April Showers

Yes, April has been typical this year, the weather veers from one extreme to the other and we are certainly experiencing April showers.

I arrived back from Istanbul where we had one freezing week and one balmy week, which didn’t prevent me from enjoying the beautiful city. I would thoroughly recommend it, even for a long weekend. The decoration of the mosques and churches is beautiful and the harems are fascinating. The bazaars are packed with treasures and spices, you can while away hours searching for the perfect purchase. Public transport is efficient and cheap (it is a hilly city) so its easy to zip around. We stayed in the Galata district which was buzzy but felt like a local neighbourhood too. It was easy to catch ferries and our trip to the Princes Islands was a highlight. The Istanbul Modern is worth a trip and there are lots of galleries dotted around. The architecture is interesting , the minarets make the skyline magical. Absolutely masses to do and see, I wasn’t bored for a second.

Since returning I’ve been up to the Harrogate Craft Fair so we will have new work arriving over the next few weeks and months. The beginning of the year has been busy which is great but I do feel like I’m chasing my tail.

We have had a range of jewellery by Jaqueline Wagner the charming caravan image translates well into brooches, pendants and earings. It is made from wood and paper the soft blue and green recreates the retro holiday mood. We will get a new delivery at the beginning of May before the festival. The spring range of

Salt silk scarves have arrived. A range of textures and muted colours that are great for this unpredictable weather. Light enough to feel that you are moving into summer but subtle enough to mix with a range of fabrics and colours. Its hard to feel that spring is here when the temperature is in single figures and its tipping with rain !! Good price too!

Alice Pattullo has added several new prints to her collection including Dogs/ ‘Cats at the Museum’ a Sailor print and a Fortune Teller print . All have her individual dark humour and illustrative style. There are various size and price prints.

Wolfram Lohr has delivered a selection of leather bags. Fantastic quality leather and finish, they are not cheap but are a real investment. We have a couple of shoulder bag styles and a shopper at the moment, he has a range of colours which I like and I hope to expand the selection in the future.

We have stocked David Pantling’s blue and cream pottery for a while now, the quirky shapes and pattern are eye catching. I know we have several customers collecting his pieces and they make great presents. We are going to continue with this range and add a new design later this year.

Mark Greco has added new prints and cards the Puffin and Oystercatcher have been a great success. The small prints are affordable enough for presents or to choose two or three to make a statement in a living room or hall. I will keep you posted as to what is coming in during May for the Festival. If you are planning a trip to Brighton…… fingers crossed for the weather! don’t worry too much, there is plenty to do and there are lots of cafes to nip in and out of to avoid the showers.

Jaqueline Wagner wood and paper jewellery prices start £6.95

Salt silk scarves price £39.95

Alice Pattullo prices start £16.95

Wolfram Lohr leather bags prices start £125.95

David Pantling pottery prices start £16.95

Mark Greco new cards and prints prices start £2.95

Mother's Day

Spring is on its way, we’ve managed to get through January and February without any significant snow, hurrah! The days are getting longer and the daffodils are out. I’m going on a trip to Istanbul this month which is exciting. I havn’t been before, I’m hoping to come back inspired and refreshed. Our apartment has fantastic seagull views of the city and the sea. Even if the weather takes a turn for the worse there will be lots to watch. I’m not expecting to buy anything for the shop but you never know I may be tempted.

Whilst I’m away it will be Mother’s Day so we will have a good stock of cards, Jenni Garvin’s origami birds are new. Hopefully a batch from Jane Foster and as usual our Lush cards, a fabulous range of animal based images. Jen Rowland’s flowers arrived today and I hope to get some from Sam Stas her Lady egg cosies have already arrived.

Stock is slowly changing, the full range of Shona's bags are here, the colours are great, a vibrant splash of colour to anticipate sunny days ahead.

Although the couriers have lost five boxes of our Lush delivery they should turn up next week… I hope! Their new owl design lampshade has already sold well for us and we will have both sizes of the castle shade, it comes in a fabulous orange colour. Their trays now come in two sizes easy to pack into a suitcase if your travelling. We always have Australian visitors at this time of year which is lovely. They seem so easy going and thoroughly enjoy their travels and then of course they are back to beautiful weather.

Cath’s necklaces are made from horn in shiny black, soft grey and a rich coral. I like the way you could wear then singly or together, the way the pieces move to create a sculptural effect. I think they will look particularly stunning with white linen in the summer. At the moment you could wear them with simple black or grey shapes to add another texture.

We have stocked Danielle’s necklaces for a while there is a flower and a disk design. The colours are glorious and are great lift at this time of year. They look great against black. I had a Japanese customer who bought a couple of the more monochrome strands of flowers which she put with her simple, black, sculptural clothes they looked fantastic.

Jan Cooper’s brooches are great for Mother’s Day she has a new posy, her leather ones are still going strong. We still have a great range of brooches and badges for £5.95 they are an affordable gift from children.

