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). 

 

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.

 

gorgeous copenhagen blog :: heart with companion

 

I was searching for the opening hours for our favourite Copenhagen brunch cafe the other day (Kalaset in Nørreport, see last pic below) when I found this wonderful blog in the search results. Tora (Danish) and Scott (Canadian) are living in Copenhagen with their sweet daughter Venus and Heart with Companion is Tora's blog, filled to the brim with beautiful photos of their Copenhagen life and travels to places like Paris, London, Stockholm, Montreal, Seville, Tel Aviv, Berlin, Kiev... These guys really get around!

I loved all the photos, but here are just some of my Copenhagen favourites below. If you are thinking of a trip to Copenhagen, definitely take a look at Tora's blog. She is spot on with her Copenhagen coffee/restaurant/shopping recommendations, you can't go wrong really!

Scott blogs at The Reluctant Banker, lots of gorgeous Copenhagen photos there too!

 

 

 

 

Photography by Tora at Heart with Companion.

 

the british museum :: relics

 

Textile relic bundles (saints and martyrs) from The British Museum. Macabre yet beautiful. Found via lovely blog Le Divan Fumoir Bohémien.

 

 

 

 

Images from The British Museum.

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.

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. 

 

oh my

 

Chocolate cake perfection by Katie Quinn Davies. Katie's blog is one of my favourites. Have you seen it? If not, I highly recommend a visit!

 

Image © Katie Quinn Davies.

 

happy easter

 

Happy Easter dear readers, hope you all have a lovely lovely weekend!

 

Fabulous fabulous rabbity portrait wall by Danielle of ragtales.

 

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.

 

hexagon colourwash quilt

 

In Liberty of London tana lawn, no less. Click on the pic to see the fantastic variety of Liberty fabrics - what a collection!

Made by the very talented Lyndel, a Calico & Ivy customer. There are more pics of this beautiful quilt at the Calico & Ivy blog. Whenever I need a particularly strong dose of creative  inspiration, I just take another (envious!) look at Lyndel's quilt - it never fails!

 

Image from Calico & Ivy.

 

thrift tips by mandy pattullo at thread and thrift

 

Beautiful cloth book made from old quilts by textile artist Mandy Pattullo of lovely blog Thread and Thrift.

Click on the photos to see these beautiful old quilt pieces in more detail.

 

 

 

 

 

Images from Thread and Thrift.

 

gorgeous malmö apartment

 
Below you can see some beautiful shots of the Malmö apartment belonging to Magnus Lundgren of lovely blog Mäster Henriks. His home is featured in the February issue of Swedish mag Antik & Auktion. Hope I can get my hands on a copy, would love to see/read more...

 

Images © Carolina Romare.

 

what katie ate :: lovely food blog

 
Love this blog! If these pics below don't inspire you to get baking, I don't know what will!

 

 

 

 
Images from What Katie Ate. All Images © Katie Quinn Davies.

 

wool revere coat by freemans sporting club

Tired of shapeless, poor quality winter coats that barely last a season, G is on the hunt for the perfect winter coat. I think the Wool Revere Coat from F.S.C. could be THE one. But the price. Oh my.

Or do you think the price is acceptable when you consider that the quality of the fabric and the level of workmanship mean that the coat will probably see you through many many winters?

• Handcrafted by one master tailor
• Constructed on a natural camel and horsehair canvas
• Shell is 100% vintage deadstock English wool
• Hand sewn storm collar held in place with neck tab for warmth
• Twice sewn button holes
• Single back vent
• Bemberg lining throughout
• Custom-made hand cut horn buttons

 

 

 

 

 

Images from Freemans Sporting Club. Found via lovely blog The New Victorian Ruralist.

  

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.

 

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.

