and a happy new year!

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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!