Indice dei contenuti per Jan/Feb 2018 in Ideas

In our recent winter issue, I wrote about my 10 days of silence, and this letter is literally the last thing I am doing before I pack my suitcase to go and be silent again. Some people start their year with resolutions, new projects and lots of energy, but apparently I can’t last that long. Like a Japanese kintsugi piece, I need to repair the cracks at more regular intervals. Of all the Eastern art forms – and the various philosophies behind them – this golden mending is my favourite. Not just because the ceramics are more beautiful than they were before they broke, but also because they remind us that we can come back stronger after a setback. I find this a wonderful thought on the eve of turning…

Craft 365 Days of Art by Lorna Scobie (Hardie Grant Books, R245) This is an inspiring journal designed to help readers and budding artists nurture their creativity and explore their feelings through the medium of art. It features an activity for every day of the year, from simple tasks like drawing shapes and lines to more considered tutorials like calligraphy, writing and shading, and drawing what you see. The book pairs inspiring quotes with supportive prompts and exercises designed to spark reflection and expand your creative skills. It’s a beautiful keepsake as well as being a powerful tool for positive change. Decoupage Your Home by Fransie Snyman (Metz Press, R225) One of the most popular crafts to re-emerge recently, decoupage is ideal to decorate just about anything, from small household…

Much of the Victorian era was about being rather prim and certainly very proper, and other than the ‘fripperies’ of lace-patterned wrought-iron trims, homes built in South Africa during this era mostly tend to follow a definite plan and style without digressing from the architectural norms of the time. Rural towns are full of examples of these Victorian homes and for the most part they’re viewed with fond nostalgia, with many since restored to their former glory, filled with gleaming antiques and Persian rugs. For interior designer Etienne Hanekom, that’s the last thing he envisaged for the down-at-heel Victorian dame he discovered in Robertson, a country town situated an hour and a half from Cape Town where he lives and works. 'I discovered the house by mistake. I was looking…

BEDSIDE-CABINET DOLL’S HOUSE This doll’s house made from two wooden boxes is strong enough to be a bedside cabinet too – win-win! DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: half a day YOU WILL NEED ♥ 2 wooden boxes in size of your choice ♥ 4 castor wheels with screws ♥ 20mm balsa for the partitions ♥ sponge board for the floor ♥ wallpaper designs on pages 50-51 ♥ floor design on page 51 ♥ artworks on pages 50-51 ♥ white and black cardboard ♥ glue gun ♥ wood glue ♥ spray glue ♥ craft knife and cutting mat ♥ metal ruler ♥ general woodwork equipment (clamps, drill, sandpaper, and so on) ♥ doll’s house furniture of your choice TO MakE 1 Sandpaper the boxes lightly then wipe them clean with a dry cloth.…

YOU WILL NEED ♥ diagram above ♥ white linen tablecloth or fabric ♥ DMC stranded embroidery thread in the following colours: green (907); three blues (3809, 517, 813); three purples (210, 3746, 553); red (498); pink (3731, 3689); orange (720, 921); yellow (744, 728, 729); and beige (3866) ♥ embroidery needle ♥ embroidery hoop ♥ embroidery scissors ♥ needlework pencil TO EmbrOIDEr 1 Use a finished white tablecloth or make one from white linen. 2 Plan your design. Our design consists of small flowers only, which you can repeat to your liking. The easiest way is to first draw circles on your cloth where you want the flowers and to work from there onwards. Our pattern repeats are quite intricate and shown as inspiration, but you can make it much…

DIAGRAM SYMBOLS slip stitch double crochet front post single crochet chain stitch treble crochet front post double crochet single crochet double treble crochet front post treble crochet half double crochet cluster spike stitch GENERAL INFORMATION The motifs are all done in 100% cotton DK yarn (more specifically, Vinnis Colours Nikkim) and a 3,25 mm hook so all the motifs are on the same scale and the size measured accordingly. Different yarn, crochet hook sizes and tension will lead to a smaller or larger result. TIPS 1 Different crochet hook sizes may be used for each round until the correct tension is achieved. 2 Weave in the end after each colour change. ABBREVIATIONS (AMERICAN TERMINOLOGY) beg – begin ch – chain stitch dc – double crochet hdc – half double crochet…

