Creature in progress, I think she/he may be a rabbit, a deer at a stretch. Need to come up with a suitable outfit now. I am thinking Liberty and yellow.

Looking forward to the release of Mini Moderns Festival tea ware range, love it so!

For some reason I never tire of looking at Anita Pallenberg.

Rather exciting to report that the fabulous online boutique Miso Funky is now stocking a collection of Lou Lou & Oscar hoops. Get on over to Miso Funky and have a peek at the range. While you are there take a gander at the world famous cross stitch collection & sweet craft kits, perfect for Christmas giving!

Thanks to everyone who left a sweet comment on my last post, I am happy to report that I am feeling better and getting back into my stride. I appreciate your concern and kind words and send you all a germ free hug.
xxx

As soon as I saw the image above over at Sweet Sweet Life (thanks Amy for keeping such a beautiful and inspiring blog, I always find something new, you have a wonderful eye) I lost my heart. What an inspired idea, simple, old school appeal and beautifully executed; an embroidered love note. Available from Dash of Magic, definitely a shop that is going places.

Katie will customize the note for you if you wish, the perfect gift for your love, best friend or secret crush.

Katie has just added some new items to her shop and they are equally wonderful; rustic oak chalkboards. Did I mention that Dash of Magic’s new collection is called “teachers pet”, get back to school over there now!

I discovered Sawako’s work via a twitter comment from Kit Lane telling the world that they had to click over and visit an amazing new Etsy shop. I found the most beautiful and original work at Alleluja, Sawako’s shop, I hadn’t come across anything similar anywhere else, an astounding combination of kawaii, colour and exquisite skill. Really it is so hard to convey just how perfectly made these tiny porcelain creatures are, you need to hold one in your hands, feel the smooth, glassy glaze next to the warm and fuzzy felt. I am a rhapsode for Sawako’s Kigurumi pincushions, oh and you can wear some of them as pendents as well!

Tell us a little about yourself, the media you work with and your creative process.

“My name is Sawako Hayakawa. I live with my partner and two cats in the suburbs of Tokyo, Japan. I work as a transcriber at my home office. In fact, I don’t know how you say my job in English correctly. It is to convert the oral conversation into the reading ones. I keep typing almost everyday. I began to go to the ceramic workshop of the neighbouring town ten years ago. That was my first experience of ceramic work.

“Also, I started to do the needle felt in my own style a few years later. In after years, I combined them with my work as the pincushion. I think it is the natural flow, because I like the wool as much as the clay. Now, I make the ceramics in my spare time. I formed porcelain soil in my home and do the glazing and the firing in the ceramic workshop.”

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From where do you draw your inspiration: music, books, people, nature etc?

“I like movies and music. Also, I like science fiction novels and manga. My work is sure to have all those influences. Usually, I draw rough sketches before making ceramic works. Every time I find any cute thing, I make a simple sketch of them in my notebook.”

“I always listen to music while making my work, and I’m an iPod user outdoors. I like music such as alternative rock, indie rock and folk music. This music uplifts my feelings and it surely leads me to better work. And I like cats. I find the “kawaii” in their casual gesture day by day. I am inspired by their cuteness.”

“Above all, I like movies very much. My screen name “alleluja” was taken from the hero in a spaghetti western movie titled “Heads I Kill You, Tails You’re Dead! They Call Me Hallalujah”. I’m a movie lover. I am dedicating my work to the movie as a hommage in a somewhat strange way.”

If you could talk briefly about the background to one of your pieces which would you choose and why? Please tell us the story behind the piece.

“I want to talk about my Kigurumi pincushion. I have begun to make this works recently. At first I intended to make Kigurumi doll of the porcelain. “Kigurumi” means a stuffed-animal suit in Japanese. I have been interested in the animal suit long before and I tried to make it with the ceramic art work. I molded an animal suit doll with clay and laid it prone. That pose of the tiny animal suit doll reminded me of a scene in a well known movie.”

“It is Hitchcock’s “The Birds”. At the outdoor party scene, a flock of birds descended on the children and attacked them. One girl who was running away fell prone, a bird stopped on her head. She was struggling to escape from the bird. She fell down on the ground and fluttered her foot. It was a very impressive scene. I felt sorry for her, and even more, I was instinctively fascinated. It was really cute! So, I decided to make Kigurumi dolls fall prone and make pincushion in their back. By such a process, the Kigurumi pincushion was completed.”

