I’m back from the land of the disconnected, despite the fact that BT have still found it beyond their basic capabilities to set up a simple line in my new flat (boo!).
So now I’m playing catch-ups with Best of British week, which was kick-started last week over at Meet me at Mike’s.
Based in Shropshire in the UK, this gorgeous Etsy seller specialises in delicate hand-stitched birds made from vintage maps, paper and fabric. I particularly like the vintage map birds which feature areas in the south coast of England, including the Isle of Wight and the New Forest. But the “Map Walk” bird, US$39, is pretty cool too, with hand-written text detailing paths, caves and potholes. Reminds me of the kind of map the Famous Five kids would have dug. If it came with lashings of Ginger Ale.
Leave a CommentDearest birdies, Apologies for this interruption in Best of British week. Moving nest is no fun, especially when technology is involved and phone companies mess around with your new line. So 'til my dodgy internet access is sorted, I'm going to sign off for now. Hopefully I'll be back on board next Monday, so I'll see you all then. In the meantime, check out Meet Me at Mikes for Best of British week. XXX
Big kisses to the lovely Pip at Meet me at Mikes for inviting me to join in on "Best of British" week. I'm off to a bit of a late start because I'm in the middle of moving house (goodbye East London, hello South-East London) but I'll get the ball rolling with one of my favourite Etsy sellers, Karen Hilton.
Flag cushions, US$60, from Karen Hilton’s Etsy shop.
Karen's vibrant Brit-themed cushions are an Anglophile's dream, and they've been getting a whole lot of attention on Etsy. The cushions are individually handmade, using thick natural cotton drill fabric and high-quality felted wool.
I especially love her Queen Elizabeth postage stamp range, which create quite the riotous Britpop display with a bunch of Union Jack cushions thrown in.
So this first mixtape is kinda inspired by the crazy spring weather we had over the weekend in London (balmy Friday night/chilly Saturday night/snowy Sunday morning/sunshiny Sunday arvo/freezing Sunday night).
And it's also a rather convenient excuse for me to broadcast Stuart Murdoch's heart-achingly beautiful version of "Here Comes the Sun". Enjoy.
I'm a big fan of The Small Stakes, a very cool independent design studio run by Jason Munn, which specialises in screen-printed music posters. I really love his simple design and his three-colour prints for bands like The Flaming Lips, Yo La Tengo and Deerhoof.
Best of all, the limited edition hand-printed posters combine my love for beautiful design with some of my favourite bands. I bought the Teenage Fanclub print a few years ago and was very impressed by the quality - especially for the extremely reasonable price of US$25.
Lovely, huh? He's just added some new prints to his website, so check them out. Just remember that they're all limited editions and will sell out before too long.
W2 are the London-based design team behind the clever Pantone mugs (oh, how I desire one in every colour) and they're also the the official licensees of English Heritage, who are responsible for the iconic blue plaques posted on buildings around the capital. The plaques mark the historic home or working place of a Very Important Londoner (VIL).
Blue plaque tea towel, £6, by W2.
The girls at W2 have produced a fabulous collection of Blue Plaque tea-towels and fine bone china mugs, which includes such VILs as Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst, Enid Blyton, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx. I only have one question: is it an oxymoron to hanker after the suffragette Pankhurst women tea-towel as well as the Enid Blyton?
W2 shop www.w2products.com 1.22 Oxo Tower Wharf Barge House Street London SE1 9PH Tel. 020 7922 1444
Q: I’m currently planning a trip to London in June and although I have been to London a few times (and lived there for a year in college and attended the LSE), I’m checking your blog for the new and fun. This trip won’t afford me much time for shopping because I’m travelling with my boyfriend and two of our teenage nephews, but I do plan to skip the Royal Artillery Museum for a bit of shopping.
I am planning to focus on the W1 area (Do Shop, Liberty, Mint, Contemporary Applied Arts Gallery), and would love any additional suggestions for home décor stores in that area. Thanks! - Lisa, Phoenix, Arizona.
