Breast cancer is not a pink ribbon - Scar Project

Isn't it sad that it takes a star, like Angelina Jolie, for the media to give breats cancer and mastectomies the coverage that they deserve. Breast cancer is not a pink ribbon is the slogan for fashion photographer David Jay's Scar Project.  The brave women photographed, from all around America, have wone the battle or prevented it by having their breast / breasts removed. The participants are between 18-35 years old, the youngest being just 18.

It is an awareness project dedicated to the 10,000 women under 40 who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone (in the Sates).

The SCAR Project is an exercise in awareness, hope, reflection and healing. The mission is three-fold: raise public consciousness of early-onset breast cancer, raise funds for breast cancer research/outreach programs and help young survivors see their scars, faces, figures and experiences through a new, honest and ultimately empowering lens.

Each and every photo is special. The women in these photos do not seem vulnerable and weak, despite being exposed. Their expressions and posture is open, honest and even comfortable. David's work is sensitive and feminine, not confrontational. Below is the Emmy awarded documentary Baring It All.

10 Steps to happiness in business (and life)

10 steps to happiness in business (& life) from Spook Studio

Because sharing is caring, as I always say, here's a great slideshow by Spook Studio in Brighton called 10 Steps to happiness in business (and life). You're welcome!

The Secret is out!

Daily Secret has shared the event PechaKucha Nicosia Vol.02 happening tonight at Chateau Status. I've posted about it previously here, and if you haven't already got it on your 'things to attend' list, get on it!!

Thank You Daily Secret.

Qobo's Poker cards

Always happy to get something fresh from the printers, Qobo's poker cards are looking tasty!

Thou shalt not covet your ideas

Ideas are open knowledge - don't claim ownership. The more you share, the more you will receive.

Pecha Kucha Nicosia Vol.02 - Aphrodite speaks!

We are finally in the week of Pecha Kucha Vol.02, which happens this Wednesday at Chateau Status, 19:30. Remember this is a FREE event (sponsors most welcome to pitch in here...every little helps), you don't hear that much in Cyprus.

Chateau Status has also been kind enough to offer an all-you-can-drink menu for only 10 Euros. 
Our confirmed speakers are on the poster above. I cannot stress the reasons for doing this event more. I do it because I love it and want to meet other young professionals in different fields but also to encourage a new mentality of sharing and community. One that Cyprus lacks. We live in a small isolated island, and instead of caring about the bigger picture and uniting to accomplish something bigger than ourselves, a legacy, a future, we compete and covet our ideas.

I do however need help. If any of you can offer your support, help sponsor or find sponsors, volunteer some of your time towards the organization of the event it would be greatly appreciated. This is the second event I have organized and funded by myself (the first one I was unemployed and broke), and hopefully I'll be third time lucky and manage to find some sponsors and supporters. Yes times are hard, but this is an initiative to encourage productivity and inspiration, possible collaboration between people that meet there on the night. This is a networking event for your professionals who want to learn and share and grow together.

You can find the event on face book here, and the PK Nicosia page here.

Every Last Drop

Every Last Drop is an interactive website which takes a detailed look at how much water we waste on a daily basis and how small changes can make a big difference. The site was designed and developed by Nice & Serious, whose portfolio features many other great website. Every Last Drop has won numerous awards, and once you visit it, you'll understand why. The transitions are fantastic and the whole experience of scrolling and changing the little animations makes me feel like a kid turning the pages of a pop-up book, woop!

PechaKucha Nicosia Vol. 2

Aphrodite Speaks!

A free event in Nicosia Wednesday 22 May, organized by Design By Alpha, at the Chateau Status in Nicosia. 10 speakers x 20 images x 20 seconds.

http://www.facebook.com/events/505678759499459/

Presenting:
Yiannis Hadjiloizou (Maestro)
Andrea Kapanderou (Author)
Baret Yacoubian (Author)
Constantinos Economides (Product designer)
RockTheDog (Graphic designer and street artist)
Simone Phillippou (Illustrator)
Karl Haddad (Philanthropist)
Antonis Economou (Mechanical Engineer)
Anastasia Gerali (PK Organizer and unconventional graphic designer)
Our venue sponsors, Chateau Status have offered us an all-you-can-drink menu for 10 Euros. Bottoms Up!!
We'll be there too  

Love From Cyprus

In Egypt you find camels, in Bolivia you find llamas, and in Cyprus you find donkeys.

Chrisostome Lazarou, my pappou

Yesterday we buried my beautiful grandfather, Chrisostomos Lazarou, aged 94. He lived a very pious and virtuous life. He was a victim of child labour, a WWII veteran, he built his house with his bare hands and raised 5 children, never complaining, always smiling, forever a gentleman and with a high moral code. He is an example to emulate. Tru to his name (chriso - gold, stome - mouth) every word that came out of his mouth was gold. On his deathbed, he asked my mom to help him remember if he owed anyone, or ever insulted or hurt anyone so that he could apologise. He was like no other man I've ever, or will ever meet. I know people say that about they love, but in this case everyone who knew him will say the same. He has finally found peace and a little piece of him lives in all his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

I am so blessed and honored to be his granddaughter. I love you Christostome and am proud of you.

