stampdesigns:

Japan postage stamp: sun and dragonflies

c. 1923, part of Earthquake Emergency Series

“The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 destroyed the warehouses of the Printing Bureau and Communications Ministry (the current Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications). The equipment necessary for producing stamps and most of the stamps which had been stored were lost. As an emergency measure to make up for the shortage of stamps, the government consigned production of stamps to a private corporation. This corporation produced stamps known as the ‘Earthquake stamps.’ The stamps did not have perforations or glue, but a watermark called the ‘earthquake watermark’ was used. The Printing Bureau was reconstructed much sooner than expected and the earthquake stamps were abolished on April 30, 1925.” —Evolution of Japanese Stamps

Please visit the Red Cross or other charitable organizations to help victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Sendai, Japan and other affected regions. Google has launched Person Finder: 2011 Japan Earthquake and W+K Tokyo has set up a person finding aggregator, buji.me/.

stampdesigns:

Netherlands postage stamp: Floriade ‘72 flower

Anyone know who designed this series?

photos of the “Lladró Parrot Party Collection” at ICFF
(via NOTCOT)

likeable:

The Science Projects collection: Botany Pillow from Heather Lins Home

(via Cool Hunting via Supermarket)

“Bookshelf of the Week: ‘Berlin Bookcase’”
(discovered via RobAroundBooks via Joseph DelPesco)

NeatNests, very cute bird houses
(discovered via notcot via my adventure is your advantage)

stampdesigns:

Switzerland Postage Stamp: Luzern

c. 1954

designed by H. Hartmann

likeable:

Leaf Carving: An Incredible New Art Form : TreeHugger

A Lovely Mona Lisa Leaf

Your Best Shot 2009: For the Birds
(via Flickr Blog, above photo by tdlucas5000)

Antonia Flowerville’s photograms, inspired by Henry Talbot
(first discovered via A Journey Round My Skull)

“Matchstick Garden Makes Growing Plants Easy”
(discovered via PSFK via Inhabitots)

Autumn scenes
(via The Big Picture,
above photo ©REUTERS/Thomas Krumenacker )

7 Glow-in-the-Dark Mushroom Species Discovered
(via Wired Science)

GrowYourOwn, by Royal College of Arts students, Adam Paterson and Santi Tonsukha
(discovered via TheDieline.com)

lickystickypickyme:

These tiles double as plant pots.
Combine them and make a cool planter wall:

Presented at Milan Furniture Fair 2009, Green Pockets is an innovative idea designed by Maruja Fuentes a designer from Puerto Rico. Green pockets are ceramic tiles which fuse nature with the interior space, improving both air quality and health. They attach to the wall to create the illusion as if they were actually growing from them.

The tiles, made from recycled materials, serve as planters and their unique shape allows them to interlock, thereby creating different patterns depending on the vegetation planted. The pockets bring a soul-soothing dose of greenery and nature to an interior space, improving a room’s aesthetic and air quality.

– Via – Thedesignblog