sam's notebook

the enchanting world of miss clara

 

Laëtitia and Philippe Rissetto of e-magDECO have put together a wonderful article about the magical home of designer/illustrator Claire Guiral (also known as Miss Clara). Claire's enchanting world is a beautiful 1897 townhouse in the centre of Bordeaux which she shares with husband Philippe and son Philémon.

You can read the article (it's in French - thank goodness for Google translate!) and see many many more photos of this utterly charming house right here on e-magDECO.

If you still want to see and read more about Miss Clara, Claire also has a lovely blog and portfolio website - but be prepared to spend quite a bit of time looking around!

Found via Le Divan Fumoir Bohémien.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Styling and photography by Laëtitia Rissetto of e-magDECO.
Photographs courtesy of e-magDECO (used with permission). 

 

tabitha kyoko moses :: bride groom

 

I wish I could write as eloquently as others have about the moving work of English artist Tabitha Kyoko Moses. Her poetic, magical and sometimes disturbing work deserves much better prose than I can possibly come up with.

Vintage textiles, vintage and found objects, and even human hair feature prominently, materials which (in Tabitha's words) bear the weight of memory and the marks of time. Rememberance and overlooked objects, places and people are recurring themes in her beautiful work, which you can see much more of on her website right here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Images 1 - 3
Bride
2007
Vintage fabrics, thread, plastic, wire, bits and bobs

Images 4 - 6
Groom
2007
Vintage fabrics, thread, plastic, wire, bits and bobs 

Images by Ben Blackall.

 

yoshie's 2012 calendar

 

Gorgeous 2012 calendar from one of my favourite illustrators, Yoshie. You can purchase the calendar here - does anybody have any hints on navigating through a Japanese shopping site???

 

 

Images from yoshie's blog.

 

he and she :: gražvyda andrijauskaitė

 

I've been meaning to post about this wonderful print ever since I purchased it way back in April. It's by Lithuanian printmaker Gražvyda Andrijauskaitė and I can tell you it is even more beautiful in person. The print is only 10 x 10 cm but the detail is really incredible.

When I bought the print from Gražvyda online, she mentioned she was having an exhibition in Sweden in late April/early May. Now Sweden is not a small country, so it was a nice surprise to find out that the gallery (Galleri Tapper-Popermajer) was not too far from Malmö. Grant and I made vague plans to go see the exhibition. 

Over the Easter weekend we were out in the countryside when Grant got a call from one of his best friends, Rikard. Rikard was at his cousin's art gallery, and was chatting away with the exhibiting artist who, when she found out he was from Malmö, asked if he knew an Australian called Samantha who also lived in Malmö.

Talk about a small world! We headed over to the beautiful old station house in Teckomatorp where Galleri Tapper-Popermajer is located, and not only did we get to see the exhibition, we also got to meet the lovely Gražvyda and her partner who were in Sweden for the weekend.  I love it when unexpected things like that happen!

You can read more about Gražvyda and see more of her beautiful artwork on her website here.

 

He and She
2010
10 x 10 cm 
Mixed technique  

Image from Grazvyda on etsy.

julie arkell workshop, september 2011

 

Some pics from a fabulous six days in the south of France. Wonderful friends (new and old), wonderful food and wine, a wonderful house and garden, and a wonderfully talented and inspiring teacher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Images by me.

 

abigail brown: match box birds

 

Not a new find, but these sweet little birds below by the incredibly talented textile artist Abigail Brown are giving me a much-needed dose of colour inspiration on this grey dark stormy Malmö morning.

 

Images from Abigail Brown. 

 

mandy pattullo: remember me

 

Look at these beautiful paper flowers by Mandy Pattullo of Thread and Thrift. Aren't they lovely? Made from old letters, crepe paper and pages from Tennyson's "In Memoriam", the flowers are part of a piece by Mandy titled "Remember Me". You can read more about this project on Mandy's blog here.

