chocolate creative team up with mydeo.com

Thursday 31 March 2011

Fancy wining one of my latest print? chocolate creative has team up with mydeo.com to offer this competition. All you have to do is follow this link to the facebook page and vote for your favorite print. Good luck with it!!! please do let me know if you win...

Of cabbages & kings market

Free this weekend?? Fancy some good quality design products, delicious cakes and tea? Then head to the Of cabbages & kings Market, up in Stoke Newington, North London. Kate and me, spent a Saturday afternoon, admiring the different products for sell, and discovering new shops around the area, including the of cabbages & kings shop itself. She will be selling her gorgeous products at this weekend's market, together with many more talented designers/crafters, shame I could not make it, as I am flying to Spain on Monday, and need to leave a lot of stock ready before flying home.

Kate Clarke London colorful and fresh products

The gorgeous of Cabbages & Kings shop

Gorgeous illustrations by seventy tree
They will be at the market as well, so no excuses to miss their cute work.

Monday 28 March 2011

The Cameos and Love message prints have been selling very well, specially the Deer Cameos. What is it about the deer image that is so attractive?? It is my favorite so far, soon to come in a mug and new cushions!! I have expanded the prints selection to include the Decayed Glamour collection, there are 5 different designs to choose from, all hand silk screen printed by me at my home/studio in London.
(Photos by Piero Pierini)

Tuesday 22 March 2011

13 years I have been in London, and never have visited the Geffrye Museum before, that is bad!! considering it is a bus ride away from home, free to visit and about a subject I adore, interiors. Saturday, was a sunny glorious day in London, so decided to venture to East London to discover a bit more about this area and the Museum. The venue is the right size, have gorgeous gardens, entrance, and rooms exploring each period of the English Middle Class houses and their decorations, different styles, ways of living etc...

The beginning of the Interiors books and magazines, so funny to discover this little book and how everything started...

I have actually seems cameos such as these, in an antique fair outside London, did not have enough money to get them at the time...
Great examples of William Morris patterns and fabrics...Love this pink lamp and sofa!
Coffee tables form different periods, Art Deco and Mid Century...I totally recommend a visit to the Museum, and near by areas of Columbia Road, Brick Lane, etc...better avoid Sundays, it is mad around there!

Decorate Book Launch party in London

Back in February I blogged about the Decorate Book press breakfast I had the opportunity to attend. Not only I met the authors in person and other very nice bloggers but got a signed copy by Holly Becker from Decor 8, in my hands to take home. I can not tell you enough, how much I like this book, every time I open it, I find new ideas and gorgeous photos, the quotes are very good too!! So imaging how disappointed I am, as I won't be in London for the Launch Party at Liberty on April 13th, as I am going to be back in Gran Canaria till end of April, so will miss the party, and the chance to chat to Holly, and many other great people who would be at the party.

If you wish to attend this event here are some details, or visit Holly's blog, for more info:

4-4:30 p.m. Meeting with the press. Please RSVP to: liz.somers@jacquismallpub.com with Decorate Press Event in the subject line and in the body of the email please indicate the magazine, newspaper, blog, etc.

6 p.m. I’ll be speaking in the Heritage room. Please RSVP to libertyevents@liberty.co.uk with Decorate Talk in the subject line. Only a limited number can attend so please confirm your attendance as soon as possible.

7 p.m. Reception and book signing along with a styling demonstration in the new Liberty Dining Room, please RSVP to libertyevents@liberty.co.uk with Decorate Demo/Signing in the subject line.

If you make it, let me know how was it, enjoy the book, the authors and Liberty, (one of my favorites spot in London).

First chocolate creative Newsletter out!

I am very glad to have managed to send out the first chocolate creative newsletter!! It feels like a big achievement, and it really is. I am also delighted to welcome Geri from cherry blossom tree blog on board, as she would be dealing with the Marketing and PR of the company. From here I thank Geri for all her help so far, and specially with the creation of our first Newsletter!! Follow this link, if you wish to keep updated with news, discounts, offers and events/shows, from chocolate creative.

My LOVE for all vintage...

Monday 14 March 2011

Nice weekend? I hope so, weather is improving, flowers, trees changing...I feel so much more energetic...Winter has been hard, I know it is a beautiful season, but I don't cope well with cold weather and short grey days...after all I was born in a sunny island.

I Love vintage toys and furniture, and for a while have been meaning to ask Kate to bring these gorgeous toys and chairs, all the way from Norwich to London so I could use them in the photo shoot of the children's cushion collection. And here there are!!! Thanks Kate for lending them for the photos, I am very happy with the result, they complement the cushions designs very well and make great photos. Kate and me love going to second hand and antiques shops to look for bargains and gems to bring home, Norwich wait for me I am coming soon...

(Photos by Piero Pierini)

Why I BLOG...

Wednesday 9 March 2011

Sometimes I think what is the point of blogging when there are 1000s of amazing blogs dedicated to the same subject as mine out there?? Specially when I have been very busy, and the pressure of keeping up with the posts increase by the day...All started back in Nov 2008 when Kate (since them, Kate has became a wonderful mum to Ella and Alice and have moved to Norwich, so she is not with chocolate creative blog anymore), decided to open an account with blogger and convinced me that it was a good idea to create our own diary of things we like, and are interested in. Well after a little while I got hooked and here I am, still blogging!!

I do it out of curiosity and passion for design, craft, interiors, etc... I used to talk more about other people's work than my own, never really felt like showing what I do, or bits of my personal life, but as things have evolved, and the blog is somehow connected to my business and myself, I decided that I would start mentioning and showing more and more the creative process behind my work, and a bit about my personal life, as Margarita is chocolate creative and vice-versa.

Blogging, has given me the opportunity of meeting very nice people, some of who I have met personally, and other who I have an online friendship and connection, people who live far from me, and have similar views and interests.
A while ago I read this post by Holly from Decor 8, and this morning came across this post by Jen from Made by the Girl, and this one by Get it Girl Style, and wanted to express my views on the subject. I am not a competitive person at all, when studying Fine Art (design), I disliked the competition around so much, that I would go as far as I could from arrogant and mean people. I am not going to lie if I say that I don't expect comments in my posts, as that is how I connect with people out there, I love reading them, and following back to their blogs, making comments etc...So many times I keep leaving comments in some of my favorites blogs, and never never get their comments in return, never mind, I won't stop following them for that reason, as long as they keep posting about things that I like I would keep going back to their blogs, regardless if they think that my blog is not worth a comment!!

I would only blog if I have something to say or show, I don't do it daily as I run a business, that takes almost all my time, plus sometimes I don't have anything interesting to say or show, so if you don't see me around that much, is for these reasons, as said I LOVE blogging and would continue doing as long as I keep enjoying it, I won't put any more pressure on it, (and please excuse my spelling and grammar, I am Spanish, and English is only my second language!

By the way, I would love to hear your thoughts on this matter, why do you blog?
Kisses from sunny Peckham, London

Today I am inspired by Luis Kerch paintings

Tuesday 8 March 2011

It has been unusually sunny in London, still very cold for my standards, but Spring is somehow coming our way...These paintings by artist Luis Kerch have really put a smile on my face. Totally love the way he mixs colors and textures to create this beautiful and magical landscapes. He lives with his wife, Victoria, and kids in Kent, so I hope to see his art in person one day soon, maybe in London?? I hope so, he is very talented! All I need, is to sell a lot of cushions to get one of his paintings!

Above: my favorite piece