light

the vintage lampshade over our dining table was squashed on a shoot (one of the hazards of using our house as a location). And ever since, I have been looking for a replacement. I think I have found it, this beautiful paper origami shade from Snowpuppe in the Netherlands. I will be going for the extra large size available in their etsy shop.

christmas past

I am feeling reflective today (must be the sherry) so I have sought out some images from Christmas past.  A vintage Christmas card, a mitten tree from an old knitting pattern book, and my favourite Christmas poem from Peacock Pie, wonderful atmospheric poetry by Walter de la Mare with illustrations by Edward Ardizzone.

Have a wonderful Christmas, look after each other x

christmas on a plate

I am feeling a bit sentimental today, it must be Christmas, or the thought of cooking Christmas dinner for 17, or the sherry. What is the one object that means Christmas to you? For me, it's this huge willow pattern meat platter. It belonged to my grandfather, Grampie Greenham, and over its long life must have carried hundreds of festive roasts to the table in the west country and now here in London. I will be using it when my family arrives for dinner on Christmas day.

lights

No time to decorate yet but Christmas orders are now packed and sent and we have lights.

climb every mountain

Apologies for lack of festive blog posting, it's been more than a bit challenging here lately not made any easier by dropping my phone this week and hearing the splash of doom as it disappeared down a drain. Imagine my language and double, no triple it.

Here's a goat to cheer things up, my Capricorn illustration for Red Magazines January issue. In the words of Julie Andrews 'climb every mountain'.

So, happy birthday to any Capricorns out there. That includes my sister, author and all round creative person Clare Youngs who has finally got herself online, take a look around her website and blog for hand made inspiration.

clever offcuts

I have started my Christmas shopping at last. First stop was Unto This Last, a furniture showroom and workshop at the top end of Brick Lane where they turn out furniture and lighting on site using plywood and coloured laminates slotting together like giant dolls house furniture. Nothing is wasted, scraps and offcuts are fashioned into small accessories including mats, coasters, candle holders and animals, everything under a tenner.

Mini Christmas sale in my shops - up until 19th of December there will be 10% off purchases in both my online and etsy shops with this code SIMPLE10

It's the last day for Airmail to Western Europe on 12th December and for UK first class mail 20th December.

celebrate! and shop!

Congratulations to Lucy, she starts her new PR job in London on Monday. Although she loved her job in Brighton the commute was just a bit too much (4 hours travelling a day) and she's a London girl after all. Here she is showing cousins and friends how to celebrate! Grungy background courtesy of Brixton Village.

I was on The Simple Things magazine blog over the weekend, they asked me to do a little Q&A. Read all about it here. And more celebrations! I am having a mini Christmas sale up until 19th of December there will be 10% off purchases in both my online and etsy shops with this code SIMPLE10

Just to remind you, it's the last day for Airmail to the USA, Canada and Eastern Europe today (10th December) Western Europe on 12th December and for UK first class mail 20th December.

simple things

I found this 1965 Waddington's game in the charity shop (sometimes I feel like the little man in the top hat on the front cover, always running!) I think its Ludo with boats so I can't see it taking over from the Xbox this christmas, looks nice though. 

And on the subject of simple pleasures, I am on The Simple Things magazine blog today, they asked me to do a little Q&A, hope it has turned out ok! Read all about it here and find out details of a festive discount in my shops.  

new sketchbooks

New in the shop! A4 sketchbooks with hardback greyboard covers and bright coloured cloth bindings. Screen printed with our windmill or city windows designs. The pages inside are 140gsm cartridge, thick enough for sketches, water colour, notes and cuttings. An ideal stocking filler if ever I saw one!

Available here, and in my Etsy shop now.

Modern day out

It was a frosty day, flocks of geese were grazing on the playing fields and Hogwarts style lights hovered over the impressive array of Mid-Century furniture in the fabulous '60s setting of the Christensen Hall at Dulwich College. I was hoping that my corner at the Mid-Century Modern show on Sunday would look cool, minimal and edited. As usual, it ended up as a bit of a market stall. I can't resist piling on products old and new. 

Lucy stepped in as my lovely assistant and we had a busy day, made all the better by friendly neighbours Mark from mini-moderns (all on his own while Keith manned their Christmas pop-up shoppe in Columbia Road) and Julia from Winter's Moon, it was great to catch up. What amazed me was that at an event full of cool hunting mid-century types our best seller was the roddy the owl print, it seems everyone still loves an owl.

spotted!

roddy&ginger has been spotted! twice a year style journalist Charlotte Abrahams hand picks 10 new design brands to showcase on her stand Spotted at Top Drawer, and this year we have been selected for the January show. Our first small venture into the scary world of the trade show, huge exitement and smiles all round.

