Cydwoq shoes

I have owned a much-admired pair of these gorgeous, handmade, ergonomic and uniquely stylish Cydwoq shoes for many years. That's one beauty - they last and last!

Available worldwide and still made by hand, using in-house vegetable-dyed leather, in a large factory in California, the Cydwoq company is a fine example of staying true to self. The founder Rafi Balouzian comes from a line of shoemakers and continued his family tradition out of his simple passion for walking and nature... and every foot deserves to walk in utter comfort and style!

http://cydwoq.tumblr.com/ (blog)

Dr Sketchy's Anti Art Class

If you like drawing and fancy a Life Drawing class with sexy burlesque dancers for models, then Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art class is a must for you!

I went to the last one with a friend and it was so much fun. 3 hours of sketching sexy models in wild poses, including little competitions on the way to win some gorgeous looking books... No, I didn't win one, but one of my drawings was selected as a contender...

Held once a month at White Trash Fast Food at Schönhauser Allee 6-7, 10119 Berlin Mitte. Check the website for details.

Nutsa Modebadze

Thanks to one of my favourite blogs, Simply Olive, I discovered the stunning work of Russian designer Nutsa Modebadze, who makes my ideal leather bags and shoes. Goody, now I don't need to make my ideal bag!

Textile Arts Center New York

Sometimes I wish I could just snap my fingers and be in say NY. The wonderful-sounding Textile Arts Center, where I was in Joetta Maue's group show "From the Tongue" earlier this year, is currently indulging in an interactive knitting show Virgin Knitters, with Kimberly Hall.

It's Brooklyn based and booming and is even taking applications for studio rentals - now that's something I would dive for if I lived in NY and was not having a baby right now on the other side of the Atlantic!

Textile Arts Center
505 Carroll Street
Brooklyn (Park Slope), 11215 NY

Tel: +718 - 369 0222

paper delights and fruit

I have just been out in the deep snow (well, at least 10cm or more) for a photography wander around our local church place... and finally I had time to enter a boutique which I have looked at longingly many times on my way somewhere.

It's a beautiful paper & bookbinding atelier, called Atelier Tiemeyer, run by Ria Tiemeyer, pictured. It is full of temptations to woo the paperlover and booklover. Her hand screen-printed paper envelopes, wrapping papers and books are divine.

I also fell for the work of artist Miriam Schmid, who makes beautiful paper fruit in a basket...

Pariser Strasse 15
10719 Berlin-Wilmersdorf
Mon-Fri 10 - 18.30
Sat 11-14

a new mask

Thomas bought me this beautiful mask the other night from the wonderful fetish store Boutique Hautnah, at Uhlandstrasse 170, where I've been looking for pieces to complete an outfit for a performance.

I can feel new artwork coming on...

Knopf & Schnalle

Also in my neighbourhood is Knopf & Schnalle, literally Button & Buckle, a sewing accessories shop that has been in business for 44 years, under the ownership of Monika Schönfelder.

She has a very good selection of buttons, threads and various other applications for sewing. Her tiny shop is orderly and fitted with original wooden Güttermann thread dispensers which made my heart swoon!

Great for the last minute button need as I am making baby clothes for friends at the moment...

Uhlandstrasse 56,
10719 Berlin
tel/fax: 030 883 8473

Mon-Fri 9 - 18 Uhr
Sat 10 - 14 Uhr