Happy Christmas

I love Christmas and can't wait until the start of December until I can start to decorate.

These are some of my favourite images.

Pinterest is wonderful for ideas and lovely ideas to try or just admire.

Happy Xmas

Sara x

Wonderful Shops

One of my favourite shops for luxury and great design is Liberty, in Regent Street in London. Probably one of the best loved and recognizable department stores in the world

Founded in 1875 by Arthur Lazenby Liberty, it originally sold imported goods from the Far East. As the son of a draper, following in his father’s footsteps he was an apprentice to a draper at 16, going on to work at the Great Cloak and Shawl Emporium on Regent Street. Arthur Lazenby Liberty was to become the manager of the Oriental warehouse, a mecca for pre-Raphaelite artists. He had a passion for the products he sold and soon become a friend of many leading artists of the time; William Morris, Edward Burne Jones and Dante Rossetti. After 10 years he asked to become a partner in the business, when this was refused he set up on his own, using a loan from his father.

This became known as the East India House, originally dealing with fabrics and silks from China, Japan, India and Persia, gradually more goods were added such as ceramics, Japanese fans and object d’ art. This was at the height of the aesthetic movement and along with his friend’s, he was to change the taste of fashion and decoration. His early passion for eastern arts and the desire to educate, keen eye for style and astute business brain made Liberty a leading retail tastemaker at the time.

A sociable man, he moved in artistic circles as well as making influential friends amongst the wealthy. He started using British manufacturers to print fabrics, and Liberty prints are still popular today. Where possible he tried to promote British Craftsmanship.

 In 1870, Liberty and Co, as it was now known, underwent rapid expansion and purchased 140-150 Regent Street. In the 1890s Arthur Lasenby Liberty built strong relationships with many leading English designers. Many of these designers were key figures in the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements and Arthur Liberty was instrumental in the development of Art Nouveau through his encouragement of such designers.

Arthur Lazenby Liberty’s intuitive vision and pioneering spirit led him to travel the world looking for individual pieces to inspire and excite his discerning clientele. Liberty is not just a name above the door, its Arthur Liberty’s legacy, which stands for integrity, value, quality and above all beautifully designed product. This vision and spirit continues today within the same iconic Tudor building.

 

Sara x

Amanda Mercer Ceramics

I love items which have a nostalgic feel and the beautiful work of ceramic artist maker, Amanda Mercer is lovingly handcrafted and inspired by memories and nostalgia.

Amanda’s range is a collection of delicate porcelain buttons, jewellery, pretty home wear and decoration all individually handcrafted and created in Carlisle, Cumbria.

Based on a love for vintage memorabilia such as vintage buttons found in her Grandma's button box, scraps of lace, black and white photographs, stamps and letters, Amanda, translates this feeling through her work.  She explores both the surface decoration and form. Many different techniques are used to achieve her pieces. Such as imprinting, screen printing and the use of decal transfers which are produced through drawings and collages of postage markings and letters.

Each piece is individual and bespoke and they make the most beautiful presents for yourself and others.

Since graduating in 2009 with a first class B.A HONS in Contemporary Applied Arts, Amanda started selling her collection of items through shops and galleries throughout the UK and has also taken part in many exhibitions and events.

Please view www.amandamercer.com for the full range and more details.

Sara x

Serena Partridge- Small But Perfect

As always, I am on the look-out for bespoke items and gifted artisans.  Serena Partridge makes miniature fashion accessories and garments inspired by a passion for European costume, dating back some six hundred years. Her particular interest is for the flamboyant fashions paraded by the wealthy élite. Such as platforms rising to heights of twenty inches or the superfluous coiffures supported by Marie Antoinette. Although her works contain strong references to the past, Serena is not concerned with producing historically accurate replicas. In her work, scale and proportion are distorted to create curios that send up the frivolity and futility of life à la mode.

Though the work involves endless hours of hand stitching, it is not really embroidery; Serena is more of a mixed media artist who leans towards textiles. She mixes antique fabrics and trimmings with materials that will achieve desired effect. Kid gloves are reborn as elongated shoes and a fragmented wedding veil becomes the filling of a six-tier gateau; while heels are carved in wood and coiffures are fashioned from strands of fine silk.

