Top Favourites This Christmas!

Find the complete step-by-step guide to Martha Steward's pretty snowflakes here.






Step 1: Fold paper in half diagonally to make a triangle.
Step 2: Fold triangle in half so pointy corners meet.
Step 3: Fold triangle in thirds. Adjust till sides match.
Step 4: Cut across the bottom of paper as shown.

Cutting Snowflakes: Cut the folded paper so it looks like the triangle. Unfold gently. Vary and explore!

[images and text extracted from Martha Steward.]

Discovered from Geninne's Art Blog.

Pamela Dale

French Pheasant, 2003
177 x 144cm, Oil on Canvas


White Tiger in the Magic Garden, 2003
200 x 180cm, Oil on Canvas

We are so inspired by the gorgeous paintings of Pamela Dale.

A Walk in the Wardrobe

[image from poireton]

A Walk in the Wardrobe is a suggestive exhibit recently organized by a group of 7 fashion curators from the MA in Fashion Curation at the London College of Fashion. As a collective, they operate under the name Glass-case, and are currently exploring aspects of fashion curation. Glass-case is committed to developing new ideas in the presentation and interpretation of the dress. They aim to push boundaries and challenge the traditional museum approach to curation. The exhibition was held for a week at the Ada Street gallery.

Glass-case went beyond just visual to explore the intimate relationship between fashion and memory. A Walk in the Wardrobe was set out to trigger lost and forgotten memories through the sense of sound and smell. The soundscape of muffled noises sounding like people walking and rummaging through closets; was paired with bygone scents of moth and lilac, quite reminiscent of grandmother’s wardrobe.




[images from poireton]

The exhibit was held in two rooms. The first room showcased a more masculine wardrobe, where the walls were lined in black top hats. The other was dedicated to a more feminine feel, featuring white dresses from assorted eras, hung from the ceiling through a system of fishing wires. The whiteness of the dresses, evoked an eerie and ghostly quality.

[text extracted from Fashion projects and Glass-case.]

For more information, visit Fashion projects; Glass-case; and poireton.

Rachael Whiteread

Rachel Whiteread was born in London in 1963. At the Turbine Hall in London's Tate Modern, she created a gigantic labyrinth-like structure, entitled Embankment, made from 14,000 casts of the inside of different boxes, stacked to occupy this monumental space. The form of a cardboard box has been chosen because of its associations with the storage of intimate personal items and to invoke the sense of mystery surrounding ideas of what a sealed box might contain. Walk through the Embankment in the video below.



The Unilever Series: Rachel Whiteread
EMBANKMENT
Tate Modern, Turbine Hall
11 October 2005 – 1 May 2006

As one of Britain's leading contemporary sculptors, Rachael has undertaken several public commissions, probably best known for Ghost, a large plaster cast of the inside of a room in a Victorian house. She was awarded the Turner Prize in 1993 for House. A progression from Ghost, House was a concrete cast of the inside of an entire Victorian terraced house completed in autumn 1993.

[text extracted from Tate Modern]

For more information, visit Tate Modern.

Eugenia Pardue

Zsa Zsa, 2006
36" x 36", Acrylic on panel

Eugenia Pardue's paintings are an exploration of how paint responds to new demands. She uses paint as a sculptural medium. By limiting her palette to white, the artist focuses on breaking the plane. She imbues the surface with a Baroque orchestration of forms and projects three-dimensional elements out of the flat plane of painting.


Secret of the Castle, 2007
36" x 36", Acrylic on panel


Kashmir,2007
48" x 48", Acrylic on panel

[images and text extracted from Eugenia Pardue.]

For more information, visit Eugenia Pardue.

Toast

more sightings of soothing colours from toast's Autumn 2007 Catalogue.

Harlequin

Extracted from Harlequin, these images show how uber cool blues and browns can be.


The Verve collection , featues retro geometrics and graphic embroideries. Love the Curtains, Quad 2471 and Wallcovering, Contour 60645.


The Virtue an über-cool wallpaper collection, which has been created to compliment the Verve weaves .

Your Home and Garden

While searching for doilies, I came across this great lacy stenciled lamp shade from Your Home and Garden.

Lacy Stencil Shade
Materials:
Plastic doily fabric – enough to go around the lampshade
12mm double-sided tape
Scissors
Enamel spray paint
An old lampstand



1 Cut the doily fabric to fit the shade by rolling it around and allowing a small vertical overlap. Cut away any parts of the doily that you wish to remove. It works better if the pattern is not too intricate.
2 Cut a length of tape the height of the lampshade in half vertically and stick one piece down the seam of the lampshade. Press one end of the fabric vertically along the tape. Place the second piece of doublesided tape directly over the first and roll the fabric evenly and firmly around the shade till the overlap, then stick down and cut away any excess fabric.
3 Place the shade on the old lampstand so you can swivel the shade as you go. Spray evenly onto the shade, in horizontal movements to ensure even coverage until you have completely covered the shade. Leave to dry, then carefully remove the fabric and tape.
4. Voila!

