crochet trauma...

Crazy week... involving sunspot removal... a fractured tibia...and a trip to the hospital...

But! My crocheted rug is finished! And I'm very happy with it. And so is the small person, who cuddled up to it after a spiral fracture to his tibia. It makes a great recovery rug.

Many thanks to the amazing staff at the hospital for their patience and care. And to the Red Cross volunteers, who made this Trauma Teddie, who has been named "Plaster Cast".

Get well soon, little one.

last week I...

... made a crocheted plant hanger for the lovely Nina...

... made biscuits (I refuse to call them cookies!) but they were a disaster, so I'm only showing you the dough... Isn't it beautiful looking dough?

... gave up looking for vintage house numbers, and used what was on the house when we bought it...

... caught a glimpse of my leaping gazelle...

... got planting, inspired by Whole Larder Love...

... went to Sydney for a girlie sleep-over with a bestie, and saw some nice type...

... visited my latest project under construction to see the kitchen and tiling...

... What did you do?

Russia's avant garde in Uzbekistan...

I came across an amazing blog today... In.Cred.Ible. It came courtesy of The Design Files - a daily read when I have time, which is a lot at the moment! The guest blogger for the whole week is Gemma Cagnacci, a textile designer who has just returned from a life changing experience, travelling through Central Asia for 4 months.

As a lover of Modernist art, I was amazed at the collection amassed by Igor Savitsky, to protect the works of Russia's avant garde from the destructive forces of the Soviet regime.

Coming from a western perspective, where the gallery space itself is more heavily "designed", a preciousness is accorded to the works. Spare white walls, precise lighting and neatly printed signage systems suggest the artwork is not one of many, but a unique, valuable object, worthy of our reverence.

Here, however, a very un-designed space houses the collection - and my very western eyes found it difficult to look beyond the space around each work, the cluttered groupings of works, even the framing, and see the true worth of the art.

Once I did though, I was truly in awe of the beauty and skill embodied within each canvas.








image 1: Rendezvous, by S.M. Luppov 1926
image 2: 02 Flight of Clouds, by B.A. Smirnov-Rusetskiy 1923
images 3-6: by Gemma Cagnacci
image 7: Portrait of Zaure, by K. Saipov
image 8: Crimson Autumn, by U.T. Tansiqbaev 1931

keepin' the faith...

I came across this today and it was just what I needed to read... (via mrjasongrant)

fixit weekend...

A small gift for the lovely Nina, who photographed Tiliqua Studios...

My new favourite cake... uber-easy... I didn't tell you it's from a kids' cooking site!!

The new banner fixed to the construction fencing on the latest project, nearing completion...

The small one's trampoline, fixed with O-Check string (it's on sale!) and a darning needle...

Now what's next?

carbonmade portfolio...

Nothing like a slow work month to prompt you to action things on the to-do list...

My website has been languishing with a placeholder image for two years... two years people!! That's beyond embarrassing!

My amazing and wonderfully helpful graphic designer Kate Francis suggested I use carbonmade, which I have to say has been a breeze! Far out, why didn't I do this AGES ago?

I really have worked on some fabulous projects over the 10 or so years I've had my interior design practice, so it's kind of nice to revisit some of the later ones which I've had the pleasure of photographing.

So thanks to my wonderful clients, without whom I wouldn't be able to do what I do.

And do pop by rahmanndesign to check it out. I'd love to know what you think.

image credits - 1. Nina Kourea. 2,3,4. Brett Boardman

crafty stylee...

What a tasty treat I have for you today, oh faithful readers... Our craft group Knit and Tuck met this month at Heather's House of Style...

Everywhere you look, there is a vignette of hand crafted loveliness, a surprise of unusual composition, or a sweet spot of delectable design...

Heather taught me to crochet (along with Pip's invaluable YouTube video tutorials) and she is another crochet queen.

Now I don't want to embarrass Heather, coz she really is as humble as can be, but gawd she's amazing!! I couldn't help but ask if I could get my camera out and click away at some of the lovely spaces she's created in her home - mostly with things she's made.



More crochet delight...

Heather has recently moved her sewing area out of the bedroom and created this lovely nook for her creative endeavours. It has inspired me to get a bomb under me and style my place too!!

I know!! Amazing hey? What an eye...

Ruby's room was chock full of girly delight! Check out the gorgeous rug Heather crocheted from op-shop sheets!! She pipped me to the post in that one... although I'm so glad she did, coz in true Heather style, she has shared her tips and tricks for when I make mine.

Honestly, I am so lucky to have the most dynamic and exciting (not to mention caring and sharing) bunch of crafters to spend time with. Thanks Heather, and thank you knitters and tuckers...

and yet more painting...

Aha moment... So this is why people get someone ELSE to paint their houses for them... It's been 4 months and counting, and I'm not finished. Gah!!

I am getting some sense of achievement by doing this however. Surely this counts for something??

Now, down to the dirty details... Do any of my (very few) readers have tricks for painting breeze blocks? You know, those geometric concretey bricks with LOTS of holes in them? As seen above?

They have to be one of the most annoying, time consuming things to paint. Ever. Of all time. No. 1 on the list of annoying things. Maybe I should have done these first, with a spray gun...

Yes, I hear you murmur as you read, that would make perfect sense. Then the black could have gone on afterwards, concealing all the overspray (that's paint drift for you unintiated folks). Very sensible.

Well I wasn't sensible, just had the black paint out and was rearing to go, so on it went... I am now paying the price... But it will look 150% better than it used to... And I'm clinging to that!

Mr Fixit's shed slowly gets the black-all treatment...

And here's the latest Mr Fixit work-in-progress. A little lean-to in the back yard for all our garden bits and bobs. I'm thinking some sort of rusty metal wreath to go onto that blank canvas... Is barbed wire too macabre...?

Note the blossoming peach tree... Spring has arrived YAY!!!!!

till next year, winter...

One thing I love about winter is going to the beach...

No people, romantic windswept vistas, cloud art and of course, rock pools...

This is my local... and when I say local, I mean I walk to the end of my street and it's there, waiting for me in all its Norfolk Piney glory.


This is my favourite macro view, looking northwards up the coast.

And the rocks give me an eyeful at micro scale, especially at low tide. And they are chock full of goodies, for an almost four-year-old (and an almost 41 year-old).

So long, winter, it was nice knowing you. Glad to see the back of you for a while though...

crochet crochet I love you...

The amazing silk tweed yarn I found at Popcraft has finally been made into something for my dear sweet friend. I bought 4 skeins, thinking this would be plenty, and ended up having some leftovers.

I made these into a little collar - with Spring here and all, it seemed silly to make a long scarf.

The silver colour brings light to her face, and makes it shine!