Ideasの March 2016 の目次

Last Christmas (which already feels as though it was a lifetime ago) was the first time in recent years that I haven’t posted my festive table on Instagram – something that I’m very inclined to do. The reason was that my inspiration came from this edition and so everything was still top secret. When Hannes walked into the office with his illustrated cans for this month’s cover shoot early in December, I knew immediately this was the spark I’d been waiting for. It was the inspiration I needed for setting the table and wrapping the gifts and doing some cooking too! My son Anton and his friends emptied the cans for me with much enthusiasm, and it wasn’t long before the whole dining room table was covered with photocopies of…

In the shop window of ‘Poppi se Shoppi’ in Vrede Street, Durbanville, a small sign proclaims: ‘A passion for beautiful things’. This is also Lize Marshall’s personal motto. And just like her home, also on the outskirts of the northern suburbs of Cape Town, her shop embodies her unique personal taste and her love for interesting and antique pieces. This mother of two, who is also known as Poppie, is someone who knows exactly what she wants and likes, and there’s nothing in her shop or her home that she doesn’t love. After all, it’s the only rule she applies when acquiring things to sell in her shop: she must absolutely adore it – that’s all! She describes her own style as ‘a mixture of shabby chic, French and country’.…

BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION Embrace the illustration trend and wear it in an understated way, under a sheer layer. DRESS (R1 200) FROM LEIGH SCHUBERT AT THE SPACE. COLOUR INSIDE THE LINES Play around with a monochrome look and add touches of unexpected colour. TOP (R249) FROM ZARA. TROUSERS (R399) FROM STUDIO W. NECKLACE (R1 700) FROM LULU BELLE. WHITE CANVAS WITH GRID LINES A classic white shirt is the ideal canvas on which to build an outfit. WHITE SHIRT (R795) FROM COLLEEN EITZEN AT THE SPACE. TROUSERS (R799) FROM MANGO. SHOES (R495) FROM ALC AT THE SPACE. CLUTCH BAG (R1 299) FROM MIMCO. WATERCOLOUR Washes of colour on this easy-to-wear tunic make it the perfect ‘go anywhere’ outfit. TUNIC (R620) FROM COPPÉLIA. JEANS (R299) FROM KELSO AT EDGARS. SHOES (R349) FROM…

PLUM AND CHERRY TART Makes: 35 x 27 x 5cm tray Preparation time: 40 minutes Baking time: 40 minutes Oven temperature: 180o C • 1 sheet ready-made puff pastry • 70g (80ml) brown sugar • 5ml ground cardamom • about 12 ripe plums, sliced and pips removed • 250g fresh cherries • 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 10ml water • 25ml poppy seeds • 50ml honey, to glaze • icing sugar, for dusting 1 Allow the pastry to defrost in the fridge. Unroll and place on a greased and lined baking tray. 2 Mix half the sugar with the ground cardamom. Put the sliced plums into a bowl and sprinkle the sugar over them. Pit and halve half the cherries and set aside in a separate bowl. 3 Use…

VANILLA BUTTERMILK CAKE Makes: 1 x 20cm cake Preparation time: 45 minutes Baking time: 45 minutes Oven temperature: 175°C YOU WILL NEED • 250g soft butter • 125ml canola or sunflower oil • 690g Huletts White Sugar • 5 large eggs at room temperature • 420g cake flour • 15ml baking powder • 10ml vanilla extract or 20ml vanilla essence • 330ml buttermilk ICING • 350g soft butter or white baking margarine • 700g Huletts Icing Sugar, sifted • boiling water • 2,5ml vanilla extract or 5ml vanilla essence 1 Cream the butter, oil and sugar until light. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 2 Sift the flour and baking powder together. Add the vanilla to the buttermilk and mix. 3 Add about a…

BRODERIE ANGLAISE SLEEP SHORTS Size : Medium (hip : 93cm) DIFFICULTY : moderate TIME : 12 hours YOU WILL NEED • pattern on page 80 • dressmaker’s graph paper • 0,5m lightweight cotton fabric (white) • stranded embroidery cotton (white) • embroidery hoop • 5mm awl • matching sewing thread • 20mm wide elastic (60cm) • bodkin TO MAKE note All seam allowances are 1,5cm. 1 Draft the pattern on page 80 onto dressmaker’s graph paper. Use the pattern to cut the two pieces from the fabric. Additionally, cut a 2,5 x 140cm strip for the drawstring. 2 Mark the embroidery motif in the centre of each fabric piece, 3,5cm up from the bottom cut edge. Using two strands of embroidery thread, embroider the eyelets and teardrop shapes as shown…

