Last month marked one year since moving to Las Vegas. That year chewed me up, spat me out and then proceeded to give me a bear hug. There were a lot of valuable lessons learned, and challenges overcome. It was the most rewarding and amazing year of my life.

Lately I’ve had another shakeup which affected me very deeply. A tangled ball of emotions, tough decisions and new challenges was once again at my doorstep. I’ve had to re-evaluate why I’m choosing to live in this town. I’m staying for my career, for the people here who have truly coloured my life and couldn’t do without, and for the growing downtown community here.

I’m doing my absolute best to own this. Inevitably, homesickness set in and tunneled through my heart and mind. It briefly took away my creativity, my excitement for this town and my health. I’ve been busy trying to overcome this, but am also allowing myself to process this at my own pace. I’m scared that I don’t have a plan. I’m afraid because I have no idea what I’m doing. But I know how lucky I am here, being rich in support and opportunity. I know I’m stronger with each day.

To feel a more of a sense of home in my new place (and to distract myself), I’ve been putting my creative touch on things while keeping to a budget. I enjoy the challenge of creating a unique look at little cost. I share some of this below.

Cheapo Ikea Karlstad couch, hand tufted with these lovely buttons that I found on Etsy. The cushions were made with fabric from the gorgeous and talented ladies Lara and Teegs at Ink and Spindle in Melbourne. I feel I have these ladies with me here in spirit now; I miss seeing them in Younghusband Kensington every day.

I’m not really a television person, so I filled in the spot for it with a map of my favourite country ;)
Two owls from a vintage marketplace watch over things. The clock is also from the same vintage marketplace in Las Vegas. After coveting him for a year, I received Cody for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. His ambivalence makes me giggle when I catch his eye.

Some found pinecones from around my apartment block

Birthday carnations from mum. She came to visit in April and we had a lovely catch up.

A very cute postcard from Pawel when he was in Japan earlier this year

Bottlebrush is a common bush in Las Vegas/Henderson, who knew? It’s very comforting to see it!

The paper mask I made for the Zappos masquerade holiday party earlier this year. Another Jon Knox piece (he’s awesome, seriously) and my much loved Alarm Dock charging my phone.

I miss Melbourne breakfasts a lot, so I’ve taken to cooking them at home rather than trying to find them in restaurants here. This one reminds me of both eateries Provenance and Pope Joan that I used to visit on weekends :)

Hoping to create some new Owl Posse jewellery when I get back in the swing of things. Will post some experiments soon.

Coming soon!

This year instead of all of the usual guilt inducing resolution making, I thought I’d choose only fun and creative things I’d like to work on. This was partly inspired by a friend’s NYE party I attended. My friend made everyone take a random word from four different stashes, and create a resolution for this year out of them.

These were mine:

And so, by the end of April, I will give away a tiny piece of art to someone. I thought even though this was a random choosing, it fitted me quite nicely!

My other creative tasks for this year:

I produced a couple of short, fun videos last year and it was such a blast. I’d like to make some longer, more serious videos this year. Living in Las Vegas provides an excellent environment for inspiration and gorgeous visuals to boot.

So far I’ve only played with a few materials available in the world of 3D printing. 3D printing ceramics is pretty space age, and I’d like to rise to the challenge of making something practical. I want to make a pair of coffee cups that hold my 5oz Aeropress-made coffee perfectly. Regular mugs are too big and it gives the illusion you’ve been jibbed. I’m sure there’s already 5oz cups out there but it’d be pretty cool to have designed your own I think!

This is an extension of my jewellery designing, I’d really love to make something bespoke for myself. Watches are such a personal accessory that directly ties in with individual taste. I think there’ll be lots of technical challenges involved and look forward to starting this project.

My list is short, but achievable. It’s going to be a fun year!

Every artist has a list of talented, special people that touch their lives in the form of inspiration. I’d like to share some of mine. I am always particularly smitten with artists who combine art and tech in their expression. They are naturally curious about the world, and continually push the boundaries of what’s possible. Artists such as those below never fail to elicit a range of responses from their audience. Please do check their stuff out.

GOLAN LEVIN – “Code + Art”

Golan Levin combines computers and art to create wondrous, highly interactive works. In fact, Levin was pushing computer art as a concept well before the tech industry had accepted it as a valid form of expression. His work focuses on reactivity, from both the artwork and the audience themselves. The feedback flits back and forth between the two, often creating unexpected results. Levin has collaborated with many artists ranging from those versed in spoken art (the devilishly talented Jaap Blonk) to hacking (Zach Lieberman).

My favourite pieces of his are the Double Taker, and Re:Mark.

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THEO JANSEN

Theo Jansen is a Dutch artist who combines engineering with biology to create creatures known as ‘Strandbeests’ that are eerily almost alive. He’s been producing and studying these ‘Beests’ for over 20 years. There is a magic to the way they walk on beaches, and they challenge your perception of what your brain sees and what it wants to believe. His sculptures are truly breathtaking.

Jansen has recently collaborated with Shapeways to miniaturise his Strandbeests so you can have your very own walking 3D printed Beest. Visit his store here.

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I hope you found these amazing artists as inspiring as I do!

So two weeks ago the Owl Posse collection was launched, and I was overwhelmed by support from friends, family and internet people. Thank you so much for making it feel so special!

And as some of you were aware of, I was holding a little giveaway competition. Without further ado, the winner is…

MIMI !

Congratulations to Mimi – she has chosen the Oh My Gear Ring in black as her prize (doesn’t she have excellent taste, if I may say so myself? Heehee).

In other news, we now have two additions to the shop. Presenting the Dragon Hatchling ring and the Warp Tunnel ring:

Above: Dragon Hatchling ring

Above: Warp Tunnel ring

Hooray! Thanks to those who entered xx