An Analogued Life - A Lesson In Simplicity

Nobody does it like the Japanese. Their skill in keeping it simple yet functional is unsurpassed. I take my English designer's hat off to them. These gorgeous pieces are from Analogue Life.
Great News: they ship worldwide and the shipping costs are really easy to understand. If you don't go and take a look then on your head be it.

Homes and Property Top 100

Do you ever wander around the web looking for stuff for your home and get totally confused. Here's a lovely website that lists the Top 100 sites for Homes and Property - The H&P One Hundred

An overview of the shops all placed in their relevant sections,

with an overview of their products.

With companies such as Squint, Roost Living, Mint, Brissi and Liberty, oh the list goes on but you get the idea that these are the Top 100 indeed.
Note: Ghost Furniture is included

WANTED!

This packaging tape for my parcels. By Mmiinn

Claire Coles

Love these photographs of collages from Claire Cole's website. Famous for her embroidered wallpapers she shows here another talent to add to her long list.

On My Doorstep - Kielder Water

Just down the road from my cottage sits Kielder Water surrounded by interactive artworks such as these. Above is Freya's Hut which sits on the opposite side of the lake to

Robin's Hut - read their story here, it's enchanting. My friend Gavin Tremble built Robin's Hut and he was asked to build something else of great importance which is again at Kielder Water.

Due to us having the darkest skies in the UK Gavin was asked to build an Observatory to house a huge telescope.

Didn't he do a grand job?
A very handy friend to have as he is a carpenter and repairs all my broken pieces of Ghost Furniture.

Decoupage by John Derian

Hard to believe these plates aren't real. From a range of decoupage multi-piece wall hangings by John Derian

Pssst - Want To Buy Some Vintage

Two new additions to my Ghost Furniture website. All the stuff I collect then don't use just takes up too much space so I have set up a new page called Little Leftovers selling all those little treasures from my journeys around the Flea Markets of France. Also

a new section called The Making Of... showing some of the pieces before and after they were revamped.

Being 59

Today is my birthday and I am now in the last year of my fifties. Celebrate with me, have some

cake.

The year I was born, 1951, people looked like this but

in the 1960s things started to change, thankfully. I have been fortunate enough to have lived through some of the most important decades in history. Not everything in my personal life or the World has been good during my time here but it's certainly been interesting and

being in the company of these ladies, all of whom I can call peers isn't so bad.

So here's to another 59 which will make me 118. To think, next year I will get a bus pass.

Stylist's Own - A Refreshing Change

Yesterday I found a link to my Ghost Furniture website that led me to Stylist's Own a blog written by Joanna Thornhill, a London based interiors stylist. Not only has she written a fabulous post about Ghost Furniture and my collaboration with Kathy Dalwood but she posts her own work (see above and how she can make unripe strawberries look good enough to eat) but she

shows you behind the scenes and how she builds the illusion. What a refreshing change. We only to often see the finished product and it seems we are like minded in this area as I am in the middle of creating a new area on my website called The Making Of.......... showing before and after images of my creations.

I doesn't stop there though as she also shows us some of the fabulous pieces she gets to work with and their origins and she takes us around the flea markets she visits to collect her props. Add Stylist's Own to your link list, I have.

Vintage Patisserie Cracks The Dragon's Den

I don't often watch The Dragon's Den as I usually end up hiding my head in a cushion with embarrassment but last night I took the risk and was delighted to see Angel or Angela as she called herself last night, of The Vintage Patisserie. Show wowed them and gave an entertaining presentation purely because she was herself.

She made me laugh out loud when asked if her Mother thought she would make a success of this and in reply said "well yes but she's my Mother so if I showed her a dancing brick she would say - oh yes that will work".

Angel got £100,000 from Theo Paphitis and Deborah Meaden. I have featured Angel here on Designers Block a couple of times - once when she invited me to her opening party in London and secondly when she launched The Vintage Patisserie. I knew the minute I met her that she would one day be a huge success as she is driven but never forgets to be herself. In my book that is a path rarely trodden in the design business. Good Luck Angel you deserve it.

Watch her pitch here it's a must.

Laurel Roth - Attention To Detail

Laurel Roth is an artist that uses a myriad of items to create her pieces. Above is a piece from her Pharmacopiea series.

Can you believe this is made from fake fingernails, barrettes, nail polish, false eyelashes, and jewelry?

And finally an Urban Pigeon that's crocheted. Stunning!

How Chic Is She?

This young French girl is the epitome of chic. How wonderful to see one so young looking so natural and I love the outfits. Found at VDJ Boutique

Daring To Be Different at Home

Even though you may need sunglasses when entering this property it can;t be denied that it's fun. I applaud anyone who dares to be this different. Found here
Even the outside has colour creeping up the walls (see bottom image)

Hairy Sock - Fun Jewellery

Just made me laugh. Fun jewellery by Hairy Sock via Mocoloco