Table of contents for Jan/Feb 2019 in Ideas

Contact me at • terena@ideasfactory.co.za • instagram.com/terenaleroux The end of 2018 was not just the end of another year for me – it was also the end of me sharing my house and my daily life with my son, Anton. And we were together for a long time. So long that even the builder next door said to me, ‘Let’s be honest now, Terena, it’s high time that your son moved out’. But high time or not, an empty nest is an unpleasant thing. (And 28 is not that old!) Because I’m not keen on uncomfortable voids in my heart or my house, I quickly decided to find something to fill them. Such as immediately starting to put together inspiration boards for the makeover and beautifying of his new home.…

diana@ideasfactory.co.za Fiction A Keeper by Graham Norton (Coronet, R301) Elizabeth Keane returns to Ireland after her mother’s death, intent only on wrapping up that dismal part of her life. There is nothing here for her; she wonders if there ever was. The house of her childhood is stuffed full of useless things, her mother’s presence already fading. And perhaps, had she not found the small stash of letters, the truth would never have come to light. Forty years earlier, a young woman stumbles from a remote stone house, the night quiet but for the tireless wind that circles her as she hurries into the darkness. She has no sense of where she is going, only that she must keep on. This compelling novel confirms Graham Norton’s status as a fresh,…

Mia Karlsson is a busy woman. It is therefore very important that her home is a place where she can relax fully. ‘My home is my sanctuary,’ she says and one look tells us exactly why. This beautiful rented apartment in the centre of Karlstad – one of the sunniest cities in Sweden – may be on the other side of the world from South Africa, but the cosy, feminine style is universal. Mia has three children: Rikard and Fredrik, and 20-year-old Linn who lives with her in the apartment. Mia is an operations developer, interior designer, freelance writer and stylist and she also designs jewellery. ‘Because of all the stimulation I get at I work, the apartment is a harmonious and quiet place, but it is very alive.’ It…

DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: one day Give a set of plain white napkins a fresh new look by using ice with powder dye to create an interesting effect. YOU WILL NEED ♥ cotton or linen napkins ♥ container ♥ wire rack with feet (so it’s raised off the base of the container) ♥ ice cubes (the shape will affect the various designs) ♥ powder fabric dye (look for dye suitable for linen or cotton) 1 Start by thoroughly wetting a napkin and then placing it on the wire rack. 2 Distribute the ice evenly over the fabric then layer a few more ice cubes over each other here and there. Scatter the dye over the ice leaving some areas clear. 3 Leave the ice to melt until the dye is exposed…

DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: three days YOU WILL NEED MATERIALS diagrams on page overleaf wood (in this case SA pine) – 6 000mm x 43mm x 22mm (parts 1 to 8 and part 10) – 1 800mm x 22mm x 22mm (part 9) plywood – 178mm x 178mm x 4mm thick (part 8) wood screws (countersink) – 16 x M3.5 x 60mm – 4 x M3.5 x 30mm – 4 x M3 x 16mm water or oil-based enamel paint (we used white) paint colour tint (we used black) wood filler wood glue (Ultra) glass top: 233mm x 233mm masking tape TOOLS hand drill router (if available) 2,5mm drill bit countersink bit mitre cutter hand saw slotted or Phillips screwdrivers sandpaper: 100 and 150 grit wood clamps 30mm paintbrush turpentine (if enamel…

Step into the Skinny laMinx store on Bree Street in Cape Town, and you’re instantly transported into designer Heather Moore’s colourful, multi-patterned world. In one section, a cushion cover in a signature Skinny laMinx print accessorises a chair upholstered in another of Heather’s linear designs. On the opposite side of the shop, a stack of drum lampshades in shades of mustardy yellow, bright green and bold blue draws the eye. A wall display shows off Heather’s popular range of patterned tea towels, while nearby, tote bags in yet more of her colourful fabrics are on display. From the racks of fabrics in the signature shades that Heather loves so much – reminiscent, as she says, of ‘colours that I associate with a mid-century palette’ – to the range of décor…

DIFFICULTY: easy to average TIME: 2-3 hours YOU WILL NEED four 20mm x 100mm x 700mm shutterply/plywood strips two 2mm x 100mm x 900mm hardboard strips drill small nails/panel pins medium screws screwdriver 2 x cup hooks hammer compost/potting soil bonemeal (optional) plants of your choice 1 Drill pilot holes and join all the corners with screws to create a frame. 2 Line up the hardboard strips with the bottom corners of the frame and hammer them in place with small nails or panel pins, to create a trough for the soil and plants. 3 Drill a few small holes for water drainage in the base of the trough. 4 Drill two pilot holes evenly spaced from the side edges on the top of the frame and screw in the…

