Tuesday 20 December 2011

PACKAGE PROJECT PARCEL


During the lovely days of Giveaways I have also been putting together my Package Project Partner Kjersti's parcel. It arrived safely in New York a week ago so I can let you have a peek at what I sent. See Kjersti's blog New York Kitty Art for her post. I have always been a present wrapping freak and love to collect all matter of fripperies to tie onto gifts, I usually have a theme that I stick to for a while and my latest collection has been Paris, the Eiffel Tower, celluloid charms, anchors and a black/white/pink stripe.

I made Kjersti one of my Nursery Rhyme hoops with cat pins and vintage children's textbook pics. Kjersti LOVES cats and I bought a really beautiful set of Choo Choo cat cards and stickers plus lots of other kitty goodies.
  
The ceramic cat top left is by Carla da Cruz of Token Ceramics, I have bought so many of her heart brooches as they are the perfect present. The two floral cats beneath are by The Deco Collection, I love their sweet pose. I bought the 168 Panther playing cards at the SPCA shop and the beautiful blue hued bangles at the KZNSA BuzzArt Christmas Fair. The gorgeous quilted repurposed notebook is from iKHAYA, it was such an incredibly beautiful shade of Marie Antoinette blue! The best part of the whole parcel was the brilliant custom made brooch that Mariet from Kittens With Mittens made of Kjersti's Siamese cat Pongo, what a beaut! There is a funny story behind it which you can read on Kjersti's blog.

This is my last post of this year, I'm wrenching myself away from my machine to spend some time away from technology and WORK. So I wish you all a very safe and chilled festive falala! See you in 2012. Should Kjersti's parcel manage to make it through the quagmire that is our customs over the holidays then I will crank up my Macbeast to show you my parcel otherwise I am switching off, no other temptations!!!

Monday 19 December 2011

AND THE WINNER IS........



The very deserving winner of 12 Days Of Giveaways is GAIL STREAK. Thank you Gail for all your wonderful comments and for getting all your peeps to have a peep at my blog. It was a close call and a special mention must go to Nadia from Cupcake Couture and Jo from Coelho Culture. Big big thank you to my new lovelies who left comments, I so appreciate the time taken and do stay in touch. AND a final humungous thank you to the amazing makers who contributed their beautiful wares to 12 Days, I had a blast and I am very grateful to be friends with such talented souls. Please don't despair if you were not a winner this time, I plan on having plenty more Giveaways in the new year!

12 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS THE END


Last chance my lovelies to be Lucky Like a Rabbit! Please send me your list of followers that you brought to my blog by 12 noon today: kim@thepaintedblackbird.com so that I can make sure I have the correct winner! So excited!!!! Can't wait to hand over the loot!

Friday 16 December 2011

DAY 12 FROZEN CHARLOTTE GIVEAWAY


On the twelfth day of Giveaway - FROZEN CHARLOTTE. Oh it is the last day of the 12 Days of Giveaways sniffle. Buuuut I am using it to introduce you to a very exciting project that Rhenda iKHAYA and I have been working on like crazy Christmas elves, Frozen Charlotte. This is our brand spanking new range of ceramic dolls and curiosities. They will be limited edition and numbered so you know it's the real dealio. There will be a white series, a brightly glazed series and even some very special hand painted darlings. Combined with these will be extremely splendid and special dolls from our vintage collection.



Frozen Charlotte dolls were made from 1850 to 1920, the name comes from an American folk ballad Fair Charlotte, a cautionary tale concerning a young woman who did not wrap up warmly during a sleigh ride to a New Years Ball and froze. Made primarily in Germany they have become highly collectable even those that were damaged when the factory that made them burned to the ground.


The Japanese Charlottes are colourful and kawaii with a cute flapper style and the chubbiest cheeks! Hand painted bisque with really kooky primary colours.


Fair Charlotte's fiance was a young man called Charlie, so the wee boy dolls are known as Frozen Charlies, they can be found in bisque or hard plastic or celluloid. Sometimes buck nekkid, sometimes in a fetching sailor suit, clutching a posy or a sail boat or a bunny.


Do not pass out at the awesomeness of these little ladies from Ghana called Clonette dolls. iKHAYA is awaiting delivery of these beauties and best you get your mitts on a few as they are fast becoming design icons. They come in such sweetie colours and the little lasses (and grown up lasses) love them so!

Todays Giveaway is three of our very first batch baked. A start to your beaut collection. If you would like to purchase some of these sweetpeas for your own or another - hot foot it down to iKHAYA's stall at the IHEART Market this fine Saturday and the WONDER Market on Sunday. Last chance to buy fantabulous hand crafted goodies before falalala and hohoho.