 

 

Images from Thread and Thrift.

do you mind if i knit

 

While we are on the topic of lovely papier mache creatures (see yesterday's post on Julie Arkell), some weeks ago I found a wonderful blog called do you mind if i knit, written by artist and illustrator Vanessa Cabban. Now this is not a new blog, so I wonder why it took me so long to find it????

Reading Vanessa's blog is like sitting down to a nice cup of tea and a chat with an old friend. I love her papier mache creatures (which she makes in this beautiful studio), she posts a tonne of photos from her open garden visits around her little corner of England (love those posts almost as much as her papier mache posts), and she has a hilarious Miniature Dachshund called Douglas who pops up regularly on the blog. 

Here is one of Vanessa's wonderful creations below (Sir Henry Brambles) - you can see more on her blog, and she sells on etsy too! Make sure you keep an eye out for Audrey and Happy Louise. They are fabulous!

 

Image from do you mind if i knit.

making magazine: julie arkell interview

 

For those of you who love Julie Arkell and don't already know about it, there is a lovely article about her in the current issue of Making magazine. Thanks to my gorgeous friend Clare in Wales who gave me the heads up, I managed to track down a copy in Malmö. Thanks Clare!

 

Photo by Tim Clinch.

 

a beautiful australian cottage

 

A few weeks ago, Pia Jane Bijkerk posted about this lovely weatherboard cottage in Newcastle, Australia. Built in 1918, it still retains many of the beautiful original features like wooden floorboards, decorative plasterwork on the ceilings and gorgeous wooden window frames. My favourite shot is this one of the kitchen below.

You can see more photos at the Country Living (Australia) website here, and here you can read about the artistic couple that call this wonderful house home, Nicola Hensel and John Turier.

 

Photography by Sharyn Cairns for Country Style.
Styling by Geraldine Munoz for Country Style.
Found via Pia Jane Bijkerk. 

 

lesley dill: wire sculpture

 

Incredible wire sculptures by US artist Lesley Dill. Made from wire, thread, cloth and gold-leaf. These are just so delicate and beautiful...

homage to frida kahlo

 

a spider sewed at night
 

 
Images from Lesley Dill.

 

colour inspiration: pink + yellow 3

 

 

 

 

 

1. Avril
2. Judith Geher, Spring Cloak
3. Velvet Ribbon

fabric mushrooms by lyndie dourthe

 

Love love love these! Lyndie Dourthe blogs here, it's well worth a look - filled with wonderful photos of her work and inspirations. 

 

 

Images from Lyndie Dourthe.

 

mari fray foster: quilted jewelry, heirloom series

 

Look at these beautiful necklaces! Made by jeweler Mari Fray Foster using antique quilt blocks, 1930s reproduction fabrics, quilt batting and embroidery floss.

You can read more about Mari's amazing work on her blog Mari Makes. There are some wonderful "in progress" shots of her work which I really enjoyed - I love it when I get to have a peek into a favourite artist's creative processes.

You can also find Mari on etsy and flickr!

 

 

 

 

  

Images from Mari Makes.

 

jon claytor, there is no place

 

More creative/colour inspiration, this time from Canadian artist Jon Claytor. The untitled piece below is from a 2005 exhibition, There is No Place, at Toronto's Ingram Gallery.

I read in an (old) interview with Claytor that he does not become emotionally attached to his work or miss it when it is sold, but his children used to. In particular, his youngest daughter would cry as work was loaded onto the truck for shipping, especially when a painting featured her brother or sister. Heartbreaking, but wonderful that she was so aware and appreciative of her dad's work!

 

untitled, oil on canvas, 2005

Image from Jon Claytor.

Found via Susan Mitchell on pinterest.

