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!

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!

                               

                               
                                
                               

                                

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.

Introducing the "Tweet Towel!"

I have long been a follower of  "We Are What We Do" - a global movement that aims to change the world through the small, everyday things we do. Working at breaching the gap between generations and promoting a greater social and environmental conscience, the organisation launches fun, easy-to-achieve projects that even the busiest/laziest of us can participate in.
This week they launched a fab new product the  Tweet Towel : a personalised tea towel that blends techy communication with old-school handicrafts. Following the model of Twitter, buyers can have their own 140 character message, embroidered onto a tea towel making a unique and useful Christmas gift. Even better, the money raised will help the charity fund future projects. Stylish innovation - it's the way to go!

Pigeons and Jelly : A happy combination

Thornback & Peel don't shy away from much. Combining the often-hated urban pigeon for example, with much-loved childhood jelly , they put together unusual designs for the home and garden that raise eyebrows and  liven-up a living-space. Who would think of a cabbage as a suitable napkin design? Or cuddling up to fusha pink beetles on the sofa? The appeal of these great creations lie in the whacky choice of motif portrayed in an out-of-context colour. I love it!

The belle of the ball

I came across Belma Kapetanovic Kapetanovic over at Print and Pattern. She's a postgraduate student in textile design, who uses natural, organic forms as inspiration for her fabrics and wallpapers. The results are abstract yet retain the vitality of living organisms to great effect!

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!

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!

Anyone for cricket?

The sporting season is not yet over but with test matches, Wimbledon and the world cup it's been quite a summer for sport! I'd not really thought of any of these events as a source of aesthetic inspiration but as Turner Pocock Cazalet proves with these cricket and tennis themed wallpapers, they make for great decor!

Turner Pocock Cazalet