Weekend Project....

I got this typography draw from my lovely sister-in-law for Christmas, (one of my best pressis!). I've been meaning to track one down for years as I have so many little knick-knacks, found things and folders full of nice papers that really need to have an airing. Some of the papers I used to line the little boxes were antique wallpapers that i bought back from New York. There's also some antique buttons from my grandmas button tin.


I spent a wonderfully creative afternoon just putting them all together with my second eldest 'helping', listening to good tunes (loving this Florence remix) sipping hot spiced apple. Each little box was like a piece of artwork with it's own composition, pattern and colours. Then when you step back the whole thing comes together visually.




A perfect winter afternoon, I've definitely caught the making bug again. I love whiling the hours away, forgetting everything and just focusing on creating. I'll just have to start collecting more bits on walks, carboots and fleamarkets now as I've looted my collection for this project!

Studio wallpaper

Here's the wallpaper I've chosen for the studio wall to go behind the sofa. It's by Sanderson, I love the retro dandelions and it has a metallic finish to the greys. I might paint the backboard in my bookcases that same lime colour or paper them in the same paper if I have any left over.

I'm way ahead of myself of course, my husband keeps saying, 'can we get a staircase and window in first before we start thinking about decor!' Of course not!

Blog Update and Amazon a Go-Go....

You may have noticed that my blog has had a bit of a revamp. You can now shop from Amazon by clicking on the left. I have a blog search feature at the bottom of the page so you can find articles on my blog more easily on subjects that you're interested in.

I also have these 'quick shop' buttons so you can buy cards for upcoming events like Mothers Day and Easter.

Ooooooh I love having a tidy up and a sort out!

Amazon goes live tomorrow!

As I mentioned earlier in the month, Amazon have invited me to sell on their site. Well, tomorrow's the big day when my account goes live and you'll be able to buy from my whole range - yay! It's great as all 40+ designs are up there. Look out for the button on my blog and let me know what you think.

I'm actually nesting...

I'm getting rather large with baby no3 on the way and sitting at my desk for hours on end is pretty tough. I seem to need a mountain of cushions to get comfy! I've also decided to invest in a macbook so I can work in the evenings from the comfort of my sofa/nest of cushions/bed/anywhere in a horizontal position. Mmmmmmm, new gadgetry for my nest.

Bring on spring (pleeeeeease!)..

I am so utterly desperate to feel some warm sunshine on my face, hear insects buzzing again and birds singing in the trees, I'm going bonkers.

As a bit of a kickstart I've got all my windowboxes full of little green shoots promising to burst out into colour in a few weeks. Sometimes at night when I'm reading, I turn my reading light by the window onto my shoots on the windowledge and say hello to my little friends.

The house is also full of hyacinths and smells amazing, all I need now is a bit less snow and a bit more sunshine. I can recommend blue hyacinths and Jasmine as a heady mix.

studio plans...

I'm very excited as our lovely builders have been beavering away (well actually they're a bit more zen and ploddy than beaverinsh) in our cellar. I will soon have a fab new studio space. I get to do that lovely planning and decorating bit - I can't wait. I did interiors for 8 years so it's great fun to get stuck into my own project. It's going to have limited daylight and i'm on a really tight budget so it'll be junk shops and flea markets all the way which is much more creative and inspiring anyway.

I want to go for a white gloss floor and zingy limes with a bit of retro pattern. I'm loving these 2 interiors shots with oranges, limes and whites, they look really fresh and bright. I might actually get round to making some soft furnishings with my vintage fabrics!!!

A return to the blogosphere...

Hello my very neglected readers (if you're still out there?). This post marks a return to my very sad and sorry blog that I've been neglecting whilst baking bigger business pies.

Here are some of my new designs, there's 18 in total. I'll be uploading them all on my folksy site soon. The good news is you'll be able to buy Design Rocks! cards on Amazon. Yes, I've been invited to sell with Amazon, so we'll see how that goes. There also other interesting developments afoot, so I'll keep you posted on how they turn out.

I feel like I've been in a washing machine for 2 months with such a massive workload (and massive bump, only 3 and a half months to go until baby no 3 arrives!). It's great but I'm glad to finally be able to do fun stuff again like reading, blogging and visiting galleries. I'm also really looking forward to meeting up with my lovely crafters and designers this weekend at the Craft Centre on Tib St for hot muffins and tea and a mooch round the N Quarter.




There's a fab conceptual wallpaper exhibition on at the Whitworth called 'Walls Are Talking'. Go and see it it's brilliant, there's everything from Warhol to Sindy to bloodsplats and barbed wire wallpaper.


Finally I leave you with Lola's Room, adorable photography by a gal with a great eye for colour and composition. I think her snaps would make great greetings cards actually. You can buy her pics from her folksy shop.