 

the vintage fairy tales meets big brother

 
A few weeks  before Christmas I noticed Charlie carrying around three small dolls in a plain old shoe box (she called it their bedroom) and it gave me an idea to make her a dollhouse (or at least a doll "room"!) for Christmas. Inspired by this, this, this and this, I found just the right sized box and had loads of fun making a bedroom for the three small dolls. 

My über-talented friend Becky borrowed the finished room for a photo shoot, you can see a few photos below, but you really really really MUST go and visit the Vintage Fairy Tales for the full story!

 

Photos by Rebecka Ryberg Skott.

 

late

 

I've been meaning to post this photo for ages.

I love this photo for so many reasons. The sweet peas (my favourite) were from Grant and Charlie, the gorgeous little painting (by Bridget is Painting) was a Christmas present from Grant, and the photo was taken by my dear friend Becky at afternoon tea at our place on my birthday in April. Most of our closest friends were there, and this little photo is a lovely reminder of that lovely afternoon! 

 

Image by Becky.

 

tony hornecker :: the pale blue door

 

Part underground restaurant, part art installation, The Pale Blue Door is a travelling fairytale restaurant with loads of attitude. Read more about The Pale Blue Door and British set designer Tony Hornecker here, here and here, and see more pics here.

Wish something like this would come to my neck of the woods!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Images by Manuel Vazquez.

 

nora rochel

 

This necklace by German jewelry designer Nora Rochel is just incredible. Made of whitened silver, the detail is unbelievable.

 

 

Images from Nora Rochel.

 

ragtales :: a new shop on etsy

 
Danielle of Ragtales has finally opened up an etsy shop! Those of us who know Danielle's work have been waiting some time for this!

I purchased one of Danielle's beaded, silk wrapped twisted cord bracelets, and let me tell you, it is even more beautiful in person.

 

Image from Ragtales on etsy.

 

she made wings of love letters and cherry blossoms

Another absolutely beautiful print from Amanda Blake. Click on the image to get a better view! 

 

Image from thisisalliknow (Amanda Blake) on etsy.

 

chloé rémiat: la genèse d'une image

From sketch to final composition, by French illustrator Chloé Rémiat.
 

 
Images from Chloé Rémiat's blog, ti'bout.

 

apolline et atelier midi à 14h

 
Postcards from Apolline à Paris and atelier Midi à 14h! How beautiful are these????
 

 
 
Images from la Marelle Editions.
 

yoshie

 
Grab a cup of coffee (or tea!) and take some time to check out the gorgeous website and blog of Japanese illustrator Yoshie.
 

From yoshie’s travel diary
”yoshie's favorite goods in British House”
Pen, colour pencil on paper 2009
 



Fabric illustration for cinema
“Je M’appelle Elisabeth” Japan campaign
Scraps of fabric, stitch, acrylic etc on cloth 2008
 

Images from yoshie official website.
 

hen's teeth

 
Yesterday's post about British jewellery designer Jo Pond reminded me of this wonderful piece (first pic) from Viv of Hen's Teeth which I have had in my bookmarks forever. I love the combination of the old tin, the found objects and the beautiful stitching.

Then today while browsing Viv's photostream on flickr I found the gorgeous heart brooch in the lower pic, a more recent piece from Viv. Love it!
 

 
Images from Hen's Teeth on flickr.

 

jo pond: jewellery designer

 
Some beautiful pieces from UK jewellery designer Jo Pond. Found via lovely blog my black book.

 

tin with brush and locket

 

book cover brooch with found metal

 

book cover brooch with collection plate

Images from Jo Pond.

 

janet hill studio

Gorgeous painting by Canadian artist Janet Hill. Can't seem to get enough of these colours right now!
 

Image from Janet Hill Studio.

 

penny leaver green

 
Beautiful sewn pictures made from vintage fabrics and threads and found objects, by UK textile artist Penny Leaver Green.
 

 
 

Image from Penny Leaver Green on flickr.
 

frédérique bertrand

French artist and illustrator. Found while browsing the stunningly beautiful children's books at Le Bon Marché in Paris this summer. More here. 

























