Spring abounds.
Petals all around.
Some new, some old
All with a story to be told.
Here is to you and yours,
May you find all that is in store
this weekend and forever more.
* visit my shops to discover.... new hair adornments in gathering spriggs and fresh spring finds at gathering vintage (and next week there is more to come!)
all images taken with my iphone by me for gathering spriggs
Friends you are in for a real treat today. A Dutch treat from my dear blogging friend Iris of Irideeen who has long been a GS reader and often stops by to leave generous comments. I've enjoyed getting to know Iris better after she posted some thoughts to my query about Dutch design on this post. As I clicked over to her Flickr page I couldn't get enough of the images of her home. Her clean, feminine touch with a open door made me melt. This was a must share.
Without further a do ... here are some thoughts from dear Iris about why she loves this lovely place called home.
1. Tell us some of the basics: Name, Location, Occupation
Iris, The Netherlands (The Hague), inhouse lawyer
2. What is the main design inspiration for your home?
I have an eclectic taste: I mix and match brocante, design, Ikea and antiques. Hence, I read and gain inspiration from a lot of interior blogs, magazines and books in many different styles.
3. What makes your home "feel like home"?
I think it is primarily the soul of the house (it was built in 1905), combined with the beloved items and art we have gathered over the years and the calming colors we have used (mainly blues, sand colors, whites and pastels).
4. Do you feel influenced by any design trends? If yes, which ones?
I am not really influenced by design trends; I stick to my own style and cherry pick in new designs that match my taste.
5. If we were to come over for a visit what would be the first thing we would see and what would you say to us?
The first thing you would see would be my bicycle in the hallway, then you would see my children running at the door to greet you and I would say: "Hey, please come in, it is so lovely to have you here. Let's sit at the dining table, shall we?" (I love cooking, food and wine, so I would probably have invited you over for dinner or to enjoy a nice glass of wine and some finger food)
all images: iris of irideeen
Ok. I know its been too long since I did a Shop Around the Corner post. Many of you have asked about it and honestly, I was a little burnt out (since I put the pressure on myself to find a new unique shop every week). So when I stumbled upon this delightful Parisian beauty (via So Lovely decoration), it felt right... natural again. The joy was restored.
So are you ready to fall in love ( I know those images already have you swooning)? Meet Candy Miller,a British expatriate passionate about fashion, who moved to Paris with a dream of opening a shop dedicated to promoting young artists. A decade later and several successful marketing and communications projects under her belt, Candy realizes her dream and launches Paperdolls. (english version)
Let me tell you that its pretty obvious that those years in marketing paid off for Miller's concept is simple yet brilliant. A house thats a shop. A shop thats a house. Its a topsy turvy fantasy where Wonderland peeks around every corner thanks to the careful planning of Agence Avous design. I mean look how the vintage lamps creep up the wall and onto the ceiling.. along with plates, chairs and cutlery. Each section of the store is divided up into rooms (kitchen, dining, salon, bedroom, bath ,etc.) And the creative styling is enough to make Anthropologie a bit green with envy.
I would imagine it feeling a bit like a museum with fascinating collections begging you to stop and take in every last detail. (Btw, did you notice the vintage cast iron stove repurposed as Candy's cashwrap??... genius!)
Thanks Candy for your eye, your vision, your creativity and supporting young designers! Now, I just need to go update my passport and purchase a ticket!
images: paperdolls and agence avous
Sometimes we just need a little rainbow in our lives after the rain...
Hope your week is bright and color filled as we live, breathe and learn to hope.
Hugs to you all!
images: such pretty things, apartment therapy, necklace: AutMandata flowers in pail: Johner, kitchen: nest pretty things tumblr, chairs: red online, flowers: irideeen via gathering spriggs flickr group
Amidst all the chaos in the world, and reading the amazing responses from the art and design community to the Japanese tragedy, I found myself pondering the role of art in times of crisis over the weekend.
As an artist and strong believer in personal counseling, I returned to some of the research I collected while in art school on Art and Healing. A topic of great importance to my final body of work. It seems true that art making has long been thought of as a cathartic tool, but my questions come as an artist creating to impact the world. How can viewing art change (or heal) the world??
A book on my bookshelf helped open up my narrow view:
"But the intent of art...is not to alter the individual but to speak to that which is common to all viewers. In doing so it can change any one of us, but in ways now common to all viewers. We the veiwers, own the work of art. We bring to it our desires, our needs, and our interests."
" You become the perfection of the fragmented, broken work of art we see and feel... we at the final moment must determine how." ---
(Art, Healing, and History by Sander L. Gillman from the book Pulse: Art, Healing and Transformation )
This article suggests that WE become the change factor.. our actions (and reactions) the missing link.
And how about you? How are you coping with this crisis? What has pulled you through these times of sadness and unknown?
Are you looking to art, design, beauty for a symbol of hope?
Here are some artists who influenced me over the years:
images :ernesto neto, naomi kobayashi, kiki smith via brooklyn museum all fiber art: joetta maue
Friends, in times of great tragedy comes great need. We watch the devastation feeling helpless. Maybe even hopeless. That is why I want to share with you several efforts here at home where artists and shop owners are taking great steps to be proactive within their grief. When I saw EZ's relief fundraiser (donating all of her shop sales to the Red Cross), it sparked a light of hope within me. Then I began seeing more tweets of other shops taking action with donation. Redefine Home is pledging 25% of all sales to Architecture for Humanity. And many Etsians are offering special limited edition art prints where all proceeds will go to help our neighbor in need; like : this Remember Print by Design Twenty Six. In fact if you search "Japan or Japan Relief" on Etsy you are sure to find numerous shops that are contributing to the need.
