Elizabeth McGrath

Many thanks to my friend Amy for introducing me to the uh-mazing work of LA artist Elizabeth McGrath! She's the lead singer in the band Miss Derringer and has been given the name Bloodbath McGrath in reference to the subject matter of her work. Click on the bloodbath link to read more about a documentary on her life.

Pictured above: Savoy | The Incurable Disorder | The Weasels | One Day.

This hauntingly beautiful bird reminds me of someone very close to me who's spectacularly talented. The world needs to know more about her as well. ♥

Bon Weekend - Thinking of Calgon colored water

{ Basin by Shannon Rankin | Ring | Necklace | Custom cut body of water by Crafterall }

I've been very lax in posting this week as Wednesday found us in the ER to treat Michael. He's ok and on the mend but for the most part, I've been out of commission since Tuesday. All the work in the garden and the simply amazing weather recently has kept my mind on Calgon colored waters and my love of topography. However, we've now been hit with a new blast of cold and grey, so I think it's even better that I share a few pieces from some of my Pinterest boards and Etsy!

Also, I couldn't think of a better time to revisit the post highlighting the incredible work of Linda Glass.

Bon weekend to all!

ETA: after I published this post the sun came out and the temperature is on the rise!

Etsy coupling in our bedroom.

We finally got around to getting a pillow form to go inside the roddy&ginger pomegranate tree pillow cover we won {and which arrived from London} in November! It's hand screen-printed onto white linen and backed with a beautiful grey linen. It's soft and beautiful and it is a welcomed addition to our bedroom. Better late than never, right? Thank you roddy&ginger!

The picture above the chair is an 8" x 10" print of an original papercut from Etsy seller, Mon Petit Fantome and is titled, 'I Do Not Know Where We Are Going, But At Least We Are Together'. I featured one of their papercut prints in my Papercuts & Silhouettes Etsy treasury last year. The partial picture does not do it any justice. At all. The black is thick {for lack of a better word} and the white just pops off the page.

Don't mind the branches...I haven't decided if they're staying in that corner.

Bon Weekend!

Ooops, it's Friday again. It's been an incredibly hectic week and I have a few posts saved in draft mode but I want to share them so I think I'll just post photos and quick links here...

Soap Henge via Recyclart.



Urban Knitting via fubiz.



Jennifer Maestre's Prickly Pencil Creatures via Beautiful Decay.



Recycled Volkswagen Micro Bus Pool Table via The Alternative Consumer.



And lastly, How To Describe Your Furniture On Craigslist via Lunch Breath.



Have a great weekend!

Rad Tea Party

I want to have a Tea Party using Eileen Braun's delightfully whimsical tea pots.



From Eileen's homepage:

My ceramics work is based on wheel thrown and then altered forms which take a playful biomorphic turn to animate themselves. Many have developed a haughty attitude and yet beckon you to touch them.

But wait, she makes more than just teapots! Fantastical bowls, vases, jars, salt & pepper shakes, etc. Too many to link to so please just go have a look.

Originally witnessed at The Mud Bucket.

Bon Weekend - A bouquet fit for a giant.

I had another post written up but decided to go with this burst of color for today. Vintage brooch bouquets have become increasingly popular with brides these days. I just happened to be searching through the favorite photos of various photographers on Flickr last night and I stumbled upon photos of the Flower Tree in Place Antonin Poncet. It is the work of Korean artist Choi Jeong-Hwa, and was installed during the Biennale of Contemporary Art in Lyon, in 2003. The sculpture is made of stainless steel and painter with a polyester resin, measures 6 meters with a total of 85 flowers of polyester resin. There is another tree in Shanghai. It was his in concept, but it was not built or designed by him.

From what I can gather, it then traveled for a couple of years before taking permanent residence back in Lyon.



{ Both photos taken by Flickr user Simon Downham. Click on images to view larger. }

Oh, and I was very excited to finally got to see photos of my friend Suzanne's DIY brooch bouquet yesterday.

