Ideas for Spring (and MORE new stock!)

Oooh, I’m feeling SO ready for Spring now. To get me in the mood, I’ve gathered together some images of stuff in my house that feel very chirpy chirpy cheep cheep. FLOWERS mainly – flowers on everything!

I found lots of pretty vintage material the last time I was in Sweden, so I’ve been cleaning it all and am going to use it for something…dunno what yet though. Maybe cushions? Here’s an example (it’s all wrinkly because I just washed it):

Sprigs of Spring

And, I have always loved this panel of Japanese fabric I have hanging in my living room. It goes together really nicely with this little glass blossom tree thing that I used to covet as a kid more than anything. My grandparents gave it to me, they used to live in Japan and Singapore so they got it from the Far East at some point in the 50s or 60s. Everyone else in the family HATES it, but to me it was always (and still is) so delicately beautiful, with its lovely muted petals and leaves:

I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so

Is this not the best thing ever?

Next up, this mega brill tapestry thing I bought in Sweden from a junk shop. Everyone knows I am OBSESSED with tapestries, but this one is just so cool! I love the purple colour and the little birds. What I love about tapestries is that someone has taken a reeeeeeally long time to make them, which is such a nice thing, non? I have loads. Just wait until you see the Viking ship tapestry I got in Reykjavik – it is AWESOME.

There'll be bluebirds over...

Here’s another little teeny tapestry from somewhere Scandi:

Floribundalicious

Other birdy things that I love love love include this eggscellent vinyl cover from the 1970s that my mum gave me. The colours are fantastic, and I like the graphic lines. I framed it and have it on my wall (the colours match the Viking ship tapestry – yes, I am a loser):

Swan songs

Again on the blue/green tip – these sweet necklaces I got in a charity shop somewhere. One is a little feather in resin, the other is a little brass leaf. I like to wear them together, because I am at one with nature and our Earth, OK:

They're floaty light

In case you’re interested, the bed linen in the background is by Kenzo. So, what can I make/draw using those inspirations? Hmmm. Will have a little think about it.

Now!

Here are some wiiiiiiiiicked new things that I got this morning for the shop. Debbie Greenaway from Ladysnail is a massively talented super cool lady who draws things, but also makes these cute toys (I believe the correct term is ‘plushies’…?) and little bits and bobs. Firstly, these are the best robots I’ve seen in ages. We have big and small ones and even a PINK robot!

For mash get SMASH

She has also made lots of other goodies like little purses, badges and zines and notebooks:

The rainclouds above are so GREAT, I love them and want to hang them from my ceiling. How much nicer are they than regular yucky February rain?! If you can’t stretch to a whole cloud, how about a raindrop brooch?:

Plip plop!

Hee heeee! How cute! Come and buy one NOW. Or, you may prefer these little toothsome creatures:

Sweet as toofy

You’ll have to be quick with these though – they have sold like hot cakes today and now I only have two left! My cousin Ollie Birch lost his two front teeth when he was a kid and they didn’t grow back for AGES. He could have really done with these replacements.

We also only now have ONE More Tea Vicar? neck/head warmer left in Teal (although I think there are more coming soon). Come and get it, y’all!

Warmth and style, all wrapped into one

And here’s a new LIMANI by Lina Lindbergh ‘AK47′ silver necklace with etched flower detail – much better than the real thing with all those nasty bullets:

Lastly, here is my favourite picture of me and my Mama. For no reason other than I love her and miss her very much because she lives on the other side of the world:

Me and my Mama

Things I Like (and more new stock)

Thank goodness the horrid weather almost seems to be lifting! I woke up this morning and it was beautiful and sunny and life-affirming. 10 gold stars for the sun. I don’t know what the weather is like where you are, but here are some nice things to cheer you up.

Caw Caw

This uptight crow is off to his boring accountancy job in the office. He dreams of flying away to do fun things like peck at roadkill with his buddies and squawk on rooftops at 6am. But instead he has to crunch figures at the desk job with Derek.

Here is another little fellow, somewhat more upbeat:

I'm in the mood for dancin', romancin'

This little teenage sandpiper just gets on with listening to his walkman and having a little bit of seaside fun. Who needs cares and worries when you have ‘Now 19′ on cassette tape?

These black clouds aren't scary

These drawings were made by a little fairy girl called Aly Sebastien – a Francophile artist who draws glee and makes me laugh so much. They are also for sale!

