Owls Owls Owls

Owls are big at the moment and have been for a while now. There's no doubt about it. Who (whoo!) can resist their big round eyes and penchant towards reading (wait a minute- I think that last part is just a common misunderstanding)? We sure can't! Have a look at these cute hand stitched owls by our good friends at Goose Designs. Hand made with bright and colourful fabrics in the Sunshine Coast hinterland village of Mapleton, these lovely little avian friends would be ever so excited to meet your family!

Hand Stitched Owls by Goose Designs of Mapleton, Qld

Individual owls priced from $25

Right at home on a favourite reading chair...

Sweet little felt elephants $6. Personalised banners from $18
So great for children's rooms or maybe just the young at heart!

What's better than a standard gift tag?
A personalised felt heart. $6

Large Plush Owls- $35 each 

If you are interested on getting your hands on these little lovelies, contact Margaret on 0412 362 947 (for those of you who are local) or via email at m.j.gibbs@bigpond.com. Etsy shop coming soon...

K x

:)

Good morning, this is just a short entry with a WARNING:

Never ever (ever) watch movies like Vicky Cristina Barcelona mid-semester of study. 

This is my dream destination... 

Stacey Marks the spot

For a long time now I have been following the work of photographer Stacey Mark. With time, she has not faltered and her portfolio is stunning. Nylon, Bazaar UK, Elle UK and Lulu are some of the magazines that have snatched up Mark for her photo-graphical genius. Have a look at her website here. Images credit Stacey Mark.
Sarah x

I'm in stitches

Today was the first day that's felt to me like Autumn is coming. There was a cool breeze in the air, and for the first time in weeks it wasn't too hot to wear jeans. We were at my mother-in-laws place and she was showing me a crochet bag she'd just made for herself to take on a trip. This got me thinking of winter evenings from my childhood spent sitting on the couch crocheting a little square blanket (which admittedly took me about 5 winters to complete, then ended up as the dogs blanket!).

I've never really gotten the hang of knitting, though I attempted it a few times, but I used to love to crochet and today got me wondering why I ever stopped! So, in anticipation of the cooler weather coming (even though winter in Brisbane is mild by many standards) on the way home I stopped at Spotlight and picked up a crochet hook and some pretty Olive green and some Turquoise wool- all excited to get started again after all these years.

I could only really remember how to make a single chain but a quick YouTube tutorial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i2b3me__Yk to get me started on a single stitch pattern (it really is like riding a bike) and I’m on my way to creating my new lovely green scarf for winter… here's hoping I get it finished in time for this one!

I think the wool I bought isn't quite right for crocheting because the thickness varies along the length which makes it hard to see the stitches, but I'm being stubborn because I just love the colours! Plus I don't really mind if it doesn't look "perfect"- I like that cosy hand stitched look.

Not to get too ahead of myself, but maybe soon I’ll be making a scarf as nice as this one above from greenolive: http://greenolive.typepad.com/greenolive/crochet/

K x

All about Karl

Good evening readers out there,
I feel like to write about every creation under the umbrella of Karl Lagerfeld which I find amazing is impossible. In short, to me he is a genius, and someone that I find very inspiring. Tonight, I wanted to pay special attention to  the Spring/Summer 2011 collection which Lagerfeld was behind. Naturally, it is beautiful to the eye. I suppose to me it was every little detail combined that allowed me to see this as Art at its best. It was a show so majestically put together. I admire people who stop at nothing to produce work that is 100% perfect, that stands alone, and reflects the passion of the designer / artist. The combination of delicate fabrics, met with Gothic cuts and colours was perfect. Make yourself a coffee, and take ten minutes out to watch this show from the 2011 Spring / Summer collection.
Goodnight x

Chalk it up!

A little while back I wanted a quick weekend project to keep me occupied so I decided to turn my bedroom door into a chalkboard. The door already had a recessed section perfect for this purpose. So, a few coats of white paint and black chalkboard paint later, I had a fun little space perfect for leaving notes or drawings on. Here are the before and after pictures below. Now I just need to paint the door frame and the rest of the hallway... but, that might be a project for the coming winter months (I can't have all the fun at once now can I?).
K x

Perfect Scents

 

If you're a sucker for a beautiful scented candle like we are, check out these triple-scented wax candles from Glasshouse (http://www.glasshousefragrances.com). A personal fave is Gardenia from the Marseille destination range (pictured below), which is soft and floral and makes the whole room (and house if yours is small like mine!) smell sweet. The jars they come in are beautiful too, and they even come in a mini size for somewhere like the bathroom... they can do no wrong in my opinion!

A body lotion is also available in the same fragrance, which we recently discovered, much to Sarah's great delight! So dreamy...
K x

(All images above are from the Glasshouse website)

Oh, Darling!

I just love this wedding photo I stumbled across on the Oh,Darling! photography site (http://www.ohdarlingphotography.com)

I think it just captures the excited mood perfectly! and the sparklers are oh so pretty...