Images from Frédérique Bertrand.

 

line juhl hansen

Quite a few cafes in Copenhagen have those racks of free advertising postcards, and I know G is sick to death of me carting them home (more clutter, he says...), but every now and then you can find some really beautiful ones. It was on one of these free postcards that I found Danish artist Line Juhl Hansen. Love this painting by Line below!





Image from Line Juhl Hansen.

 

time for another doll

By Sveta Dresher. I would dearly love to know where Sveta buys her fabric!
 




Image from Sveta Dresher.

 

juicy tomatoes

Fabulous bold fabric design by Susy Pilgrim Waters. The perfect antidote to the grey outside my window.
 

Image from Susy Pilgrim Waters.

 

and i walked

Sixty-six metres of printed tape by Rob Ryan. Fantastic.





Image from Rob Ryan on etsy.

 

colour inspiration

From Tinctory. Plant-dyed pleated silk.




Image from Tinctory.

 

new york new york

Look who is having an exhibition in New York!
 






Images by Rebecka Ryberg Skött at Vintage Fairy Tales.

 

rose rabbit has a new rabbity friend

Meet Rabbity Friend. By Cathy Cullis. Beautiful workmanship, gorgeous fabrics, and what a personality! Just recently moved from London to Malmö. Will miss Octavia.

Rabbity  friend  is a folk art textile  doll... very much inspired by
old primitive dolls of the past.

Rabbity  has  a  linen  body  with a  pinched nose  and  stitched
features. Her ears are wool felt. Her arms are simple  stitched
to  her  shoulders  and  can  be  moved, arranged  in  different
poses.  Her  legs are button jointed, allowing Rabbity to sit or
stand. She can sit quite nicely without being propped.

Her skirt is  made using  hand dyed  cotton  muslin. Her bodice
is  made  using a vintage  silk handkerchief.  She has  mustard
yellow patterned cotton legs. Hand stitch detailing on this doll
lends a true hand-made feel.

This doll measures 26cm tall approx. including ears.

Image and Rabbity Friend description from Cathy Cullis.

 

bridget is painting

More beautiful work by French painter Bridget Couc here.


 

Image from Bridget is Painting.

 

bibliothèque nationale de france: virtual exhibitions

I had a wonderful time this evening exploring the virtual exhibitions at Bibliothèque nationale de France. If you head over there, be prepared to stay a while!

Found via my new favourite blog, Le Divan Fumoir Bohémien.


 

Robert Doisneau, Le sculpteur.
Image from Bibliothèque nationale de France.

 

j. morgan puett

more

Image from J. Morgan Puett.

 

kristin vestgård

A big thank you to the lovely Danielle at Ragtales for introducing me to the magical artwork of Norwegian painter Kristin Vestgård. Danielle (who I met at a Julie Arkell workshop in France this summer) featured Kristin's work a few days ago, and I am so smitten I want to show Kristin's work here on sam's notebook too. Don't miss Kristin's website, there are many many more examples of her stunning work.

to all my grandmothers
oil on canvas, 2005

meet the day
oil on canvas, 2005

battleship
oil on canvas, 2006

Images from Kristin Vestgård.

 

jessie chorley

Altered and handmade books by Jessie Chorley. See more here and here.
 

Images from jessie chorley.

 

surprise

While I was away at the Julie Arkell workshop in July, I received a surprise package in the post from the lovely Sarah of Hardaker and Pope. Sarah put together a wonderful assortment of vintage fabrics and papers for me to use during the workshop, and she also included the gorgeous bag in the pic below. The fabric is the natural & rose colourway from Sarah's Vintage Paisley range, and it is just as beautiful in person as it looks here. Thank you so much Sarah!

