Missed Connections NY

I am not sure how I stumbled across this blog, but it is fantastic! Missed Connections NYis a cute illustration blog that features great watercolor paintings of the missed connections sections of various sites & papers.




These are super cute - and upon further investigation, it looks like the artist, Sophie Blackall, is coming out with a book of all these great illustrations!

The Walking Dead

The comic series The Walking Dead is one of the best things I've ever read. It's unrelentingly bleak and heartbreakingly painful, and I can't get enough.

When AMC announced they were doing a TV series based on the comic, I was curious. When they started releasing promo shots of their gruesome zombie makeup, I wondered if it was on the right path? After all, the series is very much a human drama that just coincidentally has zombies in the background.



But seeing the first trailer has made me pretty hopeful. It seems to have the somber tone and tension of the books, so I'm pretty excited to see what they do with it.

Big Cats and Catnip.

This video was able to grind all productivity in the studio to a dead stop, so I figured it was worth sharing.



EDIT: This may be even better.

The Animal Print Shop

Sharon Montrose takes awesome photos of animals. Her photos are so irresistible, she decided to set up The Animal Print Shop to offer super affordable prints for anyone who wants one.

It's 25 bucks for a 7"x9" print of any animal, but you can also snag a limited edition version at a variety of larger sizes (for quite a bit more, of course).







I'm thinking about getting a set for the studio, but trying to pick just a few is hard. I feel like I'm hurting the feelings of all the rest!

Tiny houses

I've always thought dollhouses and miniatures were fascinating, but stumbling across this set of images gave me an even greater appreciation for the art of making tiny homes.



Some of the dollhouses in the image gallery are really old, dating back to the early 1700s. I really enjoyed this interpretation of Leonardo DaVinci's studio:



and this room full of tiny musical instruments:



The rest of the images are equally as impressive, including a giant Japanese-styled house and many detailed views of the furniture and accessories.

Andrea Joseph

Andrea Joseph's work is not quite Trompe L'Oeil, but the part that brings it back to being a drawing–insane amounts of pencil and pen texture– just makes the pieces even better.

I think her work is especially lovely when her textured use of materials melds so closely to what she's drawing that it's hard not to imagine what the objects would feel like.

Beautiful Books : Folio Society

The Folio Society has some of the most gorgeous books I've ever seen.
My Father is a member and has been collecting their books for sometime - most of his books are classics with reproductions of the original plates in the first editions.
All of the covers and dust jackets are amazingly detailed, embossed and foiled in some cases.






I think some day I'll have a huge library of fantastic books I've read, with one of those large library ladders that reach to the ceiling, so I can climb around the walls and choose a book at my leisure.

I understand that this makes me seem like I think I'll be living in a castle where I have a giant library like that. Let's hope that's where I'm headed.

Ei Ka

I am totally taken by this watercolor painting.



I don't know much about Ei Ka, other than she's from Mowscow, and she creates some amazing art. Paintings, drawing, photography, jewelry and more can be found at her Flickr or Behance.

Delicious, Delicious Chocolate Packaging

So we're currently working for one of MN's best candy companies and have recently found out that their past designs have been featured in a million and one different design blogs, books and magazines. (Thanks for the info, Francesca!) Since we happen to know that there is quite a bit of good chocolate packaging out there, I've taken the time to put up some of my absolute favorites.



Divine Chocolate



Co Couture




B.T. McElrath


Vere Goods




Seattle Chocolates

I might have to order one of each and invite everyone over for a taste test...

Tooth Art

We all need to take care of our chompers. After my trip to the dentist this month, I was thinking this might be a good way to draw attention away from my tea stained teeth!
Here, I could have any number of celebrities tattooed on my teeth if I'd like, although I'd probably just ask them to cover all my front teeth with portraits of all of my cats.

Thinking of following suit?
Check out the toothartist.

Pictionary

Here at Paper Bicycle, we believe in communicating our ideas as clearly as possible. Sometimes we need to communicate those ideas to each other, and of course we know that the best way to communicate ideas is with a visual.

Here's a sneak peek into the minds of greatness:

(A lot of the diagrams are pet story visuals. And the rest...well...you know.)