today's headlines - modamuse #5

today's headlines - modamuse #5, originally uploaded by tutti fruiti.

Information addicts like myself, are amused by typeface and all things referencing information itself. That's why I love this pillow by Tutti Fruiti. Im a fan of charcoal shades of gray as well. Its a love cushion that isn't too floaty or overly femme.

Violet Eyes

Violet Eyes, originally uploaded by Guru Creations-Wendy lee.

Its staring at me. *stare stare stare*

Not sure whether I would want this to wear, or to pull out during those meetings that you have with particularly painful office types and go, "See here? My EYE is looking at you. So do me no wrong, or else, the Eye shall stare." *nod nod*

Triskele

Triskele (Glengarry Highland Games 2007), originally uploaded by owntwohands.

Believe it or not, this striking pendant has been created with horseshoe nails by Celtic Iron Work in Ontario. Most of their other work on their website is decorative - for the home - but not a personal adornment, so I don't know if this is a limited edition piece. If you like it, try getting in touch to see if they would do some custom pieces for you.

Cotton Denim and Corduroy Tote with Large Vintage Button

Bag by Brezomayo

As Brezomayo herself says, this is a lovely bag for transitioning from winter to spring. Nice fresh red fabric, matched with the neutral tan and hardwearing plain denim. Love the vintage button highlight on the front!

Notice how the bag is photographed, too, using the wooden texture of the door and the natural light. Taking the time to make sure that your crafts are photographed to their best advantage really makes a difference. I'll do a post in the future on some tips for taking photos of your crafts. It doesn't have to be expensive or hard, just requires a little patience and planning, like any craft!

Free Knitting Pattern

La Gran Fair Isle Knitting Pattern by Classic Elite Yarns Inc

This is such a beautiful cushion cover, I could almost cuddle it more than I do my pussy. It would be lovely in a combination of chocolate, heather, moss or plums and berries, too. The free pattern is provided by Classic Elite Yarns.

Classic Elite Yarns have a web newsletter that is worth signing up for, as they release new patterns on a regular basis. If you're someone who can do more than squares and rectangles (uh, that wouldn't be me) and like smaller projects to get through things quickly, have a look at what they have on offer.

Bright and Eccentric

Sweater Dress, originally uploaded by Katwise.

I've spent the evening noodling through this site, originally stunned to laughter by the amazing psychadaelia of the pants, but increasingly taken with these beautiful, unusual garments, made from repurposed and recycled materials.

Don't miss Kat's amazing stories of life as a modern traveller and confirmed eccentric, and have a look at current instock items at her etsy store.

Extreme Office Crafts

Extreme Office Crafts, from ThinkGeek.com

Crafting isn't just for those of us sitting at home with tea and a cat. This worthy tome from ThinkGeek gives us office drones inspiration, ideas and instructions for various projects to relieve boredom, beautify the office or gain revenge. Luckily for me, in my job, these projects could almost be considered relevant professional development.

Check out the site for other DIY geeky accessories.

piccolo scoiattolo nella foresta bianca/little squirrel in the white

piccolo scoiattolo nella foresta bianca/little squirrel in the white forest,
originally uploaded by mollyjey.

If you go down to the woods today....you'll find squirrels and bunnies bouncing around in a serene white forest landscape. How cute would this be in a nursery?

Molly Jey creates little paper dioramas of stories and fantasy scenes, using white paper and solid colour backgrounds. If you would like custom work done for your home, contact her as she will listen to your ideas.

Collaborative Multimedia

"Jamming", originally uploaded by whooz_queen.

I'm really quite intrigued by Aviary, a kind of Swiss Army knife of online multimedia applications.

They're still in pre-release/beta testing mode, but when launched, the site promises a suite of web-based applications (RIAs) for people who create. From image editing to typography to music to 3D to video, we have a tool for artists of all genres. - from Aviary.com

You can track the development of the applications on their blog, follow the links from the front page to sign up for early adoption/beta testing, or just check out the list of potential tools. There are apps for image editing, 3D modelling, sound/music mixing, desktop publishing and creative writing, each of which communicates and relates with the others. I particularly like the look of Peacock, a pattern generation tool that allows the user to run background textures and designs through various filters to any degree of simplicity or complexity. Very cool.

robot felt badge

robot felt badge, originally uploaded by Andricongirl.

