Book Review: The Paper Bride

The Paper Bride is the latest book from my friend Esther K. Smith, who is part of the duo that runs the terrific NYC based Purgatory Pie Press. With a concern for the environment and an interest in promoting DIY culture, Esther once again presents a wonderful collection of paper based projects that encourage brides and grooms to spend more time at home making things together and less time spending money on wasteful items that will often end up in the trash moments after the ceremony is done. The lavishly illustrated book features plenty of easy to follow instructions for making everything from a unique proposal to a funky photo album and would make a great gift item or a treat to yourself before diving into the world of wedding planning.

The Paper Bride
Esther K. Smith
Potter Craft
$24.99

Book Review: Magic Books & Paper Toys

My friends at Purgatory Pie Press are at it again, Esther Smith has put out another beautiful book on DIY paper craft: Magic Books & Paper Toys. With everyone's eyes on the bottom line these days Magic Books is a perfect antidote to the consumption driven happiness that has been sold to us for so long. With dozens of classic paper projects that are easy to do, like flip books and magic wallets, this two-sided book, filled with lovely hand-drawn directions, should be on every family's coffee table in place of the remote control.

Magic Books & Paper Toys
by Esther K. Smith
Potter Craft
$21.95

Linkage: From Self-Erasing Paper to Self-Imposed Homelessness

Xerox's answer to recycling: paper that erases itself! via

Innovative campaign makes you into a homeless person (image shown).

Disney may need to sue themselves for copyright infringement. via

One for the true design geeks: "Helveticaca" Onesies (image shown).

And a few longer articles worth reading...

Ode on the mainstreaming of social entrepreneurship.
and a medicine hunter's support of indigenous cultures.

Mother Jones on the future of sustainable food in the US, fake farmer's markets, and bio-fuels VS rainforests.

Bury Your Words

LANDFILL is a new annual publication promoting the use of recycled/able materials in printing. The first issue, created by designer Brian Ponto in partnership with green printer Greg Barber Co., features real stories of second chances at life that were then printed on flower seed infused paper and buried. Read the entire first issue online HERE.

Paper Calculator

Environmental Defense has created an easy way to determine the benefits of using recycled papers in your print projects. By filling out a few fields on their Paper Calculator you can quickly see how much wood and energy are used and how much wastewater, solid waste, and greenhouse gases are created by your paper choices. You can even compare multiple papers and display the data as a chart of graph. Check out this handy tool HERE.

Kleenex Strikes Out

In a follow up to their previous hijacking of a Kleenex commercial in NYC the folks at Greenpeace follow the film crew to Chicago as part of their Kleerkut campaign to encourage Kimberly-Clark to stop using old growth forest trees in their paper products...