Hi Lisa, Wow, travelling with two teenage boys – you’ve certainly got your work cut out for you. But in terms of interiors shopping in the W1 area, you’re off to an excellent start with Do, Liberty, Mint and the CAA shop. Here are some others to add to your must-see list:
Lifestyle Bazaar A relative newcomer to Carnaby Street’s shopping area, Lifestyle Bazaar specialises in design-led products sourced from around the world. And thanks to its French owners, it has a plethora of Gallic design, including Atelier LZC’s vibrant homewares collection (think birds and flowers), Jean Luc Le Deun’s innovative lighting and Leonor Mataillet’s gorgeous print cushions. There’s also a great line-up of British designers including Michelle Mason (retro-style organic prints and china egg candlesticks), Soop Groop’s homewares with humour (check out their ready-meal plates) and W2’s innovative London-icon range (I love their English Heritage blue-plaque collection). 10 Newburgh Street London W1F7RN Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
Skandium Quite literally, Scandi-cool heaven. Skandium is the ultimate shopping destination for Scandinavian design, with an impressive line-up of furniture, lighting, glassware, ceramics, textiles, kitchenware and books. It has two stores in London, one of which is located on Marylebone High Street in W1 (an excellent street for shopping and eating), as well as the Marimekko concept store on St Christopher’s Place. 86 Marylebone High Street London W1U 4QS Nearest tube: Bond Street
Marimekko 16-17 St Christopher's Place London W1U 1NZ Nearest tube: Bond Street
Heal’s A traditional British homewares brand, Heal’s Tottenham Court Road flagship store has been operating since 1840. They stock a range of brands and designers including Clarissa Hulse and Sophie Conran, as well as their own classic brand of homewares. Keep an eye out for the Heal’s Discovers Designers range, which features new products by up-and-coming designers including Sam Aloof (gorgeous scented candle range), Royal College of Art graduate Ella Smith (graphic rugs and cushions) and Jessica Haigh (quirky knitted cushion covers). 196 Tottenham Court Road London W1 Nearest tube: Goodge St
Habitat Classic design and homewares mecca. Check out new Spring/Summer products such as the vibrant Sadie drinkware range (£9 for jug), the Zen-like Utopian melamine picnicware range (starting at £2 for a beaker), and Hus Mosaffar’s delicate porcelain teacup tealight holder (£5). 196-199 Tottenham Court Road (next door to Heal’s) London W1T 7PJ Nearest tube: Goodge Street 121-123 Regent Street London W1 Nearest tubes: Piccadilly and Oxford Circus
John Lewis OK, so it’s a predictable and middle-of-the-road department store, but their homewares section is well worth checking out. I like their extensive collection of bed linen (although coming from the States, you’ve got much better –and waaay more affordable – options over there). John Lewis Oxford Street London W1A 1EX Nearest tubes: Oxford Circus and Bond Street
Also, don’t miss Muji for their minimalist and understated range of homewares (head downstairs at the Carnaby Street store) and Beyond the Valley for quirky design pieces like cuddly cloud cushions, laser-cut decorative mirrors and Jake Phipps’ Jeeves Hat Light.
Muji 41 Carnaby Street London W1V 1PD Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
Beyond the Valley 2 Newburgh Street London W1 Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
If all else fails, the awesome Apple store on Regent Street should keep them occupied while you duck across the road to check out Liberty. Oh, and icecream. Try the legendary Knickerbocker Glory at Fortnum & Mason or go for one of the more spectacular sundaes (impressive in terms of size and scale) at the Harrods Ice Cream Parlour.
Stay tuned for a first peek at the Tatty Devine pieces, which are based on prevalent themes (think whimsical birds, plants, flowers and folk) from Rob's work. Apparently one of the most special pieces is a heart-shaped piece of jewellery which can be custom-made to feature your top ten favourite things. Not exactly sure how that works but it sounds magical.
