Rabbit Skeleton Necklace

It's not far to go until Halloween now, and this is the perfect necklace to go trick or treating in! It's creepy and cute at the same time, and it's made by the amazingly affordable Galibardy. Galibardy does slouchy/ grungy jewellery very well and this necklace is my favourite as I haven't seen anything remotely like it anywhere else!

Sanna Annukka

Sanna Annukka is a Finnish/ English illustrator that specialises in silk screen prints. Sanna was given that first break when a picture was sold to a friend of the band Keane, and Sanna subsequently designed their second album sleeve "Under the Iron Sea". Here are some lovely pictures of objects by the designer (including the now famous wooden "Soul Birds"), plus THAT Keane cover.

Swing Girl Necklace!

I've seen quite a few blog posts recently on the fabulous Tatty Devine trapeze necklace, but only came across this beautiful "Swing Girl" necklace today. Reminds me of the classic Rococo painting "The Swing" by Fragonard (below picture - The Wallace Collection). For racy girls with real class!

Noel Stewart Hats - New Season

OK, I know that spring/ summer is so far off right now, but these gorgeous bold hats from Noel Stewart have put a spring in my step this morning. They remind me of drinking Pimms, playing tennis, going to Ascot - - all the things I never really do in Summer I guess (but wish I had enough time to do!) Please do check out this website - it is exquisite!

Red Candy

Red Candy. An online shop with all red stuff in it. Yep, that's right - including the below red kitchen items from Guzzini. Genius!

Paperchase New Online Store

I've just been checking out the new Paperchase online shop and I have to say, I wish I'd left my credit card at home! Paperchase have some great new designs for the "Back to School" season and have great arty things like scrap books, glitter, crepe paper and (my own personal favourite - the Mag Bag) to store all your favourite read and unread magazines! For overseas readers, they now deliver to most countries. Here are some bits and bobs from the new Cupcake range as it's National Cupcake Week (Yes apparently it is, although not sure who decides all these things!)

Adorn London is one!

Adorn London is a jewellery treasure trove. It is essentially a showcase of new jewellery trends. Regular features include; glimpses at jewellery history "moments", interviews with up-and-coming and established jewellery makers and regular competitions and Q & A sessions. Started a year ago by industry insider Juliet Hutton-Squire, you will always be updated on when it's London jewellery week or if there are any new stores that are ones to watch out for. There is also a "shop" which is basically a links shopfront for stand out current pieces. Below are three of my favourites from Marni, Miss Selfridges and Biba - so all price bases covered. Go hunt them out!

It's Pop It's Art

Literally. These cards are a perfect gift choice for muso friends/ family members or typeface loonies. Get them from brilliant online stationary store 1973. Choose from such classics as "The Ace of Spades", "Last Night a DJ Saved my Life" and "YMCA", amongst others - It's Pop It's Art Yeah!

Suzani Design

I've recently come across some really lovely bold prints and textiles based on Suzani Prints (beautiful textured embrodered fabrics from tribes in the Central Asian countries). First up is a fifties inspired chair form the new Graham & Green range of furniture. You could put this chair in a room all on it's own and it would be all the colour you need. The same could also be said of these amazing pieces of furniture from Beirut based Bokja Design. Do check out their incredible website to see the full range; it really is a visual feast! If you are a bit less confident with colour, or just want to pep up a room, you couldn't go far wrong with these cushions from Niki Jones.

Stationery Help is at hand!

All my friends and family have known about my stationery problem for some time now. If you have a similar problem (ie, can't walk past Paperchase without having to spend at least 3 hours rummaging, or dedicate vasts amount of spare time glued to Print & Pattern), help is at hand. I have now decided to have a stationery tab, so I can bung in all my favourite finds. This Cute Pug Dog card is from Hannah Zakari and is quite quite apt!

