From Virgin White to Glorious Colour : the birth of a Frida Jacket

Creating something special for the extraordinary artist , Miz Thang

What a fortunate woman I am at the minute. I have recently been commissioned by the extraordinary American Folk artist, Miz Thang  to create something wonderful from a vintage white tux tailcoat. The theme was Frida Kahlo which made me very happy as Frida is very close to my heart.

It was pretty daunting to make the first painty marks on this pure white garment that had been flown all the way to me from across the Atlantic Ocean. But I stuck my courage to the sticking place ( sorry Lady Macbeth) and gave it a go.

It’s currently flying it’s way back to Miz Thang on an aeroplane. It’s a well travelled tux. Here is it’s story in pictures.

I can’t wait to see pictures of the marvellous Miz Thang wearing her new arty tux. It is such a joy to help people become walking art pieces, especially when they are already fabulous artists!

I’m currently working on the most amazing cape for her, featuring her very own , delightfully bonkers paintings of circus freaks. This one is worth waiting for… I can’t wait to show you!

Opening up to the world and receiving it’s ( very colourful) blessings

Art , Fashion and the power of the muse

Here’s Sue Kreitzman and Sue Bourne the producer behind Fabulous Fashionistas. Sue K is wearing a coat I made for her inspired by the African Goddess Mami Wata.

I was recently at the opening night of Sue Kreitzman‘s solo exhibition Sue Kreitzman World at Cult Mountain in Shoreditch. ( I’m afraid it’s now over…it’s taken me far too long to get round to blogging. ) It was a great night, full of colourful characters                      ( My lovely and very talented and stylish  friend Scorpio the artist)

and even I dressed up for the occasion.      (Forgive the cheesy grin) Hair flowers by the  incredible Bink of Pearls and Swine

The evening passed quickly , Sue was a great hit and a true star. Her work looked splendid in a gallery setting. It was great to see her colourful creations up close. One of the main highlights of the exhibition was a painting by the talented Ella Guru Artist of Sue and her close friend and artist, Anne Sophie Cochevelou in Sue’s incredible home. It was such a privilege to have my own work exhibited alongside Sue’s as part of her world. What a lucky woman I am! As the night drew to a close, a vision of loveliness walked past my table. I knew I had to get to know her. I smiled and she smiled back. I couldn’t help myself as I stuttered: ” You are beautiful”. You can see why … (Lolo on the left with gallery owner, Brit)

When a muse walks into your life, there is no room for being shy, so I contacted this shy and sweet natured woman on Facebook and asked her if I could make her an item of clothing to wear, inspired by her. To my great delight, she was very excited by the offer.

Lolo Moniasse  an extraordinary human being. She has an incredible spirit and a unique look, her unique scarification making her a walking work of art.                                             (photo by Dariusz Adamek)                                           ( photo by konfral.com)

I had had the idea to make capes. It seemed to come out of nowhere. A gift from the Universe, you might say. But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. I am a very committed feminist and I wanted to celebrate women in my work. What better way to celebrate the everyday hero that is woman than by putting women in capes? And not just any old cape, but a cape that is a wearable piece of art.

So I set about making a cape for Lolo. First I sought inspiration from her images. I found an image by a photographer called Simon Fairclough of a tribal shoot that he had done with Lolo. One of the pictures in particular caught my eye. I thought about the chat I had had with Lolo about her back scarification and how it symbolised the elements. So I decided to base the cape on the theme of the four elements..

Here is the image of Lolo as Earth. Painted and embroidered. Based on Simon Fairclough’s photo. This went on the front of the cape.

I used two different but complimenting African batik fabrics to make the basic cape . On top of that I appliqued images that I hand painted and machine embroidered and I used contrasting fabrics to applique luminous orange flames around the bottom of the cape, and silver fabric to applique fish. White cotton fabric was appliqued to create feathers. ( Earth, fire , water and air).

