Next page.. or two or ten

Then.. still not able to get to my studio/desk/supplies.. I flicked some more, this time through Cloth Paper Scissors jan/feb issue..
Now, it's true they do like to pack a lot in.. whether that's on the one page or ONE project.. but there's often something to discover and find yourself wanting to try..
Me? I'm a sucker for a bit of assemblage and encaustic - so loved reading about Crystals work:

then sat and wished i had some creative paper clay (must track that down!) to make one of these 'fanciful sculptures'...

There was plenty more including clever little dolls made from cloth drop sheets..

Overseas mags can get a bit pricey, my rule is: if it has 3 items that get me in - then it earns a place on my bookshelf!

Last one for the moment was ..
the Japanese fashion mag So-en.. the reading part is quick unless you DO read Japanese.. but the visuals are enjoyable if you don't.. full of little quirky things and great styling - both whimsical and way out.. including a good dose of stylish without all that samey stuff we usually see.. these 2 pics don't exactly give you the idea.. so you may want to do some research of your own.. anyway - how long til the weekend?? - all that inspiration to process...

Page turners..

So when i wasn't 'posting' what was i doing? One of my favourite pastimes - flicking through magazines!
Have you seen this one?
Published in Canada, Uppercase is a magazine for the 'creative and curious".
Can i just say it is totally awesome! I gave up trying to get it in Australia and subscribed $130AUD for 4 issues - it even smelt good! It was definitely worth it.. Here's why:
• bits about - illustrators, designers, artists, crafters, authors, collectors, typographers, creators!
• amazing reader submissions
• great little discoveries
• more on some of our favourite folk
• hours of inspiring entertainment away from the computer...
Ooooooh! AND Matte Stephens is designing the next cover!! OMG! Subscribe now - i implore you...
Here's a bit of a look at my copies (issue 3 +4)...





They even have an inspiration page - which is a much better visual trip than my pics go here.

Coffee table book, well?

Last Sunday i was obsessed about uploading a photo book, or 2. And here they are!
The one on top is 'Tofu Wisdom"

The pic on the left reads: 'Solitude can be overwhelming', the one on the right:'Avoid being a headline'..

I have been playing around with this idea for awhile - creating little scenes and photographing them. It was challenging to find the right words.. but I'm happy with the result.. I think i might do a zine version next..
So if you haven't been to Snapfish head over there and check out their photobooks. This was under $20AUD - it's sightly bigger than postcard size and took 5 days to arrive.
The process was really fun - there's lots of combinations, papers, layouts to choose from..
I also made one from my trip to Japan..
All you have to do is hit upload!

Out and about

This morning as I was wondering what had happened to the time and how we were going to catch up.. I was faced with the realization - sometimes you have to choose between your cyber world and the real world..
How could i say no to a few hours on the lake as part of a Scouts family sailing day..?

That's MR R above trying to learn from a 10 year old - with Miss R acting as a human weight.. (PFD'S were added shortly after this shot!)..

That's Mr R jnr at the front of the canoe - he is the Sea Scout in the family. The very same one that spent the other weekend on a 2 day canoe training session in cold + rainy conditions..
nothing like a sausage sizzle to finish.. (altho - the only time i ever really appreciated one was when i was 10 weeks pregnant)...

Where has the time gone?

So sorry for the pause in posting.. perhaps it was merely that i had nothing much to say..
the following is also not high on news value either - but just in case you've been wondering what i've been up to...

Miss R (and her brother) are about to turn 12.. indeed where has THAT time gone? So it appears her room needs updating from this..

To something else.. so we'll just pack up everything, paint the walls + get some new bed coverings and make a couple of cool cushions shall we?
But first we had to dismantle the bed, oh - we really should rip up the carpet - it is quite revolting..
so yesterday we completed phase one..

We then had to order wood for the floors, 2 new windows and wooden blinds.
What happened to just making some cool cushions?

Pencil in my pocket project

Last weekend i HAD to do my Pencil-in-my-pocket piece..
The name of my pencil was 'Mermaids Gown'. Soooo tricky this project. So many 'but what should i ?' So many unsures.. This was my activity...

Design Festa 09

So after looking for inspiration I thought i must revisit my pics from my trip last year (yes! i know i have shared) BUT now i've worked out (well a litle bit) Flickr! yay..

Using Mosaic Maker found here.. I created the above 'mosaic' from a 'set' i had selected in my Flickr account.
BUT if you want to go inside Big Sight and walk around with me and go here and view a little of what i discovered..now that i've uploaded it all to Flickr... I'm sure you'll enjoy the trip.
If you want more details for your trip to Japan check out the Design Festa site.. i can't stress enough how much more that will add to your trip!

Inspiration

Today i was thinking where, oh where can i go for some inspiration? And so i did leave the building.. That's Mr R and me (Miss R took the shots an 'L' plate hipstamatic student). We were checking out the Clover cafe in Annandale.. for a full review and better pics pop over here. I discovered that little cubes of watermelon in a salad with haloumi cheese is a gorgeous summer combo.
We also visited the Everleigh Artisans market which is really taking off.. which is great to see as there can be a lack of appreciating handmade, in the market sense in Sydney. Too often handcrafted items are forced to sit amongst cheap imports - or everything is so 'designed' and expensive..
It's always a pleasure to view the wonderful work of Gill Brooks of handmade felt.. the colours and sensitivity she applies to felting is definitely worth checking out..

These also caught my eye..

Mark from Black Box Architects had made up tiny (smaller than 15cm high) sculptures and was also selling kit packs to make your own, encouraging folks to email in shots of their creations.. I did think these would make a nice gift - particularly for a chap - as usually they can be under represented in the markets..when searching for potential presents..

They also took me back to Design Festa (Tokyo) last October when i was surrounded by talented people doing awesome things - for apparently no reason - just because they could! I love that.. so then i came home to tackle Flickr...

Discovery 101

1. 世の中に飛び出したいが冬の空, 2. 032/365; sushi dinner!, 3. Hipstamatic iPhone App, 4. Conflict


So drop everything ! Heard about the Hipstamatic App for the iphone?

It lets you take photos that end up looking like old fashioned polaroids. Woo hoo! the $2 version comes with 2 types of film + lenses - but you can improve on that.. Of course there is a Flickr group and i found those pics above. Amaaaaazing, huh?
I had a quick play but need to work on my camera shake..
you need to wait until it tells you its 'printed' before you race off to the next shot...

The kids have downloaded various apps from paper tossing to smashing maggots, from water slides to mini pianos ... BUT THIS??! well there's nothing left to add but 'say cheese'.