What do you think of my first collage-y Easter thing-y? I've got a folder full of Easter finds and was thinking of palatable ways of serving it up. There's more to come, but I thought I'd have a play with these ones first.
I first spied Charlene Mullen’s exquisite hand-embroidered work at the East London Design Show in December. And being the London-obsessed lass that I am, I made a beeline for her monochrome cushions featuring iconic London landscapes.
Transcending a purely functional role, each graphic “piece” is beautifully crafted with extraordinary attention to detail. And with Mullen drawing inspiration from Victorian Christening gowns to prison tattoos, it’s no wonder her work appears simultaneously both modern and vintage.
In London, you can find her cushions at Liberty, Sigmar and Linley. She is also stocked in Le Bon Marche in Paris and Scoop in the U.S. Otherwise, purchases can be made through enquiries to her website.
There’s much to love about living so close to London’s Borough Market. It’s become our little Saturday morning ritual, where we take it easy and wander around the stalls, check out the new produce, and make a beeline for Konditor & Cook for a “real” coffee (because Monmouth's always too busy). But sometimes? I’m not quite sure how living in such close proximity to cheesy heaven, aka Kappacasein’s raclette stand, is advantageous for my arteries.
The premise for a Swiss raclette is ridiculously simple: a white carb celebration of melted Ogleshield cheese, new potatoes, baby gherkins and pickled onions. But it’s also ridiculously delicious – and the long queues are a testament to this fact. The plus side of the waiting time is that you get to watch the whole mesmerising raclette-making process, which involves scraping hot, bubbling cheese onto your pile of potatoes and gherkins. Oh lordy!
I especially love the acidic, crunchy baby gherkins, which contrast beautifully with the creamy, cheesy potatoes.
They also make the most unbelievably good toasted cheese sandwiches with Montgomery cheddar, onions, leeks and garlic on Poilâne sourdough.
Kappacasein is at Borough Market on Fridays 10am-6pm and Saturdays 9am-4pm, and can be found just opposite Southwark Cathedral.
Sifting through my favourites from the Autumn/Winter 2009 collections, I noticed a wee trend emerging: LBDs. OK, so LBDs aren't exactly "wee" or a "trend", since designers march out a new version of this modern classic every season. But LBDs seemed to be the flavour of the month this time around. Or maybe I just liked more black frocks than not. Anyway, here are my favourites:
Modern assymetrical '40s style with skinny belts at Lanvin.
A modern take on the classic sheath at Bottega Veneta.
Soft sculptural silhouettes at Jil Sander.
Holey felted wool (!) and exquisite plissé detailing at Calvin Klein.
Cross the threshold of this unassuming South-East London shop and you’ll catch a whiff of the old-fashioned herbal remedies that made it London’s leading apothecary in its Victorian heyday.
And whilst they no longer peddle bottles of the extremely popular Touch & Go (for “Warts, Corns and Hard Skin”), you can still purchase a refreshing pint of Sarsaparilla for 30p.
In 1969, G Baldwin and Co moved from 77 Walworth Road to its present location at number 171, but the shop retains much of its charm and original features including a long counter, apothecary wooden drawers and glass jars.
Today the family business is divided into two stores: an excellent health food shop on one side, and the traditional herbalist next door. I was given a sneak-peek behind the scenes, and discovered the fragrant oils room where all of the bottling is done on-site, as well as a thriving mail-order business.
Part of the attraction of Baldwin’s these days is its affordable range of essential oils, natural products and aromatherapy products. I swear by their organic Rosehip Oil, a total steal at £7.99, which I use as an inexpensive glow-giving face serum at night. Rosehip oil can be found as an ingredient in many major beauty brands' more expensive anti-ageing products, due to its high levels of anti-oxidants and collagen-boosting Vitamin A. It's also excellent for healing blemishes and acne scars.
I also love their range of old-fashioned amber bottles and jars, which come in a variety of sizes that would look gorgeous lined up on your bathroom shelf (in manner of Aesop chic). In fact, Baldwin’s is an excellent source for all sorts of crafty DIY beauty ingredients, including bulk packages of dead sea bath salts and silicone soap-making moulds.
Each visit reveals interesting new finds (Stuff in a Tub icecream; English honey cappings; Dr Bronner's soap) and budget buys (luxury handmade soap for £2.89) – making Baldwin's one of London’s true hidden shopping gems.
Bird drawing, from £92 and paintings, from £188, by Rob Clarke, from Elphick's.
Elphick's 160 Columbia Road London E2 Tel. 020 7033 7891 Opening hours: Sunday 9am-4pm. By appointment Monday-Friday. Nearest tube: Liverpool Street Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Touring England game, based on a 1930s board game. The object is to move around England, using the shortest possible route and without visiting the same place twice. £11.50 from Pedlars.
Just look at these deliciously milky-glossy glazes and vintage-inspired pieces at Whitney Smith Pottery’s Etsy shop. At first I noticed the tiny hand-sculpted bird and flower details before discovering wonderful pops of cherry red on a bud vase and the most delicate petal pink on a gorgeously feminine cake stand.
I actually found the San Francisco Bay-based ceramicist’s shop through Sarey Poppins’ Etsy favourites (always a good way to unearth new gems). According to her profile, Whitney is influenced by her “obsession with flowers and other forms in nature” and “tries to emulate the craftsmanship of an earlier time.
I hate to nag but it’s Mother’s Day in the UK on March 22, so now is the time to make a considered purchase well in advance. Whatever you do, don’t leave it ‘til the last minute, or you’ll end up freaking out and buying a plastic-wrapped box of toiletries foulness.
I may be predictable but handmade is best, and Wee Birdy’s newest sponsor, Kitty and Polly, is just the (online) place to find the perfect gift.
Kitty and Polly specialise in gifts and accessories handmade in the UK, with a heavenly range of jewellery, bags, bath products and homewares. The prices are extremely reasonable, too. And they’ve just had a delivery of brand new products, just in time for Mother’s Day.
It's high time I got back into it posting about Etsy on a regular basis. It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the site and have around 300 individual Etsy shops sitting in my bookmarks folder. And each one is absolutely brilliant.
I've also heard from a few of you who have asked for more posts about "cheap stuff online" and "cool crafty finds". To be honest, I can't think of anything that beats Etsy in terms of affordability and originality, and it’s the ultimate antidote to mass-produced, over-priced crap.
I've bought a lot of gifts from Etsy over the past two years, and I've had nothing less than brilliantly positive experiences. I also quite like the idea of buying direct from crafty individuals around the world.
Admittedly, I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for this week’s Etsy pick, Sarey Poppins, as the crafty owner is actually Glasgow-based Sarah Martin, who's also a musician and member of my favourite band of all time, Belle and Sebastian.
So this may sound like a bit of a fan-girl response, but Sarah's range of hand-crafted fabric bags, purses, cushions and lavender bags are an absolute delight. I especially love her choice of textiles – lots of vintage-style Liberty prints and old-fashioned florals.
Sarah explains that the fabric in this shoulder bag (above) is "a pretty close copy of one of my favourite bags for the last few
years, which I picked up in Stockholm from Ordning and Reda. It's
made of some of the nicest fabric I have come across in a long time –
heavy linen, printed with big plants in great bold colours."
I also love the retro-style corduroy Liberty-print fabric used in this shoulder bag and cushion (see below), which Sarah describes as "a firework-y, peacock-y, paisley-ish pattern printed on lovely soft baby cord".
And she's also made the most adorable range of lavender sausage dogs. (Surely a lavender sausage dog, hand-sewn by Sarah's nimble fingers is the ultimate twee souvenir for the most dedicated B&S fan?)
