Helen Dardik is a genius

Helen Dardik is a genius

Ok, it might look like I'm just saying Helen is a genius because of this adorable pic she made after her teatowels arrived in the post, but go and check out her amazing blog and the beautiful illustrations on her website and you'll see I'm not exaggerating. Love this lady!

Here's a tiny taste of Helen's work:

Genius, right?

Folly Cove Designers

Folly Cove Designers
I'd never heard of the Folly Cove Designers until SeaSideStudio left a comment referencing them on one of my papercuts. Since then, I've done a bit of research, and thought I'd share it:

Folly Cove Designers was a guild of designer-craftspeople that operated for 30 years from 1938, based in Folly Cove, Massachusets.

The founder and leader was an illustrator called Virginia Lee Burton, who taught amateur enthusiasts - mostly her neighbours at first - how to design and print.

The group mostly concentrated on making decorative fabrics for their homes, and then started selling their prints during the summer months, with great success.

Their popularity grew, and so did the demand for their work, and the Folly Cove Designers became quite famous. The image below is from a Time Life article published in June 1958, showing Virginia Lee Burton and other members meeting together.

Although the group disbanded after Virginia Lee Burton (who became Demetrios after marriage) died in 1968, the Folly Cove fabrics can still be purchased from family members who have created Folly Cove Designers II, dedicated to perpetuating the group's legacy.

All images are from the Folly Cove Designers II website. I just chose the ones I really liked, but there are lots more, so check it out.

And by the way, talking of beautiful block prints, have you checked out what that clever Jesse's been doing lately? Do yourself a favour and click here.

Foiled them!

Foiled them!

After months of anticipation, my beautiful necklace by the talented Abigail Percy is now finally around my neck!

The first parcel went suspiciously astray (grr), and so Abigail resorted to skullduggery and sacrifice when sending the next - actually giving up her Toast catalogue to at as a disguise for the jewellery.

Thanks so much Abigail, for your patience, the beautiful print, the Toast catalogue (mmm), and, of course, the gorgeous necklace. Here's an uncharacteristically busty photo of me putting it into good use.

Aggregate

Aggregate
Paul Edmunds is my clever husband, of whom I am so very proud. But he doesn't like a fuss, so I'm not going to gush, and will simply treat this as a news item:

Last year, Paul won the Tollman Award, and used some of his prize to make this beautiful book about his work from 1995 - 2007.




The book is available through the Joao Ferriera Gallery, and also at Bank Gallery in Durban, where it will be launched tonight at Paul's opening of his show, also called Aggregate.

Aargh, can't help myself - I have to gush: Isn't he just brilliant? Go see the show, Durbanites! I'm taking a flight up on Friday for a weekend in the subtropics. Can't wait!

Senyol

Senyol

If you live in central Cape Town, you'll surely have noticed the overhead wires festooned with little painted wooden blocks, or you may have come across a tree with decorated parcel tags hanging like paper fruit. Chances are, these charming decorations of our public space are the work of Senyol.

At the Neighbourgoods Night Market on Friday night, Senyol had set up a little desk and was selling his hand-cut Christmas cards, as well as some of his paintings on paper and on plywood.

I became sufficiently light-headed to buy this very looong painting on plywood, called No more Ashes.

Here's a detail:

And here it lives, with a horse and a crocodile, until we get it framed:

Keep up to date with Senyol's painting and drawing work at his blog, and keep checking out his flickr page too, for his streets work, sketchbooks, design and other brill stuff he gets up to.

Next up (soon, I hope), a Senyol Etsy shop!

Jackson Pollock

Make like Jackson Pollock

Consider yourself warned: Should you have anything resembling a deadline on the horizon, do not, whatever you do, click here.

Camilla's tree

Camilla's tree
Have you ever seen such a beautiful tree? It's like a fairytale.

Camilla Engman took the photo.

Abigail's everywhere

Abigail's everywhere!

After a very satisfying and friendly swap with Scottish jeweller Abigail Percy last week (that necklace will soon be mine!), I sat down this morning to prepare a post about her beautiful work.

Before starting, I took a quick visit to Bloesem, where she had written about Abigail's collaboration with Portuguese illustrator Ana Ventura. Aren't these little earrings adorable? They're available in Ana's shop.

Then, when I clicked through to Design*Sponge's Design Blogger's gift guide, I saw that Abigail's planning to give my teatowels as gifts this year! Clearly, Abigail's in the air, just everywhere!

Keep up with what Abigail is up to by visiting her blog, and keep checking into her Etsy shop so that you don't miss any of her one-off pieces.

Wood Belt

While we're on the subject...

Talking of pretty belts, I’ll be picking up this beautiful buckle from the post office later today. I got it from the very sweet people at Star of the Sea Supplies in Turkey. Isn’t the Internet fantastic?