You Will need ♥ paper that matches your theme (we used prints of an old Mediterranean map as our paper) ♥ craft knife and cutting mat ♥ metal ruler 1 Cut a rectangle from your paper – ours is 15 x 21cm – and place it in front of you with the picture side facing upwards. 2 Fold the paper in half horizontally. 3 Fold the top right corner and the top left corner towards each other, to meet in the middle. 4 Fold the bottom edge on the front upwards. Do the same with the bottom edge on the back. 5 Open up the paper from the bottom and fold it flat to form a square. Turn it so the bottom corner faces you. 6 Fold the bottom corner…

There are few things as exciting as hearing a true expert in her field talking about cosmetic breakthroughs. And Dr Diana Howard, vice-president of research and development at the International Dermal Institute in California, is in a class of her own when it comes to the latest scientific research and ingredients that can help us in our quest for impeccable skin and a fresh appearance. At a Dermalogica conference in Johannesburg recently she separated the wheat from the chaff and put the latest trends under the microscope. K-BEAUTY MEANS KOREAN BEAUTY This is one of the biggest trends in the United States and Europe – South Korea is a true incubator when it comes to innovation, gimmicks and serious skincare. It has an enormous influence on the international beauty industry…

Colour has the power to make a real impact and is the best way to make over any space. We think we need to buy new furniture or different décor items to breathe new life into a room, while a change of colour scheme is actually the quickest and cheapest way to do it. In this series we are going to use the same wall in our studio each time to show you everything that can be done using only colour and shape. The year always starts with grand plans, for the first few months and longer. We look at life through our rose-tinted glasses and really believe that this time the peace and joy of December will last longer. I wanted to capture this spirit in our first colour…

@ELSIEDEAR Pretoria, South Africa Artist and Ideas contributor Elsbeth Eksteen’s creativity has no limits. She crochets, embroiders, draws, paints and uses the loveliest colour combinations in all her crafts. @NATHALIE_LETE Paris, France Nathalie Lété’s knitted and fabric toys, ceramics, postcards, jewellery and clothes are an inspiration. Her illustrations originate from a floral world populated by mythical creatures. @CAKEOPERACO Toronto, Canada Alexandria Pellegrino is a cake artist. Her love for the Rococo era and opulent décor finds expression in her phantasmagoric wedding cakes and other bakes.…

In the five years that I’ve lived in my house, this room has come full circle. The space, underneath a spiral staircase that leads up to my son’s loft room, is not really private enough to be a bedroom, but it was the only place where we could fit in another bed. Over time, it’s had two long-term residents, but when we needed space for our ‘upstart Ideas’, the bed was on its way to its new home within days. The feminine table, which has been my dressing table, the entrance-hall dresser and the dining-room sideboard, was carried upstairs to become my desk and the dining room is now missing one chair. It’s definitely not an ergonomic masterpiece, but I wouldn’t be able to live with an ugly chair. I’d…

FILING CABINET Turn an old steel filing cabinet into a work of art. We transformed ours by painting the sides in light-pink non-drip water-based enamel and adding a floral design to the front panel. DIFFICULTY: challenging TIME: two days TO MakE 1 Prepare your filing cabinet by sandpapering it lightly and then cleaning it with a damp cloth. attach castor wheels to make it easier for you to move the heavy cabinet around. Remove the handles and any articles in the drawers before painting. apply the enamel paint directly to the steel – there is no need for a base coat. apply a few coats of paint, leaving each coat to dry properly before applying the next one. 2 To add the floral design, you will need an image printed…

DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: one day Water is a scarce commodity in South Africa, no matter where you live, so it’s advisable to keep your garden watering to a minimum. While we wait for the rains to come and the dams to fill up, store your hosepipe on an upcycled wheel rim. TO mAkE 1 Clean an old wheel rim (available from scrap dealers or motor-spares shops) thoroughly with soap and a scrubbing brush. Spray paint the rim with a few coats of white metal primer, leaving each coat to dry properly before applying the next. 2 While the paint is drying, find a floral design you like, print it out on paper and cut out the sections that you want to use. Decoupage the pictures onto the wheel rim with…

NOTES Always fold fabric right side to right side; this way all markings can be made on the wrong side of the fabric. Make sure that all panel grain lines are placed parallel to the selvedge. When ironing, always use a press cloth. ABBREVIATIONS CB – centre back CF – centre front SA – seam allowance SL – stitch length SP – shoulder point SS – side seam BASIC TOP DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: about eight hours YOu WIll NEEd ♥ patterns on pages 70–71 ♥ about 1m fabric for top; plus about 0,25m for each of the collars ♥ iron-on interfacing ♥ dressmaker’s marking pen ♥ matching machine thread ♥ zip fastener TO cuT Use the pattern on page 71 to cut 1 x front panel on the fold, and…

