Snapshot : Hey doll face

I was in a crowded cafe today having lunch with a friend. My beautiful friend was chatting away about numerology and the planets and the girl behind her looked over at me a few times, uncomfortable with our proximity. It would have been the usual case of person goes to delicious cafe, person forgets how popular cafe is, person sits unsure of self listening in on others wondering why they're so open and chatty, person sips coffee and makes a run for it. Except the girl behind my friend had loads of make-up on, really nicely done, but not suitable for anything outside a Friday night or fashion shoot. Glancing around the cafe she just looked at odds. With herself mostly.

It's amazing what we communicate with just our eyes, and often don't realize it. A glance can convey all the love or hurt in the world... make-up doesn't hide any of it, it only illuminates how you feel.

And here we have a coupla dolls, gazing down a Polaroid's lens, conveying a novel full of sassy story lines. Hilarous! I'm a sucker for a beautifully shot flower, but flowers and doll faces together? Heaven. Meet the super sweet lady behind these pics... Nancy of Futurowoman Fotographie



What do you love about Texas?

I am a native Californian, so Texas is an adopted home. One of the things I really love about Texas is that people here have a "live and let live" attitude about life. There is a strong streak of "don't tell me what to do, and I won't tell you what to do" in the Texas identity, and I love that. People are very friendly, and Texas is so diverse! You meet people from everywhere, everyday--there is something for everyone. Although I miss my home state, Texas is a great place to live!

What makes you laugh?

I love dry, sarcastic humor, and I also laugh at the weird antics of my dogs, a terrier mix named Orson and a whippet named Laika. They are hilarious!



Any hidden talents?

I'm not sure if these are "hidden" talents, but I love to cook, and in the past couple of years, I've gotten into making preserves. I love to pick fresh fruit and make jams! This summer, I've also gotten into making homemade ice creams! My favorite so far has been Absinthe Ice Cream.

Favorite subject to photograph?

I love to take photos of my dogs, both artistically and as personal family heirlooks. I also adore old vintage signs, botanical subjects, and the sky. Basically, I just love to take photographs! :)



Polaroids from top down: Blythe / Gentle River "Who, me?", Peony, Blythe "Hello Bitches" and Purple Artichoke.

More: futurowoman.etsy.com

Sketchalot : Fun-loving bohemians

I've been watching seeds sprout and I can't even explain how exciting it is to have a vegie garden in its early stages... in our backyard! We've got parsley, capsicum, chilli, tomatoes, snow peas, butter beans, green beans, rocket, cucumber, baby carrots and spring onion so far. Thrilling! One day I'll make a salad from it all and that'll be super delicious.

Speaking of fresh, how ace are these illos by Vanessa, aka Inkblot? I like Vanessa from sunny Brighton. It appears we have a few things in common: jogging, red nail polish, pistachio ice cream, polar bears, math... but enough about the sisterhood, here's Vanessa in her own words...

What's to love about Brighton?
Brighton is the kind of place where 'anything goes', it is truly bohemian and has a thriving creative culture. The combination of the multicultural, fun-loving, friendly inhabitants, the huge community of artists and the sea and fresh air is extremely inspiring indeed. I have grown up here and love it. Also all the museums and shops in London are only a short train journey away.


Who inspires you?
My family inspires me. My siblings are all ambitious and hard-working and very encouraging and supportive of my achievements, talents and goals. I particularly admire people who have become successful from having nothing and coming from poor backgrounds and working their way up by sheer hard work and determination.

There are also many Etsy artist/designers that inspire me. I think the work of Betsy Walton is incredible, it makes me feel like I am dreaming, it is so weird and beautiful. I came across Art and Ghosts recently, which is also amazing, dark and beautiful. I love the work of Brandi Strickland for her unusual and vibrant collages.
(PS Brandi was featured on Cloudburst Beauty back in April... for the interview go here).


Any hidden talents?
I do not have many 'exciting' hidden talents... I think I must put all my energy into my art and design! If I had to find some things, I would say that I think I can run quite fast, have an A-Level in Maths, am an experienced skier and am extremely good (read competitive:-)) at Pictionary and usually on the winning team!


Favourite blogs?
I absolutely love printpattern.blogspot.com and also designspongeonline.com (especially the 'Sneak Peeks'), I have only recently got into reading blogs and have spent more time reading through the archives of these than finding new ones but I know there are loads of cool blogs just waiting to be found! I love yours for a start, so I will have to add it to my list! (Thanks so much V!).

Illos from top down: Teacup, Bloom, Lovebird and Leaf.
More: inkblot.etsy.com

Multitalent : Sweet 'n' whimsical

Well hello again sweet things, sorry I disappeared for a week. Tre busy here at chez frankie, lots to do and so little time to indulge. (Missed you too.)

There's something so sweet and whimsical about these photographs and drawings. They're soft and fun and I like 'em a lot. They're by Blake at elle.bee in sunny South Florida. Here's the low-down on Blake...


How did you come up with the name of your shop?
The name of the store is elle.bee because some of the artwork is my twin sisters and her name is Lauren and mine is Blake so we took the first letters of our name.

What & who inspires you?
I am inspired by everything around me. I take inspiration from my family and friends. They are usually the ones to encourage me on what to paint next. Painting is probably my favorite of all the arts. I find it very peaceful and a release from the world. I prefer to use acrylic paint, you can never make a mistake, but this goes for all art... I guess. I am going to dabble in more watercolor i think.


What music do you listen to?
I love old music!!!! I grew up listening to classic rock! I'm a huge Beatles fan. Okay a little obsessed! Not like posters, pins, and pens kind of obsessed. More like the music and lyrics and life of them.
Lately I have been listening to and digging people like Etta James, Al Green, and Billy Holiday. AND from our time I have really been enjoying Adele. Her music is so smooth, (listening to her as I type this).


