A question, and an answer

Hi Tea for Joy readers!

A question: Would anyone like to sponsor my blog? Email me for more information if you might be interested.

An answer: Amanda, from New York, was the lucky winner of the typesetters page. Thank you everyone who answered my survey - the results were very interesting!

Thanks to everyone who has entered this week's competition so far - I am really loving all your answers about how you would use the notebook - a very creative bunch indeed.

Bright week: Bright giveaway from Summersville

So, the important business first. Etsy designer Lucie Summers has offered to give away one of her notebooks to a Tea for Joy reader! Perfect for Bright Week, her bold graphic prints are just what you need to jazz up your daily ramblings.

To enter: visit the Summersville Etsy shop, and leave a comment below on a) which is your favourite item in the shop, and b) what you will note in the notebook if you win. If you win, you can have your choice of any of the $14.95 notebooks. The designs are available either as a lined notebook or a sketchbook.

Lucie was kind enough to answer my Beautifully British questions too.

Brief bio: After A levels, I went on to do an art foundation course and then onto Norwich School of Art and Design, where I specialised in print. After graduating, I opened up a patchwork and quilting shop with my mum, called 'The Colour Room'. It was great fun for 5 years, but funnily enough it was the least creative time for me personally, so when i got pregnant with my first son, we decided to shut the shop. I've always had a studio though, and carried on working and exhibiting my pieces, mainly art quilts with an emphasis on surface pattern. I discovered Etsy 2 years ago and opened a shop called 'lusummers' where I sold mainly paper collage pieces, which came to the attention of a few art directors who commissioned me for a variety of exciting jobs - food packaging for Frito Lay, a book cover for storey publishing and most recently a range of stationery for Galison in new york. I now screenprint fabrics that I sell under the 'Summersville' name on Etsy.

Describe your work: My work is pretty layered - whether I'm working on a paper collage/quilt, or screenprinting, I'm often thinking about layers. I've recently finished some screenprinted pieces that are being exhibited in New England in a print show and I found that I worked in exactly the same way as I do when I work in paper. I love colour and texture - and stitch. I try to combine a variety of techniques in my work - it stops me from getting bored.

What inspires you: Living in the countryside, charity shops, old teacups, coffee pots, crazing on old china, gorgeous interiors, rusty old cans, wooden crates - there's something interesting to be found everywhere.

Describe a perfect day: On the beach in Portugal near our friends' house, reading a fat paperback, watching the kids running in and out of the sea. Having lunch on the beach cafe, eating ice creams, walking around the town browsing in the shops, then out in the evening for a lazy dinner overlooking the marina. That's what we'll be doing in May, and I can't bloomin' wait!

The competition will close on Sunday at midnight, and the winner will be picked at random. Good luck!

Bright week: Bright Styling

This weekend I got carried away with my newfound wealth, and splashed out on 3 bunches of daffodils. I've never been a multiple bunch purchaser, but I decided to brighten up my flat with lots of little arrangements to celebrate the beginning of British Summertime. Daffodils are one of my favourite flowers. I also love yellow roses (just in case anyone with any honorable intentions towards me happens to be reading this.)

For £2.98 I bought three bunches, and I feel less of an ethical burden as they are grown in the UK, unlike a lot of flowers which are flown in from Africa (read this if you want to think twice about your flower purchases.)

I assembled a variety of different containers for the arrangements.

First up, the green ceramic jug I bought at this recent car boot sale.

I tend to keep glass jam jars, for all those jars of homemade lemon curd I like to bring as dinner party gifts (number of batches made so far - nil.)

So, I had a large stash ready for a little DIY customisation.

2. Green raffia.

3. Basic string. I love to have a little bunch of flowers in the bathroom, for an extra-girly touch. I asked my friend Lynne to buy me something from the Laura Mercier range for my birthday, just so that I could put it on the shelf (you can't see it that well here, but it co-ordinates perfectly with my colour scheme.)

4. I recently bought this yellow masking tape from Ginko Papers - and had fun playing around with various combinations.

5. My all-time favourite flower vase - an empty milk bottle. Check back later in the week to see an extra-special touch I added later.

6. A teacup - another find from my recent car boot haul. I still not have determined my final teacup policy (ie should you buy a secondhand cup without its saucer?) But for styling purposes - solitary teacups are perfect.

