A Little List

Maybe it should be a Little Listless ... On the other hand, I did complete one item on last week's list, and started the two others, so maybe I shouldn't be too hard on myself. This week I was working on three projects, with two of them (proofreading a geography text and a resubmissions project) having tight deadlines. So, not much time or energy for creative endeavour...

1. The jelly happened. A tri-colour one - red, yellow and green. Which would have been perfect for a party in Druskininkai perhaps. I have learnt one thing though - use no more than half the water recommended on the package. Because if you make it in a mould, and you turn it out on a plate like I did, it wobbles, and quivers nervously, and then starts sagging over the edges of the plate ...

2. The tiny act of activism is in the process of happening. Oh, it is probably not correct to call it an act of activism. It involves sharks. And a wonderful quote from Turtle Diary. But I have to finish the poster first - I started yesterday:

3. The new journal. I have decided to use this old book (bought for R5 at our local library bookshop) - I really love the cover, which is slightly torn. I hope to make my first entry this weekend! Info required: If I'm going to be pasting in pictures, do I need to remove some pages so the whole thing doesn't become too thick? And what is the best way to do it?

Have a lovely weekend, darlings! I will be attending a carboot sale. And watching for whales.

A Little List Report-back

This was my list last week.

1. Maybe it is because I stayed in most of this week and only ventured out once for grocery shopping and a tango class. Or maybe my eyes and ears were just not open enough. Although three small opportunities presented themselves, and I responded, maybe more generously than I would normally, I cannot truly say that I've completed this item. The Grand Moment for the Grand Gesture did not appear. It is probably not something that will just happen on the spur of the moment and spontaneously, as I had wanted it to. As in most successful projects in life, I suspect that a little planning is needed ...
2. I made bunting galore! I used .... old magazines, and before you start laughing, maybe you should consider the beauty and brilliance of my project: you don't have to go out and buy expensive fabric; you are earning greenie points for recycling your old junk; you can mix and match your flags; and the opportunities for artistic expression are endless.
   Method: I cut out the triangles, machine-sewed them back-to-back, and threaded them onto ribbon. What could be easier? Here are two that I made:

The Monochrome Bunting

All in black and white from an Art issue of PoP (the UK fashion mag). This one will be just perfect for a party of sophisticates. We will sip champagne and schlurp oysters, but very elegantly, mind you. We will discuss Derrida and Lacan and sigh deeply. No children allowed, as the poor dears may very well get nightmares at the mere sight of a PoP fashion spread.
The Vogue Bunting
Much more colourful, this one, made from an old Vogue (US) issue.


I used size tape as ribbon - I think the 28" 71 cm is just about right for a Vogue model, don't you? Or perhaps not.

For this party I will invite fashionistas. (I am yet to meet them because I don't know any). We will eat miniature cupcakes and giant celery sticks and play a party game of guessing Which Label - Vuitton, Prada, Chanel, Miu Miu ... Then we will try on one another's shoes.

Leftovers from last week:

1. Made the potato-dish, but unfortunately we had gobbled it all up before I could take a pic. Sorry. But is was nice, especially with Gruyere cheese.
2. Released the balloon.
3. Made 2 more entries in my 100 ideas journal.
4. But did not place my guerilla artwork.

So, no new list this week. (But many ideas for it ....) I first have to catch up!

The Red Balloon

Yesterday I tied a message to my balloon, bestowing peace & goodwill & happiness on the world.

And then released it. There was no Great Revolt of the Balloons, as in Albert Lamorisse's film. I felt a little sad to let my balloon go.

It meandered along a bit. I think it was afraid to go ...
and then suddenly, it made up its mind ...

and climbed higher into the big blue sky ...

and higher still ... until I had to squint to see it ...

I felt proud of my red balloon, flying off so bravely into the great unknown ...

(Thank you stephanie, for this post, which put an idea into my head ...)

