mima + moo: Around my house

Showing posts with label Around my house. Show all posts

sky tower

From our bedroom window we have clear view of the Sky Tower. For the passed couple of months Mima has been building "Sky Towers" out of anything. Here are a few.

I have recently completed a little project I have been thinking about for years, miniature interiors. I am slightly obsessed with thinking about interior spaces. As a print designer I am always thinking about patterns for fabric and walls.
Each image has a real object (blueberries, flower, thyme, acorn) which illustrates the scale of these models. I have created and designed everything else.
At the moment they are nice prints hanging in our lounge which I love to look at, I hope you do too x

DIY : cloud light shade

Last week we had Mima's room painted, a lovely pale grey-blue colour. I wanted to create a new light shade for the center of her room, and thought a cloud would be perfect.
Here it is...

To make one you will need:
LOTS of white tissue paper
white balloons - I used eight
double sided tape
vaseline
string
wallpaper paste
the top wire hoop and central hook from a paper lantern, you need to connect these two parts. I bent the wire around the hoop and then covered the wire ends with tape.

1. First blow up all your balloons and arrange them to create a cloud-like shape. I used small pieces of double sided tape to connect the balloons.

2. Tie the string to a hook on the roof, then slide the top wire hoop from a paper lantern on to this string, and tie the other end of the string to a balloon end within the cloud. The wire hop should sit snuggly at the top of your cloud.

3. Then tear your tissue paper into strips and mix up your wallpaper paste (it would be good to do this in an ice cream container or something that you intend to throw away).

4. Grease the balloons in a thin layer of vaseline.

5. Then start placing glue covered strips of tissue paper on the balloons. Starting at the top wire hoop, you need to make sure this is securely in place, so wrap strips of glued tissue around the wire and back onto the balloons. Completely cover the balloons in a few layers of tissue.

6. Leave it hanging for a couple of days to completely dry. Then using something sharp pop the balloons and remove them. I crumpled the shape a little to make it more cloud-like.

Hang it up and enjoy.

cushions

As a print designer I am really interested in the process of printing. Over the summer I have been experimenting with block and stencil printing. I had some nice natural linen fabric which I used to print on.
I made triangle printing blocks from wine corks with thick cardboard cutouts stuck on the end. They only lasted one printing session. It was useful to put the ink on a sponge then dab the printing block on the sponge to ink it up.

Clear plastic sheets are perfect for stencils, you can wash them and reuse them. The ink was applied with a sponge.

I also screen printed some animals. Below are all my experiments.

What to do with all these swatches????? My lovely friend Annemaree has just started her own business anne & peg. So I decided to comission her to create large pillows with the swatches for our bed. Which she did beautifully.

Thanks anne & peg x

around my house : five

LIGHT SHADE

Over our dining table we have a very interesting light fitting, Tolomeo Off Center Suspension Light. It was designed in the 1980's by an Italian designer Michele De Lucchi. We inherated it when we brought our house. I really love it even though it isn't something I would choose, and it's movability is so useful. However I didn't like the light shade on it. When we first moved in I covered it, but not very well, I then stared the hunt to find something else. I didn't have much luck, everything I liked had to be wired in. Then I remembered Australian DIY designer Tamara Maynes Quilt Light.

For $20 I downloaded her easy to use instructions. I customised the shade to work for us. My first attempt wasn't quite right, I wanted everything to line up. So I made a second, this was the one!
She suggests using alsorts of materials to make it including leather and heavy felt, both of which I really love the idea of and may try in the future. But for now used cardboard and painted it.

We are happy.

christmas peg dolls

I haven't had time to feel very festive so far this year, but I just did a Christmas craft post on Babiekins and now the ideas are starting to follow. There will be a few more posts before Christmas.
My Babiekins post was a peg angel, I made a couple but just gave the instructions for the gold version pictured below.

Anyone who knows me, know I love making peg dolls! I few years ago I art directed a children's TV show which involved making a city populated by peg people.
A few years ago also did a Christmas craft story for an interiors magazine and made festive peg dolls, Santa, Mrs Claus, Rudolph and an elf. These peg dolls come out each year to grace our shelf. I unpacked them today...

One Christmas's I made peg fairies for friends, with lovely pom pom skirts, they were also unpacked today.

around my house : four

We have this intriguing drawing. It was given to us by Mima's grandparents, they had received it from her Grandfather's parents, apparently it was a wedding gift to them. It is unsigned and we know nothing else about it.
I really love it and it is quite a mystery so if any of you have any ideas about it, please share them with me!

christmas : one

Yesterday we spent a gorgeous afternoon at the Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School Advent Fair. I didn't really know what to expect but the highlight for me was making a wreath for our front door. I had I no idea how brilliant it would be, if I had I would have documented the process, instead I just have the reveal shot, above. This will no doubt be a yearly event so I will post in full next November.

My understanding of the Steiner school philosophy is that it focus' on the importance of our natural environment, creativity and freedom of thought. So making your own wreath is a perfect extension of these ideas.

around my house : three

With Halloween only days away I wanted to share some Day of the Dead items from around my house. They are on display all year round but take pride of place this week.
Day of the Dead is actually on November 1, a celebration connected to the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day (November 2). It is the opportunity for people to remember those who have passed, they visit the cemeteries and decorate the graves of loved ones with their favourite flowers, food etc.
A few years ago I was lucky enough to experience Day of the Dead in Mexico. I will never forget the color and chaos of the celebrations.
This little skeleton in a box (above) actually came for Olvera Street the Mexican heart of LA. It is tiny, matchbox sized the detail is amazing, I love this little diorama.

This candle was a wedding favor by Tiffany Jeans, these favors inspired her to create her gorgeous candle business Curio Noir.

These pottery skull beads which Mima loves also came from Oaxaca in Mexico.

This odd pottery cup also came from Mexico.

Happy Halloween and Day of the Dead!

rainbow connection : the tea towel

paint dipped branches

I have seen so many things dipped in bright paint making interiors look fabulous lately. I have had this vase of branches in a corner of my lounge which I really like, but while I was busy spray painting animals for the Babiekins blog I thought why not add some turquoise to these branches. They are not technically dipped but spray painted, the effect is the same and so much easier. I really like them.

around my house : two

DOLL FACE

Lots of people comment on this doll face. Most find in a bit odd, my mother-in-law is convinced it will scare Mima, who I have to say is intrigued and seems to like it, pointing and saying 'Oooo'!
She came from a friends Mum in a large rubbish bag full of sewing parafenalia. I loved her at first sight, I find her happy and adorable.