The Japanese have so many ways of looking at things differently and in so doing teaching us one life lesson after the next. We’re increasingly hearing about wabi-sabi – the appreciation of transcience and imperfection – which we see quite clearly in scuffed vintage furniture and weathered old walls but struggle so much with in ourselves. And ikigai, the passion or drive that gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning. For makers and decorators, kintsugi, also known as kintsukuroi, has a special place in between these philosophies, which all have their roots in Buddhism. To make something which has been broken beautiful again is a challenge that we find hard to resist. After all, it’s something we can do ourselves. I remember the first time…

BUTTER ICING ♥ 300g butter, at room temperature (or use white baking margarine) ♥ 900g sifted icing sugar 1 Use an electric beater to cream the butter. Don’t beat too much as you don’t want to incorporate too much air. 2 Add the icing sugar, one-third at a time, beating until just combined. Add a few drops of boiling water, as necessary, to make the icing spreadable but not too soft. 1 Make the butter icing according to the recipe above. If you are using butter, use a toothpick to add a very small amount of violet gel colouring to neutralise the yellow tone. Colour the icing in the flower colours of your choice. 2 Place a large piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Spread the icing in…

You Will need MatErIaLs ♥ wood (we used beech) – 1 500mm x 20mm x 20mm – 180mm x 44mm x 7mm – 120mm x 44mm x 20mm ♥ glass cutter (with industrial diamond tip) ♥ steel wine-bottle stopper ♥ fixed wheel castor (50mm diameter) ♥screws – 4 x self-tapping screws 4mm x 13mm – 5 x countersink self-tapping screws 3.5mm x 30mm ♥ carriage bolts – 1 x 5mm x 90mm – 1 x 8mm x 48mm ♥ bolt (hexagonal head) – 1 x 6mm x 38mm ♥ wing nuts – 1 x 5mm – 2 x 8mm ♥ 6mm dome nut ♥ washers – 1 x 5mm, 1 x 7mm, 2 x 6mm, 4 x 4mm and 2 x 8mm ♥ 2 x pipe clamps (100mm diameter) ♥…

Winning letter FOLLOWING YOUR PASSION I am a creative. It sounds a bit like a line you would use at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting: ‘Hi, I’m Vilien. I’m a creative.’ As if being creative is a dysfunction of some sort. Unfortunately in a society that’s still prone to telling you rather to pick a more sensible degree that will pay the bills and feed mouths when you make it known that you have your heart set on anything starting with a Bachelor of Arts, it’s easy to feel like you suffer from some sort of disease. Making a living from your creativity, your passion, your craft is no easy thing and probably not the route most in their ‘right’ mind would choose. All the more reason, therefore, to keep on…

Vegetables Asparagus, beetroot, brinjal, butternut, cabbage, carrots, celery, courgettes, cucumber, garlic, green beans, lettuce, mangetout, mushrooms, onion, parsley, potatoes, pumpkin, radish, spinach, sweet corn, sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips. Fruit Apples, apricots, bananas, berries, figs, granadillas, grapes, kiwi fruit, lemons, litchis, mangoes, melons, nectarines, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, pomegranates, prickly pears. Herbs Basil, chives, dill, endive, fennel, lemon grass, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rocket, rosemary, sage, thyme. Flowers available Agapanthus, alstroemeria, amaranthus, anthiriums, arum lilies, Asiatic lilies, asters, bottlebrush, cala lilies, carnations, celosia, chincherinchees, chrysanthemums, daffodils, daisies, delphiniums, everlastings, freesia, gerbera, gladiolus, hyacinth, hydrangeas, iris, lace flower, lavender, marigold, phlox, ranunculus, roses, some proteas, strelitzia, sunflowers, tulips.…

