Super Supermarket Sarah

I have been very busy beavering away, preparing for Christmas fairs and whatnot, but this was one of my favourite projects. I made some giant clocks, potion bottles and a key, from some of my favourite hoardings of vintage pattern papers and old books, as part of the 'Gabberdashery', the travelling shop of lovely things that follows singer and stylish lady, Gabby Young.

Here she is in all her glory for Supermarket Sarah, a favourite stop of mine for a touch of online retail therapy.

If you ever get the chance to go and see Gabby sing, you would be a fool to turn it down; dancing and flailing merrily with other audience members will ensue.

Here are a couple of marvellous articles about her: HERE and .......HERE.

Bobby Dazzlers take over Selfridges!

Hooray! Over the past few months I have been working on Bobby Dazzler's Selfridges order in the Dazzler HQ, and they've made it into the Christmas window display!

They look absolutely splendid, and I hear there are only a few cheeky stragglers left, so go and get yours...

Hackney Treats.

It's been four months in smoky old Dalston where the streets are paved with....well...er...stolen goods...

But I am settling in well here and whilst exploring this mysterious place I thought I would share my favourite haunts in the East where I spend my days ferreting out treasures and drinking tea.

J & B- Jessie Chorley and Buddug Humphreys, 158 Columbia Road

The Vintage Emporium, 14 Bacon Street

Violet Cakes, 47 Wilton Way

Rospo Antiques, Hackney Road

Pelicans & Parrots, 40 Stoke Newington Road

'The Shop', Cheshire Street

The Museum of Everything.

If you have any spare time on your hands between Thursdays and Sundays, you would be foolish not to visit this incredible and freakish and ingenious exhibition at the Museum of Everything. Tucked away in Primrose Hill, it's an absolute gem, with a lovely (cheap) cafe where your tea will be served in mis matched crocks and complementary biscuits were placed on the table- a sure fire way of impressing me.

A mixture of visually overwhelming 'outsider' art, from Peter Blake's beautiful and disturbing collections of ephemera, to more taxidermy than you could shake a stick at from Walter Potter, and blindingly kitsch circus memorabilia, this is one of my all time favourite exhibitions ever- and it's on until Christmas. Read a slightly more thorough article here.

In other news....

Almost every week my outfits get photographed at Broadway market by various magazines and blogs, but sadly, due to my hideously awkward nature, I have never actually made it into a feature due to my constant camera-shy habits that include grimacing, blinking, looking at the floor or slouching....

I would like to say thank you to talanted and patient Vanessa Jackman for being the first photographer to persevere with me, and take a lovely picture of yours truly at London Fashion Week. Hooray!

Check out her website of lovely stylish ladies.....

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY!

As well as being at Broadway Market every Saturday 9-4, I will be at these Christmas Fairs:

Handmade Winchester...Saturday 13th November 11am- 5pm

Winchester Guild Hall

BUST Christmas Craftacular...Sunday 28th November 12pm- 6pm

York Hall, Bethnal Green, London

We Make Christmas Wonderland...Saturday 4th December 11am- 5pm

Chelsea Town Hall, Kings Road, London

Of Cabbages & Kings Christmas Market...Saturday 11th December 11am- 5pm

St Mary's Crypt, Upper Street, London

Shop handmade this Christmas! xxx

New Beginnings.

I love this photo, it appeared on the beautiful blog Loulou and Oscar- showing one of my tweed Captains at the Spider and the Fly pop-up shop.

So I have now officially moved to London....come and visit me at Broadway Market in Hackney every Saturday to see many more tweed friends!

The Standon Express.

Last weekend happened to be Standon Calling- the most spectacular event I have ever been to (...bear in mind my favourite place is probably the library).

There was burlesque life drawing, dressing up, cupcakes and tea, a dog show, all night bars and an incredible line up. Not only this but my work was being sold in the Gabberdashery, purveyors of all things nice, by Gabby Young and Katie Antoniou AND the theme was Murder on the Standon Express. So here's to them and here are my favourite photos that I would like to share....

