Treasures from this mornings trawling’s: An armful of books. A 70’s croc-pot. Irish linen tea towels.
Otherwise known as items I am powerless to resist.
Category Archives: Home
Colour Studies: Crayola Crayon in Cornflower.
“Let me fall out the window / with confetti in my hair” – Tom Waits. / We Make: giant wall confetti.
You will need:
Sheets of card in your desired colour way.
I went with for sort of toned down disco. Like, disco for ladies. You want to dance all night, but you also make a hell of an ice tea. Do not feel limited to using card. Fabrics. Maps. Wrapping papers. Pages from children’s books. Though you may need to back these for weight. A texture wall would be great in a kids room. Or for drunk people at parties. Confetti made of fake fur. Foil. Sequins and sparkles under Duraseal. Let your imagination run wild. Channel Yayoi Kusama. Invite me over.
A pen, scissors and a template in your desired size. A side plate is perfect.
Blu-tak. Those tiny stick dots they use for photographs, maybe? I don’t know. The preferred adhesive of the person who owns the walls you are about to confetti.
You will need to:
Bake a large cake. Lay out a drop cloth on the floor in front of the television. Find the least watched most watched children’s animated feature you have. On drop cloth lay all the items the children could ask you for in an hour. Water. Face cloths. Batteries. Remove all items you would usually confiscate in an hour. Water. Face cloths. Batteries. Give the children half the cake each. Roll film.
Draw as many circles as you can fit on your card. This will take some time, but will be strangely fulfilling in the way repetitive menial tasks can be. Cut out all of the circles you have drawn. This will take some time, but will be oddly meditative in the way strangely fulfilling way repetitive menial tasks can be. Breath in and out uninterrupted. Then confetti what needs confetti-ing.
Honest to Blog: What’s in my handbag.
From Top Left – Bottom Right.
Irish Teabags.
Magnesium.
Emergency purchase from Kmart. (Always pack another sweater. Because children explode.)
Purse. (Contains other peoples business cards and around $1.50 in very small change.)
Child Occupier: tin containing paper and pencils.
Receipt for $60 worth of records (that should have been spent on paying the Rates).
Mama! Please Hold This: leaf.
Mama! Please Hold This: miscellaneous plastic tat.
Mama! Please Hold This: sticker from the Canterbury Museum.
Mama! I Made You This: painted rock.
A tangle of earrings.
Liquid eyeliner.
Tiny bottle of Brandy (?)
Pen (black).
Tissues.
Just the essentials really.
Other People’s Houses: #3
Name: Louise Sutherland / Queen Stitch
Job: Property Manager / Crafter and Blogger
Location: St Albans, Christchurch.
Describe your style: Colourful. Eclectic. Ordered. Colour is everything. I could never live in a minimalist white box (and I would only spill tea everywhere).
Favourite element of your home: My red front door. Painting it the brightest red I could find was one of the first things I did when I moved in. It was something of a personal statement. It might sound airy fairy but every time I walk through it, it reminds me of who I am, how far I’ve come and what I stand for.
Plus, y’know, red doors are so sexy!
I am inspired by: My confused and awkward Anglo-Kiwi up bringing. 1950’s and 60’s design, art, fashion and culture. The films of Wes Anderson. Travel: colours and cultures of the places I have been and those where I want to go (currently Paris, Mexico, India, Scotland and Scandinavia). Vintage, up cycling and the joy of a good rummage. Being surrounded by things that have history and a back-story.
I’ll never part with: My first Matryoshka (Russian) doll. My dad brought it back for me from Istanbul when I was 9. Apparently back then Russia still got a lot of goods through the borders into Europe, so this doll is the real deal (my dad, the history nerd, always stresses the significance of this point to me, so it is my duty as a good daughter to pass it on).
If I open the doll up I can still smell the raw wood which takes me back to the exact time and place that he gave it to me. It’s amazing. I hope I can still have a good old sniff when I am an old lady!
I am obsessed with collecting: The perfect book collection. I love unusual art and design books and those weird ones you can only find at book fairs.
I believe that you can tell a lot about a person by their books (or lack of) and I think mine reflect me pretty well (if I visit your house, I will probably judge you based on your bookshelf, sorry).