PS: The belt in Thursday’s post was made by the brilliant Chloe Townsend of Missibaba. You have to check out her leather bags and belts on her website. This girl is super talented.

Coffee with Smosch

Coffee with Smosch
Look at this beautiful illustration from Sandra at Smosch! It makes me think of my vintage mug collection, and Lena’s too.

PS: It’s my birthday today. I have some beautiful presents I want to photograph and show you, but I’m living in Deadline City right now, so it’ll have to wait.

A Tortoise! Drinking tea!
And here's a duiker doing the same.

See, everyone likes tea, and you'll see lots of other animals (a giant squid!) drinking our favourite hot drink over at writer and illustrator Alex Latimer's blog. Alex tells me he's made his teadrinking beasts series into cards, now on sale at the Biscuit Mill and soon on Etsy too!

In fact, Mr Latimer is about to take over the local funnyscape, as he's just got a fantastic gig drawing his very funny Western Nostril cartoon for Business Day. Check some samples out at his website .

Blind Alphabet

This is D-Daedalean by Willem Boshoff.

It's part of Boshoff's epic work Blind Alphabet. 30 new sculptures for the letters D and E will be shown (to some more than others) in a show opening tonight at Michael Stevenson Contemporary in Cape Town.

Read more about the show in the Elle Decoration SA blog and in the press release.

These photos are worth it

In yesterday's post I mentioned Dave's photos of my work in part-exchange for some vintage fabric cushions.

Well, here are some of the beautiful photos he took for me. Working on these gave me a new respect for stylists, believe me. It's really hard work!

I've got these and more up at my stall at Poppytalk Handmade (and hopefully they'll also be used in an exciting project that can't yet be named...)

Doodles from Fritz

News just in! The Thirty-year-old secretary has finally published some of his doodles, previously only tantalisingly described.

Click here to view Ladies Leg and Shoe, Plastic Coffee Mug and Sandwich (with bite).

These Two Months

My dear friend Lauren has recently had a well-deserved two month break between high-pressure jobs. She spent much of that time very happily in a corner of my studio, making fabulous paintings like this one.


Now Lauren's back at work and is celebrating her break with an informal show of her paintings called "These Two Months".

So if you live in Cape Town, and are free after 6:30pm on Tuesday 2 October, come and see Lauren's paintings. They're up for one evening only at 37 Station Rd in Observatory (just opposite the entrance to Arnold Street).

See you there.

Jesse's list

Lists are the secret to getting things done. It's true, and here's a case study to prove it:

Last month, Jesse handed her graphic novel manuscript to the publishers and then turned around to consult the list that had been growing on her wall as her deadline shrank.

Since then, I've practically felt the air in motion as Jesse tackles that list with a vengeance. For instance:

She's been inventing sweet beasts for her Etsy shop...

... and creating fabulous prints (which I'm sure will appear in the shop soon).

And that's not all. Keep visiting Jezzeblog for more. And there will be more - just look at the size of that list!

Petticoat

Whoops, SprayGlue pipped me to the post on this one, but no matter, I still must let everyone know about the launch of the Petticoat spring/summer collection.


This limited edition Daisy Slip is definitely on my must-have list.

Building sites

Currently, the Cape Town skyline has a skeletal aspect as everyone gets out their crane in the building frenzy ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. It's opened my eyes to the variety and beauty of cranes, and the interesting shapes and forms of a building site.

Recently, I've spotted some beautiful building site photos, and thought I'd share:

My friend Dave Southwood was recently in Dubai, taking pics for an architect client. The online reproduction really doesn't do it justice, but at home, Dave has a 2m long print of it on his wall, so next time you're in the neighbourhood, do pop in!

© Dave Southwood

I found this striking pic of a building in New York City by Jan Kordylewski. See more of his photos on his blog ThereAreNoWords.

© Jan Kordylewski

Top Drawer

I bumped into Lynn Stewart a few weeks ago at the market. She's a Cape Town illustrator, photographer and style maven (with the best green coat I've ever seen). She told me she's been selling her drawings on the UK eBay, so I had to take a look.

I've picked a few of my favourites to share with you, but take a look at Lynn's eBay shop, as well as her Flickr page for more.

I recognise this dress! Lynn was wearing it at the market.

The same but...

I rather liked this photo from the charming Sara of HappySilly. She calls it Same same but different.

Not just the title, but the colour and lines made me think of this linocut that Paul made a few years ago, called The Same but Different.

The photo doesn't do it justice, but it's really quite extraordinary - an unbroken line, nearly 2m high, snakes back and forth across the page. At a point it takes an aberration into account, but gradually calm is restored.

I'm always relieved that I like the art my husband makes. Imagine if I didn't!