Artist and Designer collaboration - Something Special....

As some of you will know, my last position of employment (before having my bubbas), was as Textile Designer for the awesome, world famous artist Ken Done, at his company 'Done Art & Design' in Sydney.

"Paintings of Things in the Sea"

It was a 'fantabulous' job and I LOVED it!! 
The office was full of light, colour, warmth (the human kind), and my role was interesting, fun and technically challenging at times, but always rewarding.


Ken, his lovely wife (and the company fashion designer) Judy Done, and the rest of the team, which included their 'kids' Camilla and Oscar were wonderful - in a sense they were like a surrogate family to this
here ex-pat! I had only moved from the UK to Australia about a year prior to working at Done.

one of the designs I worked on (above)

Incidentally, I had been a big fan of Ken's work for many years, and upon deciding to emigrate to Australia, I had decided I wanted to work for him. Hey Presto - funny how life sometimes obliges isn't it? Faith, hard work, good luck, being in the right place at the right time??? Let's just call it SERENDIPITY!!


Today, I came across (via Printsource blog), a collaboration of Ken's with designer/ artist Natalie Wood and her label Something Else.

'Something Else' fulfils Natalie’s desire to combine different creative disciplines; blending art and fashion.  She collaborates on collections with respected artists, such as Georgina Cullum, Michaela Saunders, Skullux and Tara Marynowski.  

The results are 'street-chic', edgy clothes, intended for "women who share Wood’s appreciation for art, music, popular culture and nature".

photos via Style Bubble

Vintage Textiles Love #1

As a textile designer, I have to say that of course vintage fabrics (prints at least) are fascinating to me.


I just came across this fun and fabulous 1973 Marimekko print and thought I'd share it with you.
What a vibrant design and colour combination!

found here

enjoy,
Sally x0x

the fog is finally clearing....

Hello Lovlies,
long time no see!!

...phew-ee, I am finally starting to feel better after a particularly nasty and debilitating bout of old 'influenza'!
It was a full-on flu virus, not a bad cold masquerading as "flu"!
There was some initial concern, from the doctor I saw, that I had viral meningitis, so a few trips to the hospital ensued, with blood tests, X-rays etc, and after a few days, I was finally deemed to have "a flu virus with an Encephalitis component"- (eww, swollen, infected brain! Let's not go there......).

Anyway, at it's worst, I passed out, onto my tiled bathroom floor in the middle of the night, ending up with a rather spectacular 'black-eye' (although it was rather more yellow than black!) and gashed brow-bone.
 Here I am (above) a few days after the 'incident' with my stitches, (once I'd got to the being able to get-out-of-bed-for-a-while stage!!)!

Of course - as always, I found a silver lining or two!

1. Some of my new (fellow-school-mum) friends were very kind, one made me some delicious chicken soup, and another (whom I hardly know) gave me gorgeous, cheery, yellow tulips
(here's a similar chicken soup recipe for you http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/chicken-vegetable-barley-soup/Detail.aspx )

image from e-how Home

2. I found some time to read a book, "Pay it forward" by Catherine Hyde Ryan

AND... 

3. the piece de resistance  - I lost 2 kilos of weight!! Not a diet I'd recommend, but still a good outcome!! lol

Now, I have so much I need to / want to do, including lots I'd like to blog about, but not enough time / energy right now! In time though my friends, I will try to actually pass some of it on!
For example, I have recently had my son's Dinosaur birthday party for which I made a pinata, and I'd like to share with you how I did this (my first tutorial!); I had my birthday and thus was given a great cook book, so I'd like to share some recipes with you guys;... I have a stockist for my wares that I'd like to introduce to you;  I also want to pass on the kindness I received, by some kind of pay-it-forward gesture....oh and more..... there's ALWAYS more!!
Do you blog? Do you write blog posts in your head that never make it to your actual blog??!

Well, anyhoo, I had my stitches out yesterday and my eye is healing really well, this is me today!
smiling again!!

Hope you are having a good week my Lovlies,
I will leave you with this pretty, cheerful yellow bedroom, inspired by those tulips I received of course!
If you love yellow, you might want to check out my "Pinterest" "sunshine' board here - http://pinterest.com/salichameleon/colour-sunshine/

Sally x0x

Fab Finds #10 - Dream Sweetly

Hi there,
today it's cold, I'm tired, it's monday.... and I was feeling rather "blah' but I was just given a huge lift thanks to coming across a posting on facebook, about a painting given as a gift...

Dream Sweetly Acrylics on canvas

78 x 60 inch

So, NOW I am inspired by one the most wonderful paintings I have ever seen!
It was painted by Tinniegirl (aka Cathy Kirwan) as a surprise birthday gift for her friend Curlypops (aka Cam).
Thus my latest 'fab finds' from Etsy are in the spirit of this painting, be it reminiscent of the lovely name, the happy /hot colours or the fabulous abstract floral theme...

colour wheel necklace byTamar

Banksy Poster from Davidsphotography

Felt and Button Festival Bracelet- Pinata Picante by PoorRobin

Junk Mail mixed media canvas by Jill Reister

Citrus Soleil Messenger bag by The Pokey Rose

Coral Dreams corsage brooch by Vivid Spirit

I'm now off to collect Mr.6 from school, and on my
return, I'm really hoping to set the boys up with a
 crafty (yes, pun absolutely intended! teehee!)
 creative activity, as I am feeling
in the mood to make some more of these.

{ie. my Graffiti Flowers, embellishments made from
found papers, such as security envelopes, junk mail, and pages from
old forlorn vintage kids books! You can find
them in my shop here.}



Finally, let's just take a look at another of Cathy's 
wonderful paintings...


Ohh, how I wish she were MY best friend and I too had such a painting gracing MY wall!! :0}

Untitled {as yet}

Acrylics on canvas

30 x 30 inch

Have a great week My Dears,

Sally x0x