I Love Fridays

I really really really love Fridays since I started working with clay. Before that, Fridays were just another work day & I never spent time being actively 'artistic' - So Friday became Clay-Day & I've been learning & making amazing things...but most of all, I've been making gifts & experimenting with different clays & colouring / decorating methods etc

These hearts are made of porcelain & are items to experiment with different treatments with:

I plan on decorating them to match & then make a mobile or something out of them when they are done with their glaze firing.

I've made all sorts of other beautiful things, but cannot post pictures of them yet (they are being made for gifts & the recipients may not see them!!) ;)

I had a lovely drive past Long Beach, Kommetjie at midday after my Kommetjie pottery class. When the day is as beautiful as today is, I'm so pleased that this will be such a close beach! Pity the water is so cold.

Sunset Side Sunset

We went over to the sunset side again last night > Geoff wanted to have an end-of-day swim & I wanted to try my new camera out on the sunset. The result? :

It's finally arrived!

My Canon G10 has finally arrived! It's been a bit of a nightmare actually: I ordered it from a very reputable supplier on Bid or Buy as I couldn't find anybody that still stocked them (the G11 is out). It was supposed to take 2 to 3 weeks...and in the end it took 8 weeks because customs got hold of 5 boxes being sent in & kept them from the 15th of Feb.

[This is the kind of thing that happens when a company is trying to operate legally, pay their taxes & declare what they are importing].

Its so frustrating -- I did tons of research... finally decided what the best option is (the G10)... saved up... couldn't find the model I was after... finally found one & ordered it... then had to wait for 8 weeks before receiving it.

It was delivered this morning early & I have it fired up and ready to start snapping!
[We will hopefully go for a walk this evening Noordhoek-wards & snap some pics! ...will post them if we do!]

Talking Point

As mentioned in a (very) recent post, I indulged by buying 2 necklaces by Skermunkil at the Design Indaba the other Saturday.

Somebody mentioned to me that when people wearing Skermunkil creations see one another's choices, conversations often strike up.

Well, let me tell you that just wearing a Skermunkil will get people chatting!! :

I was at the gym on Thursday where I never speak with anybody (apart from saying a polite 'hi' to the receptionist & having a quick chat if I bump into somebody I know)...and no less than TWO ladies commented on my 'Cape Sparrow' necklace - one of whom I had a long conversation with & she told me one of the most beautiful things I've learned in a long while:

Do you know how you get the fur off Angora bunnies?

You brush them (!!) Now I really want some! :)

My Friday...

This morning I saw Thaya from the Beatnik Bazaar's request for a blogger Friday documentery... So this was my day:

8am > morning routine including daily Barley Grass & lots of Fruit.
My lovely HUGE fruit bowl from Wonki Ware as of this morning:

I fulfilled a last minute client request & rushed off to my Friday pottery class in Kommetjie...

I popped in to visit my sister-in-law, Colleen, in Fish Hoek...got home at around 1.30pm to a beautiful sea...This was the view from my kitchen window at 2pm:

Geoff and I went for a surf at Muizenberg...followed by the harvesting our first olives off the tree at the shop (we counted 270!!) & I raided my basil patch...

I made a wonderful batch of basil pesto & mixed it into some tagliatelle with fresh avo on top for dinner...followed by packing & pottering in and around our studio :)

Will probably finish the day off with an episode of Pushing Daisies :)

Jack Parow

About 7 years ago, my brother came to wake me up at midnight (I was sleeping on the sleeper couch for 2 months between places) to watch what I can only describe as a phenomenon: 3 beer bellied Afrikaans guys at the side of a dam with a tree...skinny slutty looking girls walking around looking "koel" & posing all over the guys & next to a Ford Cortina... the worst kind of Afrikaans lyrics (and Afrikaans can be DIRTY!) being rapped out of the guys' mouths...It was freakin' hilarious.

I was with a group of people a short while back who were talking about this 'new' form of Afrikaans rap - a sub-culture of people doing really South African, "bad taste" but really cool music with ridiculous music video personas.

We had a pizza evening with Pete & Elaine tonight. They always have something amazing to show & tell.... & tonight, they introduced us to Jack Parow.

(I think that Jack Parow is a great example of this "sub-culture")

You have to understand 'South African' to get this & its worth every bit of bandwidth!



(Hey T: Jy's dink jy's cooler as ekke: want jy ry in 'n Peugeot 206!)

The Sunset Side...

So this is Kommetjie... Soon to be our closest beach destination...at the end of the month we will move to the sunset side with a different set of rules for day end.

NEW HOME!!

I am very excited to annouce that we have found our new home to rent! I signed the leese on Tuesday :)

Some of the features:

• Double volume living room
• The main bedroom which has its own balcony (upstairs)
• Indoor/Outdoor bathroom (Victorian bath indoor, reed-surrounded shower outdoors!!)
• Northfacing; unobstructed views of Noordhoek Beach
• Balcony leading out from the dining room & lounge
• 16 metre swimming pool (long and narrow) within rockery-type pathways & amazing garden plants...

