Archive for April, 2010
SEW Column : Medal Medallions
Friday, April 30th, 2010
Spring Cure Week 5
Thursday, April 29th, 2010As I’ve been away watching the Burlesque Arts last week, haven’t been able to catch up on my Spring cure – so I thought I’d share this fabulous ad on how to blend your fridge with your mood… oh and your house party, handbag or hat.
Dance while you’re at it peeps!
London or Bust!
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
The Extinct Design Team is heading to London!
Yep we’ve packed up our tassles, sparkerly shoes and powder and we’re very excited to be off to the London Burlesque Festival! A real celebration of fabulous talent, men and ladies entertaining us with their own unique fun ‘n’ cheeky ways… not to mention their amazing costumes!!
It will feel great to get back to the city for a couple of days, catch up with some old friends too!
Maybe we’ll see you there?
Book Of Green – iPhone App!
Monday, April 19th, 2010
The book of green iphone app is a growing directory showcasing eco-friendly businesses, created to help you find sustainable products and services. Its FREE to download, and as well as a directory it contains news and twitter feeds from the green companies included – of which I am one!
Hoorah! Go get it NOW! Just search for “book of green” on iTunes… you know what to do.
Glamping in 2010
Thursday, April 15th, 2010Hello SUMMER Sunshine…
Whilst basking in the springtime sun, sniffing those spring time flowers thoughts of long summer nights and festivals follow…
So eager to get the Campervan fired up for some rockin ‘n’ rollin I also need to book some tickets before its too late!
Here is my line up of Festivals 2010 on my *must see* list!
27 May – 6 June, Hay-0n-Wye
www.hayfestival.com
The fabulous Hay Literary Festival announces its programme today for the Friends of the Festival and then general public next week. Sign up now to see who and what… books will always be in fashion…
It’s a superb place crammed with fabulous bookshops, lots of varied events from impromptu poetry readings to warm and cosy lengthy recited chapters, to nosing what everyone else is reading!!
*****
13th, 14th & 15th August
Goodwood Estate, Sussex
Buy Tickets
www.vintageatgoodwood.com
The Vintage festival set up by Wayne Hemmingway celebrating 5 decades of British Cool…
Vintage at Goodwood is the first of what will be an annual music and fashion led celebration of creative British cool from the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s. Featuring the leading DJs, bands, collectors, purveyors of vintage clothing and vintage vinyl from each decade, as well as contemporary bands and brands inspired by Britain’s rich cultural history.
Whether it’s Swing, Rockabilly, Mod, Soul, Funk, Disco, Ska, Electro, Burlesque, Film or Art & Design that’s your thing, whether you just want to dress up and get an authentic ‘flat top’ and make-over for a day, Vintage at Goodwood will be visual, responsible, aural and sensual, a big family dressing up box, a collectors dream and a joyous creative feast for all ages.
Vintage will explore the musical, design and cultural lineages and explore where they are taking us. Think of Vintage at Goodwood as the new annual Festival of Britain.
On a truly breathtaking site – nestling into the South Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (and soon to be National Park), with access to the wonderful beaches and harbours of coastal West Sussex – Vintage at Goodwood will bring together lovers of the music, fashions, food and lifestyles of the decades that gave Britain its creative heritage. And then there’s the accommodation. From onsite luxury of the Goodwood Hotel, to ‘Glamping’ in secluded glades, Vintage at Goodwood will give you a unique opportunity to holiday in the most beautiful area of Southern England.
Vintage shopping from £5 to £500 – surly NOT TO BE MISSED!
The line-up looks incredable already so keep checking their site for updates!
*****
13th, 14th & 15th Rattlinhope, Shrewsbury
I went to this a couple of years back and it was completely mad! And I don’t take that word lightly or use it very often. It had wonderfully relaxed atmosphere, a great mix of super-friendly people. Minimal shops I remember, but go for the great mix of music, making friends and beautiful countryside…
Shropshire is full of wonderful little towns with truly individual shops, markets and galleries. It’s just bliss to take in a drive and end up at one of the many campsites in the area.
