Archive: Nov 2008

1. Top tea cosies: Hand-knitted granny style

   November 11, 2008 2:34 pm 5 Comments

   
   
   How gorgeous are these vintage-style tea-cosies? They're hand-knitted in Northumberland, pom-poms and all.

   Pom-pom tea cosy, £25, and Mad-cap tea cosy, £39, from Re-found Objects.

2. Top tea sets: Patricia Urquiola for Rosenthal

   11:27 am 2 Comments

   

   Small Tea Pot by Patricia Urquiola, £75, from the Design Museum.

   
   Cup and saucer by Patricia Urquiola, £25, from the Design Museum

   
    
   Sugar Bowl by Patricia Urquiola, £35, and Creamer by Patricia Urquiola, £30, from the Design Museum.

   I love the amazing new ceramic tea range by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola for Rosenthal, which is currently on show at the Design Museum. The exquisite detail on the handles is evocative of the almost honey-comb pattern of the open holes in lace or paper doilies. So very suitable for partaking in an avant-garde afternoon tea. Ship in some clotted cream from Devon and away you go! The range is available to purchase from the Design Museum shop. Perfect for Christmas presents, too.

   Patricia Urquiola – Purely Porcelain
   10 October – 25 January 2009
   The Design Museum
   Shad Thames
   London SE1 2YD
   Tel. 020 7403 6933
   Nearest tube: London Bridge
   Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
   

3. A week of tea: Biscuiteers

   1:33 am 4 Comments

   

   Tea without biscuits is unthinkable (and just plain mean). So imagine my delight when I stumbled upon this tea-set themed tin of biscuits from UK-based biscuit company, Biscuiteers. Relevant, much? I love the pretty vintage-inspired iced designs on the teapots and cups.

   

    

   Tea for Two tin, £36.50, from Biscuiteers.

4. Sponsored birdy post: Radici

   November 10, 2008 7:13 pm 5 Comments

   You may have noticed a new addition to the Wee Birdy nest, in the form of our very first advertiser, Radici.co.uk (cue wild applause and much whooping). With a seriously gorgeous line-up of hand-crafted gifts sourced from around the world, I couldn’t have asked for a more appropriate sponsor.

   

   

   Hand-finished stainless steel brooches, clockwise from top left, Yellow scribble, Claret waratah, Green flower, Turquoise wool, all £45 each.

   This UK-based online shop is exactly the sort of place I set out to find when I first started Wee Birdy, with its eye for beautiful design and an ever-changing stock of limited edition curios. With a commitment to supporting fledgling designers and ethical production, Radici offers shoppers a beautiful antidote to mass-produced tat. Something I like to keep in mind in the lead-up to Christmas.

   
   
   Silk wool felt handmade rose scarf, £140.

   The stories (and people) behind the products are also pretty interesting. Take Canvasco, a German company that hires female prisoners to make bags as part of a community-based rehabilitation project. The bags have a utilitarian graphic simplicity about them that I love, and they’re made from recycled boat sails or woollen Swiss army blankets from the ‘60s (ticking all the design, eco and ethical boxes).

   

   Urban Swiss Girl bag, £110.

   With Christmas just 44 days away, here are my top 5 gift picks:

   
   Hand-knitted Fritz, £45.

   
   Claret flower brooch in hand finished stainless steel, £45.

   
   Stitched strelitzia Perspex cuff, £85.

   
   Lavenderbod hand-made keyrings, £5.

   

   Pair of bone-china tealight holders, £45.

5. Birdy pick of the week

   November 9, 2008 11:33 pm 1 Comment

   

   Teacup birdbath or feeder, US$20, from Ohthepollybilities’s Etsy shop. (Thanks to Paintergirl for the tip).

6. A week of tea!

   11:31 pm 5 Comments

   I do love a good cup of tea, so I thought I would dedicate a whole week of Wee Birdy to London's favourite beverage. I've been collecting all sorts of tea-related bits of pieces, including my favourite London spots for a nice cuppa (and a crumpet), the latest in teapot designs, and the prettiest cups and saucers. Let the stirring begin!

7. Birdy on a budget: Top 10 Ebay auctions

   6:13 pm 3 Comments

   I’ve rediscovered the bargainous joys of Ebay recently, prompted by my friend C’s winning bid of 40 quid on a stunning Balenciaga blazer. I guess one of the reasons Ebay is so good right now is because everyone is flogging the contents of their wardrobes in a bid to make some cold hard cash. Good news for those looking to make one those fabled ‘investment’ purchases, be it a new winter coat or a new pair of designer ballet flats – all going for high street prices.

   I’ve been watching some auctions over the past few weeks, and have been astounded by some of the winning bids, like the Miu Miu three-tone ballet flats for £18.01, See by Chloe dress for £41, Marni dark grey trousers for £31, Marni dress coat for £62, A.P.C dress for £51, and Alaia black sandals for US$54.

   With that in mind, here’s my round-up of the best Ebay auctions right now. Be quick - some of them are ending soon.