Thank you so much to Revere and Gabby Young & Other Animals and Katie.

Gabby Young & Other Animals

The Bright Lights of Broadway.

The summer holidays have finally arrived and I have had a flurry of nice projects and good news...

This is Edith.

She is my doll on the very first part of her journey as part of the Doll Consequences project this year, organised by the wonderful Lucy Jane Batchelor. Over the next nine months some very talented young ladies will be making a doll, and sending it to the next and continuing the chain until all nine of us have a spectacular textile character customised by each and every one of us.

But I can only show you a little bit of her....as it's a secret for the other doll makers.....

In other news I will be a regular member of Broadway Market every Saturday from now until after Christmas, so do come and say hello, it is a very lovely place to be of a Saturday strolling along the canal.

Bust Craftacular

Bust Craftacular 2010, originally uploaded by lucy_davidson.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of finally being a seller at this years BUST summer event, the highlight of my fair calendar... Between purchasing and workswaps I came home with handfuls of goods from Teacakes and 78s, Andrea Garland, Me Me Me, Gemma Correll and Heart Zeena.

There is always a fantastic atmosphere there, led by the DJ's on stage all day, and despite being the hottest day of all time- Swing Patrol's dance class could not have put me in a better mood as they were dancing to all of my favorite 1930's tracks... number one on my list of things to do when I soon move to London.

BUST a move.

HOORAY FOR BUST!

It is back in London to tempt us all this summer, but this year I'm in it too!

I cannot wait, the line up of designer makers is awesome so check out all the details here and all the amazing vendors here.

Remember it's July 10th!

Letter headed paper for dukes and captains.

Whilst playing around in my printing studio I made these very serious letters for a soldier friend of mine, I thought I would share them with you all....

More news!

I will be at these fairs:

We Make London: Chelsea Town Hall, London- 26th June

Handmade: Guildhall, Winchester- 4th July

BUST Craftacular: York Hall, London- 10th July

Come and say hello! x

Lasso The Moon.

Hooray! After much faffing around on my part I am finally up as a designer as part of Lasso the Moon's beautiful online boutique. Lots of lovely British made treasures to be found here.....

Bits and Pieces.

A quick post to let you all know what the blazes I have been doing.....

I have had some splendid news from lovely Lucy Jane Batchelor of young Ernest there guarding his chair until his little owner is big enough to sit in it. I'm so pleased he has settled in!

Delightful images by a favourite of mine Hannah Waldron on the wall too....

Also I shall be making an appearance at the 1st Edition Summer Craft Market so please come and say hello and marvel at lovely handmade goodness.

1st Edition Saturday 29th May

From 10 am to 5pm. Free entry. Free refreshments.

A collection of fine designer makers showcasing a plethora of quality, original, hand crafted wares. From jewellery, recycled fashion, home wares, millinery, accessories, art, soft furnishings, paper goods to beautacious and lush vintage inspired cakes!

Venue:
Beautiful Interiors shop garden
34 Orford Rd.
Walthamstow Village, London
E17 9NJ

Annnnnnd I shall be at the fabulous We Make London fair, 26th June at Chelsea Town Hall. Mmmmm. I do like fairs.

PICK ME UP

A festival of all things graphic design related, Pick Me Up was an absolute feast for the eye. Rob Ryan and his team of minions had set up their own beautiful studio and were filming the progress of a live paper-cut. I loved Mr Bingo's cheeky selection, and the collective Nous Vous had some good treats too.

An Extended Trip.

Well, what an adventure. Thanks to the trusty volcano, I was stranded in Berlin for a week, and then had to go home via Paris for two days. How lucky am I? Well while I was there I went to visit all these wonderful vintage shops I had heard about, and stumbled across on my travels.

I highly recommend Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn Sportpark and Arkona Platz on a Sunday for Flea Market splendidness. They are within five minutes walk of each other and were full of visual delights. The first is HUGE with hidden treasures and the second is much smaller with less tat.

