The end of the year

We are now in that odd time after Christmas and before New Year, sitting in a kind of Limbo. It has been an extraordinary year with Europe having financial problems, O.K. that is a bit of an understatement. The middle east has political problems, again an understatement.  Personally it has been good year, with the publication of ‘The Shirt Off his back’, a book I wanted to write when the credit crunch first hit. It took a little longer than I had hoped,  but it is out now and, I hope,  worth it.

There are a few images that didn’t make it onto the blog. The first was something that intrigued me when I saw it propped on a bench in Kew Gardens on Boxing day. When you read it you see why it was there, a sad occasion but a touching tribute for someone obviously loved and missed.

My lovely nephew’s girl friend, has started baking cakes for a farmers market and I tasted one she made, a light-ish fruit cake similar to a Dundee cake. Here is the one she  made for us  as a Christmas cake, much nicer than those horrid rich ones. She  decorated the top with glace fruits. The best Cake I have ever tasted. Siobhan Armstrong is selling at the  farmers market at Camberwell Green in South East London 

One of the most thrilling, for me , exhibitions I visited this year was ‘Building the Revolution’: It is on until 22nd of January 2012, so if you have time go and see it. In the Sackler Wing of Galleries at the Royal Academy of Art.

Soviet Art and Architecture 1915-1935. As you can see from the dates it was a tiny period of history, but a very exciting and radical one in terms of design. Sadly it was short lived and the Soviet Union went back to pastiche all too soon.  Fired by the Constructivist art that emerged in Russia from c.1915, architects transformed this radical artistic language into three dimensions, creating structures whose innovative style embodied the energy and optimism of the new Soviet Socialist state.

El Lissitzky, Sketch for Proun 6B, 1919-21

Richard Pare, Shabolovka Radio Tower, 1998 154.8 x 121.9 cm. Richard Pare, courtesy Kicken Berlin. © Richard Pare.

In conjunction with the exhibition, a reconstruction of Vladimir Tatlin’s Monument to the Third International, known as ‘Tatlin’s Tower’, specially commissioned from Jeremy Dixon of Dixon Jones Architects has been installed in the Royal Academy’s Annenberg Courtyard.

A supporting exhibition in the Architecture Space (23 September – 29 January 2012) explores the conception, vision and symbolism of Tatlin’s Tower and uncovers the intriguing process undertaken for its special recreation at the Royal Academy.

For those of you who have taken time to read this blog, thank you.  Please write  and let me know if there is anything you would rather I focused on, and if you found anything interesting, and also what you felt was a waste of time. Happy new Year and peace to all.

Tags: farmers market, Royal Academy, Tatlin’s Tower

Just a bit of Moss can make all the difference

When I was buying my Christmas Tree, as an impulse buy, I purchased five Hyacinths. Remember odd numbers of things usually look better when grouped together.  They were just starting to bloom  and were bursting out of their  nasty little plastic pots. I replanted them   in bulb compost in a small wooden  crate that  had previously held Satsuma’s.  They looked better than before but the crowning glory was picking some moss and putting it round the bulbs so it looks like a soft, warm green blanket. The bulbs have grown over Christmas and smell exquisite. The colour is a rich intense cobalt.

Blooming Christmas

Tags: Christmas Tree, Hyacinths

Christmas decorating with a difference

70's dining room

It has been so long since I last wrote my blog. It is not as though I havn’t been creative in the last two weeks. Myself and ‘significant other’ have refurbished two bathrooms including replacing  old shower trays, doors and fittings.  Our house held twelve for Christmas, four generations, and all in all it was quite harmonious. I decorated the sitting room and the tree, but none of my decorations could match the seventies horrors that we had during November for filming, that was shown on Christmas evening. Because of copy right I have been unable to show the images on my blog before now, but here they are in all their glory.

70's sitting room

We had deer, a plastic cocktail bar and Santa jumping from the roof.

We had a plastic padded cocktail bar with gold trim and a  semi circular glass front so you could see the drinks . We had deer and a Santa jumping from the roof.

Oh Deer

Tags: 70's, Christmas, Father Christmas

The first snow of the season and some French crafts

Last weekend I skied in Tignes. Apart from the sunlight, the snow and good company, there were some gems to be found for the Creative Salvage blog. I went to a loo up a mountain and had to take a photo of this ingenious  bit of lateral thinking. Maybe it is hard to find loo roll holders up the mountain or maybe all the loo roll fitter  had was a towel rail. I didn’t manage to photograph all five rolls, well it was rather cramped conditions.

