My fascination with resins started at around 1974 when I discovered how to make my own brand of Click-Clacks®. Wow, the toy’s sole purpose — make an annoying click-clackity racket — bad idea. I just found out they are back from the dead.

Pouring resin into a glass bulb with flecks of glitter or small shells — entombing anything in plastic seemed cool back then. Environmentally safe — not likely. Add 20+ years, eco-friendly materials combined with better technology for fabrication and new applications we never dreamed of.

During my first visit to ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair®) when I saw multiple panels of grass, bamboo, flowers and stone fused in resin. I was thrilled to find an entire industry exploring Eco-Resins. One of the leaders is 3Form USA.

Chock full of many collections of innovative materials. One of my favorites is the Bear Grass pictured here. Another innovator in the category is Panelite.  Around since 1998, making a huge contribution to alternative material solutions for designers worldwide.

A very hip ezine tying all contemporary design, art, architecture and cutting-edge fashion together is DE51GN. If you would like to tip them off about the latest in product/fashion/interior/visual design, architecture or art, send in your snippet (in English only) and images to shweta@de51gn.com

ICFF | May 15–18 2010 Javits Center, NYC will bustle with more than 24,000 interior designers, architects, retailers, designers, manufactures and developers. 550+ exhibitors: contemporary furniture, seating, flooring, lighting, materials, accessories and textiles. The ICFF is represented internationally and supported by the Austrian Trade Commission, British European Design Group (BEDG), Design in Brussels (Belgium), Furniture Association of Portugal, Furniture New York, The Furniture Society (U.S.), German Design Council, IDSA New York (Industrial Designers Society of America), Inside Norway, Interiors from Spain, and Thai Trade Center (Thailand).