[images and text extracted from Your Home and Garden.]

For more information, visit Your Home and Garden.

Toast

love the blues and browns of toast's autumn catalogue.

How Stuff Works

I am still researching for pretty ideas to enhance our reception on Boxing day. I found this brilliant technique from How Stuff Works. Sifting cocoa and sugar onto doily patterns is such a brilliant idea!

Sifted Cocoa and Sugar Patterns
materials:
waxed paper
doily with large pattern
large spoon
fine-mesh sieve
skewer or toothpick
unsweetened cocoa powder or powdered sugar



1. Cut waxed paper into strips, each 2 to 3 inches wide. Tuck strips under cake to keep plate clean.
2. Position doily on top of cake. Carefully position the doily in the center of the cake.
3. Spoon cocoa powder or powdered sugar into sieve. Hold the sieve over a sheet of waxed paper for easier cleanup.
4. Holding sieve over cake, gently tap sieve with hand to sift cocoa powder or sugar in an even layer over entire surface. Move sieve over cake slowly and smoothly for an even effect.
5. Carefully remove waxed paper strips. Remove doily with skewer or toothpick. Work carefully so you don't disturb the pattern.Work carefully so you donnot disturb the pattern.

TIP: Cocoa powder works well for light-colored desserts; powdered sugar is best for dark-colored desserts.

[images and text from How Stuff Works.]

For more great ideas, visit How Stuff Works.

Harlequin

Extracted from Harlequin, the Romanie collection is a free-spirited, decorative collection of eclectic prints, bohemian embroideries, exotic weaves and versatile wallpapers, which has been inspired by the patterns and rich colours of gypsy folklore. I love the blue&red Wallcovering, Sirena 75861.

Singapore Design Festival - Icon Wall

Singapore runs its second Design Festival. In conjunction, there is a very fun Icon Wall to post designs on! anyone can join - you just need to sign in, download the template, design away and post with a short description!

I have posted 2 icons till date.


Forest
Forest is the icon for carefree zones. You can find the forest icon in the quiet pockets found hidden in the concrete urbanscape. Forest consists of 3 tress with a bird perched in the middle. The forest icon urges you to slow down and listen to the sounds of silence and smell the rain, as you bustle about in the city.


Merriment
Merriment is the icon for merrymaking nodes in the city. you can find the merriment icon at enchanted hangouts in the concrete urbanscape. Merriment consists of a stag with a bird, birdcage and chandelier perched on its antlers. The merriment icon urges you to relax and listen to the sounds of joy and taste of happiness, as you bustle about in the city.

There is a contest which ended on 8 Dec 2007, 2359 hours, but we can still upload for the kicks : )

Little Otsu, Lart Cognac Berliner, and Jill Bliss

Lart Cognac Directory
Published by Little Otsu, Lart Cognac Berliner, and Jill Bliss. Illustrations by Lart and designed by Jill. Printed with soy-based ink on tree-free kenaf and recycled papers at printshop in Portland, OR. Five color-coded lettered sections (A-E, F-J, K-O, P-T, and U-Z) with entries for name, address, phone, mobile, e-mail, and birthday.

Dimension: 4" x 5"(lying flat), 36 pages
[illustrated by Lart Cognac, available from Cut + Paste]

ThreeAsFour

From ThreeAsFour Lookbook: Human Plant
[images from ThreeAsFour]

ThreeAsFour is the international design collective previously causing a stir as AsFour. The original quartet consisted of Gabi, originally from Lebanon; the Adi, from Israel; Ange, from Tajikistan and their German colleague Kai.



From ThreeAsFour Lookbook: Kindergardens and Inferno
[images from ThreeAsFour]

Their fashion extravaganzas are often described as elegant, innovative, timeless, strange and curvilinear. The collective made a big impression on New York's underground fashion scene in 1999 with ‘Puppencouture', a performance installation peopled by 44 miniature puppets that were modelled on AsFour's members. It was an interactive happening, in which the public had to prevent the dolls from falling. ‘It was a nightmare,' Ange remembers. All the same, they followed it with more multimedia shows that agreeably push the boundaries between fashion and art. In 2002 they won the American Ecco Domani Award for new designers.

Their highly original designs have attracted clients such as Björk, who they dressed as a mermaid, as well as Mariah Carey. Their most famous design is the ‘circle bag', a concept that started as a joke: a circle with a hole in the middle. Helmut Lang thought it was wonderful. Since ThreeAsFour has been operating as a trio their output has become less conceptual: ‘We're over that now.'

Their commercial work includes designing clothing, accessories and rugs for the American label Kate Spade.

[text extracted from the 2007 Arnhem Fashion Biennale]

For more information, visit ThreeAsFour.

Donna Hay Wine Spritzers

I am organising a reception on Boxing Day! The colour theme is white and green with black accents.

