Artist Love - Australian Series - Kirra Jamison

Kirra Jamison is a young Australian artist. {A.very. talented. artist.}.  Born in Byron Bay but currently Melbourne based. 

Kirra draws upon mythology and fairy tales for inspiration to create her artworks of seemingly surreal worlds, with ambiguous narratives that are sometimes dark, sometimes whimsical and sometimes both at once! Kirra uses a kaleidoscopic palette and employs various techniques and mediums.

{photos of artworks via Kirrajamison.com}

Surrender Star, Firstdraft, Sydney 8- 26 September 2010

Cosmic Might  by Kirra Jamison. 

Kirra in her studio by Daniel Mahon

{photo}

Kirra has been featured on photographer Paul Barbera's "Where They create" series. The photo above and the ones below give you a sneak peek of her studio and creative life. Go visit for more fab pics.

You can also go take a "sticky beak" (an 'Australianism' for being nosy!!)

at Kirra and partner Dane Lovett's funky home on Design*Sponge here. 

Their colourful home is situated above their studio spaces amongst a community of artists.

or over at The Design Files.

For more information visit Kirra Jamison's website, or maybe you'd like to stop by Kirra's blog Keke,

inspired by time she spent living (and cooking) in Japan, she says of it:

"Keke is inspired by the people I know, the places they cook and the food we share. Keke likes to use organic, sustainable and ethically farmed ingredients whenever possible."

photos from Keke

Hope you enjoyed peeking into Kirra Jamison's creative world - I did!

Take care,

Sally xox

Artist Love - Rosetta Santucci

Finding My Way Back {photo}

Dandelion Walk

Have you seen any of the fabulous paintings by Australian artist Rosetta Santucci - possibly in Nina Proudman's bedroom if you, like me,  obsessively watched Channel 10's Offspring?
{Weebirdy has a great blog post on how to get the 'Nina'-look here}.

{photo via Weebirdy}

I think this is my favourite of Rosetta's paintings (but it's hard to choose!).

Falling Into The Light  86cm x 61cm

Rosetta's husband John is also a talented artist, so it's no surprise to discover that they have a very stylish home, it's been featured on The Design Files, as well as a few magazines and Design*Sponge too.
My favourite rooms are the bedroom (below) and her painting studio.

Rosetta's fabulous and original style is influenced by her background in costume (for film /TV), jewellery & Textile design. She is particularly inspired by ethnic & tribal textiles.
Her work is also evocative of a birds eye view of exotic, fantastical landscapes. Imagine a land or a world with that much colour....

{bedroom & studio photos - via The Design Files}

Rosetta in Real Living mag 

I know The way Out {photo}

Enjoy!
love,
Sally xox

Monday Marvellous - Geometric Goodies

I haven't done a "Monday Marvellous" post for quite some time so I thought it was time to bring it back and share some of the things I have been looking at recently...
I am enjoying the trend in design-land for all things geometric right now. I usually prefer softer, more organic shapes, but all those chevrons and triangles are very cool indeed.
Here's a selection of some on-trend, fun geometric-y things from Etsy...

*printed fabrics by Catherine Codega
*triangle tape by Seventy Tree
*large chevrons pillow by Nesta Home
*small chevrons pillow by Pure Home Accents
*mugs by Jill Rosenwald
*painting by Misha Blaise
*cross-stitch necklace by skrynka

here's another of my Monday Marvellous posts - on firework inspired design; 
it's 'an oldie but a goodie'!! 


Love,
Sally xox

Girl Crush - Clare Bowditch.

{photo}

 I have a girlie-crush on Clare Bowditch.  If I was a guy I would find her totally hot I am sure!! :)
she can act really well, sing super-super-well, is beautiful, intelligent, politically-minded, stylish, really funny and I bet she's even good at baking cakes! I also LOVE the fact that she is a busy mum of three, who is honest about not always doing a perfect job - in fact she describes the juggling of a busy creative career and family life as "delicious chaos!"{I like it!}!
She is real. GO CLARE!!

photo by Pip Lincolne
at Meet me at Mike's

AND great news! ...Clare has begun developing "a quietly brilliant mentoring program for big-hearted creative-entrepreneurial-types who want to make their living doing the things they love (and make the world a better place at the same time!)". For more information, email mentoring@storybaker.com


I discovered Clare's wonderful music through her playing the character Rosanna in my favourite TV show, Offspring, which stars Asher Keddie, another girlie-crush of mine).

I soooo love this track "You Make Me Happy" from the show.