Fellow Melburnian, Andricongirl, does a spectacular line in felt brooches and 3D characters, that we are sure to feature again in the future. Above is her own creation, a robot character. Groups of these, clustered over a fabric tote bag would be awesome. Ooh, or on a hat or to pin a scarf together!

Pink Snail On Lapel

Pink Snail On Lapel, originally uploaded by foxgloves & the pensive rabbit.

Apparently Im running with a theme tonight of "cute". This is a needle felted snail lapel pin designed and made by 'mostly self-taught' felting artiste, Stacy Brice.

I love wearing something unusual or crafted as a decoration on corporate wear. Its my way saying, "Yes, Im conforming to expectations in some ways, but my independent artistic side isn't going to be ignored." *points at snail* So there.

grass birds 10inch bowl

grass birds 10inch bowl , originally uploaded by susan smith clay.

OMG so adorable! Susan Smith designed and made this ten inch white stoneware bowl. Most of her work has matching plates and coffee mugs, and has the clean lines and simple colouration of the work above. I love this, its whimsical and clear.

Mini Magnetic Pincushion

Mini Magnetic Pincushion, originally uploaded by the aesthetic onion.

Dropped your pins again? Check out The Aesthetic Onion's very cute solution to loose pins - a magnetic pin cushion. I love the fabric and love the idea even more. If only my bead board had a fabric edge to it with magnets to stop the darn beads and findings rolling off my tray!

Panel overskirt

Panel overskirt, originally uploaded by Acanthus.

So, I was in Ikea the other day with some friends, and as we're walking through the fabrics section, I spy some pre-hemmed rolls of narrow fabric intended for table-runners, panel curtains, that kind of thing.

"Hey guys, wouldn't that make an awesome skirt?"
"Yes. Yes it would. DO IT."

So, compelled by peer pressure, I did. This is seriously easy stuff, people. It's just two equal lengths (the photo above doesn't show it, but there is an identical flap/panel at the back) of the fabric, zig-zagged and then hemmed at each end. I attached a strip of wide black elastic at the top on one side, and a piece of black hook and loop on the other. Literally 5 minutes at the sewing machine.

It goes beautifully over fold-top skirts and pants (as seen in the photo). It's adjustable to fit sizes between about an Australian 10-18, and could be modified to fit in either direction. I get comments from strangers, who look a little taken aback when I say "Thanks! It's a table-runner." I might need to work on my promo skills, there.

Creatures from El

Dragon, originally uploaded by Creatures from El.

‘Creatures from El’, the artwork of sculptor Ellen June, was conceived of as a means of rapid sculptural exploration that incorporated an understanding of animal physiology with a love of the fantastic, grotesque and absurd. - Artist's Statement

I've been admiring these creature statues for a while; with a description like "Ellen's ceramic beasts and other ferocious things", how can you go wrong? In addition to the usual array of winged and fantastic beasts, there are also fantasias on realistic animals with mutations and modifications inspired by the seasons, such as Solstice Bear and Spring Serpent. Ellen works in ceramics, polyclay and resin, achieving amazing affects and detail.

Camafeo

Camafeo, originally uploaded by Campanita de hojalata.

Isn't the work on this felt brooch just adorable? What a whimsical face! Reminds me of earlier Disney cartoons or something out of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I love how the necklace is adorned with a freshwater pearl, and the blush on the cheeks adds so much to it. More of Campanita's work and tutorials (all in Spanish) can be seen on her blog.

Camper Twin Shoes

Sad to say, Im not much of a 'shoe' person, despite my love of all things of a shopping bent. These shoes, however, caused much squee-age. Camper's "Twin" mary-jane shoes in black and white leather. Described as "not identical, but complementary".

