Category: Creative
Meet..
Bella with Bratz doll Bella..
And Charlie with his doll Charlie, all ready for the tree-change experience we’re attempting today (I have one too!). Results tomorrow..but I have a feeling it’s not as easy as it looks!!
Laters, Kate x
Happy Easter!
As a child, Volker Kraft saw a beautiful paschal tree in his home town…and he wanted one.
In 1965 his dream came true – his own tree with 300 odd eggs on it. Since then it has grown every year..
2015 will be the last year of the Saalfeld Easter tree..and the total is now 10,000 decorated eggs. One man’s madness, one man’s passion..one man’s joy. I doff my flamboyant Easter bonnet to you sir…
Laters, Kate x
Result!
What a difference a packet of dye makes! One session in the washing machine with half a kilo of salt and the jacket now has the patina of something between oil reflecting on water and that titanium jewellery which was very popular in the eighties (made from stainless steel with an electric current through to make wonderful, unexpected, rainbow-like colours?)..honestly, you couldn’t replicate this if you tried..I and absolutely love it!
It’s bluer than these photos..and the alterations were surprisingly simple – I took out the zip, took off the blouson cuffs and removed all the velcro square buttons. Then removed all the elastic out of the waistband and ironed it flat. I’ve got some black binding just to tidy up the sleeves, that job has yet to be done. And I also want to add a tie fastening three quarters of the way down..
The one draw back of the dye process was it exposed some small holes in the cotton, exposing the white of the filling. There were four particularly prominent ones on the bottom of the shawl collar..so I’ve started doing some hand quilting in the style of the Kantha quilts of India, in vertical lines but with random spacing. If I had the time and the patience I would quilt the whole coat with all sorts of patterns..but I want to wear it!
It’s thrilling to think that from this reject, my butterfly was born..
Laters, Kate x
Joseph’s Coat x
This is not an April fool, but one of my purchases from the South Bank Classic Carboot…a rather vibrant 80’s number picked up for a pleasing £10. Some would say there’s a reason it was so cheap..
But I think it has potential for a bit of alteration and a re-dye..I love the collar, the padding, and the shape of the arms..
At the moment I’m thinking dyeing it a midnight navy blue to knock back the yellows to a dark green and the pinks to a purple…here’s hoping..I’ll post the result tomorrow..
Laters, Kate x
Inspiration..
It’s rapidly heading towards crunch time for our proposed building works – the builder is coming to quote on Tuesday which means all the big structural decisions have been made. Now thoughts can turn to the decorating..but rather than hoarding pictures of perfect rooms, I’m finding myself drawn to the opulence and layering of faraway cultures…
(All photos from Pinterest)
Whatever happens…it’s going to be a journey.
Laters, Kate x
Made to Treasure..
Remember Loquet? 
Well it looks like they’re going to be doing bracelets..charm bracelets.
(All pictures Loquet and Garance Dore)
And so the heavenly lust list gets longer..
Laters, Kate x
Ray of Sunshine x
The end of term is creeping up and, as ever, it can’t come soon enough – I’ve got both mine off school today with sore throats – they’re really just knackered. And I can relate – I’m still feeling like I’m living underwater since last week. Which is why it’s rather lovely to find (thank you cousin Claire) humorous, supercool art like Rainworks!
Invented by Peregrine Church in Seattle, these street art pieces are the proverbial silver lining only appearing when it’s wet.
The designs are stencilled onto concrete using hydrophobic, environmentally friendly spray (for details check out the website – it’s literally stuff you can pick up yourself) which last for up to 4 months, depending on weight of traffic. Effectively, the spray keeps the concrete dry.
Genius. Now….where’s my nearest piece of concrete??
Laters, Kate x
The Ride of Our Life!
The Top Secret Project?…
Started like this..as made by Mandy and Philip.
Went on to this..
Transformed to this..
Then multiplied..by eight..
We added legs.
Lots of legs..
(It was a shock every time we walked in the room!)
And then the top halves! And all for the School Quiz!!!!….
Go to Facebook for the vid!
It was a top, top night..such tables as ‘fifty shades of Farrow and Ball’..’Teachers Pets’ – dressed as animals with school ties and complete with squeakers..and a fabulous ‘my big fat gypsy wedding’ with dresses, cake, tent and fairy lights!
But we won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was really rather fabulous!
Laters, Kate x
General Mayhem..
This is what I normally do on a Thursday..an engrossing, soul-enhancing, spirit-lifting art class in the sanctuary of a wooden hut on the green, leafy, quiet Common..
Today, this is my reality…it’s half term…so I’m at home..with the kids..and we’re working (??)(*&^%^%$£@!..hindering??) on a Top Secret project..which always seems like such a good idea in the abstract…
A happy worker!
I’ve now learnt that black gloss, children and white, blind dogs really don’t mix…pray for me..and my floors..and possibly my sanity..
Laters, Kate x
Fashion Story x
In the focaccia bunfight of fashion, how is true style evaluated and who wins the cherry on the top?
We know sometimes less is more..
That it’s thinking out of the box..that magic moment when perfectionists take risks..
Finding that rare sweet spot moment when it takes brains and a perverse delight to play a swaggering fool. When you aren’t.
Elegance and body language is in the mix..
And it’s not about money..
Style isn’t beauty, it’s perfectly picked proportions.
That fine, hazy line between victim and genius, because there’s no beauty without strangeness.
(All pictures from Style.com)
Fashion is conforming to current styles and trends.
Style is throwing them out of the window.
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 