DIFFICULTY: challenging TIME: 12 to 24 hours YOU WILL NEED rug hooking tool (a 3,5mm crochet hook can be used as a substitute) hooking template on page 92 embroidery hoop Elle Family Knit – chunky (see the colour key on page 92) 50 x 50cm hessian fabric decorative upholstery braid small footstool staple gun and staples hot glue gun NOTE Hooked rugs are worked with a tool similar to a crochet hook, with a wooden handle for a comfortable grip. A 3,5mm crochet hook can be used as a substitute. TO MAKE RUG HOOKING 1 Start by stretching the hessian with the traced template in an embroidery hoop. Push the hook through the hessian on the outline of one of the motifs to the back of the hessian. Hook a…

MARSHMALLOW CRISPY TREATS Makes: about 30 Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes ♥ 120g (130ml) butter♥ 400g marshmallows♥ 400g puffed rice cereal♥ a few drops of pink food colouring 1 Melt the butter and marshmallows together in a large saucepan over a low heat, stirring continuously. Add a few drops of pink food colouring and stir well to combine. 2 Remove the saucepan from the heat and add all the cereal at once. Stir quickly until well combined. 3 Grease a large rectangular tin. Spoon the mixture into the tin. Rub a little sunflower oil onto your hands and press the mixture down so it is flat. Set the tin aside for an hour or until the mixture is completely cool and firm. 4 Turn the firm mixture…

UPCYCLE AN OLD PIECE OF WOOD Recently, while I was sitting waiting to be attended to at Home Affairs, my attention was drawn to an old-fashioned filing system that the official was using to hold his files. It was a massive piece of wood that had huge grooves in it which were alphabetically labelled. My creative imagination immediately went into overdrive and I could not wait to go home. My mind was already going through my pile of leftover wood to find the right piece. I wanted to start this project right away and I wanted to add wire brushes and pricking irons to act as photo holders. DIFFICULTY: very easy TIME: 45 minutes YOU WILL NEED thick piece of wood family photographs or interesting cards that can be displayed…

Until recently, money and things were important to me. My time was mostly devoted to working and doing. Everything had to be as close to perfect as possible. My happiness was measured by success, prestige and financial comfort. Holidays in beautiful places and visits to theatres were a must. I wanted enough of everything, until life changed and showed me that enough was to be found elsewhere than I was looking. Initially you don’t understand. It takes time and a practice that makes you ‘well’ again before you can see life and what is important in perspective. On 1 January 2016 I started writing in my journal, the day that I lost my job. And that was enough. To help me realise that to have enough food every day, for…

@SRTALYLO Barcelona, Spain Graphic designer Loly Ghirardi’s photos are a treat for the eyes. Her page is a showcase for her love of 3D embroidery and for her travels to all the corners of the world. @_MBARTMANN Johannesburg, Gauteng Take a look at the behind-the-scenes photos on stylist and set designer Maritsa Bartmann’s page. Her creative, beautiful world will inspire you. @HOUSELARSBUILT Provo, Utah, US Artist Brittany Jepsen from The House that Lars Built uses her Instagram feed to illustrate her love for craft and paper art, and there’s definitely no shortage of ideas here.…

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: a few hours until dry Turn plain white sneakers into ombre works of art with fabric dye. First apply petroleum jelly to the rubber soles of the sneakers, to ensure they stay white. Thoroughly wet the shoes with water then dip the front section of the wet sneakers into a container of fabric dye (we used pink). Leave them in the container for a few minutes, then remove them and allow them to dry standing upright, leaning against something, to get the ombre effect.…

BISCUIT DOUGH: Beat 200g soft butter and 200g white sugar together. Add 15ml vanilla essence and a large egg, beating well to combine. Mix 420g flour and 5ml baking powder together in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture and work gently to form a firm dough. Roll batches out between two pieces of plastic wrap, about 5mm thick, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Makes about 15–20 biscuits, depending on the size. You can re-roll the offcuts once to cut more biscuits. 1 Use a cactus cookie cutter to cut cactus biscuits. You can also use a paper template to do different-shaped cacti, if you prefer. Also cut a 6cm round biscuit for every cactus. Bake them on a lined baking tray for 8–10 minutes at…

For many of us, African violets are probably the houseplants that we know best. At primary school a friend gave me a dull-brown pot containing the purple, velvet-like little flowers as a present. That plant received as much care and attention as the goldfish and budgies. In the same house there were ferns, motherin-law’s tongues and begonias – real stalwarts everywhere, from the farm veranda to the flat balcony. In a perfect world every person ought to have at least one plant as a friend. Plants provide good energy, they purify the air, remove pollutants and make you a happier, healthier person. And they need relatively little attention. Indoor plants nourish the same passion in a person as books, art and pets. They bring colour and can brighten up a…

