Love Swah » Visual Pleasures

Fashion Cupcakes

Swah — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:32:18 +0000

You know when you stumble across something on the internet and think “damn I wish I thought of that”. Well, it happens to me quite often. And when I saw these awesome fashion-inspired cupcakes made by Edsalv Lisa and photographed by Therese Aldgard I knew I had to share. They accurately portray the style of each fashion label through lighting, colour and design, cleverly creating boob cupcakes for Agent Provocateur and a red velvet interior to represent the infamous Christian Louboutin shoe.

Agent Provocateur

Betsey Johnson

Chanel

Louis Vuitton

Christian Louboutin

Which is your favourite designer cupcake? Are there any fashion labels you would love to see them create?

Design Inspiration

Swah — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 23:53:32 +0000

Hola, life is pretty insane at the moment. I have started a new job, taken on a mountain of freelance work, am in the midst of redesigning this blog (and making it some business cards, finally!), have several baking projects coming up and am now a product photographer for a few awesome hair brands! I am looking forward to catching up/meeting a lot of you at next weekend’s Eat Drink Blog Conference and hoping I will have managed to squeeze some sleep and exercise in during the lead up.

When I have some (rare) downtime, I have been trawling Pinterest for some design inspiration (when I am not watching new Dexter or Revenge episodes of course, omg TWIST!) and thought I would share some works that caught my eye.

Sources 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

Jessica Hische designs the Penguin Drop Cap series

Swah — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:00:39 +0000

I’ve spoken of my love for Jessica Hische before and was super excited to hear she has collaborated with Paul Buckley (the Penguin Art Director) to produce a series of Penguin book covers featuring an illustrated drop cap designed by Jessica. Each book will also have “a foil-stamped paper-over-board case and a decorative color stain on all three edges.”

A is for Austen.

B is for Brontë.

C is for Cather.

To see more of this collection check it out here. And if you’re unfamiliar with Jessica’s Daily Drop Cap then do yourself a favour and explore her beautiful lettering here.

Addicted to Succulents

Swah — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 01:00:05 +0000

A while ago I blogged about my 2 little succulents planted in Wedgwood tea tins and some succulent-related inspiration. Well this love for succulents has seemed to have turned into a full blown addiction and they keep multiplying!

We have a table out on our balcony that they sit on (the herb garden has been shoved off onto the ground, sorry herbs). The succulents are a mixture of presents, plants I have bought at Bunnings, a few from Surry Hills markets and quite a few cuttings from plants I find when I go walking.

I love the variety of shapes and colours the succulents come in. I have a soft spot for the pale plants.

This little guy is my favourite! It reminds me of a ceramic rose.

I also love this pale guy, he is a cutting from a plant I found around Redfern and has been sitting in a glass of water for the past month. These weather-beaten pots I find on my morning jog all around Surry Hills. I keep coming back from my workout lugging a variety of pottery and covered in dirt.

This looks like a rose and a cabbage had a baby! I got in from Bunnings, I need to buy some new pots as I hate the plastic aqua containers they come in.

My Wedgwood plants are still going strong! On the far right is a Milo tin I recycled, just make sure you punch holes in the bottom of your found containers so the water can drain.

How cute is the little polka dot pot? I got it for very cheap from a $2 shop.

Aaaaaand here is part 2 of my succulents. This table is kept indoors but still gets afternoon sun. These are cuttings I get from established succulent plants around the neighbourhood. I sit them in glasses of water until their roots form, then they can be planted in soil and moved outdoors.

I found this guy on the side of the road, dried out and caked in dirt. I have cleaned him up and trying to bring him back to life. Succulents are very hardy so I think he’ll do just fine!

This is a gorgeous cutting I got which is ready to be planted soon.

Check out those roots!

My next succulent-related project is to try and make a terrarium!

My housemate is being very patient about our balcony and living room filling up with plants. But she knows it’s either this or cats. Lots and lots of cats.

Visual Pleasures: David Seetoh Lang

Swah — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:12:54 +0000

I just came across this amazing photograph on Pinterest by David Seetoh Lang and was blown away. It is quite possibly the most fun, unique and sweet portrait of a woman and a cat I have ever seen. Also the logistics of this shot baffle me, was there someone off screen hurling the cat into frame repeatedly? Haha.

After looking through David’s extensive portfolio I found the set of images this shot came from – a series of Heidi Iro and her cats, shot in Salzburg, Austria. Here are some of my favourites.

Have a great weekend everyone. Please don’t throw any cats, no matter how inspired you are by this gorgeous shoot ;)

Vivid Sydney Festival 2012

Swah — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 01:20:30 +0000

Vivid Sydney is a festival that takes over the city after dark from 25 May – 11 June this year and transforms Sydney into a spectacular canvas of light, music and ideas. I attended last year and was blown away by the light sculptures and projections and thoroughly enjoyed a performance by Bat For Lashes in the Sydney Opera House. This year my expectations were exceeded – the light sculptures were just as impressive but they really stepped it up a notch with the projections onto the MCA, Customs House and the Opera House. Amazing. My week was topped off by a performance of Karen O’s “psycho opera” Stop The Virgens at the Opera House.

Vivid Light Sculptures and Projections

The MCA was amazing this year with an ever changing kaleidoscope of colours projected onto its facade.

There were many other light sculptures dotted along the water from the Opera House to Walsh Bay.