On the subject of events, we will be upstairs at the Midcentury Modern show this Sunday 2nd December. As always it will be a fantastic leafy south-east London day out for lovers of mid-century furniture and design and an opportunity to shop for Christmas with some truly amazing contemporary designers. Free parking, fab food and a chance to poke around the architectural wonder that is Dulwich College. All the details here.

Cyber-monday 15% sale continues today in both my shops, heres the code WEEKEND15

Apparently its a big shopping weekend so I am having a quick sale. 15% off purchases from my Etsy and online shop until midnight on monday. Just use this code when you purchase WEEKEND15

sagittarius

This months illustration for Red Magazine - a festive, nordic, man, archer, horse, snow-dome combo.
Happy birthday to all you Sagittarians!

winners!

Thank-you all who entered the logbook giveaway, the winners (picked by random.org) are:

First prize of three logbooks to Ibb, and runners up Flora and Mars will receive a book each.

So logbooks will be on on their way to the Spain, UK and the Netherlands, feel the euro love!

stocking up

This was one of my first products ever, back in the days when I had two screens and a kitchen table. My Icelandic Christmas stocking comes out every year and I always sell a few. This year they are selling as fast as I can make them, must be the triangles. Quite a few are heading over to USA and Australia where 'holiday' shopping seems to have kicked off early (is it early? maybe not). The elves are going to be busy this weekend.

Available in my etsy and online store

Still time to enter the great logbook giveaway! just leave a comment for a chance to win. You can also follow me on twitter (please leave a comment here too so that I know) for two chances to win. Ends Sunday at 6.00pm UK time.

logbook give away!

neon..tick, eco...tick, logs...tick.... our logbooks are here! and available now in our shop and Etsy store. These handy A5 books are made from 100% recycled natural card. Inside there are 32 pages of thick recycled 130gsm cartridge, perfect for notes, sketches and doodles.

There are three log-style designs screen printed in neon pink and soon to be available in highlighter yellow. Gift tags, pencil cases and postcards coming soon. In the meantime to celebrate my first step into the stationery world I am having a giveaway!

Just leave me a comment for a chance to win. The first out of the hat will receive a set of three logbooks and two runners up will receive a logbook each.

 19.11.12 Giveaway now closed.

day out

Day out with Lucy in Islington, we dropped into the Country Living Christmas Fair at the Business Design Centre... blimey, festive overload! we stayed long enough to seek out the Treefall Design stand where Manda McGory has used our Logpile wallpaper as a back drop to her sweet and charming collection of homewares and beautiful, simple hand made children's clothing range (pictures taken on my phone, sorry!) It was lovely to finally meet Manda.

Enough of jingle bells and reindeers, we walked as far as the serene and thoughtful Folklore shop via twentytwentyone, bought a 21st birthday present handbag at Whistles, some flouro printing inks at Cass Art, checked out the vintage clothes shops in Camden Passage (beautiful but expensive) had lunch in the Elk in the Woods, and tried to see the Old School print exhibition at Smug. Roped off again, better luck next time. We also spent ages in Penhaligans identifying our signature scents. Daughters, fun but expensive.

need more cupboards

All deliveries arrive at once, cardboard boxes everywhere. Big cupboard sort out required urgently

sneak preview

I spent printing tuesday experimenting with bits of card and flouro ink. And here we have my prototype Logbook! well it was only a matter of time! I am hoping to have a stock of these and other paper products in time for a bit of Christmas shopping.

Thursday this week was a day for new designs, I am working on a couple of new textiles to be ready for Mid-Century Modern, November is going to be busy.

A to Z

 

This was my weekend find, an A to Z of London with delightful linocut illustrations by one of my favourite British artists Edward Bawden. It is very entertaining and packed full of information about London in 1953 including D for debutantes, S for spiv and where to purchase the correct bowler hat (Locks of St James's). The list of restaurants ran to five pages and when my dad looked through it he had happy memories of many, some involving dancing!

Edward Bawden taught at the Royal College of Art in the '60s where he mentored and inspired Christopher Brown. His influence is clearly evident in Christopher Brown's Alphabet of London where he brings the A to Z up to date with his quirky linocut illustrations of contemporary London life.

21!

My baking skills are limited, but after 21 years I have perfected the art of decorating cakes with a tube of smarties (the pair of socks were Lucy's idea) Apologies for the dodgy quality of the portrait, taken when we were out and about on Saturday, proves that you don't need instagram to take murky pictures. Happy birthday Charlie and Lucy!

goat love

I have been researching goats, and heres a fabulous one from American illustrator Abner Grabof. He illustrated a huge portfolio of amazing childrens books in the '50s and '60s, fantastic colour, design and humour, love it.

More about him here on the very entertaining and informative Fishink blog.