7. A vase I made at a summer pottery course when I was about 14.

I have more ideas too, but I figure that 9 images of essentially the same thing are enough to be getting on with, unless demand proves otherwise. Which is your favourite? Have you any unusual ideas for vases?

Tea of the Week and a Bright Week ahead

I will let you into a little secret. I don't know that much about tea. I drink a lot of it, but it's usually the standard Tetley tea variety, with the occasional bout of peppermint, camomile, green and hibiscus (which I read was very good for women.) But I love going to tea shops, collecting tea cups, and I do drink five or six cups a day. I can't differentiate that much between brands. Chide me if you will, but for me a lot of it is about the packaging. My current favourite for a little dinner party gift is still Teapigs, but as I am participating in Concrete and Honey's 'Bright Week' I thought that these teas from Today was Fun would make for a perfect Tea of the Week.

How to make me happy? Just tie something up in string, and you're almost there. I love the expectancy tea - what a thoughtful gift it would make for one of my many pregnant friends.

So, a bright week ahead. Something to focus the mind on. Look out for at least one 'bright' post every day this week. I hope it will also be literal - we had hailstones and thunder on Saturday - the beginning of British Summertime.

Five Friday Faves

An amazing prop warehouse.

Lovely everyday art.

I just have to have an invitation to this high school reunion party - love this theme almost as much as the (new) Depression party idea.

A charming but cluttered studio (glad I'm not the only one who lives in organised chaos!) - and I love the artwork in progress too.

A gorgeous image with nothing not to love - the wall colour, the old books, the uncovered lampshades...

Have a great weekend everyone. If you're in the UK, don't forget to put your clocks forward! Oh, and don't forget, there's still time to complete my survey and enter the giveaway. I will announce the winner on Monday.

Photo via The Constant Gatherer.

Style Resolutions: Grace from Poetic Home

Today's style resolutions come from Grace at Poetic Home. Her blog is a relatively new discovery for me, but I love the recycled objects which she features. Did you know an old typewriter could be made into a lamp, or that you could make a chandelier from a vintage birdcage? Her finds are very inspiring, and definitely make you think outside the box.

Thanks for taking part, Grace!

Style resolutions: Grace from Poetic Home

What is your favourite recent design find/achievement?

A few months ago, my husband and I serendipitously found a vintage library card catalog, and I immediately brought it home. At first, it served as a buffet in my dining room, as the small compartments (when lined) are perfect for holding silverware. However, I really enjoy its most recent incarnation as a bookshelf, stationery organizer, and plant holder in one. Orchids actually make for a great plant for a card catalog, as they only need water once a week. I water the orchid in the sink and wait until all of the water has drained before putting it back into its leak-proof container and into the drawer.

There are two other spaces in my home that hold some of my favorite recent finds, including antique theater seats, as seen in this post.

Do you have any design/style ambitions you want to achieve by the end of the year?

I’m constantly trying to live the Wabi Sabi philosophy, and thus, I try to balance my love for aged beauty and vintage collections with the desire to live minimally. My husband is a minimalist, so I believe that it helps in balancing the aesthetic of our home. I constantly am reevaluating my home and editing out things that I do not absolutely love or do not truly need. I think this creates a serene space where everything is valued or needed, instead of simply “things” that take up space.

For the rest of 2009, I am actually in the process of moving across the Pacific to live on a tropical island, and I am being “green” (aka frugal) and not shipping most of our belongings via containers. While I plan to rebuild on the other side, my access to both vintage treasures and well-designed furniture will be quite limited. However, I am determined to be resourceful and repurpose all the items I can find to create an eclectic interior space that is not dominated by aloha floral prints and bamboo couches.

Which are your favourite style blog(s)?

I enjoy visiting many blogs for inspiration, and it’s hard to name just a few! I am truly inspired by maya*made for her ability to transform humble materials into beautiful works of art. A Field Journal is a beautiful experience each and every time I visit, Heart of Light inspires me aesthetically and gastronomically, and Fresh Vintage satisfies both my funny and vintage bones.

Midcentury Modern show this weekend

If you haven't been before, I definitely recommend the Midcentury Modern fair which is on at Dulwich College in South-east London this weekend. It happens twice a year, and there are a fantastic range of vintage and vintage-inspired goods.

