ME LIKEY!

Another fabulous round-up of nice stuff :-)

(1) My very clever friend Miriam Elia is a comedian and she's so talented that BBC Radio 4 not only let her have her own show, but they paid her too! It's entitled A Series of Psychotic Episodes and it begins tonight, Radio 4, 11:15pm (but will be on iplayer for, like, ever). Here is Edward The Hamster, a quick glimpse into the mind of Miriam, do have a listen tonight won't you?


(2) A/W (autumn/winter for those of you who don't follow the fashion calendar) is upon us, and whilst I utterly detest cold, dark days, sallow complexions, everyone being ill, gardens looking dull and crap, cars breaking down and so on and so on, I have had to think of some A/W positives to stop myself sinking into a deep and dark depression. So here goes: (i) I can wear black opaque tights and don't have to arse about shaving my legs (ii) it's dark when I go to bed (iii) I can sell lots of stuff in the run up to Christmas (iv) I can go shopping for a new winter coat... and maybe boots (v) "I can create a nice, cosey atmosphere with lamps", I say, clutching at straws (vi) One of my most favourite pastimes (drinking tea and eating cakes) seems more apt (vii) X Factor is on. That's your lot... do please let me know if you can think of any others, it would really cheer me up.

(3) I'm sorry but I love XFactor and I have to mention it again (I will stop doing this at Christmas when I the whole XFactor number one single debate is getting on my nerves again and I am left questioning the winner's chances of having a long lasting career ahead of them). On Saturday night I fell in love with Matt Cardle, a painter and decorator who seems a little bit thick but is so adorable that I want to keep him in a cupboard and get him out for a cuddle now and then, and here's why...




(4) Rare Photos of Famous People is a site that features rare photos of famous people believe it or not, and very interesting viewing it is too. Here are a couple of my favourites from there...

Alfred Hitchcock with his kids


and George Clooney

(5) As anyone who knows me well will know, I love tape. Masking tape, magic tape, duct tape, parcel tape and even tape that says 'FRAGILE' all over it. Well papermash sells some of the loveliest tape I have ever seen. Here's just some of it (but they do many different and beautiful designs perfect for pressie wrapping)


(6) Talking of pressies, Chrimbo is coming up and my brilliant stockists, Things We Love have some new I Love Mel goodies that may tempt you.

My ABC print comes in A1 (594x840mm) and A2 (420x594mm) and was designed to put in Pearl's room (not that she appreciates it).

That's all for now. Please make sure to listen to Miriam's show tonight on Radio 4 and keep me informed of any winter positives you can think of.

Love Mel xx

ME LIKEY

Yes, another one, which makes me wonder if I like too much stuff and if I should be a bit grumpier and more hating (I shall try and think of something I *hate* whilst writing this).

This one's a bit different though, it's less sophisticated and if you're a bit of an art and design snob, stop reading before you get to my first entry which is...

(1) THE 99p SHOP.

Wow! What can I say? Up until yesterday morning I was a 99p shop virgin but now my eyes have been opened to the wonder that is 'Everything is 99p', I think I may just become their most valued customer.

A couple of weeks ago it was my husband's birthday and I bought him a Ped-Egg by JML (he complains about his rough feet although to be honest he has the softest feet out of all the men I have ever encountered... and by the way, I did buy him some other stuff too). I bought this foot smoothing device from Boots for £9.99 - imagine my annoyance when I saw it in the 99p Shop priced at... you guessed it... 99p! I was so astounded by all the quality stuff they claimed to be 99p that I honestly thought they were kidding and didn't buy most of it. Last night, in bed, I woke my husband up about 3am and said "Dulux paint! 99!!!".

(2) This is hilarious. It's the story of World War II told as though all the participating countries are facebook friends/enemies. I don't want to say to much about it, just read it and you'll see what I mean. OMG WWII

(3) The Wilderness Downtown is an interactive Arcade Fire music video by Chris Milk. It's lovely, eerie and wondrous. It asks you to type in the address where you were brought up and then later asks you to write some words of advice for the kids growing up there at the moment. Try it.

