Still Water

The hall table - a repository for the cars keys, the mail, the phone, notes to your partner even. Like a filter it collects all of the debris of modern life as we pass to and fro, in and out of the house.

But there is more. As the first thing we see on leaving or arriving home it is a comfort - a place to shrug off the outside world before moving on to relax.

There is art here as well. As you or your visitors enter,  the hall table subtly signals who you really are. Whether the message is " sit up straight" or " kick off your shoes and chill" what really matters is that it is you who decides. And of course, after a day spent working for the man, what better therapy can there be than to be reminded, welcomed even to who you really are.

Yes, the humble hall table - still water indeed.

The table in the pic is in the shop just now. Made from reclaimed pallet wood it is $140.

Modern dining

I have a confession to make. Rarely do we eat at our dining table nowadays. No instead we collapse in front of the telly to eat, watching "Friends" perhaps or even ( oh the shame . . . ) "Bath Crashers".

Mind you in our defense our dining table is quite often covered in freshly printed fabric or tables with maps on top waiting to dry. And judging by the number of orphaned dining tables I see in op-shops, perhaps we are not the only ones.

Times change. And in my hands so do dining tables. They often have a beautiful silhouette and with a bit of tidying, some alteration and the addition of a retro fabric top a beautiful hall table or desk results.

Todays motto - reuse, recycle, re-imagine !

Playing with my new toys

 I have recently bought a couple of beautiful new printing tools.  The first a vintage French printing block and the second a little French printing roller.

 The printing roller was originally used for marking out embroidery patterns.  But I think it will make fantastic edgings for my pillowcases.  Below is my trial prints  I love the pattern with the little rose buds on best I think.

 The big print block was fun to use too, but my arm is aching with the weight of it.  I added in the little orange flowers, one of the blocks Peter made for me.  Love the idea of having a vintage print and the new print together.

Indigo

If light could be dark. If a bulb could put out black light, then the colour of that light would be indigo.

Blacker than black, indigo is the colour of the shadows. Those morning shadows that world emerges from so softly, so quietly.

For indigo does not speak. It is an absence of everything even sound.

It just is . . . as we should be.


(The photo is an indigo stained cabinet top. )

 

Inspiration

Inspiration. What is it ? Where does it come from ?

Well in my case it is often just  a glimmer of an idea, more a feeling really, set off by an object or sometimes just a shape. Like this desk - Nicola picked up a lovely rimu headboard and laid flat the shape just said "desk". But not just any desk. Add a drawer and  and some legs and a desk with more than a hint of the "Jetsons" or the "Thunderbirds" is revealed.

It all just came together in a lively simplicity. Plain oiled and waxed rimu, widely angled legs and slightly curved top giving life to the piece.

Lovely. You can see it for yourself if you like, I'll have it at the Havelock North Craft and Design Market tomorrow. I believe there may be chocolate cake too if you are early :-)

Fossicking Road Trip Time

The stack of furniture waiting to be recreated in the garage was getting to an unknown low level, I could actually see the way through to Peters work bench.  Time for Peter and I to set of on a fossicking road trip.  So one foggy morning this week off we went.

 First stop our favourite road trip cafe for a late breakfast in the warm.  I am sure you can guess which cafe it was.

Peter and the dog seemed to be competing for the seat closest to the fire.  I think the dog won.  

Peter had cheese and herb omelettes and as usual I went for the very healthy option of pancakes with berries and maple syrup with yogurt!  I so love the colour combination and feel very inspired by that combination of off white with highlights of dark, dark red and vintage blue.

If you only knew how many photos I have with Peter's grinning face appearing in them, I could almost start a whole blog for them.  I was concentrating so hard on the food did not notice him at all.

Another colour inspiration shot.

As it was its a good job we did stop for a late breakfast as the shop we wanted to visit was just opening up as we arrived.

Here you go have a closer look inside, its full of fantastic bits and pieces from all eras.  There was a sofa I would seriously like.

I think if you know Hawkes Bay you will recognise where we were headed.

 I think I must be influenced by cold winter colours, I seem to be really focusing on whites, grey greens and blues, with hints of red to warm things up.

 I can't wait to get printing and trying to combine these colours in my work.

The aim of the trip was not really to find photo inspiration.  But to find furniture inspiration.

In fact we found some great inspirational bits and pieces, I can't wait to see what appears out of the Reclectica workshop.

Peter seems to be very happy with his new pair of drawers.

Its time to come on down and keep warm

What a busy week getting organised for the Mid Winter Warm Up Craft market, in Napier on Friday evening and Saturday day time.  We have a great line up of stalls some new, some old and some all time favs.  Of course Reclectica and Coulter & Coulter will be there.   So much to do so little time. As they say in the creative crafting world, sleep is overrated.  Hope to see you there, I will be the one with matchsticks holding up her eyelids.