New Dimension - adding tactile quality to my 2D images

I totally forget how & when I first stumbled across the magnificence that is House of 3. If you've never heard of them or never seen the fabulousness they create then pop on over to check them out right now!

Made up of 3 friends - separated by geographical location - Rhonna Farrer, Heidi Swapp & Janet Hopkins pool their talents to bring you affordable, original and downright gorgeous graphics as well as inspiration on how to put them to beautiful use.

 "No such thing as too many"

textile art by Lisa Pocklington

I love the femininity, fluidity & pictorial quality of their work - it reminds me of my own textile work (above) in the way that subtle colours are playing off each other & that there are layers upon layers of interest hidden there if only you look close enough. I also love to incorporate text & mixed media into my work - to me, the House of 3 graphics are the digital version of how I create.

Graphics is a new medium for me - and I must stress at this point that I do not intend to move away from textile work - but as I explore the digital world via my website, my online boutique and this blog, I find that I have been looking for a way to inject a little bit of me into it. I'm a tactile kind of gal, anything with a nice texture & I'm there. It's as though I read information through my fingertips (hmm did I say that out loud?). So sometimes graphics can feel a little stark to me. I'm thinking that with a little help from House of 3 I can make my photos & internet endeavours a bit more touchy-feely looking

Lucky for me this process happened right around the time that the ladies were offering a great summer promo & so I felt the time had come to dip my virtual toe into the world of photo manipulation/digital collage. Actually it was more of a plunge, as I splurged on several brush sets, png files, masks and even a few printables! I am still just feeling my way around the complexities of Photoshop but have so far managed to load my brushes and have a quick play. I am hoping to figure out how to add a bit of flourish to the end of each post on this blog - a bit like an auto signature. Keep your eyes posted for that one in the (hopefully!) near future and wish me luck!  x

{All images of graphics by Rhonna Farrer for House of 3, "No such thing as too many" textile art by Lisa Pocklington - photo by Jeremy Wilson}

Vision Boards - a window into your future

 I'm no stranger to the practice of tear-sheets, mood boards, sketchbooks and vision boards. After all, as a creative person it comes with the territory. At Art School you document ideas, inspirations & techniques constantly in sketchbooks. As an Interior Designer I would create mood boards & room settings to get my ideas across to clients. As a Stylist I reference style ideas with tear-sheets, & all of the lifestyle magazines I have worked for have walls full of vision boards for their current issue. I guess they could be considered the  

visual version of list making 

- they serve as a memory jogger, a goal setter, a 'this is what I'm aiming for'

Without realising it you are probably familiar with them yourself, especially if you follow design led blogs such as Design*Sponge or The City Sage. These blogs regularly visually round up a collection of images based on a theme (my all time fave is the Living In posts on D*S. Pride and Prej inspired board pictured above). You may even have a pile of tear-sheets yourself; things that have sparked an interest, an idea that you'd like to refer back to at some point. Perhaps you are more reserved & simply fold over the corner of a page in a magazine. Either way, the principal is the same & it also translates into the digital world too. Do you bookmark sites that you like? If you are anything like me you have about a gazillion pages bookmarked for later reference - not always an efficient filling system, but hey!

It is no surprise then, that you can now produce an all digital, fabulously professional looking, vision board online. Hurrah for technology! Olioboard comes recommended but I have yet had the chance to play around with it. Don't you worry though, I have ideas brewing for its uses!

So back to my earlier point of being familiar with this exercise when it comes to my creative process. It HAS proven success. It helps reach the intended goal. It documents the idea. All good then. But until recently, I had never thought to  

apply this tried & tested approach to ME!

I have, of late, been struggling to get to where I think I ought to be in terms of achievement. I've been feeling unfocused and a little (ok, a lot) stuck in a rut. Less so in creative terms, but hugely in Life terms. This has led to some soul searching; some questioning, and plenty of research. (yay for the internet!)

I have been subscribing to the wise words of Christine Kane (amongst others) via her Be Creative Be Conscious Be Courageous blog as well as her Live Creative e-zine, and she actively advocates the exercise of producing a vision board to help you get to where you want to be. She is so encouraging in this field that she has complied articles & a free download to guide you through the process. I feel like I have taken a step in the right direction - I feel that by dedicating a few hours to ME and what I would like MY FUTURE to be that I have begun the long journey in getting there. Perhaps I'll share my vision with you in a later post. If I'm feeling brave enough!

