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The Hong-Kong based jewelry maker OOO Workshop transforms childhood memories into quirky, one-of-a-kind earrings. The designers cut upcycled retro plastic dinosaur toys in half and adorn a stud on one side, so your ear is sandwiched between each side of the ancient reptile’s body. This method makes it easy to mix and match—a fun way to create your own dinosaur hybrid. OOO Workshop offers many varieties of stud earrings, including a Velociraptor, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Brontosaurus. Channel your inner child and let your creativity run wild.

OOO Workshop sells dinosaur studs and hook earrings, as well as other nostalgic and playful wearable pieces, on their Etsy page.

Hook earrings are also available in a wider variety of dinosaurs:

OOO Workshop: Etsy | Twitter
via [Bored Panda, So Super Awesome]

An unexpected compliment can make someone’s day, so it’s a wonder why we don’t give them more often. Photographer Rotasız Seyyah, however, is changing this one person at a time. He’s in the midst of a 1,001-day journey across the globe, working on a simple-yet-endearing project along the way. Called You Are So Beautiful, the series documents the moment Seyyah meets a stranger and tells them they are “very beautiful.” Every individual has two photos snapped of them—one before they receive the kind remark and another after hearing it.

The difference between the photographs is like night and day. Before, the selected women look at the camera with unassuming expressions. But once Seyyah gives the compliment, their faces change—they light up with the sweetest reactions. Some are beaming while others are endearingly embarrassed by the sentiment and cover their face with their hands. No matter how old or where they live—many of these women reside in Central and South America—being told they’re beautiful will shift the way you see yourself.

Despite the time now devoted to this passion project, Seyyah’s travel photography is his second career. He spent six years working in IT in Istanbul before following his passions for travel and picture-taking. He plans to be on the road until September 11, 2017, and in the meantime you can follow along with his adventures on Instagram.

Rotasiz Seyyah: Website | Facebook | Instagram
via [Bored Panda]

Who said book bags have to be boring? Krukrustudio, a one-of-a-kind shop based in Moscow, creates unique purses and backpacks inspired by a love of literature. Designed to look like your favorite novels, the bags put a literary and literal spin on the traditional book bag.

Krukrustudio is composed of Russian-born design duo Max and Lyuba, who founded the shop in January of 2011. “We started this project from scratch,” they state on Etsy. “It took about a month to find [the] right materials, draw sketches, make patterns and sew [our] first bags. Finally, we produced our first models for a chain of handmade shops in Moscow by March.” While they originally created “classical style” bags in felt, they eventually added cotton, leather, and faux leather to the mix, and started to experiment with different aesthetics. They abandoned their traditional designs and began creating “bag-objects,” purses that resemble everyday items from blimps to jam jars.  Their “book bags” quickly proved to be particularly popular.

Each beautiful bag features iconic cover art from some of the world’s most beloved books. Ranging from classic coming-of-age novels like To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye to adored childhood staples like Le Petit Prince and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the eclectic collection covers a wide range of written masterpieces. While Krukrutudio’s Etsy shop has an awe-inspiring inventory of ready-to-ship and pre-made items, Max and Lyuba also invite customers to place custom orders to choose the desired size, material, color, and even cover art of their bag. “Service always seemed for us to be one of the key points of the craft,” Max explains in a post on Bored Panda. “So we always welcomed the custom orders – that’s the best way to find out what others need.”

Cleverly designed, highly personalized, and expertly crafted by hand, Krukrustudio’s literary creations are any bookworm’s ideal accessory.

Krukrustudio: Website | Etsy | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr 
via [Culture N Lifestyle, Bored Panda]

All images via Krukrustudio.

After experiencing a personal loss, designer Justin Crowe set about innovating new ways to keep the spirit of loved ones alive. Growing from his art project Nourish, where the ashes of 200 people were mixed to create dinnerware, Chronicle Cremation Designs was born. This newly formed company creates bespoke ceramics with a glaze that incorporates cremation ashes—whether human or pet. Bowls, mugs, bottles, and candle luminaries are some of the unique, food-safe offerings, though it’s also possible to order cremation urns or just the glaze itself for those interested in creating their own pottery.

