Thursday, July 31, 2008

Sequins from a Friend

Tracy Kendall designs the most intriguing wallpaper. She takes all sorts of elements and applies them to wallpaper - either physically or graphically. Her bespoke range was started with a sequin design inspired by 1920’s flapper dresses.I have sequins decorating my room too - A friend called the other day and offered me a vintage sequinned jacket she had inherited. It's colourful and blingish and very happy decorating my room! PS.I have had piles of Admin to wade through this week, but I have been giving my printed square for Jesse's Exchange a lot of thought. I have finally put ink to fabric. Hopefully I'll show you the outcome tomorrow!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

More about Coffee and Recycling

Yesterday I showed you how I re-used some of my illy coffee cans. Well, illy are involved in re-cycling much bigger cans! This illy Push Button House, designed by Adam Kalkin is a fully functional and sustainable home built within an industrial shipping container. [via the Alternative Consumer] These Flickr pics show some creative uses of South African containers:by Dick uit Zandvoort and Sergio Espana

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Coffee and Me

My love of excellent coffee has had a huge impact on my life! I have been known to travel great distances to get a good cup! I even owned a coffee shop for a couple of years! So it gives me a kick to be able to use some of the many coffee tins generated here for a neat storage solution in my workspace!
I positioned the tins to fit well into the space. Then I secured the stacks with elastic bands, before placing them in the shelf!
I love re-using what's already here!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Decisions Decisions!

While we were away, we had a beautiful Africote coloured cement floor laid in our home. It has a modern, seamless look and shows off our persian carpets really well!Now we are busy deciding what colour to paint the walls. Our home looks a bit like a giant paint colour chit -but we want to make the right choice!The electric box in the top right corner of the pic is the control for the underfloor heating. Ooo this is lovely! [We may live in warm Kwa Zulu Natal in South Africa, but it still gets quite chilly in winter!]

Friday, July 25, 2008

The Pics at last

While we were away, our daughter and son-in-law's wedding album arrived. A beautiful momento a happy day.
The Spunky Cake was by Porcelain Artist and Cake Icer Extraordinaire - Di Edgcumbe. [It was absolutely delicious too!]The Flowers were by Floral Fundi - Kirsty Wright of Function FlairThe Photographers Trevor and Cherine of Gorgeous Day did a fabulous job - Gracious and talented!Have a look at - Gorgeous Day - Recent Weddings - John and Natalie - to see more!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Busy Here

I've been giving my imminent attempt to print fabric quite a bit of thought! I have bought the red fabric paint and have been playing around with a few design ideas. The beautiful printed square from Jesse is feeping me focussed on the type of outcome I would like. I am busy cutting a stencil at the moment, but I want to try printing with a sponge as well.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Looking Up!

I just had to share some of the things we saw on our trip. It struck me how lovely things were when we looked up!
Underneath the Arc de Triomf:
The Eiffel Tower from underneath!

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Fabric Printing, Fabric Swap!

Jesse of Jezzeblog, started a Fabric Swap of handprinted squares a while ago! It has always been a dream of mine to design pattern for print - so I signed up! Gulp! The idea is growing rapidly and so many people have joined. There is even a Swatch Swap pool on Flickr!
I have never printed anything! So this will be a stretch. If all else fails, I might have to resort to some of the suggestions I found in this vintage Readers Digest book: Things to Make and Do:

Shoe sole prints, nuts and bolts, pegs, pen tops and nibs, spoon tips, etc...!
I received my square from Jesse while overseas - I will have to hurry with mine now!

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Le Tourisme des Hôpitaux!!!

I last chatted to you from Belgium! My husband had a stint in hospital in Brussels with kidney stones, but was feeling much better when we left for Paris, spending 1 night there instead of the 2 we had planned - and visiting the Musee d'Orsay where we saw well known originals [like this Van Gogh]: Then on our first morning in London, the kidney stones returned with a vengeance and my husband spent the next 3 days in Kingston Hospital! He had a stent inserted to bypass the blockage until we got home. As soon as we did, he went to the Emergency Rooms and was admitted into hospital the next morning. He was finally discharged yeterday - with 1 stone in a bottle and the knowledge that there are another 7 in his kidneys still!
So, after Cruising from Gent to Kortrijk in Belgium and being entertained by our family in Brussels -instead of seeing all those places I was dreaming of in London, we did "Le Tourisme des Hôpitaux!!!" [The Tourism of the Hospitals] - to quote my sister-in-law's French Housekeeper.
It's at time's like these that the love and prayers and friendship of people means so much - and you realise that good health is better than the best sights that you might have seen!

Monday, July 07, 2008

News from Belgium!

I have found an opportunity to pop into my blog and a few others. We have been having a wonderful time away.This morning we were all packed and ready to leave for Paris, when my husband had to be rushed into hospital with excrutiating pain. Fortunately it was kidney stones, and after spending half a day in a Belgian hospital, we are back at the home of our family in Rossieres. We are hoping to leave for Paris first thing tomorrow morning now. Besides the ducks from the stream at the bottom of the garden, this is some of what has been delighting us:
I love the mutued browns and greys and the lively rhythm of this townscape! And the colourful vibrant rhythm of these roadsigns! See you after Paris and London.