What kind of outfit to wear with them, however? Black tights, knee length frock? Three quarter pants and kimono wrap? Wide legged black jeans and a spiffy red top, with chunky silver accessories? Who cares, I'll only be looking at my feet.

Beautiful Earth

Beautiful Earth, originally uploaded by Life in a Lens.


Wonderful photo by Joanna Potratz

Pink-Orange Hana brooch

Pink-Orange Hana brooch, originally uploaded by Feisty Elle.

Feisty Elle creates a range of accessories and pins using Japanese fabrics, such as this very pretty kanzashi brooch in pinks and oranges above. I've always thought that many japanese styles were great for combining clean lines and detail. A kanzashi brooch would look amazing on a well cut suit or tailored shirt to soften the lines just a tad.

Mini Matrushka Brooch

Mini Matrushka Brooch, originally uploaded by ~*~ ilona ~*~.

I can't help it...I love Matrushkas! Not sure whether its the bright colours, the cheerful roundness, the russian culture...those matrushkas make me smile everytime. Ilona's creation above is just delightful, however, she doesn't have a store listed, so we'll just have to admire her craft from afar.

Little Bean Dichroic and Crystal Earrings

Little Bean Dichroic and Crystal Earrings, originally uploaded by glasscatjewels.

I haven't seen this shape in dichoric glass before, nor the placement in earrings. That blue is, according to Pantone, the colour of 2008 so if you are looking to update your wardrobe, grab lots of accesories in intense blues and you'll be set.

Glass Cat Jewels is by Laura Dawson and is available from her Etsy store.

Rainbow Slinky Bracelet

Rainbow Slinky Bracelet, originally uploaded by RedPandaChainMail.

Chainmaille is one of those crafts that appears both simple and complex at the same time. It is "simply" the opening and closing of rings together that form the chains, balls and sheets possible with the rings. The patterns, however, can be mindblowingly complex.

Red Panda Chain Mail has a range of great chainmaille adornments that would suit tastes ranging from the dainty to the sturdy.

My god, it's full of stars

"The Truth is Out There", originally uploaded by Scoop51.

I love craft projects that tackle unusual themes. We're quite used to seeing beautifully done vintage, floral, even more unusual themes like ocean life in beaded jewellery, but I'm not sure I've seen a conspiracy theory bracelet before! Clever use of lampworked UFOs, goldstone, aliens and all.

Be sure to check out Scoop's etsy store for more themed jewellery, including fruit salads and environmentalist pieces.

chocolate-coffee cupcakes with mocha ganache and mascarpone cream

chocolate-coffee cupcakes with mocha ganache and mascarpone cream,
originally uploaded by chotda.

Hmm, I've got X amount of change on me...Im hungry and thirsty....do I want a latte or do I want cupcake? Latte, cupcake, latte, cupcake. Darn, so hard to decide! Can I have both?

House Tape Measure

House Tape Measure, originally uploaded by PatchworkPottery.

House tape measure, handmade by Laurraine Yuyama.

Laurraine is proficient at both patchwork/quilting craft and pottery, using her skills to make the forms and the hardware (ie buttons) to match.

All-knit Giselle

All-knit Giselle, originally uploaded by stitchdiva.

A beautiful knitting pattern called 'Giselle', designed by Marnie McLean, now available from Stitch Diva. The size range for the pattern goes from small to 3x, which is great to see. The pattern comes in three different fits, including a cropped version that would be great over a cami for summer if you are looking for arm coverage over a short top.

I made a jacket

I made a jacket, originally uploaded by lilyofthevalley.

Artist Statement: Made with recycled fabric from a man's coat and her grandmother's buttons.

Too cute for words.

Karin Ost is a swedish woman who sells handmade and vintage wear, which you can buy at her online store.

Watermelon Slice

Watermelon Slice, originally uploaded by TWiNKiE CHAN.

