Surfing Dudes

We are back from one great summer holiday. We didn't go to Mauritius. We didn't go to The Seychelles. And The Carribean it certainly wasn't. But we had one great memorable holiday.

I've been wanting to take the kids to Cornwall for ages and this year we finally managed it.

It's fair to say that the weather wasn't amazing. It rained rather alot. We were sunggled in hoodies a large amount of the time.

But just look at the view. How can this not be a memorable family holiday?

I think the children will remember this for a long time to come. I think they will look back on their childhood and remember the year they learnt to body board.

They'd never stepped in to a wet suit before. Their idea of water was a warm pool equipped with goggles.

They were soon converted into surfing dudes. Body boards under arm, wet suits adorned, they looked and played the part.

I loved the fact they they weren't precious about the weather. I loved that they weren't put off by the Weaver Fish ("ouch" said a poisoned Ruby)

This was definitely a bonding, back to nature, no frills, perfect childhood memory.

A brief hello

Just a brief hello in the middle of our holiday. I just received a little note from Out of Print to say this fab little pack of Moda's Summer in the City is on it's way to me. As you can imagine, I'm rather eager to get home. I've all sorts of plans for these little lovelies :-)



(Hope you are all well and had a good week...looking forward to catching up at the end of next week x)

Ribbon Circus

I've been over to Hebden Bridge to do a photoshoot for a new venture that is due to start in a few weeks. It's being launched in conjunction with one of my lovely stockists, Ribbon Circus. I haven't seen Amy's delightful shop for a while, so you can imagine my delight when I rocked up today and was faced with this...

Isn't it amazing? No wonder the kits are selling so well there! They are dressed to kill with all those stunning ribbons.

I love the way she has hung some samples from the plant and how genius is it to use that cake stand to display the kits?

Oh how I wish I had my own bricks and mortar shop to do such a display...

A little girl called...

Have to post and run today, I'm afraid. No loitering in the blogosphere. This is a commission for one of my stockists. I normally use pink for the letter background but fancied a change, so opted for green. I think it's all systems go on the green front from now on.

oooooooooooo

I wanted to post today to thank you all for your support in all the things I am doing at the moment. Honestly, your comments and support here, via Twitter, email, Flickr, mean so much to me and encourage me to continue, even when it's all so frantic and feels too overwhelming. If I don't personally manage to get back to you, I just want to say a big THANKS. Your support gets me through xxx

It started with this...

One of the big projects that I've been working on is finally coming to completion. My Fairy Godmother, Fiona, who I have been working with since May (more about her another time), has got us involved in an amazing project.

Fiona has lots of contacts in the business and one such contact needed someone to be involved in making masks for a children's float at The Notting Hill Carnival. I've been thinking, eating, dreaming masks ever since and finally this week they are just about done.

It's been an amazing project to be working on and have teamed up with one of my lovely stockists, Amy, from Ribbon Circus, who has generously provided all the embellishments for the masks.

I designed mask kits that the children will collect next week and make their own mask to wear at the Carnival. I'm so excited to be involved in this project and if you go along to the Carnival and see the Bigga Fish Float you may just catch our banner on the side of it. (If you do, please take a piccie - I'm unfortunately on holiday and will miss the whole thing :-( ) There's also going to be a surprise Celebrity, that I've designed a mask for, leading the proccession. All good exciting stuff.

On Sunday we had a mad, mask cutting, kit building extravanganza around my kitchen table, aided by Fiona and her beautiful assistant, Chandni, along with my own fair 3 willing assistants and today Chandni and I got the finishing touches done.


There's lots going on at the moment and no sooner is this completed than we are onto the next. But I can't tell you about that just now...

If you like stationery, you will LOVE this

This is one seriously stunning new stationery online shop. Lyn from Tea for Joy has just opened Papermash. The shop is irresistible from the home page right through to every section. I was hooked from first glance at entering. Ok so throw in a little aqua and red and I'm anybodies but, honestly, go take a look and you'll know exactly what I mean.

Not only is it visually stunning, but the items Lyn has are equally so. I want them all. And if I'm very very (very) lucky I may just get to have them. Lyn is running a competition to win a year's supply of goodies. Yup, you heard correctly, a whole year.

Even if you don't, you'll have found yourself a winner with this to-die-for place. Her photography is so fresh, contemporary and stylish. Go take a look. Or rather - don't - the prize is mine!!

Mean Ol' Mummy

Do you think our children appreciate us? Do you think they sometimes wished we were just like all the other Mummies? Do you think they wished we didn't possess a sewing machine? Artists materials?

I know for a fact that Ruby has these desires every now and then. Like when we had a 'discussion' about why she couldn't have plastic High School Musical Party Bags that she'd seen in Tescos. 'But EVERYONE HAS THEM, Mummy!'

Everyone who knows me knows I would NEVER allow that to happen. And I'm sure all of you out there agree with me.

After Ruby's momentary lapse of sense had faded she agreed that a handmade party bag was the way to go. And after we found these fab scarves (pink - tick) in Gap reduced to £1 each (price - tick) she was more enthusiastic than ever.

What's more, she has had so much enjoyment being part of the process, than simply handing money over at the checkout. This morning, along with her friend Sadie, who knows all about homemade is best, we've cut out the fabric, chosen ribbons and threaded them through for the ties.

I think she's rather proud of the outcome and will love handing them out tomorrow filled with all our handmade goodies.

(Thankyou all for your feedback on the keyrings...I think the consensus is that I can go ahead AND that people might actually buy them!)

ABC easy as...

Do you remember I bought this Cath Kidston fabric a little while ago?

Well it's Ruby's birthday on Saturday and after finishing working on other things last night, the fabric caught my eye (it hadn't quite been categorised and put away yet) and even though it was almost midnight, I just had to rustle these little keyrings up for part of her party bag goodies.

I'm really pleased with how they've come out and hopefully her little friends will be too.

I have one slight worry After yesterday's discussions, does this constitute plagiarism? Or is it merely using a fabric design to one's own design? If it's the latter, then I think I'll add some to the shop. If you think it's the former I'll leave well alone.

All I need to do now however, is find the mahoosive bag of keyring rings that I know are hiding somewhere in my studio...