We also have a new range of Karen Collingwood brooches, perspex with walnut and birch, vibrant colour and a strong graphic shape make these flower brooches a new take on the corsage.The brooches help us feel that we are moving towards spring and enable us to jolly up our winter jackets.

If you need cheering up over the next few weeks visit the new exhibition at Brighton Museum the Tom Hammick room is particularly uplifting. The colours will jolt you out of your winter torpor and the blossom will remind you that Spring isn’t far away.…Marvellous !! Then you can pop in to check out our new stock, we are just around the corner. As colour is important to us I hope we can help to sustain your mood.



Lush tray (in two sizes) and the mug, come in three designs the Cat, Wild Boar and Fox and Cubs. The tin as yet just in the Cat design. Prices start £9.95



Cath’s necklaces lots of designs and several lengths come in black, grey and coral. Prices start £23.95



Danielle necklace various luscious colours £24.95



Jan Cooper posies £8.95



Karen Collingwood brooch, lots of vibrant colours. Price £29.95

All you need is Love

Valentine’s day is here again….. it coincides with the start of our new deliveries.

Belen Gomez has two new ceramic ranges. Her pink rose sprays with rickrack braid make a pretty combination, the pink on white design has a fresh spring like feel and the heart detail on the back makes it a relevant valentine gift. There are mugs ( perfect for a valentine’s breakfast) a teapot and several different size jugs in her range. The jugs are suitable for either a teatime treat or a bunch of tulips always the herald of spring!
Belen’s blue and white seaside range comprises charmingly drawn mermaids and sailors that translate well onto mugs and jugs, again in several sizes. The tiny cat and seagull jugs have already been bought as valentine’s gifts. The blue and white looks lovely with daffodils or primroses. I think the seaside theme will work well for souvenirs too. They are both practical and decorative, always a bonus.

Sam Stas has a new LOVE tea cosy to add to her range her Ladies and Gents cosies and cushions are still going strong and we also have her valentine’s cards.

Dee Barnes has added her vintage print hearts to her ever changing collection. Two colour ways equally easy to wear with either a simple tee shirt or a dress. The bracelets are always popular in her other ranges and the hearts look great.

Stephanie Else has been supplying us with her jewel like glass for years the vibrant colour and the simple heart never dates. She has several size plaques to hang in a window or on a wall. They are reasonably priced and the small hearts make a perfect love token.

Glenys at Brigade Designs has a new range of sliver wire hearts encrusted with an intricate mixture of beads. They are delicate and powerful at the same time. The necklaces and bracelets with large semi-precious and quartz beads are stunning. The earrings and the pendants on ribbon are very pretty, the pale and dark grey combinations are fabulous for evening or even a wedding.

Shona Easton has a range of leather cross body bags a simple practical design in a good range of colours. At the moment we have red purple orange and brown I hope to expand the colours in spring.

Claire Mcvinnie’s clocks are back, with and without the pendulum. A jolly range of Japanese prints with contrast pendulums and hands. Her valentine love heart tokens are fun too why not give a keepsake rather than a card. We also have her dog brooches back they will look great on a spring jacket.




Rose and rickrack ceramic range by Belen Gomez includes mugs, teapot and various size jugs. Prices start £10.95



The seaside range by Belen Gomez the mermaid, sailor and ship’s cat are combined on a range of mugs and jugs. Prices start £9.95




Sam Stas new LOVE tea cosy Price £23.95



Dee Barnes vintage flower print jewellery. Prices start £11.95



Stephanie Else heart plaques in vibrant hues. Prices start £10.95



Brigade Designs jewellery range, semi precious and quartz beads combined with silver wire hearts encrusted with mixed beads. Prices start £24.95



Shona Easton simple leather bags in a range of colours Price £52.95



Claire Mcvinnie clocks and love tokens Prices start £4.95

Happy New Year and Thank You !!

HAPPY NEW YEAR !! To all our customers and a big THANK YOU for making our Christmas such a success. Our makers will be absolutely thrilled... what a fantastic start to the new year for them. Now its time to start looking for new work and to restock old favourites, its an exciting time. Hopefully we will get something new every week so keep your eyes peeled. The next significant date is Valentines Day so I’ll be sure to let you know what we have before then. Thank you again for your patronage and we look forward to seeing you at some point in 2012

Christmas is coming...!!

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CHRISTMAS IS COMING….despite the fabulous weather… it is inevitable.

We’ve got lots of fabulous new stock and more still on the way

The plywood bird clocks by Claire Mcvinnie covered with Japanese papers and with contrast coloured pendulums have been selling well, I’ll place another order ! She also has brooches the reindeer ,dogs and birds have proved to be very popular.

A great selection of Anna Tilson mosaic mirrors in different colours and sizes. The beautiful combinations of the vintage crockery makes them each completely unique. We also have a good selection of her saucer mirrors that make an affordable gift.

