Tea and Make Pop-Up Shop

Ten designers are featured in this craft-centered Christmas shopping event which also offers workshops to make a seasonal present or decoration (keep an eye on the blog - link via the website - or chalkboard outside the shop for times), plus of course tea and cake. Featured artists include Random Studio with screenprinted accessories, Laura Laura with embroidered reclaimed knitwear and Jill with cards and bags.

Very Cool Design Company

The simple yet artfully crafted coat stand (above) explores the way in which people interact with their natural surroundings. It's made of 100% plywood and would compliment any room, whether traditional or modern. I love the idea of bringing something from the outside, inside and this concept works really well here.

The design company behind the tree coat hanger, Wedid-id, have also created a rather humorous plate series, entitled 'What We Eat'. The plates are printed with designs of animals alongside the food that they 'turn into'. For example there are pigs made of bacon, and a cooked chicken is placed alongside one that is living. Again a simple concept, but an interesting, (and in this case rather blunt) result.

Incredible Billboard Design

Annie Han and Daniel Mihalyo are professional architects and artists who utilize unconventional architectural systems and new media to explore issues of spatial perception.

They are the principals and founders of the Seattle architectural and installation art firm 'Lead Pencil Studio' and the 2008 recipients of the Prix de Rome in architecture. In their words, "The spaces, objects and buildings resulting from our studio process establish new territories that surprise and altar perceptions".

This incredibly designed billboard is made from carefully twisted and tangled metal, and was created to represent the reamins, or 'ghost' of one of the many billboards that populate the area. Check out this website for more images and film clips, or the official Lead Pencil Studio Site.

Thomas Mailaender

I love the playful nature of Thomas Mailaender's photographs, which focus on a real range of subjects, right through from Chicken Museums, to poka dotted old people to emblazoned bottoms. There's a real sense of 'giggle' to the pieces of this French multimedia artist, and check out his Fun Archive for what he calls a collection of the 'Worst Image Bank Ever'.

Tree Light Installation

Farm Singapore created this beautiful, sculptural light installation called 'The Tree' at The National Museum of Singapore. The intricate and complex sculpture is said to represent a huge archaic Banyan tree, and represents the histories, stories and magic of the The Museum and the area itself . The lights on the tree are held together between metal frames, pulsating gently at night; dimming or lightening up depending on the level of visitor's voices below it.

Kiss-Mass Tree

The UK's first ever interactive kiss-mas tree is being launched in the UK today in Covent Garden on behalf of the Prince's Trust charity.

Rising star of lighting design, Paul Cocksedge Studio (together with partner Joana Pinho), is the architect of the technically ingenious lighting system, which is activated when two people hold the mistletoe under the tree and kiss eachother. The 'electricity of their touch' spectacularly lights up 50,000 red and white LED lights, creating a sensational light installation. If those lips are a tad dry, Body Shop are on hand hosting ‘pucker up’ stations, giving your lips a free makeover.

Merry Kissmas aims to raise over £25,000 for youth charity The Prince’s Trust, changing the lives of disadvantaged young people in the UK, through practical and financial support. An auction will be held today for the opportunity to kiss Christine Bleakley, who will officially turn the lights on and together with the money raised from this, organisers of Kissmass are also encouraging visitors to donate a minimum of £1 for every kiss they share under the Christmas tree.

Visit The Princes Trust website for more details.

Can You Draw The Internet?

Saint Creative have come up with a competition aimed at young kids as well as adult creatives to draw a picture of the internet. Seem fair? Well, the point of the challenge is to gauge who is more creative; the kids and their wild imaginations or the wisdom and experience of the creative industry. Working in the latter myself, I'm tempted to pick the former. The vast and never-ending realm of cyber space is clearly hard to define, which makes this compeition really interesting and there are some unique and pretty funny entries. Click here to have a browse of the others.