Do you sometimes feel you have lost your way? How do you get back on track?

{image 1 by Emily Burlingame on Olioboard, image 2 by Amy Merrick for Design*Sponge, image 3 by Polly Rowan on Olioboard, image 4 from Christine Kane's Blog}

Fendi DIY Bag - the ultimate in handmade?

Off the success of the Paint-it-Yourself tote bag, Fendi have included in their Spring 2010 collection an embroiderer/fashionista's dream;  

the DIY baguette bag

Neat. You get to combine your love for high fashion with your creative eye & skillful hand. The bag comes as a kit, in tapestry canvas form, complete with needles & a selection of threads with which to work your stitchery magic. Imagine the endless possibilities of fabulousness and better still, for once you will be the owner of a totally unique designer handbag! What's not to like?

 Thus far, I'm sold on the idea. I like to customise. I like fabulous handbags. I Like to own & wear unique accessories. Then comes the part where I spit my tea out across my desk. Did you say $1000??!! Yes, my friends, this wearable tapestry kit will set you back one thousand dollars (well just under actually - you can grab one at Net-a-Porter if you happen to have a spare grand kicking around)

Part of me would like to applaud Fendi for this idea - they have embraced the handmade market and cranked it up a notch. But does the kind of gal with a habit for a 1k handbag really want to make it herself? I mean those of us who DO make our own accessories generally don't want to spend that kind of money just on the raw materials. Just imagine how much thread/yarn/fabric etc you COULD buy for a grand...... indulge me a moment; I'm imagining!

I imagine there are certain ladies out there who do like to make their own mark in fashion & who are fortunate enough to have that kind of money for a fun project. Yay for them! I also imagine that there are a larger amount of women who just like the idea of this kind of project - we've all done it; seen a great kit at a show, been inspired, then let it languish at the bottom of a drawer (hello Mum!). Now, that's a lot of money to be languishing at the bottom of a drawer!

However, it seems that someone has already thought of this & created a class at Bergdorf Goodman espesh to help those lucky ladies make that Fendi dream bag a reality. Oh to be a fly on the wall! 

{images by Net-a-Porter & Bergdorf Goodman}

Hair Candy

It's always heart warming to know that someone out there in the wonderful world of gorgeous things officially announces that they like what you do. My pink vintage fabric Hair Candy was featured in an Etsy Treasury East by eveneve recently & I am sooo pleased to be mentioned amongst such delicious vintage fabric wares. I am in love with that tote bag on the left... and the insulated lunch bag... and that pretty little neck scarf. Let's face it, I am in love with vintage floral fabric!

Scandinavian Lifestyle e-mag .1 by Fryd

Open publication - Free publishing - More travel

When I read Holly's post on e-mags earlier this week at Decor8 I just knew I would have to put a few hours aside this weekend to check out her recommendations - sometimes I feel like that lady can read my mind, I am totally on the same wavelength & have often been thinking the exact same thing as she has posted about. Weird... but also wonderful

One of the e-mags in her round-up was .1 by fryd which you can see in motion above and I must confess I am totally hooked! Creator Jeanette Lunde has compiled the most wonderful collection of images, quotations & simple projects that leave you wanting to book a last minute flight to Stockholm, Copenhagen or Oslo to soak up a jumbo dose of that infamous Scandinavian style. Her teal coloured love-seat (above) is divine & the little girls' dresses are too cute for words

As you know I am something of a vintage fabric junkie - in particular when it comes to the floral designs from the 60s & 70s (check out my stack of lovelies above!) and they always seem to just sing when you put them against the simplicity of white. Jeanette features photos of her daughters' rooms here & here which to me are the epitome of this much loved combination. {sigh!}

She also features several shots of mix & match vintage crockery - yep, yet another passion of mine! - with a great how-to on making your own vintage inspired cake stand. Have a look for your self right here. It really is beautiful

You can follow the inspirations & creativity of Jeanette & by fryd on her very gorgeous & beautifully personal blog here. So thank you Jeanette - I, amongst the many thousands who have viewed your new magazine, have truly been inspired. I just L O V E .1 by fryd and can't wait for issue .2

Looks like I'll have to save the rest of Holly's recommendations for another day!

