skip to main |
skip to sidebar
About a decade ago I read the book The Leapord, by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. In the same year I went and saw the film, which was made by Visconte. The story is set between 1860 - 1910 Sicily, in a time when the aristocracy was being overthrown. The story is told by a wise, forward thinking Prince Salina who embraces change, but has to deal with friends and family who are fighting for the old ways.
The film is long, beautiful and detailed. The only way I can describe it is like watching a huge oil painting that moves. It's on about every two years at the Palace, and every time I see it I'm moved to tears. The book is so beautiful that Sicily was our choice of destination for our honeymoon.
The other thing I really love about the book is the story of the author. He was the grandson of Prince Salina, and the last in the family line of princes in Sicily. He wrote the Leapord as a way of fighting depression he suffered after World War 2. The novel was rejected by publishers during his life. It wasn't until he died the work was recognised, and is now considered a classic of Italian literature. Apart from a book of short stories it was the only novel he produced.
Thanks to Three Buttons for hosting this fun game of show and tell. xxxx
This week I've been researching and working on getting some woven labels done. (I made a badly constructed coin purse to see how they looked on an object). Anyway, the logo I usually use is my name (pink and yellow logo in bottom right corner). It's done in 3D and I was told it couldn't be woven unless it was flat colours, so I flattened it (logo underneath), but they said they still cant do it. So I found a digital fabric printer, but they can only print onto polyester!
So at the moment I'm getting my octopus done as a woven logo. It sort of suits what I do, cause I always have at least 8 progects on the go at once.
Does anyone know of a digital fabric printer who works with cotton and natural materials? I know they exist - I just can't seem to find one. Any suggestions would be really appreciated. xxxx
PS: Thanks to Kirsty at Kootoyoo for hosting On My Desk. You can go there to check out who else is playing. :)
The top images are photo's of some glass windows from an apartment block down the road. I added the black and white shapes in Illustrator. And the striped dresses are by Ivana Helsinki who I found via Fly Girls. xxxx
I was just going through some old files looking for something and I found this. Not sure if I made it as part of a 3D texture map, or a scan of some sort that was photoshopped. Anyway I like it and might use it in something again soon. xxxx
This week's topic for this is has been suggested by One Little Acorn. It's 'This is ...what makes me smile'. So the answer is easy. Other smiles usually make me smile - especially this smile. I know every mum thinks that 'her child' has the greatest smile on earth, but not every child has a double set of dimples! Thanks to Three Buttons for hosting the game. xxxx
I've finished all the freelance work for Tika, which launches in a couple of weeks so I'll post new pics then. Anyway, it's time to switch gears and get some of my own stuff made, so I've been going through my unfinished projects to see which images I still like. The t-shirts were originally designed for kids, but I might make them in adult sizes, and the above octopus print is something I may get screen-printed or use as an image for woven labels / ribbons. I'm also working on some 3D files but they're still in too much of a raw state to show. Next week perhaps. xxxx
I found this book in the 2nd hand book shop the other day and it's full of really old, really decorative scripts. It was first published in 1949, but some of the examples date back to 8th century. Like most good books you can still get a 2nd hand copy from Amazon here. xxxx
There were two themes for this weeks 'this is' game, suggested by Flightless Boyds. So this is what gives me goose bumps: Deja Vu. I went through a stage where i had the feeling of deja vu a couple of times a day, but thankfully now it only happens once in a while.
And the above pictures relate to the second theme: this is.... what scrambles my brain when I try to understand it. If I start thinking about the size of the solar system I get a bit overwhelmed, but if i try and imagine other solar systems and infinite space I have to quickly change my stream of thought. Too weird! I got the above pics here and here. xxxx
At the start of this year I was a lucky girl and got this cute Hermes keyring as an anniversary present. I was just looking at their website and saw these coin purses. Love them all, but my favourites are the aubergine, bananas and pig! I scanned my keyring and got the purse images off the Hermes website. xxxx
I was all set to join Illustration Friday, but once I got onto the site I realised I didn't have the energy to upload thumbnails and create sign in names etc. Next Friday perhaps... xxxx
Via ah-yi I found maize, a blog that posts the most beautiful photo's, patterns, fabric, art and inspiration. I got the above photo's from there. It's in French, so I can't understand the text, but it doesn't matter. It's all quite abstract, so it makes it more interesting not knowing exactly what everything is. xxxx
I thought I'd share my attempts at getting a passport photo of my 19-month old son. Under Australian law passport photos must be clear, and of the appropriate size. They must also have the subject looking directly at the camera, head not tilted, not laughing or frowning, and the mouth must be closed.
We tried to have it done in the photo lab but they sent us home because he kept smiling and behaving like a clown. So I tried with the digital camera, and thought, by a miracle that I'd got what they were after with the middle, left photo. Unfortunately it was rejected because the light source was from one side rather than front on.
I honestly thought we'd have to postpone our overseas trip until he's old enough to sit still, but thankfully I tried again at a photo lab when he was tired and too grumpy to smile. We got the shot the passport office was after and we can go overseas after all (if I manage to fill out the rest of the form properly)! xxxx
I was doing an image search the other day and stumbled across Toko an amazing graphic design studio that began in Rotterdam, Netherlands and relocated to Sydney in 2006. They do really interesting work for clients such as City of Sydney, New York Times, MTV and Playstation. Here's a couple of images I got from their website. It's really worth looking around as there's heaps of great stuff there. They also do a blog called EnvironMental which is about site specific design and architecture. xxxx
This weeks theme for this is: your most treasured childhood posession.
I had an olympic sized trampoline and I loved it. It still dream about it all the time. Mine looked exactly like this. I don't have a photo of it though - I stole this pic off google images. xxxx
Via Meet Me at Mikes I found out about the fantastic project Softies for Mirabel. Crafters are invited to make and donate soft toys which will be exhibited and then auctioned off to raise money for the Mirabel Foundation, an amazing group supporting the children of families affected by substance abuse.
I sent this rabbit off in a post pack yesterday. Crafters are also invited to supply a pattern for their softies, so here's a (not very concise) set of instructions to make the above bunny that anyone's free to use. xxxx
Just found a place close to home that does really good fabric off-cuts, like the above bits of silk organza. So now I'm off to Tessuti to find some other bits of fabric to bind them all together. Also thanks to Three Buttons for setting up the this is ....... game. xxxx
