Today is the start of the
Blog It Forward mash-up organised by (the very lovely) Victoria over at
sfgirlbybay. As there are 300 of us taking part, Victoria's divided us into ten groups, and i'm honoured to be kicking off the Group 5 posts! Other starter posts can be found at
Creature Comforts,
Design for Mankind,
Heart Fish,
hula seventy,
oh hello friend,
The Paper Pony,
Poppytalk,
sfgirlbybay and
Smile & Wave.
For this mash-up we're each going to write a post about what inspires us personally; tomorrow the next blogs on the list will do the same, followed by the next on the list and so on; from now until the last posts in March there will always be something inspiring to read, and some new blogs to
discover.
As I mused on what inspires me I knew I wanted to share with you the bits & pieces i have around me as I write and create. I spend my days sitting here in my living room so it's essential to have inspiration around me; apart from anything else it's so easy to get lost on the internet, so when i disconnect and knuckle down to work, i appreciate having nice things to look at; it makes working from home a true pleasure.
The top photo is a little vignette on my sideboard; the globe is from Alameda Market, brought back in my suitcase after my recent trip to San Francisco. The little wooden deer were found in charity shops; the zebra print is by
Elizabeth Soule. The vintage
Gerald Kelly print and clock were found on eBay; the clock doesn't work, but i just
love the colour.
Above is some knitted magic from my sister, gifted to me for my birthday. Abby has turned into a knitting
machine - i am in awe of her skills! Once my nephew is here, and family life has settled down, she'll be working on her own designs; for now she's enjoying exploring
Donna Wilson's creations. The twins are perched on my 50s sofa covered in the
crochet blanket my mum made me - my crafty family inspires me every single day.
It probably goes without saying that books dominate the room; this is a corner I've filled in behind the TV, and it includes:
The Polaroid Book
Trust Agents
Instant Light
Style Statement
The Leon cookbook
Dirty Blonde: The Diaries of Courtney Love
Life is a Verb
Women Who Run with the Wolves
Tribes
The Creative Habit
Bazaar Style
I have artwork dotted around the room; the print above (by Paul Michael Dellostritto) lives on my mantlepiece with type blocks found in Alameda Market (yes, my suitcase was ridiculously heavy flying back ;). Other art in the flat includes prints from Cori Kindred, Mati Rose, Freya Cumming, Jen Altman, Amanda Gilligan, Jen Causey, Abby Powell, Andrea Jenkins and a San Francisco screen print from the Curiosity Shoppe.
And then there are the flowers - these anemones were a birthday treat from my brother-in-law. Thanks Stevie!
Be sure to visit K.I.D Collective tomorrow for the next installment of mash-up inspiration!
