Speaking of Jean Pelle, I absolutely love her stunning wooden candle holders (also in the roomset below). Made from hand-turned Douglas fir and 24 carat gold leaf, they’re treated with a flame retardant and then finished to a smooth polish.
Available from her Etsy shop, at $115 a pop. (She also has smaller, darker, not gilded, cheaper versions, but obviously Mrs Expensive Tastes here doesn’t like those ones so much).
One of my resolutions this year is to finally get the house sorted out. The major remodeling of the basement and kitchens that we planned will have to wait because of George Bush and Gordon Brown, but we ought to at least be able to get the house PAINTED. I mean, we’ve only been here two years.
Two things which really need to go are the two brass light fittings in the main downstairs living room. I presume they’re originals in the house and so must date from about 1912. This doesn’t stop them looking like strange brass jelly fish hanging from the ceiling.
As a Brit I’ve been taught to be respectful of original features, but I really can’t cope with these and the Husband loathes them. I mean look.
I would obviously like to spend several thousand dollars on two groovy light fittings but George Bush put the kibosh on those as well (he’s got SO much on his conscience). And then I saw this in Ready Made magazine.
Designed by Jean Pelle, they’re made from three light fittings, round glass bulbs and these gorgeous handblown ‘bubble’ balls from CB2. All tied together with bits of string. I even have an electrical engineer (turned online advertising guru) for a Husband, so we shouldn’t even get electrocuted.
My questions for you are as follows:
– Should I ditch the original fixtures?
– Where’s the best place to sell the original fixtures?
– Will someone really pay MONEY for them?
– Am I really going to have the patience to put these together?
– Should I even bother?
– Are they going to look like expensive fixtures?
– Or just like a hopelessly homemade bundle of balls tied together with string?
Answers on a postcard please.
We’ll be talking paint colours next. FINALLY, we’re going to ditch the icky egg-yolk yellow. Am beside myself with excitement. Some colour samples arrived in the post today. I just have to paint them onto boards and then we can have a chat.
Miniature Knitting
{via Abigail Percy}
Fun in Bed
Video for Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie {via Uncle Beefy}
Feeling a teensy bit bored? Then why not pull out the photocopier paper and make yourself a hat. Which is exactly what Japanese hairstylist Katsaya Kamo did for Chanel’s Spring 2009 collection. I think this should be a Project Runway challenge. (Speaking of which, WHEN is it coming back?)
{More here}
I’m knitting some more socks. This time a rather fiendish Ginkgo pattern again from Violet Green. The pattern isn’t beyond me per se, it just requires ferocious concentration, and since I usually only knit in front of the TV, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to undo this.
Still it’s coming along slowly, and I thought it looked good with our new ‘button’ box from Habitat.
My camera is very sick (broken LED screen, focusing issues, erratic pop up flash) and has been sent to the camera hospital to get a quote for repair (which I have a horrible feeling is going to be astronomical). In the meantime I’m taking photos on my little point and click, which is not the same at all, particularly as I can’t remember how to work it. Oh I miss my camera so…
If your daughter is as obsessed with bright colour as mine is then I suggest taking a look at Little Overcoat on Etsy.
Made by a woman living on an island in Puget Sound, just a short boat trip from Seattle, these tees and dresses are patched together from vintage and recycled materials, with some new European prints added to the mix.
There are also some boys’ designs and some women’s tees and skirts which I am VERY tempted by.
Patrizio di Renzo is an International fashion photographer from Switzerland. {via Kanye’s very cool blog}
Look, look, look! I’m so proud of my little self.
Remember I knitted this last year?
Well the original green bowl was swiped by the Minx as a hat (though I may swipe it back again as she never wears it) so I knitted up a white one instead. And yesterday I finally plucked up the courage to have a go at felting it by hand.
Following instructions in the Alterknits – Felt book I put about three inches of very hot water in the sink, pulled on my washgloves, added a teensy bit of Woolite and then rubbed and scrunched the bowl together with a very old clean facecloth for friction. And it took me about an hour. Never, NEVER, again. I literally have a blister on one of my fingers.
But it does look good. I’ve got a couple more bowls lined up all ready to go and have decided to treat myself to one of these little babies, which is essentially a motorised washing bucket, which comes highly recommended by experienced felters. They’re currently doing a great deal on Amazon and there are also some good deals on Ebay.
I’ll let you know how I get on with the next couple of bowls.
Isn’t this just awesome? In the spirit of a New Year’s organising frenzy I’m on the lookout for a knitting basket – my yarn is currently artfully arranged in a large plastic carrier bag tucked by the side of the sofa and looks a right mess.
I really, really love the above, made by Kathryn Ivy from an old felted Aran sweater, using Martha Stewart’s recipe. Am I honestly going to be able to make this though, given that I still haven’t plucked up the courage to felt my little bowls?
