Home with Beci Orpin
Recently, Readings Visual Merchandising talent Miranda La Fleur and I had the pleasure to actually, literally, be at home with Beci Orpin for a wonderful crafternoon to celebrate her new book, Home: 25 Amazing Projects for Your Home.
Hardie Grant organised a special hands-on workshop with Beci for a few booksellers and retail shops. As we gathered, gossiped and crafted around the kitchen table we were treated to some delicious eats by Raph Rashid of Beatbox Kitchen and Taco Truck - crafting is very hungry work!
Crumbed Eggplant sandwiches with slaw on Baker D. Chirico bread.
Home is Beci’s second craft-themed book and follows a similar format to last year’s cute and kooky Find and Keep: 26 Projects to Spark Your Imagination. The new title is filled with inspirational photography (as well as step-by-step how-to photographs for the projects), Beci’s unique and quirky illustrations, lots of colour and pattern and the beautiful book design is by Michelle Mackintosh.
There has been a revival in craft, decorative arts, mending/making do, re-purposing and up-cycling in recent years and Beci’s new book has a bunch of tricks to spruce up your living spaces with a range of projects grouped under three areas - ‘Living Space’, ‘Working Space’ and ‘Sleeping Space’.
I must admit, that I am an aspirational crafter. I’d love to have more crafty success stories in my life, though time and patience are my bugbears. With Beci’s help I was delighted to learn how to make a very nifty wall-hanging/ornament featured in the book called the Ojos de Dios (which translates to God’s Eye in Spanish).
Religious connotations aside, it was some kind of miracle to fashion something out of wool and sticks that was so soothing to create and looked brilliant. I will definitely be making more of these and group them hung on a wall as shown in the book, they look so striking!
We finished off our Ojos de Dios with woollen hand-made pom-poms - which I hadn’t made since I was a kid and they are such a simple, fun thing to make.
Ojos de Dios.
Making pom-poms.
At this time of year, moving through Spring towards Summer, it’s the perfect time to break out the paints, wrangle the sewing machine (for the brave) and get into the cool and crafty projects featured in Home. Click here to see some photos of our day, as well as instructions on how to make some Ojos de Dios of your very own.
Thanks to Hardie Grant and Beci for the wonderful afternoon, and the lovely goodie bags.
