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25 September 2011

Ari & co. (one year ago)

Ariel Gray and Scarlett Rose were both five years old.










Modelling more fantastic opportunity shop finds,
& we couldn't get them to stand still then either!

The beautiful cubby house was an Ebay score that
Scarlett's very talented mummy, Emily re-vamped.
It recently grew a lovely garden of plastic flowers.

Isn't it just wonderful?

20 September 2011

Hello Mister Narwhal

A new little friend from the work table...


likes: swimming, playing ring toss, they might be giants
dislikes: oil spills, eating his seaweed, Jaws (the movie)  



(Thanks Emily! For the heads up on these guys... we love them too. xo)

Ari & co. (one month ago)

Ariel Gray and Scarlett Rose are both six years old.
They have been the best of friends ever since birth. 

Now that they're at school they don't see each other so often, 
but when they do, they always have enormous fun together




That day they were having an absolute blast, playing at home.
And the super cute outfits? They'd both dressed themselves!

Ari's T-shirt was a b'day gift from my sweet friend Renee.
It's by Boo Ware and it's one of Ari's absolute favourites.
The darling grey tailcoat? $1 from the local Tip shop and
all the rest was second hand from Savers and Op Shops. 

(Yes, even Ari's skinny leg black jeans & Scarlett's gorgeous pinafore.)

Ari customised the tailcoat with paint splatters during one
of his visits to my studio... he's a perfect little bohemian!

Take it from the kids, you don't always need to spend a lot 
of money to look super cute... or to have a great time.   xo

11 September 2011

welcome to the dollhaus




Take a look at this gorgeous apartment I blogged about today,
on my other (fashion and art) blog welcome to the dollhaus...
what? You didn't know I had another blog! Take a peek here

The apartment almost seems to have been painted and decorated
to match the lucky owner's collection of Alexander Girard dolls ⇓



they are available here if you're in the mood to splurge

6 September 2011

Raised by the Wolves


I love the old eastern european graphics!
This one's quite similar to my business card design...

© Anna Maria Drutzel 2006

I've actually been thinking about simplifying the children's clothes 
and faces so that they better reflect the aesthetic of my designs.

I love the comic quality of the wolves though.

I wanted to create a sense of ambiguity in the design, like the children, 
the viewer's not quite sure whether the wolves are friendly or hungry...


4 September 2011

Len Lye

Len Lye's animations are magical viewing for little ones... 
Ari loved them when he was two or three.



I love ACMI. They have some excellent exhibitions which are often great 
for kids (like Len Lye back in 2009), a collection of thousands of flicks 
on DVD and film reel (and available for us Victorians to borrow through 
our local libraries) and a fantastic shop filled with all sorts of cinematic 
resources. If you find yourself in Melbourne, you must make time to visit.


If you like this Len Lye animation there are lots more on YOUTUBE

3 September 2011

kickcan and conkers

Did I ever tell you that in my past life I was 
a Costume Maker and a Performance Artist?


bear mask by kissmego


crocodile veste by Bouille de Clown


queen of hearts by Oeuf

It's quite true.

And so I could happily play dress ups with Ari every day. I think
I could also quite happily spend a whole week in the blog where I
found these lovely images. It's filled absolutely to the brim with the
most wonderful links to lovely things, and it's one of my favourites:

kickan and conkers

Deborah's holding a wonderful giveaway at the moment ↓


for this beautiful vintage french botanical illustration.


I sure would love to win that!  Go, take a peek at her blog.
The contest ends on the 5th of September,  so you better get
your skates on and hurry over there. Click here for details...

xox

2 September 2011

Apple and Pear

...a perfect combination in my opinion.


A range of fingerless gloves will be available 
soon in both shops here and here...


and here's a pear-fect recipe if you're heading into Autumn:

Apple and Pear Jam

1 1/2 lb pears
1 1/2 lb apples
3 lb sugar
1 cup water
2 lemons
vanilla extract

Place a saucer in the freezer  (you will need this  later to test the 
jam as it approaches boiling point) and wash jars and lids in warm 
soppy water and place upright on an oven tray.  Set oven to 100℃.

1. Peel, core and chop the apples and the pears.

2. Place the apples in saucepan with water and lemon juice.

3. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer until apples 
soften. Add the pears. Bring to the boil again, reduce to a 
simmer and continue cooking until the fruit resembles a pulp.  

4. Add the sugar and bring to the boil again. Reduce to a 
simmer, add the vanilla extract to taste and continue 
to cook until it reaches the setting point. 

To test for the setting point remove the saucer from the freezer and place a little of the 
jam onto it. Allow it to cool for a minute or two. Then test it for thickness. Remember 
it will become thicker as it sets so you want it to still be slightly runny, but not overly.

5. Remove the pot from from heat, remove the jars from 
the oven and ladle the jam into the hot jars. Screw 
the lids on immediately, but not too tightly.

6. Process in a hot water bath for 15-20 minutes.


Positively delicious! Enjoy xo

1 September 2011

Spring Is Here



The red Alpine style house is built into the side of an extict 
volcano. My grandparent's built it as their 70s dream house.


This beautiful purple weed's flowering everywhere...

This blossom looks like snowballs at the moment. It's so very very dreamy. My 
grandmother planted it 30 years ago and the plums...  taste like my childhood.




The border of the garden bed was made from the volcanic 
rocks which littered the property when it was purchased.



The  first day of Spring greeted us with sunshine and  blossom-filled breezes. I took these photos in the garden this afternoon. Everything is looking so wonderfully... springy! Jonathan created the fairy garden for Ari last year. It fills the flower bed beneath an enormous fir tree (much like how I imagine the faraway tree might be). It's a little overgrown and in need of a tidy, but still our favourite part of the garden. I found the little fairy in a junk shop. She sits on a rock inscribed with the words...

'life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away'

Happy Springtime! 
or Autumn or Rainy Season...
depending on where you reside



Ari's outfit:  vintage 1970s overalls: op shop, star print spencer: Baby Gap 
and batman gumboots: Cotton On Kids (both found second hand at savers)
Total cost of Ari's outfit =   $6.98

lovebirds

Our garden is filled with all kind of birdlife at the moment...
but these little lovebirds are sitting sweetly on my worktable.




(this one still needs it's feathers stitched onto its wing)



I've been experimenting a bit with their eyes and details, as 
you can see, but I think the rest will be like the orange bird.

Perhaps, I'll have a whole flock sewn up by the time I'm 
ready to launch my business and open shop.

xoxox