Here are some pics:

Could we start a Llama farm?

My Skermunkel necklaces
(the oval one I've had for about 4 months & wear all the time!)

We have had such a busy time as, on top of everything else, we are trying to source a new place to live...the options are so vast that it is not making the decision very easy.

We went to the design indaba yesterday. It was fantastic. We ended up being there for 7 or so hours.

I bought 2 necklaces from Skermunkel (liked 2 & could not choose - a heart with a ship & a cape sparrow)...a handbag like my sister in laws one that I absolutely love-hers is red-i found i blue one...and Geoff bought me a fantastic felt hat which has started a new train of options including obtaining land and a flock(?) of llama!

31 days to go. Who knows what might happen. Just trust it will work out for the best.

Wedding Gift

These cups are my first attempt at working with porcelain! I've been working with a clay called Fenix for the past 3 months but I wanted to make a very special, fine porcelian wedding gift for Gill & Vincent's wedding on Saturday past: Porcelain cups with knitted & felted mug-cozies!

I made the cups at home...had them bisque fired at CPS...got them back...decorated them with a black underglaze pencil...got them into a friend's glaze firing (matt glaze)...I can hardly believe I managed to finish these on time!


Decorations:

I wrote snips of poems by ee cummings:

"Tomorrow is our permanent address"

"I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)"

"Love is more thicker than forget"

"Nothing except the impossible shall occur"

As well as a little illustration of the relative words...and some leafy twigs.

The cozies are knitted from 100% merino solids & lightly felted (I didn't make handles as I wanted to rather knit cozies)

This is how I packaged them:

The styrofoam container was wrapped in black and white polka dot tissue paper...tied with a thick black satin ribbon. It was a great way to finish this project :)

The House That Jack Built

We slept with the doors and windows wide open when we were in Stillbay. It is such a relief to not have to worry about anything happening. Earlier today, Geoff was at his shop and had hidden his wallet...but it somehow disappeared anyhow. People say that this happens all the time. As if that makes anything better. Its inexcusable. Its an outrage - any type of abuse on another human being.

Theft is such a cruel type of emotional abuse - one looses something that you treasure (in this case, a very special soft leather wallet chosen out of hundreds & the only awesome thing I found on my trip 2 years ago to Hong Kong) to someone who will most proabably take what they want and ditch the special item in a bin somewhere.

I am feeling so angry. Makes me feel like moving to Stillbay (or an abandoned island - will suit my diet!!) as soon as possible.

View from Kitchen/Lounge

Jack and Me'shell's house is a Cape Dutch / Greek Mansion / French style place where spaces are large and decor is simple. The views are spectacular & the lack of traffic noise is a dream.

We stayed in one of the flats at the bottom of their house (kitchen/lounge, bedroom, bathroom) & I managed to get a fair amount of work done in the kitchen/lounge area. Complete peace.

Kitchen/Lounge

Stuck

So we finally set off in George direction - about 3 hours later than we wanted to...only to have a burst water pipe. Why life throws things like this in multitude...kicking you in is down...I just dont know.

Geoff had to run down to a river at the side of the road (just after SrLowry's Pass) 3 times to fetch more water to stop the car overheating.....

We managed to get to Grabouw and found a plumbing / hardware shop that was open till 6pm. Thank goodness as it was just before 5pm... we managed to Macgyver the broken part with bits of pipe and clamps...Unfortunately it had to keep getting fixed.

We finally arrived in Stillbay at around 12.30pm. Exhausted.

Another Lake Trip

Yesterday Geoff decided that we should go to the 'Coca Cola' dam at the top of Redhill mountain...an easy half hour walk each way (which in actual fact turned out to be a 50 minute walk each way!)... We collected Robyn and her dogs - Flash & Zorro - in Kommetjie & set off.
It was such a beautiful day - not too hot - and the walk was really amazing! It was a bit chilly at the lake (wind & clouds) so we mostly threw sticks for the dogs & lazed about next to the water... It feels so good to have got out and about & done some excersise!

The other exciting thing that happened this weekend is that on Friday night, we had dinner at my sister's place & I had two huge treats:

1. T'Neal played her guitar and sang for us

2. I felt Grace kick for the first time (unborn baby 22weeks in my sister's womb!)...and it wasn't a girly kick either!

Lily Pad

Geoff took me into Silvermine reserve today. I've never been there before....we went swimming in the dam > I don't know when last I swam in a mountain dam!!

I also realised that I've never actually seen lily pads and flowers in real life before! So I had to take a picture and post it....oooh: and speaking of pictures: I am THIS CLOSE () to buying a Canon G10 (as soon as I can find one) > will keep news posted!

Reflections

Isn't this absolutely beautiful??! Early last week, Geoff and I and our friend Jessica went down to Noordhoek beach to sit on the rocks and have our sun-downers. It was a totally windless evening and an amazing way to end the day > sitting on the warm rocks with beer and nuts for snacks. Our flat sold so we're feeling a bit loose-end-ish as we will be 'homeless' in 2 months time.

