The Mill

I missed Desk Thursday last week, I was packing for the weekend, shopping, and house hunting all at the same time so I didn't have the time. Hope to be back this week.

I spent the weekend in The Isle of Wight with my family and a big group of old friends. My friend Rosie's house has been in her family for many (eek, I should ask exactly how many) years. It's an old Mill, fairly ramshackle but with so much charm and character, and it's only when I go there or think of the place that I realize how much it influences my work.

From the piles of books...




to the knick-knacks on the deep window sills...





to the little rowing boat outside.




The light is so beautiful down there. Here are some more photos from The Mill.

A Very Special Desk Thursday (more special than Gus on the desk? Yes!)

So, at the moment it's fairly often that my husband comes into the kitchen to find me weeping. Hormones and such. But this morning it wasn't hormones, it was a parcel from Mossy Shed. Despite how it may seem from recent posts, I don't normally photograph everything that comes through my door. The phone bill, for example doesn't get a look in, but there are exceptions.

This package I opened in slow motion. As soon as the first layer of polystyrene balls came off, I gasped, I believe I said 'Oh My God' out loud (albeit in a breathy whisper) and I went to get my camera. And it was then that Ben came in to find me weeping, amidst a pile of poly balls and tissue paper, photographing a yellow teapot in the middle of my kitchen.

This teapot belonged to Tif. When I first saw it on her blog I said:

and I believe I continued to drool over it a couple more times after that. And so, as if by magic, what was once here is now here:

And I can't thank Tif enough.
Happy Desk Thursday and have a lovely weekend, all. x

Nath! / Ezra Jack Keats

Another lovely gift in the post today, this time from the lovely Nath, who I only 'met' recently when she joined in our shapes and patterns week. But she's fast become one of my favourite bloggers to check out daily, and she's an absolute star. She sent my little chap a fabulous vintage nursery rhymes book, all wrapped up so beautifully. She's got such a great eye for vintage finds, for more of her precious things you should check out her shop here.

Thank you so much Nath! x

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I saw this book, Whistle For Willie, on Nath's blog the other day which reminded me of the little animation I saw on We Heart Books a while ago. So far we only have The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats which is so adorable, but now I'm after many many more. Check out the lovely write up on the We Heart Books blog which will lead you to another lovely clip about the author/illustrator.

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Ahh, so nice to hear Boris Becker's dulcet tones once more. I love how he pronounces Wimbledon "Womblon". We can't get enough of that in our house this time of year.

Desk Thursday

I'm thinking I should rename my blog 'Desk Thursday' since that's all I can manage at the moment. But I'm pretty sure I'll be forgiven knowing I have a 2 1/2 week old attached to me 24/7.
Anyway, look at my lovely desk today. My once invisible, now truly-visible-actual-friend Mandy, aka Belle & Boo sent me a little gift for my Gus. I can't tell you how special it is getting post from Belle & Boo - the attention to detail in the packaging alone is exciting enough! But I adore this print - My Paper Plane - and can't wait to find the time to put it up!

Thanks sweet Mandy, so glad you only live a bus ride and a short walk away!

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I started a new little paper book the day before I had Gus, my creative juices were going bonkers. I will try and get a photo of the little mock-up in the next few days. Who knows when I'll have time to make it but it does help to know there is something waiting to be done, whenever I do have the time.

Have a lovely weekend all!

Desk Thursday

Looking forward to decorating and filling my new ebay win for my two boys. 6ish quid don't you know. I thank you.

Have a lovely weekend all. x

I refuse to particpate in a recession

I've got a new sidebar inspired by all the lovely things I find online that I SIMPLY MUST HAVE! I think this bag from Alphabags says it all.

One of the nicest things about coming back from hospital (apart from bringing home a new little bundle), was finding all the lovely purchases I had forgotten about, waiting for me to open.

No. 1: You may already know how much I love Amanda Blake's work. Originally I wanted this but it was over my budget (believe me, I was tempted) and also promised to someone else. So then I got this. You know...yellow, stripes, a tree and as my father-in-law told me, looked like me, 8 months pregnant (cheers). And now I have my Lydia.

Amanda was recently wrestling with the idea of being able to offer more affordable works so she looked into getting prints made of her original works. But it didn't sit well with her so now she is making these beautiful affordable drawings, which I think are the perfect solution. And it makes me even happier to know that Lydia was Amanda's favourite of the set too.

No. 2: Nina Van de Goor's work has been on my wish list for a while. I kept clicking on this bowl, hoping it was still there and in the end, I thought it was best to just buy the thing!

It's so, so lovely. If you don't know her blog, check it out, it's full of the most gorgeous colours and patterns. You will be there all day.

3: Then since I came home I bought this collage of Full Stops from my lovely invisible friend Anna over here. Do you think all this shopping is a hormonal thing?

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments on my last post, sweet invisible friends. x

Desk Thursday

If I'm the only one doing desk thursday today you should all be ashamed of yourselves! I hope you admire my dedication. No work today. Just Gus.

