Pia reporting from Amsterdam

May 30...another month has gone by...but a very special one for me here on Bloesem and I hope you had fun too visiting all these international places through Bloesem...the World Tour started in my beloved  city of Amsterdam...and I'm really happy that we're going to end** the Tour here as well...with a special report from an Australian women who lives in Amsterdam and whom I got to know a little bit more this year when she started her own gorgeous blog, packed with amazing images by herself and from other people..it's Pia Jane Bijkerk ...

"I’m a wanderer.  I love to wander wherever I am and try to make the time to do so as often as I can. My new home is Amsterdam, and I am head over heels for it’s quaint bridges, canals, and wonky old buildings. I love putting on my strolling shoes and wandering in Amsterdam, and this is one of my favourite wanders in this gorgeous city:

I start at utrechtstraat which is a strip of fabulous restaurants, cafes, homeware stores...CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL REPORT>>>

* * *Pia Jane Bijkerk blog
* * *My Heart Wanders project by Pia

**Did I say 'end'...well yes the May Tour is ending, but Bloesem is going to continue the World Tour every Friday when somebody from around the globe is going to give us a new report from a special place were he or she lives...so next week we're going to continue with a report from Kyoto in Japan by the sweet Amy from Pikkaland...

Pia and her favorite artist Greg Hyde

And this is Pia's other post for the World Tour in which she introduces us to her favorite artist, Greg Hyde, please son't forget to click here to see all the images and read the whole story...{Thank you so much Pia for your wonderful contribution to Bloesem's World Tour}

“Just outside of Bathurst in NSW, Australia, a road sign on the highway points to a place called “Sunny Corner”. Turn off to find a winding dusty trail that gently separates the grassy landscape. It’s this path that leads to a magical place…

Welcome to the artist sanctuary of Australian talent Greg Hyde. No corner of this property is untouched by imaginative flair. Greg and wife Trish built this farmhouse from mud bricks and pre-loved bits and pieces. The rambling garden joins the main house to the barn, which accommodates Greg’s studio, framing workshop and gallery. Oh, and a pristine croquet lawn if anyone fancies a game.

The greenhouse is a most intriguing space– it hardly holds a plant yet comes complete with “Vincent’s Yellow House.... CLICK HERE FOR MUCH MORE>>>

* * *Pia Jane Bijkerk
* * *contact Pia  

Maditi reporting from Traunstein, Germany

We're almost at the end of the Bloesem World Tour in May...but the tour wouldn't be perfect without making a stop in Germany at my dear friend Maditi, who has been my blog friend from the beginning of Bloesem...Maditi lives in a little village called Traunstein and the artist she would like to introduce us to is a her own very talented and creative sister Eva...'talent' obviously runs in the family...Maditi herself is well-known for her beautiful photographs and she is a 'polaroid specialist'!

:: meine schwester eva - my sister eva ::

"I live in a city called Traunstein, situated in the province of Bavaria, in the southeastern corner of Germany.
My home is surrounded by lakes and mountains and I enjoy capturing its beauty in my photography.

When it comes to art and design though, it can be challenging collecting ideas or finding visual input in my hometown. My main personal inspiration is my sister Eva. She has an ecclectic taste in design and is an avid collector of vintage ceramics. You can see some of her finds on her blog here. Eva has modeled for many of my polaroids and her vintage objects are frequently featured in my still life photography.

Recently I photographed a series for "Lines and Shapes" Vol. 2 using only some of her geometric and bold colored thrifted treasures."

I admire Eva's style and hope you will also enjoy some of the things she likes:
:: wood art by Ernst Gamperl 
:: ceramic design by Lubna Chowdhary
:: vintage design furniture at demosmobilia
:: Copenhagen Street Style
:: avant-garde fashion photography
:: photography by Dirk Mueggenburg

* * *Maditi's blog
* * *Maditi Photography

Greentea design discount

A brief stopover on our travels around the globe in my previous hometown Toronto… …wonderful Asian inspired furniture… genuine antique oriental pieces… cabinets, closets, tables…brought to you by Toronto based greentea design…sophisticated and just perfect for  spicing up your white walls, wooden or concrete floors…not only an Asian collection but also more contemporary as well as traditional wooden pieces… new shipments from Japan, Korea and Northern China arrive on a regular basis...

…and everything is available on-line… and the best thing is yet to come… greentea design offers Bloesem readers a 10% discount on bedroom furniture, particularly the dressers, wardrobes and bedside tables for the next four weeks until   June 26, 2008…so snatch up your very own Japanese Yoshida quickly…this is how it works… just mention the "Bloesem sale" when you order your item by phone or email.

 

Victoria and Angie Cao

And here is Victoria's second gorgeous post ... one of her favorite San Francisco photographers for interior design, Angie Cao...



"Angie Cao is one of my very favorite lifestyle and interior design photographers. Based here in San Francisco, I met Angie when she photographed designer Eszter Rabin of Emma Rose Papery's home and I  fell in love with her work then and there.
 
I then invited Angie to shoot my apartment for Apartment Therapy's House Tours book,

and then again for an article on my place in Australia's Real Living magazine.
 
She manages to make everything look so sublime, calm and peaceful, with just lovely natural lighting. Angie shoots commercially, but her photos don't look commercial and I find them completely inspiring. Angie says she began her love for photography while attending an all girls Catholic school, where without boys as a distraction, she focused all her attention on her photography.

She eventually found herself with a degree in advertising photography from the prestigious Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California. I hope that one day Angie compiles a book of her work, as it is certainly one that I would want gracefully displayed on my coffee table. For more about Angie and to see more of her work, you can take a look at her online portfolio on her website."

{Thank You Victoria  for these superb posts}

* * *sfgirlbybay
* * *contact Victoria

ps. giveaway contest

{ps. Arounna and I are having a little giveaway contest to celebrate Arounna's twentiest craft project last week on BloesemKids...Arounna would like to give one of you a beautiful care package to encourage your creativity (including one of her canvas tote bags with owl print)!} <<<click here to read more>>>