Hammermann Spoons

I found these on Etsy the other day and fell in love with them. I can't seem to find much information about the artist - `hammermann'- part from the fact he lives in Florida.  He uses silver plated and antique spoons to create these gorgeous keepsakes and plant markers ... lucky plants!

Eileen O'Rourke

I have discovered Eileen O'Rourke as she has recently graduated from the MMU MA Course.  Originally an Embroidery graduate her practice is mainly drawing ... they shine with sensitivity and delicacy.  Some of her drawings were made from hair and stitched on to stretched bedsheets.  Others were painstakingly pinpricked ... an art form that reflects her interest in embroidery.
Her artist's statement reads ...

"My work investigates the fundamentals of the process of drawing.

For over thirty years, the style of my drawings has been introspective mad doodles, which sometimes were refined but lacked evidence of any intellectual input or questioning.

During the course, the process of fundamentally investigating drawing exposed me to a whole array of questions: What am I doing? Whom am I doing it for? Why am I doing it? What audience is it aimed at?

My examination of 'Who am I'... 'Who are we'…turned into... 'What am I'; albeit a subtle change, I wanted to centre on something real, unquestionable, in fact an un-doubtable truth.

Answering the question of identity can be a hard road; a journey that passes many dead-ends in the form of philosophical thoughts that, by reasoning, have no resolution for an artist interested in identity.

As a twin, I have always had a vague interest for biological make-up of the human body but whilst struggling with this identity question, the biological aspect of self, or rather myself, became foremost and I researched twins and genetics. The ‘physical’ self seemed to be the only un-doubtable truth."

katya de grunwald

I first saw these pictures in a back issue of Selvedge magazine and was so captivated by them that I had to track this very talented artist/photographer down.  Katya de Grunwald has a wide ranging photography practice which encompasses interiors, fashion and her own personal projects which she states 

' personal work that is inspired by the poetic experience of the everyday.'

The following photographs speak for themselves and seem to reflect the frozen christmas we are all experiencing.

The Best Question in the World

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

The Best Question in the World

View more presentations from Betsy Streeter.

A Comfy Bed

i have neglected by blog recently because I have been working very hard in a well known store for the Christmas period.  At this precise moment all I really want to do is go to sleep ...and when I saw this lovely little hoop by Three Red Apples ... it really made me think of the pea and the princess story.  These lovely embroidered designs are by Annabelle in Devon and are a fresh treat from the creative melting pot of the South West of England.

Cartolina app

I feel I have to share one of the guilty pleasures for my iphone (at this point i should point out that i am an app addict!).  It is the Cartolina app which i have now had the pleasure of using for a few months.  Basically it is the ability to send a text message or email encased in a beautiful piece of decorative illustration by the talented artist Fiona Richards.  In her personal statement she writes:

"I have a need to actively interact with vintage design - not just collect it and display it - it's a way for me to play with it and share it with others. Combining my own collections with the exotic curiosities collected by my family years ago has become the root of my designs - ancient patterns, colours, block prints, images and textures combined with contemporary colours and type - this is Cartolina!

Fiona has designed a wonderful range of cards and stationery that is an absolute delight to see and will certainly brighten up your day.  My only problem with the app so far is that not many of my friends have mobile phones with the ability to receive them as picture messages .... roll on new technology!

"I have a need to actively interact with vintage design - not just collect it and display it - it's a way for me to play with it and share it with others. Combining my own collections with the exotic curiosities collected by my family years ago has become the root of my designs - ancient patterns, colours, block prints, images and textures combined with contemporary colours and type - this is Cartolina!"

Letterpress Delights

As the festive season is nearly upon us, i have been browsing to find some letterpress goodies to send through the post to my friends.  I love everything about letterpress, the handmade skill that has gone into designing and making the work; the beautiful papers that it is usually printed on; and the uniqueness of limited edition designs rather than the massed produced work on the high street. 


Today I have been looking at a few old favourites:


Inhaus Press

This is a small letterpress studio in San Francisco run by a pastry chef and an engineer.  What an intriguing combination!

Sycamore Street Press

A perfect sentiment!