Miller Goodman/ Tangrams

My goodness...another jawdropping-oh-my-god-moment. Maybe I am the last to know about this but I have just come across this fabulous children's game called The Shapemaker from design duo Miller Goodman. I say 'children's game' but as you will see from the flickr group, this has quite a few grown up fans too. I so love it's retro feel (I was convinced it dated from the late 50s when I first saw it) and how simple yet clever it is.

I want it. And then I want to join the flickr group and have some fun.

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When I saw this comment on Nath's lovely collages, "I love your art and how much they look like tangrams." I thought, what's a tangram? So I googled it. I don't normally while away my free hours 'celebrating maths' but this is cute.

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I'm not sure how much I'll be posting in the next week or so but I'll be back as soon as I can. Missing you already! x

p.s. Jesse's mess.

Desk Thursday / Messy home update

Packing up tea towels and a wooden book all going to the US. Desk Thursday group pool here.

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I loved your responses to my messy home post yesterday. I agree, Elisabeth's home is still lovely, even with mess. Thank you for leaving your links to other messy houses...I feel a new blog coming on, Anti-Apartment Therapy perhaps; just homes 'in need of updating' (as the estate agents say), and not a Danish sideboard in sight!

Please join me in posting a picture of either a completely undesirable part of your home or a really dull or unaesthetically pleasing object that you would never normally allow in a photo shoot (thrifted quirky, kitschy and therefore cool items shall not be allowed!) I am coming out of the closet and posting my favourite mug.

What can I say, I have indeed had it since 1981 and it's just the perfect size. I even mended the handle a couple of weeks ago. (Photo includes kitchen counter biscuit crumbs.)

Have a lovely weekend all. x

p.s. I love that Janne has Elle Deco shooting her house today! Perfect timing!

More objects / A messy home at last

I have always been drawn to this page in Meg and Mog by Helen Nicoll & Jan Pienkowski. The graphic images, the colour and of course the objects. It probably inspired Placing Things in some way.

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So nice to see a messy home. We see so many goorrrrgeously styled (and sometimes over-styled) houses on the blogs every day, (my current swoonfest is The Seventy Tree) what a relief to see that Elisabeth's home isn't always white, clean and stark with just the perfect splash of colour. Thank you Elisabeth!

p.s. remember it's desk thursday tomorrow if you want to join in!

I want...

I imagine this is a common occurrence, especially among the design-crazy-scando-loving among you: You see a picture on a blog, you click on a link, your eyes widen, your jaw drops, you might say "oh my god" out loud, you want to cry. Yes? That's what just happened when I saw that you can buy one of my favourite fabrics by the metre, in the UK.

New House Textiles

And then I saw this tea towel.

New House Textiles

The end.

Artists Who Blog / Stephanie Levy

Hello chaps. Just a quickie today to let you know there is an interview with me on the super duper Artists Who Blog.

It's created by Stephanie Levy, an American artist living in Munich. She makes the most beautiful collage pieces and check out her new 'Ikea Dreams' light panels. Because of the colours and types of papers she uses, her work is so 'stained-glassy' that when lit from behind it translates perfectly into an illuminated piece. It's interesting to see that kind of progression in someone's work.

I really got into this interview - my answers are quite long...bare with it if you can! And have a lovely weekend all. x

p.s. desk thursday is now a flickr group. I think you can just join yourself, but if you have to be invited, just let me or Xanthe know and we will invite you!

The chicken and the Egg / Desk Thursday

I dreamt this image last night, the colours and everything. So I thought I should get it down. I am sure it's all down to this lady.

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When I posted this a couple of Thursdays ago, my crazy-flickr-group-obsessed-friend Xanthe suggested we do a 'Desk Thursday' photo every week. I agreed, then the next week, promptly forgot. So here is today's Desk Thursday.

I must admit, I have spent more time today looking at yellow sandals on the internet, than working. Feels a bit personal having my diary on show, luckily there is nothing of interest! Feel free to join in, today, next week, whenever.

The Red Balloon - again

I can't get away from The Red Balloon. I have made a little wooden book, a triptych and a concertina card. When I first had contact with We Heart Books, they mentioned they would love to see a Red Balloon little paper book, and although I am slowly winding things up for the month, I couldn't help myself. So here it is.

With more pages to fill, it's more detailed than my other Red Balloon pieces, I've added some rooftops (I love rooftops)

and I must give Susy Jack a shout-out for originally selling me her 'dotty dots', which inspired the balloons.

I've just popped it in the shops.

Sue Williams A'Court

Last weekend I visited an open studios weekend and came away with a painting. I first noticed Sue Williams A'Court because of her home, which appeared in Elle Deco a few years ago, and her beautiful house and studio had always stayed with me. So when I saw she was involved in my local open studios event and the opportunity arose to go and visit, I jumped at it.

If you know my work you can probably see what I like about hers, the organic forms, recurring egg/pebble motif, the textural canvases and her inspiration by the objects around her. I am such a colour freak but I am also so drawn to this subtle natural palette. Partly why I loved neutrals week so much.
It was so lovely to have a chat with her about all the above and I felt I had to have a souvenir. I was torn between two works but came away with this one:

Thank you for the lovely tour of your home Sue and for being so welcoming.
Here is Sue's website and here's the original Elle Deco piece.