phantom limb

i've come to like gothic-inspired jewellery, mostly because it's about death and death isn't just something that is morbid and frightening. i'm enjoying the macabre aesthetic appropriated by bloodMilk designs. each piece is based on myth, prophecy and folklore, from native american tradition to victorian mourning, sinpired by catholic figures of grief, redmeption and tragedy such as joan of arc. skulls and bones aren't really that scary. they have a beauty about them that reaches beyond concepts of death and decay. the use of animal claws, bones, teeth and skulls cast in oxidized sterling silver creates a 'convulsive beauty' that'll make you shudder, even if involuntarily. the aesthetic of this collection allows one to feel awe and disgust at the same time. strange as it is, i cannot help but admire the enigma of her found object creations, as feminine as they are dark.

sparrow skull ring, your journey is never far from home.

fox tooth, for cunning quickness

owl claw, the prophet

meteorology

charlotte burkhart of little sister designs has a beautiful range of handmade acrylic and sterling silver jewellery pieces. her designs are balanced as well as quirky, and chunky without being. each design its own mystical narrative and symbolic quality.

i found her use of materials particularly interesting - she uses anything from antique photos, sterling silver to human hair, bones and teeth, which are, for a jeweller, more precious than diamonds and harder to come across.

'mountain of wisdom'

shield necklace

giant octopus ring

click here to peruse charlotte's catalogue

COVET.

a collection of a few handpicked craft / art /design pieces caught my eye, from etsy.com. the perfect excuse to covet things and wish you had expendable money with which to buy them all.

                                                               natural plywood doily coasters $18.00

                                                     hand stamped sterling silver BRAG bracelet $72.00

                                                               matroyshka pendant necklace $29.00

concept stores and things

in recent years dynamic concept stores have begun to shoot up like wildflowers all over our brimming city. they're lovely places where you can listen to live jazz, or even a shakespeare or poetry reading, admire an art exhibit, drink coffee like a pro hipster, or generally just be trendy among rails of vintage fare and trays of cupcakes wafting beneath your nose.

i came across these little hideaways.

sixty6
66 albert road, woodstock
coffee : artwork : food
http://www.sixty6.co.za/

38special gallery
38 buitenkant street
cape town
studio : gallery: cafe
http://www.38special.co.za/

autumn fish
89 sir lowry rd woodstock
young designers showcase: coffee: pastries

Take some of this today

skermunkil jewellery design studio

skermunkil is a jewellery design label from here in good ol' creative cape town. all of her beautiful pieces are handmade and meticulously designed. creations include silver tweetydoves, golden bambis and love-sparrows. divine.

skermunkil means 'rascal' in afrikaans, as the designs are 'playful and lighthearted.' the concept is the brainchild of designer marietjie beeslaar who uses a range of media, including resin, wood, enamel, silver, gold and perspex. she uses recyclable materials, such as broken crockery, cookie tins and old nickel spoons.

i especially love these cut-out spoons.

 

don't be alarmed

New Work by Kris Chau and Ako Castuera

go home

regenade handmade

beautiful DIY designs and crafts from Chicago.

www.regenadehandmade.com

selection of housewares, jewelry, posters/ prints, plush items, clothing, stationery etc.

imagine a puppet show starring allen ginsberg and his famous "When can I go into the supermarket and buy what I need with my good looks?"

vintage postage stamp ring from algeria

vinyl coin purse with owl design



watercolour



john and yoko felt finger puppets (recyclable material)

anything but disco felt cd cover

brass teaspoon earrings

my friend ned.

i like this concept.
this is a modelling agency 'for individuals and alcoholics/misfits/artists/musicians with personal style.'
it's a little pretency, because, in all honesty, it is a collection of 'cool kids', each of whom want to commodify their image by selling themselves to greater creative circles.
but the idea of profiling a nice range of interesting faces of all shapes/sizes/colours is quite different and makes a change from the usual sallow, unsmiling  entities that grace the runways of europe. 
the photography is fresh and minimal, celebrating the 'ordinary' face (in an ironic sense). 
we also can ignore the fact that this is a typical cape town endeavour to perpetuate hipsterism, because i kinda like it.


my friend ned

exalt

this article was written back in 2009, when the cape town hipster possy was at its prime. Dylan Muhlenberg (whoever he is, he should run for Pres) exposes the pretentious douchery of our city's subverted youth, who bask in irony and live to 'emit vibe long enough for their poses to get flashed in the we-are-awesome famebulb.' they may as well throw parties in the bin, says one comment. this poison makes cevron look docile.

guerilla promotion? chip-shouldered loser complex? pure genius? whichever. it made me laugh quite a bit.

