Teddy Bears Picnic

Yesterday the latest issue of Small Magazine (an absolutely beautiful online childrens/parents magazine) came out. In their last issue I contributed a DIY project on finger puppets, and this time round one of my beeb bears was featured as part of their "the new bears in town" spread, alongside some of my favourite designer/makers like Abigail Brown and astulabee...

Christmas Fair

Next Saturday - the 5th December - I'm taking part in the We Make London Christmas Fair at Chelsea Town Hall on the Kings Road. I think it's going to be a brilliant event, there are going to be all sorts of super artists/designers/makers exhibiting, and an illustrious list of sponsors. Do come along if you can!!

Take Heart

I've made cushion covers in the past, but not often because I had a bit of a fear about inserting zips. But, I thought they'd be a good addition to my collection, so I've pulled myself together recently and made some cotton ones with hot pink silk hearts and stars on. Although they may not look it in these bleached pictures, the square one is blue and the rectangular one is dusky orange, and they have lovely soft duck-feather pads which really make all the difference...

Capital Idea

I showed a couple of my 'new style' of pictures in the last post... here's another, a commission for my sister's friend's baby shower last weekend. She's received it now so there's no embargo!

p.s. I love doing these, and would thoroughly welcome any other commissions!

All New

I'm working on lots of new things for the fairs I've got coming up in December - cushions, tree decorations, little characters, and some pictures painted in acrylic on card, using words and illustrated with tiny people and birds. Here are a couple of test-runs (photos aren't the best and there are still pencil marks, but like I said, just testing!!)

Merci Paris

I went to Paris for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and really loved it. It rained all day on my first day, which was a bit dampening, but the sun came out the next day and showed off the city in all its glory. My favourite shop was Merci - a concept store near where I was staying in the Marais district. It's got a lovely café that sits in the middle of a library of second hand books, and the shop itself sells a curated selection of clothes and homewares, all very beautifully displayed. And to top it all off, there's an red Fiat 500 in the courtyard! Anyway, enough about that, here are some of my Paris pictures....

A sculpture in the Tuilleries outside the Louvre

A carousel at the bottom of the Sacré Coeur

A view over the Seine to the Left Bank

An old shop front in Montmartre

Haute Couture

Have you heard of Momiji dolls? They're little collectible wooden characters, each with a different style and personality. Momiji have been running a competition for people to make larger, textile versions, with the 10 shortlisted dolls being exhibited at Royal/T in Los Angeles. Here are my two entries, fingers are crossed!!

Affordable Art Fair

Last Sunday some friends popped by with tickets to the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea Park, just up the road from my house. So, along we went and had a very fun and inspiring time looking at all the affordable (erm, well... to some) art. Some of my favourites...

Anna Hymas

Charlotte Hardy

Vanessa Cooper

Lutterlagkage

A while ago I read on decor8 about a gorgeous shop opening in Malmö - Lutterlagkage. Owner Stine Holm Weirsoe sells her own and other people's childrenswear and homeware products. I've just sent Stine six dolls and six bears (below) to sell in the shop and on her website, and am very excited they'll be part of such a beautiful environment!

Tiger Tiger

Yesterday I got back from Paris to some exciting news! One of my entries for this month's Tigerprint design competition was chosen as a runner up... The brief was for a "contemporary handbag notebook". Here's my runner up entry (looking a bit blurry, I'm not sure why/how) and my two others... The middle one is inspired by paper cuts (not the uninspiring painful type; the artistic type).

Chinese Takeaway

This past week has been Chinese Wellbeing Week, as run by London South Bank University's Confucius Institute. I did some illustrations for their publicity (posters, banners & postcards), which I loved doing and loved seeing as a finished product. Here are the originals...

Moon Festival

T'ai Chi

The Legend of Hou Yi and Chang'e

Angelic

I'm starting to get ready for Christmas sales, and these are a new, festive version of my peg dolls - peg angels, which I reckon will make super stocking fillers or tree decorations. The photo doesn't quite do justice to their cream and gold jacquard dresses. Pretty glitzy eh?!

Coming Up Roses

As mentioned below, I'm off to Paris, and during my research into places to go, things to do and food to eat, a few shops and cafes have kept coming up, one of which is Rose Bakery. I've known about it since I bought my sister the lovely Breakfast, Lunch, Tea cookbook a couple of years ago, and now keep reading very very good things about the food there. And... there are two branches in the city so it shouldn't be hard to bump into one of them.

Also, I was arranging a bunch of flowers at work today and kept getting my fingers pricked by rose thorns, which felt a lot like a sewing injury, so I put all these things together and made this embroidery in honour!!

Une Nuit A Paris!

Yep, I'm going to Paris, at long last, my first trip, just for one night. I am doing full prep by poring over my copy of Paris Made By Hand, examining the Paris design guide on Design*Sponge, and flicking through back issues of Marie Claire Maison. I Just Can't Wait!!!

Scrapbook Sunday

Today has been so summery and gorgeous. I've been painting little monsters and making a maquette for the Momiji Couture Contest. Lots of work to be done on this but it's a start!!

Here's a bleached, light filled page from my scrapbook to go with the day...