The Lush trays have arrived along with tins, tea towels, aprons, mugs, notebooks, prints, cushions and of course their lampshades. Singly or together they make stunning gifts
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We now have a varied selection of scarves from Katie Mawson. Her hedgehog scarf , such an amazing texture that is always much admired when worn, is a good investment you’d never tire of. She also does great gloves and hats.

Wallace Sewell’s range combines colour and weave in a interesting way a mix of contemporary and traditional styling that works well for men and women.

Emma Bradbury has a designed merino wool scarves for Tait & Style the sophisticated colours of the painterly stripes will take you through winter and spring.

Margo Selby’s jewel like silk scarves are available in three sizes and the wool / cashmere scarves are a strong pattern with a delightful mix of colour. We now have her cushions too which are sumptuous !

Joy at Seven Gauge knitwear has scarves and hats in vibrant colours and op art style patterns that will add a much needed zing to your wardrobe as the winter draws in.

Jen Rowland’s linen and silk lampshades and cushions in Daisy and Acacia designs are a in a subtle
colour palette that will easily complement an existing interior and give your home the pre Christmas boost it needs as the nights close in.

That’s all I can manage for now. We do have new jewellery, ceramics and bags too, so do come and have a browse as you start to get ideas for your gifts. We do run out of pieces and some items are one offs or can not be re ordered in time for Christmas so do check with my colleagues so you won’t be disappointed.


Leigh Shepherd pendants, brooches and earings are made from vintage scrabble, domino and sixpenny pieces. A wide selection of Japanese papers gives a great choice of colour and pattern. The pendants and earings come in their own tin which is a nice touch.
Prices start £15.95


Diddicoy has a range of brightly coloured felt tea cosies, purses brooches and stuffed animals the dog and cat image is playful and strong. A great gift for a pet lover young or old.
Prices start £8.95


Katie Mawson scarves, hats and gloves strong colours and tactile texture.
Prices start £32.95


Joy at Seven Gauge the vibrant colour and jazzy pattern in her scarves and hats will brighten even the dullest day.
Prices start £26.95


Emma Bradbury’s soft merino wool scarves can be worn indoors and out, the sophisticated painterly stripes work through winter and spring.
Price £99.95

A Natural History by Mark Greco

We now have Mark Greco’s work in the window and in store… fabulous it looks too. Mark is a commercial artist and illustrator who’s influenced by science, nature and his explorations of the Sussex countryside. He combines digital and traditional printing techniques to produce bold prints. His use of colour, pattern and symbolism reflect the character habits and stories behind his subjects.

We’ve had his bird prints for a week now and they’ve provoked a fantastic reaction. Because he manages to capture the personality of each bird, everyone has a favourite. There are about twelve different images in his range and we aim to keep the full range of the A3 size in stock and build up a selection of the A2 size as well. We also have some of his framed silkscreen prints which are fantastic.




Prices start £40.00

The start of Autumn deliveries

My son has gone off to university in Nottingham which means I’ve lost my resident technical help. My posts could become even more erratic !! On the other hand … because I’m spending less time picking up wet towels and dirty coffee cups I will have more time to devote to the blog. I might actually start to enjoy it.

We are starting to get our Autumn / Christmas deliveries which I’m excited about despite the fact that the temperature is shooting through the roof. A new range of silk scarves from Salt have arrived. They are light enough to wear now but their autumnal hues and subtle textures will work through the autumn and winter. Wallace Sewell and Katie Mawson scarves are also on their way so should hopefully arrive as the weather changes. At the moment we have Alice Pattullo and John Dilnot’s work in the window. Alice has expanded her range of prints and John has brought in some larger boxes and added a couple more designs to his cards so do come and look. Next week we will have Mark Greco’s work I will give more information about him when it arrives. Lots more will arrive over the next three months.


We’ve had Kirsty Kirkpatrick’s work for a few weeks. The brightly coloured abstract shapes combined with the various textures of vintage chain make for charming bracelets and necklaces. The intricate lazer cut patterns on the wood contrast with the chain, the faceted plastic beads finish them off perfectly. They have a 60’s feel… Mary Quant with a twist?





Kirsty Kirkpatrick Prices start £19.95


Yesterday we had a delivery of crochet slippers from Ruby Brown. They have a handmade aesthetic combined with practicality. There are three colour way’s tea, red and midnight. They have a fleecy lining, a beautiful three dimensional rose on the front and a rubber sole. What more could you ask!! Perfect for snuggling up in front of the fire.


Ruby Brown Price £29.95


Eleanor’s Attic make pvc coated cotton bags that work well worn across the body. The bands of spots and flowers in a multitude of colours complement each other perfectly. Each bag has a printed cotton lining and a broad strap in a contrast colour. All in all a breath of fresh air on a drizzly autumn day. We are also getting a smaller version for those of you that like to travel light.


Eleanor’s Attic Price large £43.95