These miniature accessories are crafted from fine papers, with tiny hand-stitching up the back of the stockings and 25 carefully cut pieces of card, stacked and sanded to create the shaped heels of the mules. The embellishments are hand-made with silk ribbons, antique lace and cut-steel beads.

 If you are looking for something a little different, the shoes and stockings are perfect unique gifts for special occasions and followers of fashion. They can be personalised with a message printed inside a tiny card or on a miniature label.

 

For more information view www.serenapartridge.co.uk

Amanda Cobbett-Textile Artist

Who thought that Paper Mache could be so exciting! I just love these quirky sculptures. I hope you do too.

Amanda creates sculptures, embroideries and paintings based in life outside her back door using a mixture of Paper Mache, wire, found objects, antique and up-cycled fabrics.

Her sculptures of garden birds are life size and accentuate colour and the intricacies of feathers using torn silks and lace, they often have little wire speech bubbles with quotes and phrases, quirky sayings or machine embroidered text in the body of the fabric and sometimes ticker tape with a little 'ode' about each bird. Unique and colourful, they make a wonderful gift.

Amanda runs workshops for schools, colleges and art societies, and private groups if you want to have a go yourself, what great fun!

 

 

For more details and to shop:  www.amandacobbett.com

Bye for now
Sara x

Welbeck Tiles- Made in Britain

I love companies that support British craftsmanship and create bespoke products. Welbeck Tiles produce some of the most beautiful tiles that I have ever seen and make a real design statement in your home, whilst offering a truly personal service to all their clients.

This small-scale, batch production gives the tiles a truly unique quality which could never be replicated in mass-production.  All the tiles are made to an extremely high standard using a very labour-intensive techniques and only the best English materials are used, sourced from suppliers who too take great pride in their products.

Designed and made in a small workshop in Cornwall, using traditional techniques that have been in use in the pottery industry for more than a century, Brenda Bates, the MD and chief designer has a real passion for creating beautiful tiles.

Brenda has been involved in ceramic design and manufacture for over 25 years. After gaining an MA in Ceramic Design from Staffordshire University in Stoke-on-Trent, she went on to work in the ceramic tableware industry for a brief spell. Quickly realizing that this would be far too restrictive, as the industry was then very conservative in terms of decoration, she started her own company in 1988, producing china dinner services and giftware.

An extremely successful number of years followed, designing ranges for some of the world’s most prestigious department stores in the world, such as Bergdorf Goodman in New York as well as various London-based companies including the David Linley Furniture Company, Renwick & Clarke and the Irish Georgian Society. She also worked on numerous exclusive private commissions for some of the most highly-regarded names in Europe.

 In 1996, Welbeck Tiles was formed and with its innovative designs quickly grew to supply over 100 tile retailers throughout the country. They now only sell directly by mail-order and through a selected network of the best handmade kitchen companies in the UK. A lovely range of ceramic brooches and mugs is also available to buy online.

 

For more information and to view their stunning range; www.welbeck.com

 All the best

Sara X

Lucy King-Handbags

I think that quirky fashion accessories as well as been great fun, can really lift an outfit and also make wonderful presents. I love the humour and beautifully colourful designs of Lucy King.

Lucy King is an independent business, based in Yorkshire, dedicated entirely to textiles, primarily handbags and accessories. All of the products available at Lucy King are entirely hand crafted, making each piece truly unique.

To view the range: http://www.lucy-king.com

I have posted several lovely images for you.

Sara x

Ruth Singer-Textile Artist

As a textile artist myself, I really appreciate the work and love that goes into a piece of work. I find the work of Ruth Singer very interesting.

Ruth creates detailed and interesting textile artworks inspired by historical textiles, museum objects, personal heritage, memory and stories. She combines natural and vintage textiles with hand stitching as well as fabric manipulation techniques to create texture. Ruth’s textile practice was established in 2005. She has been commissioned by Derby Museum Service to create work based on their African collections and have work in the permanent collection of Staffordshire Museum Service, based on their Victorian photographs of women criminals.