Our little wooden bluebird brooches are flying out of the shop at the speed of light! Just the thing to cheer you up, and under a fiver too – cor blimey.

tweet tweet

One thing that is guaranteed to relax me to the max is reading my favourite magazines (right, Mum?). One of my current faves is this Australian gem Frankie, which I have to get imported. It’s fashion, art, crafts, etc and it’s all very beautiful, with dreamy fashion spreads and resourceful Australian designers and makers showing their – quite frankly (Frankiely? No, that didn’t work) – BRILLIANT creations.

READ THIS (it will make you cooler and more people will like you)

Now, this idiosyncratic oddball was my favourite toy for a long time as a kid (until I started reading the SAS Survival Handbook and lost all interest in everything else). He has fancy feathers, a pokey nose, big feet for getting where he needs to be, and likes to go out raving when he can. You can’t buy him, but you can come and play with him whenever you want.

Peep peep! Coming through

I’m obsessed with these handmade cinnamon-scented silk sachets at the moment. We have them in lots of different styles, but this one is my fave so I bought it for myself. It’s happy and girly and twee, but oh-so-sweet!

Candy hearts

OK, and now some new things we have for sale in TIMBER. First up! A lovely lass called Emma Kearney with the curliest hair in the world makes recycled leather brooches in the shapes of animals and birds, and everyone knows I love anything involving the creatures of the wilderness. The ace colourways are one of the best things about them – amazing smokey blues and greens, burnt umbers and reds, and a positively spring-like periwinkle!

Polar Express

U so fly, girl

Some of you have been asking about the Bon Mot poem tape, because it looks so COOL, so the wonderful Wai has brought in the new design on brown tape and it has five new poems on it! It’s awesome and certainly would make sending your boring eBay parcels somewhat more interesting for the postman. Think about it, yeah?

Tape me up, baby

Text message

And we still have some of the original design in stock as well. So come and get it. It looks fab on a white wall as well as just left on the roll.

New ‘Crazy Horse’ gift tags are now ready to gallop into your life and into your heart (and onto your presents). Get them before they run away – a veritable BARGAIN at only 25 English pence.

No member of the Osmonds was harmed in the making of these tags

One of my favourite young illustrators is the supremely talented (and very beautiful) Julia Pott, who draws worried pugs, selfish cats, gormless bears, wistful raccoons and a whole menagerie of other critters. Dressed up in their woolly jumpers and scarves, they long to be taken home and loved by YOU. So come and buy her pictures and tote bags and pocket mirrors and stop being such losers. You pretty much need these in your life. God knows they make my life better every day just being able to feast my eyes upon them…

A4 print made with love and magic

Tote bag of joy

OK, and one last drawing by Aly Sebastien, just because the colours are so mega-brill and I love the waves:

Drowning in a sea of love

All of her work pictured today is for sale in the shop, so come and have a look (and ask to see more, because there isn’t wall space to show all of her nice drawings at once, unfortunately). Yay!

OK, one last thing – come and pick up some of our TIMBER tags and then go all round town and tie them on trees, lampposts, dogs collars, sleeping pensioners on park benches, outside Dover St Market and even to your brother’s hair. Let’s make going viral an art form! TIMBER loves you.

Let's play tag!

Happy New Year, ya’ll!!

Crikey, it’s 2010 already…

This means…LOADS of exciting things going on down at TIMBER HQ. There are lots of fab events coming up soon, so will post more info as and when they’re all finalised.

One thing TIMBER really wants to do is to help establish other artists and designers and give people the chance to promote and sell their work. If you want to get involved in helping out in any way, just get in touch! We want loads of lovely stall holders for the weekly mini-MART, where you can sell your handmade or vintage wares, as well as people interested in hiring space for events and exhibitions. If you have ideas, just let us know. We want to help you get started!

If you’d like to be a TIMBER intern, then pop by sometime and have a chat about what you’re up to and what you can bring to the TIMBER hub. There is only room to grow here!

There is also lots of cool stuff happening amongst the friends of TIMBER. Amazingly talented footwear and apparel designer Nicholas Dunn will soon be teaching an ace new course on sports footwear design at The London College of Fashion. Have a look here: http://www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/shortcourses/60105.htm

The lovely folks at Albam are storming ahead in the carefully crafted modern menswear market, and have a brilliant space in Spitalfields Market as well as their Soho outpost on Beak St.

Nadine Walker’s beautiful Madrid boutique, Nest, is continuing to provide quirky gifts and home wares for discerning Spaniards, and has been a great source of advice and inspiration for TIMBER! Long may her success continue.

Electrik bar and social hangout in Chorlton, Manchester, has established itself as a totally mega place to relax in. Run by some musically gifted reprobates, this bar has become – in just one year – a much loved Mancunian social destination. Well done, lads.

So, get thinking, get planning, get making, get GOING! Come and see us, get involved. We would love to have you!