Other Festivals to try the brilliant Bridgnorth Folk Festival which has now grown so much has turned into Shrewsbury Folk Festival with Bridgnorth are putting on a Music and Arts Fest that looks great!
*****
“Come with me where you’ll never, never have to worry about grown up things again”
August Bank Holiday 27–29 August
Hinwick House, Bedfordshire
www.festinho.com
Buy Tickets
Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin…
Now then boys and girls, if you’ve been good, we’ll tell you what fantastic acts have already agreed to cuddle and coddle us as well as your Nana ever did…
So, take a deep breath and hold on tight for the delights that are AGT Rave Cru, Alucidnation, Belleruche, Chris Wood, Daft Pink, Digitonal, Dr Em & Funky Jim, Dr Rubberfunk, Echaskech, Eliza Carthy, Flevans, Heather McClell, Hexstatic, Hint, Jackie Oates, James Yuill, Lucky Elephant, Mixmaster Morris, Sam Carter, Sombrero Soundsystem, and The Kleptones (Live AV set)…
And that’s only the beginning! Not only are there lots more to come, but we are quite literally beside ourselves to confirm the welcome return of Big Chill co-founder Pete Lawrence to curate the Harvest Stage on Saturday and Sunday.
Add to the fireside cooking pot the wonderful people at Phonica Records, who’ll be programming one of the DJ stages on Saturday, and, (as if that wasn’t enough!), also add the legendary Soundcrash who’ve joined our programming family, and we think you’ll agree that we’ll continue to bring you some of the most exciting and innovative acts around today.
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Other nonsense and silliness
Festinho certainly ain’t no place for a respectable pirate…so there’ll be fun and games for kids (and, if there are any real grown ups, then them too) all over the site. Angel Gardens will be there, with bagsful of ideas and imagination. We’ll have bedtime stories around campfires, a hidden Art Trail, Healers and of course, the Kids Carnival. Look out for our dedicated and delicious Tea Rooms, keep a straight face (if you can, when you’re having so much fun!) at the Casino, or just kick back and relax in the bigger, better, bolder Picture House, with live film rescores, AV sets and chilled out performances from some of our more ambient acts.
Still don’t believe? OK. How about a full programme of Cabaret and Comedy acts too, in the comfort of a cosy corner of the House? Or the four Bars that’ll be serving your medicine of choice, as ever including caipirinhas with more bite than a clock-swallowing crocodile? Or at some of the finest festival Food Stalls we could find?
And when it is finally bedtime, our fantastic friends at SoulPad are bringing their SoulPad Village with them – a limited number of lovely, brand new SoulPad bell tents, ready-pitched and waiting for your arrival. What could be better? Oh! You get to keep your SoulPad at the end of the event.
That ought to put a smile on your face.
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The ABC Trust
Don’t forget that all profits go to the wonderful ABC Trust, who help Brazilian street kids transform their lives. Last year, we raised a fantastic £23,000, and we’re aiming higher this year!
PS Still not worked out what the theme is for this year? Then ‘take the second right, and head straight on till morning’…
As we are a charity festival and rely on word of mouth, please help spread the word, if you can. 
*****
But – what to wear? Ok lets do the basics… hats & shoes:
Just like The Green Familia – we LOVE surfy hats by Guest Label Ollie&Agnes – check it out:
What about wellie-boots? Look no further than Vivienne Westwood for Melissa in these adorable booties – I’m sure I saw Mark St James sporting a pair of the dark blue in the final episode of Ugly Betty!
Also below are Moov Couture boots that I’ve been looking at for a while…
Spring Cure Week 4 – Getting Stuff Done.
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
I’ve finished covering this 60′s swivel chair with some rather splendid bright green and crisp white fabric. Working with no pattern is really liberating itching to do some more make-overs now. I used some old cheap material to mock up first in order to get the right shapes, then it was a matter of simply stitching it all together, ironing those seams open so they stay nice and crisp, sewed a hem with elastic inside and pulled it taught over the chair. Lovely!