As we are experencing monsoon season here in Singapore, the weather is erratic - sunny one moment, torrential rains the next. I am looking for a drink that is cooling for the tropics, yet lightly alcoholic to remind us to have fun! I thought a lemonade with green lime slices would be great colour for our outdoor party. I found a perfect recipe on Donna Hay that is even better! A wine spritzer! why did I not think of it earlier.

Wine Spritzers from Donna Hay
Photo by Chris Court

citrus spritzer
Place ¹⁄³ cup lime cordial, 2 cups white wine, 2 cups mineral water in a jug and stir to combine. Divide crushed ice and thin slices of lemon and lime between 4 glasses and pour over lime mixture. Serves 4.

I look forward to serving this and will follow up with images! Here are other great recommendations from Donna Hay:

cranberry white wine spritzer
Place 2 cups white wine, 1 cup cranberry juice and 1 cup soda water in a jug and stir to combine. Divide crushed ice between 4 glasses and pour over the cranberry mixture. Put a few cranberries on a toothpick and serve with the spritzer. Serves 4.
blood orange spritzer
Place 2 cups white wine, 1 cup mineral water, 1 cup blood orange juice and ¹⁄³ cup orange liqueur in a jug and stir to combine. Divide crushed ice and thin slices of orange between 4 glasses and pour over blood orange mixture. Serves 4.
rosé and strawberry spritzer
Place 2 cups rosé, 2 cups lemonade and ¹⁄³ cup of campari in a jug and stir to combine. Divide crushed ice and strawberry quarters between 4 glasses and pour over rose mixture. Serves 4.
mango and lychee spritzer
Place 2 cups white wine, 1 cup soda water, 1 cup mango nectar and 1 cup lychee juice in a jug and stir to combine. Divide crushed ice between 4 glasses and pour over mango mixture. Serves 4.

[image and text from Donna Hay]

Harlequin

Extracted from Harlequin, the Romanie collection is a free-spirited, decorative collection of eclectic prints, bohemian embroideries, exotic weaves and versatile wallpapers, which has been inspired by the patterns and rich colours of gypsy folklore. The Cushions
Romanie Plains 1760, 1779 is just what the magpies would pick up.

Chris Kenny

Observatory, 2007
Constructed with map pieces.

Dimension: 16" x 16" x 3"
[artwork by Chris Kenny, available from England & Co]


Map Circle (16 Typhoons), 2007
Collage construction with maps.Currently on display in the (C)artography: Map-making as Artform exhibition at the Crawford Gallery, Cork

Dimension: 24" x 24" x 3"
[artwork by Chris Kenny, available from England & Co]

Yellena

Garden Print
Art print from Yellena. A digital print of an original drawing done with pens, inks and markers. The print measures 8.5" x 11" with white border for framing. The image size is 6"x7.5". It is printed on Museo II Archival High Quality Inkjet art paper made by Crane & Co.




Dimension: 8.5" x 11"(image size 6" x 7.5")
[illustrated by Yellena, available from Cut + Paste]

Julian and Sophie

Julian Roberts is a London fashion designer, film maker, graphic/web designer, and Professor of Fashion at the University of Hertfordshire. He has created 13 collections under his labels, nothing nothing, Julian And, JULIAN AND SOPHIE and Parc deS EXpositions.

Sophie Cheung graduated from Printed & Knitted Textiles from the Glasgow School of Art in 2000, and obtained a Masters Degree in Mixed Media Textiles at the Royal College of Art in London, in 2002.



JULIAN AND SOPHIE - autumn / winter 2003
Pyjama Combat; No: J&S12
[image from Blow PR]



JULIAN AND SOPHIE - autumn / winter 2003
A limited range of "Pyjama Cases"
[image from Blow PR]

Julian is the inventor of a new style of garment construction called ‘Subtraction Cutting’, a free-hand method he has demonstrated at the Royal College of Art, Central Saint Martins, Glasgow School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University, Kent Institute, Bath Spa University College & the University of Hertfordshire.

The Royal College of Art invited Julian and Sophie to teach their pattern-cutting method to nine MA textiles students over a three-day period. They used to publish a beautifully illustrated guide to three techniques on their online Pattern Cutting School in full and free for all. Not anymore the last time we checked. Oh what a shame.


This is the work of Emily Parsons from the RCA class project.
[image from Blow PR]

Julian also helps support 25 of the newest cutting-edge designers represented by Blow PR/ The Off-Schedule Guide, to which he donates show production advice, designs websites, show videos and graphics.

[text extracted from Blow PR]

For more information, visit Julian and Sophie.

Rubber stamping step-by-step!

There is a beautifully illustrated and photographed step-by-step rubber stamp carving tutorial by fellow blogger and talented freelance illustrator and designer, Geninne Zlatkis.

Please find Geninne's gorgeous prints on etsy here!

Stamping fun!

Inspired by Keiko Kuma's book, I carved 2 stamps on soft eraser, using wood carving knives. The tree and a bird motifs were straight forward and very easy to draw as well as to chip off! You should try it!
Here is the fun process of stamping to create original prints!















The finished print on Fabriano paper with Dye ink in Brown.