Its supposed to be the middle of summer, here in Melbourne, but the weather thankfully is more like one blissful autumn day after another. So, given that this is my first year in the city, I've been considering colder climate gear to wear in the months ahead. Thus, scarves and jackets are on my mind.

Twinkie Chan does the most hilariously clever scarves, pins and bags in food themes. The Watermelon Slice featured above is definitely one of my favourites, but she also does candy, cupcakes, carrots...even a steak handbag.

Port-a-cath

Port-a-cath, originally uploaded by beadbabe49.

Everyone deals with major illness in their own way. I love what Bobbi did once she'd moved through this important part of her treatment:

"After having this beauty planted in my chest for my chemo infusions, I decided to do something interesting with it when it was removed...so I beaded it...added a swarovski crystal and a tiny peacock feather at the top...I occasionall wear it as a pendant, especially in may, which was the month of my diagnosis 5 years ago..."

Bobbi's work is available on her Etsy store.

vanilla and cream cuff

vanilla and cream cuff, originally uploaded by gilfling.

Gilfling - Gillian Lee Smith - describes herself as, "A costume designer and artist I am influenced and inspired by victoriana, folk art, archeaology, history, myths, oppulence and decay, dolls, puppets, carnivals, circus and all things baroque."

So...that's pretty much everyone on our friends' lists! Crocheted or knitted cuffs are a lovely way to display your fibre skills in a dainty and feminine fashion. Gillian's exquisite cuffs are available on her website in a range of colours, mostly in a quasi-Victorian style.

Let Them Drink Tea

"Let Them Drink Tea"
by Angela Bright
Model: Esme Boyce
Photographer: Emily Cooper

Best in Show Award
Pacific Coast Terminals Recycled Material Award
Wearable Art Awards
Port Moody Arts Centre 2007
Canada

We discovered this glorious photo of Angela Bright's beautiful wearable, recycled material dress entitled Let Them Drink Tea on the weekend and thought it would be interesting to find out more. Angela kindly agreed to have a chat about her work and inspirations.....


Oohsome asks...So, how did you come up with the idea for the dress? -

"I like to enter the recycling category hence the used tea bags and coffee filters. Part of it is coming up with something I collect enough of, that is easy to work with, then I was trying to think of a design with stage presence. Last year I made a rather bland dress out of nylons which practically disappeared on stage."

(I) started saving tea bags and coffee filters (in) Sept 2006, started sewing in Jan of 2007 but it was the odd day here and there - ended up bashing it out the two weekends before it had to go to the gallery July 2007.

I work as a costume designer for film and theatre - most of the time it isn't very creative and designs are controlled by scripts. These days you spend more time in malls then fabric stores. The wearable art awards are a fun way for me to do whatever wacky thing I want.

I'm working on this year's dress now - I have two ideas and they are both not getting the attention they deserve. I'll probably end up doing them the weekend before AGAIN! I don't know if they can top the tea bags. I really want more people to enter. The more people, the better the competition, the better the show!!!"

Penelope Waits

Clippies in lavender and plum[...], originally uploaded by erordeg.

In addition to being the sort of person who restores your faith in humanity, my friend Es is also a talented crafter, specialising in all things felted and photographic.

The photo above shows her "clippies", divine wee morsels of hair accessorisation. Other favourites of mine include her darling clutch purses and geek chic "gizmo guardians", constructed of handmade felt, silky ribbons and bright buttons, giving the range an air of vintage, feminine sophistication. Check it out at her Etsy store.

English Tea Neck Wrap

English Tea Neck Wrap, originally uploaded by Boutique Pink Designs.

This style of neck wrap is becoming increasingly popular in the craft crowd, as they aren't bulky, can be worn with so many different accessories or pins. They're also wonderfully warm!

The colours in this particular wrap by Boutique Pink Designs are just beautiful and sophisticated. You wear it by popping around your neck and then fastening it closed with the big buttons.

San Francisco flower knickers - back

San Francisco flower knickers - back, originally uploaded by grey goat.

