Thanking the almighty for professional photography...

I find myself clasping my frostbit-ten fingers together on this unusually icy eve in grateful prayer for all of those, lovely enough, commissioned or otherwise, who end up taking professional photos of things I make. I am afflicted with an unfortunate state of affairs where I am not permitted (for teh good of teh world) to pose in my own creations since the creatures I share a life with are either of the feline variety or of the 'out-to-ruin-travel-pictures-by-focusing-mainly-on-the-extremities-of-the-human-form-if-at-all' variety. I also happen to be an over enthusiastic, but alas, mediocre photo-taking-enthusiast.. so good photos of my work aimed for posterity are very impossible from this end.

Remember that lovely (if I may say so myself) wedding dress I had collaborated with Sarah Micallef of The Secret Rose to make for the even lovelier bride Maria Giuliana.. now I can actually see it as I had intended it to look.. thanks to Denise Scicluna I can now actually look at the dress.. not at my awkward photo of it. I am grateful. Mucho.


photo by Denise Scicluna


photo by Denise Scicluna


photo by Denise Scicluna

I must also thank Daniel Vella and his lovely Schembri sibling models who did such justice to the hats I made for Lara's own 'Hey Birdie-pie!'event/vintage sale KISS & MAKE UP next Saturday morning at Soap Cafe' in Sliema
.. all of the hard work that went into each photo vignette is truly appreciated .. <3



photo by Daniel Vella


photo by Daniel Vella


photo by Daniel Vella


photo by Daniel Vella

Just in case you happen to be on the rock this very weekend, I'm warning you it'll probably be very difficult to avoid having fun!!

.. off to psychologically prepare myself to set up stage for: https://www.facebook.com/events/254963141236546/ ... I'll be needing a full fat, death-row meal after this weekend. *looking forward (oink)

Happy Paws indeed - The SPCA*PATCHES saga begins!

I am back, with friends, on the cusp of a good thing!

We'll be applying our crafty hands to a cause close to our hearts.. stray cats and dogs and their general well-being.. but even more particularly, the cats and dogs that fall under the direct care of SPCA. Four of us, five items each.. to be exhibited and hopefully sold from a stall at the 9th edition of Patches Market (Sun, 27th Nov) minded by volunteers from the NGO.

Here's the lowdown: We rummage through the donated stuff at the Sliema outlet of the Happy Paws charity shop, choose some of the perhaps less attractive items as our raw material and transform/embellish as best we can in order to create desirable objects for the visitors at Patches.. all the profits go to the organisation and, hopefully, in the process, more people get to know about the workings of such a charitable establishment.

.. oh and all four of us will be documenting our crafty journey up till the said Sunday.. so keep tuned to our respective ports!

The Patches Market site and facebook page

My Babettopolis blog and facebook page

Sarah Micallef's Secret Rose blog and facebook page

Denise Scicluna's blog and facebook page

and Carla Said's Cholita tumblr

Here's what we selected.. and photos of the selection in process.. we did promise documentation didn't we!?

photo by Denise Scicluna

And here's me talking money and making some personal purchases. By the way.. do find some time to visit the charity shop; it houses a constant and healthy stream of good quality items!

photo by Sarah Micallef

I find hugging straw-covered bead curtains very fulfilling.

photo by Sarah Micallef

photo by Sarah Micallef


photo by Denise Scicluna

Here's my lot.. I've been justly accused of color scheming.. oh well!

I shall leave you with a picture of the 'Keeper of the Mighty Mess' .. all of the selected items I've duly washed, cleaned and disinfected.. The 'real' work will start as from tomorrow!

WARNING: Photo-laden post!

I cannot but start off by mentioning the first ever photoshoot for Babettopolis which happened almost exactly a week from today. So first, think of a photoshoot, then remove all possible related stress conjured up with the image. That was our photoshoot, and I say 'our' because concerned parties did such a good job out of it that I simply want to share the spoils.

Thanks go to the very talented, unbelievably efficient and much-in-demand Denise Scicluna (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Denise-Scicluna/153994661312246 and/or http://www.denisescicluna.com/ and/or http://www.denisescicluna.blogspot.com/) for taking the reigns and making me feel blissfully useless (for once!) .. and to Tracey Gatt for being unpretentiously perfect and obliging throughout ... in the face of a short notice and other obvious lackings related to low(no!)-budget shoots.

The shoot took place at my new home so we had to do with very limited resources and a very intrusive cat as well.

Following is a fraction of the results, with which I am overjoyed!

EVIL FAT CAT

And even though I had promised myself a break after this something of a milestone.. I kept coming back from work exceptionally driven.. with only two weeks on my hands before the Christmas edition of PATCHES I should probably have the proverbial kit-kat and start logically packing my wares and tablecloths. Instead I'm staying up till really late (for an early-rising teacher!) finishing off stuff I'm kicking myself for not finishing earlier in time for the shoot.

Still, maybe if I did, then the results would have been entirely different and not half as satisfying.

WE ARE HOLY doll-head necklace makes it to my personal top 3

... and inspired by a particularly spoilt Tsarina who in the end got what she deserved: A NO IS A NO IS A NO IS A ... doll-head necklace (although at this point I'm seriously doubting whether I should have been calling them 'Neckpieces' instead)

This is my pending project..

don't forget to look through this site for more information about the big 12th...

http://www.patchesmarket.com/