roddy&ginger

sunny skies

2012-01-26T11:36:00.004Z

The sun is out today and the end of January is in sight. Looking at these pictures taken last year makes me want to escape the January blues to Spain. On the plus side I am designing packaging for a range of tasty puddings so I am eating my way through pots of chocolate souffle, toffee pudding and apple crumble, all in the name of research.

Valentines offer - until February 14th there is 20% off Lovespoons print in my online shop when you use this code at the checkout: LOVINSPOONFUL

dragon tales

2012-01-23T10:31:00.000Z

Happy Chinese new year! it's the year of the dragon. This one is not very Chinese but one of my favourites. St George and the Fiery Dragon by Elizabeth and Gerald Rose published in the sixties. Fabulous exuberant illustrations and a happy ending, the remorseful dragon promised to stop eating beautiful maidens so they gave him a large parcel of pancakes and sent him on his way.

owl pie.....

2012-01-20T09:17:00.001Z

...not really! Tinkering with my blog header is a very good distraction from real work. I am retiring my owls, they are ever so popular but have been around for nearly five years, time for a change I think. For now they are in their hole while I decide what to do next.

rocking horse baby

2012-01-18T13:29:00.000Z

I hope this is not the start of another obsession!

day job

2012-01-13T11:17:00.001Z

January has found me in front of my computer screen, a years worth of accounts have been put in order and I now have to put on my day job hat as I have two packaging projects to do. I will be up to my ears in yoghurt and apple crumble for the next couple of weeks. After that I may get out and see what 2012 looks like!

Over the years I have done my fair share of own brand packaging for Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer, so this book was a must for my Christmas stocking, Own Label compiled by Jonny Trunk, a nostalgic look at the basic but beautiful, graphic output of Sainsbury's design studio from the 60's and 70's. Those happy days before barcodes, nutrition panels, GDA's, recycling guidelines, five a day, freefrom, EU, organic logos, use by, sell by, best before........

say it with a spoon

2012-01-04T09:51:00.002Z

Perfect for an un-pink Valentine's day gift, Lovespoons screenprint is now in my Etsy and online shop. Hand printed in black onto 285g Italian paper, it is a generous size at 50x70cm (a perfect fit for the Ikea ribba frame).

Share the love - until February 14th there is 20% off this print in my online shop when you use this code at the checkout: LOVINSPOONFUL

light work

2012-01-02T23:59:00.001Z

Another good use for my charity shop glass pear, festive lights for new years eve.

and a happy new year!

2011-12-31T15:56:00.000Z

2011 is coming to an end and the mahonia is flowering in the garden to welcome in 2012, sending out wafts of scent when I brush past. Santa brought me a swish new Lumix camera for Christmas and although I did my time in the darkrooms at college, photography was not my favourite subject. So I aim to work my way through the manual. I have yet to get beyond page one, point and shoot, but I am hoping for better images and less Photoshop in 2012 (new year resolution no. 1!)

Happy new year to all out there, I am hoping for good things and happiness for everyone in 2012 x

happy christmas!

2011-12-24T17:55:00.002Z

I am ready for Christmas now, here are some Christmas corners, lots of horses this year. I am off to drink sherry and referee the arguments and then drink some more sherry. I wish everyone a peaceful and happy one xxx

rocking around

2011-12-23T12:12:00.004Z

It has taken me 20 years to find the perfect rocking horse, it's a bit late now but here it is. This mid-century fellow complete with plaited tail and real stirrups was hanging around our local flea market for a couple of weeks and needed a home. He is very sturdy which is a good thing because as I have discovered, you are never too old to sit on a rocking horse!

say it with a biscuit

2011-12-21T10:40:00.000Z

Fiddly but fun, this alphabet biscuit cutter arrived from Germany last week. One of the younger members of our household decided to make some very rude word biscuits (well you would wouldn't you!) They narrowly escaped being used as a prop in a location shoot we had here this week, I had to rescue them before they appeared in a book of cute craft projects.

christmas spoons

2011-12-19T10:38:00.002Z

More signs that Christmas may be just around the corner, I found time to print my Christmas cards this weekend - spoons this year.

I am still going backwards and forwards to the post office this week. And for last minute shopping, until Thursday 22nd December all UK orders over £30.00 from my online shop will be upgraded to Royal Mail Special Delivery at no extra cost, so should arrive the next day.

weekend finds

2011-12-12T13:03:00.000Z

I found this enamel coffee pot in the flea market this weekend, not sure about the swirly pattern but it's a fab orange and it was the wooden handle that did it for me. The Jonathan Adler elephant bank was 50p in the charity shop - funny what some people throw away!

No sign of a Christmas tree here yet but the illuminations have been switched on! I always hang a rope of lights from top to bottom of our tall skinny '60s house, looks lovely for very little effort!

shopping trip

2011-12-09T15:45:00.002Z

There is no escaping Christmas shopping, I have made my first trip out and returned with vintage baubles from Greenwich market, wrap from ikea, tile, ceramics and stationery from stocking filler heaven, Tiger Stores (a winning combo of pound shop prices and Danish design found in odd places like Croydon and Lewisham). And a twiggy hook to hang your stocking from.

its back!

