Nutcracker costume by Rachel Papo

really inspires me and makes me feel happy... but at $600 a print... that's just something I'll have to enjoy onscreen and printed out on my home colour printer to stick onto my inspiration board.



Purchase Rachel Papo's print at ClampArt Gallery.

Brian from ClampArt kindly also referred me to a MUCH more affordable print by Rachel Papo at 20x200. Entitled Nastya Before Class, St. Petersburg, Russia for $20.



Thanks Brian

Hope you all have a lovely weekend! We're going to be busy clearing junk in our house for the council hard rubbish collection on Monday!

My Nicola at Kim's!

I wrote a couple of months ago about my Shabner's Nicola being for sale. I love it... but gave it up to someone... not without regret... but it's so great to see it in the home of someone so utterly deserving, and it looks soo damn good in her home.

Kim from Desire to Inspire was the lucky buyer and I'm so pleased. I'm also so jealous that it fits so much better in her home!!!!! Nicola never looked so good!

Image from Kim's Flickr

For those of us in Victoria, Australia and are facing the threat of the bushfires, my prayers and thoughts are constantly with you. Hope none of you lose homes today in the threat of high temps and high winds. I too, will be watching my skies and fields around us!

Today I'm inspired by

... vintage floral bouquets in simple white frames against a snowy white wall...


I've been trying to collect them especially since we moved and I painted my large and high living room 3-4 coats of white :) I don't have as many nice ones since they are getting expensive...

Here's my slowly growing collection:


This is my latest... a floral bouquet painted 2 years ago by my husband's 94 year old Nanna.


Coco+Kelley also posted a similar image here. (Actually looks like the same frames rearranged!)

James Merrell

Verdant Kelly Green

Blue and chocolate
Pink and orange
Yellow and white and black...

I'm finding now I really really like this verdant green! And seeing it so bold and strong in living spaces really invigorate me!

Domino

Sherrill Canet Interiors

Area Interior Design

Domino

Flickr: my imaginary boyfriendz

Inspiration: Anna Spiro's office

I had to post this... it's so inspiring for me... copycat-inspiring! And the husband is OK with it (nearly knocked me off my chair!)...

I know, I know... thus far I've been harping on about a yellow and white office. But man. Anna Spiro's office at Black and Spiro actually makes my spine tingle! So... warm yet friendly yet luscious... even though it's clearly not the first choice for a male-dominated room, neither is it all that pinky-feminine-chic per se!

Etsy for my silhouettes!

I'm very excited... I've opened an Etsy store selling my custom designed silhouettes of your loved ones! See the button on the top right menu for the link!

Match Blox

A great thanks goes out to Justina Selim of blog on my perch as she has posted about my silhouettes :) and posted a special one that I created with Hannah and her father. :)

She also wrote about Match Blox, wooden blocks that are created by Etsy artist Suzanna Anna



A cheaper version of Sid Dickens work posted previously! Fun, colour and WAY cheaper :) $28 each.

Sid Dickens: Memory Blocks

First Row: The Flower Rosette, The Swallow, The Butterfly, Musique, Sacred Heart Red, Unicorn, Rosette
Second Row: Club, Crown, Lemon, Morning Birds, Versailles Tulip, Wild Rose, Dahlia
Third Row: Embleme, Alabaster Roses, Guardian, Damask, Taj Flowers, Leaf Swirl, Spade.

{These are tiles from the retired collection.}

I love to start/have a collection of Sid Dicken Tiles.

Born Sidney Michael Dickens (1963), Dickens now lives in Vancouver where he first began his masterpieces, The Memory Blocks, a series of 6 by 8-inch decorative wall plaques. Memory Blocks are hand crafted plaster, 6" x 8" x 1 1/4", finished to a porcelain-like quality, cracked to create an aged look and feel.

Every few years, a collection of his tiles are retired. The retired pieces, a few shown above, would of course, fetch more and can only be bought at auctions and specialist dealers. But you can still get his current collection from his website, starting from US$90.


First Row: Concord, Epistle, Pentimento, Applique (Silver), Tree of Life (Silver), Perfume
Second Row: Naturlich, Coat of Arms, Tapestry, Storybook, The Clasp, Melody, P&A, Wing.

{These are tiles from the current collection.}

On his website, it is suggested that the best way to display these pieces of art is in a collection, a grouping.



I'd agree... I'd like to start with The Clasp.

My bamboo Kelly Wearstler cum Regency style mirror!

While selling futon and dresser a month or two ago, I broke our hallway mirror FRAME (whew! Not the mirror!). It was one I disliked anyway and got for $10 at a garage sale five years ago.