Once the custom glaze is created, there is enough for up to 25 ceramic pieces and Chronicle stores it for two years, allowing you to order pieces for friends and family. The final product is both aesthetically pleasing and poignant, if not controversial. Crowe, who is based on Santa Fe, New Mexico, confesses to The Guardian, “I’ve had people threaten me and tell me they are having me investigated. Or they’ve quoted the Bible and told me I’m going to hell. But then shortly after someone contacts me and tells me it’s a really beautiful project.”

By infusing the memories of the deceased in objects for everyday living, Crowe hopes to spur conversation about what death means and how we think about remembrance. “Instead of observing an urn or photograph on a shelf, I wanted a way to interact with memories on a daily basis. Our process was born out of a desire to keep those who’ve lived before us remembered in daily life.” 

The finished pieces are both dishwasher and microwave safe and range in price from $199 for a mug or candle luminary to $649 for a pair of elegant bottles. Orders can be placed directly via their website. Customers will be sent a kit for ash collection and orders typically take 30-60 days for completion.

Chronicle Cremation Designs: Website | Facebook
via [Laughing Squid, The Guardian]

All images via Chronicle Cremation Designs

A vertical forest is much more than just an architectural style—for firm Stefano Boeri Architetti (SBA), it is a way of achieving symbiosis with nature. Widely known for establishing the world’s first vertical forest, SBA Studios created the prototype Bosco Vericale in Milan that encompassed the idea of giving back to nature while integrating it with continuous urban sprawl. The towering 27-story structure was certainly an impressive feat; and shortly following, Boeri revealed a second vertical forest called The Tower of the Cedars in Lausanne, Switzerland. Afterwards, it was clear that this innovative approach was a style all his own. 

Boeri is now back with his third plant-covered structure, the Mountain Forest Hotel, which is designed to be a 250-room hotel located in Guizhou, China. The concept was inspired by the unique topography and natural scenery of the 10 Thousand Peaks valley, the region wherein the hotel will be built. Its design is intended to restore and emulate the original landscape that had been flattened out years ago and help to reconstruct a former existing hill.

As indicated on SBA’s website, their approach to eco-friendly architecture is multifaceted. “Sustainability not only depends on energy conservation, but on a wider biodiversity. The symbiosis between man, architecture and nature is the real sustainability.” They also state that the trend of vertical forests and green architecture is “extremely important for the future of architecture and the Future of our planet, because the single thought can have certain impact, but thousands of thoughts can change the world. Slowing down the climate changes, reducing CO2 emissions, making our living sustainable and in harmony with nature.”

Ultimately, the hotel will be sustainable while also luxurious. It will feature a gym, bar, lounge, VIP area, conference room, and restaurant, and the interior will be designed by a local artist named Simon Ma. If that’s not reason enough to visit, The New York Times also named China’s Guizhou region on its list of 52 Places to Go in 2016, and the government established a $20 billion high-speed railway through the region in 2014.

Stefano Boeri Architetti: Website | Facebook | Linkedin | Twitter | Vimeo 
via [Inhabitat]

All images via Stefano Boeri Architetti.

We’re big fans of artist Levalet, who papers the streets of Paris with his whimsical, wheatepaste posters. The French street artist has a knack for using the surrounding architecture to give his work a sculptural effect, fused with humor. Each piece creates a vignette that highlights the artist’s strength as a storyteller. This ability has brought him across the globe over the past four years, and he has recently released a book, Des illusions comiques, that brings together his best work.

It’s easy to get lost in the illusion and humor of Levalet’s art, which is a purposeful choice that allows the artist to tackle serious issues with a light touch. “I think humor is one of the most effective ways to talk easily about the most sensitive topics,” he explains to Wide Walls. “It can reduce the unbearable and highlight the absurdity of the most common situations.” The absurdity of social dynamics is a strong undercurrent in his work, which asks us to laugh at ourselves and reflect on our own behaviors.

Levalet is not confined just to site specific work on the street; his new solo exhibition Little Boxes opens today in Berlin at the OPEN Walls Gallery. Running through December 17, 2016, the exhibition is composed of 30 miniature boxes that give Levalet space to create unique scenes. Playing with the confines of the box, much as he plays with urban architecture, he has created vignettes that live inside the gallery as easily as they do on the street. Figures burst from the depths of the box or climb atop them, with sculptural elements added to round out the theatrical scenes.

