Stepney Green Design Collection.

This month I have been commissioned by the lovely Katie Antoniou for Vivo, to create a piece for their  Stepney Green Design Collection in the beautiful art deco Genesis Cinema. There's some lovely work there from Petra Storrs amongst many others, all available to view from the 25th October until the end of December.

The drawers were another piece of treasure that I found at Old Spitalfields Market, and they are filled with an assortment of my own handprinted stationery, and some of my most prized possessions from my ever expanding vintage stationery collection. Each draw is filled with carefully placed nostalgic items, some admittedly completely obsolete, but that will hopefully lure you into the mood to brighten someone's day with a letter. And just to remind you of how it's done, the rather excellent, 'Pocket Book of Etiquette' is there to steer you in the right direction.

This Saturday!

A Most Curious Wedding Fair.

On Saturday 6th October I will be taking part in the wonderful Most Curious Wedding Fairs at York Hall, Bethnal Green. It will be my first wedding fair so I am really nervous, and squirrelling away finalising my designs. I will have a grand mix of all my stationery formats, all tailored for the most stylish of weddings, handprinted in Dalston. A few of the exhibitors are listed here, I'm particularly enjoying I Like Pens's lovely work. 

If you happen to stop by do come and say hello, I will be the one shaking.

A London Style Guide.

I have recently received some lovely copies of this new book to sell at my stall on Broadway Market, where I have been featured fiddling over pen nib boxes. It is such a nice surprise seeing where photographs end up, and this book has not disappointed...in fact, I can't stop reading it and making notes as to where to visit next. As a loyal creature of the east, it is luring me further afield already, with its sophisticated photography and well selected eateries, I am already working my way through the long lists.

Available to buy here.

Company Magazine.

It seems Broadway Market's getting all the attention these days (rightfully so), so here I am in August's Company Magazine....I am not entirely sure what I was doing when this was taken....!
I have to say while I'm on the subject, that Company Magazine has got GAAAAME. With a neat new size and swish matt paper, it seems that employing London's fashion bloggers to contribute has worked an absolute treat. I'm still reading my way through....

I also have to give credit to Clobber where I bought that dress from. They are one of my favourite vintage shops and you can visit the seaside while you're at it......


P.S. Please excuse my mini interview, it has been edited by the powers that be.....

A Little Feature.

Here I am in Marie Claire, Australia! I was very surprised when an Australian tourist recognised my stall at Broadway market from June's edition...and I have finally tracked it down....

Thank you Marie Claire Magazine x

A New Stockist.

Here is my work on the shelves of Anthropologie, London. A selection of four of my hand printed stationery products have found their way to the Regent Street and Kings Road stores, and I was so pleased to see how nicely they had been displayed in their marvellous stationery department!

Betty Magazine Launch.

Hooray for Betty Magazine! Issue 2 was launched at the Lomography Store in Spitalfields last week, and we were spoilt with endless Pick'n'Mix and cake pops and delightful Malibu cocktails...not only were we visually treated by the lovely surroundings, but we were played a little set by Peter and Kerry. 


The magazine itself is full of lovely features, great work from Calico Melton as lead illustrator... Broadway Market has its own double page and the crafty Dalston Darlings have their say too. I have even already tried out some of the tasty recipes and recommendations....


Thank you to Charlotte, hostess with the mostess and editor...


Make sure you get your copy here.

Once Wed Magazine.

 Hooray for Once Wed Magazine! After a wonderfully inspiring blog, it has finally transitioned into print, and I was fortunate enough to be asked to contribute with my wedding stationery. It is filled with stunning photography, framed only by white space and minimal text. It makes even my cynical self want to start making colour schemes and start back combing my hair for my imaginary big day....

Happy Menocal's beautiful illustrations were also featured, I recommend a visit to her website here.

The Diamond Jubilee.

Well it's been a long time since my last post, but things have been very busy running up to the Jubilee! My Royal candles have been selling quicker than I can make them at Broadway Market, and to mark the wondrous occasion I was asked to have a stall at the Diamond Jubilee Festival at Battersea Park. 

The atmosphere was still marvellous despite the rain, and I would like to say thank you to all the lovely customers and friends who kept me going throughout the day, I was stuffed with cucumber sandwiches and cheese and pineapple sticks, and the candles were still selling even when they were eventually sat in puddles on my stall! I loved seeing so many of my favourite sellers there, including Hunted and Stuffed and many others in the excellently curated Vintage Village, Elle and the Pocket Belles, and my favourite Brass Roots kept me moving around with their jazzy music.

