Hello and welcome back readers! I’m sorry I haven’t been around for a few weeks I have started a new job so was giving myself time to settle in properly and also had to organise a conference in London so was busy, busy, busy!
I’d like to get started with a trip to the country. I had a wonderful weekend away with three of my closest girl friends and Laura’s two dogs to a cottage on the coast in Dorset. It was a truly lovely weekend with trips to the stunning Durdle Dore, Lulworth Cove, quaint tea rooms and lots of game playing plus a scary incident with an angry farmer after a few rather loud hours of us playing SingStar Rocks!
It was lovely to get out of town and I was inspired to post a few of my favourite country interior pics. I am currently reading ‘Thrifty Chic‘ by Liz Bauwens and Alexandra Campbell which is packed full of inspiring ideas about reusing, restoring and reviving objects many of which apply perfectly to a country style theme.
Images are by Simon Brown who is just amazing.
A staple for every country kitchen is a table to gather round. This is simple, inexpensive and beautiful
I love the use of colour and the mirror over the fireplace which brings ultimate chic to this simple kitchen.
Some of my favourite features here are the tiles, the drop down lights and the letters over the extractor. Easy to copy and make your own.
A wonderfully deep sink with a view of the garden - perfect!
Posted by Gemma, 12.00 1st February, 2010
After a very busy Christmas and New Year travelling all over the place visiting family I am finally back at home – yippee!! I really missed my flat and am glad to be getting back to normal with lots of exciting things coming up – including a new job starting on Monday.
PLUS some new mannequins and loads more inspirational ideas so watch out.
This morning we woke up to 6 inches of snow and it has created the most beautiful Winter Wonderland in the parks around my home. Although being snowed in (no trains into London) and working from home I managed a walk at lunch to take some photos to share with you:
Posted by Gemma, 17.54 6th January, 2010
I have done a bit of decorating this week…to my mannequins. These are two news ones that I thought I would glam up and decorate with jewels, fur and Christmas tree decorations. New pics of them will be up in the New Year.
View my other mannequins here.
Black mannequin with glamour fur and jewel
Black textured mannequin
Silver mannequin with Christmas tree decorations
Close up of silver mannequin
Posted by Gemma, 12.00 18th December, 2009
As the Christmas season is upon us and this tends to means lots of parties and dressing up I thought I would do an accessories post inspired by a recent trip to my absolute favourite shop of all time Accessorize. Being an old fashioned type of gal I love feminine accessories that ooze glamour and elegance and what better than fans and fascinators to add something special to your outift.
Here is a selection of hand picked fan and fascinator favourites from Topshop and Accessorize. I have chosen these two high street shops as they are widely available, have a great selection and can also be bought online.
Fascinators from Topshop
Fascinators from Accessorize
Fans from Accessorize
You can also find lots of handmade fascinators using online shops such as Etsy. Here are two I have come across that I think are adorable:
This one is by The Water Fairy and is so vibrant and bright. View The Water Fairy shop.
Red and blue feather clip with vintage jewellery accent.
Using vibrant peacock feather this fascinator by Liaison is beautiful, her designs have been worn by Courtney Love. View the Liaison shop.
Feathers, Vintage beads, Sequins, Barrette clip
Posted by Gemma, 12.00 17th December, 2009
Yesterday I was given this AMAZING Christmas card from Tina my colleague and friend from Top Left Design.
Tina uses a combination of collage and photoshop to create her illustrations and she left the cards on all our desks as a lovely treat yesterday morning. There are 5 illustrated pieces – Father Christmas, a snowman, a robin, a christmas pud and a reindeer. Each piece has been divided into three and can be chopped and changed so you can have a Father Christmas head with a snowman body and robin feet for example.
You can see more of Tina’s work here and if you would like to get in touch with her you can email her.
