Refreshed

We are crafting away in full speed towards the upcoming fairs... More posting on that later, surely. Apart from that, the week was a wild and full one, hmmm when is it ever not so?
I'd like to share some beautiful images that have been very inspiring for me lately. My weekend is about to begin, the images allow me to pause and be still and admire. And they refresh me somehow. I seem to be drawn to geometric and intricate print... To bold and sparkly.

We live in such a tiny townhouse. One of those super functional (but rather appealing design) late sixties-'boxes'. Most times a mess, ah always cozy I guess... It is our home and it feels so good. Here is my favorite corner (some cards and prints from friends but mostly from Oma and Vake -Lievie's grandparents in Belgium on the sideboard). Not tidy, but happy.



Browsing in this attractive chunky book 'Sample (100 fashion designers - 10 curators) Cuttings from Contemporary Fashion', I gaze at

blogs-cherie Mina Perhonen (shirt-skirt spring/summer 2003)

and French 'joli retour au modernisme' by Yvan Mispelaere (spring/summer 2004)

Skipping and hopping from this Etsy-favorite to that, I am rewarded richly at Thriftypyg with stunning retro-fabrics, :

Wild giraffe aw!

this one. oh sweet orange. without a doubt my darling
for its Bauhausy-allure

And, here is a blog that I simply adore : Izakoo.

As always respectful photo and other credits to the author.

Iza is a sparkly girl in hong Kong, Alliot captures her magic... when I showed Lieveke some of Iza's photo's, she yelped with excitement 'ohhhh funnnn' (she was looking at Iza in the dotted orange pants - gosh yeah it is funnnnnn!!!). I really enjoy the crisp and clean-cut modernist approach, the contrasts of stern black and stone with vibrant shocking pinks, reds, blues... Iza is gorgeous, her dress superb, her activities lively and so much more! Alliot's wonderful photography finds a delicate balance between color and light, her style oozes confidence, her interests are vast and creative. In 'Izakoo' she writes frankly and heart-warmingly about growing up with Iza. I shed a few tears, yup. Thank you so Alliot for your lovely inspiration (and graceful ok).

There,
I really hope you'll feel the sparkle too
rock your weekend (softly in a rocking- chair if that's what does it for ya)!
-Lies

when you want to find us, we're always around

Anemone crafts is spreading out a bit more, and I am happy to see the growth. Having our things in OUI shop this year has been one of those steps out, and this week we walked a little further, all the way to south Auckland.

Our gear is now in Pakuranga's Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts. No, we are not getting all high brow on you, we're just in the shop alongside other NZ designers and crafters, such as jelly bones and antifashion league. What an honour! So if you are there, look out for our bags, pinnies, little wabbits, and collage cards and more.

Another new place you can find us is KRAFTBOMB. We are looking forward to this brand spanking new fair which will run at the end of this month! I will be talking more about this so consider this just your first dose. For more details they are here.

And we just got confirmation that we will be at the next craftwerk (a week thursday!) so we are busy busy busy and happy happy happy. Lies posted their flier earlier, but this other one is worth seeing too .

With all this craft action coming up, I have been in the studio working and discovering new ways of getting R.S.I.
One way to cause repetitive stress injury is to try tracing, cutting, and folding 50 envelopes in one afternoon power session. But its all worth is when I look at this pretty stack of completed envelopes. Imagine all these old pages from books would have just been thrown out! but now they have a second life. hmmm its craft poetry, I tells ya.

Here also are some cards I have made:





This set of cards uses images from my favourite outsider artist Henry Darger. Maybe this is causing you long time readers to roll your eyes for I have gushed about my love for Darger in the past probably more than once. But if this is news to you and you want to see more go here. and if you want to know more, go here.


Another arist I am charmed with is Yeondoo Jung who stages photographs based on childrens drawings, I had seen his work a while back but Helen of stripy socks reminded me again the other day, thanks. He has a whole series of these called Wonderland and some are simply magical. so check him out here.

I think its important to do 'just for fun' projects as well and in that spirit I made these peasant tops for my 2 and a half year old niece. My brother is finally getting to see her more regularily so I wanted Ella to have a some fun clothes to wear at his house. They are not pink and are not endorsed by cartoon celebrities -yeah a break from what she usually wears at her other house. (*for the record I am not against pink or totally against cartoon clothes, kids love that stuff, you just need a bit of variety, right?)

Thanks to lies for letting me borrow her custom pattern and also to little lieveke who kindly let me try them on her and said, "I think ella will like it" what a sweet muffin!

I leave you with this battered business card I found in my stash, it was printed by an artist friend of mine a few years back, and is, at my best guess, an ironic gesture. But a very beautiful one. The back is blank aside from her name, kate newby.

bye!
-k

the winners are.....

I was so excited to do this post but Blogger is not letting me upload pictures today, and I so want to dazzle you with images. What good is a post without pictures? Lies is correct, we are on a craft making spree and we have much to share at the moment but I can't do it, DRAT! (stomps foot). Okay hissy fit over.

