Ingrid

This breathtaking beauty is created by wonderful Anya Caliendo. Please visit her blog to read the full story.

Source: Vogue Mexico & Latin America 2010

JOB OF THE WEEK

judgement day

The ladies of HML donned their 'professional' hats yesterday in a weird parallel universe kind of way. While I was judging the craft category in the Annual Veterans Affairs Art and Craft Awards out at the Red Cross Hall in Heidelberg, Beck was judging Fringe Furniture at the Newport Substation.

This is my 4th year of participating and it is such an honour, a real highlight on my calendar. It acts as a good reminder of how craft can be a comfort, can provide focus and can mark memory in a unique way.

I remembered my grandfather had been taught mosaics as part of his rehabilitation after a stroke, he was very proud of his craft forays! And Grandpa Joe was as tough as old army boots.

I absolutely loved this wood carved archangel sculpture and was disappointed it wasn't for sale.

already looking forward to next year. Hopefully Harry and the other chaps won't have eaten all the teddy bear bickies by the time I get my cuppa. RAMONA

you can see past years shows here, here and here.

AND NOW A WORD FROM THE SUBSTATION

This is the second year i've been lucky enough get a sneak peak at the Fringe Furniture show in my capacity as judge. Last year's show had some high points, like the oversized rust facet diamond garden sculpture for example... which really was a stroke of genius, and the perfect decon-bling for the urban enviro garden. This year we were treated to another great show, with some of the high points showcased below. This years "the city has a face, the country has a soul" theme may delivered an interesting starting point for exploration, with mixed results. Daniel Bucci's wheat bag upholstered chair, Toby Horroks cardboard log bookshelf and Christopher Goff's repurposed spoon and milk jug lotus light amongst them. However truly it was the new Substation venue that was the star of the show... that and the take away container lighting installation. Three guesses what the staff have been eating for the last few months.

milking stool chic

substation post consumer take away light show

cricket balls, hay bales, fenceposts and old lace

playing the spoons

separating the wheat from the chaff

granny takes a trip

seeing the forest and the trees

Oh and since we're still talking about things to do with the little peoples during the holidays be sure to check out the list of things to see and do as part of Fringe Kids as well as the rest of the program. LOADS on. BECK

Come away with me.

Source: Vogue UK October 2010

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK part 2

pass it on

Continuing on our school holidays theme we thought we'd give you a heads up to the best cooking with kids website resource we've found. Kidspot is another 'let's tell you everything you need to know about parenting' website which can be quite irritating really but they have a brilliant cooking section. Even when not cooking with or for kids it's a great resource for simple recipes like anzacs, lamingtons, sponge etc. There seem to be alot of kids on tv at the moment tempering chocolate and deveining prawns, but I wonder if they can make scones or banana bread?

How we learn to cook, where we get our food knowledge is a very personal and subjective thing. I certainly don't want to knock anyone who hero worships Neil Perry et al. But there is something to be said about having some basics in your armoury.

For my recent birthday the Intern bought me a new, beautiful linen covered notebook to transpose all the recipes into (you can see the old book is a little out of control). The first recipe in there will be one for basic scones. This was the first thing I learnt to cook, and the first thing I passed on.

She and her other 16 year old mates are having a tea party this afternoon so the intern is rising before noon to make two batches. There aren't any left from yesterdays cooking exploits. The last one was polished off this morning for breakfast! So who is doing the washing up?
RAMONA

Stunning…

 

Source: Harper’s Bazaar UK October 2010

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

spring break

On RRR last week Beck and I were talking about school holiday crafts. There are plenty of fantastic old and new crafty books that can inspire even the youngest in the household (sometimes the oldest too!) We admit to being very project oriented people and have probably passed this onto our offspring. So it's no surprise that we've become addicted to kaboose.com.

essentially a good looking parenting website out of the States it has the most comprehensive list of craft projects for children that we have ever seen. Imagine summer camp, boy scouts, kindergarten, 1975, Martha Stewart, and old boys and girls annuals all poured into the one resource that is pretty and functional at the same time. Not just glam styling but the instructions on how to make a paper boat...

...or grow your own herbs out of a tin can. You can search by age group, media, length of project, topic, and seasons. There are lots of printouts for instructions and colouring pages. All the projects are inexpensive and pretty much fool proof. My Thom is obsessed with all things nature so we'll be making pet rocks and coffee filter butterflies. Beck and I get the boys together every week so there will be some shared activities too.

If you don't have kids yourself there is still a lot of inspiration to be found here (especially come Christmas time). How about putting a kit together for nieces, nephews, neighbours or friends kidlets?

Because you are never to young or old to learn that crafting, simply for pleasure, is totally where it's at. RAMONA

CRAP SHOW OF THE WEEK

stinker

The fantastic Helen Round is again curating one of the Fringe Festivals best events the Museum of Particularly Bad Art's Itchiball Award. This event has now been going for 6 years now and the work gets worse every year

There are three things you are alway guaranteed to see at a MOPBA show -unicorns, nudie bits and Elvis.So bad it's good. But like all things, once collected and displayed it does take on a different quality. A sort of melancholia. After all, none of the artists really set out to make bad work, none of us ever do. We can't be that self conscious in our failures or our successes.

Fringe has lots of good stuff on offer. We'll bring you highlights and lowlights as the 3 weeks rolls on. Those of you with Iphones should download the app. Those of you who don't should jump on their website, it's terrific! RAMONA