We have all been thinking in the office about what this style is called and we can’t come up with anything so if you have any ideas of what to call it please get in touch. Here are some pics:
The Father Christmas front
Robin head, snowman body and christmas pud bottom
Snowman head, Father Christmas body and Robin feet
The robin - my favourite
Posted by Gemma, 12.00 16th December, 2009
I have stepped away from tradition this year and gone for a very brightly decorated Christmas tree. I have used lots of silver, pinks, greens, purples, yellows, reds and blues plus some great embroidered butterfly decorations (I am slightly obsessed with butterflies). I also have a big butterfly I found at the
V&A on the top of the tree as I’m waiting to use it on one of my
mannequin projects. I have been looking around at online shops for interesting and different decorations and I wanted to share these ones with you:
I love these Acrylic Laser Cut Christmas Decorations by Cutture Limited I found these on Bouf a website set up by Alex Griffin to help designer-makers who were being pushed out by the larger retail stores. I love how these decorations are so simple and delicate yet so detailed.
Acrylic Laser Cut Christmas Decorations by Cutture Limited
Acrylic Laser Cut Christmas Decorations by Cutture Limited
These vintage paper wreaths are made by White Serenade a seller on Etsy where I also sell my mannequins. White Serenade creates recycled, upcycled inspired art. I like the ideas behind these and am always into items that have been recycled from a former life and are now beautiful pieces you want to put into your home.
Christmas wreath art printed on vintage sheet music paper
Christmas wreath art printed on creamy vintage book paper
To finish off today I would like to share these wonderful owl tree decorations by Mika Y who runs the Cuore shop on Etsy. These are wool felt applique ornaments featuring, “Stewart the Owl”. These will make great ornaments to hang on your Christmas tree, or just as a decoration on a door knob, or in a window! View more of Mika’s work.
This is a wool felt applique ornament featuring, "Stewart the Owl"
Posted by Gemma, 13.24 15th December, 2009
I am feeling very festive this year already and thought it would be fun to do a countdown to Christmas.
I have also roped my good friend Nitesh into strolling round London one night this week (when it isn’t raining) so look out for those pictures to come.
This post is especially for my mum who adores Christmas tree decorations and collects them from wherever in the world she visits.
Tinker Tailor
At my Athena group I have met many inspiring and wonderful women one of which is Caroline Apfel. Caroline established Tinker Tailor this year after 10 years working in the luxury home furnishing and Christmas arena. Tinker Tailor create exclusive and often bespoke collections for high end department stores and heritage site gift shops and are already being sold by Fortnum and Mason.
I saw the decorations at a recent Athena Christmas party and they are great very delicate, intricate and timeless.
Shakespeare place settings - how cute!
Fortnum and Mason Gold and Silver Swarovski Heart Tree Decorations
Fortnum and Mason Silver and Gold Swarovski Snowflake Tree Decorations
Display at Fortnum and Mason
Decked wreath
Lovely ice skate decoration
The decorations range from £8 – £15 and stockings begin at £45. If you would like to get in touch with Caroline please email her at caroline@tinkertailorlondon.com
Posted by Gemma, 12.00 15th December, 2009
I came across Svenska Stylistgruppen reading decor8 this week. They are a group of stylists, run by business partners Helene Holmstedt and Maria Malmström.
Their work is just lovely so many ideas and so much inspiration from just one website. Here are a few of my favourites.
The pink and white room is fantastic – if only Rob would let me create this in our own living room – I will keep working on that one. I am also a total sucker for black and white images in big frames and love the display of plates and cups in the different style frames.
Posted by Gemma, 21.28 10th December, 2009
One of the many benefits of working in London is that there is inspiration on every corner. On a recent visit to Knightsbridge for Athena (my womens networking group) I passed by Harvey Nichols and the window displays are just beautiful. They totally blew me away and I had to share them with you.
Looking at the pictures days later I am still enthralled by them and cannot believe the detail, the colours, the many textures and material and the imagination that created these. Well done Harvey Nics.
Here are a few photos. View more on my flickr page.
Posted by Gemma, 17.34 9th December, 2009
I have really liked Alice Palace for a while now. It’s an independent British company that creates quirky and fun illustrated greeting cards. The style is sweet and friendly with a good touch of cuteness and the cards are something that you would keep long after being given one. I am a big fan of illustration and handmade cards – handmade anything in fact!
As Christmas is just around the corner I wanted to share the recent Christmas collection which you can also see here.
Plus a new range of wrapping paper. I am getting married in May so I constantly have weddings on the brain and this wrapping paper is just gorgeous – hint hint!!
Posted by Gemma, 15.06 9th December, 2009
