Archive for June, 2009

After a week of sun and swimming in the sea, we’re back and feeling refreshed. Thank you for your patience if you’ve placed orders in our absence, the tissue paper and postal tubes are itching to go and I’ll be hard at work preparing the orders for dispatch today.

July is a big month for Bold & Noble as we’re launching our new collection, so a little recharge was required before the final push. It is amazing what a bit of ‘back to nature’ can do for your inspiration. Who would have thought Normandy could be such a tonic – deserted beaches, great weather and of course the usual delicious food and wine, the French just know how to do it don’t they.

At the risk of sounding like the ‘Office de Tourisme’, if you’re ever after a cracking, family friendly place to stay I’d gladly recommend L’Auvergne. A remote but well equiped farmhouse, where a warm welcome awaits from it’s owners, the ducks, sheep, the whole menagerie in fact. Just a short drive from the sea, it is in a beautiful setting and if you’re very lucky you might even find some fresh local produce left on your doorstep from time to time. Mmm those duck eggs were good.

…and here are my chairs for comparison (to the last blog). That is a bit of a fib, because I’ve just gone online and found this picture but they’re the same and you get the gist. It was another happy co-incidence actually, as I discovered Caspar James‘ crazy and colourful collection of furniture and artworks – on sale in various markets around Brighton.

This felt very strange – seeing one of our prints framed and on someone’s wall on the other side of the world, on the design sponge blog no less. It shouldn’t have taken me by surprise because we send prints all over the place, half our sales are outside the UK… but when you actually see them nestled into their new homes it still sets your heart aflutter.

Design Sponge is one of the top US design blogs, you could loose a few hours there easily without noticing – it is like a secret garden. They have all sorts of creative titbits, plus a section where readers upload ‘before and after’ pics from their homes. And that is where we come in, Michelle Smith giftware designer and founder of Rock & Shop Market was displaying the results of her labour.

So thanks Ms Smith, there has been a flurry of transatlantic activity ever since. Love your dining chairs too Michelle, not unlike my treasured g-plan ones that came from my super stylish Nana Munn!

Way back in January, Caroline from Country Living asked if we’d like to show our ‘Birds and Trees around Britain’ prints in an eco homeware feature for their July issue. Yes, they really do work that far ahead and what a long wait it has been, but we’re chuffed with the results.

Everything in this Victorian house is green in some way or another, be it recycled, salvaged, British made, sustainably sourced, the list goes on. If you’re that way inclined it is worth a peek.

I discovered these beautiful ceramics care of the Bloesem design blog. They’re by the French Ceramic Artist Nathalie Dérouet. I just love their wafer thin simplicity, say no more.

What am I talking about, I pretty much love every time of year. I forgot that back in early March I’d taken these pictures. Plants go wild over the summer, during autumn the leaves fall off and then in early spring the ‘council chopper’ gives everything a very harsh haircut, a number one all over. It makes me laugh, it looks so unnatural.

I love this time of year, it is all happening…

We’ve got a lot of time for Wayne and not just because he selected our prints as one of only a handful of his favourite eco homewares. Wow-wee! Oh yes, the wonderful Observer newspaper dedicated a whole magazine to all things lovely and green, including Daryl Hannah (actress, turned eco warrior), David Attenburgh, Ben Okri da di da… and there were we, on page 54, rubbing shoulders with the great and the good (albeit accidently). What a lovely Sunday morning surprise!

Some pictures from the allotment, they’ll probably be a lot more over the coming months. Everyone is busying away with veg, whilst this guy creates iris hybrids on his whole plot. They’re a wonderful sight amongst the bean poles and make shift sheds.

In Lewes (near where I grew up) was a shop selling the 70s ‘must have’ fashions. ‘Clothkits’ was pretty unique, selling kits so you could cut and sew your outfits in the comfort of your own home. So while I was dreaming of Olivia Newton John style black spandex leggings, my Mum was eying up the floral print corduroy dress. Hey-ho.

Anyhow, now that I’m a Mum (and black spandex is no longer an option) I can appreciate just how wonderful their designs are. After a period of hibernation, Clothkits is back and they’re selling cutting edge designs for us to make at home. So in the true spirit of Make Do & Mend, here are some of the top picks from their current collection.