See more of his street work and pieces from the exhibition below.

Levalet: Website | Facebook | Instagram
OPEN Walls Gallery: Website | Facebook | Instagram
via [Colossal, Wide Walls]

All images via Levalet and OPEN Walls Gallery.

With each piece taking between 8 and 54 hours to complete, artist Asmahan A. Mosleh displays infinite patience and a steady hand in creating her intricate mandalas. Sharing her ornate work and the process behind each piece on Instagram, Mosleh creates her own patterns, building up the finished product in several steps. After tracing the original pencil drawing in ink, the detail work begins. Watercolor or acrylic is used for the bright pops of color, with gold metallic paint adding a final brilliant touch. 

Mosleh has a knack for selecting vibrant colors to compliment her intricate designs, and is currently focusing on getting her work into galleries. If the stir the UK-based artist has created online is any indication of interest, we’re sure that an exhibition will be snapped up immediately. Her attention to detail and the hypnotic patterning of her work reminds us that while mandalas have a long, spiritual history, they continue to capture attention in contemporary society.

The mandala artist currently has over 130,000 followers on Instagram, where she frequently hosts giveaways.

Mosleh sketches out her own patterns by hand, first in pencil and then ink.

This work in progress image shows a layer of watercolor laid down before she begins the detail work.

Much of the brilliant color is acrylic paint accented with gold.

Asmahan A. Mosleh: Instagram
via [Colossal]

All images via Asmahan A. Mosleh.

A modern-day scavenger hunt is taking place as books are being hidden in the many nooks and crannies of London Underground stations, waiting to be found by avid readers and eagle-eyed commuters. The organization behind the book movement is called Books on the Underground and has a very simple, but selfless mission: to make sure there are books traveling the Tube network to be found by lucky travelers who read them and pass the story forward. Since 2012, the organization relies on “Book Fairies” to stealthily distribute a variety of new and used books throughout the underground city. This week’s Book Fairy happens to be the talented actress and UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson.

Watson has been delightfully sprinkling books throughout London with her signature charming style. The actress, who loves to read, has a particular affinity for essays on equality which help her give powerful speeches on women’s rights. She has even started her own feminist book club on Goodreads called Our Shared Shelf. In the past, the club has read books such as How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein, and My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem. With a long list of favorites to choose from, the book Watson ultimately selected for the Books on the Underground project is Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou—which also happens to be her book club’s latest read.

Tucked inside each copy is a handwritten note from the bibliophile herself, welcoming the lucky reader to their newly found book. “Just one hundred copies were hidden on the Tube…” the note reads. “Take special care of it and when you are finished please leave it on the Tube again for someone else to find.” She also encourages people to write their comments and questions about Angelou’s novel on Our Shared Shelf’s Goodreads page. Watson’s vision for the world is a place where people read, talk openly, and share with each other. This week, she is making it happen…one book at a time.

Image via @booksontheunderground

“When @emmawatson makes your day with secret books on the tube #booksontheunderground #oursharedshelf” ~ @jennnnysymonds

Watch the Book Fairy in action!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VIG4NrnjZM?rel=0&controls=0&showinfo=0&w=750&h=480]

Emma Watson: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Our Shared Shelf: Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads
Books on the Underground: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
via [Hello Giggles]

All images via Emma Watson unless stated otherwise.

Jewelry designer Marcella of Paperface Studio secrets away tiny messages inside vintage-style ball locket pendants. The Santa Fe-based creative has a flair for fun and nostalgia—remember those days of hiding secret admirer notes for a crush to find at a later time? She has a few styles of “secret message” lockets. The hollowed-out brass balls include two strips of accordion folded paper, while a tightly-rolled scroll fits snugly inside a cork-topped cylinder for a more “message in a bottle” feel. Customers can write a message themselves upon receiving the necklace or brief messages can be printed on parchment by request, if the necklace is directly sent to an admirer.

Marcella’s charming pendants remind us that handwriting a note is not a dead art form. In fact, it can be quite charming. Send a necklace to a loved one to say you’re thinking of them or write a sweet message for yourself and wear it proudly around your own neck. Secret messages, after all, don’t always have to be shared.

Marcella sells her timeless handiwork through her Etsy shop, Paperface Studio.

Paperface Studio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Etsy
via [My Modern Met Selects]