Inspiration: Iris Bodemer

You may have noticed that I have a thing for brooches aaaaand a thing for mixed media...? Well, no surprises that the jewellery of Iris Bodemer has me doing a jig and bookmarking like crazy :) Her pieces are compositions of the most magical kind – graphic, humourous and audacious. I love her combinations of drawing and jewellery, sometimes balancing but at others fighting, all achieving the same distinct effect of different ways of seeing. What I mean is, she makes me see jewellery differently; her work makes me think about collage in new ways too. So inspirational!

Her work can be found here or here. Someone has a Flickr set of some pieces here. And I originally found her via the lovely 2 or 3 things here.

My Creative Space

For my Creative Space post this week I have to confess that, yes, I'm still working on my collage! I realised that the page needed more of a focus and, totally inspired by the amazing thread work of Naomi Ryder, I decided to have a go at hand stitching a figure. I'm actually really pleased with how this turned out – there's a shockingly bad set of photos below showing stitch progress (Actually, it's also rather a cute record of the cloud cover that blocked and let through the light onto my desk!) Anyway, I'm still working on it – I'm hand stitching some text now to go in the upper right hand corner to balance the page... I've included a little bit there so you can have a peek. :)

For more Creative Spaces or to join in yourself, pop over to Kirsty's.

Inspiration: At Swim Two Birds

I am in love! I've found a new favourite blog – At Swim Two Birds – and it is a delicious one. I've just spent ages going through all the amazing tapestries, needlework and inspiration posts of this very talented person and I feel so... I don't know if there is a word for how I feel. It's like when you're totally bowled over by something truly beautiful before you. Perhaps I should just say I'm speechless! ;) Enjoy!

Found via another gorgeous blog, All the Mountains.

Inspiration: Emilie Faif

I'm always excited when I come across an artist who works with fabric. Emilie Faif is a visual designer (I'm not quite sure what that is exactly, but from the look of her portfolio I think I want to be one!) Her latest installation project is for the designer Isabel Marant in Paris, suspending floral fabrics and juxtaposing the light and heavy to create a thought provoking piece on the conflict between dreams and reality... (which is kind of the way I feel too when looking at all those incredible, and for me inaccessible, fashion creations in Paris!) Enjoy!

I've been tagged!

It's really simple. I love how every photo tells a story. Some short stories, some long tales. I want to know what is your favourite photo of yourself. Everyone has one. The photo they look at and smile. It reminds them of something, some time, some place. A moment in time.

So share the photo, share the story and then tag three other people. I want to see photos and stories all around the blogosphere.

fatmumslim

I've been tagged by the lovely Jacqui at Mee a Bee! This is my first ever tag so I've been as much apprehensive as I've been excited... which photo to choose? Then I saw this one as I walked past the bookshelf and smiled as I always do, so yes, here it is. 

This is a very special photo for me. It brings back all my happiness from the years we lived in South Hampstead in London. I had both of my gorgeous girls over there. We had a lovely flat on a 3-acre communal garden and the loveliest neighbours. All the local shop keepers knew us by name and would rush out with chocolates for the girls as we walked past. I was working at the National Art Library at the V&A, and then later at the Camden Arts Centre, a brisk walk further up the Finchley Road. Life was soooooooooo good. I still miss London... A LOT... gee, can you tell? Of course, it wasn't all beer and skittles (is that the expression?!!!) but I like remembering the good times :)

Okay, I think I should stop here and nominate my 3 tags.... Michelle at Blue Moss, Sharon at Handmaiden, and MissyP at So Sew Poppy..... you're it! 

Looking forward to seeing your favourite photos and hearing some lovely stories :)

Sunday Stash: Vintage Staffies

Another Sunday, another stash! This play-along is making me realise just how much of a collector I am! Nothing on a grand scale, of course – like this little stash that I dearly love... my collection of 1960s Staffordshire Potteries coffee cups. These were a wedding present to my parents in the early 1960s. When my mum moved from our old family home she decided to downscale on her crockery and asked if there was anything I wanted... Can you imagine such a gift? There wasn't really much that I didn't want! So, there you have it - my Sunday Stash with just a touch of provenance! :)

See more Sunday Stashes, or join in the fun here.

Thread work

I find the thread work of Naomi Ryder incredibly inspirational. She's an extraordinary textile artist and illustrator who creates stitch drawings that reference the everyday. You can view her amazing portfolio here. I found her via here.