Instead of running through a field of flowers, why not pop them on your bum instead and wallow in your own lusciousness? These amazing flower knickers are made from red satin flowers and fabric, to be worn with the ties at the side.

I think the pants are a great reminder to let your hair down every now and then. Underwear can be so boring and basic - sometimes out of necessity, sometimes because quite frankly the otpions available to anyone over size 14 are boring as hell. ("Shall I wear white, black or nude today? Hmmmm.")

Greygoat says in her profile that she's always loved lingerie and decided to dabble in making it. You can find more examples of her work in her Etsy store.

Yellow Flower Necklace

Yellow Flower Necklace, originally uploaded by meeellla.

Made with flexible polymer clay, this necklace would be stunning on someone wearing a simple spring frock or tunic top. Each piece of the clay is rolled especially thin and then popped together. I love how cartoony the necklace looks. You could wear it and feel like you were part of a different place and time.


Delicate yet striking work by Camille Young, with more examples on her blog and her Etsy store.

Psych Sixties - A Fiber Art Pendant 02

Psych Sixties - A Fiber Art Pendant 02, originally uploaded by thefunkyfelter.

The Funky Felter is a fibre artist who specialises in modern and traditional felting methods, using raw materials and a lot of elbow grease to make her wonderful pieces. I love the beautiful array of colours that she uses, and if I had more hair, I would be buying a bunch of her bubble hair clips and going to town.

If you are interested in the felting method, take a look at The Funky Felter's blog.

Tiny Happy

embroidered shoes, originally uploaded by tiny happy.

Again with the vintage storybook aesthetic, but I just can't resist the work of Melissa from Tiny Happy. Her Etsy shop is currently unstocked, but keep an eye out for restockings of the most beautiful baby shoes created from vintage linens, wrap jackets made from salvaged wool fabric and lovely slouchy bags.

Her blog is a delightful view into the life of a creative mama, illustrated with serene photos. I particularly admire her talent of letting nothing go to waste; old linens and clothes are recycled into a new, more beautiful life.

"Like You" Pendant

"Like You" Pendant, originally uploaded by birdandbrier.

My Woo and I dabble in choral singing, and when we are feeling romantic, we will say to each other, "I _like_ you" meaning, "I love you more than anything else in the world". As a result, this pendant with music piece by Bird and Brier really tickles my fancy like a fancy tickler.

The artist, Andrea, uses a variety of vintage prints, hand painted pictures and graphic designs, teamed with either ribbon or chain to hang around your neck.

Raku and Stoneware Necklace lisa peters ART

Raku and Stoneware Necklace lisa peters ART, originally uploaded by Lisa Peters Art.

Artist's Statement: I made this to show that it is possible to mix other beads with certain Raku pieces.

This piece is a Raku Pendant with Crystals and the bead is a stoneware clay bead. In this instance the colors live well together (IMO).

They are strung on a silk ribbon, this one in particular is from Marsha Neal Studio.

Lisa Peters is an American clay and porcelain artist who makes an array of pendants and beads using the Raku technique of firing to achieve the beautiful crackled clay look above.

Shopper's dress, veggie produce

Shopper's dress, veggie produce, originally uploaded by mleak.

Artist's Statement: This was a project I started this summer. I began by collecting grocery bags, which I cut into sheets and ironed together to form a fabric, and then I used them to sew this dress, with a design loosely based on a 50s housewife style. Then I took it shopping.

Emily Berezin's dress is a very clever use of plastic bags...wonder if they would make good raincoats? Is the plastic too fragile after ironing? Could it be lined perhaps with cotton to make it more comfortable...and less transparent! The only other question is how do you recolour the plastic?

Knitwit Necklace - Greens

Knitwit Necklace - Greens, originally uploaded by Plastic Girl.

Artist Statement: Necklace made from vintage knitting needles, hand coloured stainless steel and a button.

Liana Kabel, known as Plastic Girl, has been making these gorgeous necklaces, rings, bracelets and other wearable items from recycled plastics and rubber for a while now. Liana's work is the type of design that I aspire to - clean lines, modern yet quirky through the use of interesting materials ( in this case, vintage knitting needles cut and drilled ).

