A global field guide to design, (life)style and secret finds
est. 2007

Author Archives: topbird

  3. Top 10 London Christmas crackers – No. 1

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    1. Best museum crackers Merry Christmas & Stars Crackers, now reduced to £10 from £15 for a pack of six, from the V&A Shop. Crackers feature designs from the V&A's archives of Christmas cards from the '30s and 40s, the Buday Collection, designs by Dorothe Braby (1909-1987) and wallpaper from 1837-1852. The booty: Each cracker contains a novelty and hat together with a snap and motto.

  9. Wee Christmas finds: Present & Correct

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    Christmas surprises are always fun, especially when they come in the form of a surprise Advent goody bag from Wee Birdy web favourite, Present & Correct.

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    With one new bag released for each day of Advent, these little beauties are flying out the door (and there are just 14 left!).

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    Each bag is packed with a surprise collection of premium vintage pencils, stamps, envelopes, booklets, stickers and other stationery treats. They make a gorgeous (and highly unique) gift idea for crafty birdies and stationery fans. £10 each from Present & Correct.

  10. Shopping in London: BUST Christmas Craftacular

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    It’s been one of those weeks where London’s burning with amazing Christmas shopping events, sales and exhibitions, and it’s finally taken its toll on this wee birdy. So when my alarm went off at 6am on Saturday, I just couldn’t face the bleak reality of trudging out to Wembley in the freezing cold for the much-hyped Angels Vintage warehouse sale.

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    As a huge vintage fan, I was really looking forward to this event and it’s been in my diary ever since Susie Bubble announced it last month on her blog. I had dreams of nabbing an amazing ‘60s Biba frock or picking up an original ‘50s prom dress, so I was really disappointed I didn’t make it. But I don’t think I could have weathered the mandatory four-hour queue, and I just couldn’t get past all the rules and regulations about not taking a bag (huh?) or bringing a camera (why?). And as I’ve been feeling under the weather, I don’t think I would have handled the mother of all shit-fights which ensued inside. Read all about it (and watch the video) over on Susie Bubble’s blog. 

    So it was straight on to London’s very first BUST Christmas Craftacular, which had been given a distinct British spin thanks to the line-up of the nation’s hottest crafters at Euston’s St Aloysius Social Hall.

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    The queue at BUST Christmas Craftacular...

    The opening crush of well-dressed hipster girls (and some skinny jeans-clad dudes) reflected the mantra of BUST’s editor-in-chief, Debbie Stoller (my hero) that “crafting is the new rock’n’roll”.

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    Decorated in a riotous display of kitsch Christmas decorations, the hall was packed to capacity for the first hour, and it was difficult to actually move, let only dance, to the superb set by Pamflet zine’s Phoebe Frangoul. Making my way around the stalls to the strains of Lush’s “Shake Baby Shake”, I stumbled across some fantastic new finds, including brooches by Hetty and Dave, hand-sewn soft toys by Bobby Dazzler, illustrations by Kate Seaward and headpieces by Tour de Force.

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    Bobby Dazzler

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    Hetty and Dave

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    The ever-creative and original Tatty Devine girls set up a brilliant Craft Surgery, where they dispensed all sorts of clever crafty tips and advice.

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    After meeting up for tea with Basil Exposition who was in London for the weekend (ah, the joys of blogging!), I returned to hear more of the brilliant DJ line-up, including Sheila B from Cherry Bomb playing sixties girl bands (swoon). But the seriously amazing Shellac Sisters were the highlight of the day, who looked glam in their vintage ensembles as they played 78s on their 1920s wind-up gramophones.

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    Just the thing to get into the swing of stitching and bitching!

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  11. Handmade Xmas Part 2: Brown paper parcels

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    I suspect that many of you, like me, are pedantic about the particulars of Christmas gift wrapping. This year I’m going for budget-friendly brown paper, which looks rather chic tied with old-school twine, or you could be inspired by some of the gorgeous ideas by Gloustershire-based Etsy seller Lupin (of felt tea brooches fame) over on her blog, Bugs and Fishes.

    I’m loving her genius how-tos on decorating brown paper parcels…

    with paper snowflakes…
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    with vintage stamps…
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    with pom-poms…
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    with lacy cake ribbon…
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    and with cut-out fonts...
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  13. Handmade Xmas Part 1: Cakes and cookies

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    Peggy Porschen is standing in her gleaming Battersea studio and demonstrating how to make perfect squiggles using a piping bag she’s fashioned out of a piece of paper. But I’ve only got eyes for the bowl of edible glitter in front of me, appropriately named, “White Disco Hologram”. Which might explain why my subsequent squiggles are considerably less than perfect.

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    As London’s Queen of sugarcraft, Peggy’s cakes are sold in Fortnum and Mason and her clients include Elton John, Gwyneth Paltrow and Stella McCartney. In fact, she made Stella’s wedding cake in 2003.

    She has just launched a series of masterclasses where students can learn the secrets to decorating cookies and cakes, in Peggy’s irresistibly pretty signature style. 

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    After some initial apprehension about my distinct lack of decorating/kitchen skills, I was relieved to learn that I wasn’t the only beginner in the class. There were, however, a couple of skilled decorators taking part, with one girl travelling all the way from Germany to learn Peggy’s tricks of the trade.

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    Taking our places around a huge granite tabletop in Peggy’s airy commercial kitchen, we set to work straight away, learning how roll out marzipan and cut out a pile of holly-shaped leaves. These were the main decoration for our traditional Christmas fruitcake.

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    It didn’t take long to get to the fun stuff – playing with gorgeous shimmers and edible glitter, and learning how to make veins in our leaves using a moulded stamp.

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    There’s no need to worry about cleaning up as Peggy’s staff are on hand to whisk away bits and pieces you’ve finished with. And when it comes to learning the art of piping, we’re presented with our own set of freshly baked gingerbread snowflake cookies, ready to decorate.

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    Peggy shows us how to hold the piping bag and and demonstrates the correct piping technique. This is where it’s easy to just sit back and watch Peggy’s mesmerising and deceptively simple control of the piping bag. She makes it look way too effortless, but after several botched attempts (which are hurriedly disappeared down my throat) I start to weave my own little sugarcrafted magic.

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    After breaking for afternoon tea – delicious finger sandwiches and cake – we’re back in the kitchen and standing behind our own individual (and marvellously alcoholic) six-inch Christmas fruitcakes. We learn how to brush the cake with apricot jam, before rolling out a sheet of marzipan and carefully draping it over the cake.

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    Next, after brushing the marzipan with a layer of vodka, we’re rolling out a perfectly smooth layer of sugar paste to drape over the cake. This is where cake smoothers become your new best friends in your quest for sugar paste perfection.

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    With the tricky bits out of the way, we get to the fun part of decorating our (mostly) smooth iced creations with the holly leaves we’d made earlier, creating a simply wreath around the top of the cake. So pretty!

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    "I can't believe I made them!" ... the finished snowflake cookies
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    Want to learn Peggy's cake decorating secrets? Ask about the next masterclass at www.peggyporschen.com.

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    Peggy's beautifully designed Christmas bauble cookies are also available to order for Christmas, with prices starting at £8. To guarantee delivery in time for Christmas all orders must be received by Sunday, December 7. See the full range at www.peggyporschen.com or call 020 7738 1339.

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