2011-12-05T18:06:00.000Z

Digging around in my Christmas stocking box I found my old Icelandic style triangles design from a couple of years ago, so, triangles being a bit trendy I have put them back in my online shop and etsy store.
Available in mistletoe green on natural linen or festive red on white cotton and suitable for the smaller wish list, a greedier person might go for the larger roddy stocking!

lovin' spoonful

2011-12-02T11:25:00.001Z

Just got round to photographing my new Love Spoons print. The design is based on a small collection of Welsh love spoons that belonged to my late mother-in-law and this is my little tribute to her. These wooden spoons were hand carved in Wales with traditional motifs and given to loved ones as tokens of affection. The print is poster sized 50x70cm printed in black, and the cushions hand printed in black or orange on white linen. Available in my online shop now.

Mid Century Modern

2011-11-23T10:41:00.004Z

I think I have just about recovered from Sunday's Mid Century Modern Show. All I can say is that it was a great success and I really I enjoyed the day but I don't think I have ever felt so knackered in my life!

Being on duty on my stand meant that I didn't have a chance to look around, but take a look here for a better view of the show and other inspirations from Laila, one of the many lovely people that I met on the day.

Sunday was also the first outing of my new love spoons design as a 50x70cm print and cushions in black or fabulous orange. I hope to have them in my shop this week

you wash I'll dry

2011-11-17T11:51:00.000Z

A quick post to say a shipment of Lumberjack tea-towels have arrived just in time for Mid-Century Modern. These are black on white cotton, printed and made in the UK and in my shop now. Shipping for the tea-towels is free till the end of December if you use this code IMALUMBERJACK

busy family

2011-11-15T12:05:00.001Z

Not the only one in the family who has been busy, my sisters latest book is out (at least I think it's her latest, I have rather lost track). Christmas Crafting (in no time - sounds good to me!) by Clare Youngs, published by Cico. Packed full of easy step by steps to Christmas lovelyness. I played a small part in the making of the book, providing various props including the tiny parcel for the mice.
And for all this sticking - you will need my favourite glue, the glue of my childhood! My father always used it to stick the pictures into the family album. Coccoina paper glue available from labour&wait. It smells deliciously like the stuff they put into the almond croissants at Costa, in fact I think it is the stuff they put into the almond croissants at Costa.

work in progress

2011-11-10T13:50:00.003Z

The date for the Midcentury Modern show is fast approaching and I am surrounded by unfinished jobs, prints to print, ladder shelves to paint, foamex flats to wallpaper, bench to upholster, a new screen that I haven't had a chance to test yet. On the plus side I am very glad to have found a lovely person to sew cushions for me, and I am having tea-towels printed for me, whether they will arrive in time for MCM I do not know. It will all come together, I keep telling myself.

In the meantime I find time to waste looking at new favourite blog from Finland weekday carnival - I want to move to Finland!

Midcentury Modern is on 20th November at Dulwich College London SE21. If all goes to plan I will be wallpapering my small corner of it upstairs. A great day out, it would be lovely to see you there!

Hei

2011-11-07T19:49:00.000Z

Keeping in the Scandinavian theme I have been sending parcels to Finland this week, my wallpaper is featured in this months edition of the lovely Finnish Deko Magazine - so Hei! to anyone reading this in Finland. As I am such a huge fan of Scandinavian design, it's a real thrill to be featured here. Deko is a beautifully styled magazine, like looking through some of my favourite scandinavian blogs, I wish we had a version here in the UK. It's the December issue, so a bit of Christmas is creeping in here but I have no complaints when it looks like this!

and pepper

2011-11-04T11:56:00.001Z

I was digging around looking for my other Let's Read and Find Out books and I came across my old copy of Mrs Pepperpot to the Rescue. I loved Mrs Pepperpot! This children's classic by Norwegian writer Alf Proysen was published in 1963, illustrations by Bjorn Berg.

weekend finds - salt

2011-10-31T10:34:00.002Z

I have been madly busy lately so apologies for infrequent blogging. However, I found some time for charity shopping at the weekend and here are my salt and colour themed finds. Lovely Swedish lidded glass jar, teak salt and pepper pots and Sixties book all about Salt! This is part of the Lets Read and Find Out science series, all with great illustrations.

20

2011-10-29T16:44:00.005+01:00

Happy birthday - 20 today! my twins are no longer teenagers. It's not easy to find them in the same place at the same time these days so here they are in pre-school, rocking the home haircut and 'little house on the prairie' look.

blue and orange

2011-10-18T16:37:00.005+01:00

Blue is the colour - behind the kitchen shelves, it's quite intense so takes a bit of getting used to but it certainly makes the orange pop. On the subject of orange, this is my husband's first ever hi-fi, brought back from Wales, a splendid combo of orange, teak and stainless steel. Unfortunately we have nothing to play on it as I was never much of a music collector and I made him take all his prog rock albums to the charity shop along with his star wars annuals - was that a bit mean of me?

The blue is Trelleborg by Siecle paints, available here and is the same colour as my Logpile wallpaper in woodsmoke - just thought I'd tell you that.

