Bloesem Blossom giveaway

Bloesem is hosting a giveaway of one of my Blossom mobiles. To enter visit Bloesem, and become a follower of Pukapukadesign blog!

Free Shipping offer

Free shipping for all my Blossom mobiles on my Etsy shop. Until August 3rd........

drifting

I went on a foraging mission up the coast to gather some driftwood for my mobiles. It was beautiful weather and clear water, tried out my new long wetsuit so the 16 degree water was rather pleasant! I did find some driftwood hidden amost some rocks, but its always when you need some that there has been a big swell and washed all the flotsam away!

Modamuse

Thanks Jessica for the Modamuse posting. Modamuse showcases modern australian and new zealand designers and artisans who are passionate about their craft and demonstrate a fresh, modern outlook.



'’I've always loved a well designed mobile. Something about the endless movement and sculptural quality- where every angle can create a different perpsepctive on this artform, really appeals to me. These modern mobiles by Puka Puka are no exception. Designed and made by trained architect and jewellery Nina Still in Sydney, she uses her skills to create these wonderful unique mobiles which are inspired by the Australian landscape. Materials include translucent polypropylene, plywood and she has even started experimenting with lightweight porcelain (according to her twitter account). Can’t wait to see how she uses them

more h2o architecture

Heres another project by h2o architects, 'Chatou' using the same idea of habitable furniture . The building was built for a teenager to live within the garden of the family home, its only 12 sqm and spread over four split levels. The furniture allows for sleeping, living, studying and washing. I love how the stair becomes the furniture and vice versa. I am a bit obsessed with stairs, particularily inhabited stairs. My last trip to India was to look at Step wells in Gujarat, some of the most beautiful stairs in the world.

architecture for your thoughts

I have been thinking about this bedroom/bunk/playspace/partition addition posted on dezeen. It was created by h2O architects for a Paris apartment housing a young family. Its a great way of breaking up a limited amount of space and creating several rooms. I love the idea but not too sure about the sharp angles in the middle of the night. There are some amusing comments about the safety factor and usability of it on dezeen! I am thinking about something along these lines for my house, making the walls work with more than one function.

fresh shapes

I picked up my porcelain shapes, they are so light and make the most beautiful sound. I love the finish and colours, very subtle.

Brooch

Here is one of my favourite jewellers - Warwick Freeman from New Zealand, and a collection of his 'Sentence' brooches

Black Butterfly brooch 1999. Basalt, silver, stainless steel
Leaf face brooch 2004. Turtle shell, silver, stainless steel
Orange Ghost brooch 2003. Corian, silver, stainless steel
Kawakawa Leaf brooch 1999. Greenstone carved, silver, stainless steel

I spent some time in his studio a few years back and it was very inspiring to work with someone so talented and committed to his craft. I love how he has carved the Corian into a ghost - I'd love to use some orange corian in my kitchen!
I'm off tomorrow to work on some ceramics, and see how my new pieces are coming along. I even made a few porcelain pendants so I might make some jewellery again....

ice and snow

I recently spent a few days up in snow country where it was cold and misty. I was remembering this artwork by Agneta Hobin I saw in the Transformations exhibition a while back ( Ghiacciaio 2205).
It is so evocative of shimmering ice and frost. It is a textile construction of chiseled and suspended fragments of shimmering Muscovite ( mica). It was spectacular to see, like a curtain of light sparkling ice. Its still one of the best sculptures I have seen.