Connect the dots.

When I first looked at the larger image below, I thought it was a new take on pointillism. In a way, it is. Ohio artist Christian Faur creates these pictures using crayons. He starts by scanning a photograph and then pixelates the image. The crayons are then placed in a grid before they're placed into a wooden frame. Personally, I think they're very well done!



{ All images by Cater News Agency }

Continue reading about Christian's work at the Daily Mail. >>

Holidays on Ice

At least when the fountain is filled! I ran across this image on Pinterest and it took my breath away! Suzonne Stirling is a crafty as all get out blogger { That beaded wreath took 80 hours to make. } and is an absintheur? I'm totally smitten.


{ Click on image to see larger version at Urban Comfort }

*Has added Urban Comfort to my Google Reader.*

Lost & Fawned Giveaway: Print of your choice from Elsita

Lindsey, of Lost & Fawned, is featuring some great Holiday Shopping lists from various bloggers this month. I created a list for her that will post this week. In that list was one of Elsita's papercut prints. Personally, I could have a room filled with her work. Earlier this year I shared one of my favorite pieces and also featured one of her stunning creations in an Etsy Treasury in October.



Lindsey became so smitten with Elsita's work that she purchased a papercut print to go in her and Jared's new home, which they'll close on next month. I got an excited email from her last night that Elsita has offered to sponsor a giveaway at Lost & Fawned! So…please head over to the post before Sunday, December 12th at 9:oo PM EST and tell them which is your favorite 8.5 x 11 print. A winner will be chosen at random and will be announced the following day.

Good luck to everyone and please pass this on!

El Fantasma: THE CIRCUS OF PARANORMAL PROPORTIONS!

My very dearest Aileen will be showing her incredible art at Push Push Theater's 'El Fantasma: THE CIRCUS OF PARANORMAL PROPORTIONS!' on Saturday. Hey, that's tomorrow! If you're in Atlanta, please stop by.



From their Facebook page...
'From the fiendish minds at Bang! Arts Promotions comes El Fatasma! A paranormal circus event celebrating that backbone of Atlanta workshop theatre PushPush who for nearly 15 years have decimated the boundaries of contemporary theatre creating a place for Atlanta in the international arts scene and providing audiences with a one way ticket to new heights of theatrical experience. This one night only event will feature the musical stylings of Ghosts Project along with the high flying improvisational hi-jinx of Flight of Swallows. Spend an evening being tempted by the lucious cupcake treats of The Sugar Dolls as you are astounded by the talents of the renowned Imperial Opa Circus. Special guest appearance by Madame de la Mita, maven of the tarot cards. All to benefit PushPush as they launch their latest project Slow Down Atlanta, an adventure into the lives of five college roommates who grow up to run their own Paranormal Investigative team in order to buy those staples of adult living: pizza and beer. Run away and join the circus! Nov 20th. 7pm 121 New Street #4, Decatur $15-$25'

Krislyn Komarov

I adore the beautifully organic designs of Krislyn Komarov, especially her 'curiosities'. She's been called 'The Anti Florist' by Elle magazine and if you look at some of her bridal | tabletop designs you just might agree. Chances are you've seen her work before.



{ Click images to visit the website. }

She's refocused her direction, stepping away from designing for retail...
'I have decided that it is time for me to transition, full force to create more conceptual and personal works of art along with intimate participation in special projects with other respected artists and creatives. I am impassioned and moved to realize my visions beyond the limitations and demands of a retail environment.'

You can read her blog at http://krislyndesign.wordpress.com/.

Reef Light

Sea coral patterns are the inspiration of the Reef light design, created by Dutch artist Tanja Soeter. The light that illuminates from Reef's delicate structure casts dramatic patterns in your room.



Her work can be found at Freedom of Creation. I found several lighting fixtures that would be fun to have.

Jessica Harrison

Earlier today, my friend Stephanie tagged my on a link about Jessica Harrison and her lovely porcelain ladies. She knows my macabre tastes well enough that I'd add these to my wishlist.