Make sure you collect all your lovelies and send me a mail with their names by Monday 19th absolute latest, kim@thepaintedblackbird.com so that I can announce the winner of the 12 Days of Giveaways. Hoolalay and Hip Hooray!!!

Thursday 15 December 2011

DAY 11 CON AMORE GIVEAWAY

On the eleventh day of Giveaway - CON AMORE. Maria Cochrane and Charles Kerr are travelers, adventurers, modern day explorers unearthing treasures in the ancient dusty troves of far away lands. Glamorous gypsies with an eye for traditional craftsmanship, they source luxury goods from across the globe - from great gift items by contemporary designers to seriously grand antiques, one of a kind pieces made with a skill close to devotion. They source with passion and sell with passion. To own a Con Amore object is to own a piece of their heart.


Be part of the Christmas Celebration of Love and hustle your bustle down to Shop 201. La Lucia Mall. 90 William Campbell Drive for a dazzling array of gifts for under R200 (or send your lovelies with your Christmas wish list).  


Just Unpacked!! A fabulous selection of Cath Kidston mugs, charming florals and stripes perfectly on trend for a summer country kitchen, fill with bon bons or macaroons for a french twist! The perfect stocking filler.


For today's Giveaway a striking hand clip, cast in the tradition of Victorian door knockers, this dainty yet weighty stationery keeper is one of my most truly favourite things at the moment. It can securely hold a generous wodge of papers and is a trillion times more trés elegant than a clipboard. It is reminiscent too of claddagh rings which take us back full circle to Con Amore. With Love.

Wednesday 14 December 2011

DAY 10 MOOI GIVEAWAY

On the tenth day of Giveaway - MOOI. Restore. Revive. Recycle. In a light filled corner shop brimming with happy ceramic animals, vintage tins, reloved furniture, quirky cushions, delightful illustrations, clever jewellery and limited edition regalia for lasses, lads and wee littlies - you will find the splendid Lauren and Fiona. They are the stockists of many of the previously mentioned Giveaway Lovelies plus a gorgeous selection of their own restored vintage treasures and clothing. Visit for a browse and chat! Perfect for prezzies!
100 Bulwer Rd Glenwood Durban 031 201 8274




Part one of today's Giveaway is a charming Little Beach Dress by Lauren's label Tigerlily. The dresses are made from repurposed sari's and are perfect for summer as they are either 100% silk or cotton. They come in various styles and from age 2-3 up to 9-10 (they are also available in 6-12 months for the teenies). Their jewel like colours and vibrant patterns have a wonderful casual glamour.


Part two of today's Giveaway is a sublime vintage inspired soft as butter, luscious lilac, cap sleeved dress with floral Peter Pan collar. In the size that suits you. I can't tell you how superbly this dress drapes, it falls and flows like water. The colour is just too rad! It is not too pink and not too purple but something just right in between. Once again, no fighting now ladies!


Be sure to visit Mooi often as the goodies are updated regularly and you just mus'nt let them birdies (and bambi's and donkeys and pony's) get away.

Tuesday 13 December 2011

DAY 9 PAINTED BLACKBIRD GIVEAWAY


On the ninth day of Giveaway - THE PAINTED BLACKBIRD. It's me, again! Maybe I should do this one under an assumed name, incognito, hush hush. You might have also thought I somehow managed to score a Rob Ryan cough cough, but no, this is a paper cut done by yours truly in the traditional style of Wycinanki, traditional Polish paper cut design. As perfected by artists such as the most incredibly wonderful Rob Ryan and locally our very splendid Heather Moore of Skinny Laminx. I took my raggy little paper cut and transformed it into a vector drawing which is nice and crisp. You may choose between this little number and the print below.


This little Christmas scene is from my vault, it was my Christmas Card for last year but went out as a mailer. It is my family and fairy tales and Pippi and Scandi and pointy little witchy shoes. I am going to finally do a very petite print edition of 5. It would make a little gal very delighted even if she did not have freckles or piglet tails but dreams of Black Forest Gáteau and large bear hugs and perfectly symmetrical fringes. Both are archival quality prints on Fujirag, 205 x 248.5 mm. Only 3 more days to enter, Lovelies, keep those followers a joinin', I will be so tickled to make 100.