CROSS-STITCH LOVE THESE CUTE CROSS-STITCH PAPER-DOLL-INSPIRED DOLLS ARE AVAILABLE FROM JUST LOVE X STITCH. THE RANGE CONSISTS OF FOUR DIFFERENT DOLLS AS WELL AS CLOTHES YOU CAN ALSO CROSS-STITCH. VISIT THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE, JUSTLOVEXSTITCH, TO SEE THEIR EXTENSIVE RANGE OR EMAIL ILANIVONK@GMAIL.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION. ROSE GOLD FOR THE BATHROOM Bathroom Butler remain on trend with their beautiful rose-gold bathroom accessories range. It includes a variety of meticulously crafted items, from towel rails and toilet-brush holders to towel holders and toilet-paper stands. Go to bathroombutler.com  to find your nearest retailer. MAKING EYES The Elizabeth Arden Advanced Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Eye Serum (R655 for 60 capsules) feel silky soft on the delicate skin around the eyes and are so easy to always have on hand, especially if…

Marissa runs her party and styling business, Konfetti Love, from home. She turned the study into a room that doubles up as a workshop for herself and also serves as an office. ‘In my personal life, I prefer neutral colours, but my work life happens in full, vibrant colour. It was important for me to put together a creative space that inspires me daily and where I can indulge my love of a little touch of pink. Clients often say that they would like to see my house because I work with so much colour, but in my home I play it very safe with mostly cream and navy blue décor. ‘The workshop was a DIY project with the exception of a few items. My creative process is sometimes back…

how to DIffICULty: easy if you do basic woodwork tIME: one hour plus drying time yOU WILL NEED ♥ printed picture ♥ pieces of wood ♥ white paint and brush ♥ drill and wood drill bit ♥ hand sander ♥ wood glue ♥ staple gun and staples Measure the size of your printed picture and cut the wood according to these measurements. Also cut a base piece of the same width. Mark three (or more) equally-spaced spots on the base piece. Drill holes into the wood. Use the hand sander to remove any rough edges. Glue the pieces of wood together and use a staple gun to make the joins more secure. When the wood glue is completely dry, paint the shelf white. Set it aside to dry completely. PICTURE…

SET THE SCENE Imagine that you’re on holiday on an island somewhere in the Mediterranean – think white beaches, flapping sails and azure seas. Set the table alfresco and let decorative tiles, boats and fish be your décor inspiration. STAPLES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE DIET Focus on eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Replace white or refined carbohydrates with whole grains (like oats, brown rice, barley, bulgur, quinoa). Eat plenty of beans, lentils, peas, nuts and seeds. Eat seafood often (especially oily fish like sardines and salmon). Eat lean poultry, cheese (especially curd cheeses) and eggs occasionally. Limit red meat and choose low-fat options. Season foods with herbs and spices instead of too much salt. Replace saturated fats like animal fat and butter with olive or avocado oil. Avoid any…

YOU WILL NEED ♥ all the pieces of your broken ceramic item ♥ gold powder ♥ epoxy glue ♥ disposable plastic bowl ♥ ice-cream sticks 1 Arrange the broken pieces in the order in which they must be joined. 2 Spoon a small amount of gold powder into the plastic bowl. 3 Squeeze the two parts of the epoxy glue in the correct ratio (according to the manufacturer’s instructions) into the bowl with the gold powder – make sure it’s enough for the repair work. 4 Mix the glue and the gold powder together thoroughly with an ice-cream stick to make a gold glue paste. 5 Take the first pottery piece and apply the gold paste to the broken edge with the ice-cream stick. Work quickly before the glue has…

Inspired by a late summer season and Pip Studio’s ‘Royal’ tableware, a garden party was all set to take place. Some much-needed rain saw the celebrations making a quick move indoors but sun-dappled dahlias and a garden ornament or two managed to bring the outdoors in for an afternoon of tea and conversation about party planning. First things first: When planning a party you need a theme. Often when I ask clients what theme they would like, they answer: ‘I have no theme’ or ‘I don’t want a themed party’. But I disagree – every party has a certain theme, you just need to define what it is, and doing so makes it much easier to plan the rest of the event. For this reason, I have included my go-to…

Julia’s first foray into gardens and roses was 24 years ago when, in a break from the corporate world, she took herself off to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to learn about horticulture and garden design. ‘I ran a flower and design business in London for a few years before going back into the City where I stayed for the next 20 years. I always promised myself that I would return to my greatest love – flowers – “one day”. It took a while, but it seemed I could no longer ignore my new address, 1 Rose Lane, Rose Hill, Rosetta, and so my “one day” arrived!’ Julia, also the owner of Local Spark, a business helping other start-ups, has finally heeded the call of her passion. ‘We are flower…

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