Not Making Friday

Not Making Friday
There's no Making Friday for me today, as I've got to get some wholesale orders out of my studio. But seeing as I spent much of Tuesday blissfully elbow-deep in watercolours, inks and bits of cut paper, working out a new style for another year of FairLady horoscopes, I'm happy to sacrifice this Making Friday to pack boxes instead.

Have a great weekend, everyone. I'll be at the market, so hope see you there.

New photo in the house

New photo in the house
Just got this back from the framers. It's by our friend Dave Southwood, who takes very nice photos.

I wish we had FENOMEN IKEA

I wish we had FENOMEN IKEA
Anyone in Hamburg reading this blog? I have a personal interest in the fact that the Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg has just opened a show called FENOMEN IKEA. This is what the press release says:

FENOMEN IKEA deals with the complex field of mass production and quality, globality and national tastes, individual habits and quality of life, fashions in living and advertising, and asks questions such as: does IKEA offer good design? Where does IKEA get its ideas from? Is IKEA typically Swedish? Can living quarters be organized? Does living in a good environment mean that you live a good life? Is there such a thing as a collective IKEA experience?

Gosh, I'd love to be there. They're focusing on early IKEA products from the 50s and 60's, the classics from the 70's and 80's, and some of the PS Collection pieces too.

But I'm particularly interested in the section of the exhibition called NON IKEA, because that deals with designers' and artists' reactions to the IKEA phenomenon. The press release says:

NON IKEA brings together some 25 works of art and design objects by international designers and artists. These objects take up the concepts, materials and products of IKEA and create something completely new out of them: taking aesthetic principles to extremes, introducing new functions, alienating the designs to make them subversive and provocative.

And guess what? My I Wish we Had IKEA tea towels and cushions are on show too! I believe there are some for sale as well. If you're in Hamburg and go to see this show, I'd love to hear all about it!

Duikers cushions

Duikers cushions
Duikers cushions in my shop! 

Little boxes

Little boxes
This is the Best Book Ever! I borrowed this copy from my friendly lasercutter, but the minute I've finished posting this, I'm off to buy my own. Actually, I can't wait. Hang on a sec...

...Right, that's ordered and on its way to my postbox.

It's been brilliant for filling my head with new ideas for 3D paper design and pop-ups - somehow the very dry diagrams have caused loads of new possibilities to spring to mind. I used this diagram to make myself a bunch of display stands for my new decals, and saw an immediate rise in my market sales.

 

Et, voila!

And yes, I did say "new decals". The product shots aren't done yet, but Molly's kicking my arse this week, so I'll have them up in my shop soon, possibly with other news of special offers, combo specials and other things!

Tilly de Touid Snifferton

The tale of Tilly de Touid Snifferton
Tilly came home with me from Kamersvol Geskenke last week, and despite waking us up (and mildly offending our Siamese) with her mutterings on the first night, has fitted right in to our menagerie.

Go and visit Tilly's Couchie friends and relations at the website of the very talented Marisa Girardi, and get yourself a Couchie too, why dontcha?

The To Do list before the Open Studio looks like this:

The To Do list before our Open Studio looks like this:

1. Decide to have open studio

2. Design invitation in two seconds flat

3. Run down road to print said invitation

4. Photograph for blog before even chopping up page

5. Have brilliant ideas for whole bunch of new products to make before the Open Studio, which is in.... TWO WEEKS TIME. Ack!!

6. Chop up page of invitations for distribution

7. Tidy studio

8. Tidy studio

9 Tidy studio

10. etc

As for you, dear reader, your To Do list is simple:

1. Write "Open Studio, 9:30 - 3:00" in diary

2. Pitch up on 21 November for a glass of bubbly and a pleasant morning in our lovely studio.

Have a look at what to expect from our us in our spot by taking the studio tour.

Cover collection

Cover collection
Since I spotted a couple in April, I've been adding to my collection of beautiful book covers. I've been meaning to post about them ages ago, but this image on Design*Sponge yesterday reminded me to get on with it.

Read this Design*Sponge interview to find out all about these book covers, designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith  for Penguin Classics. I think my books would be right at home amongst this beautiful work.

Jug fans

Jug fans

I got such a sweet note from Kajsa Aronsson, who is one of the three designers who make up HAPPYsthlm, and a big fan of ceramic jugs, just like me. Her daughter took this photo on her mobile phone, showing two old jugs, and a modern one too. She tells me that the big one is called Amulett, designed by Wilhelm Kege, and the smaller one is called Salix by my design hero, Stig Lindberg. Both were designed for Gustavsberg, while the beautiful black one is a modern design called Rondo, designed by Katarina Andersson (also of HAPPYsthlm) for Design House Stockholm .

Thanks so much for sending this, Kajsa!

And now that your appetite for lovely things has been whetted, go and see the beautiful jewellery, textiles, ceramics, glassware and much more that those very clever girls at HAPPYsthlm are making.

Critically silly, critically cute

Critically silly, critically cute

Paul and I got all Halloweened-up for the Critical Mass ride in Cape Town this morning. He was a cat, with neoprene ears and cats-eye specs and I was a devil with carrot horns. Never forget, folks: the fridge can be your wardrobe too!

But Edith is the hands-down winner of this month's newly instituted Cape Town Cycle Chic award. That bike's so cute!