...hi there, nice to meet you...

...here is our second installment of member interviews, introducing tessa...

1. What's your creative thing? 

Hand pierced copper and brass jewellery combined with glass, cord and now chain. The metal motifs are taken from the natural world – indigenous plants and  birds, feathers, herbs and so on.  

2. Describe your dream studio? 

Oh yum. A double height space with a massive mezzanine level, lit by a huuuge sky light. The bottom level is chock a block full of every kind of tool and piece of equipment I could ever need to return to making large functional metal ware. I see racks of steel stakes, furnaces, lathes of all sizes, sanders and saws, chest of drawers bursting with files and things I’ll never use, but just really love having, for in case! Upstairs is a lot prettier, with white concrete floors,  a little lounge /design area with bookcases filled with magazines from everywhere on one side and on the other, the walls are lined with trestle tables for laying out, assembling and  packaging  jewellery and bowls. Lots of big windows, so with the skylight, the whole place is constantly bathed in light. Oh, and enormous amazing plants. And a sheep skin rug or two. And a cleaner to come once a week

(I know my limitations and sweeping and dusting are two of them!).

3. What fuels your creative energy? 

People -  A chance meeting with an old friend, a stranger with something special about them and proper chats with my best people.

4. The first creative thing you can remember making?

A little pottery jug, I think I was 9. I made it on a potter’s wheel, and was very proud. My mom still has it, as well as the jug my older, jealous brother made in competition!

5. The first creative thing you were paid to create?

Two tiny silver bowls on long wire legs for a little old lady in Edinburgh who loved silverware, but never displayed it. She would commission pieces, and then store them in boxes in her home. I guess they are still there in some dusty pile.

6. That one thing you're so glad you made?

The decision to come home to Cape Town.

7. If you could live inside any artwork in the world, which would it be?

“Spring” by Cy Twombly – first of all I simply love the artist’s name and would probably just wander around muttering it; second, it’s so light and messy in his work, like living in a scatty fairy land.

8. If you could collaborate with one famous creative, dead or alive, who would it be?

Li Edelkoort – she seems so scary, I’d have to bring my A game; our collaboration would be years ahead of the pack and therefore the schizznizz; and she DOES things with her status – she started an art school in Poland I’d kill to go to –the course a combination between an design and humanities degree – swoon.

9. The local design magazine you always read?

I’m a bit bad about buying magazines, but I do love Elle Deco and House and Leisure and the occasional Marie Claire. I really wish I could warrant buying Wallpaper and Vogue, but somehow I feel too guilty forking out all that cash. (is it OK that I sometimes buy Heat too??)

10. The salutation at the end of your email? 

It depends – for day job situations where I want to be just a little intimidating, -  nothing. 

The message and bam. Send.

For friendly happy emails (and yes, I should know better) it’s a Gossip Girl influenced ex oh ex oh,

Other wise, a good old stock standard “regards”/”kind regards” although a wanky “Best” has been known to have slipped out on occasion…

...hi there, nice to meet you...

...we're so excited to begin the first of our 'get to know us' 

member interviews, this little gang of creatives do so much 

great work for the world, often sacrificing time that we most

probably should have been spending on our own businesses. 

so here is the first interview where we get to know kristen 

from design kist, enjoy...

1. What's your creative thing? 
I am a textile designer - we design the patterns that go on fabric, wallpaper, clothing, furnishing, crockery, stationery, and a range of other surfaces.

2. Describe your dream studio? 
Mmm. It would be in a Cape Dutch Building, with high, pressed ceilings, wooden floors and sash windows all around, with breathtaking views. Lots of white, wood and natural finishes. A corner with an easel for painting and sketching; another corner with all my state of the art digital equipment. There will be ample shelves to display and store all my work. It will have a kitchenette, with a sink, and a small Smeg fridge and an amazing coffee maker. There will be a floor to ceiling bookshelf, filled with books on art and design, and all things inspiring - with a sliding ladder. And there would be a studio dog. A girl can dream!