Little List Report-back

Okay, so one has a Little List. And then things happen. Like you get sick. And it rains for a week. I'm not trying to make excuses, I'm just saying.
1. I got the balloon! (A red one, albeit foil. I would have preferred a proper balloon of course, but they didn't do those in helium. Oh well. They pumped my red foil bag full of gas, so that is okay. And it's now a week later, and it is still stuck to my ceiling in all its glorious heliumness). Here it is.

But it has not been released yet. (See first paragraph.)

2. The poster project kind of morphed into something else. Based on my admiration for Jacques's beautiful handmade giftwrap, I made a different poster. I used an old sheet of wrapping paper (beautifully printed in black on light cream matt paper) and proceeded to colour it in with my watercolour pencils. I had fun. I am calling it The Bluebird of Happiness. I've left the other half unpainted so you can see.

They're both pretty cool, don't you think? I am going to cut it in half, frame both pieces, and hang them together.

3. Vegetarian recipe. Yes well. I didn't go shopping this week. (See first paragraph.) I did find this in a local magazine though.

It sounds exactly like macaroni cheese to me. Except they use potatoes. But it could be nice, I will probably make it next week.

New list: I know it's supposed to be a Little List of Three Things, but I'm putting only two items on my list this week - I still have leftovers from last week to finish ...

1. I want to do something for someone I don't know. I am not sure how and where, but I do not want to plan it . Something will come up in the course of the week and I will know to act. I hope.
2. I have been inspired by Vintage Heaven, Le Divan Fumoir Bohemian and ZigZag Bunting to make lovely bunting.

Photo above from Vintage Heaven

This one also from Vintage Heaven

The photo above from Le Divan Fumoir Bohemian

From ZigZag Bunting

From ZigZag Bunting

I will not finish it in a week, but I plan to get started!

Ongoing projects:

1. 100 ideas - I made three entries this week. I had fun with # 43 - Recall your favourite childhood game. Does anyone remember Zoom Zoom Zoom, I'm Jacqueline?
2. Guerilla Art Project: The artwork has been created. And recorded. It has not been placed yet, alas. (See first paragraph.)

Have a lovely, lovely weekend, darlings. Have fun, or be peaceful or be creative. Better still, all three! x Anairam

Report-back: A Little List ...

This was my Little List last week.

1. Succulents in Rusted Tin Cans: Done! I had already started a couple of weeks ago by collecting my tin cans, washing them and putting them outside to rust. The rust had come along nicely, so this week was the week for action. I made some coasters from thick cardboard to go underneath - we do not want the rust to stain the surfaces, do we?
(Marks: 9/10 for forward planning; 8/10 for final result)





2. Make an inspiration/mood board. Fun, fun, fun! Why did I wait so long before getting a mood board going in my new study? And I made it myself! Used an old large frame, bought some chicken wire (I saw this idea in a magazine or blog, but can't remember where, sorry ...).






Some budgeting pointers if you want to do the same:
a) Chicken wire is more expensive than you think, so buy enough for the size of frame (add cost of extra chicken wire as a result of not measuring the frame and buying too little)
b) Do not attempt to cut the wire with your paper scissors like one very, very silly girl I know who was too lazy to go find the toolbox (add cost of new scissors)
c) Chicken wire is sharp, darlings. Ouch! (add cost of Betadene & plasters)
(Marks allocated: 3/10 for patience (lack of ...) & bad financial planning; 6/10 for execution; 10/10 for joy derived)

3. The Tiny Guerilla Art Project - Phase 1 completed (some preliminaries plus design of work #1) This weekend will see Phase 2 (creation of work #1) and next week Phase 3 (implementation/placement of #1). I undertake to make and place a minimum of 6 tiny works over the next 6 months. So, keep a lookout, dear friends, because you don't know when ... you don't know where .... but be assured, the Revolution cometh ....

(Marks allocated: none yet, let's await the completion of Phase 2 and 3 ...)

New list:

1. Inspired by this post on evencleveland I will find a red balloon - preferably a helium-filled one and let it loose in public. I'll attach a little message to it. Yippeee - I already feel uplifted!

