A global field guide to design, (life)style and secret finds
est. 2007

Archive: Dec 2009

  4. London’s best Christmas crackers: the charitable cracker

    6 Comments Liberty House- purple peacock This is my third annual round-up of the best Christmas crackers around - both in London and online. I admit that I have a bit of a thing about this very English tradition, from the silly hats and jokes to the surprise trinkets that come tumbling out. I'll be profiling a new cracker each day this week, so stay tuned... Cracker crib notes: What? Purple Peacock Feather Crackers From? Liberty. How much? £29.95 The booty? Each of the six handmade crackers include ‘gift’-donations to a Variety Club charity, such as helping to pay for a sports wheelchair or giving a gift to a child in need. And for every box Liberty will donate £10 to the Charities Advisory Trust.

  5. Wee find: Migh T by Kumiko Watari

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    Migh T by Kumiko Watari may not be to everyone's taste, but I quite love this Japanese fashion designer's sense of fun and kookiness. The Central Saint Martins graduate's latest collection is stocked at No-one in Shoreditch, and includes an exclusive koala screenprint (£60, above - love the psychedelic flower eyes), as well as the fabulous 'melting snow' berets, which are topped with ginormous white pom-poms and ice-cream toned tees. The hot-air balloon tees also pack a vibrant, graphic punch.

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    No-one
    1 Kingsland Road
    London E2 8AA
    E2 8AA UK
    Tel: 207 613 5314
    Nearest tube: Liverpool Street
    Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

    Opening hours:
    Tuesday to Saturday 11am-7pm
    Sunday 11am -6pm

    For more shops in East London, click here.

  6. Birdy pick of the week

    4 Comments LondonClayBirds_copy

    These utterly wonderful clay birds are doing the rounds on the blogosphere (India Knight's Posterous via Tea for Joy) - but how could I *not* post about them? They're birds. They're made in London. Heck, they're even made from London itself (clay, to be exact). Historical too - the clay is dug up from the site of an old Victorian warehouse in Islington, and dates back to "the Palaeogene period, 50-60 million years ago ... when a warm tropical sea covered London". Swooon. You can get them from Folksy (but they appear to be sold-out at the moment), or check out the blog.

  7. Wee Etsy find: Simpli Jessi dolls

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    I've had these hand-crafted dolls by Simpli Jessi bookmarked for months now. I love their ruby-red circle cheeks, wavy hair and graphic simplicity, as well as the raw, vintage quality of each individual doll. And they take custom orders, too. They'd make perfect Christmas presents for children three years and up. US$64 from Simpli Jessi's Etsy shop. Follow the blog here.

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    After more handmade Christmas present ideas? Browse through my Etsy find archives.

  9. Wee find: Soma Gallery’s Xmas Exhibition

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    Loving the impressive line-up of artists featured in Soma Gallery’s Christmas exhibition, including Graham Carter, Sally Elford, Peskimo and Andy Smith. Rob Ryan has also created an exclusive colourway of his classic nest print for the show (see above). I’m flagging this now because Soma are offering free postage within the UK on all orders until 6 December.

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    I had the chance to visit the bijous gallery when I was in Bristol a couple of weeks ago, and I found it nestled between the antique jewellery and vintage clothing shops of Clifton Arcade. It's full of character and interesting finds - most definitely a must-visit in Bristol. I pounced on the Tatty Devine Christmas-themed jewellery and exquisite bird prints by Fanny Shorter. And I’m just a little bit in love with this sweet ‘Blown Away’ print by Spencer Wilson, which is very affordable art at £20.

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    Soma Gallery
    Clifton Arcade, Boyces Avenue
    Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4AA
    Tel: 0117 973 9838

    Opening hours:
    Tuesday to Saturday 9.30am-5:30pm

    Soma Gallery is a Wee Birdy sponsor.

  10. Shopping in London: Emma Cook Sample Sale

    9 Comments SAMPLE SALE DEC

    If you like your clothes feminine with a distinct quirk (like say, deer and lace doilie prints), then you might like to check out Emma Cook, who just happens to be having a sample sale at her East London studio on Friday and Saturday. All sorts of bargains are up for grabs!

    In the meantime, have a peek at Cook's resort 2010 collection, which is in-store now and features her signature girlish silhouettes against a soft palette of dusky pinks, browns and greys. Quite loving the flattering empire-line jersey dresses and silk chiffon tops, as well as the symmetrical art-nouveau motif, which is repeated throughout the collection. It's currently available from Liberty and Matches in London.

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