Every Day in May: 1st May

This is my first proper attempt at carved stamps for the Every Day in May challenge. I will be posting something new each day and these are the first! I used Gennine's excellent tutorial which I have posted about before and it is addictively good fun. As Gennine suggested, I used erasers as they are cheap (about 90 cents each in the supermarket) and very easy to carve. The lino cutting tools were purchased at Eckersleys for about $11. So here's an average looking apple, flower and tree. Wheeee!

May Update: New in the Shop!

I'm very excited about these new gift bags in the shop! With matching red and white baker's twine, too!

Dreams of Flying

These photographs make me squeal with delight - I love the idea so much, and sort of wish I had thought of it first. Actually, I kinda want to go and shoot my friends and I doing the same!

All images via here.

Podcast Love II

Image via beech_design

Some time ago I made a list of all my favourite podcasts, and I thought it was high time for an update. I am a bit addicted to podcasts - I listen to them in the car and on my morning walks and think they're the best form of multitasking ever.

A few new favourites to mention upfront. After only finding it a week ago, I am a HUGE fan of the Slate Culture Gabfest. It's a roundtable with the biggest Slate critics, and I already think of them as my friends. Seriously, I have found myself thinking about what they would think of certain things, which is probably just weird. (The Slate Political Gabfest is also excellent, too, and the Audio Book Club and Spoiler Special).

BBC Documentaries is a great resource (the accents get me every time) - a really varied list of different topics and strangely I always enjoy them. Essentially (and not surprisingly) an audio documentary.

ABC Counterpoint - only when I'm feeling perverse! It's the most right-wing Radio National show, and sometimes I like to listen to it and get enraged. I'm sure you'll hate it, but sometimes I like to listen to stuff I disagree with so I don't become too insular.

KCRW's Bookworm - I mentioned this one last time, but it's worth another mention, as it's just too good. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! Tell me you don't want to marry Michael Silverblatt when you listen to his dulcet tones. And the horrendous theme music! It's sensational. Be sure to download the David Foster Wallace tribute.

NPR All Songs Considered Live - amazing live concerts. The Radiohead and the Antony and the Johnsons ones are especially superb.

TED Talks Audio - incredibly interesting and diverse talks by extremely cool people.

That's all for now, but please leave any you like in the comment section, and I'll keep updating.

Every Day in May

Well, I might have lost my mind, but I've decided to join up to Every Day in May - an event where you vow to create something for 31 days straight. Actually, the event is about doing a painting every day, but seeing that I can't paint, I am going to do something crafty or writer-ly* each day.

So I'll be normally posting, but adding a few little crafty endeavours along the way - good motivation, I hope!

*Not my PhD, which, as it happens, I have to do each day anyway!

Honesty Stamps

Aren't these stamps just delightful? I think they'd be a beautiful gift.
All images from dedece via distillate

Home Beautiful

I thought this home was far too good not to re-post. There's just nothing that doesn't jump out at me. The floorboards! The leather chairs! The curvy arches! The mini white circular tiles in the bathroom!

All images.

Dream Home #48779

This house is so perfectly composed. Isn't it too perfect?

Photo Editing

There are few words to express how cool these are. So here they are.

All images via here.

Organising Fever Mark II

Am I the only one who gets excited by the thought of a wrapping paper station? This makes me feel all gooey inside. Ah, to have the space for such a thing.
And despite its hefty price tag, the uten.silo is another perfect organising object of swoon. One day, I say! This suitcase, however, might actually see the light of day if I could make ERF into one.

Image

Fruit and Vegies Say 'Yay'!

These fruit and vegie bags are the cutest alternative to small plastic bags that I've seen. I am a dedicated 'take my own non-plastic bags to the supermarket' kinda gal, but I always cringe at my own hypocrisy when it comes to using small plastic bags for multiple things.

All images from wonderthunder

Ribbon Heaven

Recently I went to the ribbon and paper heaven of Vanderos. These are some photos I took of the showroom. While it's not open to the public (wholesale only, sadly - I went with my Mum), I was so taken by their dizzying array of stock.
I want a room like this in my house of the future - just for wrapping and you know, stroking ribbon.
This candystripe was one of my favourites. I couldn't pick the colour I liked most - there were simply too many to choose from.
It would have been wonderful if they sold the ribbon by the metre, but as it's for suppliers, you have to buy a roll of about 25m of anything. I ended up getting 70m (gah!) of beautiful grey French wrapping paper, which I plan to accessorise with ribbon and other decorations. Swoon.

Giveaway!

Image

The lovely girls at Souzou have just opened up their etsy store of magnificent prints and pretty hairpieces. I was lucky enough to meet Emma recently (who is even more delightful in person) and I'd love for you to check out their new giveaway. Just visit their store, and leave a comment on their blog as to which print you like best - and you could be in the running to have one of your very own!

Jar Obsession

These Japanese pudding jars from good-ness ( a most delightful blog) made me squeal. I have been going through quite a jar-phase - I love collecting glass jars from produce and re-storing other things in them.

Image

I have also found myself gravitating to things in the supermarket with cute or useful-looking jars, too. Does anyone else do that? I always eat the food it contains (!) so it's not too, ahem, crazy.Image.

I have never thought of putting typography on my jars - for now I like looking at the plain, thick glass. But these are pretty superb.

Image

I also need to get more Bonne Maman jam jars, as they (the red and white gingham pattern) look so great here.

Image

Happy Weekend!

Image

Have a delightful weekend, my lovelies! I thought this desk was so pretty that it had to stay with you til Monday. To have a red, dotty drawer like that might solve many of the world's problems.

New Math

Images

Don't Keep Calm and Carry On...

Image

YES!! Voila my two new mantras for these dark and gloomy times. I'm trying to be innovative, upbeat and creative. What are your mantras?

Image