So, Gathering Spriggs and Gathering Vintage too are participating in the cause by donating 30% off all sales in both shops to World Vision (Building a Better World for Children). With new items being added daily in each of my Etsy shops, you are sure to find a gift for a friend, a special something for yourself as a reminder of your donation, or even a present to give for Easter or Mother's Day.
Are you aware of other relief efforts in the art/design community? Please tweet them to me so I can add them to the list. How do you offer hope and help for those in need during great tragedy?
** UPDATES: ** ( I will add other resources here through out the day)
For Japan With Love (Bloggers Day of Silence)
Dutch Door Press (100% of profits go toward Red Cross Relief)
Pingg- Designer cards with a heart for Japan
WSAKE- Help Japan Necklace
Secrets of a Butterfly: Withe Love to Japan, a Postcard donation event.
Sweet Eventide: For Japan Print
Japan, know our hearts are with you!
creature comforts, remember print by design twenty six, redefine home
Don't you love a good story? Ones of great fortitude, of creative entrepreneurial spirit that doesn't give up? I sure do. They help me live with hope and expectation of possibility.
That is why when I received an email from Katherine sharing not only her beautifully designed jewelry collection but also her personal story of becoming the maker behind Katheyl, I knew you would like to get to know her too.
Katherine of Katheyl, a native of Singapore, began as an Electronics enginieer for 7 years before moving into the Senior Executive Search industry. Then her life took a turn when she quit her job, picked up from her homeland and moved to Germany to join her husband. She explains the process:
"I guess the lecturer in my HR course was right when he said a person changes his/her career path at least 3 times in his/her life.
I started Katheyl when I was still holding down a full-time job but never quite had the time to focus on it. It was just a hobby (other than volunteering at the local zoo and squeezing in a game of archery from time to time), but still something that I had hoped to spend more time on.
So when I finally got the chance to work full-time on Katheyl when I moved to Germany, it's like a dream come true! The whole experience has been truly wonderful. I've grown to love handmade things even more and become more conscious of unnecessary spending and buying."
Katherine credits her Asian roots and her stint as a zoo volunteer as the inspiration behind her nature influenced collection. (What hasn't this woman done?!)
You can see the dedication and imagination flowing out from her beautiful designs. Now she is at a new crossroads, crafting a life of passion.
Thanks Katherine for your stamina, your courage and sharing your journey with us!
Learn more about Katherine and Katheyl here. Stay in touch and get updates and exclusive promotions:
1. Tumblr 2. Facebook Fan Page 3. Flickr
all images: katheyl
Looking for a spot of sunshine? How about introducing a touch of yellow in your life? I know its St. Patricks Day this week but I cant stop imagining golden hues. Maybe it is the touches of blooming forsythia against the gray hillsides that has me inspired. I don't typically wear yellow but do like touches of it in accessories. Little rays of light.
How do you do yellow in your life?
images: gathering spriggs, which goose, elizabeth wren vintage, IS LY blog , sarah richardson design
Over the past several days I have witnessed the horrific images of yet another devastating natural disaster. My heart cries out for the Japanese, so many still suffering and living in fear of the potential for more tragedy.
A friend of mine called me Saturday on her way to take her child to the ER. As someone who is already living in the midst of other saddening news, I prayed and ached for her.
Not without hope we suffer and we mourn.
William Wordsworth
And so I have been pondering suffering today. Imagining the possibilities which lie beyond current circumstances. We tend to ask ourselves a resounding "Why?" or "Why me?" . But what if we could be assured that with suffering comes great fruit; and giving ourselves over to experiencing pain means also opening ourselves up to great love and joy.
I know I try to avoid pain at all cost, mostly by numbing it. But what if I am also numbing myself to joy at the same time? As Theodore Roosevelt states, maybe I am settling for a gray twilight that knows no victory or defeat.
"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt
So do you embrace uncertainty and adversity as it comes?
How do you dare mighty things in your life?
and let me whisper... not without hope...
image: heather spriggs thompson for gathering spriggs
Happy Weekend friends! Here's a few good pins to keep you company and a few links of love.
Thank you for another amazing week here at GS for your continued support for my health, this little ole blog, and my spirit. Sure I have had some Debbie Downer moments over the past few weeks but the sun is shining again and a new day has dawned. Fresh ! I am glad to know I have you here with me through thick and thin! You are the sunshine of my life!!
Enjoy these links:
The Creative Diarist: A little interview I gave about my blogging history, the spaces I create in and the people who have helped me along the way.
Unfettered Ink: The sparkling new website/blog from my friend and writer, Brigitte Lyons (formerly Covet Chicago)
Eco Etsy: Great Biz Tips on discovering your Visual Identity!!
Speaking of Visual Identity, I have been working on my shops this week. I have a new line of Hair Accessories (just starting to list) so consider this your sneak peak.
And how do you take your tea?? Here are some great accessories for tea time!
images via pinterest with links to original source provided. Bando Via Max Wanger ,The Alternative Wife, Heart Made Blog, Gathering Spriggs shop, Genine's Art Blog
Artist/Designer,Vintage Housewares Shop Keeper
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