the joy of papercuts and mugs

I LOVE these mugs a lot...spotted on bloesem's blog. Of course they don't ship to Oz. Typical. This is a papercut by spectacular papel picado artist Margarita Fick, found at www.mexicoetc.com/fickhtml , and I was inspired to post it after seeing the post on papercuts on heather's blog skinnylaminx.

It seems I am not the only one currently fascinated by chopping up bits of paper, but some people are really, really good at it!

new designs

I don't usually put my commercial swimwear designs up here, but these two I feel quite pleased with and think they deserve a bit more respect...cute deco/60's bikinis coming up hopefully! (They'll be winging their way to you this week Lewis, promise!)

But I do need to get off the computer and back to some hand painting/printing/whatever. The convenience of the computer can be a little too seductive though- especially when you can just click "invert colours" and poof!- you have a colourway, sure beats hand painting! Don't tell anyone.

Angie Lewin

These are cards and prints by artist Angie Lewin for Art Angels, who I found out about via both Print and Pattern and accidentally discovering one of her cards at the Brunswick St Bookshop. I absolutely love her work. She's what I want to be when I grow up.

ask him- he knows

Found this card on Poppy's blog the other day from Yee Haw Press, and just love it. He is a wise old owl- and very dashing too. Plus, he knows................ How wonderful.

I wonder just how one becomes a "Mentalist Supreme" ? I suspect I'd quite like it.

I've been working on some new design ideas for plates and bowls etc. and am feeling a little negative about the chances of anyone actually choosing to produce the ones I like best. They always seem to go for the so-so or even 'oh-no'ones instead. Still you've got to put them out there for them to be even given a chance at being picked, I guess.

Hopefully I'll be able to make them myself one day once I begin my pottery course in June...yay!

sun shower

I love it when it's raining and the sun is shining at the same time.....

Poiret exhibition

I'd give a body part ( perhaps not a truly essential one, like maybe a wisdom tooth) to see this Poiret exhibition at The Metroplitan Museum of Art in New York. I've always loved these Georges Barbier illustrations and would love to see some of these outrageously sumptuous garments in the flesh- not to mention some Barbier illustrations!

I've just finished re-reading The House of Eliot by Jean Marsh too, so I'm dreaming of beautiful clothes made with silks and velvets and glass beads and hats and gloves and proper sewing that won't fall apart after one wear. Sigh.

browsing

It's cool, rainy and thundery here today and I've spent a lovely morning browsing through some of my favourite blogs, and just clicking on links as I go. I could call it "research" or I could call it idling...both would be true.

I found this image via the Idler website and their myspace blog and it really appealed to me. I found a copy of their magazine/book in the library the other day and it made me smile.

I love that there are other people out there who feel as disinterested and unimpressed by the "Protestant Work Ethic" as I do...only invented in the 18th century to feed greed.

We all love to work, but on our own self-motivated creative work that is meaningful to us. Time is our only true wealth, so it would be nice to be freely able to decide how we spend it. Unbelievably some people don't actually want heaps of money above and beyond anything else...wasn't freeing us from tedious labour what all our technology was supposed to be for?

According to Brian Dean in "The Idler" Issue 35, p.41 " In 1965, a U.S. Senate subcommitttee predicted a 22 hour work week by 1985, 14 hours by 2000."

Hmmm....something went wrong there...what year is it again?

autumn dusk

Here is a photograph I am particularly pleased with, and my expatriate friends and family (yes you Lisa, Anna and Kerry-Ann) who may be missing some iconic Australiana may enjoy it as well.....it is "The Hill's Hoist", and ours is an ancient one too.

There is something quiet, deeply mysterious and enthralling to me about the light at dusk, not sunset which can be spectacular but flashy and a bit overwhelming, but the light just after sunset when it is practically dark....I love that.

flow

I did this last night and it was just one of those things that really happened by itself...

It is a nice organic looking thing...could be leaves, could be water...could be tear drops.

Just checked out terramia's blog .... wow-full of inspiration!

tao te ching

This collage was inspired by the Tao Te Ching;

In dwelling, live close to the ground.

In thinking, keep to the simple.

In conflict be fair and generous.

In governing, don't try to control.

In work, do what you enjoy.

In family life, be completely present.

Aqua and Pink Autumn

I did this before I went away and didn't like it, but now I really do like it... weird.

Mexican Metro

Thanks to my exceedingly clever sister who sent me a link http://www.metro.df.gob.mx/ I have been able to find some symbols from the Mexico City metro. Thanks Lisa!

See what I mean about natty design?

Spectacular Frida bag

I bought this in the markets in Oaxaca and although it 's meant to be just a shopping bag (like we use our pretty ugly green supermarket bags) I think it's very, very beautiful and I love it. Lots of shops advertise what they sell on the side of them with little drawings because a lot of people can't read, so this shows them what is for sale. The metro system (super efficient! and cheap as chips AND clean) in Mexico city is equally as sensible, with every station having a symbol as well as a name. I wish I could have bought something with all the symbols on them too- they were really well designed.

Form and function! Yay.

getting back into the groove...slowly

Here's some more lovely Mexican stuff:

I've found myself bubbling with creative ideas since I've been back but also- rather bizarrely for me, I've been very gung-ho with the domestic duties, and this has definitely delayed the creating.

Must have something to do with having been away from the domicile for so long- or maybe the absolute terror of being homeless that grips me sometimes when I read YET ANOTHER report on the massive shortage of rental housing we have in this country. It makes me feel like casting a cloak of invisibility over our house and hiding us away from people who like to "invest".

Anyhoo, on a more upbeat note, it's been raining and we've had lovely downfalls just at the right time. I feel very smug about getting my broccoli, broad beans,cabbages and garlic in just before the rain, they sure look perky now.

It's nice when people email me to say they've looked at my blog, but you know you can just leave a comment on here too! I'll take both!

I've half started several projects, and that pile of wool is sooo inviting, so I will post some more creations soon. (Check out feffakookan to see Mel's divine ceramics- she's intimidatingly good with a decal)