“I received a lot of responses to my Kigurumi pincushion at Etsy and Flickr. It’s wonderful! It makes me feel really happy! I want to thank KitLane who encouraged me when I was hesitating about having my Etsy shop. And thank you, Lisa! I could think deeply about my work and myself through this interview.”

Find Sawako here:
Flickr
Etsy

What a joy to learn some more about Sawako and her beautiful work. Thank you so much Sawako. I adore the story of the inspiration behind the Kigurumi pincushions, I must watch that scene again. Good bird phobia aversion therapy. Do you lovely kittens have any unusual sources of inspiration? I would love to know. I will let you into a little secret, my pieces for Plush You have been made with memories of Battle Of The Planets swirling around my head, do you remember that cartoon, I was *obsessed* with it is a child?!

I am so very happy to have Belinda with us at LL&O, on a grey & rainy day her work lifts my heart. I want to bathe in those beautiful, rapturous colours, float and spin in the air amongst abstract shapes that are full of joy, somehow! Grab your comfiest chair and say hello to Belinda, a treat indeed.

Tell us a little about yourself, the media you work with and your creative process.

“I live in an inner city suburb of melbourne {Australia} with my husband and our two little boys. I like to be close to great cafes and galleries and walk to most places I need to get to {I don’t have my lisence!}.”

“My work is mainly mixed media ~ a mix of drawing and painting, drawing and collage, painting and collage, block printing and drawing! I work with whichever medium appeals to me at the time. they all have their different attractions to me {physically and aesthetically} and it usually depends on my mood as to what I go with! Sometimes I have a clear image in my head as to what the piece might be, but most often just a vague inkling or feeling. I love to make quick sketches as I work ~ often the best ideas come from working. Sometimes the sketches form part of a new series or the next piece. I like to work on a few pieces at once or have a few in progress.”

From where do you draw your inspiration: music, books, people, nature etc?

“I draw inspiration from reliable sources like magazines, galleries & the internet and incidental sources like: colour combinations that I see in daily life that pop out {an almost fluro orange cup floating in a white bath tub, a vermillion flower against a dark grey wall with soft chalky green leaves}; landscapes ~ a memory of the Swiss Alps from a boat on a lake, cane fields, the ocean ~ especially on an overcast day; a blurry background; watching my kids draw & paint ~ they have no self-imposed limitations or judgement stopping the flow of ideas. They use colour and shape indiscriminately.”

If you could talk briefly about the background to one of your pieces which would you choose and why?Please tell us the story behind the piece.

“I chose ‘Late Night Mist’ because it’s pretty new and I’m happy with it! The ‘mist’ paintings are my favourite pieces to work on ~ I find it really relaxing to paint the shapes of the mist and to see how the different levels of transparent white turn out over the other layers of colour.”

“It has a very brief story: this is an imagined landscape in the deep of night when the light is misty and the individuals who live in the hills have something important to say!”

“Thanks so much lisa for having me on your gorgeous blog.”

You can find Belinda in these places:
Gretchenmist Etsy Shop
Blog
Flickr

Don’t you feel a little happier looking at Belinda’s lovely work, those colours really sing don’t they? Thank you so much Belinda for joining us, it has been such a pleasure learning some more about you.

Hooray, I’m so glad the interviews are back, they really are such a joy to work on. Who will be up next week kittens, a little clue, we will be looking to the east.

Set your reminders because tomorrow Marichelle of the fabulous Heart Handmade blog will be hosting another “Shop Live” event in the Etsy Virtual Labs. The fun begins at 7pm EST and there are so many incentives to bag a seat. Marichelle has curated 30 items by 30 Etsy artists to showcase during the event & I am proud to say that one of my hoops has been chosen. To celebrate the event I will be offering 25% off the normal price of Love Me and free shipping on *everything* in the shop all day long (you get free shipping on ‘Love Me’ too if you snap it up of course!). Simply use this code in the notes to seller section at checkout “SHOPLIVEHH” and I will refund the discount via PayPal after payment. Simple huh? Read more about the event and the other participating artists over at Heart Handmade. It is sure to be a blast, Etsy joy live, live, live. I can’t wait!

