Friday, 19 September 2014 by Irene Hoofs
Loving these West Germany vases in Kristina Dam her home. And shows again how these vintage ceramics make for perfect decoration in a home.
Thank you Danielle for including the Bloesem Gazette in the latest news from the Blogging World!
These many floral beauties can only mean a truly Happy Spring!
These quilted placemats ...
Chilly days call for cute clothes ...
Our friends from Deckle and Hide will be teaching us how to make candles soon!
All things pretty ...
Some dainty jewelry that we've been loving ...
A whole new look for our instagram mom column on Bloesem kids ...
This warm Australian home.
All things pretty ...
Xo, The Bloesem Team
Thursday, 18 September 2014 by Irene Hoofs
On wednesdays when I am not at Bloesem I try to spend some time exploring parts of Singapore I have not seen. One wednesday, a friend invited us to the The Tiny Roaster, a little cafe his sister had just opened. The loveliest little coffee studio it was to spend an afternoon in. They offer artisan hand brews, as well as roasted coffee beans, for you to get your caffeine kick at home.
Located in Clementi, Singapore, it is tucked away between some of the blocks of houses but it is definitely worth visiting. Have a look at the photos yourself! You just know they put their heart and soul into everything, from the coffee to the decor. (I was told the beautiful door handle was made by the dad of the owner. ) Xo, Zara.
Wednesday, 17 September 2014 by Irene Hoofs
If you have not heard, we recently published the second issue of the Bloesem Gazette, this time it came along with an online version - the Bloesem e-Gazette!
Here's a sneak peek to one of our favourite articles in the latest Bloesem e-Gazette (click here to download it). Irene shares her love of ceramics with us in this article, introducing us to some of the big names in ceramics and letting us in on how she goes about collecting all the beautiful pieces we have seen both on the blogs and her instagram.
Read on: Coveting Ceramics..
// Text and pictures by Irene Hoofs
I have always been attracted to vintage ceramics. It combines all the things I like about design: prints, colours, illustrations and functionality. Not that I know much about the technique used in producing tableware, porcelain or ceramics in general. My only criteria is whether I think a particular piece is beautiful!
The variety in vintage ceramics is overwhelming, and the jargon can be confusing. I simply use the generic name ‘ceramics’ for all items made out of clay (or similar materials, if that is even possible). My own collection of vintage ceramics started out rather modest, consisting only of a few pieces I found at flea markets and garage sales on trips back to the Netherlands. But over the past few years, these humble beginnings are indeed a thing of the past and I am proud to say that I have managed to collect (or amass one might say) some great pieces.
Some of my new vintage finds from the Netherlands (including the ones shown here) are on sale in Bloesem Shop, if I can tempt you to drop by and have a look! Truth be told, collecting genuine vintage ceramics requires quite a bit of luck and persistence, in addition to a skilful eye. A collector-to-be must have a knack for patiently and relentlessly browsing through thrift stores in search of the holy (ceramic) grail. Ignoring raised eyebrows and funny looks while turning and examining every piece of ceramics, hoping to spot that cherished mark or logo!
Once you start searching for ceramics it is easy to get lost, it is a collectors’ heaven for sure.
Scandinavian and Dutch pieces are my true passion, so naturally my focus has been on designs from these regions. And the images you see in this Gazette are from my Nordic collection. Vintage ceramics are great pieces to add to your home to give the decor a personal and unique touch, creating your own personal museum. One iconic piece mixed in with some more modern pieces can make a world of difference. Use beautifully illustrated ceramics as centerpieces for your table, to give a little life and character to the space. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the world of ceramics. There are so many beautiful designs out there I just know you will have a great time looking out for the perfect ones!
.. Bloesem e-Gazette
Tuesday, 16 September 2014 by Irene Hoofs
The last week of August was dedicated to shibori dyeing with Arounna from Bookhou. Arounna and John reside in Canada but were here for a week's stay along with 5 classes - 3 shibori classes and 2 other water coloring classes.
The artistic couple took this chance to explore Singapore and do abit of painting too. We loved following their journey on Arounna's instagram account. They painted in the park and noticed all kinds of beautiful flora and fauna which we might have taken for granted.
Anyway, back to the shibori class.. it went swimmingly! With the shibori print being one of the hottest trends on the market (we've been seeing alot of it online for awhile now), it was fun seeing the students explore different techniques and coming up with different patterns. Arounna brought along some samples she had created previously for reference which really helped inspire everyone.
We also learned that the indigo dye is really powerful. Everyone left looking very contented but also looking abit dead with their blue finger tips! At least everyone had a great time!
Prepping their patterns by using marbles, rubber bands and ice cream sticks.. just some of the options.
Post-dyeing: The most satisfying part of the entire process - cutting away the rubber bands and revealing the pattern!
Food break!
Voila!
The aftermath..
If you joined us for the shibori class, thank you! And we hope you had as much fun as we did. If you missed it we are sorry to hear that but we always organize different classes so you might find something else you would enjoy as well.
Image credits: Mei Kwee - our lovely operations manager.
.. If you are interested to find out more about Bloesem Class
.. Class coming up: Be Insta Good with Jelito de Leon or read our post about the class here.
Monday, 15 September 2014 by Irene Hoofs
Walking the line between art and functional design is Kristina Dam. Her interior collection is just breath taking, integrating pieces of art into living spaces seamlessly. One great example is the mirror mirror. Use it as a mirror by flipping the center piece from side to side or as in art piece. Beautiful either way.
Another outstanding piece is the magazine rack. The simple yet functional design allows you to both store magazines and hold a cup of coffee or your bowl of morning yoghurt. The use of marble and wood is also a home run.
View her entire interior collection here, as well as her other graphic design work and of course her shop!
Friday, 12 September 2014 by Irene Hoofs
Holly's Blog Boss social media online class is now enrolling! Have you signed up?
The Bloesem store has been included on this list of 50 alternative things to do in Singapore.
Food imagination with M&S
Have you seen our Bloesem store make over?
Rubyellen's beautiul floral wreaths at the Misha Lulu art show
Cactus leaves as decor.
Marble is definitely the pattern of the moment.. this tote is amazing
Geology of shoes
A beautiful Japanese store interior
As a wearer of eye glasses myself, Faces by the Satorialist is true eye candy!
Love the "My Better Half" series on Amanda's blog
Bloesem Class: Next week will see Jelito de Leon in Singapore teacher us to Be Insta Good!
xo, The Bloesem Class