'Paul Knopf' was an amazing shop dedicated solely to buttons, it was so tiny but floor to ceiling was boxes and tubes crammed with every button imaginable- and the staff knew the history and origin of every single one.

Next is 'Eichhornchen' (which means 'Squirrel' in German) was packed full of vintage goodies, from art deco furniture to vintage magazines and linens.

Below is a photo of the beautiful shop 'Mimi' for antique textiles- this was a pretty serious boutique full of real collectables.

'Tombees du Camion' was a delightful shop full of bizarre and beautiful oddities, we stumbled across this in Montmartre- but I hear they have three shops dotted around Paris.

For more photos of these wonderful places take a look here.

Huge thanks to Design Sponge's guide to Berlin, and Eastseven for being the greatest hostel I've ever stayed in.

S T O U R S P A C E

Oh what a day was had...

Stour Space was a very special find; hidden in Hackney Wick with one of the nicest little cafes I have ever been to (it had illustrations of Tom Selleck everywhere; a fine way to embellish any establishment)- Ruth Clifford and I set up my little stall after the causing the usual disruption on public transport with my trolley full of goods...

There was a cat called Merlin, an array of men with excellent facial hair, and lovely customers to talk to- not to mention other fantastic designers and makers, and Anorak Magazine which was very exciting as I am in the new issue (as seen freshly coloured by Ruth).

We ate cakes, coloured in, drank tea, and then packed up and caused another display of clumsiness and embarrassment while I dragged my little trolley of goods back across London.

There are monthly markets at Stour Space- have a look here.

vis/res Issue 2...(mine's the one on the left)

Here is the splendid second edition of 'vis/res', a new bi monthly little zine full of new designers and illustrators- and joy-oh-joy I was allowed to be in the second one, based on the blurred line that now occurs between reality and the virtual world. So here is mine! (the one on the left...)

There are only ever 100 printed, available to purchase here.

Notecards for Formal Informalities.

New notecards with matching envelopes for your visual delight!

Available to buy in my lovely Etsy shop.

Market Days

The market days in Stoke Newington were a lovely little treat, here is a photo of my little stand- the market is continuing monthly so have a visit (there are delicious cakes on sale too).

I will also be appearing at Stour Space Designers Market in Hackney Wick on the 27th March which should be packed full of nice things...

Stour Space
Designers Market
7 Roach Road,
Fish Island,
London,
E3 2PA

Lovely Market Dates...

Ooooh it's so exciting, I will be at 'Of Cabbages and Kings' new market on the 6th and 7th March tempting you all with my writing finery. Brand new writing notecards will feature, so come and say hello and get inspired to write a letter and buy handmade.

As well as yours truly, some of my favourite designer makers will be there too; Lady Luck Rules OK will be there with trendy jewellery, and one of my favourite illustrators Hannah Melin.

Fetch the Trumpets!

Well well well....this is Captain Hector. He is a very important little chap who likes cigars and shooting (clay pigeons only, of course).

Made with a vintage Coronation Medal, he is on his way to Sandhurst for some new adventures.

I also wanted to show off this charming writing tin that I found that is joining Hector on his travels.

It's been a rather surprising month for me, I shall be appearing in the latest vis/res, a lovely limited publication which should be out towards the end of February. I shall also have some drawings in the Spring edition of Anorak magazine, which is possibly the most beautiful children's magazine I have ever laid my eyes on.

AND I'll be at Of Cabbages and Kings new monthly design markets on the 6th and 7th of March, in Stoke Newington, with new writing sets and other splendid treats.

But for the moment, rather unexpectedly, I am temporarily somewhat of a boarding mistress at my old prep school.

I am also holding a workshop this week teaching 10 year olds how to monoprint which I'm very excited/terrified about.

How did this happen?!

Roll Up, Roll Up...

Finally all of my favourite original prints are now for sale in my Etsy shop. Keep your beady eyes out for some new writing stationery too....

Artist of the Day.

Today I pay homage to Lizzy Stewart, illustrator extraordinaire. I bought her splendidly splendid zine of fine vintage women, and here it is for all to see.

Lots of her other work can be seen here.