The Other Side

I've just discovered that a most amazing installation occurred in Paris just after 
we'd left. The Place Vendome played host to a ring of 4-metre high mirrored 
cubes bouncing light and reflecting scenes. The installation was created by 
Arnaud Lapierre for FIAC 2011.





Don't you think it has that funny surreal feeling to it that you get when travelling?
Maybe there's a bit of jet-lag in the mix but also that heady feeling of seeing new 
things and they all fracture and jumble in your mind as you try to take it all in and 
make sense of your new surroundings?





I love it :) Wish I could have seen it. Better than drugs I'd say ;)








Apparently, it's currently to be found at the Paul Ricard circuit in Castellet and
from there it'll be 'doing the rounds' to several art fairs around Europe. Hope you 
get to see it if you live over there... I'd love it if you could share some pics :)


via  

Our Creative Spaces: Sausage and greens

I've been making up some more crochet panels into cushions.



I think this one looks like a sausage dog :) He's in the shop.



And there are (finally) two finished green cushions – a custom order for a lovely friend.





What's in your creative space this week? See more here.

Remembering

It would be my friend Eileen's 85th birthday today. She passed away in 
September, just days before I was supposed to meet up with her in London.





We became friends 12 years ago now. She was 'the old lady' who lived in 
the basement of our Victorian redbrick in South Hampstead, London. (We 
lived in the top floor flat.)






When my eldest started nursery I found myself at a loss. For two years she'd 
been with me constantly and I no longer knew who I was without her by my 
side. I wandered into the cafe across the road and there was Eileen. 
We talked about books and social justice issues, philosophy and art... In 
many ways she brought me back to myself.


Over the last 10 years or so we've met up every year when I've travelled over 
there for the trade fair. And throughout those years we have exchanged 
countless letters. Eileen hated computers and loved the written word. She would
send a fabulous array of clippings on subjects she knew I was interested in and
we'd have these amazing debates over issues via letter. 
She was a prolific writer of novels too. Every couple of months there'd be a
bulging A4 brown envelope in my letterbox with the latest installment from
her oeuvre. 


I still can't believe she's gone... and I miss her. It sets me to thinking about the 
special people who come into our lives... Older people who have so much to 
share with those willing to listen. I was fortunate enough to have four people like 
that in my life, and now they are all gone. 


Sorry, I'm getting a bit soppy here, aren't I? I could ramble on for ages but I guess 
I'll leave it there...


Do you have someone special like this in your life? 
Feel free to remember them in the comments :)

A Fortunate Event

My little one and I have just watched a DVD we haven't seen for ages. 
It's a real treat...





A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickets. I loved these books 
and I really love this movie... have you seen it? 








The actors are fabulous (Jim Carey, Meryl Streep, Billy Connolly etc) but the 
children really do steal the show for me, particularly Emily Browning's 'Violet'.
Best of all, though, are the costumes...





If you haven't seen this movie, I totally recommend it. Here's a taster...



Perfect for a slow sick-on-the-sofa kind of day :)

Our Creative Spaces: bubble and squeak week

I'm playing along with Our Creative Spaces this week - find more spaces here.





Actually, I've been quite sick with the flu this week, but I do have some bits and 
bobs to show you... I over-printed the fabric failure, with mixed results again.
Thinking I should leave it till I'm feeling well again ;)





There's been some experimenting with making the long narrow shape cushion 
with the crochet triangles....





I've also been toying with a new pixelated cushion in luscious dark shades....





Hope you've had a healthy and creative week? :)

Fabric Fail

I let myself be distracted by some screen printing over the weekend.



I decided to make my Atomic design less labour-intensive (I always block 
printed it before) and had a screen burned. 





I've been itching to try it out for ages. Unfortunately, I rushed the job.



Note to self: a bit of patience is worth it in the end ;) 


I'm now thinking a bit of over-embroidery upcycling might save the day :)

500 Posts Winner

Thanks so much to everyone who entered my giveaway of the new-to-me crochet 
technique cushion and yarn-bombing diary.


I haven't been able to get the random generator widget to show the winning number,
so apologies for lack of verification... you'll just have to trust me that lady luck chose...
lucky number 27! 





