Sketchbook Bags

Utilitarian backpacks handmade by a Minneapolis-based artist

After working on a “bucolic sheep farm” in rural New Zealand, artist Amber Johnson returned to Minneapolis—where she received a BFA in drawing from the College of Art and Design—and began experimenting with wool in her parents’ basement. Her seemingly innate talent for hand crafting utilitarian bags took shape, and today the young designer peddles wool and leather backpacks online under the moniker Sketchbook. Primarily …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Tech tattoos, Maluca's new video, clean DIY websites and more in this week's link roundup

1. Watch The Throne Check out this hilariously unbridled review of the recent hit album “Watch The Throne,” alternately making comparisons to lesbians or skipping over lily pads. Going through track by track, the crit is entertaining, insightful and maybe even a little educational. 2. Electronic Skin Tattoos The recent development of epidermal electronics, or skingrafted gadgets, puts us one step closer to the human …

Phoenix International Media Center

Chinese architects Biad UFO build Beijing's latest architectural feat

Hand in hand with China’s overall rapid growth and explosive urbanization, recent years have seen a wave of high-design architecture. The Office for Metropolitan Architecture’s spectacular CCTV tower, opened in 2008 to house the nation’s central television headquarters, is a fantastic example of forward-thinking architecture exploring contemporary concepts of shape and form. Now another Chinese media mogul is taking a swing at making their mark …