I know this girl from New Zealand... and she designed this lamp!

As I’ve said before… design is everywhere and everything is design!

When I started working at designhouse and Marimekko I met Monique, a wonderful girl from New Zealand that was living in Vancouver with her fiancee (now husband!!!!!)Scott.

Monique is also a designer and we kind of understood each other’s obsession for chairs! so, when she moved back to New Zealand I asked her to share with design glimpse some of her work… specially her Lotus Lamp!

I’m completely in love with the lamp, it’s like having an art installation at home… I love great design and specially design that looks as beautiful as this lamp!

I asked Monique to tell us a little bit about the lamp, and if you happen to have any questions or a particular interest on her work you can also contact her at mcfurnituredesign@hotmail.com .

Monique, would you mind telling me more about the lamp? When did you come up with the design? What inspired you?

OK, so I designed the lamp in late 2005 and actually exhibited it at a store called the Urban Lounge when it was still a hand cut prototype.  Not long afterwards I was accepted to exhibit them at The 2006 Australian International Furniture Fair in Sydney in an up and coming designers section of the show called "The Edge".

The lamp was featured in Urbis (a NZ design mag) and Australian House and Garden Magazine.  

Then I left NZ to go travelling and put everything on hold.  I had hoped to try and get some Canadian stockists but my original bracket inside it doesn't fit many light fittings in North America, so now that I am back home and designing again I will work out a new North American bracket.  

I have no idea what inspired my lamp it sort of came out of nowhere, I did want to design something flat packed and easy to take to exhibitions overseas, and all of my work is quite multifunctional either you can use it for an entirely different purpose or you can change it around.

Currently the Lotus lamp is on display at Statements Gallery in Napier New Zealand along with my most recent design the Library Chair.

** thanks Monique for sharing with design glimpse!!! please keep me updated with your projects and feel free to keep sharing :)

LoveCake's 1st anniversary!!!

LoveCake is turning 1!!!! 

... And since Lindsey is celebrating this month, LoveCake will be hosting some pretty amazing giveaways and of course I couldn't miss the opportunity to share with all of you this amazing blog!

So I asked Lindsey to share with us a little bit of her blogging, crafting and life experiences as the creator of LoveCake!

** Thanks Lindsey for taking the time and being part of design glimpse! I hope you enjoy the post! **

Behind LoveCake there is ... a 26 year old woman, mom & wife who is embracing her creative self again while navigating the land of raising a toddler, Master E and being a great wife to a supportive hubby.

My expectations of LoveCake ... Hmm... It's hard to say because one minute I felt like I wasn't going to ask much of this blog and the next I was thinking it could be something really fantastic. But it had to always be something that would evolve and grow and feel like me throughout.. I wanted it to be my blank "blog canvas". So, to me that meant that if I wanted to bring awareness to bullying { like I did in my 4th or 5th post } or talk about how some days I'll be getting out of my pj's and brushing my teeth just as my husband comes home from work, I could. It's a no guilt, frilly around the edges, fluffy in the center, sweet and salty kinda blog. 

LoveCake's 1st year in a paragraph... I think I summed it up above. However, I will add that there were days it was hard to find something to blog about or I just didn't want to. LoveCake luckily was kind to me and adapted to how I felt... it was still there if I spent 3 weeks tending to a teething boy and suffering sleepless nights. And thankfully, it didn't ask me to blog about it.. 

What's next for LoveCake... LOTS of giveaways this month. I've also started a little range of felt hair pins - super adorable. And I'm hoping to incorporate more of my artwork into LoveCake's etsy shop and I'd love to do some guest blogging. Any takers? Ha. More cooking/craft tutorials... cake decorating...maybe even a little party planning…

I feel so lucky to have reconnected with an old friend from school. That's the power of blogs and social networking. Carmen and I go all the way back to grade 8 and it's pretty awesome that 10+ years later we find ourselves blogging and becoming moms! Happy 1st LoveCake and Happy Motherhood Carmen!! XXOO

ps. don't forget to enter LoveCake's giveaway! 

http://lovecake.ca/2011/03/10/1stitch2stitch-giveaway/

Cheryl made a mobile for the baby!

As you know… a couple of weeks ago I had a baby shower! and got lots of beautiful, nice, cute little things for the baby!

One of the gifts was a mobile my friend Cheryl did. With all my handmade, craftiness loving I asked her if it would be ok for me to post something on the blog about her creation! She sent me some pictures of the process and pictures of the baby’s view and everything!

She also did a super cute origami tag for the gift with a paper full of owls! I loved it!!

So thanks Cher for taking the time and creating this amazing mobile!!!

baby shower crafts

I sent my friend Maya the little owls I drew for the shower and she designed the invites!!

It’s been a long long time since I last blogged… and I have missed blogging like crazy! But I guess that when you’re about to have a baby, leave your job, start getting everything together to move to another city and just try to survive it all it is hard to find time, sit down and well, blog.

So, having said that… I had my baby shower last weekend and decided to embrace the “handmade” and designed, cut and sewed the favors for my guests! (I must confess I got LOTS of help from my mom!)

I also did some pom poms… which I must confess were really simple but only if you have very and I mean VERY good scissors!! If you don’t have a good pair of scissors I would suggest buying them… just for peace of mind!

The theme I’ve chosen for the baby’s nursery is OWLS, so the baby shower was all about owls as well.

They seem to be everywhere lately but I must confess I do not like birds… I don’t know why but I’ve never liked them… until I got pregnant and became totally fascinated by this cute little creatures!

I took some pictures of the “handmade” process and finalized products… I hope you like them! I truly enjoyed being so crafty!! It made me smile!

I'm not a pastel person so the baby shower stuff had to be bright and bold!

We found this cute little ribbon for the favor bags!

Loved how they looked on their little baskets!

Owls and pom poms.

Oh!!! And Marga (my cousin) did some owl pop cakes… they were a success!!! Hmmm… I think there’s still one left!

Owl pop cakes and favor bags!

Thank you notes I did for my friends!
(Maya, Marga and my mom (Leonor) were the ones who organized the whole thing! so they deserve to have their thank you notes on the blog!!)