3. What fuels your creative energy? 
Many things, but definitely black fineliners, coffee, and music.

4. The first creative thing you can remember making? 
I remember a drawing I did of a lion in junior school. It went into the school magazine, and it won me my first art prize. Because I was in a junior class, we didn't go to the school's prize giving, so I was called up in the next assembly to collect my trophy. I remember feeling horribly embarrassed and shy!

5. The first creative thing you were paid to create? 
The earliest I can remember was being paid to create a poster for a friend's homework. Naughty!

6. That one thing you're so glad you made? 
I created a printed fabric while studying using a piece of tumbleweed my boyfriend had given me. I loved that design, and later used it in my wedding dress when I married him. It's very sentimental to me, and I am glad I made it.

7. If you could live inside any artwork in the world, which would it be? 
Possibly Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party." Just chilling in the sunshine, with food, wine and friends.

8. If you could collaborate with one famous creative, dead or alive, who would it be? 
I would have loved to have collaborated with any of my favourite childhood authors, creating illustrations for their stories.

9. The local design magazine you always read? 
There are a bunch I always buy - House & Leisure, Garden & Home, Home/Tuis magazine, Elle Deco, Visi and Plascon Spaces.

10. The salutation at the end of your email? 
It's "Thanks", but I also use "Chat soon", "Kind regards", or K x, depending on the context. 

...elenth get-together...

...our eleventh little creative meeting at woodlands eatery, congrats to leila 
for winning some loveliness, and thanks again to kristen for making our
adorable liquorice allsorts badges, now to just stop the kids from trying
to eat them, lol...

...sweeeeet...

...we simply loooove the liquorice all sort badges that kristen made

us for our 11th get together...

...when super humans turn human...

In spite of tight budgets, clients from hell and unsociable working hours, freelancers tend to be human. Yes. You better believe it. And humans get sick every now and then. Especially after three weeks of participating in a freelancer's favorite sport: Chasing Deadlines. 

So usually after each really hectic just-in-time-deadline-victory I get some form of human disease. It will present itself in something like a big red swollen rash over the left side of my face, resulting in "my connection is too slow today for visual" during a Skype meeting call. Or embarrassing diarrhea using all my precious 2-ply, prohibiting movement, making even a short walk to the post box at the gate quite a risky endeavor. Flu-like symptoms – not sure it's the real deal but for two days I'm shaking with fever, are clogged up, completely brainless and looks like I've binged on Stroh Rum for a whole week. Usually during those two days of brainlessness I manage to get myself into more ridiculous deadlines and so the system feeds itself. 

A friend saw me during one of these frail human moments and told me with great concern and with as much tact as he could muster that he knows a great therapist that can help me get off whatever I'm on. I just looked at him with red watery eyes, blew my nose and said: "It's a jealous lover. I can't live with him and I can't live without him." 

Tonight when I make my thirtieth cup of tea with the already three times soaked teabag (see, saving money even in the dead of night), exploring yet another angle after the first ten attempts left me a frustrated, why-am-I-#¥*$@!!-freelancing, design-hating mess; I know at some stage during this grueling process, the lover will show his affection. I have to be patient. It will come. Soon I will bathe in the glorious golden glow of victory and be Super Human again. The client will be delighted, pay me late and make me do it all again. And I will. With a smile. After the two days of diarrhea.

~ Ronel

...confessions of a cape town freelancer: part 3...

Biltong & book launches

In the days when I pulled a full salary at the end of a month, book launches meant one of two things to me: celebrating myself or celebrating another author. It’s not a vain thing, trust me, but when you eventually come to the end of a gruelling process of writing, editing, rewriting and giving birth to a novel, the book launch at the end of it is how I imagine my married friends felt on their wedding days. It’s champagne. It’s fireworks. It’s the dress, the hair, the makeup, the frills and thrills, and I love it. Since that full salary disappeared along with my royalties, book launches have taken on a whole new meaning. And here it is.

