fototiller.com Blog

If you love panaromas photography, you’ll want to get one of these Panorama table lamps. A lamp with a biscuit porcelain base, and a swiveling shade with changeable transparencies. Choose from the existing designs, or send in a photo to use for you own design.

The company also makes these cool cube containers imprinted with a panoramic scene. Check it out here.

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.

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.

“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.

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)

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

Inhabitat has a post up on some of the new photo-printed furniture designs from Ohio Design. And some more pictures here. I’m not sure if I like the furniture designs, but the photos on woodgrain effect is fantastic. I’d love to see some kind of wall hanging of photos on wood like this.

Fake flowers are so, well, fake. But beautiful photos of flower bouquets printed on transparent static cling material that you can put in your window? I love it! And it’s certainly a clever use of photography in design. Flat Flowers from photographer/designer Suseela Gorter come in a small postcard format for mailing as a gift and a larger size, as well. Available online at dutch by design.

I love my fotoclips and am currently putting together some ideas for using them to post on fototiller. In the meantime, I started a fotoclips flickr group, clip it good, to see how y’all are using your fotoclips (you do have some, right?). And here’s an idea I saw over on urban outfitters; cut out your photos with the lomo circle cutter and clip together to make cool circle curtains and room dividers.

BTW, I’m on vacation (hiking in the Rockies) this week and the beginning of next, so posting will be light – I may even take a few days off. Hope you are all having a great week!

New from Nono Living…
XL Wallart is a collection of giant digital images that are comprised of wallpaper panels, put together they create an impacting feature for any room. Suitable for bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms or studies they will dramatically change the look and feel of a room. There are 11 different designs available, from zany giant sweets to delicate flower images, there is plenty of potential to have fun with your décor!

I’m so excited about UK-based 55 Max – I can’t believe I didn’t find them until now! 55 MAx offers affordable prints from contemporary photographers (check out the cool prints for kids) and they have an amazing bespoke interiors service with so many options, I don’t know where to start. They can put your image onto window roller blinds, ceramic wall and floor tiles, wallpaper, curtains or upholstery. And they’ll do the typical print onto canvas – and the not so typical print on aluminum (how cool!) and acrylic. Or for a really unique gift to commemorate a special event, use their photomontage service to create a collage that can then be printed onto the above options or on an awesome magnetic memoboard.

[Note: Site is a little annoying to navigate - but they do take international orders and some prices are listed in US dollars. Continue reading for some of my favorites.]

(more…)

Fellow album lover Jessica reminded me about the great handbound albums over at If’n Books + Marks. I’m a big fan of illustrator Jen Corace and love her great cover on the baby album (top left). Also check out the buttonhole stitch albums and the map albums.

Some very cool photo mobiles from Oxo Designs. Many different styles – from the beechwood and steel tournicoti sun which holds 28 spinning pictures (above left) to the tournicoti spiral (below top left). Check out the oxo design website where you can see some of the mobiles in motion. Some styles available online from this UK shop; still looking for other places to buy these.

Georgie Love posted on this great camera print from we heart prints, “Ghost Camera” by Gary Gao. Actually, it made me a little sad for my my film cameras sitting in the back of the closet – maybe I’ll actually get them out this week.

New lomo novelty camera, the Dalek Supersampler, now at Colette.

Designed by the artist, Dalek, the camera comes with a Dalek design book with photos and assorted graphic design plus a supersampler booklet.

This post has nothing to do with photography – just wanted to thank UK-based housebible (great blog that features “good, affordable, quirky and often practical housey things”) for helping me track down these outdoor chairs and find a US location to buy them. I think I first saw the chairs in the Boston Globe magazine but forgot to save the clipping – and then there they were on housebible. Thanks, guys!

This hanging light from ingo mauer at twentytwentyone is ridiculously expensive but the idea is an interesting one. The light comes with pre-printed and blank Japanese paper that you can customize and attach to the light. I think this could be really beautiful with abstract b&w photos printed on the paper.

Joy has a great post on animal necklaces, some of which are from Fuzz Design, which also carries this great frame. Almost a work of art by itself.

A few people have written in asking where they can buy the acte-deco vinyl wall stickers. I emailed Stéphanie of Atelier Deco in France and they can ship small items like the wall stickers to the US. Send an email to contact@atelierdeco.fr to find out about shipping costs.

Everyday, there seems to be more and more custom digital printing on every surface you can think of. From customised digital ceramic tiles, wallpaper and flooring at digitile (via Chris Glass) to dinnerware sets customized with your digital photo at imagewares (via poppytalk). It’s all still pretty expensive, but gets those DIY sparks a flyin’ in my little brain. I especially love Dominic Crinson’s designs for digitile (picture above and below).

