1st Day of Advent

Today is the first day of advent! We put up our little pixie last night, she is our first piece of Christmas out (besides our Advent wreath); Eglantine as she has been dubbed, is proudly tied up with a gingham ribbon.

As, you know, I have a thing for pixies and gnomes and all of our little Christmas pixies have names, I have smaller versions of her in the cutest little knitted sweaters and dresses!

We always try to do something different each year, I don't mind getting chocolate, but I like being creative with my advent calendar.  This year we have decided to fill her little pockets with messages of LOVE, in the form of poems, quotes, movie lines... I can't wait to see what has been written for me!

When I was little we always had the old-fashioned paper advent calendars from Germany.  One year, we were given a calendar that contained vintage looking wooden ornaments.  My mom put a little tree, strung with lights into a brass drum base and each morning we would run to discover what elfin sized ornament waited behind those doors to be put on our miniature tree.

I thought about making one of our own this year, as well as Eglantine and remembered that Jenny B. Harris had a pretty felt calendar tutorial on her blog, Allsorts.  It would look so sweet strung along a mantle or around a door.

Another inventive idea I came across was a calendar made out of a spool on "Just Something I Made".  What a cute idea, especially if you, like us, live in a little cottage and space fills up quickly, you could easily hang the spool rack on the wall.

The first day of Advent, we are now officially counting down to Christmas, where has the year gone?

Eco Art: Self Portrait in Charcoal

This portrait is just a teaser, cause tonight I am working on a much larger charcoal drawing using the charred wood from inside my wood stove (which I am burning wood in for winter heat.) The drawing here though was a quickie self portrait I did while thinking deeply into how I can make fine arts truly part of my life again with the same joy I had when using the easy to access toxic art supplies I used to buy. Art by virtue of it's rebellious political stance really should naturally lend to a more earth friendly, recycled, upcycled and natural formation - AKA maybe a lil' less purchasing of mass manufactured supplies and more learning how to create our very own art supplies. Free is always good for the 'starving' artist anyhow. :)
This self portrait took only a few minutes, and was done on trash paper that had been stuffed in a box that was delivered to the house here... which made it 100% free and eco.
Can't wait to show ya' the next one...
xoxo

Hopes, Wishes & Dreams

anta Claus is coming soon, so we're gonna have to be on our best behavior from now on! One of my favorite things during the holidays is buying presents. I like receiving, but, the thing I love more, is to see the look on someone's face when you have given them that perfect present, whether it be homemade or purchased.

I have already bought a few Christmas gifts at the Fair and I have done a little window shopping, but I have not seriously shopped yet. I don't mind picking up things as I see them, but I like the hustle and bustle of a real holiday crowd all out shopping with Christmas lights strung through the streets and store windows decked out in magical displays. Fortnum & Mason, always do beautiful windows; last year was The Snow Queen, in all her frosty glory. This year the theme is Swan Lake.

There is usually a shopping meltdown, someone is too hot, or arms are tired from carrying packages, or there are too many pushy people and when that happens we just stop, have a meltdown hug and then continue (in theory) a little more merrily on our way.

I am a constant list writer, I love the satisfaction of crossing something off of my list. I write out a list of everyone I am giving too with ideas, or items already purchased. This year I am doing a mixture of some bought and some homemade gifts.

I am going to make up cotton drawstring bags and embroider on them a vintage Christmas pattern or something I designed pertaining to the person on the receiving end and I will fill them with homemade mini pound cakes or a fresh homemade bread loaf (I haven't decided which, both are so yummy!).

All beautifully wrapped in cellophane and bakers twine or a big grosgrain bow, maybe a spring of holly tucked in the bow knot and then placed inside their bag.I think homespun gifts are a nice old-fashioned touch to a magical holiday that can become all to commercial if you let.

This would be the cutest stationary to write out your Christmas hopes, wishes and dreams or a gift giving list on. Click on the Susan Branch image to get a larger printable view.

("S" by:Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische)

New Bits at Black & Spiro

We've finally received our delivery of Megan Park cushions in at Black & Spiro along with some of our other lovely cushions {top image}. I thought I would take a couple of photos of some other bits which we just received in last week. The little Antique brass mirror is one of my favourite things in the shop at the moment and the colourful ginger jar lamp bases are divine!!

For all enquiries, please email us info@blackandspiro.com.au

Papercut ACEOs

I have created some ACEOs (3.5" x 2.5") for my Etsy shop. They are collaged papercuts mounted on mountboard. Fun and relatively quick to make.