Finally....worth watching tonight: The Kids's Speech, BBC 1 at 10.35. About the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children where my son attended a speech course this summer, a really inspiring place.

day at the fair

2011-10-10T12:23:00.000+01:00

We took a trip up the Renegade Craft Fair on Brick Lane this weekend, lots of lovely crafts to see, buy and do, although a bit overwhelming when it's all in one place. Robert is still puzzling over the sight of a table full of needle felters. It was nice to have a chat with robin&mould, their perky foxes and sleepy owls were a familiar sight and stood out amongst the cuteness. We followed up with lunch at the Story Deli in Redchurch Street, amazing frilly pizzas served in a space that is casual and romantic and slightly chaotic.

I have to say I was quite relieved to be just looking at the craft fair and not selling, although on that note I will be wallpapering a small corner of the Mid-Century Modern Show on 20th November where I have taken an upstairs space. Plenty of work to do!

from wales with love

2011-10-07T10:17:00.003+01:00

While everyone was basking in the unseasonal weather last weekend we were in Wales shifting boxes. I brought back this tiny collection of three Welsh love spoons. These wooden spoons carved with traditional symbols were given to loved ones as tokens of affection. Some quite ornate and intricate but these three very sweet and simple. When I can find the time I am thinking of incorporating them into a textile design. Could they be the next big thing after cockoo clocks, Russian dolls and dala horses? you never know!

a bit of trumpet blowing

2011-10-03T17:28:00.003+01:00

Is this a bit show-offy? I don't know, but we have had some fantastic mentions of our wallpapers in Octobers Ideal Home and November issues of House Beautiful, Grand Designs and a full page in Elle Deco - wow! I feel well and truly launched. It's all down to Lucy, home-grown PR girl - every home should have one!

Also lovely mentions on Bambino Goodies, Bright Bazaar, Woodchip and Magnolia and Design Milk where I am renamed Ginger - I like it!

To celebrate, I am doing an October offer - 10% off the price of wallpaper from my shop. Just use this discount code octoberoffer when you order (ends 31.10.11)

labour & wait

2011-09-27T14:41:00.000+01:00

I left Tent London on Friday feeling a bit confused, apart from a few old favourites I am not sure if I was very inspired by the design on offer. I sought refuge in Labour&Wait, now relocated to trendy Redchurch Street (along with the Story Deli, home of the delicious frilly pizza). Every humble household item for sale in Labour&Wait looks beautifully designed but probably wasn't, it has just stood the test of time. I fell for an orange enamel teapot/kettle, a lovely thing at a not very humble price, I blew several weeks charity shop budget!

Now obsessed with enamel ware I spotted this big blue jug with iconic stem print pattern in a charity shop in Newcastle this weekend, somewhere to keep my melamine collection.

out of chaos

2011-09-23T11:49:00.000+01:00

Well, I put half of it back and it looks a lot better, the catherineholm pot stays (sorry lou!) but the green paint may go. It's London Design Week and there is an overwhelming amount to see in a very short space of time, so today I am getting my dose of cool and heading off to lurk around Brick Lane for a bit and take a look at Tent London.

too much stuff

2011-09-20T10:38:00.000+01:00

I had to clear my kitchen today for a shoot, this is just a tiny bit of it.... it's not going back!

Some new postcards arrived yesterday, rather a lot of them, all on recycled stock so kind to trees.

A huge thank you to Sandra from Germany who emailed to let me know that I had the measurement wrong on my wallpaper shop page, making it seem to be the most expensive wallpaper in the world. Yes indeed, it should be £52.00 for a 10metre roll not a 1metre roll.

And many thanks to Irene from Bloesem who featured the wallpaper in her new Mondays quick start slot.

apples and pears

2011-09-17T12:27:00.000+01:00

I have been avoiding charity shops lately (too much stuff!) But I had to bring home this giant glass pear to go with my giant glass apple. It's a funny thing but I only ever see these giant glass fruits in charity shops, I don't know what they are for but they seem like a good place to keep apples and pears. Actually these are quinces, my quince tree is leaning over with the weight of fruit this year which fills me with a slight feeling of doom, all that chopping and stirring, plus I have a membrillo/jelly backlog from last year, I need some new ideas!

happy corner

2011-09-15T09:04:00.001+01:00

Just around the corner from colour makes people happy is sparkle&spin (this is a very cheery corner of Southeast London, also home to local stationery cupboard heroes present&correct) Sparkle&spin is a tiny treasure box of a shop selling beautiful Danish designed children's clothes and selection of colourful and creative toys, I have my eyes on this money box.

A while ago the girls at sparkle&spin featured me on their blog which was lovely. Also thanks to arthur&martha for a mention on their site full of lovely things that don't cost a fortune, and huge thanks to bowiestyle for a feature on the fabulous print&pattern today. Blimey!

colour makes people happy

2011-09-12T14:26:00.000+01:00

Colour makes people happy, I can't argue with that! It's the name of our local paint shop run by Simon March who sells a range of eclectically named family friendly paints from Holland under his brand name of Siecle. This inspirational shop and extensive workshops are so long that the front door is in yummy East Dulwich and the back door in trendy Peckham. Simon displays his fabulous range of colours on painted wooden clogs and among other attractions he has installed a huge spinning paint splattering machine so that you can make your own giant paint splattered painting. The colours for my wallpapers are selected from the Siecle range so that you can match walls to woodwork.

mellow yellow

2011-09-07T13:31:00.000+01:00

The moss yellow wall paper has arrived and is in my shop now. Although this came last in my mini survey
it's my favourite and a colour that crops up all over my house. Very difficult to photograph and describe, is it an olivey yellow? or a yellowey olive? or the colour of unripe quinces or ripe pears? It's a mossy sort of yellow so that's what I have called it.
It is best seen as a sample which are available if you contact me here.

it's here!

