Out on the Razzle Baldazzle

Baldazzled - 1000 Swarovskis

Wow! This is pretty special, you must admit. I'm quite jealous, it almost makes the prospect of a receding hairline quite attractive. Nothing to whinge about is there fellas, not when you can look like a walking mirrorball, or pin cushion, or grafitti wall! Your head is just a blank canvas, there's always a silver lining if you look hard enough for it and that's what Philip Levine of Phil Says Head Designs did when his follicles slipped away in the night. I'm not taking any excuses from balding menkind anymore, get out your marker pens, colour in the lines!
Thanks to Ebby for giving me this head joy.

Eye'm bald

Sew fine

Pinhead

Keith "Hair"ing

Lovely Lines by Manuel Rebollo

To start me on my grand ambitous (hopefully to be realised) dream of one day making hats, I've started a fashion illustration course with the fabulous Angie at the Patsy Fox drawing salon. It's been 12 years at least since I last picked up a pencil, so I thought in all likelihood I'd be little disabled at this, especially as bloody difficult people were never my strong point. Give me something easy - like bottles, they don't have hands, or bricks, yes bricks, just straight edges thank you please!  Anyway, I'm no Picasso, but I'm not as completely retarded as I thought I might be. Ramble over, what I meant to say, is that this new little pastime has got me on the look out for nice fashion illustrations and I came across this pretty pictures today by Manuel Rebollo. I love the lines and brushstrokes and shadows, super! Enjoy!

Pretty in Pink

I've been in Castlemaine this weekend, which historically was rich pickings for the miners of the gold rush era and is now extremely rich pickings in the current era of the vintage shopper. Antiques barns, Op shops, vintage stores, it has them all as well as being pretty as a picture and having ingots worth of good food. Ummm Hmmmm. 
I decided this weekend I would really quite like to live here. I decide that everytime I go there, maybe one day it will happen. Will work on it this time, I will! 

I wasn't there to shop though... if I was I would have been to old favourite Haberdash, I was there to do handywork, hard yakka, painting and the like at a friend's house with a crew of other tip-top fun-time workers. On the way back though not being able to resist ye olde wares, we dropped in at new vintage shop Bella Bella and I picked up this pink beauty. I'm not sure what you call a hat like this, apart from dashing - it makes me feel very 1930's!

Pinkie modelled by Herbert

Herbert looking after my precious cases of things

And a departing fact about Castlemaine... it's the original home of Castlemaine XXXX. Not that you can (or would want to) drink it there anymore, there's much nicer boutique brews on offer these days.

The Selby is on Your Bookshelf

I always read the Selby blog and want to live there, and there, and THERE, in fact nearly everywhere he features. There are so many nifty abodes in this world, it's a bit like "Through the Keyhole" for the modern era (Sorry, for those who didn't grow up in the UK in the 80's/90's - TTK was a weekly show which snooped around Z-list celebrities homes, except it didn't tell you who lived there - you had to guess from the carefully placed clues... like hmmmm this person likes reading books about Keith Chegwin, has 10 cans of hairspray in the very silver bathroom oh, and photos of Keith Chegwin on the wall, every wall that isn't covered by mirrors that is.... Who lives in a house like this? Noel Edmonds of course! Anyway, I digress, The Selby is way cooler than that. It has houses you actually want to live in and people you actually want to be!

The Selby Book - Derrick Miller & Jennifer Vaughn-Miller

The Selby is in Your Place

I was in the NGV bookshop the otherday and stumbled across The Selby is in Your Place book, obviously I was instantly attracted when I saw how much amazing taxidermy was in there and then seduced by the photos, but the deal clincher was the quirky interviews with pure class questions like "What can Storks teach us?" and "Can you draw your kettle?"

Anyway today on his blog I noticed that he has the book online until 12 November... I think that's Friday, but I might have confused the American back-to-front date thing they have going on and it could be the 11 Dec, but I think it's the former. Take a look for yourself, and I recommend you buy the book (it's a good smelling one!) From the NGV if you are in Melbourne, but of course from trusty Amazon wherever you are in the world!

Regular Selby - hrafnhildur arnardottir aka shoplifter - artist; michal jurewicz - inventor; máni lucjan jurewicz and úrsúla miliona jurewicz

Regular Selby - albert maysles - filmmaker; and gillian walker - therapist at their home

Regular Selby - erica wilson - embroidery designer and vladimir kagan - furniture designer

And here's some 80's Selby...
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6v9w63rqKs

Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OzNJQwuVpE&feature=related

Phyllis Galembo - Maske

Phyllis Galembo is a photographer you should know about, especially if you have a fetish for headwear, photography and dressing up (oh, is that me?!). She therefore ticks my boxes!