Love From Cyprus: Stella Chili

Stella Chili is a graphic designer by trade, who's leather bags are very graphic in shape and colour indeed! Circles and ovals and squares, red with green, fuchsia with grey... multicolored and monochrome. One thing they all have in common is that her designs are playful, and you have to have quite a personality to pull it off! She is one of the designers featured on LoveFromCyprus.com.

LFC [hearts] Cosmo

A small mention, but none the less a mention, Cosmo Cy gave a thumbs up to my site LoveFromCyprus.com. Thanks Cosmo, LFC <3 p="" you="">

An interesting site where a variety of Cypriot designers showcase their work.

Saul Bass's Google tribute

Google has marked the birthday of Saul Bass with one of the search engine's most elaborate "doodles" yet – an animated sequence based on his designs for film title credits, film posters and corporate logos.

Bass, who died in 1996, worked with film-makers including Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese over the course of a 40-year career, approaching his commissions in the spirit of a graphic design problem to be solved.

Born into an immigrant family in New York's Bronx, he began working on print work for film adverts in Hollywood during the 1940s. A breakthrough came in the film industry when he was hired in 1954 by Otto Preminger to create an innovative title sequence for the credits of the film, Carmen Jones, which he did using an animated flaming rose. Until the 1950s, the normal method for film credits was to present names and titles on cards, or against an unmoving backdrop.

Ocean's Eleven opening credits

The following year, Bass's credit sequence for another production, The Man With the Golden Arm, played again with a strong graphic image – white lines rearranging themselves into a twisted arm – which was carried over into the film's publicity, prefiguring the corporate identity approach of modern film advertising.

Man with the golden arm opening credits

Bass later worked for Alfred Hitchcock on North by Northwest and Psycho, once again using his favoured lines, which morphed into a vortex of whirling spirals in the opening credits of Vertigo.

North By Northwest opening credits

Psycho opening credits

Vertigo opening credits

After a lull in the 1960s, he made a comeback in the 1970s. His last completed credits sequence was for Casino, which featured Robert De Niro being blasted by a car bomb through a raging inferno of Las Vegas neon in Casino.

Via The Guardian.

Design Solution: The circle plug

Man...this annoys me. I found something GREAT and I can't find any original links or sources! Anyhow, here it is: the circle plug. It has a light in the loop so you can tell when the power is on, also pulling it out of the wall socket is easy peezy with the loop. Love it, very feasible  make it happen already!!

Harriet's Ancient Greece

These brilliant hand-drawn illustrations of Ancient Greek pottery are by Brighton-based Harriet Seed and each illustration is authentically detailed with its own story. Harriet captures the splendor of Ancient Greek myths and their lifestyle in a tongue-in-cheek way, from dancing minotaurs to winged cats, and a man casually punching another in the face while in the middle of performing a lunge. 

Via It's Nice That.

Maestro Alexander Antonios Geralis

Ahh...a little bit of Brahms as conducted by meastro Alexander Antonios Geralis for your enjoyment.

Love From Cyprus's FAB sale

Love From Cyprus's FAB sale is now LIVE.

Anastasia Gerali—designer, upcycler and blogger extraordinaire—is the brains behind Love From Cyprus. Selling everything from contemporary totes from old PVC advertising banners to unusual, geometric jewellery and handcrafted card holders, everyday accessories are transformed into eye-catching adornments.

Woohoo...sale ends on May 5th, get your authentic Cypriot designer product while you can, or of course you can always visit us on LoveFromCyprus.com for these and many other goodies including products from our other designers. The selection of designers and products is getting bigger and better:

Anna Koumoushi (accessories)
Andoniki (accessories)
FUSE (accessories)
Anna Apostolou (clothing and accessories)
Pulpo Leather Creations (leather accessories)
Stella Chili (leather bags)
ReMade (upcycled bags)
Kristina Apostolou (jewelery)
Anama Wine (sweet wine)
AIS design (furniture)
WEdid-ID (furniture)
Zenboards (balance boards)

Say no to anorexia: Model campaign

Star Models, a modeling agency based in Brazil, has released a graphic new anti-anorexia ad campaign, using Photoshop to turn models into life-size fashion illustrations.

The ads, which run with the tag line 'Say no to anorexia,' show a fashion illustration with typically exaggerated proportions next to a model wearing the same outfit - and the same measurements. While the models have been airbrushed to mimic the unrealistic illustrations, the ad pleads to young women: 'You are not a sketch.'

One commenter, who believes the Star Models' ad 'is a move in the right direction,' added: 'It would be better if modeling agencies practiced what they preached. 

'I've seen models regularly in magazines as thin as the ones shown in this ad. Nothing is going to change until models who are not skeleton thin are hired and photographed in fashion magazines and fashion shows.'

Read more on DailyMail

Toy Confidential

Aled Lewis is a designer, illustrator and author based in London, England. He is also the author of the book Toy Confidential, and you will already be familiar with many of his illustrations via the Threadless site. In his book, Toy Confidential: The Secret Life of Snarky Toys, Aled gives us a closer look at the secret lives of snarky toys, 208 pages, 100 individual images – each labelled on the back with a title and perforated in the gutter so that they can be detached from the book and framed.