I’m not the least bit bashful to admit that I’m quite alot in love with haven workroom.  This wonderful atelier based in London is run by New Zealander Cassandra Ellis who creates custom-made contemporary quilts, cushions and lampshades from vintage silks & cottons, as well as restoring and up-cycling vintage furniture. It’s a dreamy space (both online and offline) of inspiration, great ideas and loads of gorgeous fabrics for making all kinds of marvelous…

Cassandra runs quilting workshops at the papered parlour (i’ll write more about this fab place in coming weeks), and has also recently started taking orders for quilts made with your own personal collection of fabrics (read more about it here)…

…a little montage of inspiration I compiled from haven workroom.

A couple of weeks ago while I was in isolation-writing-retreat mode, Cassandra wrote to me with a very special thought: she wanted to offer you guys, my dear readers, one of her beautiful handmade cushions in lieu of my absence. I thought that was the sweetest and most thoughtful idea ever!

So we chatted back and forth (a bit of “no don’t be silly!” from me and a little of “it’s my pleasure, don’t think twice about it!” from her and so on) and I decided that instead of announcing her offer to you then when I was not blogging so much I decided to wait until today, in celebration of me (and hopefully you) being back regularly here in the (blog)house…

Cassandra even let me pick out the cushion to offer you from the haven workroom online boutique and since I know how much we all love shades of aqua, turquoise and ruby red combined, I thought this one would be utterly perfect…

This gorgeous cushion is made from vintage japanese silk backed in hand-loomed cotton and measures a generous 50 x 50cm, for more of a look-see, click here.

Now I must admit, I’m a little envious that you guys get a chance at owning this cushion! But I know you will love it as much as I would and that makes me happy. So what do you have to do to be the lucky recipient? Well I’ve decided that it would be wonderful if you could all visit cassandra’s blog, website, or shop – have a browse, have a wander and then all you have to do is leave a comment below: It’s about sharing the love really.

That’s it!! That’s crazy good.

I will choose and announce a winner randomly via some fancy-random-selector-computer-application-thingo this Friday, May 7th. But you have to make sure you have left a comment on this here post otherwise you will not be in the draw. Cassandra will send the cushion to you the following week.

As you know, giveaways don’t come by here regularly (the last one – and first one – was over a year ago!) so you know then that this is super, super special.

Thank you dear Cassandra! And thank you, my dear readers,  for your company, generosity, enthusiasm and encouragement over the past 2 or so years that I’ve been a blogging lass.

xx

PS tomorrow I will announce the details of the amsterdam: made by hand book launch! Oh, this week in the (blog)house is already so gooooooooooood…

Once upon a time when I was a retail shop owner, I visited design & gift trade fairs throughout each year in Sydney, Melbourne and Hong Kong (which I only went to once, that was enough for one lifetime!). Each fair takes days to explore and after my third or fourth visit to a trade fair (i.e. year 2 of my business), I was over it. There was just too much stuff, too many people, the fluorescent lights hurt your eyes after a few hours (so you can imagine how they feel after a few days), and your feet hate you forever. I don’t know why I went in the first place, I suppose because everyone else was and apparently that was the thing to do and lets face it, I was only 21, fresh out of Uni  – I had no idea. I soon realised that I didn’t want what everyone else had in their shops anyway, so I instead searched out local artisans,  craftspeople, and designers + importers who cared about the environment and their artisans.

So today, when someone mentions the phrase ‘design fair’ to me, I shudder. And being here in Holland where design is ‘the thing’, there is a lot of peer pressure to go to the fairs. Well, forget it. I am just not interested. And these days, I am less likely to do what someone expects of me than when I was a 21 year old impressionable entrepreneur.

Having said all of that, I have thoroughly enjoyed perusing the recent blog posts of stylist Imke Klee and  designer Kristina Klarin, who have both managed to capture the best during the recent Milan design fair with little or no explanation, just pictures: perfect! Granted, the stuff that I like looks as though it’s not even in the main fair but instead at spazio rossana orlandi. Which means if I ever want to go back to Milan (I lived in a little village not far from there when I was a teenager), then I will look this special place up and take a wander.

Above are a selection of Imke’s gorgeous images, take a look at her blog for even more beauty. And below are a few of Kristina’s, check out her inspiring blog for more…

It’s Monday! I have some great posts for you this week. Well I may even post all the great ones today, just because I’m feeling in a posty mood. Today is the day to be visiting the (blog)house, come one, come all!

xx

Last week on my etsy favourites post I mentioned there was something in  sadie olive that I really really wanted. Today reader Judith reminded me in a comment that I had not yet revealed what it was, and that although she wasn’t losing sleep over it still, she was curious. So, Judith, this post is for you! And for anyone else out there who was curious about my ‘must have’ item. It was in fact these sweet little antique s&p shakers – are they not the most darling things you have ever seen?

I just bought them. Because well, I think I will sleep a little better now that I know they will soon be mine.

People. Friends. Strangers. I have something to tell you:  I am suffering from a very serious case of procrastination, possibly the most serious case I’ve ever had. And it comes at the worst possible time in my life. What I need to do is fairly straightforward from here on in: I need to sit and write. No going and making some tea and indulging in a slice of apple cake on the side. No checking your blogs and seeing what you are up to. No replying to emails that have nothing to do with the job at hand. And certainly, certainly no browsing through etsy to enhance my favourites list…

gorgeous antique frame and lotus plates from etsy boutique finding fabulous.

But I did. And then the procrastination got worse – I decided to compile a post of some of my favourite etsy shops du jour. Why why why do I do this to myself – not only have I spent a number of precious moments away from my work and deadline, I am tempted by every single item in these stores. In fact, I have purposely not included some items that I actually completely adore in the hope that you won’t see them and I can buy them myself. Even though I am the last person in the world who needs any more little stylish things on my props shelves.

I won’t drag this on any longer. Here are my absolute favourite etsy shops du jour. Make sure you browse through each one as I have no doubt you will find something wonderful.

1. antique goodies galore in sadie olive, I have my eye on something in particular and I am hoping with all my heart I can 1. resist it altogether or 2. someone else buy it for me or 3. just press the ‘add to cart’ button and be done with it.

2. Love, adore, am smitten with etcetera etcetera… vintage seller finding fabulous. From the 1950’s English flashcards, to the hand carved clogs, to the wooden spools to the vintage woven picnic basket and so on! What a great place to find some Christmas presents.

3. Nature Design – beautiful wooden things like chopping boards, interesting cups and spoons, and my favourite – simple wooden blocks. I like them natural but I also thought these would make a great gift if you hand painted them.

4. High Street Market in Philly is awesome – so many great finds. I recently bought a vintage globe from them and it arrived just the other day. I adore it, and it sits proudly on my desk. There are loads of old globes here in Europe but this one really caught my eye. I actually bought it for one reason, see if you can guess:

Can you see it? Yes, it’s Tibet. I bought this globe because it still has Tibet on it, the way it should be. And isn’t the colouring just perfect? I’ll take a photo of it in situ soon so you can see it on my desk.

Okay that’s it, I really really need to get some work done now. Hmm but wait…

…smores with homemade maple marshmallows, anyone?

If there is one good thing about my friend Zoë moving away to England it’s that she can tell me all about her adventures in her new place of residence, and visit all the places I would love to visit. The other day Zoë went to the opening of the anthropologie store in london on my behalf, and then sent me a truckload of beautiful photographs and wonderful descriptions of what is in store. I think my favourite installation is the tea bags in the front window, how fabulously creative and so very English. Zoë’s post is now in the guest quarters, so please  click here to read and view her gorgeous photos.

Thanks Zoë!

xx