Incredible Ballpoint Pen Art

These amazing pictures are the creation of Spanish artist Juan Francisco Casas, who creates his large works using just blue ballpoint pens. Formerly a traditional painter, Juan began his drawings three years ago based on night outs with friends and his photo realistic ballpoint pen drawings are based on the incredible detail photos that he takes on his camera. 

Casas also recreates photographs onto oil paintings on canvases, and he uses up to four ballpoints on one picture. He won the National Award of the Ministry of Education and Science for the best graduate qualifications in Spain.

World's Most Expensive Nail Polish Is Worth $250,000

The Los Angeles based jewellery couturier, Azature launched his first jewellery collection in 2007. Over the years, he has established himself with his signature AZATURE black diamond jewellery and now he has added nail polish to his repertoire. After dressing up celebrity clients and royalties alike, the young designer has now created the world's most expensive nail polish that adorns a VERY high end price tag at $250,000! The ultra-luxe bottle of black polish contains 267 carats of black diamonds for an aristocratic appearance.

The company is producing ONLY one bottle of the nail polish, making the nail polish even more valuable. While the $250,000 bottle is for that 1%, there is a cheaper $25 version that will contain one real black diamond and will be packaged in a diamond shaped box. 


The Black Diamond Nail Polish beats the previous title holder Model's Own $ 132, 800 Gold Rush Couture polish which was in a bottle with a real gold bottle cap studded with 1,118 diamonds.

The World's First All Diamond Ring

In March 2011, word broke out that Shawish Jewelers of Geneva had created the world's first diamond ring, a ring with no setting or metal, the story of this unusual piece of jewelry was featured on news and blogs across the world. Images of the ring has been released since and ironically it's of a similar shape to the plastic gemstone rings found in gumball machines. Well that only my opinion but check it out for yourself. 

The ring was created entirely from one single diamond weighing 150 carats and is expected to fetch around $70 million dollars. However, the making of the world's first diamond ring wasn't easy, it took one year to get the copyright and then multiple tests had to be taken to get the precision of the circle right. Diamonds are made from carbon and molecules that can change, so the colour can alter when trying to cut it.

Paper filligree

So I've started to really get into paper artworks and although there are some completely amazingly amazing paper sculptures and the like, I've found a completely amazing way of creating paper artworks. It's called paper filligree.

How does it work you ask? It involves coiling narrow paper into different shapes, and then used to make an overall design. It began in the Renaissance where they would have gold gilded strips and use it to decorate religious objects as it was cheaper than using real gold. Later on, it became a pastime among ladies in the 18th and 19th century who would decorate furniture with paper filligree. Although the process is pretty much the same, it has been used to create amazing 3D sculptures and art installations. However, it is also often used to decorate handmade cards, giving them a bit of personality. 

These pictures were created all by the same person on deviantart and it's amazing. Unlike the usual white paper sculptures, paper filligree is mainly done with colourful paper. Which just makes everything amazing-er. Is that even a word. As I have said before, paper filligree is also used in advertisements and art installations. Here are some: 

They were all created (including the ones below) by a Russian artist and illustrator called Yulia Brodskaya. In case your jaw hasn't quite dropped yet I have prepared a few more to mind blow you with. Now anticipate these installations: 

Crazy or what. Well that's the end of my jaw dropping post. Try creating some of your own! Because i can't be bothered to teach here is a website which guides you step by step: 

http://craftzine.com/101/quilling/

Youtube videos also can be great if you want to learn more detailed shapes such as butterflies and lilly pads. 

Quilling paper can be created by cutting strips of paper but most people prefer it bought. You can buy them online at http://www.quillingsuperstore.com/. Have fun! (And be patient.)

Banksy: Love it or Hate it.

Today I went to a book shop and found a book called Wall and Piece, Banksy. I really respect the dude so my first post will have to begin with him. For people who haven't heard of him yet, he's an english based graffiti artist who has made some hot stuff over the years. Allow me to introduce Banksy's works: 

Cool or what? He uses stencilling techniques to express his contempt for the government in labelling graffiti as vandalism.