instrumental piano with two leather handles and butterfly

You guys must be realising I am such a baby when it comes to surfing the blogosphere (or it should be ‘flying’ not ‘surfing’ right?) because I am only just discovering what and who is out there! This morning I found a bit of time to put my wings on and fly (umm okay, I actually skipped the household chores I’d assigned myself. Again. and eating breakfast.) and I came across this incredible artist over at Oh Joy!. So that is actually discovering two talented people with the same click, because Oh Joy!’s blog is awesome. She just posted about leather artist Aiko Machida and above Aiko has combined two of my favourite things within her leather creation – butterflies and pianos… oh I can be such a GIRL sometimes it cracks me up! Here are a few more of her beauties that feature another obsession confession, ‘chairs’…

Leather-legged chairs, who would have ever thought?! I don’t know where Aiko lives or where you can find her pieces, so please do fill me in if you know more about this fab designer. Also if her work is displayed and/or sold in Paris.

PS. sorry if my posts are lighter than normal lately – I am working on a few projects at the same time which I am looking forward to telling you about as soon as I can, but one of them I am happy to announce involves all of you! I am putting the final touches on it and will reveal all soon, I am very excited about it!

The Hope Street Markets were created from a love of independent Australian art + design and the genuine love of finding new treasures at the markets. Hope Street is not an actual street address, it quite simply means “bringing hope to the street”. The Hope Street Markets is a non-profit organisation, raising funds from the markets to help support the ‘HopeStreet – Urban Compassion projects’ which help to bring hope to Sydney’s homeless while also supporting and exposing new Australian design talent.

Two of my picks are the very talented duo from Turn Me On Design with their Fiddlesticks jewellery range shown above. I do love their poem too:

And summerblossom’s range of handmade head pieces does it for me too. Rochelle uses cotton, recycled and vintage fabrics and aptly describes her pieces as being perfect for cocktails, weddings, high-tea, picnics and parties. And I love her extra suggestion: “Or, simply pop one in when you’re all alone in your nightie and enjoy that frosted cupcake in divine style!”

The dates for the next markets in Sydney are the 2nd and 3rd February 2008. And if you are not in Sydney then head to the Hope Street Markets website and check out all the designers there. Have fun!!

Ronel Jordaan is a a textile designer from Gauteng in South Africa. Inspired by nature, she gives “free reign to her imagination” using felt as a preferred medium and sometimes combining it with other natural fibres like cotton and silk. Ronel has trained women in the art of felting and these women now produce the designs with her and have also begun creating their own designs.

Stunning work Ronel. My faves are the rock cushions. For more visit her
website here…

Lola was born in Nigeria and is heavily influenced by her history and African roots…

“I got interested in fashion because my grandmother is a designer, she designed traditional Nigerian clothes. That was my first introduction to fashion”

Her stockists are dotted across the US from Houston to Hollywood, as well as in Japan. For more info, click here to visit her website.

I first spotted Lola’s work on The Tattler, posted here.

Olivia from LaLesso is currently in Kenya, she commented on my article yesterday and I just wanted to share it with you:

“Only 2 out of 6 permanent tailors have been able to make it back to work and we have helped them to move their belongings to safety and they are ‘camping’ in the workshop until things settle down. Kenya is the most wonderful country and the people so warm, it is all so undeserved. We can all only hope that peace is restored soon.”

Thanks for taking the time out to respond Olivia – we love LaLesso and we love Kenya!