I still go to book launches to support other authors, but these days I also go to eat. Yeah. The snacks. And drink. Yeah, the wine. The beauty of a book launch in Cape Town is that you’ll never get shitty wine. The snobberati is way too cultivated for Tassies and the like. While I sip on my glass of Sauv Blanc, I survey the room. Not to look for the author and his/her entourage (which is often made up of a stressed-looking publisher), but to locate the food. The. Food. And when a launch is good, the food is stellar. I’m talking sushi, spring rolls (not oily), mini dishes of risotto, biltong (OMW, b-i-l-t-o-n-g!), tiny sandwiches, chocolate brownies, macaroons and strawberries.

All of this abundance happened just the other night. True story. The bookshop that shall not be named pulled out all the stops on a dreary Thursday night. It was a typical only-in-Cape-Town kinda winter’s day, and I barely got myself out of the house in a decent outfit, sans winter gown. I was also starving, which was probably the main reason I managed to remove my bum from the couch and force myself into semi-sexy stockings. My diet of Provita and Marmite, followed by almonds and yoghurt was starting to make me weepy. And needy. And grumpy. I was craving meat like a crazy person. So when I arrived at Bookshop X, I nearly clicked my heels Charlie Chaplin-style when I saw the massive bowl of biltong. If it weren’t for my friends who had just arrived, I would have disappeared into that bowl never to be seen again. As the speeches started, I stalked closer and closer to the biltong. With one hand gently caressing my glass of wine and the other casually making its way to the meat, I thought: this is where I’ll get my weekly fix of protein. And later, when I left the bookshop, I decided to sign up to all and every newsletter from bookshops in Cape Town so as to be informed of each and every launch. I know the food won’t be as extravagant as the spread at this specific launch (where the authors later told me that they had paid extra for catering), but as a freelancer I sure ain’t gonna turn away no chicken wing or samoosa.

Books might be the food of the soul, but I can’t eat my books, and they sure as hell don’t taste as good as biltong.

~jana

...tadaaaaah...

...a couple of our members went along on friday to our children's red cross
hospital room reveal, we were really just expecting a few nurses and a
kid or two. well were we pleasantly surprised at the turnout.

it's definitely true what they say, when you give you actually get
far more in return.

what a humbling, thrilling experience to be welcomed with such excitement,
and the feeling of appreciation from the kids and staff was amazing.

so thanks to everyone at red cross children psychiatric ward, for all your
words of appreciation, you made us feel really special, and it was an
absolute pleasure organizing the sweetie wallpaper and goodies for the kids
and snacks. we had a ball!...

...treats for the red cross kids...

...so with the extra money raised from the red cross raffle,

we went out and bought some colour africa colouring in books,

some tjou-tjou mugs and crayons and a treat for the kiddies.

we will also be buying cake and snacks for the nurses, 

so PLEASE feel free to join us at the reveal of the sweeties

wallpaper by design kist that is finally up and looking amazing.

contact us here if you'd like to join us, otherwise watch this

space for more pics and posts on the event...

...what's peeking out of the nothingness...

...yay! somebody volunteered to make the next badge...

confessions of a cape cown freelancer: part 2

The Hair Situation

Spotting a freelancer is easy: just look for the individual nursing one cup of coffee for hours, and more frighteningly, the one with the bad, bad hair regrowth. We are all over and it’s not a pretty picture.

My freelance career can be measured by the inches of dark blonde hair making its way to my ends. Three months after leaving my full-time job, it was kinda cute, but kinda getting out of hand. By now, six months later, it’s a different situation altogether. 

One that begs the question: was she ever light blonde?

When I spend time with my blondie blonde friends, I can stare at their perfect highlights forever. While they share anecdotes of full-time agency life, I stare. 
And drool. And wonder if they’ll notice if I touch their non-roots. When they talk about going for hair appointments on Saturday mornings, I want to cry into my (one) latte. Don’t get me wrong – I was highlighting aplenty when I had the dough. My hair was blondie blonde, and my products were pricey priced. I thought I had it all: the hair, 
the job, and the lattes. Turns out: lattes are overpriced, jobs come and go, and no one in Cape Town really cares about anyone’s hair but their own.