Since the text is working, I can still announce the winners of the paper doll draw. That's the more exciting thing anyway. Thanks again for everyone for your comments, I enjoyed each and everyone!

To save myself for writing out 42 numbers on scraps of paper, I used an online random number picker and it chose numbers 6 33 18 21 and 28.

congratulations to:
6: Jannelle from Heartfelt who will get Clover
33: Calee who will get Daisy
18: Kristin82 who will get Daisy
21: Liv from Lillysmakebelive who will get Daisy
28: Claudia who will get Daisy

Daisy was a popular doll! Or maybe the random number generator has a secret bias towards daisy loving contestants :). Thanks again to everyone for playing, if you totally missed out this time, we will do more giveaways in the future. For those winners, please email me at
anemone (dot) craft@gmail (dot) com
with your name and address, and I will get these Dolls in the post to you soon. Also winners please leave a comment here as well so I know you saw this :)

Cheers! I will get back later in the week with pretty pictures, just as soon as blogger sorts itself out. Have a good one and keep well.
-k

Works of craft...

Yes friends, good times are ahead :

If you happen to be in the hood, don't miss! I'm busily crafting (like Kimberlee), to get things ready. Here is a preview of new girly skirts (a little batch might even end up in the Etsy, shhh). I used some sweet Olympus bubbles with an Echino rim. The fun new Echino fabric gives the skirts a patchwork look. And Lieveke was happy to model! In the first photo she wears a 'Liberty -red pepper'-top that was my second ever sewing project. The fabric is one of my all time favorites, so funky and different. I didn't have a sewing machine back then (didn't even know how to work one even!) and so I handstitched the whole thing. It took for ever, but this 'nice-'n-slow-method' did teach me a thing or two about piecing together a garment. Lievie has been wearing it for a good 2 years now (!). Well worth a few handstitches eh.




Showing at the OUI wall, now for the last week, an amazing collection of fantastic tea-cozies! The few times when I was doing a shift in the shop this month, certain people actually dashed in and plonked this or that cozy on their kids heads, thinking oh cute and warm! Ha ha I know they do look so appealing. The cozies are definitely cozies and not for sale, some of them are very very old (two from the 1930's - that is ancient in NZ!).

And as for the last 'work of craft', I'm proud to say that I got the formidable overlocker on the go (wheehee) and made two cross-over merino dresses for Lieveke. Yes. I am dead proud. Merino knit, dear people. The stuff I thought I'd never be able to handle, let alone sew with. Merino. And the dresses fit. And don't fall appart. Gah!



Hey -I think tomorrow the talented and versatile Joshi -Kimberlee's sweet little dog, is going to draw names from his little hat for Kimberlee's fab paper dolls. I've been training Josh all week ('no hon draw, not lick, no not munch, nooo....'). If ya still wanna be in, quickly comment, do! (And thanks for commenting all ye others!)

And have a gentle start of the week.
-Lies

THANKS!

Hi!

Well it has been delightful reading all the comments about my last post, and I am truly honoured by enthusiastic reception the dolls received. It was especially fun reading from those first timers and checking out new (to me) blogs. thanks again Luke for making the game, (I am already thinking of new anemone games for him to build!)

For those of you who would still like to get in for the draw, you have until next week. Just check out the previous post and leave a comment.

Little Wabbits

*UPDATE wabbits are in the shop along with NEW PINNIES and GATHERED TOPS from lies

A craft BOMB has gone off in my place. I am getting ready for craftwerk, working towards a etsy update, making things for the te tuhi shop, and getting ready for a new auckland based craft fair that should be starting up soon.

I will release details about the new fair when I am more sure of whats happening. Lets just say its going to be GOOD.

Thus far I have made this pack of rabbits. These little guys are only 20x12 cm and $10 each. I may put some in our etsy. (*update: yes I did)

(wait that doesn't sound right, a pack of rabbits?.... let me educate myself with google. Here are come good animal colelctives: a murder of ravens, a seething of eels, a mob of emus, a company of foxes. But for rabbits take your pick:a burry, a colony, a cirlce, a trace of rabbits. Do these sound right to you? correct me please.) at any rate, I have a lot of wabbits now.

Including these big guys who are going to Te Tuhi.

and these bags (which still need to be ironed, hence the crop shots).

But with all this crafting and doll making output, it is surely time to give credit to my input. Sometimes its hard to track influences because they are everywhere, but the other day I was frolicking through google images when I found this!


Sweedish textile designer Malin Björklund really knocked my socks off with this hand painted wallpaper from her 2006 collection. There are many many great things on her website, so check it out here.

