Wednesday 22 December 2010

Monday 20 December 2010

Hattie Rickards Revealed



I recently wrote about my friend Hattie Rickards and her jewellery collection for fairtrade jewellery company Made. Since then she has launched her own collection and I am honestly, completely blown away by the beauty and amazingness of it. The launch collection, called Revealed, is all made using 18ct Fairtrade gold and precious stones. Lots of the pieces are kinetic - jewelled barrels spin, rough uncut diamonds can be flipped back and forwards, it's all very tactile and feels unbelievably luxurious to wear. Each piece really is a vision but if I had to go for one it'd be the Bullet or the Raw Crown. Or maybe the Revolver.




Bantam Ring
18ct fairtrade gold with precious stones



The Revolver
18ct fairtrade gold with precious stones and kinetic rotating barrell



Raw Crown
18ct fairtrade gold with rough cut diamonds




The Bullet
18ct fairtrade gold with precious stones




Hattie Rickards rings start at about £2000
www.hattierickards.com




Sunday 19 December 2010

Pretty Birdies

There's something about birds that I love. Im not quite sure what it is. Maybe their busyness. They're always tippy tapping around like old women, nosing around, wondering what their friends are up to next to them.
I became obsessed with the birds on our honeymoon in the Seychelles and was so sad to leave behind the little neon orange beauties that hopped around my breakfast bowl every morning, chirpsing away with no cares in the world.



Honeymoon birdies




There's a wonderful gallery called the Oriel Gallery near our home in Wales that i've been going to since I was tiny. A few Christmases ago they had an exhibition of Cathy Miles's work, an English metal smith who creates 3-d drawings about common bird life using wire and other bits of random material. Quite childlike but very original and she does make to order occasionally if you ask nicely.









A selection of Cathy Miles's work
www.cathymiles.com

www.orieldavies.org




Another bird fanatic is Abigail brown. She makes the coolest little bird sculptures by hand using new and vintage fabrics. They look so lifelike I almost thought they were real when I first came accross them. I'd love to build up a collection of them and have them dotted around my kitchen.








Some of Abigails work from about £140
the pieces are about 15cms in height
www.abigail-brown.co.uk

Monday 13 December 2010

Lovely Lisa Swerling



I have just come back from staying with one of my oldest friends in her postcard perfect cottage in the country. It was like being in that cottage in film, 'The Holiday", but better. Sorry Jude.
So I was minding my own business, trying to keep the lid on my house envy and then I found her collection of Lisa Swerling art works and the lid flew off.

Lisa's works, called 'glass cathedrals' are a series of glass boxes containing brilliant tiny worlds, each making their own statement on our complicated lives. It's quite hard to do them justice describing them; I think it's best to have a look at photos of them to see how cool them are.




Sunseekers




Farty Party


I will be first in line at the London Art Fair on January 19th where Lisa is exhibiting next - If you cant make it there, have a look at her website and she gives the dates of when and where you can see her work. Definitely worth a trip.

www.glasscathedrals.com

Monday 22 November 2010

Going Stella



One of my all time best Christmas presents is the box of Stella McCartney days of the week knickers Chaz gave me two years ago. I have literally worn them to death - they now look like cobwebs. I have two pairs left that any normal person would have thrown out months ago but I love them so much and even though they look like they should only be worn at Halloween, cant bear to be without them. They are quite pricey but price per wear is probably 0.05 pence so if you look at it like that are actually a real bargain.



Stella knickers. £125 from Liberty and Matches.


So whilst on the hunt for my new box of beauties I came accross yet another Stella sensation. This time not for myself but for the Wolf cub and I actually dont know which I prefer; her days of the week babygrows or the knickers... As baby clothes go these aren't so much as a bargain. At £67 they are actually a fortune but he would look so divine in them they would be absolutely worth it.