Congratulations to Belinda from Gretchenmist :) I'll be emailing you soon.

The gorgeous paper garland in the background there is by 3 Girls and a Goat.
Hope you have a lovely weekend everyone :)

Inspiration: Mr Dries VN

I've been crocheting madly here but my mind has been drifting to thoughts 
of fabric. I'm itching to start screen printing again and have been dreaming 
of different fabric designs.





These took my breath away this morning... Dries Van Noten's Spring 2012 
collection. This man is the king of fabric design... his clothes are pretty good too ;) 
The pics below are my favourites. You can see the whole collection here.










I have finished going through my two-year's worth of mags... the dining table is 
now cleared... Time to start some screen printing I think :)
What do you have planned for the weekend?

Our Creative Spaces: Playing with New Technique

I've been doing lots of playing this week... experimenting with just what works 
(and doesn't) with the new-to-me crochet technique I posted on last week.



Play 1: Multiple colours and creating shapes and shading.
So, multiple colours (I had three going at once) was straight forward.
Creating shapes wasn't too bad (as long as you don't mind a fuzzy definition!) 
but shading didn't really work. 







Play 2: One colour small shapes.
This was very easy and much more effective. The shapes still don't have definition 
but instead look like paint dabs, which I rather like. I like the little speckly peeks of
colour you can see in the spaces in between too :)





Play 3: I did try text too but it was just terrible AND I forgot to take a photo before
madly unravelling it all... sorry ;)


Anyway, I feel like I understand the limitations of this technique a bit more.
I also added bits here and there so I can make something useful out of it...
I'm thinking it could make a cute pencil case if I fold up the halves and crochet a
couple of panels for the sides? 
Just an idea... you may see it in the shop one day ;)


Hope you've had a great week... Find more creative spaces here.





p.s. I have a 500 posts giveaway that will be drawn this Sunday 30th October.


p.p.s. There's also a Pay it Forward happening if you're keen?




UPDATE
I have crocheted sides and have an almost pencil case.
All it needs now is some lining and a zipper....

Every little thing...

I've been thinking of that Police song ever since I received some magical mail...
Contemplating my fabulous arrivals, I've realising that these three bloggers, 
well, I just love everything they do.


So, here's some pics – a visual feast – and if you feel like singing 'Every little thing 
they do is magic' I don't blame you one little bit.. :)

Seriously gorgeous fabric and prints from the very talented Ms Belinda at Gretchenmist - 
blog and shop.

The most stunning graphic prints from the fabulous Ms Francesca at Mrs Eliot Books 
- blog and shop.

And the fresh original prints of the lovely Ms Kerry at Seventy Tree - blog and shop.


Actually, these prints from Kerry are my gift from a Pay it Forward... aren't I lucky? :)
But you know what a Pay it Forward means... yep, my turn to pay. 


I'm going to put together five different gift parcels of something I've made... not sure yet
what that will be... it could be a brooch, or some screen printed fabric or some crochet,
I haven't decided. I send one of them to you and then you pay-it-forward to five people 
on your blog... simple?... My dad always used to say 'clear as mud' :)


So, if you would like to take part in the Pay it Forward and receive a gift from me,
leave a comment and your contact details below and the first five will be my PiFs :)


Leaving a comment does not mean you sign up for it! 
Don't feel bad if you can't (it is a busy time of year!) I'll only count you as in if you say 
"count me in", okay? ;)

The Switch

I've finally done it... I've opened an Etsy store! Feeling very happy here :)





Still trying to figure out how it all works and a tad frustrated too that it won't 
list my items under the 3 Sheets name... taken apparently ;(


Not so enthused to be listed as kylie67... any suggestions for a new 
name...?


Pop over and tell me all the things I should have done too - thank you! :)

Inspiration: Masha Rumyantseva

Collage is an enduring love for me and the work of Masha Rumyantseva is a 
particular favourite. It's so open and witty, but she also employs a deft hand at 
colour too that is always visually exciting.



Rumyantseva works as an illustrator for Russian magazines where she
mostly uses collage and ink drawings.











You can see more on Rumyantseva's Flickr Photostream. I found 
her work via another fine collage artist Esra Dandin.