Van Asch - Welcome to my Blog

I Want To Live Forever

2009-11-24 08:29:10 -0500

I want to live forever. As a compromise, I’ll settle for living a really long time. Because becoming a vampire is out of the question, I must find more traditional methods of prolonging my life.
I’ve been reading a lot about the anti inflammation diet as an excellent way to prevent all that horrible cancer, heart disease and diabetes type stuff, so I thought ‘yep. That’s for me’. I bought a book called The Anti Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book by Jessica K Black N.D. Well, what a let down. I was hoping for a book that bridged the gap between normal eating and saintly abstinence but this book was a disappointment. There were no pictures of any of the recipes because the food was so hideously unappetising that photographs would merely confirm one’s worst suspicions and put you off entirely.
If the future is all quinoa, steamed vege and mung beans then I’d prefer to die young with a great big chocolaty smile all over my face. (no, actually, I really don’t want to die young. I’m still making discreet enquiries into the vampire thing…)
Seriously though, if anyone can recommend a good non vegetarian healthy cookbook with tempting pictures, please let me know.
Now I’m going to eat my mackerel on ryvita lunch with a side dish of guilt mixed with fear and seasoned with denial.

My New Art

2009-11-16 06:48:07 -0500

I’ve been working on a bunch of new images. To begin with, I took photos of old Victorian era steam machinery at a museum, and combined the machine detail with ethereal images of Edwardian and Victorian ladies. I have been very inspired by the whole steampunk thing which is an aesthetic I simply adore (see earlier blog about steampunk).
I used these images as panels on my cushions but have recently decided to try putting them onto big canvas’s and augmenting them with lace and paint and other stuff. I’m still working on the images themselves but will put up pictures of the canvas’s when I have them finished.
Here’s Steampunk Veiled lady

After playing around with the Steampunk thing I wanted to bring in my own, more gothic, vibe so I started playing around with anatomical drawings and insects combined with the Edwardian ladies and art style. I really like the combination of twee prettiness with unexpected edgy darkness.
Here’s a new cushion I’ve made that features such a panel.

We are at the Mercy of our Chemicals

2009-11-13 09:17:29 -0500

I am often surprised at how different my moods are, despite my life being very even, and quite frankly, rather predictable. And, although one day may be much like the next one, I might feel wildly different about them. So that must mean that the life is less important than how you feel about it. Yes, I know, that’s bloody obvious but I think we often take these things for granted. We assume that if we improved out life situation in some way (new job, more money, better car, bigger house) then that will make us happier. But, perhaps the ‘improvement’ would best be concentrated on how to elevate one’s mood. How to feel better about the lives we already have rather than changing the lives themselves.
Well, all that is somewhat divergent from the point I was initially trying to make… Being happy is the lucky combination of having a decent level of reality combined with you brains chemistry functioning well. Madness and depression are just a few bad chemicals away.
That sound very alarmist and I hate to add to the worlds irrational paranoid anxieties, however, I find the fact that my happiness and sanity should not be taken for granted, a positive thing. It means I don’t beat myself up too much if I’m having a dark day and I know it’ll pass, plus it helps me empathize with others who are currently going through a phase of mental instability.
Our reality is really only this moment right now so go do something that will make you feel good!
I’m off to tickle my littlest daughter…

Barbies. Then & Now

2009-11-08 16:17:25 -0500

I finally mustered the courage to hand over my beloved barbie doll, to my 5 1/2 year old daughter. I thought she may finally be of an age to enjoy her without feeling the compulsion to remover her head (I was wrong about that, but mercifully, her head pops back on quite easily) or cut all her hair off (so far no games of hairdresser). I had her when I was a little girl in the 70’s. So, I dug her out of my old doll box and proffered her up. My daughter having no idea what a huge moment this was for me, how it said “see how much I trust you”. What struck me, when I looked at my old barbie and compared her to Isabel’s new barbies, was how different they look in the face. My barbie is the girl next door, innocent and harmless. Isabel’s barbie is…well frankly, she’s a slut. She has tonnes more makeup and looks far to ‘experienced’. Even the proportions of the face have changed from a more youthful shape (totally at odds with her gigantic bosom of course) to a more grown up proportion.
Change…some is good, some is bad, yep, that’s how it is.