I can't think of a better creative collaboration - Tatty Devine will no doubt replicate the exquisite detail in Rob's artwork and infuse the pieces with their trademark pop-fantastic vibrant hues.
Rob is also exhibiting his paper cuts at the Tatty Devine gallery space in Brick Lane, including three or four giant paper cuts.
The jewellery and paper cuts will be available from 24 April at Tatty Devine.
236 Brick Lane London E2 7EB Tel. 020 7739 9191 Click here for a Wee Birdy map. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 11am-6pm Nearest tube: Liverpool Street
57b Brewer Street London W1F 9UR Tel. 020 7434 2257 Click here for a Wee Birdy map. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 11am-7pm Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
Back in the fledgling days of Wee Birdy, I came across jewellery designer Stephanie Simek and her delicately playful sterling silver eyelash necklaces. I especially loved the sweet single eyelash with the freshwater pearl tears (US$35).
Stephanie has since added to her collection with a seemingly fragile speckled quail egg pendant, lined with 23k gold leaf (US$125).
Her latest piece is this rather sweetly subversive powder necklace (below), which features a pearlized Turbo Cinereus shell filled with a sparkling mineral powder (US$95). The idea is that you tap the shell whenever you want to dust your decolletage with a light sprinkle of shimmer powder. A sterling silver funnel is also attached to the clasp for decoration and refilling. (It's a kinda innocent spin on the "secret stash" vial necklace worn by Sarah Michelle Gellar's character in Cruel Intentions, don't you think?)
Two new things I learnt about London over the weekend: 1. It snows in spring, not winter; and 2. Marks & Spencer Hot Cross Buns and Cadbury Crème Eggs are key items for holiday survival.
Fighting the urge to hibernate under the duvet, I headed over to the Design Museum with some friends on Easter Sunday to look at the 100 works nominated for the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year. This year’s decision to change the title from “Designer of the Year” to “Designs of the Year” was inspired as it really opened up the competition to new and innovative design from all disciplines.
Amongst the iPhone, Nintendo Wii, and a cheap and energy-efficient laptop for children in developing countries (Yves Behar’s One Laptop Per Child was the winning design), I was particularly (and predictably) taken by the Hussein Chalayan LED dress from his a/w 2007 Airborne collection. Encrusted with Swarovski crystals and 15,600 LEDs, multi-coloured patterns flickered across the fabric as if lit by psychedelic fireflies. Quite beautiful.
Also up for nomination in the fashion category are Pierre Hardy’s fashion accessories from s/s 2008; Giles Deacon’s s/s 2008 collection; Uniqlo’s cashmere project with Pantone; Issey Miyake’s innovative Dyson vacuum cleaner dress (complete with male and female parts) and Osman Yousefzada’s a/w 07/08 collection.
My other favourites include Anthony Dicken's clever interpretation of the classic Anglepoise Fifty lamp, Marigold’s genius (and nomadic-friendly) Make/Shift shelving, and the Penguin Classics Deluxe Editions (for dazzling new illustrated covers like a comic-strip version of Lady Chatterley's Lover).
If the ultimate souvenir serves to remind your senses of an authentic (and specific) sense of place, then you’d be hard pressed to do better than Claridge’s eponymous Black & White collection.
In fact, in The Goddess Guide(a Wee Birdy favourite), author Giselle Scanlon says she “can’t leave Mayfair without visiting Claridge’s to pick up a bottle of their signature musky bath oil – in its elegant Art Deco bottle, with the lid shaped like the hotel’s bathroom taps.”
The collection’s black and white packaging reflects the classic glamour of this historic London institution, as well as the foyer’s grand marble floor.
I especially love the candle’s evocative floral top notes of Turkish rose and Indian jasmine, with warm, woody-Oriental undertones of Russian wild coriander and agarwood bark. The entire Black & White collection is available exclusively from Claridge’s Flowers & Gifts stall (just inside the Ballroom entrance).
Claridge’s Black & White Candle, £32 (250g) Claridge’s Travel candle set, £18.50 (2 x 50g)