The back of the cape featured a portrait of Lolo showing her back scarification which I embroidered to enhance the 3D quality of the scars. Lolo was depicted as an Elemental Goddess, with four arms, each arm holding a symbol of each element.  Appliqued leaves scattered about in green.

It was wonderful to see Lolo wearing her cape. She is going to shoot it properly with Simon who inspired the front image with his beautiful photo. I can’t wait to see the result of those images.

But for now, here are my humble photos of a very happy Lolo in her elements cape.

If you like what you see and fancy a cape of your own, I’m open for orders . They cost £150 for the short cape or £200 for a longer thigh length cape. The capes are fully lined and each one is a one off , unique piece. The theme /images are entirely up to you. I’m currently working on a few orders, so there is a one month waiting time. Good things come to those that wait.

www.iheartcart.com

www.facebook.com/c.Artbags

Making Fabulous Fashion for a Fabulous Fashionista

My oh my , how I’ve been busy! I’ve barely had time to breathe since I started on this path of making wearable art for the wonderful woman  and Fabulous Fashionista , Sue Kreitzman.

Since I wrote my last blog post, I’ve made so many more pieces , I think I shall just post pictures and let them do the talking.

Since my last blog post, I’m terribly sad to report that the purple coat that I customised for Sue with her portrait on the back

has been stolen by two men

( pictured on cctv cameras in the gallery)

when it was on exhibition at the quirky and exciting gallery/cafe Cult Mountain in Shoreditch.  If you recognise these men please contact the police as the theft has been reported. Who knows what prompted someone to steal such an identifiable piece. Who would wear a coat with the person’s portrait on the back that you stole it from? It makes no sense.

Sigh.

I suppose I can say that a piece of my art has achieved notoriety. I’m going to make another portrait coat for Sue  and try to make it even better. So there you have it, pictures of the work I’ve been doing, making wearable art for fabulous people.

 

There’s still more to come.

 

To view a full collection of what I’ve made thus far , do head over to my Facebook page : www.facebook.com/c.Artbags

My website , if you fancy having a look is www.iheartcart.com

I love my life.

 

Framed prints of my Diva Dollies

I’ve had so much interest in my dollies recently and had so many people ask me if I have anything for sale in my Etsy shop that I decided I had to do something about it.

I have been doing paintings of my dollies and making frames to go with them as my last post explains, but I soon realised that I love making the frames as much as I love painting.

So I made a few more frames and used them to frame up some tiny prints I have of my dollies. I think they came out really well.

Don’t take my word for it, have a look:

They’re small, almost miniature ,(7×9 inches framed) but they would make a splendid conversation piece on any wall.

The frames are all unique, all made to compliment the image.

So if you are looking for something special for that friend who is into Steampunk, Mexican Day of the Dead, Zombies, Creepy Horror stuff, Vampires or Poison Ivy or the splendid Marnie Scarlet, ( who isn’t, she’s just magnificent) then here’s a gift idea for you.

The print in the handmade frame sells for £25 plus p+p and they are all ready to hang.

Head over to my Etsy shop to have a look for yourself.

DivaDollyKittyPuppy on Etsy

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Art squared: Portraits of sculpture

After making my crochet dollies, I’ve been left with a feeling of ” somethings not quite finished”.

So I embarked on painting portraits of my crochet curiosities.

After making these mini paintings, I knew I needed to create frames to suit. A regular wooden frame just wouldn’t fit. So I raided my studio for materials and created original frames from mixed materials to compliment the painting and match the quirkiness .

So, here’s what I made earlier:

I’m really enjoying the process.

There will be more.

Some of the paintings will be exhibited soon at the Little Summer Benefits exhibition at the wonderful Vyner Street Gallery.

So, what do you think?

 

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Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend? No, it’s handbags.

Handbags, evening bags, shoulder bags, clutch bags or even a big old tote bag, us ladies sure are suckers for a something to keep our bits and pieces in.