2011-09-01T15:03:00.001+01:00

Wrapped and ready to roll, the first two colours of Logpile wallpaper have been delivered and they look fantastic. I organised the label printing from afar so unable to proof read it comes complete with minor typo. Well, I think 'anging instructions' adds a bit of South London flavour!

Lucy, my home grown PR girl has found time in an incredibly busy summer holiday to organise press releases and hi-res images - all the stuff that usually lurks at the bottom of my to-do list. Our first mention is in the Ideal Homes mag October issue, exciting!

The wall paper and cushions to match are in my shop now.

keeping warm

2011-08-31T10:46:00.000+01:00

Getting used to being back home, trying to find all the things I put into a 'safe place' before I went away, eating giant vegetables from the allotment, keeping warm under beautiful welsh blanket found in local vintage store and catching up with last months Elle Deco (the one with the embarassing front cover… I speak from experience and always wipe our 'quirky wall feature' clean after teenage parties)

And, great excitement! the first batch of l ogpile wallpaper has arrived, I hope to have it in my shop by the 1st September.

typography and tiles

2011-08-26T17:51:00.000+01:00

Last few images from Spain before we fly home to chilly England, tiles and typography from some of our favourite places.

2 in 1

2011-08-24T22:43:00.001+01:00

Ballooning and Pomegranate tree in one picture!

local colour 2

2011-08-22T19:31:00.001+01:00

I can't stop photographing fruit and veg, fantastic colours.

local colour

2011-08-21T09:05:00.002+01:00

This region of Spain is rich in colour, houses that are not built of local stone are painted in a patchwork of earthy tones. This shop in our local market town sells loose pigment by the scoopful in dusty plums through to terracottas and brights that remind me of the powdered paint we used in primary school.

p.s. it's my birthday today, I am always in Spain for my birthday which means I don't have to celebrate it at home so it appears that I am not getting any older, which is fine by me!

small things

2011-08-19T23:35:00.001+01:00

harvey's cactus

a cracking night

2011-08-17T20:14:00.002+01:00

Crowds of hooded figures, flames and fireworks I must be back in SE London, no it's the annual Fiesta Major in La Bisbal, where local tradition is celebrated with the Ball des Dracs. I'm not sure what was going on but it involved being chased down dark alleys by dragons, whirling fireworks paraded down narrow streets, fire crackers raining down on our heads, flaming figures abseiling down the cathedral and a good hosing down at the end. A whole town out on the streets enjoying themselvs and all served up with refreshing disregard for UK style health and safety, fantastic fun!

we love shopping

2011-08-14T19:54:00.001+01:00

In La Bisbal market - local fruit and veg, cafe con leche, favourite cake and pretty pavements.

getaway

2011-08-09T18:56:00.000+01:00

South London is not a good place to be in at the moment so I am very glad to be here for the next couple of weeks. Depending on the internet connection in our sleepy Catalonian village I will try to add to my blog every now and then. Happy summer everyone!

penguin patterns 1

2011-08-03T21:50:00.002+01:00

These caught my eye in a local charity shop, Penguin music scores published in the '50s with delicate patterns in earthy colours that remind me of Pugin wallpaper and Spanish tiled floors.

giveaway winner!

2011-08-02T19:40:00.001+01:00

Thank-you for your lovely comments, overall the runaway popular colour was most definitely silver birch, followed by moss yellow with woodsmoke just behind, so very useful information when I order my first batch. I agree, it's very hard to decide, my favourite on the roll is woodsmoke which is a really lovely smokey grey blue colour but on the wall and in the pictures I'm with the majority, I prefer silver birch.

I couldn't work out how to do the random number picker so you will have to trust me with the time honored hat method. And the winner of the logpile cushion, picked out from roddy's aunty dill by my son is Rebecca from Little Tree who favoured the moss yellow paper. You can uncross your fingers now Rebecca! (I have left a message in your comments)

wood for the trees

2011-08-01T16:01:00.000+01:00

Camping in the woods in Wales this weekend gave me the perfect photo opportunity for some shots of Sleep like a log pillows and Logpile tea towels which will be on sale from September. It also gave us lots of opportunities for merriment and sore heads in the morning, good fun all round!

I will be randomly selecting a winner for my cushion giveaway tomorrow, so there's still time to enter - see previous entry for details.

giveaway!

2011-07-25T17:48:00.002+01:00

First of all, thank-you for lovely comments about my wallpaper, it is really great to have feedback as I am rather plunging into the unknown here! I am hoping to see colour samples this week and then pressing the button on the first print run, I have to say my nails are a bit nibbled!

To celebrate, I have just enough time to squeeze in a little giveaway this week. Leave a comment letting me know which is your favourite wallpaper colour from the three - silver birch, woodsmoke (a smokey blue) and moss yellow. The winner will be randomly selected next Tuesday and will receive a Logpile cushion in either of the three colours (which could be different from your wallpaper favourite - up to you).