Hemingway and team did an incredible job putting on such an amazing event for 90, 000 people, I'm very sad that I cant make it to their Vintage Festival this year...

Creatures What Live in the Country.

Over the past month I have been taking occasional trips to the deepest depths of the countryside in Hampshire to complete a very special commission; painting frames around these Victorian taxidermy beasts in the grand dining room. There are eight boxes in total, with varying species, from a bittern, to penguins, to albino pheasants, my brief being to 'jolly the place up a bit'. Unfortunately the light in the room has meant poor and limited documentation, but I hope you enjoy these snippets, sadly they don't convey the stunningly high ceilings and beautiful textiles. Some of the frames are adorned with sleeping badgers, quail babies, a fox and a rather regal pheasant, the largest box being over a metre wide.

So thank you very much to the lovely family who let me take a paintbrush to their walls, of the most incredible house I have ever set foot in, I hope all their dining room occasions are more merry from now onwards.

Christmas Time in Munchen.

Jasmin Cafe

Puppet shop

Sam & Sons

Trachtenvogl Cafe

Carta Pura - Papierladen

Hofbrauhaus

Marienplatz Christmas Market

I could not manage to finish the year without another little expedition, so I picked all the most festive places I could find, and picked the one with the cheapest flight (I'm not bitter at all, Lapland....) So off I flew to Munich. It was so beautiful and Christmassy, chalet huts everywhere, faux medieval castles, gluhwein, brass bands, sausages, lederhosen, it was just as my wildest dreams had imagined. And it snowed, yes it did.

Above is a little sneek peek of all my favourite places. Now, I know most of them are controversially touristy, but what Brit doesn't enjoy being served a litre of beer by a busty lady dressed as a milkmaid, whilst a group of men in lederhosen play Bavaria's greatest brass hits..? Other amusingly traditional haunts I enjoyed for a wiessbeer or two were the Oktoberfest Museum and Jodlerwirt, the latter of which was equipped with a charming accordion player.

Of the more design orientated places I visited, and I have to say they were few and far between, the Design Museum in Munich was a marvellous retreat form the snow, and absolutely vast, putting our London equivalent to shame. Papierladen was a beautiful bookbinding shop stocking the most through and stylish materials I have ever come across. Trachtenvogl and Jasmin Cafes kept us warm, with the former serving forty varieties of hot chocolate, and both turning into very swish places to hang out after dark.

I highly recommend a cheeky little visit, it is definitely on my list to visit for Octoberfest next year....

Wish Wish Wish's Wishlist.

Hooray for me, my products are on somebody's Christmas wishlist! And not just anybody, the very stylish Carrie who writes the wonderful blog, Wish Wish Wish. Thank you very much nice lady.

Lovely Merchants.

What a lovely fair! Last Sunday I dragged my stock over to The Victoria Pub in Camden, to join a very thoughtfully selected little market, Lovely Merchants. The Victoria had a very grand upstairs area, where we all set up, and I had a lovely day meeting the fine people of Camden. There was a nice mix of vintage clothing, home ware and handmade skin care.

Lovely Merchants will return for a Valentine's Fair in February....

Amanda selling very fine things from None Such Things.

My stall full of paper goods.

The Long Table.

What a lovely surprise it was when I discovered that every Friday up until Christmas, a late night food market was opening up in my area. Unfortunately every time I went to visit, there was a queue a mile long.....but I decided this was an experience not to be missed and so last Friday I joined the masses and waited for......1 whole hour and forty minutes. While groups dropped out and headed to the McDonald's on the corner, it only made us more determined and, despite the icy wind willing us to do the same, we finally made it in.

Immediately warming ourselves with mulled wine, we sat and looked curiously around the dining tent. Unlike any other food market I had attended, long tables were set up, where everybody enjoyed their food together, lit by many candles in waxy empty bottles. It was an extremely lovely sight and we enjoyed a delicious Eastern pancake, piled high with cheese, cabbage and spring onions.

I have to say I would never queue again to go, but I think it was worth it just that once. There was a wonderful atmosphere of locals simply enjoying eachother's company, and some nice food, all together....