Here in my incarnation of c.Art, I’ve been busy making more bags, each one unique, as befits the brand.

Marilyn Monroe once famously sang ‘Diamonds are a girls best friend’ but I beg to differ. I think a handbag is much more useful and can be just as pretty as a string of sparklers . I combined the glamour of the image of Marilyn Monroe in this  dusky pink evening bag .

The back of the evening bag reads: ” I’m a failure as a woman. My men expect so much because of the image they’ve made of me and that I’ve made of myself as a sex symbol. Men expect so much of me and I can’t live up to it. ”  A quote from the screen idol herself, showing her acute self awareness and burgeoning Feminist thinking.

This bag was snapped up as soon as I’d made it. Others similar could be ordered.

From one great woman to another, here is a shopper made with a kaleidoscopic image of the wonderful Frida Kahlo. With hand painted green leopard print and heavily embroidered and handpainted image , this shopper bag would turn your shopping trip into a very special occasion.

Lined in pistachio green satin with a magnetic snap closure and a zippered inner pocket, this bag is stylish as well as practical. 

To order your own bag or to see what I’ve currently got in stock, head over to my website www.iheartcart.com

or if you’re a Facebook person : www.facebook.com/c.Artbags

Welcome to the World Wide Web ! iheartcart.com is live.

Hooray! I’ve finally done it.

I’m so excited to announce the launch of the brand new designer , build-a-bag, wearable art, handbag art extravaganza website , iheartcart.com.

It’s been an  interesting process, as in the search for relevant key words for SEO ( search engine optimisation) I’ve realised that maybe I’ve created a product that is fairly unique. There aren’t any keywords that pop up in the key word finder that can possibly describe what I’ve created. It seems that turning paintings into handbags may be a fairly unusual concept. Maybe for a reason… maybe I’m crazy ? Who knows. All I know is I’m so excited to follow my passion. I’m going with the flow and making these bags feels so right. Whether it is a small evening purse that has poetry embroidered into it like the Lady of Shalott bag and an image on the front

or a Harris Tweed evening clutch purse with a vintage postcard image crafted in graffiti style or another evening purse bag , this time with the fearful Medusa image from Caravaggio.

Or if it is a large bag that you are after, a big statement , well there is no bigger statement than a tote. Especially a tote bag with a Gustav Klimt image on the front.

So if you are a fan of art, are looking for something completely unique to make a unique statement, looking for a bag like no other, then pop over and see the new website www.iheartcart.com

 

Bags more bags

It’s been a long time blogging , I’ve been busy in my spare time when I’m done with puppets, establishing a brand new venture. It’s called c.Art  , the concept being artworks that you carry around with you in the form of bags. Here’s my latest creations:

 

“Babies”

 

This one is called ‘Babies’.  It is a clutch bag , again painted canvas with top stitching details and embroidered text. This bag is painted in a beautiful shade of soft grey to compliment the drawing .

The text reads: Father asked us , ” What was God’s noblest work? Anna said, ” Men,” but I said “Babies”. Men are often bad, but babies never are. A wonderful quote from the classic novel , Little Women , by Louisa May Alcott. This quote perfectly sums up my thoughts on the ‘empty vessel’ theory that I believe children are. We hold so much responsibility for filling them with the right stuff.The image is drawn from a silverpoint engraving of an infant by the great Leonardo Da Vinci.

 

The inside of the bag is lined with baby pink , and the bag is fastened with a magnetic snap. There are two compartments inside the bag to organise your things nicely.

 

“Kiss”

The next bag is a handsome beast. It is a ‘man bag’. ( I’m not sure what else to call it) although of course, it isn’t restricted to men. It is designed to be worn across the body, the wide canvas adjustable strap with it’s smart satin bronzed buckle, holding it nice and secure. It has a flap front, featuring a beautifully distressed and deliberately drippy image of two lovers kissing, just emerging from the shadows.

The gender of the couple is not at first clear, but on closer inspection , the two lovers are both male.