(4) 27bslash6 is a great website belonging to David, a graphic designer who likes pissing people off. The page I'm sending you to is details of his interaction with Shannon, a colleague who's cat has gone missing... while you're on there though, have a look around and do check out Simon's Pie Chart and According To My Supervisor, There Are No Such Thing As Portals. David is very funny but I would hate to be on his receiving end.

(5) This is a great interactive ad for Tipex, it has limited choices but have a go, it's fun and clever.

(6) Youtube. If I didn't have a million other things to do, I could spend all day on youtube and never get bored. Here's a clip from last Saturday's XFactor featuring two obnoxious girls... watch until the end for the best bit. Youtube.

(7) Whilst I'm celebrating the internet (I still find it difficult to imagine what we ever did without it), i'll ask you to follow me here on Twitter I also recomend that you follow Paris Hilton who's latest tweet is "I love horses, such beautiful animals :)", befriend me here on facebook, join me here on Spotify (my user name is Mellyelliott), and ask me some creepy, anonymous questions here on Formspring and visit my website ilovemel.me

We have the internet, let's embrace it!... along with the 99p shop.

love Mel x

ps. *footballers*

ME LIKEY!

Hello again, it's been a while and lots as happened which leads me straight onto my first choice of things I'm liking at the moment...

(1) Getting married! 

Yes, after countless Mishaps, I finally became a Missus and it was great fun. We only invited immediate family and kept it very low key (to the point where I didn't even get a new dress!). Best of all were the brill presents we got! Including this one...

(2) How cute and cool is this Lego Alarm Clock!?  It can be bought here on amazon 

Thanks Andie and Paul!

(3) Mimi Leung. Mimi currently lives in Alice Springs but she studied with me at the RCA and she has an exhibition in Bristol 9th Sept until 9th October. I have her paintings and prints upon my own precious walls and everyone who comes round mentions them (in a good way). She's illustrated for The Guardian, Nike, Vice and tons of other stuff. She's cool. Try and get along.

(4)  I love this Le Corbusier-esque fish hotel so much that I may get a fish.

It's from the balcony gardener and it's stackable too so you can build your fish a tower block if that takes their fancy.

(5)  bblinks.blogspot.com/ is another great blog that draws our attention to quirky and wondrous designs of the moment... 

including this paper guitar kit as seen here

(6)  The X Factor. Ok, ok so no one's happy about voice-tuning-machine-gate and wotnot but it's still easily one of the most entertaining pieces of telly that I've ever had the privilege to watch.  Watch this clip including Mary's emotional response at her standing ovation and tell me I'm wrong if you dare...

(7)  London Design Week is almost upon us and Things We Love will be showing and selling some of my wares as well as launching my new ABC poster.

they'll be at: 

The Outside World Gallery,

44 Redchurch Street

London E2

Opening: Thursday September 16th 6-9pm

Then 11am-8pm each day until the 26th Sept.

Hope to see you there!

Love Mel x

CROPPED AT THE HIP

I recently and accidently cropped my Tavi painting in photoshop like so...

.. and I kind of liked it and it made me want to do a series of paintings that are cropped at the hip. I like that a fair few of you won't know the subject matter, what and who is going on above the crop line.

Here's the first one...

Here's the second one...

...and here's the next one having just been drawn.

Do you know who any of them are? They're all very famous people.

If you'd like any of them upon your wall, please ask me for prices.

love Mel x

ME LIKEY

Another small list of things that are bringing cheer and joy to my life at the moment...

(1) I don't know about you but I always chew my pen lids (not those belonging to my expensive felt-tips though of course), which is why I absolutely love these sterling silver necklaces/pendants by Chewed By Tuesday,

they're handmade in Melbourne and they cost $250 (I presume that's Australian dollars) and I think they're an absolute delight. However, if you're not one, prone to chewing pen lids, here's a more perfect version for you.

(2) For quite sometime now, I have been wishing that there was a 'dislike' button underneath friends' status updates on Facebook (I would also like there to be a 'please sort out your spelling and grammar' button too but that's just my pedantic side getting the better of me). Well now, thanks to the design studio that is NATION, you can buy a LIKE and DISLIKE stamp and go around stamping everything from your post, to your TV screen or even family members, depending on how much they're annoying you at the time.

You can buy them from NATION'S SHOP right here and would make a brilliant gift for a hardened facebooker... like me.