Its quite unbelievable actually!! ...and then a taxi will come getto-ing past and the whole flat vibrates with the bass & I remember that there are better ways to live than putting up with traffic noise & watching my car rust to smithereeeeens while I try and concentrate on getting some work done. It has been a kind of romantic experience to live on the main road of a trendeee fishing village at the southern tip of Africa with 5 artisan bakeries on my doorstep... Kind of like living in Venice, I'd imagine > until you get sick of the damp and the tourists and decide to move to the country where you can have a garden that's not entirely pot-plants.

One of many things could happen between now and the 1st of April...and many more will most certainly happen after :)

Beach path

Last weekend we went to one of our best places (and in fact, near where we had wedding pictures taken): down to the surf spot near Olifantsbos in Cape Point.

They've built this absolutely wonderfully fairy-like path down to the beach out of cut-off logs so that one can kind of jump from one to the other.

It was beautiful, as always to be there with my love > hectic week ahead so the rest was great :)

Selvedge Issue 16

I have been looking through Issue 16 of selvedge magazine and totally loving some of the ad links so I thought to share them:

• From the Samantha Holmes site:
  

I've been knitting up a storm of miniture clothing items & its always nice to find some added inspiration of people doing really awesome things - This little alpaca dress is just so pretty!

• Caroline Zoob's site is inspiring new craft ideas
  
  
  
  Some day I will get into embroidering things I've made...I'm becoming an aunty starting in June this year, so perhaps that will happen sooner than later!
  
  
• LOOP: knitting shop
  
  Shelley told me about this shop a while back. I just love browsing through their site!! :)
  
  
• Poppy Treffrey makes cool cosies:

as well as awesome bags > I love Wire Haired Terriers!!

• Donna Wilson has a category on her site called 'Odd Objects > irresistible to click on!!
  


• Check out http://www.katesamphier.com/ for really lovely knits
  
  
• The Black Rabbit has many quirky additions to its site pages:
  
  
  
• Oh my! Embroidered bunting? Look no further than Loopy Design
  
  
• Debbie Bryan's site states that her creations are 'CRAFT BASED DESIGN LED PIECES'. On the site is a collection of Knitted Adornments Scarves & Corsage Brooches
  as well as these resin hand cast brooches which look really amazing:
  
  
• Crafty Computer Paper blows the world of creation and transfer wide open. Check out their site & more info here: http://www.craftycomputerpaper.co.uk/
  
  
• Jane Sacchi's antique linen collections are beautiful > Antique style monograms available too! (The Railway House in Kalk Bay stocks beautiful French monogrammed linen - mostly white)
  
  
  
• There is an article on Deirdre Nelson and some of the art pieces from ' The Dangers of Knitting and Sewing, 2005 ' are pictured. I found her blog: http://dstitch.blogspot.com/ which has some interesting art pieces on it.
  
  There's a lovely quote from this site: http://www.artandphilosophy.com/050130a.html
  
  "Knitting will never be cool, however hard its fans try. I spent most of my teens click-clicking away, not caring much for my poor, neglected street-cred. Recently, guerilla knitters have gathered in public places to flaunt their habit shamelessly. Whether they’ll actually manage to haul the craft’s reputation out of the tea-cosy is questionable; how can soft, fluffy knitting compete with the edgy dangers of the latest public plaza craze, free running?
  
  But knitting has its edge, too. In a new exhibition at St Andrews, you’ll see a whole new side to knitting and sewing. Glasgow-based artist Deirdre Nelson has unearthed a wealth of fascinating facts which illustrate the grim history of this most feminine of pursuits. "
  
  
• There are UNBELIEVABLY cool things on http://www.thelaundry.co.uk/!
  
  Here are some awesome clothes pegs:
  
  

And a seriously pretty tea cosy! (The UK seems to be all about Tea Cosies!!)

• Fibre and Clay > http://www.fibreandclay.co.uk/ is a 'contemporary craft gallery + knit studio' & combines 2 of my favorite current pastimes! Just look at this heavenly looking yarn shop!!

• The Elusive Collection is Mary Davis' Knitwear collection site.
  Such beautiful knits! (her model looks about 12 --- I wonder why!?)
  
• Dumbo Feather is a quarterly publication featuring 'remarkable individuals'
  
• Keen on a cultural craft workshop tour of Peru? http://www.puchkaperu.com/
  
• Pronk Style has amazing fabric prints:
  
  
  Geoff and I have been talking about Batik of late. Check out this book: Batik: 75 selected masterpieces : Rudolf G. Smend collection available from the Selvedge website
  
  
  
• OOOOH! I have to learn to felt!! Check out these hats from HAT FORM: http://www.rosynaylor.com/
  
  
• And lastly: some free knitting patterns are available here http://www.knitonthenet.com/
  

Letter Removal

Bird Bath

My sister's lovely little budgie, Tickalo (Ticks for short) got really sick in a breeze & had to get antibiotics and the works! As a result she ended up getting sticky stuff and bits of seeds stuck to her head & needed a bath. This is what she looked like post-bath :)