Liana's work is available from her Etsy store as well as several boutiques and has been featured in many magazines (as you can see on her Flickr).

Rainbow Fairy

Rainbow Tutu, by Acanthus, modelled by The Elf.

Whilst I sew a range of clothes for my girlchild (because, let's face it, most mass-produced kids' clothes are a sea of vile and puke), this is one of the easiest, quickest and most effective garments I've made.

From this tututorial (har) here, at Plumtickled, you can make a basic fairy skirt or tutu for your little Maenad in half an hour, and customise it with ribbons, flowers, or, in the case of my kid, Hot Wheels cars. I was lucky enough to find rainbow tulle at my local Spotlight, then I added streamers of thin craft ribbon with rainbow bells on the end, which both amuse the wearer and function as a kind of location device for Mama.

Acrylic whimsy

Mr Fox ring, with others in the series, from Soop at Etsy.

I love these rings from Soop. Whimsical and modern, they can be worn singly, or combined to make customisable landscapes. The range includes farm and forest animals, trees and toadstools, all in brightly coloured translucent acrylic. I have a large soft spot for things reminiscent of folktales, children's literature and such, and even more so when interpreted with a modern eye.

And they're not prohibitively expensive, like so much commercially available wearable art.

Cephalopod

Cephalopod, originally uploaded by gooseflesh.

Crocheted reused plastic bags. Size variable. Diameter approx. 30cm.

I love the idea of reusing plastic bags in such a way as to make them unrecognisable, and in this case, turn them into an absolute work of art. You think of plastic bags and the ocean and inevitably your mind turns to the horrors that the bags visit upon the creatures that live in and on the ocean.

Cephalopod by Helle Jorgensen is beautiful enough to display in your home, thoughtful enough to provoke discussion of the often unnatural objects that we bring into conflict with nature.

Green Amoeba Pendant

MP210, originally uploaded by My Belle Bijoux.

Green Amoeba, wire-wrapped pendant by My Belle Bijoux.

Organically interesting pendant that almost reminds me of bubble tea pearls! Tone on tone is a great way to go when doing clusters of objects because what could be a very 'busy' object becomes simplified by the use of just one colour family.

Angelfish

Angelfish3, originally uploaded by Wire Your World.

Artist Statement: 14k Gold filled wire, Rainbow obsidian, swarovski crystals, 14k gold filled beads

Exquisite wire wrapped piece by Wire Your World, who is a jewellery sculptor/creator from Florida, USA.

I could imagine wearing this piece on a black satin strapless dress in a style reminiscent of the 50s. The artist has taken some very familiar swarovski crystals and turned them into something absolutely beauitful and original.

Designer profile: Tord Boontje

Garland Light, by Tord Boontje

Tord Boontje is my pro-designer crush du jour. Coming from a background in industrial design, he blends those processes with fine-arts technique and a crafty sensibility.

In the award-winning Garland light, he combines soft woodland romanticism with manufacturing techniques created for the U.S. Air Force. Head to his studio website, and poke around the "Projects" section; don't miss the Icarus and Dedaelus lights! An in-depth designer profile is also available at dedece.

Trashion dress made from ties and a secondhand corset

Trashion dress made from ties and a secondhand corset, originally uploaded by OutsaPop.

Artist Statement: Trashion dress made from ties and a secondhand corset. The top part of my dress will look something like this. I´m making this dress for my first real fashionshow. The theme of this show is "Paradise birds". My dress is supposed to be the peacock...

Outsapop is a Finnish fashion blogger who loves to recycle material to make new clothing.

I only wish that I had the figure to be able to wear something like this. The dress is so deliciously steampunky. Im already constructing ideas in my head about cogs and watch parts to create some kind of bracelet or hat accessory to go with this item.

I hope that as the craft revolution evolves, wearing clothing like this becomes more and more popular. Couture fashion for normal people - that's the promise of the Craft Revolution.