French loo rolls

Pears with chevre

To eat a real French meal in the heart of the Vanoise national park, we took a ride down the mountain to Chez Marie’s. It is a restaurant in a traditional farmhouse, in a traditional village. You are greeted by the owner and invited to sit by the fire and drink kirsch whilst you choose your meal. The surroundings are stylishly French shabby chic. Below are a few examples of the surroundings. But first for your delectation here is my starter. Roasted pears with chevre.

Chez Marie

The Museum at FIT announces new exhibition

It may seem  rather early to be announcing an exhibition starting in February 2012, but  what with Christmas, and  if you are not in the right place you will need to arrange transport and somewhere to stay. This is a biggie and I think it will be great.

The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology has announced its new exhibition Impact: Fifty Years of the CFDA. Celebrating the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s 50th anniversary, the exhibition will showcase around 100 garments and accessories designed by its members of the last 50 years. Taking place from February 10-April 20 2012, images and acknowledgement of the nearly 600 designers who have been members over the last five decades are also featured. Each living designer will select a single object or ensemble that best represents his or her impact on the fashion world, with Patricia Mears, Deputy Director of The Museum at FIT and Fred Dennis, Senior Curator, selecting the work produced by historical members. Featured designers include Halston, Diane von Furstenberg, Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Tom Ford, Michael Kors and Rodarte. In addition, Impact, a championing book to the exhibition, will be released, documenting the evolution of the CFDA. Published by Abrams, contributors include Diane von Furstenberg, Cathy Horyn and Patricia Mears.

Website:          www.fitnyc.edu

Website:          www.cfda.com

Twitter:          @cfda

Designers team up with London Printworks Trust

Bundle of notes

London art charity the London Printworks Trust (LPT) has enlisted the help of ten artists and designers to create and donate art work to be hand-printed on limited edition bank notes. Designers participating include Jonathan Saunders, Holly Fulton, Zandra Rhodes and Heikki Salonen. The sale of LPT’s notes, available in £10s, £20s, and £50s will raise vital money to prevent the closure of the charity; notes are available to purchase online now or at the LPT textile factory in Brixton, London.

Last Tuesday, was the opening of the  first ever ‘open’ held by London Printworks Trust: The Hankie Show. Many of the handkerchief makers had cut a swathe across London to meet, spot their hankies, and compare notes, techniques and ideas with fellow contributors. Thankfully, Florence and Maciek had helped devise and make a structure by which the works could all hang on washing lines at eye level- the rewards of close inspection were plentiful- beautiful embroideries, witty lines, the hankie as a nifty home for detail!

Website:          www.londonprintworks.com

On the theme of print. I purchased a ‘Turtle’ bag from amnesty to give away as a Christmas present, but I have fallen in love with it and so it remains here with me. Turtle is the name of the  company, not the material from which it is made. It is from a recycled cement bag, and is  made  in Bangladesh.

Great graphics

Bag back with zipped pocket for your purseSide view

Shopping trolley with adjustable handle

Tags: printworks Trust, turtle bags, Zandra Rhodes.counterfeat

Super-cute Felt by Laura Howard

I have to admit it.I am not a great lover of things super-cute, but I do like felt as a material. I love that it is easy to work with and doesn’t fray when cut. It is great that you don’t need a sewing machine to use it, and it comes in a vast range of  fabulous colours. The author of this book has her own on line store called lupinhandmade.com  where she sells her  felt designs in the form of  brooches animal masks, flower headbands etc. Some of these items are in this book.

Battenburg tea cosy

The projects that I like are not so cute but are more designed. I love the sewing brooch with its other elements of ricrac, buttons and top stitching.  I love the gingerbread cookie garland as it is very simple in design, uses only two colours with a seed bead embellishment and quite stylish.

Gingerbread cookie garland

The tea cosy with its muted Batten burg cake colours and cake design is very good and unusual. I love the mug warmer. Again this has muted, this time Wedgwood, colours and looks stylish.

Cup cosy

My one criticism is that felt can’t be easily washed, and so what happens to these lovely objects if you spill tea or coffee onto them?