{vintage fabric photo by Lisa Pocklington for Smitten with it All, embedded e-mag via ISSU, all other images by Jeanette Lunde for by fryd}

Home to Roost

I'm heading back to the UK tomorrow morning for a cheeky visit with my family. Apart from being excited about spending quality time with my nearest & dearest (Christmas was a whirlwind tour!) I am also looking forward to some retail therapy

I love to hit the charity shops when I'm back in the UK - this is where I source many of my materials for the Get Smitten collections. It's so important to me to make the effort to reduce the amount of textile waste the Western world produces with its quick & easy, high turn around fashion culture. More about that another time though! Plus it's nice to support the charities too. I also love to scout for interesting items to use when I'm styling - be it books, vases, vintage patterns or kitschy ornaments. Here's a quick run down on what I'll be hunting for this trip

• retro sewing patterns
• vintage crochet patterns
• odd balls of yarn
• suitable jumpers to unravel for the yarn
• retro bedlinen
• cut glass vases
• books with interesting covers
• vintage sewing/haberdashery notions

 Mum & I are heading to the Victoria & Albert museum - to see the much talked about Quilt: 1700-2010 exhibition. I adore the V&A and am beside myself at the thought of seeing all the amazing quilts they have on display. I have spent many hours checking out the textiles at the V&A  over the last 20 years, although mostly in darkened rooms through flat glass plates, so it will be a real treat to see them in their full glory. You can find out all about the exhibition here

And lastly, I will be making the most of my trip to London by swooning at the gorgeous items in Anthropology. Can't wait to see what they have done for their displays - I totally LOVE their visual merchandising

There's always such a comfort in a trip back to see family - having lived abroad for so many years now I really treasure those moments of laughter, reminiscing & unconditional love. I have several items back there that I want to photograph so I can tell you about them in future posts here. I want to dig out my old ballet shoes so that I can take a dance class here. I want to find my A-Level copy of Pride & Prejudice - the one with all my course notes in. I want to look through the old photo albums of when we were kids. I want to feel that feeling you get when you're surrounded by your favourite people in the the whole world. Home is where the heart is. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to pack!

Happy 10th Birthday Inside Out!

The blogosphere is currently awash with birthday wishes to super cool Australian interiors/lifestyle magazine Inside Out - they are celebrating 10 years of fabulous design, inspiration, ideas, recipes, colour and style.

Now, it is a little tricky for me to rave on about this celebrated birthday issue as I have not yet got my hands on a copy - although I have begged my Aussie mates to post me a copy toute-de-suite! (is part of my need linked to the fact that this issue comes with a screen printed Rob Ryan T-towel????? I'll let you judge me on that one!) So instead I shall link you over to one of my fave Australian design blogs, The Design Files, where the lovely Lucy interviewed Inside Out's editor Karen McCartney, who launched the mag back in 2000

And for a greater appreciation of the talent that goes into such a brilliant monthly mag, you must visit the Inside Out blog, where "the staff happily reveal a few of their favourite things". The Inside Out team totally inspire you to inject style into your life... it's contagious

I had originally thought that this would be the end of this post but then I realised that it is in fact thanks to Inside Out that I have my work now as a stylist. Back in about 2003, when I was living in Sydney, Australia, I found myself assisting various stylists in order to pick their brains about the job & get some hands-on experience of working on a shoot. The first kind soul to give me a break was English stylist Lynsey Fryers & the majority of the jobs we worked on together were for Inside Out with the hugely talented photographer Amanda Prior. Ah, happy paint-fumed, gluey-fingered memories!

I continued to assist various established stylists even when I started to get my own gigs (thank you at this point to kind soul no.2 - Art Director Caroline Sherlock) - it's such a great way to learn a trade, pick up tricks & secrets and meet other people in the industry. Plus it's fun - they tend to get the really good gigs which you can then become a part of. I remember in particular a 2 day shoot with stylist Sam Beer & photographer Lucas Allen - we took over this wonderful home up near Centennial Park & the entire front room was filled with props that Sam had called in from numerous stores and boutiques in the city. I was busy ironing creases from out-of-the-packet bed linens & decorating oranges with cloves (oh, yes - did I mention how glamorous the life of a stylist's assistant is?!) when they suddenly decide that the bed shot would look so much better with a body in it.... cue me, stripped down to my essentials & in a nightie, frolicking on a luxurious bed of throws & blankets with lights & cameras pointing at me. I can assure you I am not accustomed to this type of behaviour! Here, I have just dug out the clippings for your amusement!

So I guess that just leaves me to wish all at Inside Out a very happy birthday & here's to another 10 years of style inspiration for the home & for living!

photos of selected Inside Out/Home Beautiful magazine clippings by Lisa Pocklington