Annoushka Jewellery

As much as I love Links of London jewellery, I don't love it half as much as I do Annoushka Jewellery, designed and created by Links founder Annoushka Ducas. Annoushka was launched in July last year, and is one of my favourite places to ogle at jewellery online. I'm particularly smittten with items in the "Gobstopper" range, which quite frankly, no self-respecting 60's cocktail-lounge princess should be without! Made from big shiny Amethyst, Rose Quartz and Aquamarine stones. Almost good enough to eat!

Cherry on the Cake

Fantastic new Artist collaborations @ the V & A. This designer collaboration is focused on the use of paper. There are "Cut out and Keepsakes" by Pargy favourite Fred Butler, "Hide & Seek" paper sculptures by Chisato, and a very unusual but visually very arresting concept of an "Exhibition in a box" (Tom Martin). Other nice Items in this range include pieces by Rob Ryan, and another Pargy regular Angie Lewin. These are very affordable, but unique gifts for loved ones (yes, I guess that does include yourself!) Trust me, the lovely people at the V&A shop have really excelled themselves on this one!

Fred Butler

Chisato

Fred Butler

Tom Martin

Dinnerware @ Anthropologie

There are some great dinnerware finds this season at Anthropologie. The below plate is a favourite as it reminds me of a pair of China dogs that my grandmother had on her mantelpiece for as long as I can remember!  Unsurprisingly I'm not into matchy-matchy dinnerware, so I think it would be great to mismatch lots of their different designs and use all at once - hurrah!

Richard Woods Furniture

The designs of Richard Woods are bold, graphic, colourful and fun. I especially like his woodgrain block print designs "WrongWoods"which add a bit of a pop art feel to his work. I was really pleased to discover then, that he has collaborated with quality furniture maker Established & Sons to create some really stand-out cabinets and sofas etc. The shape of the furniture is very 50s utlilitarian - almost G-Plan in feel and the addition of Woods' colourful patterns make these pieces of furniture overnight design classics!

 

 

Fun by Design

This site does what it says on the tin! The products at Jellio are so Pop and so American - with an obsession with comics and junk food. There are pendent lamps made out of acrylic "Gummi Bears", Cup Cake coffee tables to showcase your best art & fashion rags, and a bench chair designed in the shape of an ice cream wafer. The quality of design is very good though, and consequently some of the items are a bit scorchio. This much said the little "Gummi Bear" lamps are super cute and also very affordable. American site, but ships to the UK.

Manolo Blahnik at Liberty

I wasn't disappointed yesterday when I took a visit to Liberty of London and saw the fantastic Manolo Blahnik shop that they have created. The shoes are probably the most beautiful I have ever seen in my life, and I totally adore the scarves and cushions that have been specially created by Blahnik for Liberty - based on his own shoe designs. I was thinking how lovely it would be to frame the scarves and have them line up a hallway. Alternatively you could adorn yourself with them - a la Isadora Duncan (minus the open-top car of course), but this seems like a waste really as you wouldn't see them in their full magnificence!

Mugs for Shelter

Great collaboration between Elle Decoration and the homeless charity, Shelter. Available from John Lewis as of yesterday, these eye-catching white, black and red mugs have been designed by some of my favourite artists, all real British design-stars; milliner Stephen Jones, illustrator Sanna Annukka and artists Richard Woods and Rob Ryan. Each mug is individually gift boxed and costs £7.00, and half of that - very generously - goes direct to Shelter, who will be using the funds as part of their new campaign to try to help thousands of children that currently live in seriously over-crowded conditions in the UK. These are going to sell out pretty quick I think, so you will have to get in there a bit sharpish!

Ceramics in the City...

...at the Geffrye Museum. This looks like a great exhibition featuring new work by 50 selected ceramicists, starting with a special preview evening on 16th September. Below are some of the featured articles; these pieces are really stand out beautiful - the quality is incredibly good. This is the ninth year of "Ceramics and the City" - and during this three day event, you can meet the artists themselves and watch free demos. Runs from Friday 17 September 2010 - Sunday 19 September 2010.

Hand-decorated bone china plate by Lou Rota

Large platter Nuka by James Hake

Dandelion plate stands by Katrin Moye

Vessel silver petal by Imahiko Kawamura