‘A drawing is simply a line going for a walk.’Paul Klee WHY KEEP A SKETCHBOOK? It is the perfect place to explore ideas, it can become your visual diary, it’s easy to transport and, most of all, sketching is an inexpensive way to unwind. We asked reader Liezl van Schalkwyk, who has a wonderful library of her sketches on Instagram, to share her journey with us. ‘I’ve always loved and been in awe of the creative process. In 2014 I discovered sketchbookskool.com and I’ve never looked back. The creative community I found there, some novices, some experts, from around the globe, not only inspired me and offered support but have become friends. The course teaches you to investigate different ways to draw and to “record” your environment, which is what…

Q I’ve heard that you can sharpen blunt scissors by using them to cut aluminium foil. Does it work? A Yes, it works, but after sharpening your scissors this way two or three times, the blades may become damaged. You can also use soft sandpaper to sharpen scissors – simply cut into the paper 10 to 20 times and you will find the blades are sharp again. Remember, the finer the grit of the sandpaper, the smoother the blades will be. INSIDE AND OUTDOORS Q What rugs can be used outdoors? And can I use an outdoor mat inside? A David Bradshaw from Airloom Rugs in Cape Town answers: ‘At Airloom, we think of an “outdoor” rug as one that can be used inside or outdoors. A rug is suitable…

Ideas for the whole family I have always loved craft projects, cooking and bringing DIY into our home. As a young girl I would carry a briefcase around with me filled with crafting goodies and this love of creating things has never left me. I am now working in design and find great joy in keeping my home playful, vibrant and filled with homemade creations. When I'm not busy with craft projects you will find me in our kitchen cooking up experimental meals. Ideas magazine is always filled with inspiration for our home and kitchen! Recently we had our first child, which put a hold on my creative side while I was getting through the first few months with a newborn. After reading through my monthly Ideas magazine and feeling…

@home 0860 576 576 Abode 072 261 3540 Ackermans 0860 900 100 Call It Spring 021 551 1527, 031 584 7431 Coppélia 084 580 1145 Edgars 0860 334 277 Exclusive Books 011 798 0000 Havaianas 021 425 2521, 031 584 7828, 011 783 0733 Lulu Belle 012 346 6424, 021 671 5728 Mango 011 783 7907 Mimco 0860 022 002 Old Khaki 021 464 5893 Onsite Gallery 021 462 1357 Poppi se Shoppi 083 774 3251 Quirky Me 082 417 1885 Studio W 0860 022 002 The Space 011 783 1935, 021 674 6643 Typo 021 552 2635 Witchery 0860 022 002 Zara 011 302 1500, 021 446 8700…

flamingotoes.com Bev Mccullough grew up in a creative family of artists and seamstresses. She began sewing as a teenager and made her own clothes and room décor even then. That love for DIY, crafting and sewing has grown to include jewellery making and furniture refinishing. Her style is a mix between modern and vintage – she loves taking old styles and making them new again. The categories on her blog include crochet, embroidery, things to wear and home décor. whatsforlunchhoney.net Freelance food photographer, stylist and writer Meeta Wolff lives in Weimar, Germany. She enjoys cooking multi-cultural meals with organic ingredients. ‘As my recipes and creations became more elaborate I needed a way to express myself. I can talk, cook and eat food for hours. It never bores me. I needed…

ICE BUCKET DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: two hours Upcycle a five-litre paint tin into an ice bucket. Use gold metal spray paint (we used Speciality Metallic Spray from Rust-Oleum) to paint the tin, inside and out, and the lid. Spray it on lightly and apply several coats to avoid runs and to achieve a solid colour, allowing each coat to dry properly before spraying on the next one. Once the spray paint is dry, apply a coat of light blue paint (we used Dulux First Dawn) over the gold on the outside of the tin, but leave some of the gold visible through the blue paint. Screw an attractive door knob onto the lid as a handle. tip Work in a well-ventilated area when you are using spray paint. VINTAGE STORAGE…

How ‘up to date’ is your hair? Remember, seasons change and so does the texture of your hair. Doing the same thing over and over again isn’t the best way to care for your hair, nor does it ensure that you look your best. NEW TRENDS • Colour. The biggest trend this year is solid colour instead of varying shades, says Michael Conlin, owner of Pure Hair in Dunkeld, Johannesburg. Instead of adding highlights to darker sections and using different techniques – for example, the French balayage (where colour is applied using a ‘freehand technique’ without foils), ecaille or tortoiseshell (blending multiple shades), ombré (gradual blending of one shade to another, usually from light to dark) or sombré (softer, more subtle version of ombré, which is still popular, by the…