I'd like to introduce you to Karen. I can see her dancing around the meadow on a beautiful spring afternoon.

What day of the week is it?

We arrived home last night from our whirlwind weekend in Atlanta. I'm still very tired today and have a ton to catch up on. It was a mostly working weekend, with ample time for silly antics at night. Michael hung track lighting for the museum where our friend Andy is the director. I am currently redesigning their website. We both lost a days work due to various technicalities. I learned that my laptop can no longer function with an external keyboard and mouse. We need to buy a used top portion and see if that will allow us to have some kind of decent portable technology. Unfortunately that caused us to miss a few goings on about town on Saturday and limited my time at fabric mecca to a mere 30-45 minutes, which is a bit cruel considering I haven't been able to step foot in Gail's in over 2 years. I threatened to drop to the floor and roll around a bit, but it was a wee bit crowded while Aileen and I were there. I managed to pick up a few pieces of fabric and I hope to get back for just a supply run next month.

This is one of a few photos taken at Aileen and Mike's place. They are two of the most extraordinary humans on the planet and I adore Aileen's style.


Our Darling

I hope to get more posts up about various adventures in Atlanta.

Linda Glass

California fiber artist Linda Glass makes amazing batik-like quilts. Reminds me a bit of Charleston's wonderfully talented Mary Edna Fraser.



From the artist's statement page...
"My artwork combines my environmental activism for sustainable water management and the aesthetics of art making. Growing up in Los Angeles during the drought years made me aware of the preciousness of water and that realization has turned into a passion for raising public awareness about water resources through art.

I deliberately work in textiles with the intention to reach as many people as possible with the issues expressed in my work. Textiles are an unintimidating medium; people feel a familiarity and comfort with fabric since it plays such an integral and basic part in our lives."

More of works of beauty. >>

Garden Goddesses

Whimsical, yet powerful focal points for your garden by Colorado artist Arabella Tattershall.



"I am enamored with leaves. They keep falling into my pieces, as they would from a tree, and I accept their gifts of seasonal engagement in the guises of frailty, tenacity, color and shape."

Electric Mavis pedant lights by Melbourne designer Gregory Bonasera and others.

Oh, looks like I'm not the only one who fancied having their love of tea cups illuminated.



More photos and artists. >>

Ghost Chairs

'The plexiglass chairs have ghost-like forms inside them, created with laser technology.

The ghost is a futuristic concept of a chair, 3-dimensionally captured within the boundaries of reality. It gives you a bit of a dramatic feeling: unbelievable, high-tech, but beautiful.'

See more photos read the full article. >>

Helen Musselwhite

Very recently (as in yesterday) I have started playing with Pinterest. More on that later. Thank you Lindsey!

A couple 'pins' added by one of the members featured Helen Musselwhite's pieces. Her stuff is simply...amazing. I stumbled upon her work a while back and I know I had a post either set up or actually published about her but I cannot not seem to find it. So without further ado...


{ Click on photo to enlarge. }

Bon Weekend - a trip to Fantasy Garden

Mom was feeling up for a run to a few nurseries this morning. It breaks our hearts that she lives in an world of incredible pain everyday, so when she says she's ready, it's go time! I'm so happy to be back in gardening mode while prepping for the move. We bought two hydrangeas at Rosebank Farms and then stopped by Garden Wise where we bought a gorgeous variegated hosta and a Farfugium japonicum 'Giganteum', aka the Giant Leopard Plant. The giant waxy leaves look like a tractor seat. They produce a stalk with yellow daisy-like flowers in the fall.

I follow a blog called 'Garden Porn' that is maintained by Michelle Derviss, who is a landscape designer. These are photos of the 'Pina Colada Garden' in Novato, CA. I believe this is her actual garden. It's about as close to my dream garden as it's going to get. I apologize in advance for the large file weight of the images, but I couldn't just pick a few. I had a very difficult time narrowing it down to just these...




Click to enlarge.

Want to see more?