Pics from top down: I want to ride my Bicycle, Pastel 3, Enter and Pastel 1.
More: blakemichaelene.etsy.com

Stilllife : Absolute heaven to me

It's been a random and mostly awesome weekend. I caught up with friends for a chai in the sun, saw Inglourious Basterds, trecked through the markets, discovered a most excellent crocodile-patterned old suitcase (for $15... will post pics soon), had a father's day picnic on the central coast and to finish it all off gave myself food poisoning. Brilliant!

Speaking of randomly awesome... I'm crazy about these here kitchy cool 70s style prints and iron-on transfers. They're by Mandy in Adelaide: she can be found at her withwallpaper madeit shop (check out the cool gift tags and calendars), etsy store, flickr stream and blog. Buseee! Here is the lovely lady with the inside info...


Has drawing always been a hobby?
A hobby, a compulsion and a vocation. I used to entertain the idea of other occupations, but when I finished high school the idea of just drawing and painting all day was absolute heaven to me. I went to art school and then studied graphic design at university, so I guess it was never going to be anything else.


In what other ways are you creative?
I like to have a nice environment around me at home and you definitely need to be creative on an artist's income. I also try to be creative in my cooking (with mixed results).


What are your fave blogs?
I look at lots of different blogs and websites on a regular basis like theselby & sfgirlbybay. I absolutely love ffffound for inspiration.

What else are you reading?
I like reading autobiographies more than anything else (real life is so much more interesting than fiction!), but lately I have been reading novels set in the 1930s by writers like Evelyn Waugh & Nancy Mitford -I think they are quite semi-biographical anyway.

More: withwallpaper.etsy.com

Dreamvisions : Oddly romantic

Award-winning, Brooklyn-based photographer Gary Heller captures beauty in the strangest ways. He makes sad and abandoned scenes look oddly romantic and beautiful subjects look fragile and a little gloomy. Either way, I think it creates more depth, a bigger story. If these were in a gallery I'd stop and ponder a while. Here's Gary...


What's your favourite subject to photograph?
Some of my fave things to shoot are things that portray abandonment, isolation and mystery. The specific subjects can vary.

When did you first pick up a camera?
I first picked up the camera seriously at end of 2003.

Who inspires you?
I am inspired by many and cannot name anyone specifically. I loved album art and comic/fantasy book art as a kid growing up. I get inspired by things and visions in my dreams as well.


Favourite blogs/books?
I don't get to read nearly as often as I would like but I love mystery, science fiction and thrillers. There are so many great bloggers out there and so many talented artists and photographers that it's hard to keep up with it all. It can get overwhelming.

More (including toilets, barns and bridges): garyhellerphotograph.etsy.com
Pics from top down: The little things in life, Broken promises and Bonsai.

Silverlining : Colour me happy

There's a beautiful quote by author and artist Kahlil Gibran... Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Like most peeps, I don't like being around anything to do with pain, it's so so hard to experience it or see it in a friend.

When I was retrenched in April, I didn't see the silver lining for a little while. But now I'm living the dream... exceptionally happy writing from home. I can shop on eBay, write my blog, walk my dog, make a smoothie any time I want. So long as I meet my deadlines, I'm free to make my own schedule and that's just the way I like it. Pain is temporary, knowledge is forever.

Now here's a happy artist with a great story to tell... meet Melissa Moss...


The story...
I used to take the slow lane into work. I didn’t care if I was inhaling the fumes of a semi if it meant I would get to work later. Each day my soul seemed a little heavier.

In 2002, my amazing husband helped me realize that not only was I miserable at work, I was miserable just thinking about going back. So after a few freak outs, I left the publishing world to study color psychology and during my course work, discovered my true passion…painting.

Color is my primary artistic element. I’ve studied the meanings and associations of colors and their subtle shades and tones and use this knowledge to convey the mood of each painting.


Who inspires you?
I'm inspired by so many artists and by nature but mostly I'm inspired by my 2 year old son. He just makes it easy (most of the time) to get up in the morning.

How do you indulge?
I love to go to movies by myself. So when I'm feeling like escaping that's what I do. But I've also been reading the Twilight books. Definitely a guilty pleasure.


Favourite blogs?
I usually just look at my friends blogs...Cathy Nichols, Marisa Haedike (Creative Thursday) and Outi Harma. That's about all I have time for.

More more more: melissamoss.etsy.com
Pics from top down: too happy, nice to me, the arrival & baby mine.

Snapshot : Beautiful decay

You know a movie is something special when it sits with you for a while. Last night we saw such a movie: Beautiful Kate, directed by Rachel Ward, and it was amazing. Shot in Adelaide and the Flinders Ranges of South Australia, starring Ben Mendelsohn, Bryan Brown and Rachel Griffiths, as well as a few newcomers that will light up the screen again and again, it was quietly romantic, unusual and simply stunning. Ben blew me away, as did newbie Sophie Lowe, and the breathtaking mountainous surrounds, wildlife soundtrack and languid pace.


These amazing pics by Carrie Becker remind me of the set of the film. Cracked, old, weary, mysterious and full of stories. Here's Carrie...

What inspires you?
It's the natural, subtle colour palettes that I see everyday that inspires me.


When did you start playing with cameras?
I began photography as a freshman in college in 1996.

What's your favourite subject to photograph?
I really enjoy documenting "beautiful decay", and/or desolate, isolated spaces.


More: carriembecker.etsy.com
Pics from top down: Two Chairs in Blue Room, Drawer Fronts with Crackled Paint, Haven Modern Motel - Living Room and Storage Shed Interior.