2011

Have a light-er 2011!

7 boring things about me

Playing along with Kerry, I'm supposed to tell you 7 things about me.

I like to make people laugh, not laughing at me of course.

When I walk, I mainly do two things, I walk at a very fast pace and most of the time I look up.

Result? I tend to bump into signs, poles, walls, corners and people.

Just a couple of days ago, I hit my face against a corner so hard that the left cheek 

has swollen a bit, so sore that I can't sleep on that side since then.

I also cried like a lamb, which is something that I normally do when I hurt myself (third thing). Because of the fast pace I'm often prone to "freak accidents": once, in a shop I used to work in London, with the lovely Gini (fourth thing) I managed to stuck a cactus plant in my bum, it got caught on my long scarf and then landed with all the spines in my back side! the whole scene in front of a lot of people of course, it was quite embarassing, the folks there almost chocked for laughing so much! and yes, they were laughing at me.

Another time I was running up the stairs and I stuck my head inside a shelf full of shoe boxes, don't know how I did it though and again lots of people witnessed it. 
No wonder that sometimes I feel like Mr Bean (fifth thing about me).

Although I would love to be more like her or her (sixth).

But I'm quite happy to be what I am (seventh thing).
Yay , I made it!

Would you like to play along? I can't choose though.

Never complain. Never explain.

Katharine Hepburn

Thanks Kerry.

peace

Wish you all a Peaceful Xmas,

the photo below was sent to me by Severine, how perfect!

Listen

thank you Severine.

(*photo by Severine Laforge)

frosty

Today I woke up and looked outside the window,

frost covers everything, the light is beautiful, the trees surreal.

I found myself overwhelmed by the beauty of it.

Jack Frost, magical winter book by Kazuno Kohara

Severine delicate hand crocheted snow flake.

Uncommon beautiful handmade coaster, from Fen and Ned.

new cushion

Hello there, what are you up to?

Here the second pillow of the series.

Will be in the webshop. 
Sorry for the poor quality of the photo, little light today.

made

a new pillow

more nice things

Monday morning lost in tedious and unnerving calls to various offices.

Bureaucracy is evil.

A little xmas stocking from Maria

I like hercactus man project.

Wrist warmers and milk magazine.

associations

Another brilliant exhibition at Kettle's Yard,

As so ci ations: video installations by 6 international artists, 

exploring the relationships between words, images and the 

manipulative use of them.

I took a  photo of Pavel Buchler work.

Knitting with big wool, let's see what comes out

Blackboard nesting dolls.

finished

I'm struggling to finish all the things I have to finish,
but

last night I finished my scarf.

just like starting over

at home

A is poorly.

We try to balance dvd's watching and crafting.

She made a paper doll, I'm trying to make a village of little houses. 

Our branch tree is white now and has fairy lights,

it is our Christmas tree for this year.

Little fingers can't stay away from the sand inside the vase, though.

To make the origami house go here (via here).

Don't forget the Xmas sale, use the promotional code YAY at the
checkout and you get -20% until Sunday 12 December.

sale

Until Sunday 12 December, minus 20%  on all products in my shop.

Just use the promotional code: YAY when you go to the check out.

red riding hood

Books are what she gets in abundance for Christmas.

I wanted to show you this .

It's a pop up book, by Louise Rowe, beautiful subtle colours

nice stylized drawings
be aware that there's a big scary wolf inside, little ones might freak out!

Look at Wiebke blog, I really like this set of photos.

And this blog is delightful (found via another delightful blog 

making

A enthusiasm is contagious, so here I am preparing for the festivities.

I like to keep everything as much simple (and easy) as possible.

The Advent Calendar is made with little brown paper envelopes and these stamps.

But next year I will follow her example:  this is the coolest a.c. I ever seen around, 

oh and this one too, from vdj blog. (But please, if you have other suggestions send me the link).

The seasonal cold hit me too.

I will stay warm at home this weekend: which after all is a good thing, because I can't stop
to knit this scarf with beautiful baby alpaca dk (and I have some work to finish... finally).

What's your plan for the weekend?