NOTE We found this embroidered fabric at Fabric City in Cape Town. You could also decorate plain fabric with embroidery or appliqué, or play around with crochet along the hem line. DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: 2-3 hours SIZE: medium, but you can easily adjust the length and/or width if necessary. YOU WILL NEED pattern on page alongside fabric of your choice matching machine thread safety pin TO MAKE 1 Cut out all the pattern pieces: 1 x front on fold, 1 x back on fold and one band of 102 x 7cm (you can make it shorter if the bands are too long for you). If you use fabric with an embroidery design like we did, make sure the designs on the front and back panels correspond more or less before…

BISCUIT DOUGH Beat 200g soft butter and 200g white sugar together. Add 15ml vanilla essence and a large egg, beating well to combine. Mix 420g flour and 5ml baking powder together in a separate bowl, then add it to the butter mixture and work it gently to form a firm dough. Roll batches out between two pieces of plastic wrap, about 5mm thick, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Makes about 15-20 biscuits, depending on the size. You can reroll the off-cuts once to cut more biscuits. ROYAL ICING Lightly beat 2 large egg whites with 1ml cream of tartar. Add 500-600g sifted icing sugar and beat until just incorporated and the icing is stiff and white. Colour some of the icing for the decorating, 2-3 tablespoons of icing…

Use inspiring quotes this year to stay motivated. You can simply frame the designs on these pages for your house or stick them up somewhere with washi tape, or use them creatively by printing them onto a fabric item, like our tote bag above, or decoupaging them with modge podge onto a piece of furniture, as we did on a cupboard. ❁ You can buy the bags (see both designs on the page overleaf) from us already printed, if you prefer. They cost R180 including VAT but excluding postage. To order, email Marweya Smal at marweya@ideasfactory.co.za. Please specify which design you wish to buy. CARRY YOUR HEART ON YOUR SLEEVE We bought our bags at Super Floral (superfloral.co.za) and had them printed by Petrol Clothing Co (petrolclothingco.com) but you can…

creativecalendarideas@gmail.com January 1 January: New Year’s Day 9 January: School term starts WESTERN CAPE Until 27 January Don’t miss Solly Smook’s art exhibition, titled Sanctus, in McGregor. For more information, go to www.sollysmook.com. Until 30 January The Festival of Light Art takes place at Spier. Enjoy the multisensory artworks of light and sound across the farm. Entry is free. For more information, go to www.spier.co.za. 2 January At the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival you can celebrate the new year with musicians, singers and dancers in colourful costumes. The parade starts in District 6 and makes its way to the city centre 2-8 January The Zip Zap Circus School will be performing in the Silo District at the Waterfront between 5pm and 6pm, featuring jugglers, trapeze artists and more. The events…

❁ NEW SHOPS, DÉCOR AND CRAFT dala@ideasfactory.co.za ❁ FOOD AND RESTAURANTS ideasmagazinefood@gmail.com Summer dining SALT restaurant in the Elgin Valley has undergone a major revamp. Situated on the beautiful Paul Cluver wine estate, the new-look restaurant is contemporary with a touch of tradition. Visitors can now enjoy a long leisurely lunch outside on the shaded patio area, which overlooks the garden and pond. Enjoy great food and superb wines in a relaxed atmosphere. Open Tuesday to Sunday for breakfast and lunch. Call 021 844 0012 or email salt@cluver.com to book. BY THE NUMBERS If the formulas on the packaging of the new Optiphi Delta skincare range look like complicated science to you, don’t let that put you off. Your dermatologist, surgeon or aesthetic practitioner will know what they mean. These…

We used two mediums for this project, namely porcelain pens from Kreul and Dala Ceramics@Home ceramic paint. Both products are available from PNA. ILLUSTRATED BOWLS Eat out of your own pretty floral bowls. YOU WILL NEED white ceramic bowls porcelain pens in the colours of your choice designs of your choice nail polish remover cotton wool or a cloth TO MAKE 1 Wash the bowls in soapy water and remove any labels. Put them aside to dry completely. 2 Cover your work surface with sheets of old paper (not newspaper) and place your bowls on the paper. Shake the ceramic pen vigorously for about two minutes and then press the tip onto the paper until the ink starts to flow. Now you are ready to start drawing. NOTE: Have a…