Here are two cute little Sukie albums for all your road trippin’ summer pics: the winnebago and motel photo albums. Screen-printed cloth cover albums hold 5×7 photos and come with an envelope for negatives and photo corners.

“Portaritratti” travel frame ($115) from the new online shop at the Cooper Hewitt.

I love the Thomas Paul frames, and now there are albums, too. $40 from nonchalant mom, here’s the details:

“These beautiful Thomas Paul photo albums are one of a kind, made from remnants of the pillows. So when you order them you will get whatever I have…If you want to be picky send me an email describing the one you want, and we can take it from there! made of 100% silk fabric over a hardcover three ring binder (so theoretically you can add more pages) books come with 20 pages for four 4×6 photos/page (front & back) and measures 8.5×9.5×2 inches.”

Apartment Therapy had a post last week on Cloth UK, a company that will create custom upholstered furniture, wall hangings, pillows and blinds from your photographs. A bit on the pricey side, but great for some diy inspiration.

Joy finds fabulous frames wallpaper – check it out here. Use to put up a whole wall of photos!

Fototiller reader Jessica wrote in about this cool little camera bag featured on the making time blog. Made from pattern in Stitch idees – Cafe Sister 2006 Vol 3, (ISBN4529042383). Does anyone know where to get the Stitch Idees series?

Disposable flash camera from Paul Smith (£10). Overpriced? Okay, maybe. But fun to look at nonetheless. Eye candy only for stateside dwellers as it’s not available to USA customers.

This works as a picture frame, vase, or photo collection box. It is a clear box and has a pocket for photos. Plop in some flowers in the vase or just admire your photo through a frame of water. From trendform.

I really like the clean and simple design of the dossier bent plywood album, from the Umbra Plus Studio Collection. Contains 20 acid free paper pages and includes photo corners, too.

Ever wonder how to create a photo cluster? Even know what the heck a photo cluster is? (I didn’t!) The decorating divas at domino have some tips on getting your frames to look just right (with some links to buy beautiful frames).

photo from domino

More fun vinyl decal wall frame stickers, this time from French company acte-deco. You can choose from many different colors and several styles – stick ‘em on the wall and hang a photo in the center.

Still waiting to hear back from them to see if they ship to the US. (Check out their other cool wall decals, too!)

I love all the great finds at the Toronto-based Up to You. New to the store is an online shop and these self-adhesive vinyl wall decal frames (look for wall decals #3 in the online store). Create your own wall museum of photos with these frames from designer Inga Sempe. (Great for those of you who can’t put nails in your wall – frames can be removed from your wall so you don’t have to worry about wall damage, but can’t be reapplied.)

I’m a big fan of functional art displays, so this beechwood picture frame box is right up my alley. Designer Tim Parsons created this picture frame with a secret compartment for storing storing photographs or any other flat item. It’s also sized to fit print-outs of your digital pics (available in two sizes, A4 and A3). Available from thorsten van elten.

These 3-D frames are really cool; you can put in objects along with your pictures and the frame will conform to hold the object. Designed by Hiroshi Kajimoto, select colors are available (and on sale!) at Plum Party.

Apartment therapy has some highlights from ICFF posted and I was happy to see the work of Duffy London featured. I’d seen the work of Chris Duffy over at the Hidden Art shop, but it’s always great to hear someone’s reaction after seeing it in person. Duffy does bespoke wallpaper from your digital images and his Glo range of canvases and tables with slim lights within can also be customized from your images.

I just saw these beautiful, ethereal dishes in Met Home. Designed by Marina Chastenet with photographer Hélène Purcell, the designs are made from photograms (available at devinecorp.net).

From the pillow king, Thomas Paul, a happy little silk flower frame. Available online at doe ($14).

These shutter speed note cards from rock scissor paper are the coolest camera cards I’ve ever seen! Ok, they are the only camera cards I’ve seen, but still super cool. I love, love, love them. Great vintage camera designs (even a leica!). Available in mixed and single design sets (flick and flash, camera lens, film canister, and enlarger).

Feeling a little tired of megapixels, memory cards and battery chargers? Sometimes it’s nice to kick it old school and get back to the basics. Way back. Pinhole cameras are making a comeback with new, modern designs that you can make from kits out of cardstock. These cameras are a lot of fun to experiment with (and also great for introducing kids to photography). There is no lens in a pinhole camera, just a tiny pinhole through which light passes to expose regular 35mm film. Here are two pinhole cameras that are fun and have a great design. With the hole-on ex camera kit, you can make a modern pinhole camera (above) from the printed cardstock parts and metal pinhole aperture (assembly requires glue, ruler and pencil) for only $20. Also, check out the new p-sharan pinhole camera now available at ICP (below). This one is made of tough cardstock that assembles with no cutting or glue ($30). Of course, you can go really old school and make your own.

