Lately, I’ve been hooked on watching One and Other, Antony Gormley’s art installation on the Fourth Plinth. For those who aren’t aware, the Fourth Plinth is located in Trafalgar Square. The other three plinths hold statues; when the time came to install the fourth statue, the coffers were empty. The fourth plinth was also left empty until about ten years ago, when it became the site of temporary art exhibits. This current exhibit has a different Briton climbing onto the plinth for one hour…every hour, for 100 days.

Everyday life has been a subject for artists since the late Middle Ages and yet here, in the information age, we’re given a new and exciting way of looking at the ordinary. There is a webcam streaming live video of the plinth and, for those on Twitter, you can follow PlinthWatch to receive a blow-by-blow of every occupant.

As I write this, a woman dressed in full Britannia regalia is atop the plinth. Earlier today, there was a girl, blowing bubbles and talking on her cell phone.

I’m in awe at the brilliance of this installation not just for its concept but also because it allows the rest of the world to participate in it.

Bravo, Mr. Gormley!

Today I thought I’d share links to some of my favourites on the web…podcasts, that is!

Almost everything I’m listening to these days is knitting-related but my favourite podcast is still the very first one to which I subscribed (and it’s got nought to do with knitting!):

• In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg: without a doubt, the best podcast on the Internet. No shit.

My other podcast subscriptions (in alphabetical order):

• Cast On
• Craft Lit
• Radio 4 Choice
• Stash and Burn
• Sticks and String
• Thinking Allowed
• Yarn Craft

Thanks to a link on Apartment Therapy SF, I found an awesome blog this morning: Resurrection Fern. Among many other great entries, blogger Margaret Oomen’s post on making a felted bracelet really inspired me.

I’m almost done the first one and will felt it when I have enough to justify running the washing machine.

I’m also going to try a version made out of cotton yarn to use as a casual collar for the dogs. Cotton won’t felt but it will be washable!

So thanks, Margaret Oomen, for inspiring me!

While out in Roseville buying fabric for my mum’s Hallowe’en apron, I happened to notice that The Fountains, Roseville’s newest mall, had finally opened. I’d been keeping an eye on this development as it included Sacramento’s first Sur la Table.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the region’s first West Elm!

Last night, we finally made it back out to Roseville before the centre’s eight o’clock closing time and were able to wander around a bit. We didn’t make it to every store on the list so will be sure to go out again to check out Anthropologie, Smith & Hawken, and (maybe) some of the clothing stores.

Until then, I’ll have to pore over the West Elm catalogue I picked up, dreaming of how I’m going to replicate some of the looks in it. Just from last night’s walkthrough, I noticed these easy-to-do-at-home projects:

(All photos from West Elm)

Both of these looks could easily be replicated by papercutting a design out of card. And I can do that! Yippeee!

Another DIY adaptation could be done of this art insert:

The lacquer might be hard to duplicate but maybe a nice porcelain or ceramic tile would fit the bill…

And, given that my wintertime goal is to learn how to knit, I think these pillows are more than do-able:

Hmmm. Maybe I should get a “Learn to Knit” kit before embarking on this project…

At book club’s canning adventure, Leigh had brought aprons for people to wear. Now, I’ve never worn an apron but I did that day and I realised “Hey, these apron things are pretty damn cool!”

I resolved to make myself one.

Finally, I was able to fulfill that resolution! I picked up some Amy Butler fabric (Midwest Modern’s green Martini and green Fresh Poppies) and a pattern for retro aprons by Cindy Taylor Oates.

(Check for this pattern at quilt shops.)

It was fast, easy, and looks fantastic. Here’s the Spawn camping it up while wearing my version:

I love it!

I’m still crazy-busy at work and will be for a few more days yet. I haven’t had a chance to look too closely but here are a few things I’ve been enjoying reading about (and plan to follow up on!):

• The Steampunk Workshop (notably the Brass Etching and the Flash Diffuser tutorials)
• Etching at home (brass plates and copper)
• Bokashi composting (more info here and here)
• recovering beat up old chairs (such as this one and this one and this one…I want to do this but where would I put it?)

And, of course, I’m reading up on doggy behaviour and how it is affected by castration…

I am serious coveting some of the fabrics created by Mary Mulcahey of Les Indiennes:

The fabric is printed in India using the art process of Kalamkari, although with the patterns adapted for western society.

Take a look through Les Indiennes flipbook and, if you’re flush, check out the Les Indiennes online shop!

I thought I’d share some of my favourite southern blogs today. No, not “southern” as in the American South but “southern” as in south of the equator.

Maybe it’s something about the different magnetic field down there but there is a certain quality in all of these ladies’ work that really speaks to me.

At the top of my “must read” blog list is Skinny laMinx (AKA Heather Moore) of South Africa:

I’ve actually seen her work in person at Heath Ceramics in Sausalito; it’s just as gorgeous as it appears in her Etsy shop: Skinny la Minx.

Next up is Sugarloop (AKA Bernadette Sipkes) of New Zealand:

Her Gocco prints are inspiring and guess what? She has an Etsy shop too!

Sugarloop

Pippijoe from Australia has some great Gocco and textile prints:

Pippijoe’s Etsy shop is here.

All of these designers inspire and motivate me.

Thanks to Jessica Jones over at How About Orange, I can now make really funky swirls in Illustrator. Jessica linked to this tutorial at Bittbox and this was the result of my first kick at the swirly can:

How fun! You know, I’d thought about printing a leaf design I’d done as part of my “safari” images on some pillowcases:

Now I think I might just do swirly things instead!

Just because I love him…