Still enjoying the focus that the Apartment Therapy Spring Cure is giving me, so inspirational to see others progress too!
Here is my update!
Deep Treatment
- Clean up living room and related closets.
- Repairs are being taken care of this week. Bathroom window edging fixed.
- Declutter books and all media. CD’s on Amazon -Check, DVD’s Ditched – Check, Beloved Books – Stay.
- Cancel 75 percent of the catalogs you receive. I did this with all the junk e-mails I get! Marvellous stuff. Will continue to do so too.
- Empty Outbox this week.
- Confirm what you need to increase or decrease color in each room. More apple green & fresh white in kitchen, more mustard and turquoise in the Hall
- Identify what you need to increase or decrease softness in each room. Fabric! Bliss!
- Cook three meals at home this week. We cheated as we went to my folks and ate, ate, ate. So this one is done!
- Send out your invitations. I will be combing the end with a Vintage Dressing Up Party! Invites to be sent. Date confirmed.
One-Room Remedy
- Begin Shopping List and enter all prices into a spreadsheet. Like I don’t already have one of these? Spreadsheets for everything including coloured columns… its the doing part that I’m still building up to!
- Decide on the total scope of work to be done. Step away from the spreadsheets…
- Consider hiring a professional organizer. What? Huh You mean there is a job for that *considers changing careers*
- Visit a paint store this week to find samples. It’s my secret shame to raid the colour samples…
If you are doing up your bedroom – don’t forget to treat yourself after all your hard work with some of my lovely scented wardrobe and drawer products!
Created in Birmingham
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
As I feel my entire shopping experience is becoming more and more virtual it’s great to hear about new creative collaboration shops like the Created in Birmingham shop.
Selling items from local artists, you will find a fine array of photography, art prints, illustration, tees, tote bags, jewellery, books and all sorts of other things that have been made locally including our very own created in Birmingham artist Wilko!
Also the shope will host events and collaborations – like Flatpack Festival and are currently in talks with Birmingham Royal Ballet. Also on the books are demos, talks and workshops.
The shop will be open for a minimum of six weeks – so get ‘em whilst their hot! Bullring have been very kind to offer us this opportunity so we’d just like to say a big THANK YOU!
What more could I want?
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
New Birthday = New Shoes!
As a girl I thought Jelly Shoes were the coolest thing EVER, you could get them in loads of different colours (some with sparkles too – what joy!) ….then I grew up. BUT the fun never stops! Along comes Vivienne Westwoods and her gorgeous collaboration of heels for Brazilian shoe giant Grendene.
The same company who developed the PVC sandal known as ‘jelly shoes’ back in 1979. The company has developed an ecologically-aware production process in which every product is recyclable and challenged the world’s perception of plastic by fusing its thermoplastic technology with the talents some of the most innovative designers on the planet including;
Alexandre Herchcovitch, J Maskrey and New York-based Egyptian designer Karim Rashid
And! They are made to smell like bubble-gum!
Really! What more could I want? Well – apart from them in every colour!
Number 60.
Sunday, April 11th, 2010
Number 60
This weekend was the exhibition of the 100 t-shirts by JazzCakes, where 100 artists were handed a t-shirt and a number and the freedom to “do what you will”
Above is a picture of my offering.
Number: 60 ~ The flow of life.
I have taken the number 60 as two separate entities as well as the combined number sixty.
6 in numerology is the number of love and harmony, the upside of the all powerful number 9. The yin to the yang. The love of life. The perfection of love.
0 represents the symbol of eternity the ever perfect circle of life.
We experience so many things by our 60th birthday, we will have collected up many stories, situations and beliefs; catching them in the fine mesh of our own understandings, deepening our beliefs and occasionally clogging up our mind creating blockages if not dealt with.