 

The quote : “Make me immortal with a kiss” is from Christopher Marlowe.

 

I wanted to invoke the beauty found in decay , the accidental masterpiece found on a subway wall, the dark excitement and freedom and tolerance found in the urban sprawl in this piece. The bag is in muted shades of grey/sepia and is selectively over sewn to emphasise elements of the design.

The inside of the bag is equally handsome. I’ve lined it with the most beautifully sumptuous wine coloured satin. It has a lined front pocket under the flap and a zippered pocket in the lining. The bag is fastened with two magnetic snaps .

 

“The Eye “Make up Ba

 

For something a little different, here I’ve made a make up bag in pale flesh tones with a big detailed embroidered eye .

 

It’s lined in pink pearly pvc and is fastened with a chocolate brown zipper.

 

 

 

So, what do you think?

 

 

 

I’ve been working on the website, hopefully it will be up and running soon.

 

 

 

In the meantime, to keep up with all things c.Art, head over to my facebook page for regular updates.

 

c.Art on Facebook

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c.Art: where craft meets Art.

The Mona Lisa. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I know. I’ve not blogged for ages. I’m not going to apologise, I’ve been busy, very busy. Now don’t fall over with shock, but my latest project has nothing to do with crochet. I know, shocking, isn’t it? I thought I’d give my hands a break and go back to my roots of painting . I studied Fine Art ( painting)at art college way back when.

Back in the day when I was a young lady, I worked as a scenic artist for the Cape Performing Arts Board in South Africa. I spent my time tacking down massive canvases in warehouses and sloshing around horse glue size with a sweeping brush , preparing the backdrops for various operatic and theatrical productions.
Sometimes I would have the honours of actually painting the massive canvases too.  After all, my audition to get the job in the first place was having to paint a replica of the Mona Lisa, in poster paints for a production of Annie. The painting was a success, so much so that it was stolen by someone on tour. I learned to spatter with 8 ” decorating brushes like a pro, often having to ‘break down’ a copy of a Rococco painting  on the instructions of the set designer , as it read too well from the audience. Breaking down involved spattering great gobs of paint over a beautifully detailed painting- heartbreaking thing to do.

Fast forward 20 odd years and I’m back spattering on canvas and painting replicas of gorgeous pieces of art , except this time, instead of being on a huge scale, these canvas are tiny. And they are being turned into bags.

My new venture is c.Art.

The name stands for craft meets Art, or carry Art. Also you cart your stuff around in your bag.

The basic concept is turning paintings on canvas into bags . Most bags feature an image or two combined with appropriate embroidered text.  But words are not enough to describe the bags. You need pictures . So here they are:

This bag was made for a huge Aaliyah fan. It’s not terribly representative of the c.Art style but it was a commission.

Another commission, this bag truly showcases the c.Art style. Here we have a grafitti inspired image with words chosen by the client embroidered on to the bag.

Note the drippy, spattered canvas over written with text: that’s the c.Art style. All the bags are lined in luscious satin and fastened with magnetic snaps.

Here’s a bag made for my muse as a gift, the brilliant, creative, performance artist Marnie Scarlet. This is the back of the bag featuring appliqued flowers and a portrait of her in one of her costumes. This was based on a photo by the wonderful ML Imagery.

Here’s the front of the bag featuring a portrait of the great lady herself , based on a photograph this time by Helene Jaspers.

Detail of the stitching and glitter .

This bag is a tribute to a legend, the late, great Bruce Lee. Here’s the inside of the bag showing one of his wonderful quotes:

And here’s the front of the bag, with another one of his quotes. Image based on the famous cracked mirror scene of Enter the Dragon.

This next bag is a clutch bag , an adaptation of one of my other bags, this time featuring a cat rather than a dog. The bag is lined with satin , with a zippered inner pocket and magnetic clasp.

Sometimes I make from other materials, this time from a beautiful pearly pink pvc. This is based on a graffiti version of Frieda Kahlo.