My Creative Space

Thanks so much for all your lovely comments last week about my banksia stencil! 

Nothing really new this week for MCS – I've just been playing with the prints and screenprinting I did last week. With the print, I wanted to create a mixed media piece but this is still work in progress because well... it's bloody hard! Ooops, no don't report my blog please! :) Just getting the balance and selection right has been so challenging. Anyway, when I couldn't look at the paper any longer I was embroidering and beading a new brooch. This one has a base screenprint from the same banksia stencil from last week that really didn't work. So I decided to spruce it up a bit with some colour and texture. I like it - a bit gothic, isn't it?! Oh, and I put a heart in there for you, Kirsty!

To see more Creative Spaces, or to join yourself, visit Kirsty's here.

P.S. (I've got a Paying it Forward going on - see just below this post. Feel like playing?)

Paying it Forward!

here's some fun

but it takes more than one

you need to participate

so that the fun generates

i make something for you

then you get to make too

it's a way to say thanks

without breaking any... banks?

Okay, I know! It's an appallingly shocking rhyme! But this is good fun – a Pay it Forward! Have you seen these before? I've only just discovered them, and, in my great excitement, managed to sign up for TWO of them... leaping before I look again, yes. The two I've signed up for are at Crafty Rie's and Kiss the Birdie.

The details are below, as per usual, with one small exception... Seeing as I've rashly signed up for more than one I'm going to change the rules a little. I'm going to make something for Rie and Cindy in addition to my 5 or less who sign up below... Does that sound fair?

SO HERE'S THE DEAL:

I am entering into the following contract with the first 5 people who comment on this post and then commit to do the same on their blog. Just read below and if you feel up to the task copy the following into your blog and leave me a comment. I am willing to post overseas (I am in Australia, but remember you must commit on your blog to do the same to others).

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. Whatcha get is whatcha get.

2. What I create will be just for you, with love.

3. It’ll be done this year (2009).

4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not something cyber. It may be weird or beautiful. Or it may be monstrous and annoying. (unlikely!) Who knows? Not you, that’s for sure!

5. I reserve the right to do something strange.

6. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post.

7. Send your mailing address - after I contact you.

Welcome to everyone. I will however, make an effort to do something that you like based on what I see on your blog, BUT there are no guarantees.

So that's that!! Leave a comment and you'll be part of it!

Come on.... you know you want to....!

Inspiration: Mrs Eliot's Books

Here's an inspiring find – Mrs Eliot Books. Aren't they gorgeous? The retro prints, the vibrant colours and witty text on hinged wooden pieces are just my cup of tea! (Love the ceramics in the photos too!) She also does incredible cards and prints which I'm also featuring on Scissors + Paper Rock. Oh, and her fab blog can be found here.

The plot thickens...

just how do they work anyway?!!

If you read about my woes from yesterday when I tried to install a new comments system and ended up with no comments facility at all and losing my page settings, I have a bizarre addition to the story.... I just found it! It's fully installed and working a treat over on my other blog, Scissors + Paper Rock! It's all very strange - as you know, it's pretty clear when you're in your dashboard which blog you have selected and I'm sure I was working on 3 sheets, but... there you have it. Strange, hey?

Anyway, if you feel like indulging me, please pop over to Scissors + Paper Rock and leave a comment. If you can let me know how easy it is to use, what you think of it etc, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks :)

Smart Holiday

It's a public holiday and we're all a bit sniffly and unwell, so it's a TV day for us today! I love how, as the girls have got older, their TV viewing taste is so much closer to ours and we can enjoy the same shows. We have a big thing here for 1960s shows Gilligan's Island, the original Batman series, Green Acres, Bewitched and our absolute favourite... Get Smart! I absolutely love 99 - remember all those fabulous outfits she wore? 

So off we go... the DVDs are out and we're about to have a bit of a Smart marathon.... would you believe??

More tedious admin I'm afraid... just checking to see if I've fixed the comments enabler...

What Have I Done...!?

Sorry guys... this blog is going to be a bit all over the place for a bit. I just tried to install a new comments thingy and... well, I have no idea what I did but I seem to have ended up with no new comments thingy AND lost all my settings... Life keeps giving me lessons on looking before I leap, but do you think I ever listen...?!  ;)  So, I'm slowly going through putting things back on my page again... doing penance for my leaping! Sorry if it's all over the place. Let me know if I've forgotten anything? (other than my brain, of course!)  :) K