Inspiration from London: G. Hack Wired Flowers

December 13, 2011 in Inspiration, Tech Crafts

Tabletop of LED flowers

While we’re talking inspiration from London, let’s talk G. Hack, a collective of female researchers within the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science at Queen Mary, University of London. These fierce women get together to create some seriously awesome interactive media projects. One of these projects, Threads and Yarns, is a table covered with flowers made out of wires. At the press of a button, flowers light up and play curated, crowd-sourced stories about healthcare.

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London’s 10 Best Places for Handmade Keepsakes

December 10, 2011 in Inspiration

Three-story Smug curates tongue-in-cheek crafts, like this fox scarf by Donna Wilson.

London’s streets are lined with souvenir shops hawking mass-produced Big Ben statues, royal wedding mugs, and Queen Elizabeth paperweights. You can mark your trip with a more meaningful memento by purchasing something designed or even handmade locally. On a recent jaunt, I discovered a bounty of London boutiques and markets that specialize in unique wares made with love by regional artists and crafters.

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