Her book Maske takes a fascinating look at the practice of masking in the cultures of the African sub-continent - it's not just those of us who trowel the slap on a Saturday night who do this, masks and costumes have been used in every human culture since the beginning of time, just nowadays it tends to be done more for entertainment than for cultural reasons. This book takes a peek at some of the most colourful practices from seven African countries; Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Haiti, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria and Zambia. Each picture tells you the village it was shot in and more importantly the masquerade it represents. I am in love! I know this happens a lot, maybe even daily, but its hard not have room in your heart for this.
There are too many truely great pictures to add here - here are some of my faves, but I think it's in your interests to check this shizzle out for yourself. Inspiring stuff.

Phyllis Galembo, Atam Masquerader, Alok Village, Nigeria, 2004, Ilfochrome, 30 x 30 inches

Phyllis Galembo, Creek Town Youth Group Ekpo Masquerade, Calabar, Nigeria, 2005, Ilfochrome, 30 x 30 inches



Phyllis Galembo, Panther Masquerade, Samaga Village, Burkina Faso, 2006, Ilfochrome, 30 x 30 inches

 

Phyllis Galembo, Gama Masquerade, Fada Village, Burkina Faso, 2006, Ilfochrome, 30 x 30 inches



Phyllis Galembo, Ekpe, Calabar South, Nigeria, 2005, Ilfochrome, 30 x 30 inches

Phyllis Galembo, Koko Ekpo, Calabar South, Nigeria, 2005, Ilfochrome, 30 x 30 inches

A knit of alright

Wheres me jumper? Good question, but if you're missing your favourite warm yarn for the cold months, I think it might be here at Manchester-based Wheres me jumper.

With the new generation of Nans selfishly surfing the web and spending your inheritance holidaying in their flash new motor homes, there is a worldwide shortage of ye olde Granny who can actually knit. This is an issue of global importance, but don't fear Wheres me Jumper are here to fill that void. Never again will you go wanting for your own piece of knitted uniqueness just like the one you had when you were a nipper, no jumper WMJ produce is ever the same, so you will be your own fashion leader and even better you can design your own. You send them your image and they'll do all the hard yarns for you. Ace.


Where's me Jumper - Football Panda

Where's me Jumper - Yoshi

 Check them out here http://wheresmejumper.co.uk/home and keep updated on their latest exploits on Facebook . 
But do you know why you really want one of their darn fine knits? Not just because they super cute, but because big knitted jumpers are all the rage. Fact. All the blogs say so and the kids of New York are wearing them. Therefore it's completely absolutely totally fully true.

I even came across this little lot all within the same week on the Design for Mankind blog (see I'm not lying!), how great are the farmyard knits by Pauline Borca?! I've added a few more of her pics cos check out the hats on them....wiiiiillld!!!! See! I reckon you should get inspired and send your own designs to the WMJ massive who will knit you up a storm of your own.

Farmyard fashions by Pauline Borca

Farmyard Hats

Toowhit Toowoo

More animal knits at Design for Mankind

Krochet Kids

Right I have been a terrible blogger, I set up a blog, get about 3 people reading and then just selfishly abandon them for such trivial temptations as alcohol, long weekends, friends and good times, and leave them with random lameness about Halloween. OOOOOh, but they were GREAT times with the BEST friends.  WWJD? Probably blog whilst turning his posts to wine for all readers to have a good time on too... Sigh, I have a way to go.

So in an attempt to redeem my sins, I thought I'd bring you something with a bit of a feel good factor. Something for charity and not for me (well a little bit for me), but also something pretty darn good at the same time.

Krochet Kids - The Bella

Krochet Kids was started by 3 high school friends; Kohl, Travis and Stewart of Spokane WA, who took their crocheting skills all the way to Uganda where they taught a small group local women their trade as a way of providing them with a good income and an escape route from poverty. 3 years later and they now have 100 people crocheting their own way to better times. Good times hopefully.
And do you know what my favourite finishing touch is? The inside of each hat is embroidered with the name of the lade who made it... just too perfect. 

Their beautiful knitwares are available for everyone to purchase here, and they are just super dooper good. I really want to put an order in for The Bella (Cranberry) as I'm a Bella that can't get enough red and I think you should order one too...maybe the Waldo? I just need to put in a request for international shipping!

Krochet Kids - The Waldo

Krochet Kids - The Danoches

Krochet Kids - The Ladies