Whatever you do I wish you a nice saturday.
Keep warm if you live on this side of the world,
stay cool to the others.

xmas stuff

Some things for Christmas

mixed feelings

Snow and cold winds, it's hard to get up in the morning.

How do you feel about Christmas?

With a little girl at home we can't escape it.

I wish I could ignore it totally and go somewhere were it doesn't exist!

I know, I sound like the Grinch.

; ^)

I love this

art project

Friday already?

I've been in a state of transition neither here nor there, but rushing everywhere.

I want to show you an art project I did a while ago, 
about the structural chaos of life and universe.

It's a "book" of 25 pages with photos I took with my analogical camera, drawings
and text.
 Irregular form, chances, mutations, entropy and fractals.

 

more nice things

What a buzz in the blogosphere these days, can you feel it?

Is the end of the year, time for re-newal? it seems so.

 

I wish I was a cat fish the new blog from Severine

and Fine new home.

We have received so many presents!
Little Christmas gnomes from Finland, from Maria, her sweet blog : Mamman Uuni
Thank you Maria!

A soft and beautifully made envelope, felted and made by Maria of exploding cucumber 

See this amazing felted house she made for her daughter here.

Prints and calendar from the talented illustrator Joanna Gwis,

see more of her work in her blog: Kavka.

And more from Christine and Nath!

Thank you all, we feel lucky.

winner and a magazine

As you might have noticed, I don't like catalogues but I do like magazines. 

Like many of you, I'm sure, I have to admit that I'm a magazine addict. 

I guess my mum started it (always blame the others) when as a child, on our way to the beach we always stopped at the newspaper kiosk to buy a magazine for her, "Corriere dei piccoli" for me, and some Marvel comics for my brother.

I don't have any subscription anymore, but still, if I go to a place were they sell magazines, I inevitably found myself browsing and surely coming back home with a couple of them ( after I paid for it of course).

Now, because glossy mags with unreal people, unrealistic dresses and homes, celebrities and must have don't work for me, I was delighted to discover amidst the shelves a new, at least to me, clever magazine and I have to say that I'm hooked now :

oh comely .

Congratulations to Paul and Paula, you won the cloud, please email me your details and I will send it to you.

Thank you all for playing.

Now I'll go to read my mag and drink my coffee.

Good day.

wool

It's dark, cold and windy here on this side of the world.

I hope it's only an atmospheric condition.

Keeping the good work and the heart warm.

Today is the last day to enter the cloud giveaway.

I didn't expect so many people, thank you.

British wool

London

Good Monday.

Yesterday I went to London to the Midcentury Modern, were Fanja, Sally and Liz
were exhibited and sold their lovely creations.It was quite interesting to see the crafters and the traders together;  I must say that the crafts exhibited there were perfect with the sleek and simple shapes of modernist furniture.

This is the last trend isn't it? Although for many of us it has been a way of life well before the glossy magazines were dictating the fashion...I mean buying vintage furniture,which is eco friendlier, cheaper and  more unique than high street stuff and making our own things or buying hand made pieces.

I'm not even going to start about the aversion I'm developing to catalogues that sell ready made lifestyle (sadly fishing around in crafters blogs!)...but that is another story I will -eventually- talk about it in the future.

Right, digressions and polemics aside...

Browsing around I also found Carole Daprey book Mobilier design pour enfant which is a must have if you love vintage furniture for kids, in fact it is now in my Christmas wish list (aside with a  Lewis).

At the show I feasted my eyes with lots of vintage pieces but I found that the prices were staggering!
(sorry no photos as the place was cramped and very difficult to take decent shots).

The show is hosted each year in Dulwich College. A very expensive hence quiet and clean area in south London, with little boutiques, tea rooms, beautiful houses and people that seem to come out from Ralph Lauren adverts...a bit intimidating and funny at the same time as they all look tall, blonde (fake or not) and oh so posh... OK, is Monday and I am being polemic today!

It rained all the time but it was nice to go and meet Fanja again.

Collectables: Les éditions piqpoq

Unhappy Hipsters (via Séverine )

Don't forget to play the cloud give away: up until Wednesday 17 November, the winner will be announced Thursday, 18 November. 


(photo below Waterloo bridge London)