Kirstenbosch Culture

We arrived back late yesterday from a wonderful few days in Cape Town.
One of the highlights for us was a symphony concert and picnic late Sunday afternoon at Kirstenbosch!Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is world-renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape flora it displays and for the magnificence of its setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain.
The atmosphere in this gorgeous setting is amazing - overshadowed by Table Mountain and surrounded by incredible natural beauty. People crowded onto the slope in front of the platform, along with picnic blankets and baskets and were serenaded by the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra!

White Flowers

I love white and I love flowers - I have 3 very different types of white flowers in my home right now:
We bought this orchid at our local Farmer's Market. It's the first time we have owned a real live growing orchid plant!I made the concertina paper pot cover from a current local chain store Easter advert! I thought the bright and light colours would work well!Someone special gave me these champagne white chrysanthemums. They are so at home in my vintage silver!A friend covered this coat hanger and gave it to me! It's a great way to hang up this vintage lace evening dress!I am off to the Cape again! Yes the second time in 1 month! I will be back next weekTuesday!

Inside Out Bags

Nottingham, our dumb waiter is modeling 2 of the new Sari bags I have just finished sewing. In a way, they are inside-out-bags, because the soft silky vintage Japanese print is on the outside [for prettiness] and the firm vintage upholstery fabric is on the inside [for strength]. With recycled insides and outsides, these bags are truly "Green"!

Spoon Bundles

I was hoping to show you what I have been working on, but the weather for photographs is very dark, cold and gloomy and I really want the pics to do justice to my handiwork, so we will have to wait until next week. In the mean time, here is what my spoon collection is doing at the moment. I have bundled them and tied them up with scraps of ribbon. They give me lots of pleasure! Here's a bird's eye view of the group on my side table!Previous appearances of my spoon collection here and here

Freshly Felted!

Tomorrow I hope to show you some more of what I have been doing - but today I am going to show you some of the work of Marisa Girardi - another fellow South African etsy team member! I love her simple, cheerful and well made flower felt brooches... and this one for when the rain comes! This is what her shop looks like when she sets it up in real life at a craft market!She has her own online shop coming soon. In the meantime visit her etsy shop or be inspired by her work on flickr!

Scissors

I get excited when ordinary, everyday items make an appearance in an unexpected way. I've noticed some interesting scissors around the place:This store in New Dehli - via Nylon BlogKurashi-momo's pincushions with scissor printSmallest Forest's single thread rendition of embroidery scissors!And to finish off, Janelle decorated the bathroom at Urban Outfitters with Scissor shapes and paper patterns! My bathroom is not the only one!

Cinnamon Sticks

When I was out shopping for ingredients for my home-made muesli the other day, I came across these giant cinnamon sticks. After a little bit of Wiki-research, I realise that they are quite possibly Cassia Sticks - related to Cinnamon, but tougher and less crumblier and maybe more poisonous in large quantities?!Whatever they are - I bought them for their looks - and they are beautifully gracing my side board in criss-cross stack!
When I am tired of them, I think I will try this!

The Latest on Those Folded Books

I was so happy on Friday to notice, as I was paging through my Blogger Reading list, that my Folded books had been featured on Oh Joy!My Book Art collection has grown substantially since I took that pic, so I thought I would update you...I did promise to do a tut on these some time. So I must put this closer to the top of my to-do list!
I can really recommend these book creations as great coffee table items. My guests are always intrigued. They engender great conversation - What are these, Did you make them, How did you make them - You use no glue or pins?
Have a look at my Flickr for some more pics and watch out for the tut sometime soon!

Can I Lean on You?

On my visits to Thrift shops I have often looked at old crutches and thought 'Mmm - all that beautiful wood - what can I do with it. But they seem so 'broken-legish' and I have never tried anything.
So I had to chuckle at T.O.M.T's Crutch Bar and Crutch Table! I love it!

Creative Who...?

Yesterday we finished the Creativity Voyage - and inside the red 'You' pack, I left the girls with a set of D-I-Y tags to remind them just how creative they really are!

Scootah

I am part of the South African etsy team - a group of South African etsy shop keepers. I've decided that, every now and then, I am going to feature some of the products I enjoy from the other team members!
I find the work of Sandy Mitchell of Scootah so appealing! She lives near the sea and this is evident in her work. She has a lovely style of illustration which she often translates into applique and embroidery and also into ceramics.See more of Sandy's work here and more about our South African team here!

The Bags at Last!

I have finally listed this trio of Happy Tapestry Bags in my shop!