From my inspiration photo above, I wanted to consolidate my affinity with bamboo/cane furniture (I grew up in Malaysia: bamboo and cane furniture was EVERYWHERE) with the luscious Kelly Wearstler fun Regency style. Have you read her Modern Glamour?

With a small budget and big dreams, one has to settle for something less than the upwards of $500 tag at 1stbids, Anthropologie or Horchow. Or this one at Woodson and Rummerfields.

I'm so happy to have scored at eBay for only $29!



(Pardon the awful mess in that photo. I'd just unwrapped the 1km long bubble wrap and washed my hands. I turn around and I see Hannah STANDING ON THE MIRROR. So after my heart stopped beating hard and I'd calmed down, the photo was taken just propped up.)



After a coat of primer, and a couple of coats of bright yellow gloss...



Can't wait to hang it someplace in our new place!

Poppy & Summertime

I love paint swatches. Everytime I get to Bunnings, I collect paint swatches (so now I have a huge pile of the same colours.. heh!).

Went to Ikea last weekend and picked up a yellow frame (among other things!). Got all crafty and finally got a project done that I've wanted to do for a long time for my yellow office wall.

Silhouette of lil' Hannah

I've loved silhouettes for the longest time, WAY before the current trend. Always wanted a silhouette wall, but not of random images/ladies... so yesterday (Monday is my no-Hannah, plenty-housework day) I got cracking.

Out of 1500 shots featuring Hannah, there was only one decent side shot of her. Created a silhouette, gathered some things, chose a pretty paper (I collect paper)...



I'm really happy with it... can't hang it up yet since we're moving soon! :)

Mud wall sculptures

wow. forget wallpaper (which I love.) Had to feature this work when I read it on design snitch.



Get a wall scupture made from MUD by Tom Moberg! I think of myself a pretty decent artist: H can recognise the stuff I draw on her butcher's paper. But never could I create these!

Quick assemblage: Artwork for my office!

This weekend I went thrifting at Savers, picked up a few things for Hannah and then I found some great bright yellow linen napkins, never been used, only $5. Them little beauties came back with me.



Snip snip snip and in they went to some small Ribba frames I bought a while ago. (Whenever we go to Ikea, I pick up a few frames just to have handy.) Top one is awaiting some cute bird or dog or chair.



Just painted the frame for my Bunny Letterpress in Yellow by Etsy seller Pressure. Looks smarter in black. On the right is a gift from the talented MidCenturyJo from Desire to Inspire in a Ikea yellow frame (for some reason, this one freak husband and friends out hehehehe).

Happy corners!

I have been contemplating how to position my pink silk canvas... but it looks at home where it is now! Originally, I'd thought to put it to the left of my three cheerful bird prints...

Any suggestions? Click on my living room photo below for a larger image... I would really appreciate your input!

St Vin's find for my lounge room wall DIY

I went on my fortnightly pilgrimage to my fav St Vinnies' charity shop and found this 100% cotton silky hot pink batik print dressing gown. Only $8.75. (Sorry about the before picture below, I am always so gung ho about getting the project underway and completed that I always forget to take before-shots. The photo below therefore, is after the scissors has had its way.)



Went to the closing down two-dollar store near me and picked up a canvas block for $4.50.

Stapled and stapled and here we have another addition to the walls!



Yet to hang... haven't decided on positioning... and need to get me more of those 3M velcro picture hooks.

Framing

Man. Framing is so expensive! Thrifting unique photo frames etc is a great idea... but when you score one without glass and backing, man.

Framing is so expensive.

Lightscapes: Valérie Boy

The last pic in my previous post reminded me of another artist who has created a spectacular floral lightscape on canvas. She was featured on AT NY in September. I saved the page because it just caught my eye and perhaps my imagination considered DIYing it. Still considering.

“Féérie Florale” is a six-foot-tall white powder-coated metal with hand-cut spray of flowers. On the back, Miss Boy strung waterproof Christmas lights. By day, it looks like a cool handcut sculpture on white metal. By night, it (and the room) is transformed into a fairyland.

Anthropologie-ing about

I wrote about the very glamourous Anna Sui store furnishings (actually would fit right into a Kelly Wearstler home or even the Brocade Home catalogue. Eye-candying the Anthropologie website again I found the Cora Mirror, which suits the whole Anna Sui look to a tee!


I also love the yellow or orange wild cabbage dinnerware :) Very lush looking.


The kaiku shower curtain by renown fabric designer Marimekko is so fresh and green and yum! Actually FEEL fresh looking at it!


I would grab the songbird chandelier in a dash if I had the cash! Absolutely quirky, and gorgeous. Dunno about dusting though!


Actually the prices aren't bad for US dollars. Pity I live in Aussie dollars!