   Balenciaga blazer, UK size 12, current bid £49.

   Isabel Marant shoes, size 37, current bid £16.87.

   Vanessa Bruno black coat, UK size 14, current bid £70.

   Marni wool jacket, UK size 8-10, current bid £29.99.
   

   Alaia black top, UK size 10-12, current bid £50.
   
   Marni tweed skirt, UK size 8, current bid £15.

   Erdem black coat, UK size, 8, current bid £99.

   Miu Miu black dress, UK size 10, current bid £11.

   Marni leather and seagrass belt, current bid £30.

   Marni ballet flats with a buckle, size 36.5, current bid £30.

8. Top 10 London songs mixtape

   November 7, 2008 8:58 pm 7 Comments

   

   

9. For the diary: The One Ton Show

   November 6, 2008 1:32 am 7 Comments

   

   London, music and art, what’s not to love? That's the thinking, anyway, behind The One Ton Show, with 100 artists, illustrators, graphic designers, print-makers and photographers presenting works based around the theme of London Lyrics.

   I’m really looking forward to seeing what they come up with, considering the fun you could have with the wealth of songs written about London. It’s also a perfect opportunity to sniff out and invest in some affordable art, with prints and original works up for sale. Wee Birdy friend and Australian artist, Gemma Jones, will also be participating (think dreamy pop-art sixties girls meet swingin’ London town!).

   I would find it really difficult to pin down just one song to illustrate, so with that in mind, here’s Top Bird’s Top 10 London Lyrics:

   1. “Dirty old river, must you keep rolling
   Flowing into the night
   People so busy, makes me feel dizzy
   Taxi light shines so bright
   But I don’t need no friends
   As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset
   I am in paradise”
   Waterloo Sunset – The Kinks

   2. “The wine will be flat and the curry’s gone cold
   I’m down in the tube station at midnight”
   Down in the tube station at midnight – The Jam

   3. “She studied sculpture at St Martin’s College
   That’s where I caught her eye”
   Common People – Pulp

   4. “London calling to the faraway towns
   Now war is declared - and battle come down”
   London Calling – The Clash

   5. “Panic on the streets of London
   Panic on the streets of Birmingham
   I wonder to myself
   Could life ever be sane again?”
   Panic – The Smiths

   6. “Mornington Crescent
   I think of you
   Rain in the southeast
   Men feeling blue
   Men with their bowlers
   Kids with their spats
   Ladies with chauffeurs
   Dogs wearing hats and jackets
   Rich apartments
   Old punk posters
   Tartan garments
   I love the exquisite array
   I love the camp as camp parade
   The possibilities suggest themselves to me
   I'm feeling free”
   Mornington Crescent – Belle & Sebastian

   7. “There's only one place we can go.
   It's around the corner in Soho,
   where other broken people go.
   Let's go.”
   Bar Italia – Pulp

   8. “And when he does his little rounds,
   round the boutiques of London town,
   Eagerly pursuing all the latest fads and trends,
   cause he’s a dedicated follower of fashion.”
   Dedicated Follower of Fashion – The Kinks

   9. “Academia girl;
   her life's a gas, she loves the trash inside his world.
   Can't find his way there,
   got the cash, feeling flash in Leicester Square.”
   He’s on the Phone – St Etienne

   10. “‘Oranges and lemons’ say the bells of St. Clement's
   ‘You owe me five farthings’ say the bells of St. Martin's
   ‘When will you pay me?’ say the bells of Old Bailey
   ‘When I grow rich’ say the bells of Shoreditch”
   Oranges and Lemons

   So... what's your favourite song about London?

   The One Ton Show
   Thursday 4th - Sunday 7th December 2008
   The Basement
   Shoreditch Town Hall
   380 Old Street
   London EC1V 3ET

10. Birdy’s in Vogue

    November 3, 2008 11:22 pm 14 Comments

    

    I was rather chuffed to find that British Vogue included Wee Birdy in its Secret Address Book, which supplemented the December issue that went on sale today. I'm planning to sit down with my copy later tonight and check out the other "secret addresses" that made the cut.

    In the meantime, I couldn't resist flipping straight away to the stunning Tim Walker shoot in the main book, with Tim Burton, Helena Bonham-Carter (looking spectacularly nutty) and Karen Elson assuming various Roald Dahl roles. The shoot features some trademark fantastical Walker-isms including lots of super-sized blow-up props, a rambling English country residence (complete with indoors crocodile, natch), vintage floral wallpaper, fields of wild flowers and topsy-turvy furniture. What a treat!

11. Not that I have an overt political message, or anything…

    8:00 pm 4 Comments

    

    Vote Barack Obama for President 2008 letterpress print, US$15, from Yee Haw's Etsy shop.

12. Birdy pick of the week

    November 2, 2008 10:10 pm Leave a Comment

    
    Round swallow cufflinks, £90, by Hannah Louise Lamb, from Hidden Art Shop.