2. Make myself a poster based on this from kendalee's blog.

3. Source and make one new vegetarian recipe. (Any ideas? Anyone?)

Ongoing projects:

a) 100 ideas journal (I made 3 new entries this week) And am so inspired by Bronwyn's beautiful pages!

b) Tiny Guerilla Art Project - phase 2 and 3 for work #1.

That's it! Have a lovely and creative weekend, and whatever you do, enJOY!

x Anairam

Report-back - A Little List of Three Little Things

Well, how did it go with your lists? I must admit to having battled to complete mine. I left the two 'problematic' tasks to the very last minute, not because I forgot about them, on the contrary, they were very much on my mind. Unfortunately I have a slight Procrastination Problem - especially when the task at hand may cause discomfort. I fully subscribe to the sentiments of One Very Wise (and probably Procrastinating) Person who said: Hard work pays off eventually, but the rewards of procrastination are immediate ... !
Herewith my report-back:
#1. Batch of cookies / make friends / stretch myself right out of that discomfort-zone of social interaction: Dear friends, I failed miserably. I hang my head in shame. I DID bake the cookies (proof below). But this afternoon only. Then I phoned the neighbour. Who was very friendly. (But busy.) And who sent her housekeeper to the fence. Where I handed over the cookies. And consequently did not attempt to contact a second neighbour. (Yet. Tomorrow is another day.) On the positive side: I did meet someone new, didn't I? - the housekeeper, who is a very nice lady indeed. Marks awarded - 3/10 for starting task.






#2. Wear-The-Beanie-project: This one went slighly better. Although it took me a week to work up the courage, I finally (last night) wore my beanie and silver sequinned scarf. Yay! I took the beanie off as soon as I sat down inside the restaurant, and I did hide the sequins a little bit with a knitted black scarf, but I think overall I did well. I even got a compliment on my beanie - okay, from a Surfer Dude, but I see them as experts on beanies, not so? Marks awarded - 7/10 for effort.

#3. Starting my 100 ideas journal: Now this was real easy. This one was FUN! And although I am no artist (as my drawing 'White Van Screeching' confirms) I am really enjoying carrying out the ideas. I have completed three so far - here are some pages below. Marks awarded: 9/10 for enthusiasm, 4/10 for artwork.






New list :
#1 Start my succulents-in-rusted-tin-cans collection - unashamedly copying something I saw in a house in Prince Albert a while ago.
#2 Inspired by iCiNG - get an inspiration/vision board going in my study.
#3 Phase 1 of my very own Tiny Guerilla Art Project! Yes!! Let the revolution commence!!! (and here I am talking Good Happy Art Revolution, friends, and not the more hideous type that is currently being advocated by Certain Very Irresponsible Persons in my country).

Do you have a new list? Have fun! And a wonderful weekend!

A Little List of Three Little Things

I love lists, don't you? Not the boring kind, of course. I mean the other kind of list that is more goal-orientated. The list that gets us off our comfort-zoned butts and inspires us to do something to make our lives more exciting! So for today you have a little homework to do. Ha!! You did not expect that, did you? Get out the pens and paper, my angels. You are going to make a Little List of Three Little Things that you will do over the next week to make your life a little more exciting. Not big stuff, so as not to stress you out. Now, we all have areas where we feel good and are coping. Then there are those areas where we feel less comfortable and need to stretch a bit. ( One of my uncomfortable areas involves social contact. I have to psyche myself up totally to engage with people. I've been living here for two years now and hardly know anybody.) So one of my goals will be to engage a bit.

(#2 has nothing to do with #1 in case you were wondering. I just need to start wearing the damn beanie. Because I really like it.)
That was easy! Next week Friday will be report-back time. One of the reasons I am so inspired is my discovery of Keri Smith' s lovely website via re:make. I downloaded her 100 ideas pdf file, cut out the little squares, put them in a bottle and randomly picked one. (#42 if you are interested). That will be my first entry of my new journal today! I also love her concept of 'no attachment to outcome' with regards to her morning collages, and the scary 'wreck this journal' (instructions for an ongoing project on creative destruction!) Have fun - be creative - and enjoy the weekend!