Honey Tag

I was tagged by Concrete and Honey to answer some questions... I love the title of her blog and the gorgeous goodies she shows.
Before I answer the questions though, I wondered how many of you have heard of Concrete Honey? It is produced in a Paris suburb and is a Polyfloral honey as the pollen comes from the planters and pot plants in the city! Read all about this amazing Miel Beton here!
Here are the answers I wrote down on Saturday...
What are you wearing now? Brown Linen Shorts, A pale yellow and brown striped shirt, a gold chain necklace and earrings. My shoes are not on my feet, but next to me under the desk!

What is the title of the best book you've ever read? Hidden Art by Edith Schaeffer

Who was the last person you hugged? My husband - or perhaps it was my daughter and son-in-law when we met them for breakfast today!

Which item from your closet are you wearing most lately? The Brown Shoes that are lying next to my feet now!

What's for dinner? Butternut soup and Pizza

What was the last thing you bought? The Butternut soup and dishwashing liquid!

What are you listening to right now? The sound of silence (and the whir of my computer).

What is one skill you would like to acquire or improve? I would like to improve my photographic skills - and I would like to be able to print my own fabric. It is a dream of mine - so far I have done some very basic work - but I hope to improve!

What is your favorite weather, and why? I love sunshine but not the intense mid-summer heat. I enjoy rain too - it is often a welcome relief to the heat!

What time do you usually get up? 4.50am on the mornings I go walking - otherwise around 6am

What is your most challenging goal right now? Getting the new version of my shop going. Balancing the mountain of work that has to go into it with the other important things in my life like being my husband's P.A. and book-keeper, being a daughter and a mother, housekeeper, cook, friend, course leader, etc.

Say something to the person who tagged you: I have quite a few things in common with you! We both live in the Southern Hemisphere, I also LOVE white and I would love to have a home in Paris!

If you could have a house-totally paid for, fully furnished-anywhere in the world, where you want it to be? I must agree with Concrete and Honey, where else but Paris?

Favorite vacation spot? Cape Town or London

Name the things you cannot live without: Relationships - with God, my husband, family and friends and the ability to be creative!

What movies can you watch over and over? None. I don't watch many movies - even once!

What is your favorite Coffee Brand? I drink a lot of well made Illy at home!

What are your daily rituals? After waking up or going for an early morning walk - I make coffee for my husband and myself. We sit in our family room and drink it together. We find out what is on each of our agendas for the day and other chit chat. A good time of connecting!
[Here are the rules:

1: Respond & Rework - Answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.

2: Tag-eight other un-tagged people.]
I am a shy tagger though, so if you are reading and would like to respond - please do!

Delftish Blue

This beautiful Blue and White Beaded Bag, made by the amazing ladies at iBhungezi arrived here this week. It is one of the products that will be stocked in the new Freshly Found Shop soon!Talking of Blue and White, Paul of Sweet Paul has been working with some lovely Delft ideas lately!
Have a look here and here!

Creativity Voyage update and Urns!

Yesterday I hosted The Creativity Voyage in my home! I shared some decorating hints and principles! Then I bore my soul to them and showed them all the stuff around my home that I show you guys ! This 3d paper urn was dressed in a light silk scarf for the occasion:It's part of a whole series I am experimenting with!
It reminds me of this humorous Urn screenprint by Goodshape Design. The afternoon was a lot of fun! Not all of them are going to rush home and try the paper pattern bathroom curtain though! They said their husbands just would not understand!

Idiosyncratic!

I have a soft spot for quirky ideas! There were plenty of them when we visited the Biscuit Mill in Cape Town and enjoyed the Neighbourgoods Market. Besides delicious food and great design - there were some things we just had to record...
This Sunbeam mixer - past it's baking prime - made a very happy home for this pot plant! This was used to decorate the long tables in the hall, which are made up of old doors placed on trestles. The space above the tables was decorated with mobile vintage bird cages and wrought iron chairs:Iced tea - available in refundable jam jars! This plant stand caught my eye with succulents potted in vintage enamelware and tins. And the wind chimes made from old tin lids were quite delightful!

Back from Cape Town!

We had a wonderful trip to Cape Town! Our first stop was the ever beautiful Manna Epicure in Kloof Street! This popular place 'to-see-and-be-seen' never disapoints with it's fresh white backdrop to all things [and people] flowery, colourful, innovative and beautiful!My daughter and I breakfasted under this bird-and-cup's nest chandelier:A great place to be energised before visiting other places in the street like Loft Living, LIM, O.live and Heartworks!
The Design Indaba was wonderful - unfortunately no picture taking was allowed - but have a look at the Elle Deco blog and also at Anything Goes for more!