I was more aware of and focussed on textile designs and illustrations in South Africa, during my recent holiday to visit family. Here are a few of the photos that I have taken:
The following were T-shirt designs from Truworths. I just loved the African illustrative style to them.
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I would like to share a few photos with you that was taken during my recent holiday to South Africa.
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It was so good to spend some time with my family in South Africa where it was hot and sunny. We talked, laughed, ate, shopped and I took lots of photos. I took my smaller Nikon coolpix so the photo quality is not as good as with the bigger camera but there is still plenty to show you. I also want to say a big thank you to all who have shown me so much love and support. I am so happy to tell you that a full body PET scan has shown that my Hubby doesn't have any cancer in his body. That was such an answer to our prayers. We feel like a weight has been lifted from our shoulders and we can finally start to look towards the future rather than to live from day to day.
As it is Christmas Eve, I wanted to show you some of the Christmas decorations that I saw in a couple of malls:
Maybe not traditional but, I like how they have an 'Africa' feel to them.
I had a great time.
But, then I came home to this:
Photo taken through train window.
This was the train platform:
I was in the last train carriage so, this chick had to walk through all of that and then over a bridge (to get to the other side.
May I take this opportunity to wish you a very blessed Christmas and say thank you so much for your support and for reading my random ramblings.
xx
I'm all packed and ready for my flight tonight to South Africa where it is Summer and where I will have two weeks with my family.
So much has been happening here that I feel exhausted and in need of some tlc. The timing of this holiday is a difficult one as my Hubby has been ill for some time and will be undergoing tests to see if the cancer that he has had almost two years ago is back. We will probably get those results around the time of our wedding anniversary, just before Christmas. It is therefore with mixed emotions that I am leaving him for this pre-planned holiday while I am looking forward to seeing my family. If you are the praying kind, I would really appreciate your prayers.
I am taking my sketch pad and pencil and am hoping that the time, rest and space would give me some creative time.
I wish you happy holidays! I will be back just before Christmas.
xx
I like to challenge myself in terms of the design style that I use and so decided to create a World War II post card design. My Dad is a big war airplane enthusiast and specifically the Spitfire, which is a British airplane launched in 1936. So, when my parents visited me earlier in the year, I had to take him to the Duxford Air Museum in Cambridgeshire.
Afterwards we had a lovely afternoon in the beautiful university town of Cambridge.
Chocks away is a term used by British pilots in World War II to indicate that they were ready for take off and therefore required that the blocks placed in front of the airplanes wheels be removed for take off.
Here's to dreams taking off. Chocks away folks!
xx
While I am thinking about architecture that inspire, I wanted to share my favourite castle with you. These photo's were taken a couple of years ago when we went to Ireland and then travelled through Wales on our way home. If you ever get to Wales, a visit to Cardiff Castle is well worth a visit. The architecture is very colourful, decorate and unusual and there is an interesting history spanning over 2000 years!
I often find that colour can affect my mood and yellow, although not particularly my favourite colour, I find make me feel happy. I did not sleep too well last night and woke up feeling grumpy, so please excuse my indulgence in some yellow-therapy as I think happy thoughts.
Always makes me smile.
Cornfields in the Cape.
Sunrise, sunset...
If all else fails:
Hubby impressed with the size of seafood in South Africa. Always makes me smile.
Hope you have a good start to the day and if not, I'm sending happy thoughts your way - it is Friday after-all and for us in England, we have a bank holiday on Monday.
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I've been going through my photos and noticed a few with a focus on texture.
Yes, I quite like the feel of a snake! I'm scared of spiders but snakes - not so much. I was born in the north of South Africa and we had loads of snakes in our garden and sometimes in our house (which caused a lot of excitement as the majority could kill you). But, I like 'em (and no, I'm not one of those weird people who have pet snakes). Anyway, moving on...
I quite like the colours that rust can create.
Seaweed, not so much for touching (too gooey).
Pebbles and seashells? Who doesn't go home with pockets full of interesting shapes and sizes after a day at the beach?
The crystal chandelier in our previous home. Can you tell that I did not touch these too often with the duster? Oh well, moving on swiftly...
I like architecture, the patterns often inspire me. This one is from Bristol (England).
I love finding a spot of colour when you least expect it:
I love these metal gates (spotted somewhere in the Cape):
And this one:
Love the beaded peacocks and flowers in this one:
Wooden shutters with layers of paint peeling:
A fabric shop where you can touch to your hearts content:
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I am so excited to find that my blog has had it's first feature!!! Thank you so much tigerprint!!!
To add to the excitement, I have got the rest of the afternoon off with Hubby and tomorrow I have a whole day devoted to designing. The weekend I will be off to the Festival of Quilts. I was hoping to go by train but there are a few train strikes so, I'm not risking getting stranded in Birmingham. Instead, I'm going to drive up. I've driven around Birmingham before and got really lost so, tomorrow I will also go hunting for a tom tom.
My mind is really in design mode now. When I design, I find that I mentally go back to those childlike moments where I just 'play' and see where my imagination takes me. Sometimes, I start with a good idea of what I want it to look like, sometimes it is all sketched out and sometimes I just have a colour palette that calls me to combine the colours without too much thought. For me, it is all about finding the inner-child.
This photo was taken on one of our holidays to the Cape and I love the children playing in the water, whenever I see this, I am reminded how carefree children are, and that is how I feel when I am designing.
I'm up bright and early today, eager to (finally) start my textile design portfolio. I have done various designs up to now but none specifically in the context of a fabric line and that is what I want to do now. I am just bursting with ideas that seem to be all I can think about. I once heard someone say that a woman's thoughts were like a washing machine, always going round-and-round, thinking about different things, like the different items in the washing machine, all at the same time. When we went to Keukenhof in the Netherlands earlier this year, there was this beautiful statue that symbolizes my thought patterns so well today...
Each little ring representing a different thought on designs, patterns, colours, sewing, big dreams and the excitement about all the people who have been viewing my blog within the last few days. It is so nice to have you here, I hope that you will keep coming back to share in my journey and feel free to leave a comment, I'd love to meet you all!
I also have some ideas for a free sewing pattern. I'm hoping to work on that when I need a break from my computer screen. So, be sure to pop back for that.
I thought the words from the song by this group as seen in one of my favourite films, was quite appropriate for this post.
Have a good weekend everyone!
xx