Ingenuity in Lighting

Lighting is utility, mood. It's vessel therefore, with the eye drawn to it as a result, has the potential to guide the theme of a room.

Research will show lamps, lampshades and even bulbs can range widely in price. A fan of the drum shade (the larger the better), whether the newer illustrated look or hotel chic grey toned, prices for a single shade start at £14 so we were forced to catalogue shop. 
Although £3.99 on offer was agreeable, one of the four we bought was in the charity shop before the week ended. No statement is made when the diameter is under 25cm. I have looked at custom kits and courses which would give me the skill to make lampshades-aplenty, but initially these are cost prohibitive. It comes down to this- there are better things to spend your money on when you have just moved house, than a lampshade; paint; draught excluders; a shower curtain.

So inginuity has been necessary for my passion for lighting in our home to be exemplified. Using the craft section of the village toy shop supplied pva glue and pom-poms. My haberdashery box had ribbon, and lets face-it i was looking for an excused to reduce the wool pile in my cupboard. A peachy shade was pimped for our wee man to eye and poke from his cot. The standard lamp was ahead of the copper trending at the moment and glow-ahoy, cheery bed-time reading.

My friend had a stash of art supplies, and you can't say no to the offer of 'take what you like' when you like stationary ALOT. One of these items 'I was sure would come in useful' was an easel. Cue tripod lamps and film ephemera trend and a yearning and unsatisfied search across web land and shops for a more unique version as the high-street filters the look. Homebase selling Habitat makes me happy, I am glad they are still in the marketplace as a design-led company for and by arty folk. It was there I found a clamp lamp in the sale £9, and clamp-it we did to the easel base and voila, our film-alpine-skandi front-room gets an upgrade.

Major Inspiration

This 1973 thrifty find has page after page of illustrated beauty to inspire, 'Come inside the flats' from the pen and hand of Julie Simpson.

Knitty, not so gritty

A modest revolution has been sweeping the nations at the hands and nimble fingers of crafters.

Call it what you will- 'guerilla knit' or 'yarn bombing' to some, is the yarn adornment of communal spaces that brightens and softens your world. Japan does it metro style, a British Resort gets broadsheet attention, and now our local Cotswold town on Cameron's doorstep does him proud.

Pottering on a sunny afternoon my heart leapt. Somewhere in this cobbled pottering-locale there was another like me, a maker and one with attitude doing something vocal and tactile to brighten our days and say the wool trade in this area is not finished yet.

Har-de-har-har

A Comfortable Revolution

Having completed 3 more pairs of unique Made&Voyage Rosette cushions, my spiked fingers a little worse-for-wear from an oversized upholstery needle, I am well pleased...and surrounded by neat piles de homages 1980's caravanning upholstery.

Check-out the Indian Summer; Brown Beauty; and Aloha Rosette at 

http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MadeandVoyage 

PLY-me!

Oxfordshire flexes its muscles in contemporary utilitarian beauty c/o Josh at This Way Up studios. 

Printer and fine-artist, he applies his craft to craft, cheery illustration to paper and furniture at a comfortable price-point. "Hoorah" for this plywood furniture will suit Skandi-modernist and art-chic homes alike. 

Road-tested by our young family, we find robust and pretty are dovetailed here.

Mayday!

...and this is why we should keep a little of everyday iconic designs in a drawer. 

A lovely car-booter had gathered some beauteous teatowels from her grandmother and these are my wares. 50p each and a world of cushion/framing/plate-drying possibilities. A yellow enamel omlette pan completes my kitchenalia finds for today, now for more summer sun and a glass of pink.

...a bit moorish

So patchwork quilting, in the Women's Institute prize-winning sense, is not something I have as yet tackled. You might say my work is more relaxed, oft abandoning geometric precision for artistic appeal...and a little pace. It may be that my recent motherhood is drawing-out a little patience, for tonight I have begun (drumroll nay fanfare) a cushion cover. Do not mock ye readers, my knitting progressed no further than squares for two decades due to this speed-freak affliction and look at me now, a scarf!

I was struck by the beauty of just the plan and so I share, this is phase 1 of Diamond Journeys. 
Pretty and satisfying.

Soft Touch

I have been a textile maker since I was taught cross-stitch by my matriarchs in church...not Sunday school- more surreptitiously in the evening services with knotted work being passed along the row to be rescued. My passion continues and new projects excite my senses and occupy may nimble fingers whilst watching some home-selling or Master chef type telly-watching. As such, it may be surprising that after hmphteen years that I only learnt to crochet this year. It was a precious time when my mum visited where she taught me as her college friend had taught her. My fear of reading patterns no barrier as my mum translated as only she can, and ta da- crocheted circles are now a collection of much complemented coasters.

The Mollie Makes was Issue 15, writer
Suzanne Jackson of Dirtylush.etsy.com

Inspired by the magazine Mollie Makes, a publication that caters to the hallowed middle-ground between professional makers and hobby-makers, and does so challengingly, inspiringly and well, I made some crocheted bangles. These are a happy accessory for a jewellery-loving mama, with a littl'un learning to walk there is a lot of potential head-banging to be done by chunky wooden bangles. These are bright and...soft (not traditional sales speak but i'm sure it is striking a chord with some of you).

Moving forward, metallic blue (so nineties) crochet hook in hand and nervous energy after a job interview surging through my limbs, I set to work on the mark 1 crochet necklace, where my denim neon palette my by exercised and adorned. See below.

tee - cosy

re-CIRCLE

With all the negative press about hoarding, let us rejoice in the opportunity to use all this otherwise 'tat' to make talking pieces and snuggling items for our homes.
As my caravan love continues, it currently expresses itself through interpretations of the sweet-smelling orange and brown swirly paisley cushions of my holidaying youth. There will be other products to come in this portable style range through Made&Voyage BUT, for now check out this cute item made from my favourite Animal illustrated tee, re-worked with neon crochet. 

Click on Making Guidance link for details.