Freakishly busy.

(photo: tactodivino)

Sometimes there is only little to do, sometimes I don't really know where to start... These days it's actually the later. I'm very grateful for every job that comes my way, so I'm not complaining. When I'm not working, I get extremely nervous and start to doubt the meaning of my existence...sad, really. And with my husband out of town for a couple of weeks, I'm happy to have something to keep me busy so I won't miss him as much (we are usually joined at the hip).

I wanted to share this photo by tactodivino with you - isn't it beautiful? I don't know what materials she used for the necklace, it looks like string wrapped around...something. Felt?

So you see - there is always enough time for some eye candy.

Studio Violet Sale!

(photo: studio violet)

One of my favourite blogs/shops/sources of inspiration Studio Violet (a colaboration of Camilla Engman and Elisabeth Dunker) is having a one week sale, starting today. Head on over, before everything is gone! Can't wait for their spring collection.

tulips

I'm pretty busy today...a lot of writing and translating is waiting for me. This is what I'm looking at (when I manage to lift my eyes from the keyboard). Have a wonderful Tuesday.

pillow talk...

(front)


(...back...or the other way around...)

...sorry, couldn't resist the pun. I finished making my Liberty fabric pillow and for once everything worked out as planned. Even putting in the zipper didn't take more than one try. It's plump and cuddly. And since March is Mending Month at Craft Magazine - I did my bit and recycled/upcycled two old flat down pillow inserts and made them into a single new fluffy one. Somehow that makes me enjoy this little pillow even more.

Adding modern flair to your room - on a limited budget.

We’re all trying to pinch pennies these days, and this causing some people to think about scaling back efforts to modernize their décor - which is understandable given that a lot of designer modern furniture pieces can be quite expensive. The good news is there are ways to create a contemporary theme without having to spend much, so let's take a look at a couple of ways how you can redesign on a budget.
A great way to spruce up your décor is to invest in a designer piece you really love. One striking item can upgrade a whole room. A friend told me about his new designer espresso machine yesterday, saying: "It really makes an impact - the whole kitchen looks like new...like a make-over by just changing one little thing!" ...it also makes great coffee.


The Fatboy Marimekko Unikko Cobalt Beanbag would definitely make a statement in a modern interior. It features Marimekkos bold classic floral patterning (one of my favourites), is comfy and even has an easy-to-clean nylon exterior. It's also extremly versatile... At 70” x 55” it is large and stable enough to act as a cost-effective alternative to a chair or couch. You can even use it as a makeshift bed!



(photos: allmodern.com)

Pillows are an inexpensive and effective way to change or complement the look of a room. You can play with moods and even change your pillow covers according to the season. While there are plenty of options out there, I like the Chocolate Dots Pillow by Dwell Studio for its playful appearance and its complimentary color patterning...it also reminds me of milk and cookies, which is always a good thing. (It would be cute in a contemporary nursery, too.)

Other inexpensive ways to spruce up your room include candle holders, wall art and vases. Remember - sometimes the smallest accessories can go a long way in changing the theme of a room. And they can easily be changed if you grow tired of a particular look.

More Liberty love.

I'm seriously becoming addicted to Liberty fabrics. So versatile. I wish I could cover every surface with it, so I started by making bobby pins.

Kontur...

(photo: normann-copenhagen.com)

...is the name of this pretty vase designed by Mette Kargo Hvid for Normann Copenhagen. Even so it looks like china, it's actually made from silicone. Absolutely love this, it's so delicate. It would probably make a cute penholder, too. Or maybe I could store my powder brushes in it...hm...might be pretty in a bathroom as well...ah, endless possibilities!

I bought the "Grass" vase by the same brand when I was in Copenhagen in December and now that spring seems to have sprung I can finally unpack it.

spring

(Photo "sunshine" by sitasoup on flickr.)

Today finally feels like spring over here in Berlin. I woke up with a start in the middle on the night - I thought I heard steps in the hall (really creepy when you know you are home alone) - but it was in fact heavy rain pounding on our skylights. But this morning is supersunny, so I have to get outside fast.

