Vera also produces works on commission for companies, magazines, and other entities that need a little graphic punch for an upcoming editorial or ad campaign. The paper cutting artist has already collaborated with Esquire, The Washington Post, Delta Sky Magazine, Code 3 Athletics, Moleskine and more on fun and unique illustrations that really bring a little something extra to their content output.

Check out John Ed De Vera’s gorgeous portfolio of paper art at his website JohnEd.Co, and keep up with all his latest projects on Instagram.

The post A Cut Above: Layered Paper Art by John Ed De Vera first appeared on Dornob.

Fresh and creative window shade designs range from hand-cut paper blinds and custom printed blackout shades to robust and colorful sliding glass panels. Here are a few of our favorites:

Artistic Cellular Paper Blinds

Upon creating these surreal-looking blinds, designer Natchar Sawatdichai took the typical cellular concept and freshened it up with fun pleated patterns. She notes that most materials used in home decoration are “over-qualified” and could be replaced with materials like paper, which is “often overlooked and not commonly used in home decoration because of its low-value appearance and doubts of its durability.”

“In some ways, we might not have found the appropriate applications yet, which can enhance its value and change the belief about this material.”

Designed to work with consumer cycles of disposability rather than trying to fight them, these blinds allow the user to recycle or compost them when they want something new, all the while keeping the reusable hardware. Each one is cut and folded by hand, and all of them can easily be trimmed to fit various window sizes.

Custom-Printed Window Shades

When shopping for window dressings, there’s no need to limit yourself to the solid neutral colors offered by most retailers. Virtually anything you can envision can be custom-printed onto the shade type of your choice, including light filtering, blackout, and solar screen fabrics. Companies like Creatively Different Blinds, Blinds Galore, and Orange Piel make it easy to design and upload your own artwork or choose from libraries of premade graphics and patterns. Either way, you’re sure to end up with works of art that are entirely your own.

Glass Curtains

If you’d prefer something much sleeker and more durable with ultra-low maintenance to boot, these modern sliding glass curtains from Sprinz are definitely worth considering. Available in a wide variety of colors and patterns from transparent to opaque, these “curtains” offer shade, privacy, and heat reduction from sunlight streaming in through the windows. Functioning much like sliding glass doors, they follow a track and can easily overlap each other when you want them out of the way.

City Skyline Roller Shades

Turning day into night with a flick of the wrist, blackout shades are essential for anyone who works overnight shifts, lives in a place with high light pollution, or just loves a good nap. Cut the shapes of cityscapes into those shades and you’ve got instant scenery, not to mention the ability to see how bright it is outside without letting in too much light.

What was once a noteworthy concept design is now available for purchase internationally from a Ukrainian company called HoleRoll. The collection includes the skylines of London or New York, each featuring iconic landmark architecture like the Gherkin and the Empire State Building, as well as a dazzling night sky effect.

The post Beyond Blinds: 4 Fresh and Creative Ways to Dress Windows first appeared on Dornob.

Of course, not just anyone can be an origami master. Small, simple projects may be easy enough for children to create, but more complex figures require patience, precision, creativity, and mathematical knowledge (here’s where that high school geometry class could actually be really helpful!). But even if your fingers aren’t nimble enough to craft complex designs, there are all sorts of ways to try your hand at the artform.

“Moduuli” takes a beautiful geometric approach to paper folding. Conceieved of by the Polish-born, Barcelona-based designer and interior architect Kinga Kubowicz (King Kong Design), these customizable wall hangings are especially refreshing because of their modular twist. Find it too hard to come up with your own designs? Moduuli offers pre-folded art pieces made from high-quality Canson paper in the form of “removable wallpaper.” If you just love the way it looks, you can order one of these wall hangings fully assembled. However, the designer also gives you the option of receiving them in modular form, putting the challenge of assembling them entirely on you. To top it all off, these modules also come in a variety of shapes and colors.

The company says: “We like working with our hands as much as we love what our machines can do. At King Kong Design, traditional manual techniques go hand in hand with the latest digital technology. We combine 2D and 3D design with digital manufactur[ing] to produce objects in a variety of design fields, mainly architecture, furniture, and lighting. We are very interested in participatory design. Many of our products are participatory in nature — we like finding ways of involving the customer in the design process.”

“Every King Kong Design product starts with an original design, the result of a creative process based on traditional cutting and folding techniques,” they add. “We then manually prototype the design and, if we’re happy with it, we produce it on a small scale. And this is where you come in: if you like our products too and decide to buy one, we will send it to you disassembled, with a little guide to putting it together at home. The last step in completing the creative process is up to you. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!”

King Kong’s Etsy shop offers a range of designs, from smalls square panels to oversized mandalas. The company also offers a selection of origami-inspired paper accessories like lampshades and pencil cups. Want different colors or shapes than what’s listed online? All you have to do is request a custom order to get the wall art of your dreams.

The post Moduuli: Origami-Style Modular Wall Art Lets You Be the Designer first appeared on Dornob.

The French, Tokyo-based artist decided to combine the mathematical elements depicted in the paper cutouts with a wide range of colors, allowing visitors to experience a visual and immersive recreation of the passage of time. The work effectively began “running” at sunrise on the opening day of the exhibition (November 16, 2017 at 6:30 A.M.). The colors of the day were then traced over a total of 799 minutes, passing through twilight at 6:11 P.M. and finally into darkness after sunset at 7:49 P.M. Moureaux explains: “This flow of time is perceived through the transitional journey through 100 shades of colors.”

All of the numbers featured in the work hang down from the ceiling in strands and are arranged in a grid-like pattern, although this cannot be discerned by the visitor, who passes through a tunnel that cuts through the dense mass of numbers from one side to the other. At its front face, “Color of Time” begins with the lighter colors to represent the start of the day. From there, spectators walk through the rest of the 100-layer volume, watching the minutes run from left to right and then backwards through the installation. Eventually, they’ll emerge at the matrix’s far end, by which point they will have passed through the entire spectrum of color and find themselves surrounded by a series of black numbers.

This marks the first time that Moureaux has ever used this kind of severe color contrast in her work. The artist’s statement on the installation reads: “Through the tunnel, the sky is tinted with a beautiful gradation changing from pale to deep colors, flowing from time to time. The installation makes one feel the subtle changes in the atmosphere through the whole body by travelling the colorful flow of time.”

Visitors can also expect to find a chair by contemporary designer Shiro Kuramata at the end of that tunnel. The chair is called “Miss Blanche,” and the museum has stated that “Miss Blanche is placed by the deputy director of Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art & Design, who is also curator of the exhibition, to create the axis to express a deep respect and admiration from Emmanuelle to Shiro Kuramata.”

“Color of Time” was originally on display from November 16th, 2017 to January 8th, 2018.

The post Count On Emmanuelle Moureaux’s “Color of Time” to Blow Your Mind first appeared on Dornob.