My signature style

The lovely Erin from Apartment 34 tagged me today to take part in a fun little project. The idea is to pick one room which sums up your style the most. Well, I couldn't pick just one (mainly because the photos I wanted weren't big enough) but I absolutely adore Jamie Theakston's house which is featured in this month's Living Etc. Even though I have never listened to his radio show, I'm going to make a bold statement and say that I think he is in the wrong career. He should set himself up as an interior designer, right this minute.

I love midcentury modern furniture, and the warm mid-brown colours of the wood - and how it perfectly complements shades of sludge green. In the rooms above, I particularly love the light fittings, the collection of eBay pictures, and his kitsch wall of royal memorabilia plates. His whole house is right up my street.

Except that my flat doesn't look anything like this, and considering it's newly renovated, it is actually pretty close to my ideal. It is difficult to decide on a signature style, but I'm happy with my own grey walls, dark floors, an aspiration to find a similar sofa to this, and the dream of owning some more Charlie Mackesy artwork someday.

Hi ho, it's off to work I go

Tomorrow I'm starting a new job for a few months. I have assembled a few essentials which are necessary for a new job.

1 & 4: New dresses from Toast and Whistles. Even though my new workplace seems to have a jeans culture, I like wearing dresses as they make you stand out, and so you are more likely to get promoted. When I left my last job, the managing director told me she 'admired my fashion choices.' She didn't mention anything about my strategic input...

2 & 3: A head-turning handbag and shiny new shoes - for the professional and polished lady look.

5, 6 & 7: Never ignore the importance of back-to-school (or work) stationery, so I'll need a new notebook, calculator and a fountain pen - writing in a fountain pen garners respect from your superiors - or didn't you know?

8, 9 & 10: Some special first pay cheque treats to celebrate! A Polaroid subscription, tiny alphabet earrings, and a cluster of flowers for my hair. The only issue I can think of (except for the perhaps more pressing need to pay off my debts instead of frivolous spending) is that my initials are 'lr.' If I wear the 'l' earring in my right ear, and 'r' in my left - will people think I've lost the plot?

Woodcuts

Last week a friend gave me a beautiful card with a woodcut bird on it by the artist Agnes Miller Parker. I have always loved the definitive lines of woodcut prints, and the care involved in carving the blocks. There are some artists still using this method; the above are a round up of Etsy and Folksy finds.

1. Daffodils 2. Song Sparrow 3. The Doorway 4. Not Digital 5. Early Spring 6. Bracing

Wednesday workspace

This could be the moment when I reveal my new, tidied desk - except I haven't done it yet. Maybe later as I am planning to have a very productive day before an imminent return (I think) to the working world. You didn't think I had a full-time job and time to blog, did you?

In the meantime, have a look at Coco and Kelley - Cassandra is running a workspace feature all week and I'm very much looking forward to seeing her design headquarters, which she has promised to show us within the next few days. I just know it's going to be fabulous - she's the inventor (as far as I'm aware) of the little-used term (and design genre) of deskscaping (follow this link to see how she styled a cork accessories holder.)

Although I'm usually crazy about mood boards and inspiration walls, my favourite feature in the above photograph is actually the simple, school-like chairs.

Photo via Marie Claire Maison.

British shopping: H is for Home

Need some orange inspiration? British shop H is for Home has a wide range of 1950s - 1970s vintage items, all available through their online store, and with a higher than average proportion of orange finds. I'm slightly over my orange moment (I've moved on to yellow) but there is still lots to excite me on this site.

1. Lunch box 2. Wall clock 3. 1960s poster 4. Side table 5. Acrylic-framed mirror 6. Enamel bread bin 7. Cocoa box 8. Desk globe

H is for Home also stocks vintage-inspired goods, such as these Skinny laMinx textiles and greetings cards from Irish artist Gail Kelly.

1. Tea towel 2. Apron 3. Hawthorn card 4. Oak card

Beautifully British: Ashley Thomas

I feel like a housemother at a Blyton-esque boarding school, championing the cause of my young charges; in today's case an under-25 designer. Today's interview is with recent graduate Ashley Thomas, a surface designer who designs playful textiles and illustrations. Of course, my favourite is the little bird in the bottom photo - as it combines birds and checks. If you are interested in buying anything from Ashley, contact her via her website.