K x

Market Love

With MrBenni overseas at the moment for work, lately I've been thinking of past travels and getting all nostalgic reminiscing about the sense of adventure and exploration that travel brings- sampling new food, testing out new languages, meeting new people. 

One of my favourite things about travel in particular (apart from trying anything and everything edible!) is trawling through local markets… Markets, Baazars, Souks- no matter what name they go by and no matter what they’re selling, I just love them!

There’s just something so much more appealing to me about walking up and down rows and rows of little market stalls, than shopping in a store or supermarket. Maybe it’s the personal connection with the maker that you only get from craft markets. Or the anticipation of the deliciousness of fresh produce from farmers markets. It could be the possibility of finding that one-of-a-kind bargain at a flea market. Whatever the reason, I just cannot resist venturing into a market if I see one.

Some of my most treasured possessions have come from such markets, and I decided that for this post I would share a couple of photos of the little market finds that make me happy.

(yes, still using the phone camera, apologies for the poor resolution).

K x

Sweet little painted clay dolls from China

...they happily watch over me as I sit at my desk

My favourite turquoise ring purchased in India

Carved wood blocks from India. I should use these more as
stamps-  they'd make beautiful cards and stationary

My silver necklace from Thailand. Hard to see on this
photo but the little lid is hinged and can open

Francoise Nielly

Hello there! I just wanted to make quick mention of French Artist Francoise Nielly. Her work is phenomenal, I personally can't say enough nice things about it. Have a looksie for yourself here.
Love Sarah x

Shape of things to come

The Shape of things to come 2011 is a showcase which highlights beautiful work produced by QUT art and design graduates. In it's fifth year of exhibition, this year was no exception. While individually the works stood alone,   the exhibition on a whole was a stunning collaboration. The creative ideas behind many of the works were fascinating, and the intricate detailing, impressive.
Highlights for me were Aurelia a stunning geometric chandelier which hung from the tall ceilings of The Block Gallery (QUT Kelvin Grove). Secondly, Brett Archibald Bevege's The Wanderer, an encapsulating women's wear collection captured my eye the moment I walked into the exhibition. Beautifully photographed and displayed, this piece caught the eye of many visitors to the exhibition. Bevege's work is completely on par with what I personally find artistically appealing, and it turns out I am not alone with this thought. After graduating, Bevege landed a job with Karen Walker in Auckland so I think we can continue to expect to see some very special work produced in the future. Further images of his designs are available here. Lastly, A Kaleidoscopic Perspective by the talented Shenaz Engineer blew my mind. Seven mannequins clad in the intricate designs based around themes of Structural Geometric Formations, Distortions and Illusions and Change were the centrepiece of the exhibition. Engineer experimented with laser cutting, digital engineered print design and the development of new textiles which when combined, resulted in a collection which was originally captivating and inspiring to say the least.
Enjoy the images :)
Sarah x

 My little desk

 The Wanderer by Brett Archibald Bevege

 A Kaleidoscopic Perspective by Shenaz Engineer

Aurelia by Ian Knight, Claire Mören, Kate Tuffley, Christina Willington

Silverstruck

I recently started a beginners Silversmithing course and I am smitten! This is something I've been wanting to do for a while and I'm glad I've finally begun. It's so much fun, the time just flies as I sit at my little workbench sawing, filing, soldering, buffing and polishing (oh! the polishing)!

These are the stud earrings I completed last week.

I just started on a chain in this weeks lesson - and am continuously sketching up new silver jewellery creations (yes I have grand plans for this new found love) but at the moment I'm limited by my skill set (hopefully as the weeks go on this will change!) I will keep updating with how it's going on here - I absolutely cannot wait until I get to learn about lost wax casting... I'm guessing that's a little while away yet though. Best master the cutting and soldering first!

K x

Re-furnish or Re-furbish?

As I’ve gotten older my philosophy in furniture buying has grown into a more mature (and I think sustainable) one. I’d now rather wait to find (or save up for) a quality piece of furniture that I'll keep for a very long time rather that settling for something which is going to ‘do the job’ for a time, but then probably just break or look cheap and get replaced in the not too distant future…

This may seem simple enough, but sometimes it’s just so tempting to race out and pick up that cheap, flat-packed item rather than going without for a while or making do with the hand-me downs and throw aways from family and friends. (Or, in the case of my first student share house- milk crates as chairs, coffee tables, book shelves…the novelty wears off after a short while)!

As a result of my (more or less) recently developed ideology, I have found myself extending the life of some of the bits and pieces around my home by giving them a little cosmetic lift, so they are just that teeny bit nicer until I can find or afford the furniture I actually want.

We had these kitchen stools from friends who didn't need them anymore. A few hours of time, a lick of paint and a bit of fabric and the stool was refreshed again in what I think is a somewhat “French provincial” style which suits our little country-style kitchen. They're doing the trick for the moment, until I decide on what stools I would like to have a more permanent existence in our home, at which time these little babies will probably get passed along again...

K x