This clutch bag made from the same pvc, this time with a very graphic image .

This drawing , by my eldest daughter, inspired  all of the bags. I transferred this drawing onto a bag made from some old oil paintings of mine , cut up to make a tote bag for her 21st birthday.

This was how it worked out.

She was very happy with her gift. 🙂

Here’s a small evening bag based on the famous painting of the Lady of Shalott.

Painted on canvas and lavishly oversewn, edged with red satin, lined with black satin.

The back of the bag features a verse from the poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson of the Lady of Shalott. The bag features a crystal topped frame and  a red silk cord.

Here is the Medusa shopper. This bag was my fastest seller, purchased only minutes of it’s completion. It was sold to the wonderful artist Sue Kreitzman.

I call this one the Mercury clutch, featuring the God Mercury and words by the God Freddie Mercury. 🙂

Another bespoke  bag , this time for a gentleman who chose this rather lovely quote to be featured inside his bag:

and this one on the back :

This is the front of the bag, a composite image of all of his passions: capoeira , architecture, jazz and the sea.

I think it came out rather well. I also unwittingly created ‘Debrixton’, the blue canvas fabric  , similar to Denim but not created in Nimes ( De Nimes) hence Debrixton.  Get it?

Some of my bags verge on the ridiculous, but splendidly so. Another bag for the fabulously adventurous Marnie Scarlet. This one is called Nell. E. Phant and features a detachable elephant trunk. The images are based on photographs by the splendidly creative Tigz Rice Studios.

Trunk on and trunk off.

This bag is made in soft pink pvc with velvet straps , canvas portrait applique and artificial flowers.

This bag was another commission . I call this one Optimism.

Another bespoke bag, this one features a stylised portrait of the client.

This next bag was specially made as a gift for my partner. He’s crazy about a certain character…

On the back is a quote from Bruce Lee. ( elaborated by Royce Da 59)

Here are two clutch bags. The first with the dog is my own personal bag, the second a version for another client, featuring her cat, Bowie.

Close up of the original tea party bag, based on a wonderful piece of graffiti.

So that’s it for now. I’ve got so many ideas in store, I almost don’t know where to begin.

I’ll be back to show you more.

Oh, if you’d like to follow my progress with the bags, do head over to my facebook page www.facebook.com/c.Artbags

There will be a website soon. I’m still working on it.

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Batcat, Robin and the Crochet Caped Crusaders

I’ve been so busy making stuff for shops and my upcoming Xmas stall at Brixton Station Road Market that I’ve sadly neglected the bloggosphere, for that I apologise.

 

To cheer y’all up I decided to show you two of my little kittens I’ve made.

Introducing Batcat

 

and Robin

Don’t they make a cute superhero cat couple? The Batcat was inspired by an image going around the Internet that I stumbled upon and I thought I just had to reacreate this little black kitten with black bat wings in crochet. So I did.

Then I made this little Sealpoint Siamese kitten and realised that she was the cat equivalent of Robin, with her lovely facial mask.

It didn’t take much of a leap of imagination to link Batcat to Robin.

🙂

I’ve also recently made a set of Batman and Robin dollies for a very lovely client and Facebook friend. They were based on the original 1960 Kapow! Adam West version of Batman and Robin. Here’s a few pics.

Batman Kapow!

Robin. Kersplat!

Off to save the day.

Well, I’ve not got much more time to write so I’ll leave you with more pics of little Batcat and Robin.

She’s so sweet

 

Batcat from the side

 

So fluffy!

 

 

Back to the hook. 🙂
If you’d like to keep up with everything I’m making, and are on Facebook, here are links to  my  Facebook pages : (remember to click that ‘LIKE’ button)

Crochet Bright and Beautiful

Crochet Dark and Decadent

I have a shop too, over at Makerhood if you are interested in purchasing , gifts maybe?

Here’s the link anyhow: Angel and Devil on my Shoulder