Speaking of which, the mother city is crawling with freelancers and we can often be spotted in coffee shops, heads down in our laptops. Some are even as smart as to wear beanies, a trend I’m embracing with vigour.  No one has to know the hair situation going on underneath my beanie as I type away to meet a client’s deadline. And better yet – no client has to ever meet me (and my regrowth) as I can email said client from home, in my underwear, while eating a banana, wearing no makeup and picking at my split ends. To some, that might actually sound like having it all.

Along with the no-highlight policy, comes the no-money-for-a-cut policy. Hence my hair growing into an unruly carpet of curls longing for the sharp edge of a pair of scissors. One friends has suggested that I cut the ends myself (how, I ask? I have no clue with scissors) and another has invited me to her home for a free colour and cut, since she’s a hairdresser and all. I love her for it, but the maintenance issue would start all over again. What would I do three months down the line..? Six months..? 
A year..? No, no. Then I’d rather the roots do their thang and get it over with.

One positive is the fact that my hair has almost reached my ass by now, and although I hadn’t really planned it, I’m thinking of growing my locks into the ombre look for spring/summer 2013. Maybe by the time my hair reaches my legs, dark blondes will be the new black. Who knows.

~ Jana

...confessions of a cape town freelancer: part 1...

Last Roll of the Week

Working from home has its fun side, but no one ever talks about the downsides. 

Us freelancers know them all, and snigger at ourselves behind the full-timers’ backs, but I intend to share some of these less-than-charming secrets.

Since I can remember I’ve always had a thing for 2-ply toilet paper. The ones with the Labrador puppies, to be exact. I see them as a sign of luxury, and that all must be well in a household where a pyramid of these rolls live.

I think we can all agree that 2-ply is a non-negotiable, but when did that happen?! As a full-time working adult I never even hovered near the crusty 1-ply rolls, but now, as a freelancer I spend a bit more time in front of the toilet roll racks. And I weigh up my options: 1-ply and a treat, or 2-ply and no treat? The 2-ply always wins (and my waist is loving me for it).

My usage of toilet paper has increased exponentially with the decline of my income. 

I used to take loo paper for granted. At an office it’s available at your beck and call, and you can drop it like your bitch at any time of the day. Runny nose? No problem! Just use your company’s Labrador puppies to wipe that right up. The last sheet of white loveliness as you sit down? No worries! Just take a new roll out of the heap neatly packed in the rack, or the corner, or wherever your company keeps its stash.

I have become frugal with 2-ply like there’s no tomorrow. Just the other day a friend visited and as she excused herself to go to the loo, I almost followed her into the bathroom to check how many sheets she would tear from my beloved puppies. 

I didn’t, of course, since she is also a freelancer. But I did hover outside the door, and semi-shouted: “That’s my last roll for the week, friend”. She wasn’t offended at all, and even offered to bring me eggs the next time she visited. Bless her soul. (If only I could turn eggs into loo rolls, right?)

My true desperation was tested when I went to this fancy schmancy restaurant in Franschhoek on a special occasion (the name shall not be disclosed for the protection of the vicinity), and spent much longer than was needed in the bathroom as I sat admiring their 2-almost-3-ply rolls. Lots of them. Stacked high and beautifully. 

I sighed, finished my business, and left. Back at the table I asked my dinner companion, a very close friend of mine, if she would think less of me if I had stolen a loo roll from the restaurant. She laughed and shook her head, but much later, when we had paid our bill (me swiping the credit card grudgingly), she gave me a sneak peek into her handbag, and there it was: a majestic 2-almost-3-ply roll of greatness. 

I almost cried from happiness. On her own trip to the bathroom she had done what I couldn’t, because her handbag was bigger. Now that’s what true friends do.

