Sadly our vacuum cleaner gave up the ghost this weekend, in no small part due to our 3 year old son attempting to vacuum out the contents of his bin. Clearly our little hoover was not impresssed with his diet of dinosaur stickers, fuzzy felt and pipe cleaners and promptly expired on us.
His replacement however is a different matter altogether… pink, perky and ever so slightly flirty, Hetty (sister of the more famous Henry) has a big smile and we like her very much. What’s more, I discovered to my glee that Hetty is made in Somerset! Hoorah for quirky British brands – who else would think of putting a smiley face on a vacuum cleaner – surely a stroke of genius. Now all we have to do is keep her out of our son’s reach…
If you’re a fan of Emma Bridgewater and her husband Matthew Rice’s ceramics, you won’t be at all surprised to know that this family’s creativity knows no bounds. Matthew’s mother Pat Albeck has been designing beautiful textiles for over half a century, and has designed the National Trust’s annual calendar tea towel every year since 1970.
To celebrate her 80th birthday this year, Pat has designed a special collection of tea towels for Emma Bridgewater. Featuring bold and brightly coloured chickens, ducks, fish, pigeons, cats and a handsome owl, these cheerful designs will fill your kitchen with the joys of Spring.
Find out more about Pat’s work and view her textile designs from the 1950s to the present day at www.pat-albeck.co.uk. To buy these limited edition tea towels, which cost £10 each, visit www.emmabridgewater.co.uk.
It’s always inspiring to have fresh new talent on the site and I just love these quirky etchings by illustrator and recent graduate Alice Gabb. I’m particularly partial to her handsome Victorian moustache tea cup (bottom right) – it reminds me of a recent episode of Antiques Roadshow (my sunday evening treat) where a moustachioed gentleman had the most splendid collection of moustache cups and I’ve wanted one of these delightful objects ever since (the cup, not the moustache that is). Alice’s multi layered prints are inspired by old ephemera, vintage typography and British regalia, and her other work includes fine printed stationery and whimsical soft toys made from vintage tweed. Find out more at www.alicegabb.com.
Whether you’re a designer, crafter or simply having a creative moment, you may be interested to know that you can now have your own designs printed onto cotton, using a new digital printing service from The Fabric Press. The Cheltenham based studio, which also sells its own designs under the Rosablue label, offers a bespoke fabric printing service which enables you to easily create unique gifts and accessories featuring your own designs.
The process is straightforward… you upload your design online and the team at The Fabric Press will help turn your graphic into a pattern. You’ll then be able to preview your design as a finished product – such as a bag, cushion cover, tea towel or deckchair sling. You don’t pay anything until you’re happy with the preview, then you simply ‘click’ to comission your order. You can also test out your design on a fabric swatch, or order up to 3 metres of cotton printed to your own specifications.
For designers or retailers who would like more one-to-one advice, they also offer an in-house tutorial giving an insight into the digital printing process, from preparing artwork to choosing suppliers and costing merchandise. Find out more at www.thefabricpress.com.
We were delighted to make it into the ‘Made in Britain’ spot in The Telegraph Magazine on Sunday, which featured a stunning cast iron bath by Kent based bathmakers Catchpole & Rye. The Telegraph’s design guru David Nicholls said “I stumbled across Catchpole & Rye’s beautiful collection at the excellent new online style magazine frombritainwithlove.com” (why thank you!).
In fact, this past week we’ve been inundated with requests for photography from the press, and nothing gives us greater pleasure than calling up a business to let them know that a magazine wants to feature their products. We’re absolutely thrilled that press have shown so much support for British made products, and that they’re discovering many of the wonderful businesses in our directory for the very first time. Long may it last!
This month we’re offering you the chance to win an iconic ‘Marianne’ handbag by accessories designer Monica Boxley in a choice of either red, lime, turquoise or black leather.
Monica’s beautiful range of handbags and jewellery are all designed and made in London. Discover her latest collection at the Monica Boxley shop in Twickenham, or visit www.MonicaBoxley.co.uk.
For a chance to win your very own ‘Marianne’ handbag, simply click here to enter the competition!
