NORDIC LOVE

This weekend is iHEART market day again, hoolalay! So if you haven't spent your Christmas monies yet then make fast to the iKHAYA stall and get your mitts on my new NORDIC LOVE prints, Clonette dolls and Frozen Charlotte.
A series of archival prints available on Fujirag paper.
R380 unframed (excl. postage & packaging) 248.5 x 205 mm. An edition of 20.
R630 framed in yellow, white or natural Kiaat wood. 

ELISE LOVE

HANDSOME THINGS is a blog that I follow regularly, their showcase of local talent is enviable. A who's who of beautiful work. They recently reviewed ELISE WESSELS latest exhibition at SALON 91 called The Beast in Mind. Go to HANDSOME THINGS to see her work plus do a little detour through the rest of the blog, if you haven't already. These are some of Elise's earlier ceramic works which I think are even better than cheese in a can.

LISA LOVE

Many of you will already be familiar with LISA CONGDON through her splendid A COLLECTION A DAY blog and book. I had not seen any of her recent work, so was delighted to discover that she has produced this amazing collection inspired by the Sami culture. I have been super interested in Shamanism and the indigenous Nordic people's for the longest time. Lisa combines an awesome talent for the curation of texture and pattern, collage and layering with such sensitive line work. I choose to live by her philosophy: COLLECTING AS ART FORM.

CLEW OF TWINE

Today is my ode to twine day. I have not as you may think run out of ideas to blog and I know some of you may be laughing at this moment but hey sometimes one just has to give the simple pleasures in life a little thank you very much. So thank you twine for making my life easier. One day I will buy some of the huge clews of twine at the Hyper in the garden section, that are as big as footballs, literally. For now I am content with the various shapes and sizes and lengths and widths that I have. Go on give your twine a hug!

                                                           

MARIA LOVE

A while ago on my Google stumblings I came across these exquisite drawings by MARIA GIL ULLDEMOLINS. I filed them away to blog about later. I have recently done an illustration for a poster where I wanted to create most of the detail and focus in the hair. Made me think of Maria. I am gutted though as she has decided to close her Etsy shop where she sold these pictures(you could commission a drawing from your own photos). I think she has moved on to bigger things but I am sad all the same.

NEW GEOMETRY

Now I am all a flutter with what I am calling the New Geometry direction in things design and made beautified. Although it could be said that I am jumping onto the tail end of a trend comet as this has been around for a while. So I will say that this is a new phase for me and other clever peoples have been on this gypsy wagon for a while. Like the stupendous JAMIE MILLS whose colour palette makes me see stars and whose pencil work makes me dreamy.

LAUREN LOVE II

LAUREN FOWLER, day 2, illustration delight. What I love about these are the way they feel like photo negatives. The dapperness and detail of the animal portraits, like old cameos of Saville Row. The frames are interesting too and make me think of thread wound round nails.

Just like Skermunkil's new direction, I love these two pieces which embrace geometry, star maps, black holes and the eternal return of life. A thinking girl's thoughts on paper to encourage other thinkers to think their thoughts too.

LAUREN LOVE

LAUREN FOWLER is an illustrator lady lass from Cape Town who I admire in heaps and bounds. Her style is dark, delicate, intricate, haughty, dapper and above all extremely interesting. I love her limited palette and her line work. She has great hand type skills. She can embroider and is a super maker and she ain't afraid to cuss! Today is all about her xstitch, tomorrow will be illustration. She does commissions and they come out just how you want em.

 

HOME SWEET HOME

Bought this sweet little tapestry at a Charity shop, exactly as you see it. I love the colour combo, the delicate little stitches and the Scandi simplicity. I love tapestries but normally the colours are really garish. I am also very partial to the fabric being slightly yellowed with age. I have good intentions of completing this myself and will post it when done. It may be next year or so but I will get to it.

PEG DOLLIES

During the holidays Scott, Swan and I painted some peg dollies. They were meant to have some stylish real fabric outfits (hence the nudie) but Swan was too excited to wait, she had to play with them - URGENT. Swan and I did the girls and Scott the boys, I so love his Snowman. Did some Googling this morning to add some peg dollies made by other crafty people to this post, oooooh it has given us so many more ideas, especially for tutu's!

Love the colours and ferocious tutu's on these from the delightful POP POM EMPORIUM.

RED CURRANT (in a old post) has lots of links to peg dollies, just loved the little dookie and handbag.

These pretties from HELLO MY LITTLE FRIEND  have a really contemporary vinyl toy feel to them, love the packaging too.

How clever are these from TREEFALL DESIGN, their 'skirts' hold 2 metres of vintage braid.

These are my faves, so simple, so perfect, good job BESS HARDING!

SISTER'S GUILD has a helpful tutorial.

LUCKY FISH V

There is a visual delight, a high tea of taste, a blog of gentility with a secret fire in it's belly that I admire and sigh many sighs of utmost appreciation over, THUNDER IN OUR HEARTS. I was a very lucky fish indeed to win a custom made beauty from the wonderful Amber, a necklace of the mermaids, colours captured from beneath the waves and from shiny treasures rolled about and washed up on the shore. Thank you Amber, I love it to pieces.

LUCKY FISH IV

My Bear bought me a bear from Skermunkil for Christmas, a lovely polar bear with a dirty face. I have always lusted after Marietjie's enameled necklaces but am even more enamored of her new direction, which is much more geometric and graphic. Makes me think of alchemy and gold ingots. See here for some of her new stock and at the same time enjoy Lucky Pony's awesomeness.

LUCKY FISH III

Look what my clever cousin Jess, who resides in London town bought me from TOPSHOP for Christmas. A black high gloss ceramic BAMBI - could it be more perfect, no way! So love the box it came in and the sticker on the side, simple packaging in a faded dirty ballet pink.