... summer break.....

With our first Open Studio event behind us, we have a couple or weeks to take a breath and relax before Jessie Chorley's Usable Treasures Workshop at the beginning of September, a time we are very much looking forward to (a place has become available if anyone can join us last minute). Until then, here are few items that have caught my eye and might stir your interest. I recently bought for my darling grandson a hand-made mobile of seagulls from a Japanese stylist and designer living in France, Masami Akatsuka. It currently hovers below the lamp in his bedroom and he absolutely adores it.  Masami has a website shop, Cocon, and her work is utterly collectable whether you are considering a gift for a young friend or member of the family, or just love beautiful things.. On Sunday 14th September, there is another Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair in London.  I am a complete sucker for most things 50s, and have been to a couple of these Fairs in the past where I managed to pick up some really fun (and very wearable) clothing and fabric.  Considering the quality and workmanship that went into most clothing 50 years ago, the prices are remarkably reasonable - definitely worth a visit if you are in town. Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair To be perfectly honest, I don't follow many blogs, but I am a great fan of Austin Kleon, whose book, Steal Like an Artist, was a revelation (I gave a couple of copies away to crafter friends who are now also fans).  In his last post he published a quote from John Green, whose most recent novel, The Fault in Our Stars, became TIME’s #1 fiction book of the year.   I think his words apply as much to artists and crafters as they do to would-be writers: "Don’t make stuff because you want to make money — it will never make you enough money. And don’t make stuff because you want to get famous — because you will never feel famous enough. Make gifts for people — and work hard on making those gifts in the hope that those people will notice and like the gifts. Maybe they will notice how hard you worked, and maybe they won't - and if they don't notice, it may be frustrating, but ultimately that doesn't change a thing - because your responsibility is not to the people you're making the gift for but to the gift itself."   A stitcher and quilter I have long admired, Cas Holmes, whose consistently beautiful work has won numerousawards rather than money (I'm guessing) down the years is currently visiting Australia where Glenys Mann of Fibre Arts Australia has organised various exhibitions for her, one at Warwick Art Gallery, Queensland - I suggest you get there to see it if you can, you won't be disappointed. If can't travel to Australia for an exhibition  just at the moment but you're into things small and beautiful, you might like this tiny, vintage shirt discovered recently at a local brocante.  Made of finest voile and perfect in every detail, this is a shirt-maker's prototype that would have been shown to potential customers as an example of the finished, full-size man's shirt.  $40 (£29) I'd like to buy this item