Her more recent work incorporates photography, experimental dyeing and found objects. Many of the techniques used are developed from her study of historical textiles. She created an installation piece in collaboration with weaver Jan Garside and a collection of objects with jeweller Alys Power. Series: Monumental Folly which explores love and the sense of place associated with a particular building, won Ruth the Craft space Prize at Unit Twelve Contemporary Craft Open 2012.

Smaller pieces of framed and unframed work suitable for the home are now for sale on madebyhandonline.com

 For more details - http://ruthsinger.com

 

 

Take care Sara x

Art Meets Fashion

Hermes Limited-Edition Scarves by Hiroshi Sugimoto. 

I love the mixing of art, fashion and craftsmanship, the recent design collaboration of Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto with iconic fashion house Hermes, does just that. Famous for its beautiful, colourful scarves and exciting marketing campaigns Hermes is one of the leading luxury scarf brands in the world.

 
The ‘Couleurs de l’ombre’ range of limited-edition silk scarves is inspired by Polaroid’s of the artist’s ‘Colour of Shadow’ collection. In his ‘Colour of Shadow’ artworks, Sugimoto used a Polaroid camera to take long-exposure shots of cinema screens, light passing through prism, and extreme close-ups of colours to create vibrant and colourful photos.

Hermes selected some of Sugimoto’s Polaroid’s and printed them on silk scarves using ink jet printing. These stunning scarves are truly works of art.

http://editeur-en.hermes.com for more details

 

 

 

The Colourful World of Sisters Gulassa

I love colour and pattern and no-one does this with more flair than Sister Gulassa. They are crazy about pattern mixing and bright bold colours and their passion really shows in their unique work-style.

 

Sisters Gulassa is an international design studio. It was founded by two sisters, Lise who is based in California and Cyrille who is based in Vienna. This brand specializes in vibrant, vivacious prints and products for interior and fashion, creative direction, design development and branding. They work with many well-known clients such as; as Old Navy, The North Face, Carve Designs, Gap and Pottery Barn. Their work includes a unique line of wall runners, wall murals, floor flowers, paper products, fabric, and totes

“Both sisters design, research and create art. Their backgrounds started with art, fashion and advertising and while working together abroad in Romania, they realized their combined interests could result in a rather vibrant body of work.

They also produce stunning wall pieces in mixed media which can be purchased through Saatchi or Spoon flower.

I have posted a wonderful selection of work to brighten up your day!

 

 

 

 

 

For more information go to www.sistergulassa.com

 

Sara x

Made By Hands of Britain

 

I just wanted to let you all know about this wonderful online platform for craftspeople. It has been going through some changes at the current time, but I think that what they are trying to achieve is very worthwhile. Their aim is to select the best products and services that can be found and to bring them together on Made by Hands of Britain. The many products shown are items that not only make a statement but will also become treasured possessions and heirlooms of the future. British art and craftsmanship is one of our most well-known and important industries; they have always been and will always be associated with excellence.

Made by Hands of Britain is an online promotional and marketing platform, for British Craftsmen and Women, to showcase and sell their work to those of you who appreciate the application of skill and craftsmanship in the production of functional items as well as aesthetic pieces of art that just cannot be found anywhere else.

Products range from; ceramics, food, clothing, furniture, bags, art and skincare,  all products are of a high quality and handmade using raw materials sourced from and made within the British Isles.

Made by Hands of Britain, also actively seeks to support those social enterprises who help, disadvantaged and disaffected people by teaching them hand-making skills that will not help to reconnect them with themselves and what they want to achieve in life but with the rest of society as well.

To view the online shop and blog see below

http://www.madebyhandsofbritain.com 

Sara x

 

Jill Ford Ceramics

I have known Jill several years and have a couple of her beautiful porcelain candlesticks. Based in Yorkshire she started her business as a potter in 2002 and has become very successful in the crafts arena as a ceramic artist.

Her contemporary porcelain, which encompasses innovative textural wall pieces, vases and bowls thrown on the wheel and a range of candlesticks, is now sold in an impressive host of galleries and shops both in the UK and overseas, including New York. She has been a featured artist at the Hepworth in Wakefield.

