Kids furniture

Although these are not new, I just realised I never posted any pictures of our range of kids furniture here. We have been using locally made ordinary furniture and "dressed" it with cloth. The we apply our secret protective concoction and you can wipe it clean with a soapy wet cloth or sponge! Available in a selection of fabrics or with your own choice.

Dresser, table, stools, kids-height handwashing station...

And a rain of knitted jute and batik floor cushions for a playful and inviting children's nook:

Appliqué initialed table linen

Because a new house needs new accessories, and also because we'd left this line of articles aside for far too long...

This is my production of yesterday. Six 100% cotton placemats (2 for each member of the family) with initials and matching napkin or bib in a beautiful soft-coloured batik.

I love the easy to use tiny patterns, the subtle gradation ...

... and understated mix of colours ...

and this top-heavy lettering (Showcard Gothic) which, I think, lends a decidedly modern-retro feel to something that could so easily err on the side of well-meaning handicrafts of some soppy Lady Bountiful.

Heads up! ATAG Craft Bazaar 2011 this Saturday!

Announcement from ATAG:

Invitation to ATAG's Craft Bazaar 2011

We kindly invite you, your family and friends to join us for our annual Pre-Christmas Craft Bazaar.

Venue: ATAG's premises, Pavilion X, Ghana International Trade Fair Centre, La, Accra

Date: 26th November 2011

Time: 9.00am - 6.00pm

Side attraction theme:

"Decorative and Functional Craft Pieces For The Home"

Come and pick a gift for your family, friends and loved ones for Christmas.

For further information, contact: 0302 771 375, 0242 384 295

ATAG Craft Network Association of Ghana

PMB TF, 21, Trade Fair, La, Accra

Office location:

Pavilion X, Trade Fair Centre

Tel.: +233 0302 771 375; +233 0262 264 988

What we are working at

While most of GhanArts' workers are toiling at a new ever-increasing jewellery order for our NYC designer client, I'm left to give the finishing touches to what we're going to exhibit at the yearly ATAG (Aid to Artisans Ghana) pre-Christmas bazaar on 26th November.

Unfortunately, I'm not very good at production work. I find it much more fun to come up with new designs. So yes, while I was supposed to actually complete some samples and copy them for the event, my mind drifted again and I ended up trying something new.

It has to do with cocoa jute sacks and batik that is just not good enough to be used as is, but has gorgeous colours. The inspiration was my bedroom carpet... Enough said!

Back to finishing what is already more than half completed. Enjoy a fulfilling and creative day, all of you!

From birdhouses to birds...

It all began with an artist friend of mine (who works mostly with clay and wood) who was asked to produce his own idea of a birdhouse. For some reason I can't even begin to explain, what came to my mind immediately was a northern Cameroon Mousgoum "beehive" mud hut, or tolek.

Not really thinking about his rendition of a birdhouse anymore (which was actually all that mattered in the real world of commissioning, designing, producing and delivering), I started musing about the kind of birds that would visit such an unusual structure as a 'tropical' birdhouse. They, of course, would be colourful, to set off against a clay background. Hey, I suddenly thought, birds might just be another use for all the off-cuts remaining from my sewing activities!

I remembered seeing fabric birds on the Internet. Beautiful. But come on, (1) copying is not creating, and (2) I live in an "exotic" country, and the birds I could see with my no less exotic mind's eye were bright parrots, not tame, reasonably proportioned little birds. My birds would therefore have strong bills, a distinctive egret and an exaggerated long tail. Translating my idea into something reflecting the balance I wanted was a bit tricky.

My friend (of birdhouse fame) liked my colourful birds so much that... He decided he wanted butterflies too (I've never heard of butterfly-houses, have you?). Well, everything in its own good time. Butterflies will be the topic of another post.

And what about the birdhouse itself?

Can you help me locate this chair?

This specific chair has been on my mind for a few weeks now (please don't mind the watermark).

Can you, dear reader, help me locate a supplier for this model, either new or gently used, in Accra or Tema?

If so, please inbox me at ghanarts DOT studio AT gmail.com. Thank you!