MOOD 2

Current inspirations collated by Ivy Nina Valentina xx

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Welcome back to THE MOOD!! The series where I present to you everything that has been inspiring me and swimming around my brain. Photos, artworks, music, concepts, creations – if it’s something I can’t get out of my head, it’s in here!

Got a few cool things and creators I want to talk about today, so let’s not muck around!

Appliqué crafts

As a girl who loves collaging and scrapbooking I have always been fascinated by appliqué. To me, it is in the same stream as the aforementioned art forms, not just for the fact that it involves the adhesion of one piece of fabric to another but because of the fact that it is fabrics that are the main material in appliqué. Textiles are incredibly tactile in nature. The mind instantly goes to our clothes which we wear every single day and which are constantly touching our bodies. There is an instant association between fabric and touch – it’s the first thing that we want to do when we see a fabric we like. Appliqué to me is the magnum opus of collage. It is an art form which promotes working with your hands in unconventional ways and which (unlike other artworks) you are often encouraged to touch and feel once the final piece is complete. It’s approachable and it’s playful and I think that is so fun.

There are a couple of creators I’ve come across on Instagram who are making some super cutesy appliqué clothes. Magali (@maymagmove) has been making some really sweet yellow tanks with cheeky lil monkey appliqué designs. I also adore the work of Sara Dickman (@saras.sewing.room). I’m a huge fan of her rockstar-esque open neckline tee designs that feature appliqué electric guitars with the fretboard sliding over the shoulder as an extra strap. Additionally, her half eaten apple design inspired by beabadoobee’s tune ‘Take a Bite’ is so darling to me. These artists have stores on Depop and Etsy, so make sure to check them out!

Coach ladybug purse

I am in LOVE with this bag and I think that as a pair with the wallet it is just so sweet and charming. Don’t even get me started on the heels. I only discovered that they existed when I was trying to find a photo of the purse and I think I’m even more obsessed with them than I am with the bag. I love ladybugs. I think it’s so cute that they’re considered a sign of good luck and for me personally I always view it as a good omen if I cross paths with a ladybug in any form (insect, graffiti, keychain, etc.). The boldly stitched leather ladybugs against the classic coach iconography is just perfection to me. Truly. I think if I had these I would die happy and then be buried in/with them. Stunning, stunning, STUNNING.

Female Alchemy ceramics

The beautiful works of ceramicist Tatiana Cardona (@female.alchemy) came across my explore page about two weeks back and have been percolating on my mind ever since. Her mugs are so chic and full of character! The fun swirly hairdos along with the signature icy cool expressions and bold red lips are the height of high-fashion pottery to me. When (not if 😛) I become a super successful writer, I would love to have one of these as my go-to latte mug.

I’m also a big fan of the broader theme of girlhood and human connection that Cardona is exploring in her pieces. The fact that each of her pieces are one of a kind and never to be replicated due to the fact that they each embody a person she has known, loved or observed is a really fascinating concept to me. I dream of the day I have one of these in my collection.

Selected digital photos

When I ran away to Europe this year, I packed my bag full of 35mm film and my trusty Pentax Espio 90MC camera. Except it wasn’t actually so trustworthy and it started bugging out a week into our trip, rendering my plan for an album of hazy dreamy film photos capturing the time my sister and I had in Europe, obsolete. However, on the recommendation from our bestie, we both picked up the Kodak Pixpro C1 – a new to the market digital camera, pretty cheap and with oodles of sepia-glazed nostalgic magic. I’ve pretty much brought it everywhere with me since and I’ve taken some pretty funky photos. Above are a few that I’ve really been loving (please note the high heel renaissance mentioned in MOOD 1 in action).

An offline summer

Flip phone. Walkman. Digital camera. Inner peace.

Yes, I know that’s an oversimplification, but it’s definitely an idea I have been very obsessed with recently, especially with summer just around the corner. I’m sick of my brain constantly being preoccupied and feeling so full of junk. I want to feel sharp and be able to express myself clearly. I want to delete Instagram and have an attention span of more than a few seconds. I want to feel like a kid again with the bright imagination to match. I want to go to the beach and soak up the sun and not be so distracted with getting the right photo to post to my story. I want to have experiences with people in real life. This idea definitely goes hand in hand with what I was talking about in my recent opinion ‘LOVER, YOU SHOULD HAVE COME OVER!!!‘, but I just think life is so much better without the fake sense of connection that the internet and social media blinds us with. Like, I want to have FUN! I want to ride horses and jump off piers and collage and go see things and places I haven’t seen before!

In saying all of this, I know that a lot of these activities call for some form of map to get me to these places – something I usually rely on my iPhone for. And getting an Uber home from a fun night out requires some kind of smart phone as well. This dream is not without complications. I’m hoping at the very least to start taking some productive steps to reducing my screen time this summer.

With that, I bring MOOD 2 to a close! This one was just as fun to write as the last! Feel free to share any of your current fixations in the comments – I would love to know :)

Image sources:

@maymagmove monkey tank, SOURCE

@saras.sewing.room take a bite tee, SOURCE

@saras.sewing.room guitar tee, SOURCE

Coach handbag and wallet sourced via misschococattt, SOURCE

Coach heels and handbag sourced via ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒୧⋆ ˚｡, SOURCE

@female.alchemy Cinnamon Bubblegum, SOURCE

@female.alchemy Dalma, SOURCE

@female.alchemy matcha mug, SOURCE

@female.alchemy Cry Baby, SOURCE

@female.alchemy Candy Crush, SOURCE

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