Fab Fakes

This weeks You magazine heralded the talents of Abigail Brown who makes amazing feathered birds from scraps of fabric.  http://abigailbrown.bigcartel.com/products/   Needless to say I am a big fan of hers and am very jealous of her oh so detailed creations (i fancy having a go but know they would look rubbish!) and not only love her magical creatures but am also loving the whole 'faux' thing going on.   There's a whole host of clever faux finishes around  from clever wallpapers that imitate concrete, wood and metal, fabric imitating croc skin or zebra and those quirky fakes that add a fun touch such as animal heads made from papier mache - so out with the white walls and in with the safari animal print and the trophy head.. go with the faux...

CREEPY CRAWLIE COOL

As a lover (and stalker) of then shop Anthropologie, i had come across the work of Lou Rota which I love for it's quirky sense of style and unexpected surprises teaming vintage with bugs and beasties,  so now i'm loving her collection of clever miscellany too.  Check out the 'bug' and 'butterfly' wall stickers -perfect for adding a touch to be oh so on trend this spring.http://lourota.com/index.php?route=product/landing

Hot off the scalpel..

Looking at the Natural History Origin of Style site (see previous post) led me to this amazing work from Helen Musselwhite which really is worthy of a good stare for at least five minutes per image just to take in all the intricate detail and beautiful workmanship.  I do love a paper cut and Helen's work will be on my ever growing wish list of purchases... http://www.helenmusselwhite.com - or perhaps i should be off to Hobbycraft to get a scalpel and paper ....

PAPER PERFECT

How amazing are these paper creations from  Jennifer Collier - i've always loved a bit of papier mache myself but these beautiful works of art just take it to a whole new level...just need a bit ore time and patience but perhaps a weekend project could be in order....http://www.jennifercollier.co.uk/

Teeny weeny pots of style

I've always been a fan of the borrowers and all things on a miniature scale (note the obsession with dolls house furniture in the past!) so whilst doing my research for a Country Homes shoot I came across these beautiful ceramic mini pots from designer maker Jill Shaddock - they are in such lovely colours - dark and moody tones in shades of brown  with unexpected accents of colour in emerald green and citrus yellow thrown in for good measure- a perfect treat   - the problem is you need a whole collection to appreciate the beautiful colour combinations.http://jillshaddock.co.uk/

Dreaming of a lazy day in the sunshine

If only.... we had some long hot summer days to while away the hours in a garden like the one below...i wish.....  But on a serious note I had an amazing time styling this 'Roses' feature for Period Living magazine  http://www.periodliving.co.uk/ with fab photographer Mark Scott  http://www.markscottphotography.co.uk/ - not only did we have perfect weather for the shoot but the garden was just stunning .. and if you do fancy making an ice bowl like the one below - Simply place one bowl inside another one - tape the two bowls together at the top edge to keep them level and with an even circumference between the two bowls. Gently pour water in between the bowls (drop some flower petals or foliage into the gap between the bowls for added detail) .  Place in a freezer then hey presto!! - when frozen tip out and you'll have the perfect ice bowl for all those 'summer' celebrations when we do get a fab sunny day...

Oooh Martha does it again...

Martha envy sets in as annoyingly (only jealous)  she has time to blow and paint eggs then fill with pretty posies, arrange  floral centrepieces from the most amazing spring blooms, lay the table with matching linens and china the list goes on.... All this work would just be wasted in my house where the kids are happy with a large Cadbury offering (i don't think they would quite appreciate the beauty and art of the flower filled eggs - sigh!!!!!!!!) -   Now i've seen Martha's oh so lovely treats i might have to try to compete with the craft legend even if it is only for my own benefit....fluffy chick pompoms here we come...http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/easter-crafts-and-treats

Get hooked on crochet!

It's my latest obsession  - a wave of crocheted granny squares adorning my floor and oh how enjoyable it its... I'm obviously bang on trend too as you will see from my latest find Wood & Wood Stool a fab company with great products by talented Ingrid Jansen...http://www.woodwoolstool.com/products.html - take a look at the high street shops too crochet accessories sneaking into their spring summer ranges - i'll keep you posted....

Deer Deer..

I've always been one to try my hand at any craft going and get a bit of an adrenaline rush just from going through the doors of a Hobbycraft so with tapestry being a big trend at the moment you can imagine my delight at seeing these ingenious products made using vintage tapestries by Frederique Morel.  As well as the fab furniture and accessories they have a range of eye catching sculptures including this Stag head that i love- this one is called 'Jeff"but at nearly £2000 he's quite dear. (sorry!).. or take a look at their website for ingenious tapestry covered furniture and sculpture -just amazing..http://www.frederiquemorrel.com/

All wrapped up!

Oooooh - i had such fun on this shoot playing around with these glam wallpapers to style up these lovely Christmas shots for Wallpaper Direct - if you've got any wallpaper remnants it's well worth hanging onto them as it really does make posh gift wrap or great decs and so much nicer than trying to fold the shiny foil stuff..http://www.wallpaperdirect.co.uk/