Field Notes Colors - Drink Local Limited Edition

For the 20th limited seasonal release, Field Notes have created the Drink Local Edition, which come in their own 6-pack beer carrier. I don't know how often I'd actually get the pens out and start taking notes when I'm out down the local but I like sentiment behind it. These would be especially handy for those moments you discover a tasty beverage and forget the name 10 minutes later. Scribble down the name and details in your note pad and you're all set for next time. They're on my Christmas list.

The limited editions are available in two 3-packs, Ales and Lagers, come with Field Notes coasters and are all printed on a vintage letterpress in Chicago.

See more of the Field Notes Limited Edition here.

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Loveland Aleworks / Bank Holiday

It's Bank Holiday Weekend across the UK and that can only mean one thing, beer. Yes lovely lovely beer. It's the time where most people get an extra long weekend but everyone working in retail is still stuck behind the tills, I'm used to it now. I'll just be making the most of it when the clock hits 4:30, Sunday afternoon.

With beer in mind today feels like a good time to share Loveland Aleworks and some great branding by San Fran design agency Manual. Loveland are an independent microbrewery based in Colorado; Manual created the identity for the company through the vision its owner and the city's historical past as a railroad town. The taps above, which can be found in their "tasting room" are inspired by original 19th century railway signal levers. It's fair to say I'd like to drink some ale from a growler, all aboard!

What plans have you got for the weekend? Mine will mostly involve cycling and beer. Enjoy your long weekend guys, let's hope the weather holds out!

For more info and images from the project click here

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Anders Drage's Mountain Milk

 I'm a big fan of milk, I was promised that if I drank milk, ate all my greens and bread crusts I'd grow up to be big and strong. It didn't really pan out that way, still to this day I drink a load of milk and eat my greens but I'm still pretty slim, the only thing that came out of eating crusts was curly hair (though that's a fib right?).

Who would have though a project about milk could get me so excited. Anders Drage's brief for his final campaign at college was to make some packaging about something he loved. He came up with Mountain Milk, packaging design based on the idea of using the best you can get, Norweigan Milk and making it into an international product. Drage, a Norwegian native wanted to create a luxury bottled milk product which celebrated his country's rich heritage and would have a similar status of a fancy bottled water or beer.

I think it's a cracking idea and something with potential, for me he's got the branding and look spot on. I know people either love or hate milk but what's your opinion on the concept and design? Not bad for a student's work ay?

More into on this project click here and for Anders Drage's site click here

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Over the weekend I reached 500 followers! I'd really like to thank everyone that has ever given up a bit of time to read what I'm actually writing, I've loved every minute of my blogging time and that fact that you guys sharing an interest in my interests just makes it all worth while.  I will be launching another competition later this week as a thank you, so look out for that.

Tea Total

Tick Tock's Rooibos tea goodness

Straight outta Manchester, Mr Scruff's Make us a Brew

 Teapigs Jasmine Pearls c/o Togs & Clogs

I don't know what's happened to me, 6 months ago if someone offered me a cup of tea I would have said "no thank you sir" but somehow I've become pretty obsessed with the stuff. I maxing out at about 6 cups a day at the moment, too much perhaps. I most definitely used to be a coffee guy but I don't know, I've got a bit bored of the same thing every day, tea seems to much more refreshing. So I've been trying a few different types out over the past few months, I started off with Twinings peppermint and swiftly moved on to a few more interesting blends.

- By far my favourite is Tick Tock's Rooibos tea, which was a recommendation from Daisy of the aptly named Pretty Green Tea. I've seen the packaging tonnes of times when I've been in the supermarket as it's pretty striking, now that I've found out it tastes awesome too. 

- Next up is Mr Scruff's Make us a Brew mint & chili tea, which is coming at us straight from Manchester. Sweet, fun packaging with a cracking cartoon and humours text. Love this one, really refreshing if that floats ye boat.

