Ideas

The question that I hear most often is: ‘Where do your ideas come from?’. And sometimes ideas come from the most unlikely places. Like when my financial advisor asked me, a few months after we went independent, ‘How will you ensure that you keep your

diana@ideasfactory.co.za So Much Life Left Over by Louis de Bernières (Random House UK, R290) Rosie and Daniel moved to Ceylon with their little daughter to start a new life at the dawn of the 1920s, attempting to put the trauma of the First World Wa

Sleep problems are a global epidemic: Research shows the health and quality of life of 45% of the world’s population are negatively impacted. When it comes to our skin, sleep is essential to help it recover from the day’s onslaughts. Just a few night

Makes: 20 Preparation time: 35 minutes, plus standing time Baking time: 15 minutes Oven temperature: 160oC ♥ 125g ground almonds (almond flour)♥ 225g (435ml) icing sugar♥ 110g egg whites at room temperature (about 4 large eggs)♥ 30g (35ml) sugar♥ pas

We used the petal picture on the page overleaf and had it printed onto linen for a tablecloth. We also printed it out on paper and decoupaged it onto the back of glass plates and the base of wine glasses: Apply modge podge over the back of the plate

Nathalie Lété’s animal illustrations may feature proudly this year on Alessandro Michele’s latest range for Gucci, and her flowers on wallpaper, tiles and textiles worldwide, but when we asked if Ideas could come and visit her studio, she answered th

DIFFICULTY: average TIME: two hours YOU WILL NEED ♥ piece of wood (we recycled an old skirting board)♥ terracotta pots of your choice♥ rope♥ pencil and tape measure♥ jigsaw♥ drill and drill bit for wood♥ rough sandpaper♥ clear varnish or paint Cut th

DIFFICULTY: average, depending on how complicated your design is TIME: four days for two pavers, drying time included YOU WILL NEED ♥ tile design of your choice♥ garden paver (ours is 400 x 400mm)♥ mosaic tiles of your choice♥ mosaic cutter♥ grout♥ l

We first met Joana Caetano on Instagram as a ‘cat lady’ and ‘embroidery artist’ and fell in love with her fresh embroidery work - full of stories and at times tongue-in-cheek, but always with the unmistakable techniques of Portuguese whitework. A few

It’s (almost) spring in the Boland, but we wish we were in Portugal! The Ideas team’s European inspiration tour has made us long to pack our bags and fly away to sit on a foreign beach and gaze at the colours. To satisfy our wanderlust, we are welcom

The writer of this month’s winning letter will receive an Eau du Soir perfume from the house of Sisley, valued at R1 800. Eau du Soir eau de parfum is feminine, elegant and timeless - a ‘floral, chypre whirlwind’. For more information about this frag