Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Dreaming of Hawaii...


This is the first year in four that I didn't get to Hawaii and I am definitely feeling island deprived (although I do have a Bali trip coming up soon :D). So this was my latest project to help me fill the void - working up a longboard skateboard deck. If I can't go to Hawaii, I will uproot it and bring it to me! This is the finished deck...clear grip tape was applied to the top. Gullwing 10" charger trucks and 68mm Seismic Avilia wheels...rides like a 8ft longboard out at Tungs, Diamond Head SWEET! I am stoked with the result just wish I could keep it for myself!!




The maple and bamboo ply deck came pre-varnished with sand glassing on the top. I spent the good part of a day scrapping and sanding it off to start fresh. Bamboo is such a dense wood with a waxy coat so eventually I had to resort to the power sander. I stained the top and bottom and then used a stain varnish on the top of the deck to achieve the 'rising sun' pattern. The palm tree design on the bottom was done with permanent marker and then a spray varnish was applied.



Thursday, October 13, 2011

Surfer moles Cutloose boards

The last few months I have been doing design work for South Australian surf board manufacture, Cutloose. A lot of the work has been designing decals to be applied to boards.

Fortunately two "moles" (members) of the fully sick club Surfer Girls SA, were getting new custom made shortboards so I saw it as a great opportunity to get my new decals out there.

They loved the Cutloose Popsicle decal I had done...a treat that all Aussie kids dream of on a stinking hot summers day!



Colors were chosen, decals were printed, then the resin tints and graphs were applied. Finally the boards were glassed and ready to go. Here are some pics of the finished boards...





Now to get off the interwebz and design my new board which has been on the shelf for the last month...

*Just a tip for anyone out there using colored decals on a colored board - always mask out and spray white the area of the board where the decal will be applied. Otherwise the base color will show through.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Its Tart Time!!

I have begun my journey to create the ULTIMATE tart! Here was attempt #1...there were many flaws but the saving grace was the flavour. Dark chocolate, orange and mint YUM. Hot tip: always follow the instructions when using gelatine!!


When your tart doesn't set properly, don't stress, just let your friends get plastered and they will eat it from the dish with their hands and never know!


Attempt #2 - I have almost perfected it now...Double chocolate ganache tart with blood orange creme anglaise and mint. The blood orange is what makes this tart. I reckon it is going to be a sweet recipe for summer.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Lucky Lupitas' Fiesta

I have been busy over the last couple of months doing the graphic design for a new Mexican restaurant, set to open in Adelaide in late November. As a sneak peak the restaurant is hosting a gala 'Fiesta' to raise money for the Make A Wish Foundation. Here is the poster and ticket design I did...