SET THE SCENE Stencil and sew beautiful table decorations for the birthday celebration. We used brown paper as our starting point and brightened it up with elements in pink, white, lime green and gold. Choose flowers in the same colours and set the table with gold or copper coloured cutlery and white porcelain and enamelware. We found colourful paper plates to use as side plates and painted the insides of the wooden boxes that we used for the flowers lime green. Watermelon paper plates (R99,99) from Typo. Rose gold cutlery (R249) from @home. • FLOWERS FOR THE TABLE Paint the inside of a few small wooden boxes or line them with paper in the colour of your choice. Arrange several large flowers in each box. We also spray painted pineapples…

YARN OPTIONS (FOR ALL PROJECTS) A soft 4-ply cotton yarn has been used in all four tea towels. Elle Premier Natural Cotton 4-ply is ideal for these trims and is available in a wide spectrum of colours. Or, you could use a Crochet Cotton No. 5 yarn, working with a 2,5mm crochet hook instead of a 3mm hook. ABBREVIATIONS (FOR ALL PROJECTS) alt alternate ch chain dc double crochet htr half treble rep repeat RS right side sl st slip stitch sp(s) space st(s) stitch(es) tr treble MINT TEA TOWEL (VERSION ONE) YOU WILL NEED • 1 x 50g ball of 4-ply cotton in each colour: golden yellow, turquoise, apple green, violet, light yellow, mint and dark pink • 3mm crochet hook • mint waffle weave tea towel • crewel…

Writing a beautiful letter by hand is fast becoming a forgotten art. Some people may find it hard to believe in these days of instant messaging, emails and social media platforms that letters are still written by hand. But there’s something nostalgic about the flow of ink on paper that gives substance to your thoughts as you write to someone. And it’s exciting to know that another person is eventually going to hold the letter and read it. In her book, The Art of the Handwritten Note: A Guide to Reclaiming Civilized Communication (Crown Publishing Group), renowned American calligrapher and writer Margaret Shepherd describes handwritten notes as an important way to bring people together, precisely because they are not used so often any more. When a handwritten letter lands in…

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: two hours NOTE Our little tin man is 15cm tall. You can use any tin – simply adapt the size of the template accordingly. YOU WILL NEED • templates • flat tin with lid for the body (we used an old tin for gramophone needles) • thin wire for attaching the individual body parts • felt in two colours for the head, arms, legs and pointy hat • white felt and black beads for the eyes • polyester toy stuffing • matching thread and needle • red thread for the mouth • small bell for the hat • brown fabric paint for the shoes • artist’s paintbrush • cold glue • long-nosed pliers • wire cutters • awl TO MAKE 1 Copy the templates in the desired…

USE ANY OF THESE METHODS TO SUBSCRIBE • Call 087 740 1027. (Lines open Monday to Friday 8am – 5pm.) For Idees call 087740 1025. • Email your name and contact details to ideassubs@media24.com.* • SMS ‘Subscribe Ideas’ to 32361 (R1 per SMS).* Subscribe to the digital edition for only R30 per month. HOW TO SUBSCRIBE 1 Register an account at www.mysubs.co.za OR log in to your account. 2 Go to the page of the item you would like to purchase and select your subscription option. 3 Click on ‘add to cart’ and then ‘checkout’. 4 On the checkout page, follow the prompts to complete your address details then click on ‘pay now’. 5 Select your method of payment and your order will be confirmed. 6 Download the MySubs+ app…

POPULAR MARKETS • The Riversands Farm Village Market takes place just outside Fourways in Johannesburg every Sunday from 9am to 4pm. You’ll find fresh produce, deli and food stalls, craft beer, craft stalls, clothing, jewellery, collectables, art and live music. Dogs on leashes are welcome. • For more information, go to riversandsfarm.co.za. • The Mill Country Fair in Hopefield in the Western Cape takes place every Saturday between 10am and 2pm. There are stalls selling fresh produce, as well as local arts and crafts, antique and vintage items, books, bakes, and more. Explore the garden, relax in the sun and enjoy the food, wine and live music. • For more information, go to facebook.com/mill.country.fair. Mpumalanga 26 March Taking place near the town of Dullstroom, the Tonteldoos Highlands Festival is a…

