Month: <span>July 2009</span>

Published July 7, 2009 by

Etsy and making things

rabbitYou may recall the rabbit, with whom I am slightly in love and would love to hang on the wall instead of prop up on top of a bookshelf but am confounded by living in rental. He comes from Etsy seller MademoiselleG. And speaking of which – Australia dwellers – now is a good time to buy overseas Etsy things.

I have a few endeavors floating around in my head – that involve making things:

  • The first is to have a go at some more painting – something less abstract.
  • To dry felt (which I have not done, but have seen done and it looks simple enough) a moe onto a grey felt laptop case – which I will also make. I’m not a huge fan of most dry felting (in how it looks) but this idea works in my head.
  • To finally get hold of my dad’s electric sander so I can finish the pallet coffee table
  • Learn how to knit better i.e. quickly and nicely enough to make something worth keeping

I really rather enjoy trying new things, making things, growing things, changing things. Would love, love, love to do a short illustration course, but not sure where to find one that lines up with what I want to do. All the uni short-courses are about traditional line drawing people and portraits and I just want to do the err, cutesy stuff.

  • I also need to make becmatheson.com look more presentable and update the hell out of it
  • Write more (of calibre and not just blog entries)
  • A bookbinding course would also be fun, and useful!

Other exciting things happening to indulge myself are that Cat and I and who knows who else are starting a book club based on that plethora of Penguins. I am quite excited. Although not sure how I’ll go talking about books as my short term memory is appalling. Notes Rebecca. Notes.

Things I will probably never get into:

  • Quilting/Patchwork (sorry ladies, I’m just not a fan – except of the very very traditional ones and then only rare cases, most of them look naff)
  • Tapestry/Needlework
  • Making my own clothes – I could be convinced, but I’d doubt I’d have the patience
  • Cross-stitch – had my stint of this when I was younger, now it’s like pixelly pictures but WAY less cool.

Create Design Experiments Holidays

Published July 7, 2009 by

Vineyard Catalyst Network

Christina has written an introduction to the Vineyard Catalyst Network. The actual site (quite empty at the moment) is over here.

So in terms of where Geoff and I are at the moment, we’re part of one of the ‘three communities’ that already exist – in it’s infancy, and meet fortnightly. We also are currently going along to Ranges Community Church.

Christianity Church Life

Published July 7, 2009 by

Book covers

Fresh MILK_PR Release 01.05.inddI usually use Google Reader to “star” posts and things I find inspiring. However sometimes the rss feeder extends only so far and I had gone off on an internet tangent when I came across this. I really like this book cover. I’m not sure if it’s due to the relative simplicity, how clean it feels or that rather beautiful ampersand (being a bit of a sucker for them).

I am needing to be looking deeper into book design. There are books out there – naturally both of the how-to/example variety ($$) and some superb specimiens of books themselves. I am keen to expand my repotoire of the interesting things people do with books both internally and externally. I will naturally be doing some of my own scouting, but if you know of any great blogs or just great examples I’d be grateful if you shared!

Books Design

book design cover design design examples

Published July 6, 2009 by

Breakfast

breakfast

Inspired by Jon Huck’s marvellous breakfast series. I also have the flu of some kind (Swine? Yay? Nay? Don’t care?), it’s charming. I really admire conceptual work like this. And yes, I did only have a cup of tea for breakfast, because  woke up at almost 11am and the cup of tea/coffee is a pretty much the standard routine anyway. And yes I am rather annoyed I missed the rest of Wimbeldon after I gave it a small sleepy stab. But really, 4 hours of tennis when all you want to do is sleep or cough or wallow with a sore throat is not the perfect combination. Pleased Fedderer won.

Design Holidays Life

Published July 4, 2009 by

Penguin

onehundredyears Later this year I will begin to start seriously considering options for work next year – these options will be slightly constrained by a certain other structure that will come with the next two years (Yeah that thing I can’t talk about yet again, which is a little annoying, because it’s kind of fun, but could affect location). Alongside design firms I will also be checking out some publishers – like Penguin – in some kind of weird endeavor to combine my two loves.

Speaking of Penguin Books, there have been another 50 titles of popular penguins released for the lovely low price of $9.95(ish) each. I was very pleased to see that One Hundred Years of Solitude has made the list. So get off your bum and go get yourself this rather fine piece of literature. Yes it’s a little peculiar, and a little bit of a hard slog with so many similar names but it’s very worth it.

Books Design Uni Work