Turn a plain white cake into a beautiful creation by decorating it with a selection of fresh edible flowers. Makes: 1 x 20cm cake Preparation time: 1 hour Baking time: 40 minutes Oven temperature: 160oC ♥ 10 large eggs, separated♥ 320g (390ml) castor sugar♥ 25ml milk♥ grated zest of 2 lemons♥ 240g (440ml) cake flour ICING ♥ 370ml (340g) white margarine, softened♥ 700g (1345ml) icing sugar, sifted♥ 50ml milk♥ 30ml lemon juice♥ 10ml grated lemon zest♥ selection of edible flowers (for example rose, pansy, geranium, carnation, violet, lilac, nasturtium) 1 CAKE Beat the egg whites until stiff, but don’t over beat. Beat in 200g of the castor sugar, a little at a time. Beat in the milk. Set the mixture aside. 2 In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks…

This sounds like a Facebook or Instagram cliché. But even so, it has brought meaning into my life. After a lifetime of searching. From chasing after more knowledge. More lectures, more courses, more books and more wisdom. Sangomas and tarot-card readers. Crystals and energy healing. And then came my decision to walk away from a glamorous life full of inspiration, bright lights and excitement, the most fabulous sunglasses and elegant high-heeled shoes. To swap it all for a simpler life in a coastal town. Yes, the high heels made way for slip-slops. The wind on the West Coast sees to it that your hair is tied up more often. And your skin has that healthy sun-kissed colour all year. (I drew the line, though, at giving up my favourite perfume…

DIFFICULTY: fairly easy TIME: one day YOU WILL NEED woven basket or bag Nurturing Fibres Eco-cotton 100% cotton DK (50g balls): 1 ball each in Pickled Ginger, Bessie, Bordeaux, Aventurine, Aqua, Willow and Charcoal 3mm crochet hook needle to sew on motifs small beads SIZE OF MOTIF approximately 12 x 12cm ABBREVIATIONS beg – begin(ning) ch – chain c/off – cast off dc – double crochet dtr – double treble gp – group htr – half treble rep – repeat rnd – round sp – space ss – slip stitch st(s) – stitch(es) tr – treble STITCH EXPLANATIONS DOUBLE TREBLE 1 Yarn over hook twice. Insert hook into next stitch. Yarn over hook and pull through first loop of work so that there are four loops on the hook. 2…

If you look on the internet for examples of fabric or textile mending methods, you will find sashiko and the more rustic version, boro patchwork, most often mentioned. But this age-old Japanese decorative stitching doesn’t only appear in its traditional form, it also appears as part of a contemporary movement known as ‘mendfulness’. This visible, creative process of ‘slow stitching’ that mends with small stitches is compared with the small steps that it will take to fix communities and our world again. And a little like the gold repair work of kintsugi, which has been used for centuries to mend broken ceramics in a way that makes them more beautiful, your fabric work is visible and is meant to be seen on worn knees or elbows, or included in a…

Having fallen in love with this couch as a little girl when I saw it in my grandfather’s office, I decided it was time to give this classic piece a fresh look so it could fit as perfectly in my home as it did there. It took a bit of time, but the end result was worth every minute. Here’s how to do it. DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: two days YOU WILL NEED fabric of your choice (we used Hertex Magical in Emerald) matching zipper if your sofa has a loose seat pad foam and batting as required piping cord webbing cotton lining fabric upholstery needle and matching thread YOU WILL ALSO NEED sewing machine with zipper foot and universal foot electric staple gun with U-shaped and brad staples electric carving…

The start of a new year is always a time of renewal and growth, when we pile our wishes and dreams for the 12 months ahead onto blank pages of new diaries and planners. We write our plans for doing things better or differently, in fresh ink on that clean first page – or that’s what I do! Every year I buy a new diary and think that this is the year I’m going to fill it with more and better things. In 2019 I want to challenge myself and you to try a different approach: to be calmer about our achievements and find more peace and joy in the everyday. We miss so many beautiful moments in our busy lives. Challenge yourself to be aware of the space around…

Go to ingoodcompany.co.za/downloads/ to download the printable materials.…

WINNING LETTER INSPIRED TO CREATE A few years ago I came across an open packet of beautiful bluebird serviettes. I bought them with the idea of doing a creative photo shoot to post on my blog at a later stage. I put them in my cupboard and forgot about them. Then a group of my friends got together and we did several crafts. The idea for this craft came from Ideas magazine. My friend supplied the white paper lanterns which were used at her daughter’s wedding and I used my pretty vintage serviettes. This is the result – my ‘upcycled’ paper lantern. Irene Woodhams (from Facebook) A taste of home I love your magazine and enjoyed it for years before moving to Canada four years ago. Since you’ve gone independent,…