These images are a sneak preview from our photo shoot, all photography by Heather Hobhouse, props by me!

wallpaper report

2011-07-18T13:18:00.002+01:00

I've not had much time to blog lately, here's what has been keeping me busy. Printing metres of wallpaper in three colours and spending two days last week with lovely photographer Heather Hobhouse, a house full of props and masses of spray mount. I now have very sticky walls and a beautiful set of images. As the wallpaper for the shoot was hand printed, one millimetre out on the repeat very quickly became 10 millimetres so I have a few hours on Photoshop ahead of me before the images are ready for the world!
p.s I am planning a little giveaway later this week so please come back and join in!

new best friends

2011-07-15T20:00:00.001+01:00

Otis and roddy

weekend break

2011-07-12T19:28:00.000+01:00

Some images from last weekend, staying with my sister by the sea, sea breezes, corners of her house and cherry picking in the sun, perfect.

four flasks short of a picnic

2011-07-05T10:45:00.001+01:00

I think I am sorted for vintage thermos flasks now and should probably stop buying them. Same goes for
plates but I really love the pattern on this one.

magical songbook

2011-06-27T17:47:00.002+01:00

I found this beautiful songbook in the charity shop this weekend. It was published in 1978 with joyous illustrations by Josef Palecek who I knew nothing about. After a bit of investigation I discovered that he is a renowned Czech illustrator and animator born in 1932 and still working today. His illustrations are truly magical and really worth seeking out.

owls and pears

2011-06-22T15:15:00.001+01:00

I have been kept busy with a flurry of extra orders this week, with thanks to a mention on retro to go and a lovely piece by Rebeka on her blog owlsandpears where she seeks out and celebrates all things owl and pear shaped, amazingly there is plenty out there!

while my back was turned

2011-06-20T16:49:00.000+01:00

This is what happens when you don't look after your allotment because it's too cold and rainy, amazing garlic flowers - might let them all do this, after all you can buy garlic at the shops!

colour search

2011-06-15T14:51:00.002+01:00

Production for my new wallpapers is in progress, and I am busy sampling colours, I am happy with a smokey blue and a greeny grey and I still need to find an olivey yellow that works (I also need better descriptions!) I am producing the papers in conjunction with Siecle colours so I have the run of their lovely range to choose from, all displayed painted onto wooden clogs in their Colour Makes People Happy shop in East Dulwich.

My logpile pillows are on the seventy tree today, one of my favourite blogs, thank-you Kerry!

3 good reasons

2011-06-09T10:21:00.000+01:00

I have been told that I have too many chairs so I need a really good reason to buy another one. When I spotted this 50s plywood chair in a local junk shop I had to have it because:

a. I love its old school shape b. someone has taken the time to glue an old OS map to it and c. on closer inspection the map is of the part of South Wales where my husband was born and brought up. Good enough reasons I think!

a good nights sleep

2011-06-04T14:12:00.001+01:00

My cure for insomnia, sleep like a log with these log pile pillow cases (I couldn't resist!) They are hand printed in a smokey grey onto lovely 300 thread count pure cotton percale and are for sale now in my etsy and online shops.

textures 2

2011-06-02T09:18:00.001+01:00

Another place to look for textures, one of my favourite books The Big River by Elizabeth and Gerald Rose. It tells the story of a river from its start in the mountains, so the story line is a bit predictable! but beautifully illustrated by Gerald Rose.

textures

2011-05-31T19:25:00.000+01:00

I am still experimenting with wallpaper patterns, it's all looking a bit flat at the moment so I want to introduce some texture. Feeling uninspired I have been looking around the house, starting with some studio pottery and Penguin poets.

twiggy shelves 2

2011-05-29T13:42:00.000+01:00

My twiggy shelves are leading a glamorous life of their own and have popped up in this months Elle Deco (how? I don't know!) I remember puzzled amusement from family and friends when I brought these hand crafted rustic shelves home from the junk shop - ha!

flower show

2011-05-27T18:42:00.002+01:00

Oh how we love our gardening and the British weather! At last we have had proper rain here in London which is all good for the garden and our sadly neglected allotment. Our skinny sixties house has various ledges and flat bits, one of which is the balcony and I have to say it is looking pretty spot-on at the moment. I am awarding myself a gold medal in the tiny urban balcony category (sponsored by Ikea!)

up the wall

2011-05-25T17:26:00.002+01:00

I finally had time this week to experiment with my new obsession - wallpaper! I am hoping to go into production with a tiny range for Autumn. I am still fiddling around with the repeat and alternative colours but here is a sneak preview of the first hand printed prototype. Log pile in a smokey blue. I was ridiculously exited when I rolled it up and it looked like a proper roll of wallpaper!

waiting for a train

2011-05-24T16:45:00.000+01:00

Don't drink a bucket of overpriced frothy coffee when you are waiting for a train at Kings Cross station, go round the corner to Drink Shop & Do on the Caledonian Road and take tea (or cocktails!) in vintage style in a converted victorian bathhouse. Everything in this happy tea room is for sale from handmade crafts to vintage tea sets, even the tables and chairs. They also run activities and workshops which are often free and require no skills whatsoever - we nearly missed the train!