That beautiful wallpaper made me want to try my own version (above). Its definitely not as elegant or detailed as Malin Björklund's work but it was a worthwhile experiment. Something about hand painting simple patterns made me feel like a kid again, just moving and feeling with out judgement or analysis. Anyway my wallpaper served its purpose as the backdrop of the paperdolls game. maybe some of you spotted it?

okay this post has gotten away from me. ramble ramble.

hope you are all well

-k

****GIVE AWAY! GIVE AWAY!*******

Well I have finally done it! my quest to make paper dolls is finished, and it has been a long but fun journey. It really started here with my grandmothers death, so this in a way honours her.

The paper dolls are illustrated by me and the collage clothes are based on Lies' designs and fabrics. I see this as a natural joining of illustration and craft in a way that makes me quite happy.

Each set contains one doll, three outfits, and a friend. You can cut them out and dress them up creating your own anemone fashion world.








I don't intend to sell these but I DO WANT TO GIVE THEM AWAY! so if you are interested, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT, including your name and which doll you like, and on Tuesday AUGUST 5 I will draw 5 names for a hat. And who knows what other goodies may find their way into your parcel!

but folks, that is not all! my husband and I have been labouring away (okay luke has been doing most of the labouring on this part) to bring you this game which simulates playing with paper dolls.
WANT TO PLAY PAPER DOLLS? of course you do!


You can choose from one of three characters, mix and match outfits, and select a friend before printing your creation. *click the yellow arrow to make the magic happen

I really hope you all enjoy this because I had such good time dreaming, brainstorming, and creating these dolls. And don't be shy, leave a comment! you must be in to win :)

-kimberlee

Treats!

Hi friends! It's been a wee while since I blogged... I've really no excuse, I've been having a too good a time!

First of, we're having a grand film-festival here in Auckie and Me and my Scatterbrain had to go and book FIVE movie-treats in a row, not realising that if I was out every night last week, I wouldn't have time left for anything else as nighttimes are usually my only windows of opportunity for sewing and blogging.
Well I did see incredible stuff! Please see if you can catch these in your cinema - rather than rating them for you, I'll just give you a highly personal little blurb on these truly outstanding films. Here we go:

• Rubbings from a live man : this tremendous feature doco was made by our friend director Florian Habicht, about local cabaret extravaganza mister Warwick Broadhead. Colorful, uncompromised, human, deep, lucid. Splendid. We are very proud of Florian and his whole team. My friend dear friend Tess is in it and also Immogen from Craftwerk. A wonderful extraordinary work of art this film.

• Le silence de Lorna : with this my compatriots brothers d'Ardenne have made their third hyper-realist drama feature. Ugly things are not hidden in Belgium at it's wettest. But then humans err, everywhere. Perhaps that's why this edgy film got a Palme'd'Or for best screenplay. The leading actress is out of this world, so strong!

• Le voyage du ballon rouge : if once as a kid you saw the 1957 'Ballon rouge' (as I did many times) you wouldn't wanna miss out on the sequel (and first of a new trilogy) 'Voyage'. Add to that a soft spot for Juliette Binoche (guilty) and you 'll love this one to bits. Yes I did. It was almost as if I smelled Paris (tu me manques!) and la Binoche was masterly -with bleached hair ah!- at 'puppeteering' the worries in the life of a parent...

• Alexandra : incredible masterpiece, true to the tradition of Tolstoy and Tarkowski. Who else but Russian marvel Sokurov can set the Odyssey in a small closed in space (war in its most masculin form : a dusty Russian army-camp somewhere in neverland) and roam with lyrical melancholy (the wanderings and love of a pacifist grandmother for her soldier grandson). I like the way Sokurov explains nothing. Follow your heart.

• Buddha collapsed with shame : I'm an ardent fan of the Iranian director's clan Makhmalbaf (father, daughters Samira and now Hannah). They manage to show life as it simply is in worlds of which we often have misconstrued (media-fed) notions. Hannah shows us the dreams and woes of a little girl, trying to go to school, in the ruins of the Taliban-distroyed- great- Buddha's of Bamiyan, Afganistan.

But hold on, I was also treated to a lovely big envelope in my mailbox. Out came two fantastic artworks by our Australian blog-budette Victoria! How swell! Thanks for your generous gifts V. They look even better in the real, wow. And the humor of them is so refreshing! Victoria did a work on kangaroos in her veggie-garden recently, which I thought was completely out of this world. Not only because of the unusual and hilarious choice of topic (although it must have been a disaster apparently), but to an urbanised little Belgian like me -it IS unreal!




And then, there was that other Treat, with a capital T. My friend Loulou lent me her Overlocker. How. Massive. Except that I was able to overlock for about 2 minutes and then I mucked it all up by re-threading the marvelous machine in a thousand wrong ways. I think only Nobel-prize scientists are able to hack the dark secrets of The Overlocker. I have been re-threading for 2 nights in a row now. But I'm not giving up. Yet. I. Must. And will. Overlock.

'we shall overcome' (hummed with a pathetic lustfulness)

And so I decided to revert to well known territory. I made these two pinnies on my plain but darlingly cooperative sewing-machine. This Friday in the Etsy, the 'happy chick' pinnies.


That's all!
See you soon X
-Lies