PROJECT OF THE WEEK

for the boys

One thing about making Christmas presents is that we always get a bit stuck as to what to give the men in our lives. A screen printed shopping tote or a crocheted pot holder is just not going to cut it - no matter how metrosexual they are! I picked up some plain notebooks for $4 with a plan to do some print on them, something simple and graphic that wouldn't embarrass someone if they pulled it out on the tram or at a cafe and would only take me an hour or so to do.

Of course I ended up doing quite elaborate and individual little paintings on the back instead that took me three episodes of The West Wing. The two above are for a friend who loves dogs...

The two weird alien ones are for a friend who loves graphic novels, star wars and sci fi and is an accomplished artist (so I'm a bit nervous about them!)...

The black one is for my cousin who is a completely nocturnal creature.Now to wrap and tag and move onto the next projects. The great thing about hand making gifts, no matter how small they are, you can't help but think of the recipients as your making them, and I hope that is imbued in the objects too.

RAMONA

OUT AND ABOUT

While Beck is packing for her fab trip to the land of the rising sun I'll be on The Grapevine this morning at 10am talking up the graduate shows worth seeing, Pip Lincolne's new book, our foray into the Craft Hatch market and my continuing psychosis when it comes to Christmas. Listen up! RAMONA

WEB FINDS OF THE WEEK

a tale of two cities

Brilliant graphic comparisons of two of our favourite cities - Paris and New York by graphic designer Vahram Muratyan.. A visual but friendly match between those two cities seen by a lover of Paris wandering through New York's infinite details, clichés and contradictions from macarons to auters... Bon Apetit!
 

French Artist Emilie Faif specialises in soft sculptures (amongst other things) which are rather amazing. Regular readers will know that this genre when done well is a particular favourite of yours truly. Amazingly this  reversible rendering of the New York and Paris city scapes turned up in my inbox on the same day as the Paris vs New York graphic blog. Synergy non?

BECK

PROJECT OF THE WEEK

London Bound

Both Beck and I have friends and family living overseas and we've learnt from experience that is best to get their handmade Christmas presents done first for obvious reasons. The vagaries of international post and also our energy levels as the big season draws near means that on occasion parcels just don't make it in time. And really that is poor form.

One of the real pleasures of having northern hemisphere people is that we can indulge our love of wintery Christmas craft. This year I am knitting a family of 4 a scarf each using the same wool with a variation added for each one so its not too matchy matchy - a stripe here, some double knitting with a different colour there). One of them is still very small so I might make Wolfgang (age 4 months) a bonnet instead. Dad's is only half finished so you just get a pic of the pattern (Imagine it in blue).

I'm spending a lot of time this week going through my craft books freshening up my ideas. Nothing makes me happier than creating pile of craft books around the house! 

PS the handmade badges are from Lark. RAMONA

SHOW OF (Last) WEEK

from little things big things grow

As promised I braved the appalling weather on Saturday to check out the 1 and 2nd year gold and silver smithing students show at RMIT. The show is on until Saturday so I thought I'd mention a couple of the highlights. I've been noticing  a lot of organic elements introduced into all sorts of design and craft things lately - furniture, interior design, fine art,  ceramics. Something green is always a clever way to introduce both warmth and freshness to a space or object. I loved this neck piece titled Breathe by Sarah Wallace. The fragrant thyme was beautiful.

I also really loved Rachel Fare's Watering Can for a Bonsai The way the copper and gold plated vessel related to the little plant was poetic without being twee.

Those of you following my Halloween saga will perhaps be pleased to know that I didn't spend two days carving a pumpkin, choosing to nap instead followed by a quick glittering. I did get 9 trick or treaters - Minnie Mouse, A Fairy, Darth Vader, three witches, a skeleton, Death and someone dressed as Green's party uber-dude Adam Bandt. Quite a good turn out! RAMONA