You know it's time for a little break when...

Necklace from here

...you start looking like your logo.

Happy Holidays! Back with tales of summery fun soon.

Pale and Interesting

It's very exciting when people, whose work you really, really rate, want to buy something from you. I mean me. Hang on, what? What I mean is I was very chuffed when Lucie Summers asked me to make a little singing bird for her. The thing is, she said, the person it's for is a real neutrals person....could you do something in pale colours...? Well yes, I most certainly could.

And I think it looks just darling and refreshingly different to the bright vivid colours I usually use. So much so I went and a made a little pale-blue-and-green-dreamy-sea-colours bird too.

Front and Back

I returned here yesterday to fit the remaining 3 panels for the back door. While I was there, I got some better shots of the front door, which is looking fantastic now it's all been painted and the floor tiles have been laid.

Can't show you any pictures of the back door yet...there was a bright blue builder's van parked outside which was all my camera seemed to want to focus on.

Testing

I finally got a new camera...not sure if I like it though. Been snapping away at things to get the hang of it.

Contemporary Indian Window for The Bull Hotel

At last, I've got some pictures to show you.

The window is in one of their newly refurbished rooms (they've just finished converting a few mews-type buildings that lead out on to their stunning courtyard festooned with greenery, flowers and bunting). The room is called Nandi (the name of the bull that the Indian goddess Shiva rides on - clever eh?) and has a contemporary Indian theme with the most amazing wallpapers. The one you see here is so convincingly three-dimensional, you really do have to go and touch it, just to check they haven't actually covered the walls in corrugated iron. On the opposite wall is a beautiful bold paisley print in dusty plum and gold.

The roll-top bath is on a small raised platform in the corner of the bedroom, and the window serves not only to give privacy to the bather, but also to cast the most dazzlingly decadent light across the room. There is a king-size bed and chaise longue in antique rattan, and honestly, it took all the strength I could muster not to just flop on the crisp white duvet and tell them, no you can't have your key back, I'm staying.

I am really delighted with the way the window complements the theme and colours of the room. The paisley border (which took a lot of experimenting with) works brilliantly - giving the window great texture and tying in nicely with the wallpaper opposite. Glass geeks may be interested to know that the olive green glass for the border is actually Spectrum Waterglass. I know - how thrilled was I to find they now make it in 2 new shades of olive green! I actually also put some silver stain on the border glass to "warm" up the olive, to make it more of a yellowy olive than a bluey one, with the added benefit of giving the glass a bit more "life" and subtle variations in tone and colour - Waterglass can look a bit ho-hum if used in large areas. On the other hand, if used with the grain to your advantage in small areas, the effect can be quite dynamic. For this window, I used plum Waterglass in the petal shapes, with the grain following the direction of the petals.

Don't forget the cake....

I like icing cakes almost as much as I like making party bags.

That's Mona the Vampire by the way. Highly unsuitable viewing for a 3 year old of course, but she adores Mona with every bone in her body: this is the child who, when faced with a basket full of princess costumes, chooses the witch costume every time. She's a spooky little kid.

Birthday Girl

This time 3 years ago, I was probably sitting in my jim-jams snuggled up with my (then) 3 and a half year old and my dozing 1 day old baby. Now here she is, bossing us all about and making us cry with laughter in equal measure.


Been tied up with party preparations this week. I love doing party bags, I don't know why...but there's something very satisfying about seeing all those little bags, lined up ready to be handed to their eager recipients, knowing that all the hard work will soon be done. I was thrilled when I saw these little white mice in Ikea the other week. The sort of thing I would have been ecstatic to find in a party bag as a kid. Squeeeeeeaal! I bought the candy stripe ribbon from this Folksy seller. It's very sweet isn't it?