1 PAINTING VASES DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: half an hour, plus drying time THESE DECORATIVE COOL-DRINK CAN VASES WON’T TAKE YOU MUCH LONGER TO DO THAN THE TIME NEEDED TO PRINT OUT A PAINTING AND DECOUPAGE IT ONTO A SPRAY-PAINTED TIN. YOU WILL NEED • fine art print of your choice • drink cans or other tins • white spray paint • modge podge • craft brush • craft knife and cutting mat • metal ruler 1 Spray the tins with white spray paint. Apply several coats – spray each coat lightly to avoid ‘tears’ forming – until the white colour is solid. Leave each coat to dry before you apply the next one. 2 Copy your art print in the desired size and cut it out with your craft knife,…

1 WATERCOLOUR DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: one hour TREAT YOUR WALL LIKE A BLANK CANVAS AND USE THIS EASY TECHNIQUE TO GIVE IT A WATERCOLOUR EFFECT. YOU WILL NEED • light pink PVA paint (we used Dulux Sweet Sundae) • darker pink PVA paint (we used Dulux Fuchsia Lily) • paintbrush • water spray bottle 1 Dilute the light pink paint with a little bit of water so that it is the consistency of pancake batter and paint a wide strip high up towards the top of the wall. 2 Take your water bottle and spray water along the bottom of the pink strip. The paint should start running down the wall. Help the process by spraying water onto each streak. 3 Dilute the darker pink paint with water so that…

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: 30 minutes YOU WILL NEED • cake recipe on page 66 • icing recipe on page 66 • food colouring of your choice • turntable (or use a cake stand) • small off-set spatula • large scraper or spatula • 2 piping bags (optional) • sprinkles, a cake topper or candles, to decorate 1 Divide and colour the icing. Keep the largest portion white as it will need to cover the entire cake. 2 Cut off the tops of the cakes so they are level. Place one cake in the centre of the turntable, if you are using one, or on a cake stand. Spread about 125ml icing evenly over the top, staying just inside the edge of the cake. Place the second cake on top and…

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: half a day Sizes 10-12 YOU WILL NEED • pattern on page 74 • dressmaker’s graph paper • printed fabric for 4 skirt panels • 25 x 150cm contrast fabric for waistband • matching machine thread • dressmaker’s pins TO CUT Draft the pattern onto dressmaker’s graph paper and cut out. Cut four panels from the printed fabric using the pattern piece. Seam allowances of 1,5cm are included for the side seams, and 2,5cm for the hems. Cut two strips of 11,5 x 150cm (seam allowances included) from the contrast fabric for the waistband. TO SEW 1 Stitch the four panels together on three of the side seams, with right sides facing, to form one long piece. Overlock the stitched seams with an overlocker and press the…

All businesses are seasonal in some way. The quietest month for our bakery, for example, is January, after the excesses of the holidays – although the gyms do really well in January! Our other quiet time is during the summer when many locals are away, there are few tourists and it’s too hot to eat. Although we continue baking, we have to micromanage everything in order to keep things ticking over. When we first opened the bakery we didn’t fully comprehend just how sharp the downturn in business would be and how much it would affect us. We had only a vague idea that we’d be less busy and didn’t realise it was in fact like falling off a cliff. We are now better prepared for the hibernation months and…

Do you remember the Dairy Belle lorries that used to deliver fresh milk and orange juice in glass bottles to our homes, in exchange for coupons? Nowadays, increasing numbers of people are choosing to have their basic groceries delivered, plus a whole lot more. ‘Real food’ is a huge trend and there is a strong focus on using fresh and organic ingredients to prepare wholesome meals. The big monthly grocery shopping trip is being replaced by weekly or even daily trips to get fresh ingredients in smaller, more sustainable quantities. There is a revival in alternative eating habits and food preferences, such as veganism, vegetarianism and the popular low-carb-high-fat diet for which you often need to buy ingredients at a specialist store. DIRECT LINE TO WINE VINO PRONTO (vinopronto.co.za) is…

Cupboard love My husband and I recently celebrated our third anniversary. On my coffee table I have some old Ideas magazines that my mother-in-law gave me. In one of them your team used blackboard paint to redo a cupboard. This gave me the idea to repaint a chest of drawers on our anniversary weekend. The drawers have been with me since I can remember. They were white with lots of drawings on them that I did as a teenager. I asked my husband to help me carry them outside and, lo and behold, he started helping me with my project. We had fun and now we can look with great pride at something we created together. Thank you for creating ideas for a project that we could do together as…