in fashion

2011-05-20T09:29:00.002+01:00

Yes, it's me - hanging around with the high heels and handbags in this weeks Grazia mag. As usual I am feeling a little embarrassed but my daughter (who knows about these things) tells me it's all good PR.

a teak habit

2011-05-17T18:40:00.001+01:00

After a fantastically busy open studio weekend we made the epic trip to Newcastle and back yesterday to collect Lucy and a car load of her stuff from university (terms seem to end before they begin these days).
We had a look around Jesmond where she will be living next year (huge improvement from slummy halls of residence). I couldn't resist a beautiful vintage teak bowl from the Oxfam shop there, because you can't have too many teak bowls. Then I got it home and realised that you can.

end of a long day

2011-05-14T18:55:00.000+01:00

I printed these log pile tea towels yesterday for my open studio today. It has been a busy, busy day playing at shopkeeper and meeting lots of really nice people. I now need to raid my cupboards to replenish my vintage table.

Open again on Sunday 11-6.00, details are on the Dulwich festival website along with listings of other events and artists. Or email me for information if you can't find it on the website.

day out in Brixton

2011-05-12T13:16:00.000+01:00

I get a lot of my fabric from Brixton market and have been noticing it's transformation lately. Although you can still buy six inch African snails ready for the pot and all your fruit and veg and plastic buckets, there is now a new generation of vintage shops, cafes and delis in the covered arcades. A bit too trendy for some but I think it's lovely and a great day out. You can eat your way around the world and pick up vintage bargains like this tapestry handbag. I added an orange leather shoulder strap so that I don't look too much like a Welsh granny.

Don't forget open studio here this weekend, details are on the Dulwich festival website along with listings of other events and artists. Or email me for information if you can't find it on the website.

say cheese

2011-05-09T13:06:00.001+01:00

There's no mistaking the contents of these 70's TG Green storage jars and it's good to know I will never loose the cheese again! The splendid cheese dish was smiling at me in a seaside charity shop along with a pretty Midwinter soup bowl and a stack of folksy plates. The plates will be for sale at my open studios event this weekend (14th-15th May) along with prints and textiles and some other bits of vintage that I can bear to part with!

Details of the open studio events are on the Dulwich festival website along with listings of other events and artists. Or email me for information if you can't find it on the website.

open house 2011

2011-05-03T11:06:00.000+01:00

It's open studio time! Once again I will be taking part in the Dulwich Festival Artists Open House event and opening my home studio just for the second weekend, that's the 14th and 15th May. I will be selling prints and textiles, seconds and mishaps and a few vintage bit and pieces, a bit of a jumble sale really! It would be great to see anyone who can make it to deepest southeast London. Details are on the festival website along with listings of other events and artists. Or email me for information if you can't find it on the website.

paris

2011-05-01T17:37:00.003+01:00

Paris Sketchbook by Ronald Searle and Kaye Webb, the perfect present for my parents' Diamond Wedding celebration. They spent their honeymoon and anniversary in Paris and this book, published in 1950 evokes the atmosphere of the city perfectly. The sketches by Ronald Searle capture the bohemian spirit of Parisian characters and café life. Unfortunately their favourite Restaurant des Beaux Arts although still unchanged after 60 years was closed on the night - another reason to return!

happy couple (lovely dress)

2011-04-29T20:37:00.001+01:00

This weekend we are celebrating my parents diamond wedding anniversary, married sixty years ago in 1951. I can't help thinking that my mum's lovely dress reminds me of another famous wedding dress!

london

2011-04-28T21:06:00.000+01:00

There's no escaping the big event in London tomorrow and I have to say it has suddenly become quite exiting! There are lots of flags and bunting and plenty of guardsman action. Any excuse to dig out my vintage london books. Seeing London - I love the red elephant bus, the classic This is London, and a schools broadcasting book from the fifties showing Westminster Abbey decked out for the coronation in 1953. I am now off to polish my tiara!

mermaids

2011-04-27T11:38:00.000+01:00

Margate was looking festive last weekend for the recent opening of the new Turner Contemporary art gallery, perched on the edge of the harbour and looking crisp and new in the sunshine. Plenty of mermaids to be found, shell ladies in Margate, Lucy and her cousin Flo on the beach and my mermaid cushion looking at home by the sea in my sister's lovely house in Broadstairs

three out of three

2011-04-25T20:11:00.001+01:00

We had a gloriously sunny weekend in Broadstairs, the beach was looking stunning in its chalky seaside colours and I was able to fulfill my three wishes; flip-flops, sun screen and burnt sausages. (Well, actually I'm cheating, we cooked the sausages today in our garden in London)

new old books

2011-04-21T19:35:00.001+01:00

It's becoming hard to find charity shop books that didn't start out life as 3 for 2 at the airport. But these two are little treasures. The first, Artists of a Certain Line by John Ryder, a pocket sized show case of children's book illustrators from the sixties, many of them unknown at the time but soon to become familiar illustrators of Puffin paperbacks. I also love its wood grain binding. And the second - Petunia's Treasure illustrated by my favourite Roger Duvoisin, the 'silly goose' finds some treasure and gets rather above herself in the farmyard.