Mixing Business & Pleasure

2009-11-05 16:44:48 -0500

Today has been one of those delightful days where business, family and pleasure have all been wrapped up together. Firstly we went to the opening of a new fabulous shop called By Carima in Täby. They are stocking a big selection of my handmade cushions and jewellery.
Here’s a quick pic I took…

Then we drove into Stockholm Söder and I dropped off a whole load of frocks which are going to be on sale at the wonderful Stockholm Oriental Boutique.
We ate dinner at the Missisippi Inn, cajun creole stuff, yummy. Then went around the corner to have a quick cocktail at Sacré Coeur with our lovely friends Mariette and Odd. However, small childeren and cocktails don’t mix too well so we had to go home, driving through the rain (not me driving, I was the one drinking cocktails, well, 1 cocktail).
Here’s Mariette at Sacré Coeur wearing a lovely turtle brooch on her hat, which she bought from Van Asch ages ago.

Now that I have several outlets for my lovliness, I’m going to start a Stockists page on the website…soon

More from Halloween

2009-11-03 09:28:28 -0500

I really wish that Halloween was every weekend. I like my daughters picture of a pumpkin so much I can’t bear to take it off our front door…

I don’t know what to say about this picture… quite frankly, I scare myself!

Halloween

2009-10-31 05:51:33 -0400

Yippee! My favourite day of the year. And, as a bonus, I get to see my eldest daughter goth it up to the eyeballs. Nothing pleases me more. Scary pumpkins, spooky goings on, witches hats, dripping blood…who can ask for more?

Cushions to Africa

2009-10-29 10:26:25 -0400

I was recently commissioned to make some very special gifts. A local company sponsors a South African woman called Fuziza. They have made a huge difference to this woman’s life, vastly improving is quality. They asked me to make some special gifts for her to commemorate their relationship.
The beaded bag bears the company logo and I choose the Swedish national colours (albeit the antique, muted versions of) for the cushion along with the building which is part of their logo. I’m really happy how they turned out and I really enjoyed making them for her. I thought a lot about her and her situation as I was making them. They will end up somewhere where I could never have imagined my cushions being before..

Kaknästornet

2009-10-25 05:14:18 -0400

My family and I recently visited Kaknästornet. It looks like a creepy sci fi tower, impenetrable and menacing.

It is, infact, the tallest building in Sweden and functions as a telecoms tower.
The View is amazing. You can see all of Stockholm. There is a nice resturant and cafe up there.

Balance

2009-10-24 08:30:25 -0400

It occurs to me today that balance is the ultimate desired state, to goal which we should strive for, the quintessential element to life and the pursuit of happiness and personal evolution (pause for breath)
Please forgive my gross over simplifications. I am burdened with a compulsive need to simplify, explain and fundamentally answer the questions of existence and purpose. I can’t help it and I know my pathetic answers can never truly sum up the universe’s complexity but, as I mentioned, I’m compelled to try. And, having said that, somehow my paltry attempts make me feel better, so I just do it anyway.
So, balance. It’s just a word. What’s that then? Nothing really, but a life in balance must be a really wonderful thing…I’m guessing. This kind of idea appeals to me, the eternal fence sitter and hedger of bets. The balance of pleasure and gratification in the now with planning and investing for the future.
My greatest weakness in this regard is my workaholic nature. I find it very hard not to work so the work/life balance is not great. The worst aspect of this is a lack of physical exercise. I basically stand at my cutting table or sit at my bank of sewing machines or computer all day and can barely tear myself away to eat. It’s damaging my back. I’ve recently decided that I must do yoga every day for 30 minutes, to try and restore the balance.
I bought a DVD called Yoga For Beginners by Body wisdom media and I highly recommend it.
Balance is the journey, not the destination.