 

tirups örtagård

 
A few days ago I read about Tirups Örtagård (Tirups Herb Garden) on a lovely local blog called Mäster Henriks. So yesterday we hopped in the car and headed out to spend what turned out to be a very enjoyable afternoon wandering around the plant nursery, herb gardens and fantastic children's playground. We finished up with cake and coffee in the beautiful gardens - perfect! Thanks to Magnus of Mäster Henriks for the wonderful recommendation!

It was a cool cloudy day here in Skåne yesterday and the garden was a little past its best after the heat of the last few weeks, so the photos I did take are not so blog-worthy - instead here are a few from the Tirups Örtagården website. Enjoy!
 

 

 
Images from Tirups Örtagård.

 

simple

 

Image found via Saint Verde Digest.

 

time for a christmas post

Looking at all the gorgeous Christmas posts on my favourite blogs, it feels like I am letting the team down. Love this tree from wonderful Finnish blog Vintage Living.





Image from Vintage Living.

 

black and white stripes

With flowers. It was a great combination last time too. Image found via lovely blog les fifoles.

And speaking of lovely blogs, I have finally updated my blogroll over in the right-hand column. It's been on the to-do list for ages! Lots of new reads, plus old favourites too. Enjoy!





Image by Anne at les fifoles.

 

boutique hotel sweden: wreta gestgifveri

Located in the small town of Ålberga, this beautiful hotel looks well worth a visit! It would make a great weekend break from Stockholm (Ålberga is about a one and a half hour drive south of Stockholm). I wish it was closer to Malmö though - the five hour drive makes it a bit of a stretch for a weekend visit...

Found via lovely blog Le Voyage Créatif.
 





 

 









Images from Wreta Gestgifveri.

 

frittata of rice, baby zucchini and feta

I hope to try this recipe tonight. Which is quite apt really, since it's from the fabulous food blog Sunday Suppers. If you haven't already, get on over there and take a look at the delicious recipes and mouth-watering photos!

Food styling and photography by Karen Mordechai.


Update: The frittata was delicious, although I did forget to buy cream (I used sour cream instead) and my cooked rice was far too gluggy. Looking forward to trying it again, with perfect rice and the right ingredients!

A word of warning - this was the first time I had made a dish where the frying pan was transferred to the oven, and when I was serving the frittata not long after it had come out of the 205°C/400°F oven, I absentmindedly grabbed the handle. Ouch. My advice would be to wrap a dish towel around the handle as soon as you remove it from the oven.

colour inspiration

From Tinctory. Plant-dyed pleated silk.




Image from Tinctory.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

abandoned boat

The colours in this photograph taken by Margaret at resurrection fern are so beautiful I just couldn't resist posting it. Read the story behind the picture here.
 

Image from resurrection fern.

 

mady dooijes at abundance

I found Mady and her wonderful blog abundance after she left several lovely comments here at sam's notebook. Mady has so many great finds posted on her blog - make sure you have a look at the pictures she posted of Manon Gignoux and her beautiful studio.
 

Image found at abundance.

 

rosendals trädgård

 
Look at this gorgeous place that Chelsea found in Stockholm!
 

 
Images by Chelsea at {frolic!}.

 

twitter birds

Beautiful fabric wall stickers from etsy seller lovemaestore, designed and made in Australia. Found via the lovely blog periwinklebloom, who was found via one of my favourite blogs, follow studio.

Image from lovemaestore.

 

paris apartment

 
Found via malo blogg. The red and white checked floor and green walls are just perfect.
 


 
Image from Marie Claire Maison.

 

colour-happy carrots

 
Lately we have had loads of these carrots in our weekly veggie box delivery. The swedish name is färgglada morötter, which translates literally to colour-happy carrots. Excellent! Of course the correct translation is colourful carrots, but that's not nearly as much fun!
 

Image from Erica Mulherin, who has a lovely blog.

 

les petites emplettes

See? One can never have too many fairy lights or garlands! Like I needed more evidence! Can you believe how gorgeous these rooms are?!

Images from les petites emplettes.

Click on each image to see more detail!

