Lately I've been doodling a lot (especially when I should be watching lectures). Though I didn't know that's what they were called when I started drawing them (until C told me) - I really like mandalas at the moment. I draw them free-hand with no planning or sketching, so they're quite therapeutic on one hand, and slightly anxious on the other. One tiny mistake and it ruins the symmetry. They might take anywhere from ten minutes to two hours to draw depending on the detail. I have a really nice black fine-tipped Sharpie that I've been using, but I'm a big fan of these pens for drawing too. In my textiles class we've been playing with screen printing and riso prints and I thought I'd share some of my experiments.








+ I took one of my smaller, less detailed drawings, made a carbon photocopy of it, put it through the riso machine and made a screen, which paint could then be screened over and only the mandala would come through onto the fabric.

















+ a messy mandala drawn on the train.





+ stitched.





I really want to make more risos now and print them on everything!

+ I collaged/decoupaged this old telephone with pop-art images when I was in grade 8 in high school for a project. I always wish I could get it working, but I don't mind it just being ornamental.

I came across this new-to-me blog called Advanced Style via The Dainty Squid today - it is a very tasteful fashion blog (not unlike The Sartorialist) documenting the street fashion of older folks. Ari Seth Cohen photographs fashionable over 50's on the streets of New York offering "proof from the wise and silver-haired set that personal style advances with age". Of course, I just can't help but hope I'll be half as fun as these ladies and gentlemen when I reach their vintage!

+ my cat's seemed oddly intrigued by the items I brought home - Morrissey seems to love the smell of daffodils.

Jodie Kitty Robot does lovely sporadic Thrifty Thursday posts and it seemed like a good coincidence that she did one today and I also did some thrifting myself today. I only got to go to one op-shop in the op-shopping strip on Invermay Road today but I think I'll visit the others early next week. I picked up a bundle of manchester-y items; green love-heart pillow cases, a sweet pastel orange ric-rac trimmed tablecloth and a crocheted lap blanket, as well as a pretty lined basket and some bright plates (we only have about three plates in our house because C says that way you wash your dishes more often, pish!). I almost forgot to mention The Head. C does not like The Head (I'll admit it is slightly creepy), so I had to have it. I was following him around the store with it and he got upset. I attached the head comically to my bicycle, filled up my panniers with the rest of the items and rode home, like so...





+ P.S. I cropped out the edge of that Bio-Cycle sign because in big letters underneath it was advertising "Environmentally Sustainable Composting Toilets!" but now I'm mentioning it I may as well have left it in :P