05/09: victorian shoes
my parents recently came back from yet another overseas holiday (they have a lot of them) where they went to sweden, russia, denmark and other places in continental europe, and then drove around the uk, up to scotland and down to wales. i asked them to get me something cool while over there, something that you can't really find here in australia.
...and my mum brought home these shoes:
these are victorian children's shoes. they are made out of really hard leather, with the brass clasp you can see below to keep them on. they also have brass studs all around the outside of the shoe near the sole.
they must have been incredibly uncomfortable to walk in... the sole is made out of wood, and has what looks like a horseshoe around the outside for support.
i don't know how old the kid must have been that owned them, but at a guess they could only have been about 3 or 4! and wearing little heels...
they are so interesting and different, and definitely not something you can buy over here!
thanks to my mum and auntie pat for the pressie :)
...and my mum brought home these shoes:
these are victorian children's shoes. they are made out of really hard leather, with the brass clasp you can see below to keep them on. they also have brass studs all around the outside of the shoe near the sole.
they must have been incredibly uncomfortable to walk in... the sole is made out of wood, and has what looks like a horseshoe around the outside for support.
i don't know how old the kid must have been that owned them, but at a guess they could only have been about 3 or 4! and wearing little heels...
they are so interesting and different, and definitely not something you can buy over here!
thanks to my mum and auntie pat for the pressie :)
so with all the planning, buying, designing, cooking, decorating, stressing, more cooking, and even more stressing done, it was time to finish setting up, frock up, open the front door, and let people in!
it was really cool having everyone come in and gasp about the set up - i'd been so frantic about getting everything organised that i don't think i really sat back and enjoyed it until i saw everyone's reactions. but i have to say, everything looked just as I have planned it in my head, and it was all so pretty.
it was such good fun - the food was all really yummy (phew, thankfully!), the tea and cocktails flowing!
read on for the last of the photos :)
it was really cool having everyone come in and gasp about the set up - i'd been so frantic about getting everything organised that i don't think i really sat back and enjoyed it until i saw everyone's reactions. but i have to say, everything looked just as I have planned it in my head, and it was all so pretty.
it was such good fun - the food was all really yummy (phew, thankfully!), the tea and cocktails flowing!
read on for the last of the photos :)
this year i decided to go all out with birthday celebrations.
this decision was influenced by two things: the fact that i usually have something low-key and last minute, and the fact that i have been researching invitations and weddings for my friend's upcoming nuptials. so with that in mind, i thought i would do something crazy that would be totally "me" and that i could share with my friends, and threw a mad hatters tea party!
it was totally worth it...
(that's me in the pink dress)
about 2 months before, i'd started going to vinnies and salvos stores to find teapots, cups and saucers. it was much more difficult than i expected to get a nice collection of vintage-y cups and saucers. and teapots were almost impossible. i made so many trips out to any op shop i could find or think of!
read on to find out more, and see lots of pictures!
this decision was influenced by two things: the fact that i usually have something low-key and last minute, and the fact that i have been researching invitations and weddings for my friend's upcoming nuptials. so with that in mind, i thought i would do something crazy that would be totally "me" and that i could share with my friends, and threw a mad hatters tea party!
it was totally worth it...
(that's me in the pink dress)
about 2 months before, i'd started going to vinnies and salvos stores to find teapots, cups and saucers. it was much more difficult than i expected to get a nice collection of vintage-y cups and saucers. and teapots were almost impossible. i made so many trips out to any op shop i could find or think of!
read on to find out more, and see lots of pictures!
05/07: to dream of tomorrow
first, let me say that i have never won anything before.... i came second in a portrait painting competition when i was 10 years old, maybe less, but i think the judges liked the portrait of my dad because it was painted totally honestly - grey hair and all. that's the closest i've ever come to winning.
so when blanket magazine had a competition a little while ago to win a print by jenkins, i entered, just in case. and hey, i won!
this is the print that i won (though not exactly, since all of the prints were different):
its an awesome print - screen printed and hand painted and some scribbles thrown in for good measure. but when i got it, then came the dilemma of what to do with it - it's HUGE!
so of course i looked on trusty ebay for a frame, and found an amazing one that i bought, and then had the print and glass fitted and this is what it ended up looking like (and omg i love it!)
jenkins put a few images on his site of the process of making the print, which i thought were cool... read on!
so when blanket magazine had a competition a little while ago to win a print by jenkins, i entered, just in case. and hey, i won!
this is the print that i won (though not exactly, since all of the prints were different):
its an awesome print - screen printed and hand painted and some scribbles thrown in for good measure. but when i got it, then came the dilemma of what to do with it - it's HUGE!
so of course i looked on trusty ebay for a frame, and found an amazing one that i bought, and then had the print and glass fitted and this is what it ended up looking like (and omg i love it!)
jenkins put a few images on his site of the process of making the print, which i thought were cool... read on!
12/04: semi permanent 2010 book
as an addendum to the semi-permanent entries, i should also mention that i was selected to be one of the 150 artists or so to be in the semi-permanent book!
as soon as i got to the conference centre for semi-permanent day 1, i went inside, got my pack and went back outside to check out the book.... being a total design nerd, i was pretty happy that a) it was in the front of the book and b) it was on the right hand page hehe
here are some pics :)
as soon as i got to the conference centre for semi-permanent day 1, i went inside, got my pack and went back outside to check out the book.... being a total design nerd, i was pretty happy that a) it was in the front of the book and b) it was on the right hand page hehe
here are some pics :)
22/03: welcome to my world
hello there!
after many years of wanting a blog, then not wanting one, then not being able to figure them out when i wanted one... i have finally done it and taken the plunge. this may end up being great, or it may end up a tragic experiment but i am hoping for the former!
so, who am i? well, i am ali, a sydney-based graphic designer, illustrator, crafter and serious tea addict.
my likes include, but are definitely not limited to: drawing, music, sewing, book binding, rice pudding, romantic movies and tv shows with silly happily ever after endings, sunny days, rainy days, chairs, graphic design, interior design, architecture, art, old buildings, craft, movable type, screen printing and chocolate.
my dislikes are pretty endless and not worth getting into... but mainly include various forms of insects!
i hope to share with you my inspiration and hopefully some of the projects i am working on.
cheers,
ali x
oh, ps, here is a sneak peek of my work, more of which can be seen at alisonrichards.net
after many years of wanting a blog, then not wanting one, then not being able to figure them out when i wanted one... i have finally done it and taken the plunge. this may end up being great, or it may end up a tragic experiment but i am hoping for the former!
so, who am i? well, i am ali, a sydney-based graphic designer, illustrator, crafter and serious tea addict.
my likes include, but are definitely not limited to: drawing, music, sewing, book binding, rice pudding, romantic movies and tv shows with silly happily ever after endings, sunny days, rainy days, chairs, graphic design, interior design, architecture, art, old buildings, craft, movable type, screen printing and chocolate.
my dislikes are pretty endless and not worth getting into... but mainly include various forms of insects!
i hope to share with you my inspiration and hopefully some of the projects i am working on.
cheers,
ali x
oh, ps, here is a sneak peek of my work, more of which can be seen at alisonrichards.net
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