Jill’s work mirrors the seasons, both in the processes she uses as well as the changing nature of her landscape. Her latest work tends towards a more abstract nature and draws heavily on the themes of ice and rock, particularly informing her wall pieces and Strata range of vessels. Her love of nature shows in the subtle, natural colours of blue, green, grey and taupe (copper oxide is used) and simple patterns of her work.

I love the fact that not only is Jill’s work unique, as well as been lovely, that she keeps the prices affordable, this makes her work accessible to a wide range of people and I am sure is one of the many factors of her growing success. I love the simple clean lines of the work and her ceramic wall pieces are delicate but strong and have a graceful style.

Jill is also an enthusiastic champion of craft lending her support to nationwide initiatives to raise its profile in the UK and is a member of Northern Potters Ass and East Riding Artists. Children’s and adults workshops are held regularly at Jill studio pottery near to Ellerton, if you want to have a go at learning to throw pottery yourself.

To buy Jill ford’s work or find out more information about her range of products or workshops visit http://jillford.co.uk

Bye for now

Sara x

Heather Alstead Design

 I am always looking out for new and interesting products and if these are made in Britain; all the better for it.  I have found this lovely company which is 100% British made with a wonderful sense of fun. Producing a range of cushions, book marks, stationery and mugs based on fairy stories. We all love fairy stories, great for adults and children alike…

All of the products in this extensive range are created by Heather and manufactured and assembled in Britain. The company is based in York, and offers a unique and original range of products, which are designed to enhance the world around us whilst also retaining a sense of humour.

Passionate about British design and ‘home-grown’ sourced materials, her work reflects her unique personal style, impeccable eye for detail and enthusiasm for quality materials and well-made products. Inspiration is taken from every aspect of her life, from classic British literature to subverting the well-known.

There is more to these products than first meets the eye, with hidden meanings and unique design details thoughtfully concealed throughout.

Heather Alstead Design products are split into three ranges; Fairy Tales, Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Nursery Rhymes & Stories.

For more details and stockists:

http://heatheralsteaddesign.com

We all love a happy ending

Bye for now.

Sara x

Wonderful Shops

THE IMAGINARIUM

Your imagination knows no limits

This wonderful shop opened in September 2013, just in time for Christmas.

Full of unusual finds, unique and one-off items, the striking black walls and unique display ideas make this a shop worth visiting if you are in the north of England. There is no website at the current time. But Facebook does give a great feel for the flavour of this shop. It’s also worth viewing the Handmade Yorkshire Soap company as this is a sister company.

For further details;

6 Blake Street

York

YO1 8QG

01904 466 642

Happy shopping…

Sara x

Ella Doran

January is a good time to look at updating our homes...

I love the use of art in a practical way and no one does this better than Ella Doran who specializes in the surface design of distinctive home accessories and furnishings.

Ella Doran is an award winning designer who has been running her own East-London based business since graduating from college in the early 90s. Her main focus is on creating photography-based images and patterns and she pioneered their application on functional everyday products when digital printing technologies were first developed. Ella makes seasonal collections of ready-to-buy home accessories, stationery products and gifts and works to commission for commercial, charitable and private clients. Because of her extensive experience in design, manufacturing and selling she is also a sought-after mentor, a role she has always been happy to take on. Ella is a fellow of the RSA.

Stimulated by an on-going collaboration with retailers and manufacturers, the Ella Doran product portfolio of modern home accessories has expanded to include; trays, ceramic tableware, cushions and umbrellas as well as paper products, such as diaries, greeting cards, calendars, gift wrap/bags and wallpapers.

State-of-the-art digital technologies and processes have meant a bespoke range of products has been introduced, such as; bespoke roller blinds that are scaled and cropped to a customer specification.  Ella Doran also works in collaboration with established British blinds manufacturer Eclectics.

Drawing inspiration from the world around her, at home or abroad, Ella Doran creates new designs every season for her portfolio of home accessories and furnishing. All of her designs are suffused by her passion for colour, texture and the effects of sunlight. Ella insists on using high-quality materials that enhance the meaning of her designs, which often play with cultural icons and associations.

I love the nostalgic feel of Ella’s work and her strong personal interests and love of art and photography which show in her collections.

For more information go to www.elladoran.co.uk

All the best

Sara X