taking notes..

 

We all know I am a list maker, and I have a deep affection for paper products!  I have stacks of books and journals some full, some not so full but I fell in love with these little notebooks and had to have them.  I have started making notes for our trip to Paris in one that I keep with me at all times.  Things I want to buy when I am there and places I want to stop.  I am trying so hard to create a new list of must sees while I am visiting and shopping this time.  Do you have any suggestions?   

I plan on taking this little book with me to sketch little things, gather cards in and to tuck mementos in between the pages so that on my next next visit I know what I want to do again or what to avoid (which is rarely the case).

 

 

If you would like help creating inspirational spaces for yourself contact us!

Hanging plants in Origami boxes & Terreriums

By Invitation only: Besotted Blog

 

I first discovered Besotted Blog a while back, I am pretty sure I followed one of her fabulous photos from Pinterest into her shop.  I am a sucker for paper goods, packaging, photography and fonts and it is always so fun to find another person who loves these things too!  I have a few stamps from her line and they are so fantastic (I just ordered the antlers and plan to use them on my holiday packages).  Tristan's blog is so fun, she takes the time to write witty posts with great photos and has completely convinced me to put a calligraphy starter kit on my Christmas list.  

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

 

 

images via besotted blog

 

Experimenting with Chenel Paper

Making flowers and whotnot for a possible job...

Neon Pink Dip-dyed Bunting from old book pages

Window Installation at the Fringe Arts

Thank you Chantal and Thessa for letting me put all this stuff in your window at The Fringe Arts on Kloof Street in Cape Town.

It's a long post with lots of photos and my thinking behind it is at the very end.

Detail shots of the base of the window.  I have used Spekboom in the book plant holders.  You can buy a tray of 6 for R20 at Lawtons currently and they are good for sucking up carbon.

and my new favourite thing - especially the horns made from tree branches

 Some nice members of the general public I met today

So what is this all about?

We throw away an inordinate amount of stuff.  It lands up on our rubbish dumps, in landfills, the oceans and maybe the recycling pile.  It bothers me a lot.  The lack of awareness and apathy of the general public bothers me even more.  Not just for waste but for day to day life as well and the stuff going on around us.  Maybe turning this ‘rubbish’ into something intriguing and beautiful will spark your interest.  And maybe the thoughts and quotes will make you giggle or strike a deeper chord with you.

And where do I get the ‘materials’ from?

The Books

I purchase them from the recycling pile at Oasis and CAFDA Charity shops.  These books were all destined to become paper pulp but now they have another little life.  The books I see being pulped break my heart but I can’t rescue them all.  My personal collection is already overflowing so unfortunately I have to let the majority go.

It seems we’ve been rolling books and magazines since the 60’s.  The oldest photo I found was of a pencil and pen holder in an old ‘Good Housekeeping’ magazine made from a magazine chopped in half with the pages rolled in. 

There is something incredibly satisfying about folding a book page in on itself and then moving onto the next one.  The repetitive action is the closest I get to meditation – similar I suppose to a walking meditation.  Maybe it's the movement that calms the mind.

The plastic bits of Flotsam

I am beach comber.  I love to wander our coastlines collecting all sorts of flotsam.  As a child I collected shells but the sad reality is that there are not many shells anymore.  So instead I have turned to flotsam.  I love the way the plastic has been worn and grinded down by the sea and bleached by the sun – I find these pieces heartbreakingly beautiful.  Each piece is completely unique and the worst part is that there seems to be a never ending supply of it.  

Kids party - making it a bit less wasteful

So it was my god-daughters birthday party on Saturday and her genius mother decided that she was not going OTT about it and instead they were having an eco theme. This meant no over the top buying of balloons, party packs, etc, etc.  Instead we made goodie bags, bunting and decor out of magazine pages. Quick, cheerful and the 8 year olds really didn't mind either way.

I am particularly chuffed with the goodie bags - Kathleen made these.  The bunting was my standard effort of ribbon and magazine pages cut into triangles.

  

Private commissions for those you love

It's all private commissions a go-go
Just finished off these two for a client as presents for those she loves.  I've only included certain elements for interest and left out the personal stuff like the photos, names and memento's.

My Rob Ryan Newspaper Arrived

And it is just so lovely
I even ironed it last night to try and get the folds out
You can buy your own one here on etsy

Recycled Books - Buck heads and hearts

Light

A special dinner party

I was involved with creating a number of interesting items for a dinner being held by Media24 and organised by Clarisse Coetzee.  The event was held at Babylonstoren in Franschhoek.  All the guests received a small gift which was either a paper flower rosette or a bow tie that I made from newspaper.  Additionally I also made 100 metres of bunting from newspaper and ribbon to string between the trees  - unfortunately the weather did play along so it went inside over the table which worked just as well.

The best element I thought where the old fashioned newspaper boy pop-up place cards - I used an old fashioned type writer font for the names. The rolled books also work incredibly well for holding the menus and table numbers.

Clarisse Coetzee was the organiser of this event and as per usual it all went brilliantly - thank you for involving me again Clarisse - it is always a pleasure to work with you on these creative evenings.  Clarisse's details for any event organising clarissecoetzee (at) gmail.com

Look at the magical shadows...

NEW: Freedom - Cry the Beloved Country

Folded from Alan Paton's 'Cry the Beloved Country'
Swallows cut from Cape Liner and coloured with lead pencil on one side

Windmill flowers for the Fringe Arts

Flowers that never die...
And they are made from paper that was going to be pulped...
So happy days all round

Tealight Cuff experimentation...

And it's flatpack people... flatpack... unlike all those CT in a box moments