it needed a spoon

stitched polaroid by Jen Gotch

Ryantown

good news, Rob Ryan is opening a shop on Columbia Road in London, open from 29th June - just in time for my visit to London town!

let's draw on the tablecloth

amazing blackboard oilcloth fabric from bell'occhio in San Francisco (found on poppytalk). I need to find a UK supplier for this fabric, so much fun to be had and still so practical...

Japanese Tenugui

beautiful, traditional cotton fabric strips available from karaku

it's what's on the inside...

...that counts. Jasmine Raznahan's proposal for an edition of postage stamps taking patterns from the interiors of envelopes. I also really like her tandem umbrella "built for the inseperable"...

Julia Douglas

Julia Douglas is an artist based in Edinburgh that I recently discovered, she makes really clever, beautiful and interesting work dealing with "people's relationship to houses, household objects and furnishings".

paper patchwork quilt

My hard work for Made in the Shade is finally over as it took place yesterday, it wasn't as busy as I expected given the venue but I think a nice day was had by all. I made this paper patchwork quilt to be filled in by visitors on the day which was good fun and will definitely have to be repeated elsewhere, of course a lot of the children's drawings were much better than the adult efforts...

blu

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo. this Blu wall painted animation really is amazing, watch it all and look at the traces too...

Brooks Salzwedel

Beauty captured in graphite and resin by Brooks Salzwedel (found on dear ada)

those dancing days - hitten

and this just looks like it was good fun...

Beirut - elephant gun

I love his voice and the walls in this video...

head in the clouds

As well as her great knitted creatures and cloud cushions, Donna Wilson makes these inviting rugs. The pom pom one is designed and made with Carmel McElroy too who worked for Tord Boontje at the same time as I was there and was very nice and obviously very talented. I've got so much work to finish for Saturday but at the moment I would much rather be lying on one of these watching an old film...

amazing

Jiyeon Song's One Day Poem Pavilion needs no other words (watch the timelapse video on the website)...

hello dolly...

I just got an email from a friend about dancing to Dolly Parton and it reminded me of Jenny Hart's brilliant embroidery.

Abigail Percy's anemones

I love anemones, especially in gold. Abigail captures them beautifully - a pretty bunch of blooms to adorn your ears or neck in springtime, just lovely and available in her online shop...

"It wasn't planned. The goal was to hibernate"

I thought Bon Iver's lovely sound and cabin-dwelling went quite nicely with Nigel peake's Sheds book from the last post, have a listen and a good weekend...

Nigel Peake

I found Nigel Peake's work whilst visiting Glasgow for the weekend around this time last year, just before deciding to make it home for quite a while longer and leaving London. We bought one of his amazing Glasgow drawings for the Six Cities Design Festival and love it even more now it's hanging in its rightful home. He makes buildings and cities natural and almost organic with his beautiful, detailed drawings, books and photos.

time for tea...

... and biscuits. How good are these?! Lovely little ceramic biscuit pots from Robert Archard available in his online shop. I'd like a jammy dodger and a custard cream...

you look beautiful like that

This is a really lovely book on the portrait photographs of Seydou Keita and Malick Sidibe. Beautiful people, great style, amazing fabrics, backdrops and props and the sweetest saying... "In Bambara, the language widely spoken in Mali, there is an expression, i ka nye tan, which means "you look beautiful like that." Keita's and Sidibe's portraits flatter the sitters, presenting them in the best possible light."

watch this...

I just found Julia Pott's work on design*sponge's guest blog, it's rather good.

Monday eve...

...watching seagulls in the sunset (there are a lot in Glasgow), and listening to this by Taken by Trees, she also has a great 'sweet child of mine' cover which is worth a listen or two.

I think you are wonderful...

I think Supermundane is wonderful for giving away these free badges and posters, send one to someone special. Also thanks to Running Amok for the reminder and badge photo, they now come in green which is even better I say...

'movements of a tightrope walker' & 'wave from in front'

Looking at the work of Albert Londe (images found on sequences)

do you believe in the telectroscope?

I do... For anyone in London or New York between 22nd May and 15th June this looks like a must see. "Hardly anyone knows that a secret transatlantic tunnel runs deep beneath the Atlantic. In May 2008, more than a century after it was begun, the tunnel will finally be completed. Immediately afterwards, an extraordinary optical device called a Telectroscope will be installed at both ends, which will miraculously allow people to see right through the Earth from London to New York and vice versa…". I discovered it yesterday when I stumbled upon Paul St George's amazing work whilst researching chronophotography. For more information on this incredible project have a look at this Times article and Tim Wright's blog which has been following its progress...

marvellous moustache

I quite like a bit of facial hair, but only when it's done right - here's a fine example from Ben Floeter available in his etsy shop...

Eley Kishimoto for Cancer Research

available in Cancer Research UK stores and only £2.99!

nike liberty fabric pack

I'm quite partial to a Liberty print in any form...

made in the shade

A date for your diaries... "Brought to you in association with the CEC and the Glasgow Craft Mafia, the aptly named, ‘Made In The Shade’ market (a slang phrase, popular in the 1950s and synonymous with guaranteed success, or a truly swell situation) launches at The Lighthouse, Mitchell Lane on Saturday 24th May! Bringing the crème of the city’s independent and creative crop together for the first time, the vision of ‘Made In The Shade’ is to showcase young design talent, to encourage customers to relish in the exclusivity of the handmade one-off and to promote the local businesses who are working hard to carve out creative identities amidst a mountain of mass-produced and carbon-negative products. On the day, as you (yes, you!) explore the pick of over forty stallholders selling products crafted with love, you will be treated to the sounds of rock’n’roll rebels, honkytonkers and vintage drag on the decks." Do come along if your Glasgow way, it sounds like a fun day out. I'll be there on my stall too but more about that nearer the time...

Tatty Devine & Rob Ryan - together!

If you're in London, you really should go along to Rob Ryan's exhibition of his beautiful paper cuts at Tatty Devine, 236 Brick Lane London, E2 7EB. 25th April until 21st June, opening hours 11-6. If like me you cannot make it in person, have a look at the great jewellery they've made together.