More Craft

I got a bit excited about a dear friend's baby's first birthday the other weekend and set out on a bunting marathon. I think I might be a bit bunting obsessed at the moment, I'm finding myself putting it into ever job I'm working on (perhaps it will become my signature).
I also made little Noah a stuffed creature as his prezzy but had to give him away.
We missed him a bit so last night I made a new one. His name is Alfred the butler.

The last image is a quote from my fav animation Ren and Stimpy. It makes me smile when I wake up. I must say I have been inspired by the Castle quotes with this one. I am in love with all their stuff.

As a side note, I can't seem to figure out why blogger desaturates all my images...any ideas? I seem to really have to pump up the saturation and blacks before uploading and then it still doesn't come out very clear....hmmm.

The Crab Shack

The pelicans already sit on the roof. Image from The Sunday Collector

Image 1 is from Milk and Honey, of a NY Bar.
Image 2 is of 69 Colebrooke Row London
Image 3 I Love Tilly Devine Sydney
Image 4 The Book Club London

Image via Folke

I've just embarked on the most exciting project yet, we are opening a bar!
It s a crab shack style bar on a small wharf north of Sydney.
I'm having too much fun looking for references for the design......here are a few bits of inspiration.

Japan

Wrapping paper from Japanese $2 store Bondi Junction

Hello Sandwich gift wrapping zine donates money raised to Red Cross

I can't really comprehend what is happening in Japan.
I watch the news, hear people's stories on the radio and see these intense images online and I get overwhelmingly teary.
But then something happens in my day and I forget it all. The media is so god damn strange how it can effect you so strongly for a moment like that, but if it's not immediately effecting you or your family, the overwhelming feeling can vanish.
And whilst I can switch on and off from these feelings, there are so many people who can't escape, living in makeshift shelters in freezing conditions.

Ebony from Hello Sandwich has collated her Japanese cute knowledge into a wrapping paper zine. It's a really fun piece to look at and she is donating all the money raised to the Red Cross to help rebuild Japan so really worth the purchase.

She also has alot on her blog about other places to donate.

My heart goes out to you all in Japan.

Greenhouse by Joost

Greenhouse by Joost. Strawberry plants cover the outside wall next to a mural by David Bromley

With all the natural disasters going on around this side of the globe lately I felt like its important to recognise how we have to be kinder to this planet of ours.
I can't help but feel like its a sign that we have to start re thinking the way we live; There is so much taking and using of resources then no thought of how we throw it all away.
I know I'm a culprit and every now and then I stumble across something that wakes me up and makes me remember what is important.

Visiting Greenhouse by Joost on the weekend was a great inspiration for how alternative business models, even a bar or a restaurant, can open up people's minds and encourage everyone to start thinking of alternative ways of using the things around us.
As I eavesdropped into the conversations around me most people would be talking of such topics...or of the INCREDIBLE view.
What an inspiration!

This sustainable pop up bar is in Sydney only until 28 March, and then it will pack up and travel to Europe.
The building is made from materials that are either discarded by others or recycled. From the chairs which are made form old irrigation pipes, to the glasses which are either old jars or melted down wine/beer bottles.
There is alot written about this place at the moment, But I really love The Design Files video to fill you in about it all.
Take a look.

GREENHOUSE BY JOOST from The Design Files on Vimeo.

Or even better go visit the restaurant. Its super special.

JOY

This van was parked on the street when we were on a particularly joyous road trip on the Great Ocean Road.
Made me smile

The Wombles

"We're so incredibly utterly devious
Making the most of everything

Even bottles and tins
Pick up the pieces and make 'em into something new
Is what we do

Underground, overground, wombling free
The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we
Making good use of the things that we find
Things that the everyday folks leave behind."

I noticed the other day that a few of my friends had liked the Facebook page for The Wombles. Ah, the memories!
The Wombles was an old British TV show. I remember my sister used to joke that our Grandparents were Wombles, because they were always known for getting excited about various items they found or scored for free- from the side of the road, people's chuck outs etc.

And as this theme song came back into my head I realised
I HAVE BECOME A WOMBLE TOO!
My most favorite things are the free ones:

Bedside table boxes.
The brown one was given to me so I could carry some bits I had bought from a garage sale. I was more impressed with the box that the items I had paid for.
The orange box was bought form The Bower- not exactly free but only $10 which is close enough.



OK. The TV is a bit huge but it was FREE! We found it on the side of the road. I don't know exactly what made us pull over to pick it up, except that we had planned on buying a TV.
When we got it home it had a flickering bar on the right hand side, so we googled it, found it needed a replacement part, ordered it and got an electronics wiz friend to fix it for a case of beer! Very proud.
The cabinet was another side of road find. It had a light laminex timber finish which was pretty ugly so I painted it, keeping the kitsch gold trim.

So Kitsch

I shot in this fabulous time capsule location the other day.
I felt like I had stepped into a Frankie Magazine spread, but this home was the real deal, hadn't been changed for over 30 years

Crafty

So its been a LOONG time, but I'm back to blogger land.
Its been about a year, yep.... that damn film industry can just get all consuming.
But now I've got a bit of time again, and of course, I'm determined not to abandoned my blog again when I get busy next.

So I've been getting crafty since I've been back in Sydney and couldn't help myself from sharing these creations.

I bought this gorgeous Tasmanian oak vintage chair for $50 on ebay, with lovely feather joins and even stamped 1978, so proven vintage!
But when I took it to the upholsterers they said it wasn't really worth the cost of getting it re-upholstered as it was a bit wobbly, and the feather joins were tricky to fix.
So I just decided to give it a go upholstering it myself.
I bought this flecked grey upholstery fabric from Bargain Upholstery Fabrics, and am pretty happy with the results.

And here it is with my favorite Becky Orphin cushion on it.