(3) Two painting entries now, the first artist is Gerard Schlosser, he's French, born in 1931 so is well into his Autumn years now. I don't know an awful lot about him as all his online biographies are in French and I'm too lazy to have them translated, but what I can gather is that he uses acrylics and started out quite late with his art career, a bit like myself. I've always been a sucker for realism but I especially love the composition and nonchalant-ness (yes I did make that word up) of Schlosser's work.

(4) The next one is another example of realism, but this time from Yigal Ozeri, an Israeli artist who lives and works in New York. He is represented by the Mike Weiss gallery there where he also recently had an exhibition entitled 'Desire for Anima' which was a tribute to Carl Yung's idea of the true, inner-self as an individual. In layman's terms, he paints pictures of coming-of-age girls with their nipples out.

(5) Hands up who like biscuits!

Hands up who likes cushions!

Well do I have a treat for you!? It's only a cushion based on the delicious NICE biscuits! I don't know how much is costs or where you can buy it but I saw it here and liked it.

(6) This Isn't Happiness is yet another image-based blog that I check out most days for a bit of relaxation/inspiration. If, like me, you could look at picture after picture, hour after hour after hour, you should give some of these sites a few moments of your time.

(7) 'The Counterfeiters' is a Concentration Camp based film about a particular bunch of Jewish men who are ordered to work for the Nazis in their forgery department. I really enjoyed it and I recommend you watch it. It is on iplayer HERE and is available to watch until 11:34pm tomorrow so soz for the short notice, you'll have to watch it tonight, or in the morning.

That's all for now.

Love Mel x

ME LIKEY!

Here's what I'm loving at the mo'...

(1) I remember my little sister getting a paper-quilling set for Christmas once and I think she gave in after a couple of rubbish petals. Thankfully, Yula Brodskaya conquered the art and produces some amazing illustrations...



(2) The Outside World Gallery in Shoreditch is hosting a Things We Love exhibition including work by myself as well as lots of other artists and designers. The opening is This Thursday 24th June 6pm-10pm so try and come along, i'll see you there!
The Outside World gallery
44 Redchurch Street
London E2 7DP (nearest tube, Liverpool Street or Old Street)

(3) Letraset Promarkers - I treated myself to another twenty at the weekend making a total of around 60 now (lucky me!). If you like drawing or colouring in, I urge you to try them and they're half price in Hobbycraft right now!


Here's my pic of Kate Moss from one of my Colour Me Good books coloured in with them. Felt tips have never been so much fun!



(4) LOVE this fire lamp by 5.5 designers, available at SKITSCH, 270 Brompton Rd, London...



(5) Suicide Blonde has fantastic taste in images and is a great tmblr featuring pics of fashion, photography, art and all round style, I spotted it when I came across this uncanny likeness to my daughter, Pearl (needless to say that Pearl and will recreate this photograph when I get her sit still).

BTW the photo is of Shirely MacClaine and her daughter Sachi.

(6) OMG how cute are these knitted Nikes!? They were commissioned by Nike and are by This Is Studio. Absolutely brilliant.



(7) SUNSHINE! (because it's lovely and warm) NETBOOKS! (because they allow me to do things like write blogs from the comfort of my sunlounger in the garden) BEER! (because it's the perfect accompaniament) and The Sartorialist (because, if you're like me and love sitting by streetside cafes, people watching, you can leaf through this book whilst sitting in your own back yard and pretend you're in Milan or something!) available from amazon.



That's it for now, enjoy the sunshine and I hope to see you at the Outside World Gallery this Thursday!

Love Mel xx

LONDON CALLING EXHIBITION, MUNICH

Currently parading themselves at a Things We Love exhibition in a posh gallery in Munich are four fairly recent paintings (along with my usual products).


'Fair Ilse' gouache on paper 50x70cm framed


'Vacuous' gouache on paper 50x50cm framed


'The New Kid In Town (Tavi)' gouache on paper 50x40cm framed


'Bobble Hat' gouache on paper 50x70cm framed

The exhibition is on until the 25th July and if you are around the Munich/Germany area at all, do try and pop along! BUT I think you can also buy my original paintings here

love Mel xx
ps. you may have noticed that people appear to be favourite subject, do contact me with any portrait commission enquiries mel@ilovemel.me