Days of the week babygrows
£67 from www.stellamccartneykids.co.uk



Hattie Rickards Jewellery


No one likes a Monday but this has made me so excited it feels like Friday. My great friend Hattie Rickards's first jewellery collection for 'Made' is finally available to buy online. I've loved her designs from day one and am feeling rather pleased with myself that I already have a few of her original works from when she was at Central Saint Martins.

Her love of nature and the countryside really shows in her collection.

"I spend my life collecting up pods and seeds wherever I am. I love drawing them because of their delicacy, intricate detail, the way they age and the secrecy of what's inside them. The challenge is to find a feature of the pod and make it your own as people don't need to recognize what planted the seed of your design".






£100 Kaleha Necklace


Pembe Bangle. £10



Hattie in Nairobi with the creators of her designs.

To buy Hattie's pieces have a look at
www.made.uk.com

also at
www.hattierickards.com

Sunday 14 November 2010



I love anything do to with romance. Life, flowers, films, stories, shoots, food. Rose tinted glasses were made with my name on. Nothing makes me happier than a story that ends 'happily ever after'.
There's something very romantic about ballet - the mix of the exquisitely detailed costumes, the lace, the drama and the swan like ballerinas flitting accross the stage. My maternal Grandmother was an incredible ballerina and used to give me lessons when she came to stay. I didn't really get it at the time and now each time I pass a Swan Lake poster in the Underground I'm furious that I didn't pay more attention. I've always secretly thought I'd make an excellent ballerina. Or at least be very good at the dressing up part.




















Camilla Akrans












Photography by one of my faves Camilla Akrans

Friday 12 November 2010

Love is all Around



Dix points for Marc Jacobs and his Love Dove and Snow Bunting rings. Right at the top of my wish list, I am very keen to get my hands on these beauties.









$98 from shopbop.com



Wednesday 10 November 2010

In the bag

I dont know what I'd do if someone gave me the whole Anya Hindmarch travel range. Possibly the chicest thing on the planet. I love the idea of having matchy matchy accessories too much for words. I've actually got butterflies just imagining swanning around the airport and whipping out my fleet of the black and gold beauties. Laptop cover, make-up bag, see through make-up bag (have this one already), baby bag, hair tong holder; you name it Anya's done it. And I really would like them all. Please.







www.anyahindmarch.com

Friday 5 November 2010

All I want for Christmas

I know it's only November but by this time last year I had easily finished all my Christmas shopping - I was ten months pregnant and adamant that I wouldn't have one second to shop once the cherub arrived - so comparatively, this year I'm pretty tardy. My list isn't finished by any means but I've already spotted a few things that I would really like to be hiding under the tree with my name on them.



A Laura Lee gold coin necklace. Tiny gold coin necklace with 'Love' written on it, made from the finest chain ever seen. I'd wear it everyday. She also makes matching earings that would make me very happy too.

About £150 from the Bluebird, Kings Road or www.mywardrobe.com




Im going through a bit of a grey nail varnish phase and love Essie's Chinchilly and Chanel's Particuliere
















£14 and £9 from any department store or www.lookfantastic.com






Mary Newcomb is my absolute favourite artist and you never know, someone might win the lottery and want to buy me something extra special this year. I love most of her work but here are some of my favourites.

The lady with a bunch of sweet williams (1988)



The unofficial countryside (1973)



The Brooding Rooks heaven (2001)


Crane Kalman Gallery has the biggest collection of Mary Newcomb.
178 Brompton Road. SW3




They're about six seasons old but Chloe's Silverado wedges are still top of my most wanted shoe list.





Not sure where to get them, if anyone wants to sell a size 39...



I dont know what I'd do if someone gave me the whole Anya Hindmarch travel range. Possibly the chicest thing on the planet. I love the idea of having matchy matchy accessories too much for words. I've actually got butterflies just imagining swanning around the airport and whipping out my fleet of the black and gold beauties. Laptop cover, make-up bag, see through make-up bag (have this one already), baby bag, hair tong holder; you name it Anya's done it. And I really would like them all. Please.