To celebrate spring (or to lure it out at last) I changed the blog design. I'm not sure about the header and I have no idea why I can't erase the bullet point next to "my flickr" (I've tried everything) but so far I'm pleased. I'll probably change the font colors too if I can figure out how. Basically I just want it to look less cluttered. Thanks to Tatiana who patiently explained some html basics to me, you can now click on the header and get straight back to the home page and not to my flickr account. Hooray!

Update: font changed, font colors changed...getting there bit by bit.

What a hoot!

Seriously - how cute is this owl?


(lionbrand.com)

I'll definitely add her to my ever growing to-craft-list. This would make an awesome gift for a new baby (you could also add a rattle with the stuffing).
Get the free pattern here.

Have a nice weekend!

Barbie & Ken & Karl Lagerfeld

I have a confession to make - when I was little, I was a Barbie addict. I had a lot of Barbies (and Skippers, Todds,...), a horse, a bike and an afghan hound. All Barbie-sized of course. I also owned a Ken doll, but I was never really into him, he looked a bit dorky and had an ape-like grin. His dark blue velvet tux with the burgundy neckcloth only made matters worse (not even talking about his yellow painted on hair or the flesh colored undies).
Luckily, model Baptiste Giabiconi looks much cuter as Barbies date.
Starting Monday, Barbie and Ken will be on display at the Colette boutique in Paris, dressed by the one and only Karl Lagerfeld.
He was extremely busy: Barbie will model dresses, jeans, swimsuits and of course - a Chanel suit.


Barbie...and Mini-Karl.


...chatting up Barbie at Ascot.



"The dress is fab, but darling...the hair!"


...and they lived happily ever after.

(photos: colette.fr)

The exhibition will start on March 9th and last until the 28th....my 6 year old self would probably hijack a plane just to get there.

IMM Cologne

A little while ago, my friends Ilona, Pamela and I visited the IMM Cologne, a furniture and interior design fair. While we enjoyed the whole show, I think the [d³] design talents exhibition was our absolute favourite.



This was really pretty...the sofa is covered with pieces made from felt that can be attached to each other to form a larger structure. If you are a fan of jigsaw puzzles you can basically cover your whole appartment in felt...make a couch cover for an old sofa and just keep on putting pieces together to make a rug...


Genius - a cable reel lamp. How come nobody ever thought of this before?


The origami stool is the solution to all your tiny appartment troubles...after inviting all your friends over to dinner, just flatten them (the stools, not the friends) again and hang them on your wall until your next party. Also doubles as a work of art.


At another venue they showed an exhibition by young designers which was absolutely stunning. They were asked to create a room made entirely from cardboard (well and glue, obviously...)




The picture is a little fuzzy...this lamp was actually made from hot glue sticks attached to a lightbulb.

I would have loved to take more pictures, but the light wasn't great and sometimes you were just not allowed to. Hopefully many of the designs shown at the [d³] design talentsshow will go into production...I especially had my eye on an armchair made from old clothes tied together by what looked like straps that moving companies use. Sounds terrible, but it was actually quite pretty.

works in progress.

I'm feeling like a little Victorian lady these days. Sewing by hand and hand quilting are my crafts of choice while listening to audiobooks on my ipod...well maybe not so Victorian after all.... I'm currently working on two pillow cases at the same time using all my Liberty lawn fabric scraps. Everything might look a little too busy right now, but somehow all the patterns come together nicely in the end. Our appartment is mostly furnished in black and white, and patchwork pillows add just the right amount of color.


I've paper-pieced (is that even a verb?) what felt like a million hexagons to make a round pillow case for a round cushion (duh). I ended up making the pillow itself as well because round pillows are nowhere to be found these days. In Berlin. Can you believe it?


I quilted the front and back of the rectangular pillow case by hand with different colors of embroidery thread. Never thought I would enjoy this as much as I did. To top it all off and make it even more colorful I'll add an applique to one side. Ha!


I love this absolutely crazy pattern...not even sure if these are flowers. It looks like the fabric designer was on recreational drugs while drawing this.


We already have a fair amount of pillows, when we sit on the couch only our heads remain visible. But is there really such a thing as too many pillows?

Remember...

...this? I'm sure she found it here. :)