Rondebosch Market October 2012

Jam Tarts was at Rondebosch Market yesterday. It was evident that people are starting to buy presents for Christmas and others have an end-of-year overseas trip planned, so they can buy items that are winter-friendly.

A friend of Rob’s passed on a couple of body hangers which are wonderful for displaying shawls. Only thing is (and a couple of people commented on this as well), I think they’ll look better with knickers. What do you think?

And a happy ending for the first mirror I made with broken crockery:

To be continued…

Spring is here!

Just a couple of oddments from me today, nothing like my usual creative focus or intellectual challenge. hahahaha

First off, spring has reached Cape Town! It’s time to unearth my cotton blouses and sleeveless waistcoats:

Second, here is a mirror I made for a certain important person in my life. His reception area is very dull and bleak, and I thought this would cheer things up.

(and you try and take a photo of a mirror without getting your reflection in it!)

Third, thanks to G-Ma Ellen, I discovered this divine crochet pattern for slippers from Mamachee on Etsy:

Fell in love with, ordered, paid, and downloaded! How spectacular is this super-speed techno world of ours! Turns out I have no 6.5mm hook in my tools, so I’m off to Simply Stitches in Pinelands just now. As soon as I finish this post. Oh, and shower and dress.

Finally, get yourselves on over to the Woolhogs Made-It Challenge – the prize for October has been donated by the lovely Rainbow Junkie in the UK. You don’t have to make anything knitted or crocheted, it can be baked, stitched, modelled, painted….the world is your banana. And no, I have no idea what made me write that. Sometimes I’m just silly.

To be continued…

a win-win situation

Two wins to report today:

1. The winner of the Jam Tarts give-away is Mj Hanley-Goff, all the way away in Washington in the Yoo-nited States! Mj is a writer and traveller and mom, and earlier this year she brought her 16-year old daughter to visit South Africa and see what we’re all about over here.

2. The other win is a mention that we got in the July issue of the Ideas magazine: just a teeny one but, hey, every bit helps. (Plus they included a really nice pic of one of my mirrors).

To be continued…

 

Entry #2

I mentioned the other day that I had managed to finish one item for the creative crafty competition.  There are now only three days left but yesterday I finished the next item on my list, and pleased I am indeed.  It’s a mini mosaic mirror measuring 16 by 13 cm, with its own beautiful wire stand.

I have recently met Godfrey Chitembe, a wire artist who sets up his roadside shop behind Woolworths in Rondebosch. I’ll get a picture of him later this morning and post it because he makes really amazing things from wire and beads, and they deserve to be seen.  Anyway, I had this idea to make a little mosaic mirror that sits on its own stand and that is where Godfrey comes in. He made the perfect thing!

It is sufficiently sturdy to hold the mirror, but has a delicate, whimsical look about it.  This one is going to live on my dressing table.

Contrary to what my colleagues and friends might think from my behaviour, I actually love deadlines. As a very experienced procrastinator, having to work towards a deadline helps me focus on priorities and somehow it also generates new ideas. And effective shortcuts. Maybe that’s the lazy in me. I would most likely never accomplish a single thing without the imposition of a deadline.

Okay, Item #3 here we come.

To be continued…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keeping up with the Joneses

I have spent a very pleasant afternoon in my kitchen with the radio on mosaicing a mirror for my colleague, Joanne Jones. She wanted something with ‘african’ colours, so I figured you can’t get more african than red and brown (unless I opt for a rainbow, South Africa being the “Rainbow Nation” and all…!). It’s still drying, and tomorrow morning will get grouted in ivory.

The smaller pink frame on the left is for Joanne’s daughter, Kate, who is three (and already has excellent taste :)!

To be continued…