Handmade by Daniel Michalik – “These childrens’ chairs are made completely from cork that originates as the waste material from the bottle stopper industry. Cork has tremendous potential to perform in ways unlike any other material, as well as being an environmentally responsible material. These chairs are the result of the desire to develop my own techniques for casting granulated cork. Through learning to cast the material I am able to insure the ecological responsibility of all binding agents used, as well as streamline from scratch the production processes. Cast cork produces a dense, unusual texture, highly attractive and intriguing to the eyes and hands of young children. I hope to adapt the technique in the future to produce an adult-size version, but for now we will just have to wish we were tiny again…”

Available at Branch

“In 1869 British MP John Stuart Mill was the first person in Parliament to call for women’s right to vote. On 19 September 1893 New Zealand became the first country in the world to give women the right to vote. Women in other countries did not enjoy this equality and campaigned for justice for many years.

In 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin (Leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women’s Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day – a Women’s Day – to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women’s clubs, and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkin’s suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women’s Day was the result.

The very first International Women’s Day was launched the following year by Clara Zetkin on 19 March (not 8 March). The date was chosen because on 19 March in the year of the 1848 revolution, the Prussian king recognized for the first time the strength of the armed people and gave way before the threat of a proletarian uprising. Among the many promise he made, which he later failed to keep, was the introduction of votes for women.

Plans for the first International Women’s Day demonstration were spread by word of mouth and in the press. During the week before International Women’s Day two journals appeared: The Vote for Women in Germany and Women’s Day in Austria. Various articles were devoted to International Women’s Day: ‘Women and Parliament’, ‘The Working Women and Municipal Affairs’, ‘What Has the Housewife got to do with Politics?’, etc. The articles thoroughly analyzed the question of the equality of women in the government and in society. All articles emphasized the same point that it was absolutely necessary to make parliament more democratic by extending the franchise to women.

Success of the first International Women’s Day in 1911 exceeded all expectation.”

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“Handmade by Bambu in China. Bambu works only with manufacturing partners who demonstrate a commitment to health and safety, environmental protection and fair labor practices. In turn, Bambu supports and reinforces worker health and safety measures, and funds international third-party auditing procedures.

100% organically-grown bamboo, natural food-safe wood oil.5.5″ long

This set of dinosaur-shaped utensils includes one of each fork, knife, and spoon. They’re made from organically-grown bamboo with no bleaches or dyes. And measuring at 5.5″ long, they’re designed for small hands and mouths.”

Available at Branch

“Judith Needham, is a basket maker and willow weaver from England, who set out to make a beautiful and magical playhouse for her daughter as an alternative to the all too common plastic playhouses, found in every suburban neighborhood.

Handmade from natural English willow, not only is this playhouse beautiful to look at, but it’s also incredibly eco-friendly. The structure gradually degrades over time, due to sun and rain exposure, but when your child out grows it and it becomes brittle, it may be recycled: shredded and used for garden mulch, added to a compost bin, or used as kindling for building a fire.

Currently only available in the UK, and with a hefty price tag it’s definitely not something for everyone. But I hope this inspires you to consider building something imaginative and creative for your child.”

via talkcraftytome

Blanca Gomez is an illustrator/designer living and working in Madrid. She inspires me.

“A new invention could soon change the face of shantytowns across the globe. Called “Universal World House,” the structures are light, cheap — and made of paper.”

read more over at spiegel.de