Waterfront Bridal Party Sank

Forging Some Fun Sterling Silver Baby Gifts. Welcome! by RICHARD and 5.5 Designers

Bienvenue! A collection of whimsical and modern Silverware for Baby by Parisian silversmiths, RICHARD in collaboration with 5.5 Designers.



To celebrate its centenary, the RICHARD Goldsmith Workshop invited the collective 5.5 Designers to shake up its codes and tradition and reinterpret its expertise in a collection of unusual baby and birth gifts. With curiosity, passion and humor, RICHARD goldsmiths has imagined "Welcome!", a collection that is the antithesis of mass-manufactured products and yet has the undeniable stamp of fine Arts and Crafts.


above: silversmith at Richard forging the collection

Born with a silver spoon in your mouth, or rather a service spoons in their hands. This collection of "birth spoons" was born of the encounter between real expertise and a desire to bring up to date that forgotten tradition of family ties at the time of arrival of the a child.



Spoons were originally made of wood, they were then mostly made of tin. But in wealthy families, it was tradition that the sponsor offers his godson or goddaughter a sterling silver spoon at the time of his or her baptism. This object was thus a symbol ensuring prosperity for the child. The sponsor also offered a cup, a metaphor for money, with the first name and date of birth. These beliefs were widespread and many of us still have our baby cup, rattle and cutlery in a drawer.


above: the egg cup under construction

Today, the act of giving birth or baby gifts is still practiced, but the spoon, the object of life par excellence seems to have gone by the wayside. It is by diverting the archetype of the spoon, using it as raw material, that RICHARD and 5.5 have designed a collection that revisits the classic gifts of birth.

Below are all the pieces in the collection followed by images of the crafting of these items.

The curved spoon functions as both a napkin holder, a place to store the bib or as a teething ring:



By cutting and welding the spoon surfaces to a cup, they become a generous handle and the ears of happy little character.



Planted in a dish, the elegant egg cup has a place for blotters:




The addition of multiple sterling silver rings and handle detailing turns this spoon into a lovely rattle:




This beautiful spoon is equipped with a guard and detailing on the handle:




Welding two spoon surfaces together makes this double as a feeding tool and a place to hold snacks:



All these variations on the iconic baby gifts are versions that make you want to be senile or make older children wish they were still young.

RICHARD:

Since its founding in 1910, the Richard Goldsmith workshop covered forged sterling silver using traditional methods of French goldsmiths. A recognized expert in restoration of antique pieces, Richard Goldsmith Workshop also produces custom-made parts, prototypes and limited series.
www.orfevrerie-richard.com



above: 5.5 designers, Paris 2011

Turn Your Facebook Activity into a Book of Infographics with Social Memories.

Social Memories is a Facebook app (and 2011 Red Dot Design Winner) from Deutsche Post DHL and Cosalux that allows you to create a 28 page glossy bound hardcover book of your Facebook social activity. The super easy application creates your custom book in minutes.




You choose the date range from which you want them to pull the statistics. Pick from 3 choices of color schemes and your choice from 5 languages and voila! After a few seconds, your activity is analyzed and then organized into tastefully designed infographics available to view online or to purchase.



In a matter of moments I learned that I have more male friends than female friends (amongst those who listed their gender), the majority of my friends (who chose to share their birthdates) are Capricorns, I post about 7 times more photos than I do updates and I'm most socially active on Fridays. And more useless but fun and enlightening facts.

Here's some screen grabs of a sample book from my own facebook activity:














A video of the concept and product:


Price: 19€ plus worldwide shipping



Create yours now here

Climbing Mount Everest Costs

Contrary to popular belief, no one has installed a chairlift to the top of Mt. Everest (elev. 29,035 ft.) in recent years. No matter how accessible people believe this mountain to be, Mount Everest still remains the highest mountain in the world and attempting to climb it is still one of the most dangerous of human pursuits. Since 1922, when a disastrous attempt was made by a British expedition, more than 11,000 people have challenged the mountain. As of June 2007 (the end of the climbing season), a grand total of 3,304 climbers had stood on the summit and lived to tell the tale. Sadly, 209 Mount Everest climbers have lost their lives. That means one death for every 15 successful ascents.

But as author and mountaineer, Jon Krakauer, said in his book, Into Thin Air, "attempting to climb Everest is an intrinsically irrational act—a triumph of desire over sensibility." 

The costs of such climbing usually varies in between a range of 70-100K USD.

The latest individual who lost her life in pursuit of climbing mount Everest was the great Iranian girl "Leila Esfandiari" who passed away in July 2011.