Monday 12 December 2011

DAY 8 CUPCAKE COUTURE GIVEAWAY


On the eighth day of Giveaway - CUPCAKE COUTURE. Nadia is a creative consultant and genteel lady extraordinaire. If you were lucky enough to be handed the keys to a secret shop that had been kept sealed away since the 40's, a shop that was as clean as a new pin, a shop that smelled of vanilla, a shop that held a treasury of fine haberdashery and crisp stationery - you would know what Nadia is all about.


Besides working with independent creatives to build their brands and bake their blogs, Nadia has busy fingers. Busy fingers that make beautiful things like corsages, brooches, stationery and hair accessories. This year she has directed The Package Project a truly wonderful way to spread craft love across the world by linking like minded talents in countries cross the seas.

 

Nadia's timeless treasures can be found at the I HEART Market, Wonder MarketMOOI, Lady Jane Vintage, Fat Tuesday and The Fringe Arts.


My absolute fave aspect of Nadia's work is the inspired pieces she has made for weddings, I am all over the shakin' up of traditional wedding garb and decor like gold dust on fairy cakes.


Nadia's own wedding which is documented here is a perfect example of how the work of many loving hands and the thoughts of many inventive hearts making true memories for families to share.


Today's Giveaway is a dashing Victorian inspired corsage in jet, charcoal and ivory. It has a lovely preppy appeal and could be worn on a crisp white shirt with a high collar and skinny tie or a blazer or a lace shift or pinned to your handbag. LOVE it!!!!

Friday 9 December 2011

DAY 7 PAINTED BLACKBIRD GIVEAWAY


On the seventh day of Giveaway - THE PAINTED BLACKBIRD. Yay, it's me! Today's Giveaway will be one of my prints from my SCANDI LOVE and NAUTI LOVE series.

However as some of my lovelies already own the full set I am giving you a sneak peek at my inspiration board behind my next series, NORDIC LOVE. This will be six animals from the lands of ice and snow. If you win you get to choose which one you would like.


Be sure to check in next week as I have 5 more very grand gifts to add to the pile!

Thursday 8 December 2011

DAY 6 SAVAGE JEWELLERY GIVEAWAY


On the sixth day of Giveaway - SAVAGE JEWELLERY. Nicky Savage introduced me many moons ago to what I think of as classic modern alternate jewellery design. Her work is high end technically, the metalwork is clean and minimalist, strongly influenced by geometry as well as the more fluid shapes of nature. It has a purity and simplicity which places emphasis on the detail. I have worn her shorter cubed wand earrings for a very long time, they came in different lengths and also in a cylindrical format. I have never found an earring which I like more. They are timeless and modern and go with everything.


My parents celebrated their Ruby Anniversary this year, a few months before emigrating to Australia. Nicky created a beautiful necklace to celebrate the occasion as well as to give my mom a keepsake to hold family and places she was leaving behind close to her heart.


This is the necklace that I saw on the SAVAGE JEWELLERY blog, which Nicky then created a custom version of for my mom, with each charm  having a very special significance. Nicky's work is available from the I HEART Market, Africa Nova, Artisan, Fat Tuesday, KZNSA, Teremok Spa and Tinsel.


Today's Giveaway from SAVAGE JEWELLERY is a delicious Cotton Candy necklace. Little stamped silver pendants hung on candy coloured cotton cord. I am going to keep which one you will be getting a surprise - naughty naughty!


These are perfect on their own or a few at a time or with one of Nicky's charm or silver heart necklaces.


Ok, I'll give you a clue, it is one of these and maaaay relate to my blog.


Halfway through the Giveaway and still six more beauties to come oooooh! 

Wednesday 7 December 2011

DAY 5 GENEVIEVE MOTLEY GIVEAWAY


On the fifth day of Giveaway - GENEVIEVE MOTLEY. This lovely lady makes contemporary jewellery with a whimsical twist. She combines modern techniques with natural materials, found objects and vintage charms. Gen has the sunniest disposition and her work reflects the joy she finds in life. Romantic pieces with clean lines, delicate detail and a sense of fun. Gen is a regular at the IHEART market, has a mini shop at MOOI and is stocked by discerning shop keepers across the country plus on ETSY.



First up from Gen for the Giveaway is a perspex blackbird necklace. He has a lustrous sheen like the wingfeather of a starling  and a jaunty angle to his head like a cheeky crow - not to mention being my blogs namesake.



Now you know I have a penchant for bears and this handsome fella is the cats pjamas! A lazer cut wooden brooch with a wonderful smokey scorched edge - would be at home on a manly lapel as well as a tee or structured blouse.



Thirdly a black and white swan cameo ring, like a obsidian boiled sweet decorated with royal icing 'cept you can keep it forever and ever. Ladylike but with a lovely gothic edge. It is adjustable.