 Clare's latest album "Modern Day Addiction" is out now. Maybe you'd like to buy it from here, or just drop by Clare's website to hear more songs and/or learn more about the lovely lady! As I mentioned earlier - I think Clare has a great sense of style, and I love the style of her 'Offspring' character Rosanna also. I think (Clare if you ever read this and I am horribly wrong please correct me), that the two ladies' styles are similar. {Except maybe Clare wears more black than Rosanna perhaps...?!} Clare says of her fashion style:

 "Many of my dresses are from a small but brilliant dress-making company called Lazybones, who I discovered in 2009. Some of them are from Boom Shankar. Many of them are old and from old-ish shops. There might even be a few from a fashion shop called K-mart. When I am dressing up, I like Easton Pearson, Mariana Hardwick, Leona Edminston and Akira."

Here is a little 'steal her style' kinda segment (but stealing is not nice, so just take a little inspiration and make it your own!).

Rosanna & Mick (Eddie Perfect) - photo sourced from Channel 10

'Steal' Rosanna's Style: 

{please forgive my sloppy blog collage, it's my first try!!}

Details: 
(1thru 8 are Etsy finds, please click on links to view details)

1. cropped cardi 2. Upcylcled vintage necklace 3. Red rose shoes 4. Handmade vintage style tea dress from sohomode 5. Vintage earrings  6. Plastic hoop earrings 7. 1980's bangle 8. vintage Liz Claiborne pumps  9. Dresses by Lazybones Hope you are having a great weekend!


Love, 
Sally x0x

What Blogging means to me...

This post is homework.
Yes, really. I have been doing a brilliant e-course called "Blogging your way 2.0" by the outstandingly-talented-and-oh-so-lovely Holly Bekker, author of bestselling Interiors book Decorate and Decor8 blog.

{photo}

Sadly due to ill health, a wayward husband (it's all work, nothing more dramatic, but it takes him away from home sometimes) and a few minor disasters (that resulted in several visits to the local hospital's casualty department), I have been struggling failing to keep up!
However, what I have got from the course thus far has been fantastic and I hope to use the next 4 weeks (whilst the content is still available) to catch up and make the most of it!

• I have learned about the importance having a plan, a direction, my own (authentic) voice; and I have been encouraged to work hard, be consistent, to not be discouraged and not to rush to get to where I want to be. 
• Useful resources have been shared, for improving your blog, tips on monetizing and various other things I had dreamed of one day achieving but not known where to begin or who to go to for advice!
•  I have also discovered some lovely blogs and some very talented and interesting people!            
• ..... It's moved me on to the next road in my creative journey, it's time to leave the roadhouse, (to use a very Aussie analogy), where I have been metaphorically resting with a beer and a meat pie for far too long!! Watch this space, I am hoping to vastly { but slowly} improve my blog and to create a plan for my creative future...

Thank you Holly - I now have the courage to take the next step in my life, and now that my kids have both started school, there's no time like the present to begin...

{In summary I would definitely recommend this course!}

Anyway, this week's homework was to write a blog post not only about what I have gained from the course but also what blogging means to me. {The first part I have answered above, the second below!}

Well, for me blogging is really all about two things:
 1. Connecting with the world - the (now huge) little-pocket of creative types in the world to be more specific. I began because I missed having other creative people around me, especially for the bouncing around of ideas. Since I left my design job to have my kids, I didn't really have anyone creative in my life. Connecting with others firstly through my Etsy shop and then later my blog, actually helped me out of a long bout of depression. I have made some truly great friends through the online craft & design community. I also now have a few crafty / creative friends locally.

2. My blog is to me, a kind of journal. It's a place to record and share creative inspiration, and general eye-candy, and also to document some snippets of my life. It's even a place friends and family can visit to see what my 'expat' life Downunder is like, or to gain a greater insight into my character and my taste. I don't think they do, mind you! But they could!!

Me and my little peeps! (photo by Milk & Honey photography).

I have really enjoyed reading the homework posts of some of the other students too.

Take care,
love,
 Sally xox

Artist Love - Jessica Swift

I absolutely adore the energetic, whimsical, exuberantly-colourful work of fabulous artist / surface pattern designer Jessica Swift. {Can you tell I am a fan?!}

Jessica has a blog, a fabulous website, which you can buy a multitude of colourful products from, an Etsy Shop where you can buy fab prints like this one (below), along with things like pocket mirrors and cards...

Basically if you can think of something to print a pattern on - Jessica is likely to have done it! Even rain boots!!

I especially love Jessica's paintings: Here's a taster - but you can peruse many more or perhaps even purchase of Jessica's playful, funky original works on wood panels at Gregg Irby Fine Art.

{images from Gregg Irby Fine Art}

Enjoy ~ I hope to have brightened your day a little!

Love,

Sally xoxhttp://www.etsy.com/shop/jessicagswift