today i thought i would share with you my favourite (13) books that i turn to for inspiration when i am looking for a bit of creative mojo.
some of them i have had for years and others are relatively new acquisitions.
firstly, for me there is nothing better than the good old school dictionary. i love using text in my work and you can pick up dictionaries really cheaply at your local second hand bookstore. the pages can be photocopied to use for image transfer, you can scan the pages so that you always have the originals if you like, you can cut up individual words, sentences or even letters to use on posters, artwork, invitations, labels or collage. what is not to love about that ??
then, one of my latest "go to" books is granny chic by Tif Fussell (aka: dottie angel) and Rachelle Blondel (aka: ted & agnes). there are so many funky craft projects in here using beautiful vintage/upcycled fabrics and some great crocheted items.
an extra bonus is that it is beautifully illustrated too.
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| granny chic |
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| granny chic |
i also have the complete collection of the collier's "junior classics" encyclopedia's. you can sometimes pick these up on e bay or at second hand shops. the moment i open the cover and flick through the pages of any volume in this series i am instantly transported back to my childhood. reading poetry from these books is one of my favourite pastimes. i often scan the pages from these, using both text and images to incorporate into my collage or encaustic works.
my favourite australian mag for design/vintage inspiration is most definitely frankie. everything about this publication makes me smile. the style, layout, design, content and even the paper it is printed on. truly magazine gold.
another brilliant aussie book i have had for a while now is paper bliss from the delightful skye rogers. this gorgeous book is filled with projects to make using paper, some free hand-made papers and templates. i have always admired her stationery ranges and was thrilled when she published this book in 2012. her website at www.skyesthelimit.com.au is also truly inspirational and includes templates and extra tips.
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| paper bliss |
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| paper bliss |
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| paper bliss |
unfurling, (a mixed media workshop) by misty mawn is a visual treat. misty is a mixed media artist, photographer and workshop instructor and this was her first book. this title offers glimpses of drawing, painting, collage, stamp carving, paper craft, journalling, photography and poetry.
pretty much all of my favourites rolled in to one.
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| unfurling |
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| unfurling |
my latest purchase (only today in fact) is a book full of handmade projects that makes me want to "move in" to the house that adorns the pages. vintage home, by sarah moore is simply divine. i find that i am equally besotted with design/home/decorating books as i am with art books. i have always seen myself as a bit of an interior "stylist" and experiment with different decorating ideas often in my own home.
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| vintage home |
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| vintage home |
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| vintage home |
although my next favourite is actually a children's magazine, i love the very cute papier mache. this is yet another divine australian publication which we (as aussies) can be very proud of. the design/styling and photography in this one make the images come to life like those in a picture story book.
i source a lot of inspiration for colour and design from
holly becker in her fabulous book, decorate.
i am sure most of you would have heard of holly who runs the very popular decor8 blog. her work has been a favourite of mine for about 5 years now. i actually took part in one of her online courses back in 2010 entitled "blogging your way" which taught me so much about designing and maintaining your online presence. too bad i am very slack at implementing all of the fabulous ideas and thoughts i had when i participated in this course!! it just might be time to dust off the old notes from that time and get busy making this blog the treat it should be.....food for thought.
true colors (yes, i have spelt it correctly, it is an american publication!)
this is a soft cover book which i purchased through somerset studio in america in 2004. it is a sample of the palette from a collection collaborative art journals. this project was organised by the amazing Lynne Perrella. never before had i seen a book so full of colour inspiration and eye candy. the book is divided into chapters entitled white, red, hot pink & orange, sunset, yellowgreen & copper, metallics, autumn, violet & yellow etc. etc. i think you get my drift. GREAT colour combos.
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| true colors |
true colors
mollie makes is a super cool UK magazine that i can now buy in australia. the header under the title reads "living & loving handmade" and it is all about making, thrifting, collecting and crafting. my favourite part of this one is "home tour" they publish each month of an artist/craftperson.
i was recently very lucky to attend a three day workshop run by the very special, warm and brilliant patricia baldwin seggebruch. wow. to say that working with encaustic for the first time was amazing is an understatement. her teaching methods were just darn cool and i felt the need to embrace this new medium with creative abandon. hence the decision to purchase a couple of her books, my favourite one being encaustic workshop.
AND last, (but most certainly not least) is the latest stunning visual catalogue from our very own
sibella court - style guru and proprietor of The Society Inc.
nomad: a global approach to interior style offers me a great starting point when choosing colour palettes for work, ideas for texture, decorating ideas and collectors tips.
i am also guilty of owning two of her other books entitled 'bowerbird: creating beautiful interiors with the things you collect’ and
'Etcetera etc: creating beautiful interiors with the things you love".
i guess that means i am a fan of hers.
absolutely.
so there you go. my favourite's all in one blog post.
it was actually really hard to narrow my list down to just these, but i think there is a good variety here and each title offers me something very different from the other.
hopefully you can beg
(a friend),
borrow
(from a library)
or steal
(i am not condoning ACTUAL theft
however there may be one lying around un-used or unloved at your local tip shop or op-shop!).
any one of these would be worth a peek.
treat yourself.
you deserve it.
xo
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