Awesome camera shirt designs! Take a camera with you wherever you go.
From left to right: the unlearn camera shirt, range finder shirt, camera shirt,
100% super instamatic shirt, grinstamatic camera shirt, the quiet life’s camera dot shirt and finally the camera t-shirt from k adorable.

I love three by three designs. Their innovative use of magnets leads to products like these cool frames, the colornetic frame and the woodnetic frame. Photos can be displayed on both sides and are held up by small, powerful chromed magnets. Available at velocity art and design.

Was reminded of db clay’s camera series of very cool photo-transferred wallets while browsing design spotter. The designers have developed a new method for printing photographic images onto gaffer tape wallets. Current designs include mad deer, this sky, and parking lot. Also available online at elsewares.

So bummed that I couldn’t go to bklyn designs. Jill over at inhabitat has some highlights posted and I was especially interested in claire design, which merges photography and lighting design to create these unique pendant lights.

Spotted on design spotter, this is one strange camera. I’ll let the designers describe it. “As a response to the increased ease with which images can be transferred, this pencil case aims to create a form of unreproducable image. An onboard pinhole camera, possessing an almost infinte depth of field, is triggered every tax year by the camera itself and is uncontrollable by the user. The resultant image can only be viewed by peeking into the case’s SLR prism viewfinder, and onto the onboard LCD screen. Constructed from american black walnut, photo-etched steel, CCD and electronics.”

(images from design spotter)

The cranky wind-up toy dances like crazy while holding your photo.

Retromodern has these three unique tabletop photo holders:

pinch holder – photos grow on trees with this forest of clothespin photo holders.
clipp holder – simple and sleek, this one piece steel clip holds your photo firmly in place (in small, medium and large).
miamor container/photo holder – a heart shaped container to store your small desktop items and display a single photo.(note: this piece is in the process of being discontinued and limited stock remains)

I had to travel for business yesterday and my reward at the end of these trips is spending a frantic 90 minutes trying to take in the entire ikea store near the train station. (Yes, I have a serious ikea addiction!) I picked up some of these bright little glad dofs frame – less than $4 bucks a piece! Also saw some of the new magnetic frames in the finlir series, a great deal, too.

From left to right: The metall dutt picture holder, bubbla magnetic frame, and the finlir double and heart frames.

Finally, from the ikea PS collection, there is this foldout enkoping table with built-in picture frame. You can add your own photo or use one of the supplied pics.

Alessi’s playful designs appeal to the child within. This whimsical picture frame design adds a great splash of color to your photos. Available at unica home.

From MoMA, the snap-it-up organizer is a simple holder for your desktop photos (and any other items you want to keep handy). Made of acrylic board with six colorful rubber bands.

Reflection frame from UK scandinavian shop, skandium.

Cute little felt photo albums from who else but Target! These are decorated with stitched borders and embroidered designs (flower, café and cocktail) and can hold 28 4×6 photos.

This photo mirror from chiasso let’s you add your favorite photos right in the mirror. Holds eight 4″ x 6″ images ($78).

From the DIM brush and broom project, comes this brush frame. Yes it is a little strange. But the idea behind the project is about finding new uses and designs for a product made in a traditional way. Automation of brush production was making the brushes made by skilled blind workers too expensive, so these new designs were created to expand the market for brushes made by these workers. Online at bytrico (a japanese shop, so not sure if you can actually order online).

Also from bytrico, this clever frame with a level built right in as part of the design. Hang your pics perfectly every time.

albums from environment337. ultrasuede covers with botanical photographic patterns and contrast stitching. Holds 4×6 photos with memo area.

I love the sleek curve and shape of this white wooden frame ($21) from bo concept. The black frame is a good deal, too ($18). And check out the brown and black glass frames ($23).

Happy Friday! And thanks to decor8, oh joy!, shelterrific, love made visible and funky finds for mentioning and linking to fototiller! Check out all these great blogs.

More camera bags that aren’t black! Or at least aren’t all black. I first read about the conico bags on shiny shiny. Conico makes all styles of camera bags to house your digital point-and-shoot. I especially like the re-ignite collection, (sampling shown here). There is a compatability chart so you can look up and see if you are lucky enough to own a camera that can wear one of these bags.

Cool pivot frame from todd oldham for lazy boy. Rotating solid beech wood frame holds photos up to 9×9. And it’s square!

photo from todd oldham site

Looking through foster’s site, I spotted some new umbra products now available. The alma photo album is covered in felt with exposed seam detail and looks like a cozy little home for you photos. The remix frames are from Umbra’s U+ studio line, designed by Michelle Ivanovic and Stuart Li. Silkscreened on birch plywood, and shocking pink, available in 4×6, 5×7, multi, and wall styles.

