Go easy on the clutch...

A couple of challenges this week: repeating the felt dice for a surfer friend, perhaps to adorn his station wagon? I like to imagine them swinging their way down to Bells, heavy metal blaring in the background. I even bought a thimble for the next time anyone wants to pay me a bzillion bucks to make another damn set ;)

My second challenge was inspired by this tute, found through here.

Mum used to have a couple of matching sparkly purses using these metal frames. I like ‘em cos they’re a little bit old fashioned and a little bit elegant. Also, they’re the perfect size to pop in keys, lip gloss and tissues (especially for weddings. I hate that I’m such a sucker at weddings, bah! plenty of tissues for jfox please).

The purse itself is a cinch to sew together, it’s a simple pattern to draw up and I added an inside pocket (for a tram ticket maybe?). It was a bit fiddly getting the fabric into the frame but it wasn’t as hard as keeping the glue from blobbing out onto the purse. Don’t look too closely ;D

Glue issues aside, I’m rather chuffed with the end result.

And how awesome is the burnt orange!

lomo schlomo

In recent years, the digital revolution has exponentially and essentially wiped out film based cameras. My first camera, a Pentax PC-303S lies dormant, though not forgotten (so rare to find a developers for film). It was with immense surprise and delight to simultaneously receive a kool digital cam (thanks heaps bellas!), and the more curious, a plastic toy, the Diana camera (big cheers to cammers and mike!).

Revived by the lomographic society (of the reinvented Russian lomo camera fame), the Diana camera recreates the 120 film camera which originated from the Great Wall Plastics Factory in Hong Kong during the 1960s. According to the accompanying booklet , this camera appears to be somewhat of a sleeper hit. Although upon immediate release, the Diana failed to find a market and was discontinued a decade later, lo-fi and experimental photographers have sustained a cult following of the Diana and its many 120 film cousin cameras.

It's been so much fun to be introduced to a medium film format and the resulting photographs have a gorgeous vignetting on the edges. The camera itself is lightweight, a little bit fragile and extremely bulky by today's standards. There are basic aperture and shutter settings, although there are some light leakages (got myself some electrical tape jaye!). The updated version includes a panorama or pinhole function and a tripod mount.

I loaned the camera to jaye who took some great shots on a jaunt to st kilda, and who sadly returned to SA before the prints were developed. Great photos jaye ;)




These were printed at the glorious Vanbar (excellent service, well recommended) and the suggested glossy finish results in a striking contrast between the grainy / tactile /slightly fuzzy quality of the image with the smooth shine of the paper itself.
If you're interested, you might be lucky to find one in an op shop or elsewhere on the internerd.
Can't wait to take some portraits with this!