This amazing photo was styled and taken by Rebecka Ryberg Skött (of Vintage Fairy Tales) in the grounds of Briançon where the workshop was held. Thanks Becky! Rose Rabbit on the front of the bag is by Julie Arkell - Rose Rabbit now lives with me in Malmö, and Taylor, I promise you I am looking after her very well! The little guy peeking out the top of the bag was made by Rebecka Ryberg Skött.

The photo looks even better when you view the bigger version!

Image by Rebecka Ryberg Skött.

 

apolline à paris

By Apolline à Paris. Gorgeous.
 

Image from lili et nene.

 

shane waltener: auntie peggy has departed

 
Crocheted cobwebs. Found via the red thread.

 


 


 
Images from Shane Waltener.

 

julie arkell workshop 2009

Here are some photos from a wonderful six days spent creating with thirteen fabulous women from around the world (meet them all here). Imagine all these crazy funny friendly awesome creative women combined with a gorgeous setting, amazing hosts, fantastic food and wine, French flea markets, and an incredibly talented and inspiring artist generously sharing her creative thoughts and processes. What more could a girl want?

You can click on each picture for a better view!

the lovely Julie Arkell:

our creations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

our flea market finds:

all of us:

 

All images by me.

 

vintage fairy tales at mellby klockargården

Becky is having an exhibition! Vintage Fairy Tales at Mellby Klockargård, Kivik. Starting June 27.

Wish we could make the opening Becky, but we will visit soon!
 


 
 

 

Images by Rebecka Ryberg Skött.

 

jill & matt met at work

Great wedding invite! Typeset and screenprinted by the groom, Matthew Dorfman.

Found via RIFLE. Who was found via It Followed Me Home.

 


Image from Metalmother.

 

rebecka ryberg skött: vintage fairy tales

I am really excited about today's post because not only do I get to introduce the lovely new blog Vintage Fairy Tales, it also happens to belong to a very talented artist who is a dear friend of mine!

Rebecka Ryberg Skött (or Becky as we know her!) is a mixed media artist working primarily with photography. She is also a compulsive collector and has an incredible collection of vintage dolls which often feature in her awesome work. 

Go and visit Becky at Vintage Fairy Tales, and be sure not to miss the gallery pages!

















Becky and I met purely by chance and then bonded over a shared love of British artist Julie Arkell. Last summer I attended a workshop that Julie gave in France. It was held in a beautiful house in a beautiful area of south west France and I had an amazing time with a group of fabulously friendly and creative women.

I returned to Malmö bursting at the seams with excitement. Poor G listened so patiently and attentively to my endless stories about Julie, the workshop, my classmates, the house, the garden, the food, the wine, the second hand shops... You get the picture! Most of our friends, I suspect, didn't really understand my "craft" weekend away, and so my audience stagnated at a grand total of one (thanks G).

A few weeks after the course we were in our favourite cafe while a new photographic exhibition was being installed. G and I instantly fell in love with the photographs, and there was just something in the colours and the worn, almost threadbare, appearance of the subjects (so obviously collected with love), that reminded me of Julie Arkell's work. I struck up a conversation with Becky (something I almost never do) and asked her if she knew of Julie. Of course she did, and had known of her work and been deeply inspired by her for many years.

Becky was so excited when I told her I was just back from the workshop, and at last, my audience grew - Becky wanted to hear all about the workshop and I happily obliged! We agreed to meet for coffee a few days later, and the rest is history! We quickly learned that we follow many of the same blogs, love the same websites, and even better, that we live on the same street, only a few hundred meters apart!

And on July 1, we will go to this workshop together. Can't wait!
 

Images from Vintage Fairy Tales.

 

sonja ahlers

Sonja Ahlers is a Canadian artist and writer. She has the best artist bio I've ever read. She blogs here. She sells fierce bunnies on etsy. She was almost in Vogue.

Images from Sonja Ahlers.

 

chocolate twig saved

Only 70 more sleeps to go Becky!

Image of brooches by Julie Arkell from Earth Angels Toys.