Apart from the much-lusted-after Labradors (which are the most expensive loo rolls on the market, by the way), I’m also a big fan of Woolies’ 2-play. With pretty little leaves. It reminds me of the change of seasons. Don’t ask me why. Anyway, the point is: 

I have one roll left for this week, and I plan to make the most of it.

~ Jana

...our monster auction...

...so finally our monsters are coming to an end, and we have joined forces with the book lounge and their silent art auction. so our 9 fabulous laundry monsters will be auctioned off and all the proceeds will be added to the proceeds of all the other artworks on auction.

every year the book lounge set up a library, with librarian, the admin and books (of course). this year they are helping westridge sencondary school in mitchell's plain during the 'open book festival', held from 7 - 11 september.

all the people attending the festival and and visiting the shop will be able to take part in the silent auction by simply writing down their bid next to the art work of their choice. on monday evening, after their illustrators sports event at the shop, they close the bidding...

for more information about the festival feel free to email them: booklounge@gmail.com

...our amaaaazing new badge...

...oh wait, no one has volunteered to make us one, 

so we won't be doing a badge this lunch. 

so for our 11th meeting we will be handing out, ummmm, 

nothing!

come on, you know you wanna make one! just do it!...

...best laid plans of mice and (wo)men...

...in the spirit of entrepreneurship, just hours after our first post
introducing our new theme, h and i popped over for some dim sum
at i love my laundry, when a new business opportunity was thrown
in our path.

a breath takingly beautiful space had come available in the royale hotel,
and the option for us to open a 'permanent' pop up shop arose.
h and i were vibrating with excitement and set up a viewing of the space
right away. it was awesome, and perfect and so exciting.

we called leila right away to get some advice on how the experts do it,
as the discussion progressed, it seemed we had not considered all of the
hidden costs, tax implications, friendship/partnership responsibilities and
of course the costs involved in getting set up and daily running of the shop.

all this info was a lot to digest and we had to do some serious calculations
to see if it would be viable, to not just cover the costs but to make enough
of a profit for the amount of work and responsibility it would involve.

so, after much excitement, think we had already designed the shop layout,
decor, logo, packaging (all in our heads at least), our 24 hours of hopes
and dreams of owning a fabulous designer pop up shop fell flat like a cake
without it's baking powder.

hmmmmmph! oh well, thats the thing about opportunities i guess,
they pop into your lives and you have to be ready, ready to grab them
and run with them, but don't forget in all the excitement to make sure
that you have all the ingredients before you slap on the icing and
get ready to serve it!

so, we'll wait, something else will come up, and while we're waiting,
who knows, perhaps we'll just create an opportunity for ourselves...

...lets zest up our businesses together...

...with women's day coming up this month, us girls at s&s thought 

it would be a good month to kick off our new theme of entrepreneurship.

now, most of us already have our own little business and yip, money's 

coming in, but we want to dedicate this theme to the power

of collective positive energy. 

we have always believed in sharing resources, and skills, so why not 

take that a step further this month and share anything that inspires you 

and lets set up a meeting or 5 to brainstorm ideas to help each other 

make more money. 

sometimes it's difficult to identify opportunities in your own business 

to increase your income when you're in the thick of things, dealing with 

clients and suppliers and stock etc. sometimes all you need is a fresh 

pair of eyes to see things from a new perspective

all of us have skills, whether it be in design, marketing, packaging and

even sales, lets come together and help each other grow our businesses...

...its a get-together...

...our tenth get-together happened at its's a house, as usual we had
a fab afternoon, the badges were AMMMMMMMAZING! the food was good
and the company was great. our monsters are nearly-nearly finished.
looks now we now have a dog (leo) and a kid (siena) as new members ;)

all in all a lovely day with lovelier people...

...lucky bliksem...

...as usual we had our lucky draw, the prize was a collection of goodies

donated by isabeau, tanielle, h and i, and the lucky lady to win it all,

was lor! congrats!...

...the big reveal...

