Every year, Christmas comes far too early and you wonder where all the good ideas for presents you had the other day have gone. We have put together some lovely books and products that are sure to please friends, family or perhaps even yourself. Let our gift tips inspire you ...
Color Combination Calendar 2022
We will introduce you to the talented designer Luzia Hein from Hamburg in detail in the first issue of next year. But don't worry, this project is not a spoiler, we just want to avoid you buying or giving away another calendar out of necessity. The highlight of this second edition of the so-called Color Combination Calendar is already in the name: "The joy of color combinations is at the forefront of the design," says Luzia Hein. She has chosen an attractive fir green color cut and a pink adhesive binding. The print lover's piece features seasonal color compositions for each calendar week. The designer has also really thought of everything else: the pages have plenty of space for notes and can be separated individually from the book block - so you can choose whether you want to use your Color Combination Calendar as a diary, to-do list, postcard, shopping list or wall decoration.
55 pages in Din A6 format
Printed with HP Indigo on Fedrigoni Arena 300 gram/m2.
Edition of 100 pieces
Order here.
Today we are cooking!
It is quite rightly said that a healthy diet is important and that children should be taught what it is from an early age. In kindergarten, they study the food pyramid and so even three-year-olds know that jelly babies contain a lot of sugar and that broccoli is healthier. But then they prefer to eat the sweets. Anything green is suspicious, no matter how long mom and dad talk and make funny faces out of raw vegetables.
What helps is to cook together with children and let them help decide what goes on the table. Chopping, sizzling, stirring and tasting - it's all fun and oh wonder, it tastes good afterwards. The book "Heute kochen wir" (Today we're cooking) is a wonderful introduction to cooking for yourself, as Julia Radtke has put together lots of recipes, from breakfast sandwiches to tomato pasta bake with spinach, that are easy to cook and enjoyable for both children and adults. The illustrations by Dana Lungmuss are also a joy to look at, as they guide you through the book in a colorful, fun way and with a good dose of humor. And of course, as you would expect from Büchergilde, "Heute kochen wir" is beautifully produced and has a great feel.
Today we cook!
The big Büchergilde family cookbook
Julia Radtke / Dana Lungmuss (Ill.)
With 49 recipes and an introduction by Julia Radtke, illustrated throughout in color by Dana Lungmuss, hardcover, approx. 120 pages
NR 172968 | 22,- Euro
Typo inspirations for 2022
How good that there are so many fonts and so many great ones at that. In 2022, the Typodarium will once again be presenting a new font every day for you to try out yourself or simply to look at. Things get wilder on Sundays, when creations made with scissors, pen, tape and stamps are on display. Otherwise, there is plenty to discover every day, from bread lettering to trendy headline fonts.
The Typodarium costs 19.80 and is just the right Christmas present for all font lovers. It is available from Hermann Schmidt Verlag
Be the first! Oceans
Always wanting to be first doesn't really sound that appealing, but in this case it's really fun. "Be first!" works on the principle of a hidden object book, so there's a lot to discover, or rather find, because the aim here is to spot certain species in a huge hustle and bustle of fish, birds and sea plants. You draw a card and then you have to be quick. Where is the barracuda, where is the vampire squid and where was the pelican again?
The game can be played by two or more people, but adults shouldn't get their hopes up that they stand a chance. But if the little ones were quicker again, you just play another round and then another and another. And if you know your way around the sea really well, you can get the jungle version.
Be the first! Oceans
The great hidden object game
Caroline Selmes, translation by Anne Vogel-Ropers
300 illustrated game cards, from 4 years, ISBN 978-3-96244-199-9
Laurence King Publishers
24, Euro
Anchor stones. New Play boxes
Anchor blocks have been manufactured in the factory of the same name in Thuringia since 1875 and are among the oldest system toys in the world. Now, the building blocks inspired by Fröbel pedagogy have been reinterpreted in cooperation with Njustudio. The result is two Ankersteine New Play boxes that invite children and adults alike to create new worlds.
The sets, limited to 500 pieces, are available exclusively in the creators' stores at www.anker-bausteine.de and www.njustudio.com and cost €19 in the mini version.
A detailed description of the new Anchor Stone Edition can be found here ...
Small formats, big design!
The London-based graphic art label Stereohype has been organizing an annual competition for buttons for 17 years and it is always amazing how great the small format can be. With 777 entries, 2021 was the second strongest year to date and the competition was correspondingly tough. This year's winners have now been announced and if you are still looking for a nice Christmas present, you are sure to find it here, because Stereohype not only offers pins, individually or as a set in gift boxes, but also beautiful fine art prints.
But be careful, clicking through the many great designs takes time, but is also a lot of fun.
Here you can find the winners. Here are the gift boxes. And here are the prints.
It's so green
Green is calming and we can all do with some relaxation at the moment. If you want to buy a second plant in addition to the Christmas tree, you'll find it at Colvin. The online retailer for plants and flowers focuses on direct marketing and buys from the growers themselves. This means they receive a fairer price and the plants and flowers do not have to make a detour via Dutch wholesale markets and auction halls, but are delivered fresh and directly to the customer. From Monstera to rubber trees, Colvin offers a wide selection. You can also look for plants that are safe for children and pets or choose species that are "almost immortal" and forgive occasional forgetfulness.
Christmas plant decorations are also currently available, as are bouquets of flowers. You can even take out a flower subscription so that you or the recipient regularly receives a beautiful bouquet. You can give a lot more nonsensical gifts.
From chaos to holly
Of course, a gift always includes a card. You can find particularly beautiful cards at Mr. & Mrs. Rio. From classic to colorful and wild, there is something for every taste. The cards are printed on uncoated paper using the environmentally friendly risography process, which also gives the motifs a very special charm.
The card sets are available from 3 euros under Mr. & Mrs. Rio.
The Grafikmagazin letterpress poster
To mark our first issue, we asked the Swiss letterpress printer and graphic designer Dafi Kühne to design a poster for us. The motif combines the best of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design and makes a statement: print is pure sensuality.
Composed of more than 160 bars and reglets, the motif was realized in 15 printing passes using letterpress printing. The paper by Arjo Wiggins has a wonderfully rough feel and the bright blue immediately attracts everyone's attention. Many hours of planning, manual work and attention to detail went into this poster.
The Grafikmagazin letterpress poster is limited to 100 pieces and is a very special gift for all those who love print.
Further information and a making-off can be found here ...
Notebooks are beacons of hope
The creative minds at the Bern-based design agency Heyday love notebooks, as the analog idea repositories are an important tool in their creative process. During the pandemic, they developed an exclusive notebook edition for nuuna, featuring a rather restrained design and black and white, which is then brought to life by its contents. "Notebooks can be the start of something big," says Heyday. "An empty store of ideas begins with loose thoughts, individual words, pipe dreams and wishes. In the end, there are big plans, complex stories, sophisticated concepts".
The notebooks are therefore a wonderful gift for anyone who could use such a store of ideas. They are also beautiful, of course. The cover artwork was screen-printed on soft recycled leather. Round corners and different colored cut finishes add the finishing touches. The notebooks cost 26.90 euros each and are available from nuuna.