The piece I have created incorporates the original framework of the T-shirt, using the net to indicate with its thousands of holes represent all the many situations and occasions that occur in our lives. A whispering doubt here, a misunderstanding, not taking responsibility for ones action all adds to a foggy state of being. Most of our emotions can be felt in the centre core of our body, in the heart, as depicted. Felt ventricles of the heart form shapes of “6” and “0”
This piece acts as a reminder to me to remain free flowing through life with love at its centre core, to embrace life with passion and excitement – letting nothing hold me back!
What’s clogging you up?
Materials used:
Mix of felt, netting, vintage, recycled & previously discarded.
JazzCakes are artist-led ‘arts collectionors’, currently based in Cardiff, founded by James Harper and Sarah-Jane Broderick.
Since 2008 JazzCakes’ aim has been to bring artists from across the arts together through various projects and events.
JazzCakes have strong roots in T-shirts and Cakes as well as Fine Art, but try to incorporate artists and designers in every area from theatre to graphic design, dance to architecture.
Formed in 2008 as t-shirt designers/street artists taking part in various monthly markets such as Milgi’s Northcote Lane Market and the Amersham Arm’s Jumble. From there we began to sell works by our friends such as T-shirt designs by Dan Cansfield and prints by Charlie Ridler. At the same time beginning to organise Guerilla Tea Parties on the streets of Cardiff. The tea parties became a kind of anti-rave, a civilised approach to socialising on a weekend where people would come, drink tea, eat biscuits and generally just talk.
Now organising and curating projects and exhibitions with specific briefs designed to highlight the vastly different approaches to making from artists working in their respective disciplines.
The JazzCakes website serves as a directory of all the events currently organised and lists profiles of all the artists who we have associated with since its inception.
Spring Cure 2010 – Week 3
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
Made some headway with the hallway this Bank Holiday weekend, sanding and measuring out the lower steps, deciding and un-deciding on colours and finishes. I’m posting up some pictures that really inspired me and kept me focused!
Above photo from Skona Hem – lovely fresh colours mixed with antique gold.
I love the idea of inscribing something on the stone steps into the kitchen, will have a go at penning my own little proverb. The Orla Kiely paper used on the risers in the third pic looks amazing too – the bright colours really ping against the white steps and walls.
© Keith Scott Morton
This week on the Apartment Therapy Spring Cure site the “Landing strip” was up for discussion. That place in a porch or hallway where things get dumped your keys, shoes, post, those bits from your handbag.
Our porch is tiny but still could be slightly better organised. After cleaning out everywhere, I re-painted the front door (its pink!) shook out the mat (must buy a new one added to the list) and measured up for a shoe rack, this one will have to be made by us, as the space is very narrow with uneven stones jutting here and there.
The list set by the Spring Cure
Deep Treatment
- Vacuum, dust, and mop (wet or dry) throughout your home. - All Done
- Clean your entrance and any related closets. Yep, taken care of.
- Arrange to have all repairs taken care of in the next three weeks. I made a list, will be calling and arranging this will feel like bliss at the end of it. I think of all the repairs to do all the time – but to consolidate and get them done – GENIUS! ;P
- Declutter your entrance. Done & Done (just need to train up G)
- Move all old mail, catalogs, and magazines to the Outbox. Straight into the dog grate
- Look into what you would need to create a Landing Strip. Wood!
- Identify cool rooms and warm rooms. This was an interesting exercise… you think you know a place…
- Apply the 80/20 color rule. I haven’t really followed the 80/20 rule in colour, I like a lot of colour and pattern but keep it strong and in blocks, will add some more pictures to my flickr at the end of the cure.
- Cook two meals at home this week. Failed on this one really, had great intentions to make something lovely from scraps, but with all the Easter chocolate to clean up – whats a girl to do?
- Design an invitation for your housewarming. Didn’t get round to this either – but did design some rather nice badges! They’ll be on the site super-soon!
On to Week 4 and it’s Retail Therapy!
