Lush Designs in Greenwich

Yesterday I shared which of the lampshades I bought for our top spare bedroom from Lush Designs, today I'm sharing more from their shop. And just look how much we had to choose from.

Even in black and white you can tell the choice wasn't easy. Let alone when you add in the colour and which designs come in which colour.

Thankfully though the people at Lush Designs know their stuff, they know what comes in what without looking it up and can guide you on actually making a decision. I guess they must be used to people unsure just which of their designs to choose!

It's not just lampshades though, there's a whole range of tins, trays, mugs and much more than I could mention. Each has their unique feel to it. 

They even sell their materials, and I was very tempted by this remnant box left casually by the till. I resisted on this occasion but the danger is, now I know it's there!

The other thing that I know I'll be back for at some point is these notebooks. Again my trouble will be choosing which one to go for.  Maybe I'll just add one of these to my Christmas list and leave the decision to someone else!

And you don't have to live close to Greenwich to be able to own any of these fab items as you can order online. I've not tried the online service - I don't need to as I just wander down from Blackheath but I can vouch for the items, they're fantastic.

And as well as the lampshades I shared yesterday I also bought these fabulous oven gloves. They're replacing some with a hole in so while I should be using them, I haven't yet managed to bring myself to use them just yet. I'm still admiring them instead!

Aren't my new oven gloves just lush? #lushdesigns #greenwich #ovengloves

A photo posted by Stephanie Robinson (@lifeat139a) on Oct 23, 2015 at 5:08am PDT

Love This #62: A Christmas tree Turkey from Fine Cell

This is another post from my visit to MADE London, and this time it's about the one thing that I bought that evening. Yes, I bought a turkey!

Last night at MADE London, I bought a turkey...

A photo posted by Stephanie Robinson (@lifeat139a) on Oct 23, 2015 at 12:30am PDT

And despite the comments that it wouldn't feed many, I do think it's rather cute. There were plenty to choose from and in the end I went for the one above with the tweed body.  I want to tell you about the organisation that's behind this and much more.

"Fine Cell Work is a social enterprise that teaches needlework to prison inmates, enabling them to learn a useful skill, make beautiful objects and re-enter society with the independence they need to stop re-offending."

The text above is from their website and it was interesting to hear more about their work that evening. It seems odd to encourage crafts like this, but I know just how calming I find crafts so I can see why this would be a good thing in this type of environment, for all inmates. And I can't help but think it's more conducive to a calmer prison life than other activities, knives and hot, steamy and potentially fraught kitchens spring to mind.

As well as the turkey ornaments I fell for, there were christmas puddings and acorns. And that wasn't all; the SWAG bags raised a smile and the cushions were just beautiful.

This takes place in prisons all across the UK. Inmates are taught and supported by volunteers from the Embroiderers and Quilters Guild and the creative needlework is undertaken in the long hours spent in their cells, and aims to foster hope, discipline and self-esteem. 

The prisoners are paid for their work, which is sold around the world. Some like those I saw at MADE London are perfect for unique handmade gifts, others are pieces for interior design commissions and others heritage pieces for organisations such as the V&A, English Heritage and Tate Modern amongst others.

This year I'll be proudly hanging my turkey on my tree.

3 Ceramicists at MADE London

In my MADE London post last week I said there'd be more, and today there is. I also admitted a weakness for ceramics, so when I realised there were another three ceramicists and their fabulous makes to share, I thought perhaps I should get on with it. So here they are.

1. Ramp Ceramics

Ramp stands for Roop and Al Make Pots, and they started this just down the road from me in Deptford before moving to Devon, in fact not that far away from where we visited at the start of the month. Roop generally makes the pots and Al decorates them, and they make a range of functional and one-off decorative work in earthenware & porcelain.

I'll admit it was the size of the pots that caught my eye, and then when I got closer I was hooked on the detailed designs with their dark colours. The detail is amazing.

The earthenware pot below was my favourite. Isn't it fab? You can see more of their lovely designs on their website - RAMP Ceramics.

MY FAVOURITE RAMP CERAMICS POT

2. Elizabeth Renton

Elizabeth's ceramics were completely different, although they too are beautiful, contemporary and functional tableware.  Elizabeth too is based in London, this time West London but was born and brought up in Yorkshire. Each of her pieces is made by hand and therefore completely unique, on her website she says "I throw simple forms on the wheel then alter and decorate when leather hard. I use Sgraffito, incised lines and grooves."

It was the natural colours that drew my attention and the artful display, and those tea pots on that shelf - just beautiful. You can see more of Elizabeth's work on her website - Elizabeth Renton.

3. Sue Pryke

The final of the three ceramicists I'm sharing today is Sue Pryke and her designs are different once again. It seems I don't have a style of ceramics that I like, I just like them all! For me it's the simplicity of Sue's designs that I liked, and the muted blue and grey colours. The shapes too, they're simple but very functional.

On her website Sue says "I wanted to create a my own collection of objects that sit comfortably in the home, that aren't awkward, audacious or tricky to use or care for, but are familiar, have fluency and sit effortlessly." Job done, I say. 

Aren't they great? And the shelf - MOH was very taken with that well Sue's husband makes those. You can see more of Sue's designs on her website - Sue Pryke.

I liked each of these makers and their designs and it was great to speak to each of them. So for me the MADE London show confirmed that I have a ceramics weakness, and if you made me choose I think I'd just have to have them all!  Which would you choose?

Disclaimer: I was given free entry to the MADE London show in return for this review, however all words and opinions are my own.