Village Underground

These old tube carriages on top of a building in east London have been converted into studios for artists and designers. Looks pretty cosy inside. If working in one of these is anything like sitting on the running tube I hope they have air-conditioning in the summer.

Penny door

Not your average door. I walked by this place on the weekend in East London. I'm sure there's some fascinating reason for the copper coin decoration, I just don't know what it is.

DIY City Mag - London Issue

Thanks to Guest Editor Sara who included me and my work in this issue and even on the cover! It features some great crafty places in London & Brighton, and many wonderful artists and designers.

V & A Friday Late

Well, I went off to the late opening and activities of the Victoria & Albert Museum's monthly Friday Late "Metal Rocks" last week. As you might be able to tell the theme was jewellery and music.

Here's some bits'n'bobs I picked up on my way round - a decorate-it-yourself edible ring, a t-shirt charm, a little wooden fish (that I fished with a rod from a barrel) and oddly enough a spring.

A tower of shiny discs each personalised by a Friday Later. Mine's the one in the middle, not that you can make out anything much in the photo :) And in the most beautiful room in the building which is part of the cafe people were playing RockStar (below).

It was great to be in the museum late and a DJ in the foyer playing 80s/90s power ballads was pretty fab.

Coffee, amusements & chips

Coffee, amusements & chips, originally uploaded by janicejs.

Here's what became of my earlier "Work-in-Progress". All bright and colourful, not exactly how I'd describe my own high street even though it was the influence for this. A yellow sky is always nicer than the grey one that's been hovering over London the past couple days.

Coffee, amusements & chips, pretty good things to have.

Now in the shop.

London scribbling

Something from an old, old sketchbook today with a little added colour. All pretty obvious bits of London in a quick scribble.

This weekend I'll be heading into the city to check out the annual Open House weekend when 100s of buildings both old and new that you wouldn't usually have access to open their doors to the public. The hard part is choosing which ones to go to in such a short time.

* We Make London *

Amendment 6th May: I will no longer be taking part in this but if you're about please go along and support some wonderful indie artists and designers.

On 22nd June 2008 I will be venturing outside of the online marketplace and making my 1st foray into "live" selling at new art & craft event We Make London at Dragon Hall, Covent Garden.

"We Make is a collection of trendy UK designers who until now have only been able to buy and sell online and in exclusive boutiques. We Make London is the first of what we plan to be many shows which will showcase the talents and designs of the We Make team. You won’t find We Make on the high street."

For more info please visit: The We Make blog

This is a piece from 1 of more than 25 artists & designers who will be taking part. And who I'll be sharing a stall with.

LazyGiraffe

Snow and Sun

How wrong I was in my last post when I wrote that spring had arrived.

This is the sight I woke up to on Sunday.

For a bit of sun, I thought I'd share a bit of fab illustration from a book featuring comic & animation artists of China that I picked up at a book fair in Hong Kong.

I love that little town with it's distinctly European feel.

Doing a little decor8-ing

Thank you to Holly of decor8 for including my work in her Etsy Take Five Tuesday.

What a thrill!

On a less exciting but still nice little side note, it looks like Spring may have finally arrived in London. I look forward to not wearing a coat and sitting in the local park.

Roll on Summer...

Playtime in the Street

I was just looking back over some old photos and came across this. London's Oxford Street on 2nd December 2006 when the whole street was pedestrianised and acrobats and characters of all sorts paraded.

My favorite place in the world! Well, one of them.

Right, just moving my little bit of self-promotion down.

I give you....
.....the V&A, or The Victoria and Albert Museum.

This has to be one of the best sites in London, chock-a-block full of a multitude of fascinating objects from all over the world, and IT'S FREE!



It's the perfect place when in need of inspiration.