Handcrafted Eco-Friendly Font Puzzles For Typophiles Hand Made in Italy.

above image is cropped

Fan of fonts? These beautifully designed and crafted painted plywood puzzles from Looodus are laser cut and hand-finished in the hills of Trivero in Piemonte, approximately two hour’s drive from Milan, Italy.



The puzzles are a true collaboration between designer and artisan, exploring the possibilities of computer aided design and hand finished products. A marriage of new technologies and pride in a craft handed down from father to son. Each puzzle goes through numerous checks to ensure a product which is precise and modern while being unmistakably artisanal.




Extreme care has been taken by Looodus to use a manufacturer who shares their values with attention to craft and quality while ensuring that the product is as environmentally friendly as possible. The process begins with the selection of wood used to create this beautiful piece. All the plywood is FSC (Forestal Stewardship Council) certified Poplar from the surrounding Padana Plane. This is where the majority of Poplar is grown for Italian paper and the carpentry sectors.




The concept for the Puzzle, like many of Looodus’ products, is born from observing the designer's baby daughter and her real life experience of being a first time parent. The Fonts were selected to be appropriate for their shape and size but also have a special place in the world of design. The colours have been checked and tested to offer a harmonious range across Green, Blue and Red.




“There are opportunities which arise every day to be creative and make quick fun toys for her, using the most rudimentary materials and sometimes these mini prototypes can become more refined products,” explains Kurt Stapelfeldt, Co-founder and Looodus Chief Designer.

NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER THREE YEARS OLD



buy them here

IndyPlush - Endangered Species Plushies and Cool Stuffed Toys With A Conscience.

IndyPlush, who creates imaginative, adorable and hip plush toys made in Los Angeles, has just launched their Endangered Species collection (some shown above) from which a portion of all profits goes toward educational or wildlife protection organizations. But before showing you that collection, first a little background on the company and their original line of plush products.

IndyPlush Original Collection:



It all started with Plinio Garcia and Andrew Ruesch's son Luke, who was in Franceil Masi’s kindergarten class. Masi, who is not only an elementary school teacher, but also an artist as well as an author and illustrator of children's books, annually asks her students to draw a picture of an animal at the end of each school year. She then turns them into plush toys as a remembrance.


above: Luke's dog is now one of their best sellers.

When Luke brought his plush dog home, Plinio Garcia and Andrew Ruesch loved it. At the next teacher conference, they asked Franceil if she wanted to start a business and that’s essentially how IndyPlush started. Now, Luke’s Dog is one of their best sellers.


above: the Large Owly is their priciest plush at $99

Cute, cuddly and cozy with an edge (moustaches, skeletons and pirate patches), the toys are made with sustainable and eco-friendly materials in Los Angeles. They presently offer 26 different plush toys with prices ranging from $30 to $99 depending upon style and size.

Bunny Skelly in various colors:

Long and Short-haired Wooly Cats:

Spiny Monsters in various colors:

Pigwy:

Skelly Cats and Señor Cat:

Señor Pigwy:

Owly Pirates in various colors:

The pink, bald Love Monster shown in the first image is also available.

The Endangered Species Collection
Now, their newest collection, The Endangered Species consisting of 13 lovable characters from which a portion of the proceeds benefits educational and wildlife protection programs:














Just look how good my own Indy Plush Endangerd Species Tiger looks in my home:


Franceil, Plinio and Andrew now design, create and construct their adorable and hip plush toys in Los Angeles, California and they can be purchased here at their online store.


For other purchase inquiries or questions, please contact rick@indyplush.com

The Self-Sustaining Isoleé House Barely Impacts Its Environment At All.

The Isolée house is an eco-friendly and modern home described as a self-sufficient residence by Frank Tjepkema and Agustina Cociffi. The tiny structure is essentially a 'smart house' which incorporates a unique, solar tree-like device into the functional aspect, meaning very little to no fuel is required. That tree protrudes from the home's roof, containing circular photovoltaic panels which generate energy from the sun into the residence.




The exterior is comprised of long, thick shutters which are controlled by electric motors that are monitored by a computer system run on solar power. They can be opened or closed given the homeowner's preference, but they allow for natural light and can automatically close when a storm is approaching.





A wood burning stove helps to heat the residence while LED lights utilize rechargeable batteries. The designer states "Isolée is anchored to the landscape on just four points, as would a cabinet. The Isolée creates permanence, but with an engineered beauty that is aesthetically inspired by nature and harmonizes mankind's relationship with the world."



Three levels make up the interior, connected by a diagonal staircase. A living room encompasses the first level, while the kitchen area is on the second floor. The bedroom is located on the third story along with a bathroom and terrace.







This house is a new architectural design delivering an ecologically friendly retreat from the modern world. Combining intelligent technology with elegant sophistication, this design creates a habitat that barely impacts its environment.



With massive opening shutters spanning the length of the building, an intelligent heating system integrated within the structure of the house and topped by a solar tree, this home ensures minimal fuel reliance. Applying a minimalized product design ethos, Isolée is anchored to the landscape on just four points, as would a cabinet.



The Isolée creates permanence, but with an engineered beauty that is aesthetically inspired by nature and harmonizes mankind’s relationship with the world.

"On seeing the house, you're bound to be captivated by the design language. 'My approach was the same as if I were making making a piece of furniture,' Frank Tjepkema says. 'Rather than a solid block of concrete for the foundation, for instance, I set the house on an elegant four-legged base, as if it were a cabinet. Minimal footprint.'"



Design team: Agustina Cociffi, Frank Tjepkema

Tjep