Brief bio: After graduating in 2007 from Staffordshire University where I studied surface pattern design, I started freelancing for a variety of companies, designing greeting cards, canvas designs and fashion prints. I then launched my own collection a year later aiming to make illustration and art-pieces more usable in the home. My work is now featured in range of exclusive stockists from interior boutiques and galleries from East Midlands to London and Paris.


Describe your work: My work is both feminine and edgy. It has a graphical, yet quirky style, incorporating a range of techniques including silkscreen printing and collage, focusing on trend lead themes and using sophisticated colour usage. I enjoy energetic mark making, exploring scale, placement, and colour, as well as combining various traditional drawing techniques and contemporary graphical manipulation. I aim for a fun, curious range of designs for a playful and contemporary market.

What inspires you: I love finding new inspiration, which fuels my design work. This can be gathered anywhere, from seeing an unusual-looking animal at the zoo, to everyday objects and pets. I like to evoke a story line from the subject matter which makes for conversational compositions. Artists that inspire me vary from Sabrina Ward-Harrison to Sara Fanelli.

Describe a perfect day: A lie in with breakfast in bed followed by hunting around London's interior independent boutiques such as Mint and Beyond the Valley, then lunch in a country pub.

A survey and a giveaway

In order to understand my readership better, I've created a little survey here. If you are a regular reader, I would love as many of you as possible to take part. There are only ten multiple choice questions, and you'll be done as quick as a flash. As an incentive for taking part, I'm giving away this beautiful typeset page above. It's a double-sided page from a 1920s typesetter catalogue, so it's not very thick, but I think it's beautiful. I think I would probably frame the side which is in the bottom photo. I'm very tempted to keep it myself, so I'm posting this quickly before I change my mind.

To enter, just enter your email address in the first answer of the survey and I will pick a winner at random. You can still take part in the survey without entering the giveaway, and your email address won't be used for any other purpose. The competition will close at midnight on Sunday (GMT.)

*Note: I've just realised the 'other' doesn't work for the location question. I know what I did but it's too late to change - please don't feel vindicated because your country is not available!

Tea of the week: Bethan Lloyd Worthington at the Shop Floor Project

Aren't these almost perfect? Green, birds, and the tiniest little teacups (milk jugs, and teapots) ...these charm bracelets are by ceramicist Bethan Lloyd Worthington and are available here.

Five Friday Faves

Are carnations back in fashion? (not my flower of choice.)

A fantastic giveaway - free business cards plus design consultation.

Love the free desktop wallpapers from Ez and Holly's project, Kindred.

Wow! Another buttoned sofa I like.

Sweet gold-topped cupcakes.

Have a great weekend, everyone. Here it is sunny, and I have a friend visiting, so we'll be outside as much as possible.

Style Resolutions: Kirsten from Simply Grove

Today's style resolutions come from Kirsten at Simply Grove. Kirsten has a great eye (she is an interior decorator) and her blog showcases a fresh range of interiors finds, including sneaky looks around her home. Make sure you have a look at her recommended blog finds below - I've discovered a few new gems.

Thanks Kirsten!

Style resolutions: Kirsten from Simply Grove


What is your favourite recent design find/achievement?

My favorite find has to be the Passe Partout clock from Dutch by Design. It is such a clever idea and I love how you can personalize it. I really want to put it in my office soon.

I am also on the hunt for fabulous vintage plates. If you read my blog you know that I LOVE plate walls. I have a mini plate wall in my kitchen but I want to increase it with at least 10 more plates.

Do you have any design/style ambitions you want to achieve by the end of the year?

I always want to be thinking outside of the box for my blog and my home. There are so many amazing designs, products and ideas out there and its hard to stay individual and not copy everything you see. Its important to keep your personality in your design. I want to make sure I am always me in my design and not someone else.

As for gifts and wrapping, I want to give lots and wrap well!

I love fashion that is unique, full of detail and easy on my wallet. I just cleaned out my closet and as I was organizing I realized how blessed I was. I don't want to take anything I have for granted because of how alot of the world lives. We are so blessed!

Which are your favourite style blog(s)?

This is hard! There are so many to love. I always appreciate blogs with great style and lots of color.

Design is Mine puts together great mood boards and always is thinking outside the box. Decor8 is of course fabulous!!! I also love haus maus. Pia Jane Bijkerk finds amazing design, photography and is really talented. Some new faves are Knack, Ish and Chi and Olivelse.

