Victorian typography at its crazy best

There’s no doubt the Victorian era has had a huge influence on typography trends of today- think hand-crafted script fonts, scrolls, condensed type and curved headings. Great typographers like Luca Ionescu and Ged Palmer owe a lot to their Victorian predecessors.

So here are some images to gaze at and admire- all of these examples have been sourced from The British Library’s photostream on Flickr, a fantastic image resource.

Want some more type? Check out these pics of signage in Clunes or this post on typography in packaging. And here’s my top ten favourite fonts.

Shopfront typography: Clunes, you’re my type!

Some more photos from my recent sojourn to Clunes.

Clunes is not only a book-lover’s paradise, it’s also home to a beautiful array of hand-painted shopfront typography. While the main street is largely preserved from its gold-rush era boom, I’m not sure how many of these are original. But regardless of their origin, they’re beautiful.

 
     

Kintsukuroi- the understanding that a piece is more beautiful for having been broken

My cousin sent me a picture the other day, with the explanation of ‘kintsukuroi’.

Kintsukuroi or Kintsugi is the Japanese art of mending broken ceramics or china- particularly those that are handmade. It’s not your average superglue and jigsaw job though; the pieces are rejoined using a gold lacquer, highlighting the cracks rather than hiding them. This comes from the understanding that ‘a piece is more beautiful for having been broken’.

It’s a lovely and poetic art form, the metaphor I’m sure that resonates with most of us- I know I wouldn’t mind a little gilding over my scars.

Here are some pics to celebrate the art of Kintsukuroi

  

I love this artwork by Korean artist Yeesookyung- these I believe are quite large and beautifully crafted. There is more of her work at Saatchi Gallery here.

These Kitsukuroi inspired pieces are from artist Andrew Stellitano, you can see more of his work on his website here.

 

How to- DIY Emily Green inspired coasters (great easy and inexpensive gift idea)

I adore Emily Green’s work– bright, bold and beautifully crafted. I got a bit crafty this weekend and decided to use Emily as my inspiration for some DIY coasters. Here’s my take on easy and unique coasters that would make great gifts (they’re also cheap!).

Prints from Emily Green that were my inspiration- you can buy them from her website here

What you will need:

• Wooden coasters (I bought mine from Bunnings, about 70c each)
• Washi or masking tape
• Small round stickers
• Paint- I used both gouache and acrylic, both worked well
• Water
• Paintbrush (not too small)
• Permanent marker (optional)
• Craft or wood varnish

1. Create a pattern using the Washi/masking tape and the round stickers on your coasters. I went with stripes and polka dots.

2. Using your paint, and a fair amount of water, dot, splodge and splatter your coasters in your desired colours. I used a fluoro-pink acrylic and a indigo gouache that created a great contrast (and some lovely purple).

3. Once they dry, peel off the stickers and tape. The paint on mine bled under the tape and stickers in parts- I quite liked that effect, but if you want to keep your pattern crisp, use less water.

4. Tape off an edge of each coaster. Paint with a white acrylic (or black would also look great). To get a really solid colour, I had to give it about three coats.

5. Once they are dry, remove the tape and touch up the edges. I used a black permanent marker around the edge as a feature- you could use paint or just leave them if your paintwork is neat (mine never is!). If you are giving these as gift, you could add a message to the bottom. Varnish them and you’re done!

Happy making!

For other DIY projects, check out this handy shoulder bag, or this granny-square baby blanket.

Weekend creative project- some styling pics

We have a beautiful old fireplace in our dining room/kids room (it’s a kids room at the moment but it WILL become a dining room once we regain control of our home from the tiny dictators holding us hostage).

What I love the most about it is the yellow tiling- I haven’t seen anything quite like it before. A couple of months ago a friend gave me a yellow pineapple that I knew just had to sit a top our mantle. Hence my weekend styling project. Here are some pics to get you inspired for your own weekend pottering.

Before

After

This is the pendant hanging in the room- I had to include it because I think it’s stunning- Marcel Wanders Skygarden Luminaire (replica)

Looking for more styling ideas? Have a look at creating meaningful collections or this post on teacups.

Weekend creative project- Washi tape frames

New year, new wall. Pinterest is alive with Washi tape ideas, so I thought I’d try this one- creating Washi tape frames for the bits and pieces on my wall. My Washi technique could use some work, but it’s a nice way to link a collection together.

I love the little bird and bear cards in the green frames, both from Sukie. The other bird card is from Ikea.

Love my weekly planner? Get yours here as a free printable download.

You can see I’ve gone for a feathery theme- there’s something about bird images; charming and pretty in their tiny static way. I have had a long love affair with these bird cards which is half nostalia- see some more here.

Happy framing!

For those looking for more Washi magic these are for you- DIY teacup succulents (with Washi tape) and Washi tape baubles

Weekend creative project- Teacup succulents with Washi tape (DIY gift)

Time for some Saturday crafting. Stuck for an inexpensive but pretty gift? Have some succulents languishing in their pots? Fancy a bit of opp-shopping? This one’s for you.

The wonderful thing about succulents is that they’re easy to grow. Even people like me (who tend to have a black thumb rather than a green one), can usually keep them alive. If you have some lying around, you can take a cutting and re-pot them- they will grow just about anywhere.

What you will need:

• Old teacups- I got mine at the opp-shop for around $3-$5 each
• Succulent cuttings
• Dirt and stones to fill teacups
• Water
• Scissors
• Washi tape
• Pens
• Toothpicks
• Ribbon
• Tags

1. I spruced up my teacups with Washi tape, if you want to make them look like part of a set this is an easy way to do it.

2. Add some dirt, plant your cuttings, top up and water. I also added some stones at the top to keep the succulent in place and the dirt in.

3. Make some Washi tape flags with the toothpicks to stick in with your plants. Cut some ribbon and decorate tags to match.

4. Add flags, tags and ribbon to your creation. Voila! A beautiful gift for someone special.

Happy making!

For more weekend creative projects try your hand at these- crochet bunting and giant granny-square baby blanket