 

featured on: bondville

Thank you to the lovely Steph of Bondville who posted a feature on sam's notebook yesterday! Bondville is one of my daily reads - it's a visual feast and I love Steph's focus on Australian art and design. Pop on over for a visit!

Image from Bondville.

 

rhythm

I saw this image by Hotze Eisma over at lovely blog the seventy tree and it reminded me of how much I miss swimming - I love the rhythm of lap swimming and used to swim almost every day when we lived in Australia. Sydney in particular has so many beautiful outdoor public pools, including this gorgeous one below.




Image from Hotze Eisma.

 

blogging your way: e-course

I've just finished a 4-week blogging course taught by Holly Becker of decor8. The course, called Blogging Your Way, had just over 200 participants! I learnt some valuable blogging lessons, met some really energetic, creative and inspiring bloggers, and on top of all that, found some fantastic blogs to add to my reading list. Because, you know, I have so much time on my hands and don't read enough blogs. Ha.
 

Here are just some of the great blogs* whose authors also participated. Enjoy!

bondville
decor addict
doodlebuds
frozen brooklyn
gathering spriggs
hardaker and pope
ink on my fingers
kireei
lolalina
mama without borders
the read thread
sparkling ink
studio g
sweet eventide
visual notes

* This post was actually part of our final homework assignment, and we were only supposed to list five blogs. And we were supposed to say a little about each blog. Which is perhaps why Holly suggested listing only five blogs. Oooops.

Image by Holly Becker.

 

inspiration board latest addition

From Studio Violet. Such a fun shot of Camilla and Elizabeth!

more detail here

 

ragged roses

A lovely (new to me) blog and etsy shop. I love these vintage seed packet lavender sachets.

Image from Ragged Roses.

 

the swing set

By Montreal-based freelance photographer Irene Suchocki. Irene blogs here and you can also find her on etsy and flickr.

Image from isphotography.

 

thanks + welcome

A big thanks to Kim and Jo at Desire to Inspire for including me in their Easter holiday reading guide!

And if you have just arrived from Desire to Inspire (or anywhere else for that matter!) - welcome!

 

what a racket

I love the work of Racket, an independent design studio based in Melbourne, Australia. Paul Mosig and Rachel Peachy are the brains behind Racket and have a background in visual arts, graphic design and human ecology. Both Paul and Rachel are accomplished multimedia artists, with interests in sustainable practice, community engagement and cultural development.

I have found some amazing artists and links via their blog, be sure to check it out!
 

Images from Racket.

 

every now and then

You know how it is. So many lovely blogs to looks at. Sometimes you just can't keep up and it's all just too overwhelming. You find yourself almost mindlessly skimming, even the favourites.

But then you see something, just every now and then, that takes your breath away.

I hope Jess continues with this project.

Image from lobster and swan.

 

gorgeous kitchen

Look at this gorgeous kitchen! It belongs to Australian textile designer Daniella Moore. I love the small groupings of blue crockery on the open shelves!

Found via new blog it followed me home (and look - here is someone else with an eye for the good finds on ebay).

Image from The Age: Melbourne Magazine via it followed me home.

 

follow studio

I have a new favourite blog and I just have to ask - why can't I find stuff like this on ebay????

 

Image from ebay via follow studio.

 

sarah hardaker

I love love love the paisley fabrics you find on old eiderdowns, and I was thrilled when I finally got hold of one years ago (via ebay I think). But the dust that flies up every time we touch the quilt is not good.

So I was quite excited this morning when I found these lovely new paisley fabrics from Sarah Hardaker. But which one to choose?!

Found via Sarah and Jo's lovely blog hardaker & pope.
 

Images from Sarah Hardaker.

 

my new favourite blog

Bientôt Demain. Just in case you missed the three earlier posts...

I'm going to send you straight over there now, instead of just reposting her wonderful finds!

 

look

Wow.
 

By Hélène Manche. Found via Bientôt Demain.


More from Hélène:

 

 

 

 

Images from Hélène Manche.