The bookend picture frame from Josh Owen in baked enamel on steel is a bargain at $12 a pair. Get it at foster’s.

Glam it up! Smoy chelsea cuffs now available in glitter.

This empress album from shanghai tang is pricey ($115), but I love the cover art. So warhol meets ming. And sometimes your photos are cyring out for some loud, colorful designs on their frames. Mix in the round enamelled frames and this enamelled cloud frame to punch up your photo displays.

Red camper bags, designed by Maura Gramzinski, are made from vintage, original slides from 1939-99. Seven styles to choose from, each with it’s own naked lady “are you paying attention” slide. Not only are slides recycled, the rubber handle is, too. Got a box of slides collecting dust? Get your own custom bag made. And if you just want to recycle your slides, you can email for info on sending them in for a new life as a bag. Available online at indie shopper, snazzy girl and etsy.

The wallter wall applications have been around for a while now, but it took me this long to figure out that the rectangular ones double as picture frames. These are a great idea for displaying photos – exchange the pictures whenever you want, they just pop right out, no glass to deal with. Got a hot date and don’t want aunt millie looking over your shoulder? Take your pictures out and you’re left with a mod wall decoration. Wallter can be painted any color and arranged in any design. Not so great for all you apartment dwellers, though, the frames stick to the wall with adhesive and may damage the surface if removed. Available at wallter and 2modern.

From the red hot shop, target’s photo cube radio. Holds four 3×3.5 pics and comes in white, orange, mint green or blue. Totally rocks. Literally.

Here’s a fun diy tutorial I found via poppytalk; create a single layer stencil from any color photo using photoshop.

Easy to follow instructions – the above stencil took me about 20 minutes to create and clean up from the color photo (taken by my husband) on the left. I’m probably breaking some serious stencil rules. To avoid doing that, read the instructions on how to actually make the basic stencil cut and how to deal with ‘floating islands’ of white. Feeling super ambitious? Try making some multi-layered stencils.

Picture rails from gus modern. Available at 2modern and design public.

I first read about millimeter/milligram on oh joy! and have been trying to find the photo albums, especially the cool little polaroid album. No luck on that one yet, but I did find the holographic mini and double albums at doe’s online shop. yay!

Lovely spring pattern on these ultra suede floral albums, and the colors are great, too. $32 from Calliope.

Another great frame find from design*sponge.

Some recycled frame suggestions in honor of earth day.

Frames from recycled oil drums (from re-found objects).

Urban tree salvage frames, made from city trees that have been removed and salvaged and lath frames, made from reclaimed building materials and (both from grass roots).

3R living frames from reclaimed boat wood.

More reclaimed boat wood frames, plus reclaimed ceiling tin frames (from uncommon goods).

And finally, recycled bike chain frames (available at uncommon goods and eco-artware).

Also, for a green-friendly framing service check out treehugger’s suggestion: green house framers. They have ready-made frames and custom framing services using only reclaimed lumber, earth friendly glues and stains and tree-free and recycled papers. Happy Earth Day!

For some frames that are very ornate in design, yet modern in material, check out the polyester resin cast my Brother’s Frame ($190USD) from Harry Allen in blue, white and grey and the black, enamelled frame from Didier Chaudanson and Clotilde De Grave of presse-citron. Each frame compartment in the presse-citron frame is magnetic, so you can slip your pictures in easily (available from up to you in Toronto for $260USD, and they will ship worldwide).

Funfurde found this wave magnetic track, a clever and efficient way to display your snapshots.

I first read about the online SCAD shop on design*sponge (have I mentioned that I love that blog!?) and went back to check for photo products. I found these colorful wood grain frames.

One of my favorite design blogs, design*sponge, is having a photo contest . Send in your Brooklyn pics by next Tuesday to win some very cool brooklyn designs prizes.

On sale at Elsewares, these large albums from not neutral provide a modern home for you photos. Also available in a smaller size.

No space left on your walls for your picture frames? Let your fotos fly with these hanging frames. From left: photo mobile from exit9 , hangout mobile frame from cb2, and the photo ball, available online at quincy shop.

Photohooks for stashing your stuff. At gnr8 home.

Some fun (and maybe just a bit on the kitschy side) camera inspired finds at fred flare. From paul frank industries, comes the snap! camera bag, available in limited quantities. Also check out the camera photo album and the paparazzi tee.

These albums may be just the thing to finally get me motivated to get my pics off my computer and into an album. I first saw the folk photo album from the sukie design duo way back when on wishing fish, but it has been sold out for a while now. Looks like you can order direct from the sukie site itself (if you don’t mind the shipping cost from the UK), along with these other great designs.