Wrestling In Big Sandy Mush Part 3

Welcome to the Blue Ridge Championship Wrestling in Big Sandy Mush! Oh yeah, I bet you thought it was over, that these guys packed away their speedos and wrestlin' one-sies just cause the winter weather came!?! Hell NO! These guys (and a surprise gal) came back with vengeance, to acrobatically, dramatically, and fantastically fight once again for the championship belt. You know, who wouldn't wanna come wrestle in the middle of nowhere at an abandoned school--- count me in!
I arrived fashionably late as always and missed the beginning of the first round where some smaller guys from South Carolina were getting boo'd off the ring from the strangely mixed crowd. The crowd was not only the die hard kids, guys, & old men who are familiar to me now, but I swear a mini bus load of hippies & hipsters had been dropped off this time too - and they were intoxicated, which meant more DANCING, yelling, jumping, laughing, fun.
I was particularly smitten with the big wrestler from Waynesville NC, because he was wearing the most awesome 'all in one' "USA" red white and blue outfit! He also beat the poor tiny guy from South Carolina... in fact their size difference made it nearly unfair. Moving right along to the next round were some guys I am now familiar with - the Hillbilly & TNT...
Even though the crowd was wild and plenty amazing tricks were being done, I got the feeling the wrestlers themselves were sluggish due to big Thanksgiving meals and lazy holiday-ness was creeping into their souls. Their match went on and on, and ended in a 'draw' in which the announcer said "We have two winners, not two losers!" :)
Then something totally new and shocking happened! A .... girl.... came out with the current Champion.... the crowd went bananas....
She was taking no prisoners, she wasn't there to be sweet - she was there to scream, yell, distract, support her honey and strut her stuff...she was the perfect authentic wrestling ho, to flank the readily boo'd evil Champion. One old man in the crowd started yelling at her "Go Home YOu JeZebel!!!!"With Jezebel at his side, the Champion beat out the opponent with no problem...
This costume below completely got my attention, he wore an "Army" shirt on the front but the back side of his shiny spandex finished the story... it looked like maybe he wrote "KILLER" on there with freakin' white out! Now that is scary stuff. Only true pysco's write on their outfits with shit like spray paint or white out or puffy paint.
KILLER and the whole gang all jumped in the ring at once because the last match was the winner will be the last crazy guy in the ring - and you had to be thrown over the top rope by any of the opponents in order to lose the round! It's a sight to behold when all the tight pant winners and all the loose pants losers are throwing each other out the ring left and right... I basically didn't know WTF was going on till there was only two left.
When you have a Jezebel hottie by your side, you are bound to hold onto the Chamionship belt... all my favorites, all the good guys, all the tiny guys, all the funny guys got thrown over the rope. Evil takes all again!
After it ended I sat in my metal folding chair and watched the men take apart the traveling stage (layers of canvas, padding and wood). I was pretty excited because I was asked by the head guy to be the "Official Blue Ridge Championship Photographer" and was wishing I could accept such an honor. Cause how cool is that? Not sure my health would really permit, but I sure as hec will make an effort. I was also contemplating why the group of Hippies and Hipsters thought that they should be the only ones to get the free wrestling posters being signed by the wrestlers and left the rest of us in the dust! Lame! Can't they share on their commune, and let us have one too!!! ;)
HA! In the words of AC/DC "aAAAHHhhhhhh A, THUNDER!"
Bye Ya'll!!!!
XoXoxoxooooo

Handmade Christmas Baubles

OK - so I know these aren't papercuttings either, and I know I should've been doing laundry, or cleaning or cooking or anything else useful for that matter...but they were so much fun to make! I was considering making them to sell at my son's school Christmas fair, but then my friend pointed out that selling something to kids that's jam-packed full of pins, might not be the best idea from a health and safety point of view! I also considered selling them on Etsy, but I'm not sure that they'll exactly fly out the door.

So instead, I'll just make them because they're fun and I can always give them away as presents! After all, what's a Jewish girl like me going to do with a load of sequined Christmas baubles???!!! I'll have to have a Chanukah bush this year instead.

To make them, all you need is some polystyrene balls, sequins, beads and sequin pins... oh and lots of patience. These balls are only 60mm in diameter but each one has about 500 sequins on it.

Eco Art: Black Charcoal & Egg Paint

Woo! I have another color to add to my non toxic art-senal. Black, one of my long missed dark colors I used to liberally apply on my toxic acrylic paintings back in the day. I have not only missed the color itself but I have also missed the thick goopy opague quality that acrylics gave my art work. Last night I learned how to powder charcoal from the wood stove here, and turn it into paint!