...leila and michelle made these amazing badges packaged in 'fury' envelopes. 

the idea was inspired by the texture of the hairy-fury monsters, love love love!...

...once upon a time...

...at 'it's a house' sat 8 hideous monsters on a long covered sofa,

waiting to be auctioned and help out a needy cause... 

...a badge of beauty...

...eat your heart out ~ if you can't make friday!...

...WTB...

...what the button in deed, the first teaser of our new badge brought to you

by leila of bow-peep and michelle of the quick red fox

mmmmm!...

...ons stel bekend...sokkie bokkie!...

...one of our newest members, anka, did a fab job in documenting her process,

wait til you see the result, i can see this is gonna be one of the favorites...

...een van ons nuwe lede het 'n fab job gedoen op die kleine sokkie-bokkie. wag tot julle die eindproduk sien...

in her words: "and so we start... i was given a lil' monster and was asked to add a few bits and bobs... hello sunday night crafting... some ribbons, embroidery thread, a bit of fabric and some felt :)"

...our pop up store...

 ...about 10 of our fab members did a pop up store launch at i love my laundry
last night. we had stacks of fun and all the work looked amazing, so proud
to be a part of this little collective.

the designs will be on sale for the next 3 weeks at i love my laundry
in buitengracht street, so go and have a look, great gift ideas and a little spoil
for yourself...

...winner of the hamper-of-loveliness...

...we got lor to package all the goodies beautifully, she added 

some sweeties (the same sweets that appear on the wallpaper design)...

...she wrote a lovely little note...

...and this is that damn ilana winning 'your' prize ;)...

...and our punk monster is born...

...looking very punk rock chickish, christina monroe is also finished 

and so ready to rock out at the charity auction...

...perfectly percy...

...aaaaaw isn't he too cute, lorraine added his finishing touches,

a little blue bow tie and a belt, percy is also ready for the charity auction...

...5 designers later...

...herbert is our first completed monster, now sporting a sexy pair of legs, 

a crazy hairdo, one bizarrely oversized eye ball and a ceramic monster badge,

he's ready for our monster charity auction...

...damn her...

...from illustration prints, to rose gold & suede bracelets, 

to silk screened tote bags, porcelain tea light candle holders, 

hand embroidered serviettes, ceramic bowls, enamel mugs, 

framed porcelain illustrations, silk screened pencil & make-up bags, 

illustrated post cards to designer pillows...

thanks again to all you lovely ladies for the donations to the hamper-of-loveliness

...and the winner is...

...kristen had the honors of picking the winning entry
to our hamper-of-lovliness raffle, so first she shook-shook-shook...

...then she scratch-scratch scratched...

...and the entire hamper goes to...

...congrats, we're so green with envy right now!

so thank you, thank you, thank you, to everyone that supported
our little cause, we managed to raise over our goal of R2000 and
so we have decided to buy cake and goodies for the nurses of the
red cross children's ward, and crayons and toys for the kids...

...our picnic in the park...

...yummy yummy picnic fare with the most amazing group

of creative chicks in town. as usual we had a fab day for our end 

of year get-together at green point park. with homemade cheese sticks,

caprese salad, meringues, cupcakes and oh so much more

already getting excited for the next one,

this past year has been incredible, the help and support from all of you,

for all our 'causes', its truly amazing how we can make such a big difference 

when we do all these little things together. design really can change the world!

so a big fat hug and a sloppy grateful kiss to you all...

...ronel you lucky thing...

...green with envy that ronel was the lucky draw winner 

of an exquisite piece of jewelry donated by tessa, 

you ladies are amazing, always keen to give, of your time, 

your energy and even your beautiful artwork, we really appreciate

all of you who have been, and continue to be so generous...

...with love from c&h...

...is it really possible that we celebrated our 9th meeting 

at the end of last year at our fab picnic in the park. 

here is the porcelain badge that h&i made, with our 

gorgeous lorraine modeling her badge with such spunk 

and charisma...