A Merry Mishap is my talented friend and Kenzie Poo is my cousin who is the best mommy. They both deserve shout outs!

Oh, to be a photographer (and a tidy person)

There are many occasions in life worth documenting; weddings, birthdays, parties and brand new babies. For me, there are other moments worth capturing on camera, like the rarely-glimpsed tidy living room.

You may recall that I decided to hang some pictures in time for my Obama party. Well, three months on, and I've just banged in the final nail. I've documented the process below. Remember people, I am not a photographer - which is fairly obvious. I've done the best I could with my limited skills. I wanted to have one of those magazine-ready photos of my gallery wall, but in the end I had to admit defeat.

In case you're interested, here's where the pictures came from: 1. Vintage silk scarf from Pippin Jewellery 2, 7 & 8. Pippin Home (all from different visits) 3. Collage made from eBay photographs, gold and silver leaf 4. Picture from eBay (there is a much better photo here). 5. Photograph of my dad, now deceased, lounging around in a 1970s police station 6. Giclee tree print from Etsy seller Isoprint.

I followed the 'rules' for hanging a gallery wall. Roughly as follows:

1. Draw round each picture on tracing paper or newspaper to have a template and arrange these on the wall.

2. Try and centre the top of the mid picture so it is at eye level.

3. Measure the spaces in between each picture so they are even.

4. I also lined up the top of the pictures so they weren't higher than the doorframe.

In theory, this should work. But, to be honest, I mustn't be too talented with a tape measure as there are around five holes behind each of these pictures. One tip I have is to remember the wire hangs from the bottom of your hook. I made quite a few errors by banging in my hooks at the measured point, but not realising the picture would hang a little lower.

This is the tidiest this area has been for quite a while. What happened to everything? Well, I just shoved it out of the way to take this photo. Oops...

I'm expecting a house guest this evening, so I'm definitely making progress with this area by the end of the day. Even though it is a very sunny day outside...

London Love

From top: Etsy London seller Jewellery by Vanya, Peter Pan statue at Kensington Gardens (photo from Flickr), City Gents wallpaper by Lizzie Allen.

Wednesday workspace

Can't you just tell this office owner is French? My favourite item - the rather ordinary wire baskets. Easily acquired, but I love them all the same.

Source.

Boot sale bargains

On Sunday I took myself on a special excursion to the huge Battersea Park car boot sale, which runs every week, starting at a leisurely 12pm. I paid £3 to enter before 1.30pm (when the entrance fee reduces to 50p), eager to find some early bird bargains. I've been once before and not found anything I wanted to buy.

I quickly lost enthusiasm; this car boot sale is full of dealers with stalls (so not rock bottom prices), people selling knock-off cosmetics, and the occasional twenty-something trying to sell their old clothes and shoes. I was looking for middle-aged couples, with houses full of antiques and wanting to downsize - but I couldn't see any.

After almost an hour I was bored, empty-handed and ready to leave, even though some stalls had not even set up yet. I decided to do one final circuit of the dealers' stalls, and oops - within about 5 minutes I had bought a massive stash of second-hand goods.

My haul included:

Two tiny teacups, dated 1794, from Czechoslovakia. I didn't think they looked that old, to be fair, but my friend's husband Colin helpfully (or not) pointed out to me later that Czechoslovakia didn't exist in 1794 (only from 1918 to 1992, in case you're interested). Still, I wasn't buying them as an investment. I think that in my imagination I have an alternate career as a prop stylist, with the need for tiny and impractical tea cups...

And another three teacups - without saucers. I deliberated for quite a while about my official stance on cups without a saucer - even writing them off and going to a different stall - but then I decided I couldn't go too wrong with 3 cups for £1.

I only wanted one plate, but somehow I ended up with four plates and one matching saucer...

The below plates aren't all from this trip (the milk glass plate was from eBay and the bird plate was a gift) but I am beginning to have the vision realised for my kitchen wall. My favourite plate is the bird plate, which was a perfect gift from my friend Jenny.

As it turns out, at least the dealers understand the car boot sale clientele - and their prices were really reasonable. I just looked blankly at one newbie stallholder who tried to sell me two pretty tins for 5 times the price of the two older tins I had bought from a regular dealer.

Will I be back next week? Perhaps once a month. I'm trying to buy some stock for my tiny Etsy shop - but I end up wanting to keep everything for myself.