Hooray, I have updated my shop with some new wall hangings and even a little bit of vintage for your pleasure. I’m not sure if the vintage pieces will become a regular fixture, the Severine dress spoke to me and asked to be tampered with, if any other articles of clothing decide to commune with me they may well end up in the shop too! Check back tomorrow for an exciting announcement and a very special offer! Goodnight kittens.

Just have to say that this is my favourite dress in the whole world! I need to save up. From Me & Oli.

Today is a pretty one, just crying out for some delicious handmade goodness. I have been spending too much time over the past couple of days grappling with my dissatisfaction over the images that are currently in my Etsy shop, wrangling with their lack of personality and marveling at everyone else’s fantastic shots. Really, I would like to start again, revaluate and learn a lot more about photography. I have a few new things for the LL&O shop waiting in line to have their photograph taken, I am thinking of postponing this weeks shop update so that I can find some time to concentrate fully on lights and the camera. We will see. Less frustratingly, make sure that you pop back later in the week for another super fantastic interview. Until later my dears.

Printemps VI wallpaper necklace (above) from L’Oiseau Rare

Mr Owl Top from Me & Oli

1931 Bambi edition & Old Oval wooden frame both from Little Byrd Vintage.

A Grand Discovery print from Groundwork

Button Collection with Grey Screen Printed Button Holder from I Love Grey Skies

Pink Teacups from Silocurb

Frida Lace Necklace from Fox & Clover

Book Notes Journal – Letterpress Cover from Small Square Design

Moths Ball Print from Dear Dodo

Apple Jacket from Jacquelineknits

Everybody’s book of kittens zine from Gemmabear

Vintage Purse from Show Pony

Big Plans print from Joutomaa

5 pocket Okinawa leather bag from Valhallabrooklyn

Slanted Bow Top from Lamixx

Antique Lace Card from Hibou Cards

Hair Pins by The Sparrow’s Nest

Vintage Arabia Pitcher w Cat, Finland, Kaj Franck from Domestikate

Bandit Lunch Sack from The Small Object

Picnic Table Shirt from Oh Leoluca

Arctic Foxen from Abigail Brown

Fibonacci rabbit number pin from Das Kaninchen

Lovebirds Plate from Nina In Vorm

Answer a riddle painting from LoucheLab

THANK YOU wood stationery set from Palomasnest

Yesterday I was buzzing with ideas and so excited to be planning new projects. I managed to bag a little something on ebay that I am going to use as the starting point for my next piece. There may even be a collaborative project germinating, more on this soon I expect! Today of course things are a little flat, impossible to fly everyday, so I am going to concentrate on planning Ishi’s third birthday celebrations. I can reveal that so far a desire has been expressed for chocolate AND carrot cake, meerkats, a big boy bike and candles, really the cake and candles are the most important element for our son! Happily I am able to meet all of these wishes, including the meerkats as Durrell have just opened a new desert landscape enclosure with a meerkat dome, yes, you can get face to face! Have no doubt that I will be posting a self-indulgent/proud mummy something here next week. Ishi’s birthday is also after all a time for me and Adam to marvel at the fact of his existence and I always enjoy reliving the events of Ishi’s birth, it is a bonding time for all of us. I hope you enjoy the gathering of Etsy wonders I have prepared for you, I can feel a little inspiration creeping in looking at them. Especially true of The Dream Stays With Me print (above) from Gretchen Mist, beautiful colours, they sing, I could gaze upon them all day.

Butterfly Gladness Garland from Royal Buffet

Laptop Bag from Track & Field

Scandinavian Red Hare from Dee Beale

Mr Plumm from Holli

Across – Felt cuff from Drawing Room

Crawler Pincushion-sea green from Alleluja. I am obsessed with this shop! See that little pendant in the middle I have requested one with bunny ears, I can’t wait until it is ready! I love these tiny darlings so much here are a few more images.