I am off to the seaside for a couple of days, hoping to wear my flip flops, eat burnt sausages on a beach and use up some sunscreen - perfect! A happy easter to everyone!

in my beautiful balloon

2011-04-14T19:30:00.003+01:00

My ballooning screen-print is ready to go! Available now in my Etsy and online shops.
I was originally inspired to make this print when we were woken early one Sunday morning in our sleepy Spanish village by what sounded like a fire breathing dragon outside our window. An enterprising local firm had started selling hot air balloon rides, launching from the nearby riverside and complete with Catalan breakfast involving cava and cake. I am now experimenting with another colour version of the print, not sure what yet, maybe a hot pink/orange/brown combo as everything is getting a bit blue and grey at the moment, any ideas?

launch report

2011-04-14T11:43:00.004+01:00

The bloggers were out in force at Libertys for the Decorate launch yesterday evening (there must be a collective noun for a bunch of bloggers, what could it be?) Like news-readers it was a surprise to see that they had legs or even heads and bodies! These events are all about making connections and as I am the worlds worst networker I was very glad to have Lucy, my homegrown 'PR assistant' with me to stop me from hiding under the table. I was very happy to meet among others Rebecca, Alexis, Kate from The Fabric of My Life, the lovely chaps from Mini Moderns ( I really love their new Whitby wallpaper) and Will from Bright Bazaar which is a new blog to me and lots of fun.

up and away

2011-04-13T11:41:00.002+01:00

I have just put some ballooning cushions into my shops. These are printed onto white linen in navy, smokey blue and olivey yellow with a navy linen backing. The colours are really lovely though I am not sure these pictures do them justice. I will have another go when the sun comes back out. These are really fun to print as the registration is easy, nothing needs to be too accurate - clever! Available in my etsy and online shop. A 40x50cm screenprint will be following shortly.

Decorate

2011-04-11T22:05:00.002+01:00

I find it hard to believe that it is less than a year ago that Debi Treloar came and took these beautiful pictures of our house for Decorate, the brand new book from Holly Becker of Decor8 blog. I have had my copy for a couple of weeks now and it really is an amazing book, packed full of inspiring homes, images and ideas. I am still not sure how I feel about having my knick-knacks (so to speak!) on display for all to see and it makes me feel a little embarrassed but hey-ho, 99% of my stuff is pre-owned and well loved and just happens to have ended up here in this quite ordinary family home! I am going to the launch in Libertys on Wednesday with my lovely daughter Lucy, instantly recognisable by her bright red corkscrew curls, so if anyone else is going to be there please come and say hello!

bootsale finds

2011-04-11T10:54:00.001+01:00

This studio pottery coffee set was my weekend find at the bootsale. It is made by Briglin potteries, probably in the sixties. Briglin was set up in the 1940's in the smart west end of London by two ladies called Brigette and Eileen, hence the name. Their aim was to produce pots for the home that were well designed, attractive and affordable and I think they succeeded. I have a couple of other pieces, the teazel jug and the kitty money bank. The excellent Pottery Studio website tells me this is now worth an amazing £75.00, however as with most of my stuff it is rather well loved and battered so probably not worth a bean but has a very nice smile!
Lots more pictures and infromation about Briglin is to be found on this ultra informative website www.briglin.com

hooray!

2011-04-08T17:04:00.002+01:00

The sun's out and everyone's in a good mood. It always makes my happy when I can hang my prints on the line and dry my screens in the sun.

summer's here

2011-04-07T10:28:00.000+01:00

Wouldn't it be nice - a complete summer wardrobe in a packet. Not going to happen! Maybe just the stripy dress, although its bound to have darts, and I remember coming unstuck with these in school needlework classes (those were the days!)

passion for scarves

2011-04-05T10:05:00.000+01:00

I spotted this beautiful book about silk scarves in our local bookshop and it is now on my wish list. It has just been published by Thames and Hudson and tells the story of the silk scarf with stunning images. There's not much that makes me happier than seeing a battered old suitcase stuffed with silk scarves three for a fiver at a bootsale or fleamarket. Most of my scarves end up stuffed back into a box back home but a few are transformed into cushions or curtains for my daughters bedroom (a real labour of love I won't be making many of those!) I love the bold patterns and colours of vintage scarves which is why this print dress jumped off the rails at me (half price in the sale at good old Dorothy Perkins - bargain!!)

healthy snack

2011-04-04T10:32:00.001+01:00

I am not a great fan of cupcakes but these looked so luscious I had to buy them for a friend's birthday. They are from Ms Cupcake in Brixton, and are vegan (therefore healthy?!) so goodness knows what they are made from, but a very good way to make yourself feel quite sick on a Sunday afternoon. The vintage tablecloth belongs to my friend Tessa, who, if it is possible has a worse boot sale habit than me and is forever taunting me with her out of town finds. We spent a happy mother's day yesterday extolling the ups and downs of long distance parenting - thank-you for a lovely afternoon!

rail journey

2011-03-31T12:34:00.003+01:00

I travelled to another interview with my son yesterday which involved an epic five hour each way train journey to the deepest south west. I saw lots of England's back gardens, allotments, and sheep and was very glad to get home! On the theme of trains, these are a couple of my rail related books. I found the King Penguin in a charity shop in Rochester last week, and the Little Red Engine books are childhood classics, written by Diana Ross (not of the Supremes!) and this one with beautiful illustrations by Lewit-Him. I love the little engine steaming home through the townscape, brilliant textures and colours.

ballooning

2011-03-28T10:36:00.001+01:00

I have had this ballooning print in my mind for a couple of years so when I found this charming King Penguin book in a second hand book shop in Broadstairs I was finally inspired to get it off the ground! It's first outing is as a new set of postcards which arrived in the post today. As soon as I have made the screens I will be making a 40x50cm screen print and cushions will follow.

knit!