1.Using a rock and a wood surface the charcoal was carefully crushed into a power by rubbing the stone over the charcoal... this was actually fairly easy and didn't take long at all.
2. After powdering the charcoal I took the powder and added it to an egg yolk (just the yellow part of the raw egg).
3. Stirring it together with bamboo stick (you can use a spoon, knife or anything laying around) it immediately turned black and was a thick dark paint ready for use!
I tested a blop on some scrap paper and it was good to go!
I made a paint brush by cutting a small bit of my hair out and tying it to a stick with a rubber band, then applied the paint to this scrap piece of wood (end piece from a lumber mill). The wood was rather rough and my brush was too soft for the rough wood, so the paint could not go on smooth - the surface in which you paint has ALOT to do with how much paint you will have to use and how it will look when applied (same reason why canvas is ghesso'd before use). The thing that was really cool about the black egg paint was you can easily scrape back into it and draw using the 'negative' technique (like scratch board). I drew this simple owl into the paint, while testing out how the egg & charcoal would apply, work, and especially how and if it would dry correctly after!
While waiting for it to dry i smashed some poke berries on the surface and stained the wood with it- using a little water to spread it around. One of the amazing things about the charcoal/egg paint is that not only did it dry rock hard, but it keeps a bit o' shine to it... in other words it does not really dry to a matte finish, it has gleams of light reflecting off the surface. Very cool!
This (new for me) discovery of using powder in egg yokes for thicker colors is awesome... you can most likely apply other natural & non toxic powdered colors like various spices and herbs (turmeric, paprika?) , and I would love to dehydrate native dye plants growing in the woods here and make my own organic egg paints for free with a wider range of colors!
When this project below finishes drying what i want to write above the 1970's looking owl is "Kiss me Stranger". :)
XoXo

Twinkle, Twinkle

  glittered the shining little   
  ornaments on the tree.

I received an e-mail this morning from Anthropologie with a selected display of their new Christmas ornaments. I love Anthropologie! I am so excited that they have finally opened a store in London. I like their quirky style and their wonderful use of colors.

I thought this new set of woodland ornaments looked so pretty and whimsical in this little display. My sister, for the past few years has tucked or tied a little Anthropologie ornament to gifts for my husband and I. Last year, she gave me the cutest little girl figure who was busy knitting away, she is adorable. She has also given us a mermaid, and a sweet elfin sized knitted snail wearing a beret and a tartan plaid scarf.

These are ornaments I happily keep out all year, wrapped around drawer pulls or hanging from pegs. They are too cute to put away. I can't wait to see this year's selection in person when I visit Anthropologie to do a little Christmas shopping.

<--- Look at the new ornament selection for this year!

Visit Anthropologie yourself, just click on the star:

The fruits of these practices and policies are to be seen

I met Torca and his owner at the Durbanville dump next to Morning Star. Torca was brought here to an open field to mate with another Pit Bull Terrier.

When the two dogs met they immediately confronted each other in a hostile way and when Torca jumped on the back of the bitch she bit at Torca and the informal mating meeting was over.
The owner of the bitch went back home to get a mask for his dog so that they could mate with no violence involved.

Torca’s owner came to us to ask for a cigarette while he was waiting for the quickie to take place on the soccer field.
The dog seemed relaxed, but when confronted by anther dog he became fearless and violent.



I have heard about dog fighting before, but I have never seen or spoken to anyone involved. This guy (let’s call him Sylvester) was bragging about his dog and the fights he had won. Apparently there is big money involved in the fighting and breeding of fighter dogs.

Sylvester, with his dog tattooed on his arm, started telling me about the dog fighting industry and how Torca is regarded as one of the top fighter dogs in the area. Torca was underfed so that he could remain versatile.

The dogs receive medical care at home when they get hurt, as you can’t take them to the vet because they are violating animal rights.
Mobs of people come together on open fields to fight their dogs with the hope to win a bet and make some money.

It saddened me to see such a beautiful animal being forced and encouraged to fight other dogs for financial gain.
Sylvester loved his dog, but he did not love animals. If Torca had to die then he would just replace him, though his tattoo would remain for life. Or he could just call his next dog Torca again.

Via the Backroads Premiere

This coming Friday we are launching the long awaited Via the Backroads documentary.
We are launching it at the Woodstock Industrial Centre in collaboration with Faith 47’s Epitaph short film.

Swing by at the WIC if you are in Cape Town on Friday 4 December. It’s being held at 66 Albert Road, Woodstock. The event starts at 20:00 with the screening at 20:30.
It’s going to be an awesome event, with an even crazier after party at the Albert Hall in Woodstock.



Flyer design by Philip Erasmus.