A is for Ageing

for now, i am going to remain on the rim of the city bowl and chuckle to myself at all this pretentious nonsense that remians the predominant discourse of trust-fund kids with spurred tattoo jobs and identity crises.

blazed

i adore blazers. they can be worn casually, with skinny jeans, wedges, tunics or shirt dresses or to jazz up an evening ensemble. blazers are typically uniform garments, but this doesn't mean they can only be worn at yachting regattas, British boarding schools, boy scout initiation or in the airforce. if you're austin powers you can even wear a brightly coloured blazer for that 'swinging london' look. whatever the case, blazers are an essential item for any wardrobe.

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marc by marc jacobs, 'crosstown' jacket








 

this authentic leather bag is from back in the soviet days, and was used to carry around maps, documents, stationary and compasses. circa 1960.

portugese brown suede leather ankle boots, with heel. delicious.

kate wears a tweed blazer in her topshop '7 days of kate' launch.



alaska.

reasons why i want to visit alaska

• alaska has the highest mountain in North America [Mount Denali, at 20 320 feet]
• they have 29 volcanoes
• the world ice carving championship
• the anchorage international film festival
• the largest state in the USA by area.
• Inuits live there
• they have kodiak bears
• their state sport is dog mushing (sled racing, in case you had no idea).
• in alaska no one may tie their pet dog to the roof of their car, by law.
• in juneau, flamingos are not allowed inside barber shops.

don't wear perfume in a garden, for fear of being pollinated by bees.

in spring things start to germinate and grow. for the past few month my garden has become neglected and overgrown, tall alien weeds choking any chance for a young sapling to begin its breaking into sunlit space above ground. living on a sand dune makes gardening and landscaping a little tricky - nothing really grows very lusciously in sandy soil. however, as a green-fingered fool, i found a few creative gardening tricks to make amends for four seasons of neglect.

• use seaweed to nourish the soil. i live near a beach, so this is an ideal compost option.
• other inexpensive compost ideas may be organic matter such as egg shells, crushed seashells, woodcuts, coffee pulp and shredded paper. this is also a good way to recycle.  
• plant perennials, plants which love sandy soil and only need to be planted once a year to be able to survive for several growing seasons. examples of these are wild indigo, purple heart, sage, lily, and cone flower.
• start growing pot plants and herbs indoors, such as parsley, to avoid having to spend money to buy the grown plant.
• add interest and accent to your garden with landscape rocks.
• an old clawfoot bathtub filled with soil can give your garden a rustic, whimsical look. the same can be done with a wheelbarrow.
• cinder blocks stacked in a pyramid can harbour flourishing herbs and flowers. they are inexpensive and easy to come by. you can do the same with old tyres, painted with bright colours.
• grow plants from cuttings, such as hydrangea, lavender, geranium, honeysuckle and azalea.
• make a mosaic with old broken china and use these as finishes to a wall or tabletop, or as paving. find broken china at the china dealer in kalk bay.
• hang coloured bottles from trees in different shapes and sizes to reflect sunlight and produce sounds when chimed together in the wind.
• attract critters. make a bird  bath with an old cake tin, pie pan or clay pot saucer.
• make a garden bench. overturn two planting barrels and bolt a sturdy plank for a seat, to create a simple, comfortable seat so you can sit and admire your work.
• most of these materials can be found at a recycling depot or building site. just ask around.


color up! german vogue editorial, october 2010.

sixties-inspired fashion editorial for October 2010 German Vogue, by Sebastian Kim.
modelled by Suvi Koponen for Color Up!

  the colours are ravishing. retro-proper, ladylike but swingin'. a vibrant revival of the shirt waist dress, lace   mantilla, sleevless A-line and the overblouse.

a tribute to the jackie kennedy decade.