Where to from here?: I don’t quite have that figured out yet (does anyone? oh God, do YOU?). Past attempts at plans have never worked out all that well.
I figure if I keep doing what I love, being a good person and saying an enthusiastic ‘yes’ to opportunities as they arise then you can’t go too far wrong…plus, you know, the Universe, karma and cosmic intervention etc etc.
Oh and I shall also continue evolving into the lovechild of Nigella Lawson, Helena Bonham Carter and Morrissey. That would be lovely.
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Be sure and check out Louise’s blogs: Queen Stitch + Some Beardy To Love
Felt Store
Facebook Page
& Twitter!
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Before & After: Mismatched Kitchen Chairs.
Chair #1: $2 from salvage yard.
Chair #2: Found on the side of the road.
Chair #1: Sanded / Base coat in Resene Havoc / Taped off in stripes / Top coat in Resene Fizz.
Chair #2: Reupholstered in a pin dot polkadot.
Ridiculous Animal Photograph: ‘In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.’ – Charles Darwin.
Evidence of the trickle down effect me roaring ‘SHARE NICELY PLEASE’ all day is having on the household.
Other People’s Houses: #2.
Name: Mark Catley / trashdesign
Job: Designer / Small Business Owner.
Location: Riccarton, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Describe your style: Interesting / More is More / Slightly obsessive / Fragmented.
Favourite element of your home: My room.
I am inspired by: Art, music, magazines, shapes in nature, interesting people.
I’ll never part with: My music collection.
I am obsessed with collecting: Little bits of everything – I’m trying to curb this at the moment. I would like more taxidermy.
Where to from here?: To expand my design brand. Sell all over NZ, then Australia, then London, New York, Paris, Berlin, etc etc. In an ideal world I would have my design items to generate an income and then time to create more art. I would also like to collaborate with other designers and artists. To
make truly beautiful ‘things’. Something original that you find beautiful or unique. Ideally both.
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You can see more of Mark’s work in his Etsy store; Trash Design’s Facebook page and soon to be stocked here.
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Other People’s Houses: #1.
Name: David Craig
Twitter: @flashbackzoo
Job: Web Developer / Marketing Theorist / Concerned Citizen
Location: Brooklyn, Wellington, New Zealand
Describe your style: I grew up in small town Christchurch in the late 80’s – 90’s. There was Wu-Tang, Nirvana, Skateboarding, and bad hair cuts, you know? I don’t skate anymore.
Favorite element of your home: I really like the location. It’s hidden away up a long path amongst native foliage. You said it’s like being in a tree house, that’s what I like about it. It’s my hideout.
I am inspired by: People who create useful and beautiful things from limited resources. People finding solutions using what’s on hand really inspires me.
I’ll never part with: There isn’t much I wouldn’t part with. My possessions are always evolving and I like to travel light. Excess items become dearly departed. I’ve a shoe box of drawings, letters, photos etc people have given me over the years. I wouldn’t part with that.
I am obsessed with collecting: I’ve always collected something. First were those soak on tattoos back in the late 80’s. The designs were hardcore thinking back – flaming skulls, zombies, I think I even had a pinup girl. Then it was onto wrestling cards, Garbage Pail Kids, basketball cards. Basketball cards took over for a couple of years around ’93. I was 13 and had a part time job so had a little bit of extra money. Every non-taxable cent of it went on my collection. Upper Deck, Collectors Choice, Fleer, Fleer Ultra, Skybox, it was out of control. Working school holidays I’d save up and buy a whole box, something like 35 packs at 10 cards per pack. I’d price my doubles and try to sell them at school. I changed my after school supermarket job for a weekend job at a trading card store in ’94. That’s my most obsessive collecting phase to date. Nowadays I’m more under control. I have a small Polo collection, that’s all I have room for right now.
Where to from here?: More floor space. I live and work in my tiny apartment. I could put an extra couple of rooms to good use. My record collection has been in storage, in another city, for almost two years. A bigger space for collaborative projects would be nice too. But you know, make beautiful things with what you’ve got!
Ridiculous Animal Photograph: Cat Nap.
ourtinylandscapes.com 