The Weekender: Get the squirty cream out, it's our weekly supplement of art, design and nonsense

Date
10 January 2014

Here we are! The luscious weekend! The second in a long, long year of toil and strife. If you think about the year as a long weekend, then January is basically Saturday morning. You know what that means as well, coffee in bed and bacon every meal until Sunday (or mid-June, in this game). Hoozah!

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Emily Stein’s bubblegum portraits

6. I mean really, who doesn’t enjoy poster design?

Especially these incredible ones by design master Tom Eckersley.

5. American pet shows photographed by Amy Lombard

We all knew pet shows were weird, but these photos are really weird. As Maisie put it, Toddlers in Tiaras but with animals.

4. Photos of kids blowing bubbles in their gum

Emily Stein’s other photo projects are great as well, but this one really tickled us.

3. You can’t go wrong with a bit of synchronised swimming

Especially when that’s the main theme of a music video for Bombay Bicycle Club’s new track.

2. A new Guardian advert that’s got everyone smiling

One dad goes from normal to absolutely mental in this hilarious advert by BBH. SHED’S ON FIRE!

1. Portraits of smiley bus drivers, anyone?

I mean sure it’s like living in a dream world, but let’s play out this happy fantasy for just a little bit more.

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Image taken from Becky and Joe’s Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared 2

Earlier in the week we asked you to submit your artwork for a chance to be involved in the wonderful Secret 7" project which for the past two years has taken some of the world’s best songs and asked people to design record sleeves for specially printed vinyl in aid of War Child. If you haven’t entered yet, do it now. If you already have then sit back and press play on this fantastic mixtape curated by the man behind Secret 7" himself, Kevin King. This mixtape is a selection of songs that Kevin would like to give the Secret 7" treatment to in the future. Go on, Kev! Go onnnnnnn.

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This Week’s Things

This week’s Things encompasses mountain ranges, magnificently theatrical gas, gig posters, album artwork, cool colourful photography and the most charming travel planner to ever try to organise our lives around. Don’t be shy!

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SAVWO: Album Artwork and Posters

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SAVWO: Album Artwork and Posters

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SAVWO: Album Artwork and Posters

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SAVWO: Album Artwork and Posters

SAVWO: Album Artwork and Posters

In spite of the walls being covered with all the images we can lay our hands on (quite a lot) and an entire universe of post-it notes, the It’s Nice That HQ doesn’t really lend itself to mascots. That is, however, until the mysteriously-named SAVWO sent in a green print of a happy looking dog, which is now perched contentedly behind Editor-in-Chief Rob Alderson’s desk, wearing a gold tinsel halo. Yes.

Evidently we decided we needed to know more about the elusive creator responsible for this work of art; presenting to you, then, album artwork and gig posters by the fair hand of the very same John Powell-Jones, illustrator, print-maker and fine artist extraordinaire. Nice, innit?
www.johnpowell-jones.co.uk

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David Boyson Cooper: Climb Every Mountain

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David Boyson Cooper: Climb Every Mountain

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David Boyson Cooper: Climb Every Mountain

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David Boyson Cooper: Climb Every Mountain

David Boyson Cooper: Climb Every Mountain

Mountain photography is an excellent photographic genre, isn’t it? David Boyson Cooper is taking it to the brink (sorry) with this publication, which was made as part of a workshop for the Independent Photography Festival in Melbourne, Australia. The book compiles a collection of beautiful images taken on or around jaw-droppingly mountainous impressive landscapes, and also features an excellent essay by Max Olijnyk entitled “The Longest and the Loudest” about the most impressive burps and farts he has ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Magnificent.
www.davidboysoncooper.tumblr.com

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Zeit Magazin: The International Issue #1

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Zeit Magazin: The International Issue #1

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Zeit Magazin: The International Issue #1

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Zeit Magazin: The International Issue #1

Zeit Magazin The International Issue: #1

Okay, so we may be a little bit late on this one, but we’re happy to admit that the International Issue of the brilliant Zeit Magazin is an exciting enough event for us to forgo the usual rule of sticking to brand new of the moment stuff and talk about this publication, which came out very late last year. Hearing more and more that editorial staff from the excellent magazine “wished they could read” the photography-led pages, Time decided it was high time (teehee) that an English “best-of” version make its was to us non-German speakers, too. And here it is, suitably glossy and full to the brim of all the excellent stuff which has graced the pages of it German counterpart of the last few weeks. What a fantastic idea!
www.zeit.de

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Sebastian Haslauer: Ohne Ende

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Sebastian Haslauer: Ohne Ende

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Sebastian Haslauer: Ohne Ende

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Sebastian Haslauer: Ohne Ende

Sebastian Haslauer: Ohne Ende

“Greetings Earthlings, my name is Sebastian Haslauer and I am an artist living in the land of fantasy.” So proclaims the info section of Sebastian’s website, and that’s more or less what I can discover about the creator behind the excellent Ohne Ende, a giant magazine-come-exhibition catalogue full to the brim with paintings, drawings, collages and sculptures. Anyway, it’s colourful and we love the pictures, and for more info (in German) you can click here!
www.hasimachtsachen.com

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Whimsical Agnesiga: Travel Planner, 2014

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Whimsical Agnesiga: Travel Planner, 2014

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Whimsical Agnesiga: Travel Planner, 2014

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Whimsical Agnesiga: Travel Planner, 2014

Whimsical Agnesiga: Travel Planner, 2014

This might just be the sweetest damn travel guide we ever did see. Colourfully-dressed Latvian blogger Agnese Klein chose the destinations covered by travelling to all of the places where her friends were – and those places were London, Paris, Tulum and Kyoto, the lucky devil. On her return she has compiled all the tips she received into a handy week-by-week guide with removable postcards, space for notes and tips and most important, loads of nice pictures.
www.whimsicalagnesiga.com

Tweet of the Week


Best happy birthday song ever of the week

Unless of course you don’t like Neil Young or Willie Nelson. But then if you don’t then I’m not sure we can hang out anymore.

“Go on, let’s have a BuzzFeed list” of the week

It’s a really good one. It shows you how plants grow out of the ground. WTF pineapples?!

The Simpsons anime special of the week

Woo! It’s got a tonne of Studio Ghibli references in there too! Whoever said the new issues were rubbish…

Terrifying internet warning video for kids of the week

Best advice you’ll ever get of the week

And it’s all in one handy list. Seriously, this guy knows what he’s talking about!

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Raaaaaaargh!

Small island that will blow your MIND of the week

I never thought geography could be so unbelievably satisfying!

Ducks with cold feet of the week

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Wah!

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