fototiller.com Blog

Joy just posted some new products from millimeter/milligram; I checked the site and was psyched to see these cute (new!) little photo albums. Plus they now ship internationally!

Saw these great A-LIGHT lamps designed by Re-Surface over on Design*Sponge – more inspiration for turning your photos into lampshade art. The A-LIGHT lampshade features urban photos taken in Brooklyn and sits atop a lovely little ceramic base. Pre-order now from Rare Device ($76).

Oddest place for a photo frame? I think so.
Broom with view – by Amplifier

Despite of the fact that a broom is a very beautiful everyday object, it is usually hidden away in a cupboard, unless it is used for cleaning.

The Broom With A View incorporates a picture frame. So, when not in use, it functions as a flexible frame stand that can be leant against any wall or furniture in the house. The frame can be easily removed to change the picture.

I first read about Blurb, a company that does custom photo books, on exposure and was really impressed with the look of the product on their site. NOTCOT posted some firsthand impressions after seeing them at Digital Life. If you’re looking for a way to self-publish a photo book or photo portfolio, I’d definitely check them out. PLUS they have a very cool blog-to-book tool. Their books start at just $30, and you can design the whole book yourself or use some of their templates (which are also quite nicely designed). These would make excellent gifts – I can’t wait to try it out myself. Anyone out there have any Blurb reviews they’d like to share?

Picture snow globes can be pretty cheesy, but this snow globe frame from urban outfitters is so cool (and frosty!) – plus it’s only six bucks.

Apartment therapy just posted on this very cool DIY design site. Shown here is a simple way to make a photo holder from a tealight. Check out the rest of the site, too. It’s in German, but the creative photography communicates all you need to know to make these yourself.

Very cool (and not expensive!) retro russian cameras. Via the always amazing BB-blog.

Cool woodgrain magnetic board to hold up your photos. The genuine magnetic memo board is veneered in real wood. Get it at 2Modern.

Get your photos made into custom jewelry. [Thanks Jessica!]

Industrial Facility and Epson release the sleek new Vollet Picturemate photo printer. Via Reluct.

“Here all is beautiful, here all is false.”

Koziel, a French company, is taking trompe-l’oeil to a new level with these photorealistic wall art pieces. These are photographed reproductions of furniture, objects and decorative arts of old. Unearthed in the antique dealers, the original parts are photographed then digitally improved. Each image is then directly printed on a thin plastic plate which is molded to the original form and contours of the model. Finishing details are added to up the visual trickery – upholstery nails on the armchairs, wooden and brass handles on the doors.

The pieces can also be customized in the color of your choosing.

The English site isn’t up yet, so it’s unclear whether these will be available in the US. I’ll keep you posted.

Paper source has the coolest new product – inkjet printable linen bookcloth. Five 8 1/2 x 11 sheets are $7.50.

Truly amazing… we don’t know how the French do it, but this bookcloth actually does successfully go through an inkjet printer. Holy Cow, think what you can do with this: albums with your favorite photo as the cover, checkbook covers with cheeky messages about not spending money, travel journals with a photo of the destination as the cover.

Great texture on these graph and groove frames from Crate and Barrel.

SUPER cool camera duffel bag ($24) from Fred Flare – love those vintage camera designs!

Martha and Kodak have teamed up and here’s their first offering: holiday photo cards. I love the faux bois design and this plaid. Haven’t had a chance to check out the rest so have fun browsing.

Pretty Modern Dot photo albums are now 25% off at Paper Posey. These archival albums have a traditional case binding with heavy cream pages. They also come with matching self adhesive photo corners. A nice option for wedding photos, I think.

For the couple who has everything…

I read about cul de sac design on funky finds and I love this custom plate. A great wedding or anniversary gift.

Just finished reading through the latest ReadyMade magazine. Get your hands on a copy to see how to make these cool framed corkboards to hang your pics and art.

And check out these instructions for a DIY ring flash using a plain old circular fluorescent bulb. Brilliant!

The name “MUJI” is derived from the Japanese phrase “Mujirushi Ryohin,” meaning “No Brand Goods.” Over the last 20 years, they have developed a worldwide following with a guiding philosophy that emphasizes innovative and simple materials, processes, and packaging. The resulting products are streamlined, environmentally friendly, and beautiful in their simplicity.

MoMA has been gradually buidling up their Muji offerings and there are several products for storing and displaying photographs. Here’s a sampling:

1. clear acrylic frames – frames rest securely on two metal bolts for displaying pictures on any desk or tabletop
2. albums – translucent albums, come in four sizes each of which holds 4×6 photos
3. cd wallet – store your digital picture CDs in this very simple wallet
4. recycled photo albums – albums hardbound in dark gray recycled, acid-free paper; include peel off pages with protective plastic covering

Boy, I’m not sure what I think of these – they are a little loud for my taste. Suva makes t-shirts, dresses and skirts using photographs printed on fabric. I think the designs works best when the photo is on the abstract side; here are some pictures of the better designs (imo). They also sell some fabric panels ($25 for 23×26 panel) which could be fun to use in a craft or decorating project. So, what do you all think – awesome or not so good?

(via design spotter)

New from Chiasso, the ensemble frame ($58).

This symmetrical, modern frame turns treasured artwork and photographs into a unified, modern gallery with 14-4″x 6″ images. Features rounded corners and wide frames to visually separate yet unite your images. Hangs vertically or horizontally. Smooth fibreboard with a black finish makes a modern accent for any room design.

Also available is the collage frame ($158) which holds two 3″x 3.5″, eight 4″x 6″ and one 5″x 7″.

I saw these great photographic wallpaper designs by Deborah Bowness over on Design*Sponge. They are fabulous!

photos by maditi and alison

I consider myself more of a visual person than a verbal one, but I love to play with words — I’m a huge fan of Scrabble and the Times Sunday crossword (anyone know a seven-letter word for ‘unknown’?)

So, I was very excited to come across the compound word project.

photos by gracia and kristen

The project is the brainchild of Shari; she picked compund words and then assigned each participant a single word from the compound. Not knowing their compound word, each participant took a photo to represent their single word. Then Shari matched up the photos, creating a dipytch for each compound word – and everyone tried to guess what the compound words were. Not only is it fun (and harder than it looks) to correctly guess the answers, it is pretty amazing to see how well these photos (that were taken independently of each other and by different people) complement one another.

photos by leslie and karen

Shari hopes to do another project beginning in November, so check the site for more details if you are interested. Oh, and think you know the answers? Check here to see if you’re right!

photos by tiffany and paula

[Thanks to Shari and all the photographers for permission to show their work!]