A bodice-shaped pitcher

There's something about Anne Black's "Ruth M" ceramic range that is really quite beautiful. It may be the combination of pastoral scenes - reminiscent of 17th century Dutch Delftware - with the quite angular forms popular in 21st century design, or quite simply the delicacy of the pieces as a whole, but whatever the cause the result is undeniably sophisticated and elegant. I'm hankering after this pitcher:  the clouds remind me of Japanese prints and I adore the fact it's shaped like a bodice!

Lovebirds

There's no escaping it - Valentine's Day is already being shouted across the media airwaves and will soon be upon us, although I don't remember it being talked up as early in the year before. Was it always a post-Christmas call to emotional arms, or did I dream that in the past we made the card the night before?

You've probably gussed that I'm not a natural romantic and had I not come across the designs of the UK's Prince Design, I might even have opted to commit commercial suicide and chosen to ignore the event altogether. But the porcelaine love-birds couldn't go un-mentioned and this really is their day. Coming in a variety of colours and designs, these handmade little dishes are lovely to look at - even on dates that aren't deisgned to tug at our heart-strings!

But what really steals the show for me is the gorgeous Poppy bowl below, which as a namesake does us proud!

toasty throws

I don't know where you're sitting right now - whether it's 0° outside or 35° - but here in Paris today it's coooooold. What I really need is a hot chocolate, curled up on a sofa with a good book and - why not? - a throw by Cococozy. I love these geometric, Islamic designs and the soft natural tones they come in.

I think they would go very well with the bold Arabesque ceramics of Jill Rosenwald (see The Poppy Club post  "Where East Meets West") below:

I feel warmer already!

The Cracked Pot

I wanted to share these lovely stoneware cups as much for their delicate design as for the story behind them. Made by the British ceramist, Sarah Malone, the pieces were inspired by a short little story about an Indian water carrier. I won't give the game away, but for a warming tale and more elegant ceramics follow the link to Sarah's website!

PS : I also love this little butterfly cup!

Little pleasures in white, dimpled dishes...

Dimples really do it. Whether on small children hurling spoons of purée gleefully across the kitchen, or pressed into fine Limoges porcelain to leave a charming, characterful dent, the dimple is one of those cheery little things that just genreally makes life better. And Australia's Little White Dish use it to great effect, adding a trademark smile to many a cup, bowl and jug. Designed by Deb Taylor in Sydney, I love the simple delicacy of the pieces, which all seem to have their own, individual character. The little white jugs below are just adorable!

                               

                               
                                
                               

                                

Shanna Murray and Pigeon Toe

Hot off the press : Pigeon Toe Ceramics recently produced these gorgeous little cups, the result of a  collaboration with Shanna Murray. There are very few available as they are a limited edition but they are just so adorable I had to share!

Handmade and Handcrafted - It's "Made a Mano"

Remember my on-going search for kitchen tiles? Well the latest addition to my list of hot favourites is the fabulous handmade tile company Made A Mano. Producing pieces that are both hand-drawn and hand-printed, the company couldn't be better named and the range of tiles on offer is at once elegant and original.Definately my November heart-throb!

They have a number of stores in Denmark and Italy and a stockists elsewhere across Europe.

Where quirky meets cool - Dovetail

Proving that black and white is still in vogue, the US ceramists at Dovetail caught my eye this week with their funky collection of tableware. I have a thing about insects and creatures in design (see the Poppy Club post about Timourous Beasties "Bring on the Bugs" for wallpapers in a similar vein) and just love the octopus on the vase below (RIP Paul, the world-cup soothsaying octopus who died last week). The other great effect is the slightly wonky positioning of the images and off-centre base to the bowls. Where quirky is decidely cool!

Domestic Design

Regular visitors to the South Bank Centre shop will probably recognize the work of Alice Mara, perhaps best known for her fabulous "hanging people" range (for fellow Parisians, there's a little shop on the Rue de Turenne in the Marais that also stocks it). I was taking a look at her site recently and discovered her kitchen appliance plates, which feature images of dishwashers, hot plates and washing machines. Quite a novel way to celebrate domesticity!

Egg

                                        

Egg (or "Oeuf" as they say over here!) is the code name for the gorgeous ceramics brought into the world by France's Nathalie Choux. Like characters from a fairy tale, the wide-eyed figures she depicts on her bowls and vases are innocent and dreamy - not surprising really since Nathalie has also illustrated several children's books including a version of Red Riding Hood ("Le Chaperon Rouge"). See her web site for more beautiful examples of her work : Nathalie Choux

Sweet tooth

I was actually making cup-cakes this weekend for my partner's birthday - although they were not quite as attractive as these ceramic ones by julie pettitt! Since the cup-cake in lurid pinks and reds has recently made a massive come back in tea shops and chic bakeries, I love the idea of re-producing them in fine porcelain as small pots. Decorated with licorice allsorts, bright cherries, dolly mixtures and strawberries, they are light-hearted and hugely attractive - the only danger is that they might make you continually hungry!

On Cloud Nine with Kylie Johnson

A post about clouds! Not that there are too many on the Paris horizon this week. And these are lovely non-rainy ceramic ones anyway made by Kylie Johnson in Australia.