Here is what The Long Table have to say:

'The Long Table is all about conviviality and bringing people together. Grounded in the importance of local chefs, purveyors and producers, the Long Table celebrates all different types of foods and tastes. As visitors graze the wealth of dishes on offer, they will experience the sense of warmth inherent in a big gathering.

Markets are the heart of many communities, a place where people come together to eat and socialize. East London has a rich cultural diversity and with that comes an interesting mix of foodies, chefs, artists and musicians. We wanted a place that allowed locals to come together through the sharing of food.'

Christmas Frolics at Columbia Road.

Jessie Chorley and Buddug

Rob Ryan

Wednesday saw the first of this year's late night shopping events at Columbia Road. As a relative local, I visit frequently on a Sunday for the stunning flower market, but this was really rather something lovely. With stylishly simple Christmas lights, children playing carols on their trumpets, and not a queue or crowd in sight, it was a perfect way to start getting into the festive mood. If you have visited the street before, you will be familiar with the very limited weekend only opening hours of the shops there, but every Wednesday until Christmas they will be opening 5pm-9pm for Christmas shoppers.

After exploring the shops, we sat in the cobbled courtyard and drank mulled cider, ate mince pies and listened to the lovely band below whilst little children danced around. It was a lovely sight, with some very amusing interpretive dance going on. For more information, click here.

The Pop Up Vintage Fair & Handmade and Bound.

A couple of weeks ago I took the liberty of having a day off to look at lovely things...

I was very pleasantly surprised at how well organised the Islington Pop Up Vintage Fair was. Like walking into a village hall in the blitz, there was fabulously nostalgic music, and a lovely array of very affordable vintage vendors. Up on the stage, there was a bustling tea room, well stocked with mismatching crocks and edible treats. After a while of hunting around, live music appeared in the form of the three lovely ladies above, and I really felt perfectly content. It is a rare feeling to find such a lovely atmosphere at a fair. For future events click here.

Next stop was to Handmade & Bound, the affordable book art fair. Despite my absolute hatred of the 'zine', the fair featured some interesting print work and book binding. It was outrageously busy though and I actually had to fight my way to buy some of Samantha Lippett's cards, which were worth it. Sadly I cannot name the artist above as he didn't have any cards, but his work was very fine indeed....

Matters of Lavender.

A couple of weeks ago I was chatting to a customer at Broadway Market about my teacup candles, and she asked me why I used French organic lavender essential oil. I replied, 'Because French lavender is the finest, highest quality lavender oil around.'

I am very proud of the quality of my ingredients, and the above answer usually satisfies the most difficult customer, so I was surprised when she was not impressed.

'What about British lavender, Norfolk lavender?' she questioned.

'Ooh, I'll look into that...' I replied, a little saddened and shamed that I had no idea of its existence, and wanting to end the conversation as soon as possible.

Hmmmm, I thought. It would be lovely to stock British Lavender oil....

So now I do! Sadly it is not organic (sorry fields and animals), but I think it is very important to support British farmers and produce and so Norfolk lavender will be a permanent fixture in my candles.

I will have lots of royal tea cup candles at all the fairs that I will be part of up to Christmas:

Sat 26th November: Broadway Market

Sun 27th November: BUST Christmas Craftacular, York Hall, Bethnal Green

Sat 3rd December: Broadway Market

Sun 4th December: Lovely Merchants, Camden

Sat 10th December: Broadway Market

Sat 17th December: Broadway Market

Sat 24th December *CHRISTMAS EVE*: Broadway Market

Have a look at my wonderful candles here.

A Feast For Your Eyes...New Products!

Have a look at my shop and you will see new products! Both are available here or at any of my Christmas market days.

Festive Frolics.

BUST Craftacular / York Hall / Bethnal Green / 27th November / 12-6pm

I cannot harp on about how marvellous these BUST Craftaculars are. Featuring live DJ's, a fabulous cafe, DIY workshops and a vendor line up that I am extremely proud to be part of. There is always such a fantastic lively atmosphere, and best of all, I can pick up a copy of BUST magazine.

Lovely Merchants / Victoria Pub / Camden / 4th December / 12-5

I'm very looking forward to being part of the first Lovely Merchants Fair, intimately placed in the Victoria pub in Camden, it promises to be a joyous and sophisticated festive affair, with goods ranging from delicious treats, to my fine stationery. I do hope they have mulled wine ready for me.