Wednesday 27 February 2008

Monday 25 February 2008

Cosman & Cake





A lovely day out with my gran today :) She is a fan of Milein Cosman, so we went to see her exhibition at the Austrian Cultural Forum. Her drawings are so full of energy and charm :) We chatted with her as well and she is like her drawings - small and full of life! I'm not the best at talking to folks I don't know but she makes conversation flow.

Also fell in love with Peyton and Byrne. It's the charming bakery next to Heals that I've gazed at as I went past many a time. There is one amongst all the new stuff at St Pancras. Me and my gran had quiche and salad and tea then pear and almond cake :D which was all so extremely good! I'm not even a fan of quiche but it was so good! And the branding is so lovely. Neat and simple with plain white girly cake stands and blocks of fresh pastel colours. Not a fan of pastels either. Or too much girlyness. But this feels clean and fresh and sweet. And I am a fan of good food.

Yesterday I made creamy salmon and leek filo pastry parcels with salad followed by lemon sponge with a yoghurt/cream cheese/sugar concoction because there was no cream. I heart having the time and energy to cook <3 style="text-decoration: underline;">

Sunday 24 February 2008

Hotelympia




Last Monday I went to Hotelympia, a trade show for the hospitality industry. I wanted to have a look since I was told my glowing bed curve looked more like a hotel product than a home product. So I went, then last week was so stressful leading up to presentation I really didn't want to go but had to as it was too late to back out...but it was interesting and I enjoyed it. And there were free food samples >:) I didn't take many because I was embarassed as a non business person...but I should have now I think on it. Damn embarrasment :)

The Design and Decor section was a little boring for me. Not really my taste. Though I saw etchglow signs in action - which was what I was looking at in my last project. And went to a good talk by the design director for Malmaison and Hotel Du Vin. I'm inexperienced when it comes to industry and it's good to hear what people in industry have to say. The actual design wasn't the most exciting, but very luxurious and pleasant. Images above are Hotel Du Vin.

Saturday 23 February 2008

Sprinkle Sprinkle



This is quite cute and fun :) it was a guardian ad from a few months ago I just found while tidying up. I like the idea of sillhouettes in scattered things. Something I may play with...yayfun!

Sex Noodles!





Last year I got obsessed with sex noodles. I bought because of the deliciously bad packaging...and they turned out to be amazing. Really hot and flavourful. Not uncomfortable burning hot but sweating hot.

But now I think they have changed their packaging, or these may be noodles that taste the same, with the same colour packet and cooking instructions but unconnected with sex noodles

:( I guess I see why the sex packaging had to go...but...

Sad Pears


I like the crying pear image.

Sunday 10 February 2008

Sonne

Stu just called to me to watch 'the best video ever' :) Heh. I do like it...mmmm fairy tales. Original versions of fairy tales. Glee. With an element of cheese.

Saturday 9 February 2008

D'aaar

I've never wanted to make work that made a statement. Or to change life for the better in any other way than to self indulgently make things I found beautiful, because beautiful things make me happy and perhaps my beautiful things could make other people happy. Because it feels good to be surrounded by beautiful things. But I do want to be as sustainable as I can. I don't want to contribute to throwaway trends. And I don't want to be bad with chemicals. But I do love delicious shiny plastics. And lovely glossy naughty inks :( It hurts my head thinking about it. I need to find a way to do what I want to do sustainably...

The Age of Enchantment @ Dulwich Picture Gallery

Aubrey Beardsley
Sidney Sime

This one was very crowded. I was surprised because it was a weekday afternoon and the exhibition has been on since November! It is very good though. So much delicious illustration all together :) Mmm clean curving lines. Intricate detail. Fantasy and creepiness and innocence :) sigh. My love for Arthur Rackham has now extended to Aubrey Beardsley and Sidney Sime. Mmm black and white. Detail and space. And Charles Robinson. And Jessie Marion King. And Annie French. There was so much I liked so much I so want the companion book.

Out of the Ordinary: Spectacular Craft @ V&A




I did enjoy this exhibition. I liked that it made you stop to look carefully and marvel at how it was done.

My highlight was Susan Collis. At first I thought Bah. Something pretentious and boring. It looked like an old table and some paint splattered rags. But actually the splatters were embroidered and the paint on the table was opal and pearl :D There were nails and things in the walls made of precious materials also. I love that it looked like old rubbish but that when you stopped to look carefully it was shimmering and beautiful. A cunning trick :)
Also liked Yoshihiro Suda who makes realistic wooden flowers and then they grow unexpectedly in the gallery. The best bit is the weeds on the balcony, not with the rest of the exhibition. It made the V&A seem like a slightly different place. Like nature was coming in and they didn't notice or mind.

Sunday 3 February 2008

Milk! Milk!

One of my favourite adverts. They only ever show the cut version now with no dancing. Boo.

banana design :D



Ignoring the religious stuff, bananas are genius :) Cradle to Cradle.