The projection onto the Opera House by Urbanscreen, a German design collective, was truly breathtaking. Utilising the techniques of light projection, video mapping and motion graphics, they have incorporated pattern and writhing human forms that complement the unique design and shape of the Opera House.

Customs House has been covered with animation sequences by The Electric Canvas

I made some animated GIFS :D

A few more light sculpture shots from my Instagram:

After walking around in the dark and cold for hours it was 10pm and I was feeling peckish. Knowing my only food prospects at this time of night were McDonalds or Burger King, I sullenly walked back to the station. But lo and behold I stumbled across the Cantina Mobil parked outside Customs House – my first food truck spotting!

I got a soft taco with slow roasted chipotle beef and red cayenne chilli sauce for only $4.50! It was absolutely delicious and exactly what I needed at that time of night. To find out where the Cantina truck is next check out their Twitter.

Karen O in Stop the Virgens

A few nights later I returned to the Opera House to take in Karen O’s new project – Stop the Virgens. From the Vivid Live website: Seven years in the making and featuring over fifty artists onstage, Karen O’s STOP THE VIRGENS is Vivid LIVE’s most ambitious undertaking yet. Created by Karen O, the frontwoman of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, in collaboration with KK Barrett, production designer behind Being John Malkovich and Lost In Translation, and indie theatre/film director Adam Rapp (Red Light Winter, In Treatment) the self described ‘Psycho Opera’ transcends the traditional boundaries of popular music, theatre and performance.

The performance was visually and aurally stunning – the costumes and stage backdrops were amazing. Unfortunately there are no cameras allowed in the Opera House, these are photos by Prudence Upton and Daniel Boud.

The Karen O opera is now finished but you can still check out the light sculptures and projections until 11 June from 6pm-12am. Don’t miss out!!

A colourful home

Swah — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:17:29 +0000

A lovely friend recently introduced me to the credit-card draining website Beautiful Spaces. A lot of ooohing and aaaahing soon commenced and I honestly don’t know where to start! So many colourful objects to brighten up your home. Should I buy the Pantone pots for my blossoming herb garden? The delicate bird shaped sugar cubes for my tea? Or the coloured sugar for my baking decorations?

This coloured sugar will surely brighten up the dreariest of afternoons – a spoonful of fushia sugar stirred through your tea or sprinkled on a vanilla cupcake.

These sugar hearts are almost too cute to use! But would be perfect for a special occasion like a high tea or engagement party.

And still on the topic of sugar we have these stunning bird, Eiffel Tower and cherry shaped sugar cubes. And some even hang off the edge of your teacup! Cuteness overload!

Continuing my love for all things Pantone - there are now Pantone pots! I need a rainbow of pots for my herb garden on my balcony that’s for sure.

And beautiful Solifleur vases

And finally we have Pantone breakfast sets and dinner sets. Meal time has never looked so fabulous!

Pantone Tarts

Swah — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:31:05 +0000

You know how much I love it when baking and design come together (see this post on Pantone cooking accessories) – well these Pantone Tarts by French food designer Emilie de Griottes blew me away!

Wow! I highly recommend you go and subscribe to her blog, her work is amazing. Thank me later.

Delicious Desserts

Swah — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 01:20:33 +0000

My apartment is still in shambles – boxes everywhere, IKEA furniture semi-assembled, clothes stuffed in garbage bags…. And I can’t find my cupcake baking trays. Disaster! So as I can’t currently bake (and I am going a little stir crazy from baking withdrawls) I will have to satisfy my dessert obsession by looking at delightful baking images online (thank god for Pinterest).

♥ I want to get better at piping roses (good thing I am enrolled in a cupcake decorating course!)

Source: google.com via Swah on Pinterest

♥ Loving these gorgeous heart shaped cookies. Great gift idea for a birthday or engagement.

Source: google.com.au via Swah on Pinterest

♥ I need to make more desserts in jars! Looks sweet and is easily transportable. Win win :)

Source: babble.com via Swah on Pinterest

♥ I must try and make a white chocolate cheesecake that hopefully looks half as good as this divine specimen

Source: translate.googleusercontent.com via Swah on Pinterest

♥ HOMEMADE SNICKERS BAR. Need I say more?

Source: howsweeteats.com via Swah on Pinterest

♥ Stunning layers of different shades of pink cake. Also loving the bunting decoration.

Source: call-me-cupcake.blogspot.com via Swah on Pinterest

♥ Beautifully made and styled dessert table. I would be more than happy to have this at my next party!

Source: ruffledblog.com via Swah on Pinterest

♥ Cupcakes baked in ice-cream cones – genius!

Source: theswellelife.com via Swah on Pinterest

♥ And finally, quite possibly the most beautifully piped cookies I have ever seen.

Source: sweetsugarbelle.com via Swah on Pinterest

I am inspired and armed with a whole load of new recipes and techniques to test out. Keep an eye out for my results once the kitchen is officially up and running again!

Audrey Kawasaki

Swah — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:55:05 +0000

After lusting over Audrey Kawasaki’s work for years and seeing her exhibition back in 2010, I finally purchased my first print last night!

Where I Rest is still availale to purchase on Audrey’s site here

Audrey’s work is both innocent and erotic, combining the styles of Japanese manga and Art Noveau. She paints with oil paints directly onto wood, letting the pattern of the grain show through. The imagery she uses in her paintings is hauntingly beautiful and I can’t wait to add more to my collection!

For more examples of her work check out her site at www.audrey-kawasaki.com