Category: Creative
Creative x
The aim of Creative Coffee last week was to create felt cushions in the style of Jan Constantine
Surprisingly easy and therapeutic..
Sophy’s sewing basket also provided some Christmas inspiration, but more on that later..
It’s a work in progress..but rather nice to finish on these dark evenings with a roaring fire and a glass of red wine..
Laters, Kate x
Cut!
This is the result of a short trouser mistake I made by booking a hair cut for myself during half term – I did realise my error, but because our internet and mobile connection was so bad where we were staying, I had no chance to re-arrange it..so I had no choice but to bite the bullet and take Bella and Charlie with me. To my credit, before we left home I asked both of them – Do you both have your tablets to play on? Yes, they assured me. Except, when we got to the hairdressers…
‘Right – you both sit there and play on your tablets… be good, I won’t be long’…
‘But mummy, you never said to actually bring them with us’…
‘^%&^$%^%£%@$^&%^(*1!’
So there was nothing for it but to hand over my phone…
The moral of this story is never, ever, mix hair cuts with young children..always pay the cancellation fee…
Laters, Kate x
Rapture x
Once upon a time, a long time ago before the cult of celebrity was even a flash of a lightbulb, there were myths and fairy tales weaving complex ficitonalised versions of life with an extra sprinkle of magic.
Move forward hundreds of years to the Viktor and Rolf Fairy Tales, fresh from the minds of the avant garde fashion greats..
And beautifully illustrated by them as well..
It’s like a dew-drop turned into a telescope with the lens pointed at a whole new world..how very delicious..and the perfect stocking present for Bella…as I get to read it too…
Laters, Kate x
Eye Love This! x
(All pictures from Style Bubble)
Flavia la Rocca is a young, sustainable designer who’s decided to feature the Blogger Susie Bubble as her muse and fashion detail..
She says it a nod to how Susie relates to the fashion world of today.
I say the way it links the articles of clothing together is genius.
Eyes on the world, it’s witty, fun and really rather desirable…
Laters, Kate x
Progression..
From this..
To this..I finally finished it last night. I wanted the colours to be stronger, the contrasts greater, more representative of Sam alive than as a memory – I felt I was being a bit careful, almost precious before. Little things have been added – there’s roses in her hairband, and the red of her lips was from a picture of Kate Moss in a red see-through dress, her nose smoothed out. But it’s all a balance – I’m now looking at her eyebrows thinking there’s a big contrast between the black of the first picture and this one. But that could be the different light and the camera as I haven’t changed them, possibly the photo sucking in the matt density of the paint rather than the charcoal – her face also looks whiter, except it isn’t..however I can’t control the urge to go and check all these points out…sometimes the hardest thing is knowing when to stop..
Laters, Kate x
P.S. More information about the history of this picture here.
Mwha-ha-halloween!
If you ask my kids what celebration most floats their boats they won’t say birthdays or Christmas..It’s Halloween every time…and I’m not sure it’s just about the unlimited supply of sugar. For them it’s the drama of being out in the dark with their friends, dressed as something totally alien, doing something that would be utterly forbidden in normal life. This year Bella went as a wolf..who might have a few cat tendencies..we got a bit confused..
Charlie was Batman!
This year we went to a friends for a party..first time I haven’t decorated our house in years..
Ready for the off, treacle treating bags at the ready..
It’s not America..but people and their houses do embrace Halloween in SW London..there were some impressive sights..
We all thought this was a statue standing next to Robin Williams grave….until he went Boo!
Loved these pumpkins with their noses!
Returning home..a scariest costume of all..a vision of the teenager-to-be…
Mwha-ha-haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Laters, kate x
An Event x
December 26 2014 marks the ten year anniversary since the horror of the Boxing Day tsunami in which my cousin Sam Archer-Fayet and her baby daughter Ruby Rose tragically lost their lives.
As a way of marking this anniversary and celebrating Sam’s life, her sister Nathalie is holding a very special exhibition in their memory: She’s conjured up a whole cornucopia of artist’s and musicians to produce work to capture and treasure Sam’s spirit: On the night and just for one night, they’ll be an intimate short film shown, shot by Sam herself in the late nineties when she was working in the thick of the fashion world, showing a glimpse of life behind the scenes at some of the most glamorous catwalk shows including her friends and icons such as Kate Moss, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Esther de Jong, Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer and John Galliano. Freeze-frame images will also be exhibited as part of the on-going exhibition. My youngest sister, Harriet will be performing with her group Kosmos, as well as performances by Lisa Billson and Nina Walsh, Somethin’ else and Martin Beck. And if that wasn’t enough, they’ll be an auction including a signed print from Charming Baker, dinner for 4 donated by Anthony Usher at the renowed Clutch restaurant, a signed photo by famous photographer Richard Young and a lot more besides…all proceeds from the exhibition will go to raise funds for the SMart Network giving them much needed funds to support homeless and socially excluded people through creative arts.
So if you’re in London or can get to London on Wednesday 12 November the event is being held at the Seven Dials Club in Covent Garden at 42 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LA – just email your name to info@samsaysenjoylife.com to confirm your attendance…
Nathalie also asked if I would paint a picture of Sam for the exhibition…mainly because of the kids, it’s been a long time since I’ve painted anything and I will confess, it has been one of the hardest paintings I’ve ever done, not only because it’s Sam, but I wanted it to truly represent her as well.
The background to the picture is a collage made up of both photos of Sam and quotes or words that I felt resonated her vibrant character. The idea was that from a distance it’s Sam..up close it’s what made her who she was..and each time you look, you should see something different.
I’m at the stage where it’s almost finished..but I can’t stop tinkering..it’s even changed from this photo..but time is starting to run out…
Laters, Kate x
Led Smith..
Led Zepplin and fashion are not the most obvious bed fellows..but it’s happened. And when you think about it, there’s something gutsy and glorious that links – even draws – them together in thrilling duality.
Six limited edition scarfs designed by Paul Smith using the original art work to celebrate the launch of newly released re-mastered versions of the albums….the first three out on 23 Oct…Timeless, visual flights of fancy all mixed up with a sense of history, marrying beauty with desire..
How cool do they look? And the scarves don’t look bad either..an essential layer of style that twinkles with bonhomie..
Wear them, wrap them – frame them, they’re that good..I want one!
Laters, Kate x
It’s Not You, It’s Me..
I love a brand that scoffs gently..it also helps if they’re independent, based in London, slightly mad and run by 3 ferocious, tongue-in-cheek, epigrammatic gals.
Its not me its you was started by Billi, Jems and Kitty in 2012.
Everything they produce is made and printed by hand in East London.
In a world where it’s too easy to be suffocated by a toxic brew of Vacuous style and pumped up plastic their italian leather crafted with care is a pot of gold at the end of a shimmering rainbow…complete with whimsy and fantastical animals..
Visceral, witty and flawlessly presented, they’re a class act.
(I secretly reckon this one reads ‘Kate loves the fearless’..just for me…)
I snort at them..and raise my glass..that’s a few more presents ticked off the December list..
Laters, Kate x
Objet D’art Lesson..
The effervescent Matisse Exhibition now showing in New York is a joy of art expressed in it’s purest form – as is this photo of Matisse’s studio: A glimpse behind the canvas and a spotlight on those moments of pure creativity where the trains of thought are literally turned into living, breathing, pale-pink, illuminated flesh..
What particularly fascinates me is that light..a visual delight in spontaneity and plaster of paris with a touch of Modigliani thrown in…My mother’s given me an old brass lantern light that’s missing it’s glass to transform for her…I’m now thinking she might get more than she bargained for!
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 