2011-03-26T18:55:00.003Z

Ok James I give in! I love the bossy design of this old knitting book. I am not an enthusiastic knitter but I am accumulating a collection of vintage needles - just for the colours!

i can fly!

2011-03-25T18:09:00.002Z

My heart skipped a beat when I found this battered and much loved copy of I can fly on a vintage stall. I must have had it as a tiny child as every illustration was instantly familiar. I was very pleased with myself to have found it until I looked on abe books and discovered that it is still in print and yours for only 62p!

mid-century chair

2011-03-21T12:18:00.000Z

There was plenty to see at the Midcentury Modern Show and not too many crowds this year, maybe because there is going to be a second show in north London in May. My favourite stands upstairs among the contemporary designers were lovely printed textiles from Maria Hatling and Eleanor Prichards' beautiful wool blankets woven in Wales. And it was really nice to catch up with Sally Nencini who was selling her knitted wares. I came away with a 60's Danish office chair in a very sunny shade of yellow. My office is in a very dark corner so it really cheers it up. I may make a cushion pad out of this vintage fabric.

happy finds

2011-03-20T11:12:00.002Z

While Charlie is attending his interviews I hit the charity shops, and here are this weeks finds. Mosaic game - hours of fun! some chunky pottery in lovely glossy colours, a fine teak pepper mill, and an entirely unnecessary pussy cat string holder to go with the owl string holder. All for under ten pounds. I am thinking of going to the Mid-Century Modern fair this afternoon if the queues aren't too long, I don't think my £10 will go quite as far there!

family matters

2011-03-19T11:17:00.000Z

I haven't been in the mood for posting lately, things seem unimportant compared to the stories and pictures coming from Japan where so many lives have been destroyed and so many people are living on the edge of horror, it's difficult to know what to say apart from joining the voice that wishes everyone in Japan safety and hope for the future.
I have also been away from my computer taking my son to interviews at art colleges around the country. It seems really hard to believe that this cute little blond fellow is now a very handsome, six footer and soon to be leaving home. It's also hard to imagine that his dad ever looked this young!

russia with love

2011-03-10T10:21:00.001Z

On the subject of Russia, I found this poster in a Charity shop in Brixton. I think it's for a puppet theatre. So I now have a picture hanging dilemma. The lovely green three tree print is by Guusje from Guusje's Appaltaart, I really love her work. We did a print swap a while ago but I haven't found a home for it yet. Her latest tree print over on her blog today is really nice.

perfect companions

2011-03-07T10:12:00.005Z

This funny little pottery lady was my 50p spend in the charity shop this weekend, so now I have some company for my funny pottery reindeer and an excellent prop for my folkdance print. I am not sure where these figures come from, the reindeer has a tiny scrap of label on it that looks like Russian, does anyone know?

Update - they are indeed Russian, many thanks to Sheila who recognised them from her collection of Russian matchbox labels as Dymkovo toys and she writes about them here on her blog. While you are there check out her illustrations - really lovely!

New York doll

2011-03-04T18:40:00.001Z

I love this picture of Lucy in Grand Central Station. She and her brat-pack of fellow fashion students were let loose in New York for fashion week. I have never been there so I was very envious, next time she goes her mum goes with her!

spring colours

2011-03-03T10:56:00.000Z

I have introduced a new spring colourway for my siesta cushions and sardana screenprint, a lovely fresh periwinkle blue and chocolate. The white linen cushion is in my shops now and the print will follow soon.

a tiny dose of orange

2011-02-28T11:40:00.001Z

Work has taken priority over the last couple of weeks, and I have been stuck indoors trying to reduce the length of my to-do list. So apologies for blog posts being rather introspective. Sitting in front of a screen day after day, my one little escape is to wander round favourite blogs every now and then. I was inspired by kerry from the seventy tree's ode to red to hunt out my pop-up colour and I think it has to be orange, a tiny dose of orange has a wonderful cheery effect.

simple things

2011-02-20T15:26:00.001Z

Back to Wing Yip today to buy a teapot for my sister. These just make me want to cook a stir fry...

make a pot of tea...

even do the washing-up !

my favourite word

2011-02-17T17:25:00.003Z

I am accumulating enough typewriters to start a Mad Men style typing pool. When I saw this one in the local flea market one voice said 'not another one' and another voice said 'prop' so I bought it. It's my favourite teal colour, comes with a plastic carrying case and has the Design Centre seal of approval, what else could I do? One of my other models has a small part in the publicity material for the new Sanderson vintage wallpaper range. Over the course of a three day shoot last year our walls were papered with a series of very strident patterns from the range. I was quite glad when it was all returned to Brilliant White!