- Finally is Teapig's Jasmine Pearls, which the chaps from Togs & Clogs sent over a few months back. This was the one that got me right into it, super flavoursome and has quite a kick to it. Great if you're not in a rush. Again really nice packaging and comes in triangular shaped bags.

I'm not swearing off coffee altogether but lets just say I'm branching out. I would really like to hear what you guys drink and if you have any recommendations they would be more than welcome.

Fun Times This Way

Hand Pressed print by Thursday Press c/o Not On The High Street

This post has been a long time coming, NOTHS sent over this hand made letterpress print about a month ago now and I've had a tricky time trying to find a frame to fit. Let's call it a senior moment, in our house we've never had many picture frames (if we did it's me dressed up as a shepard in the Christmas nativity) so I didn't know about what sizes fit with what. A few weeks searching for a 9x12 frame then it hit me, it's blumming a4. Doy!

Anyway NOTHS offered my a voucher to spend in their store so I picked the Dept. of Messing About print, which is now sitting on top of a pile of books in my bedroom. I picked up the frame in a charity shop for 50p. The print is 1 of 21 and has been made with the old wooden letterpress blocks, the kind you always see at flea markets.

Enjoy your weekend guys.

Gift #1 - Euthymol

A whole post just about toothpaste? Well sure, here we go! My friends & family seemingly know me pretty well as I got some real corkers this Christmas. So I thought I'd show you some of them over the next couple of weeks. As you guys will know I'm really into design and all things well made. Look what was under the tree, some Euthymol toothpaste! Everytime I see this I want to buy it, just for the old time packaging alone. I've heard quite a bit about this stuff, it was pretty popular in Scotland in the 50s/60s and the majority hated it's medicated taste. It actually smells really similar to the rootbeer I buy in America but it does taste pretty ropey. Let's just say it's not an everyday one, it burns the mouth something rotten. 

Have you guys seen any nicely packaged stuff of late or received any for Christmas?

If you're interested you can currently buy Euthymol in Boots, even if it's just for the packaging.

Original Euthymol ad

That's All Folks

The last font of the year.

Thinking about it, it's been quite an epic year for me. Moved to London, got fired, worked with some amazing people in Manchester, stayed in Brighton for a while, found lots of amazing blogs and gained lots of wonderful followers, wrote articles for various places, challenged myself to carry on with personal projects and had another lovely year with my girlfriend, Hollie.

It's been one of the hardest yet, in terms of uni and this has made blogging quite tricky but it will all be worth it(and over soon, most importantly).

Happy New Year everyone.

Sam Winston's Words

"Pencil Drawing"

"Dictionary Story Book"

"Romeo & Juliet"

"Silent Listen"

"Made Up True Story"

"Folded Dictionary"

"Darwin"

I discovered Sam Winston's work here when I was doing my daily blog rounds, sometime last week. His work really struck a cord with me, as his creations are all based around words. But using words in a different way than they were intended. 

The original blog post on I Don't Eat Bread, featured a project based around Charles Darwin, where Winston went through a complicated process of going through one of Darwin's books and counting all the "nouns", "verbs", "adjectives" and "other", each time applying a dot to his paper. The finished product is really profound(the last image). There is much more to the project that what I have said and if you are interested, you should visit his site to see much more.

There's something about his work that is really sticking with me, would like to hear your thoughts too, what do you think?

All images from Sam Winston

Clearing Up My Desktop

I tend to use my blog as a big of a personal archive/scrapbook, for the main reason being that all the images don't clog up my hard drive. Also when I'm looking for something I know exactly where it is. My desktop was slowly starting to get busy so I'm popping all the images in a blog post, I will post likely be doing this once a month. 

Here's what I'm sharing;

Dr Martens Hiking Advert 

The Selby

Lego Advert

Rene Magritte - Sailboat and Sirens

Yum

David Hockney cira 65'

Chaps in the 30s - The Sartorialist

Images without credits, I am unsure where they are from. If you know or they are yours please tell me and I will link through. None of the images are mine.