Invincible Summer Anthology Vol. II from Spinster Summer

1950′s Housewife Dress in Pink and Grey from Jess James Jake

Nature Lover Necklace in Rock Maple from Naomi Murrell

Hello There Pencils from Simple Song

Early Bird Gets the Worm from BROOKLYNrehab

Flower Quilted Dress – Original 70s Vintage from Celapiu

Ceramic Deer from Fruit Fly Pie

1920s clip board from Blue Bell Bazaar

la dentelle needlebook 2 from Field Guided

Mr. Susan Is Angry Because Deep Down, He’s Really Sad from Mon Petit Fantome

Birch Bark flower vase or votive candle holder from New Hampshire Wood Creations

VINTAGE ISSEY MIYAKE ABSTRACT GREEN SCARF from Ramona West

Trilobite Triptych from Donkey Wolf

The title gives away the age of this post or at least its inception. I have added a few things since I put this one together weeks ago. I have missed my Etsy roundups and my plush gatherings too. I have collected enough super fantastic softy images for my next installment but need to find a drop of time to put it all together. When I began the LL&O blog in January I promised myself that I wouldn’t use it as a forum for my whines and gripes (I can moan with the best of them. Adam and I have a ‘pretend’ production company called Cross & Grimm). I have found lately that it is becoming a little message board from which to proclaim my run of illness (scroll to the end for an update!) and lack of time-urgh! I am sure that many of you will relate to the inexorable gush of minutes and the notebooks filled with unfulfilled plans and schemes. There are so many things I would like to do with the blog, a longed for typography overhaul, giveaways, collaborations, videos, I would like to offer gratis ad space and become more active in the art/craft/handmade community. Oh so many dizzy ideas! Slow growth and longevity are perhaps the words I should be holding fast to, Lou Lou & Oscar is so very dear to me both as a project (sanity saver) and as a means to connect with truly lovely and remarkable people. Slow down Miss Hare. Ok, enough venting, feast your peepers on these goodies!

I’d Rather Be Happy With You Again print (above) from The Good Machinery.

All Secrets Sleep In Winter Clothes by Ali Aschman

Mid Century Fukagawa Plates from Monkeys Always Look

All My Peeps Out At Sea Print from Firefluff

Crow Kitchen Towel from Oola Designs

Geometry Set Jotter from Present and Correct

Twin Birches Pillow from Rural Diaspora

Andrea ring from Acts Of Kindness. Inspirational and so pretty, “Let Laughter Save The Day”, I couldn’t agree more!

Teardrop Pendant by Cathy Cullis.

Friendship Postcard from Enna.

Bugs purse from Bonspiel

Love Whale Necklace from Gypsy Rabbit.

I have had my eye on this Wooden Deer Wall Sticker pretty much since I joined Etsy, I am just waiting to redecorate! Available from Enna.

Chalkboard Flower Pot from Moxi Sisters

Nesting Material Print from Annarubyking

Warm Wishes Mug from Wee Gallery

Laundry Day In Dog Town Print from Ice Bear

Love, love, love this Collect and Carry Pouch from Forest Bound

Vintage Salt and Pepper Shaker from Shopworthy

Yes please Mr Easter Bunny, Nested Number 1 from Wunderlust.

A girl can dream of owning a Hiding Places Locket from Tiny Happy.

Not to eat, Egg Brooch from Vanilla Bug

Nautical Amelia Top in Liberty’s Mirabelle by Dear Birthday

1853 Hand Coloured Print from Slinkymalinkicat

La Lapin Brooch from Tilly Bloom

Cupcake Ring from Brooklyn Rehab

Hansel & Gretel Doll Suitcase from Shop 66

Oh Be True original painting by Lisa Congdon

Mellow Yellow Dress from Sarah Seven

Wood and Porcelain Pendant from Poodlebreath

Many & The Eucalyptus Tree print from Holli

Please Put It Away from Iviva Embroiders

Lace Print Reusable Sandwich Wrapper by ChezSucreChez

Miniature Girl from Ashley G and Drew

Porcelain Cup from Stepanka.

Yummy goodies! Ishi and me are both doing quite a bit better, we can’t seem to fight off the coughs and snivels, but we are upright-hooray! Thank you so much to everyone who left get well wishes, it is truly appreciated and helped beat the bugs I’m sure. I am hoping to wade into my inbox today, I have felt so disconnected and have missed my lovely friends terribly, I will also be trying to meet a project deadline, only a few days to catch up. I will reveal all very soon. There is of course this week’s interview to come, a bit of a Brooklyn theme for the next two weeks, a little hint! I hope that you all had a wonderful Easter break, hands up who never wants to see chocolate again?! XXX