Don't need but want them...

Thursday 26 April 2012

I have more chairs than I actually need, but keep finding new ones that would love to bring home, my boyfriend said than in order to buy new ones I should sell some of the old ones, but I can't, I am too attach to them, plus I use them for the photoshoots. A few days ago, I spotted this green beauties in Ebay, and really fall for them, they are 60's and totally retro, umm...should I get them? they are a bit expensive, around £260, but I know they will look gorgeous in the living room, If I get them, I would need a bigger and new table, so it is the never ending story of me, buying things for the house. 

Las night browsing the glorious april and may blog I came across this photo, and surprise surprise these chairs look very much like the ones I saw in Ebay, don't you think? either they are a new design based on the 60's chairs or they have been renovated? Either ways I think they are super smart and I want them.  Well enough of me talking shopping, off I am to the Sania Pell new book launch at Liberty, and for some market research on a few new products we are working on. Nice day!!

Gubi is in my wish list

Tuesday 24 April 2012

Hola hola, nice weekend? Mine was spent sanding and stripping layers of paint from some old pieces of furniture I recently bought, in between sporadic rain over the two days. You see, when your budget is quite reduced and you have to choose between an Ikea plan chest that you have to assemble yourself (I dislike this very much) or an old Victorian chest that will gain value within the years, but it is in a desperate state of restoring, I choose the second. But after 2 days of sore hands, arms, back and legs, I am not sure I have chosen the right pieces, Ikea would have done just fine.

To the contrary if I had a lot of money kept underneath my mattress I would happily get some of Gubi's pieces.  The chairs and lamps have kept me dreaming for sometime now. I guess my style is define by my budget, if this last one was much bigger I would choose cleaner, and more contemporary pieces, all mix up with some of my old favorites. What about you? What style do you go for? do you tend to compromise much when it comes to decorating your home?

By the way I am in love with the styling too, well done Gubi and its designers!
(Images Gubi)

British illustration by Alice Potter

Friday 20 April 2012

I have been meaning to draw my cat Missi for quite sometimes, but I must admit I am not very good at it, I have lost practice over the years, and I wouldn't  know where to start as I don't have a very defined style, that is why I am taken sometime to think and draw the next collection, it might take longer than I would like but I want to enjoy the process, and mature the ideas, you see, launching a collection is expensive and time consuming, and it is there to stay for a very long time, so I will make sure I am happy with it before I release it. In the meantime I will keep enjoying and promoting other people's work that catch my eye. I like Alice's work, specially the animal's illustration, the fish print is my favorite, much better in real life, I met her lat week at the Homespun event and we got chatting away about Etsy, work, etc...

Have a nice weekend, and make the most of the good weather, if there is any, wherever you are.





 Cotton tea towel, note books and many more products and illustrations available at her etsy shop.

Selina Lake Homespun Style book

Thursday 19 April 2012

Eternal Winter in London...still raining, still grey, still cold... totally feels like Winter, but hey, wait a minute it is April! and then I wonder why I need my breaks back home, in my sunny and warm little island. I keep motivating myself by buying yellow and red tulips, wearing colourful scarfs and jumpers, eating plenty of biscuits, chocolate and looking at pretty interiors filled with gorgeous textiles and homewares. 

Last week I went to the launch of Selina lake's latest book and all the sudden I found myself in a hall full of pink, red, blue, green, you name it, I felt instantly at home and very cosy. I saw some of my friends, Lynne from tea for joy, Bianca from kissher, Zeena from heartzeena and Clare from clare nicolson, they were selling their gorgeous products alongside other very talented makers/designers. 

I had the chance to browse the Homespun Style book with photography by Debi Treloar, and it looks just as you would expect by its cover, colourful, vintage, personal and with a touch of homemade that is characteristic of Selina's style. I own several books of her and always go back to them for inspiration. Here are some images of the book spreads and launch event, I did not take my camera, so photos are from different visitors and designers.


  THE EVENT  
papermash's products, I bought some tapes, note books and doilies

 Clare Nicolson's products


Heart Zeena's textiles
Photos: Zeena, Clare, Selina and  Skin & Blister

fabrika new shop/gallery in Greece

Monday 16 April 2012

Nice weekend? mine was good fun, I turned 41 on Saturday, and oh dear I feel each year of it, some people say that age is just a number, but I am sorry to break the news to you, it is not true haha...age is REAL! Anyway back to blogging...

I love discovering new shops with cute products and run by creative talented people, just like fabrika, a new shop gallery that have just opened in Athens, Greece. This new space is run by Evrydiki and it is filled with handmade products from all over the world. I am very happy to see my coat hooks in her new shop, next to the other beautiful products that she has sourced from different designers and artists. So if you happen to live in Athens or are planing to visit the capital, make sure to pop around, I am sure you will find something cute to take home with you. Good luck with the new shop Evrydiki!

Homespun Style Book Launch Party & Market

Thursday 12 April 2012

Coming along to the Homespun market event, where Selina Lake will be presenting her latest book alongside a well chosen selection of very talented designers and shops. I have already made my shopping list...more information at her blog, and please please weather stay dry and sunny.

Nice mention at Mollie Makes magazine

Have you heard of Mollie Makes? possibly the best craft magazine out here right now, well at least in the UK and to my knowledge. I must admit that craft magazines don't normally appeal to me, maybe because of their very dated design or content, so when I first saw Mollie I was smitten by it. It has a very contemporary design, beautiful layout and typography, gorgeous content, and in tune with what is currently happening in the design and craft world. It is an interesting mix of interiors, craft projects, vintage finds, designer's products, maker's profiles, etc...I been longing for a publication of this kind, so welcome Mollie, and I hope you are here to stay and support the amazing designers/makers/crafter community that is out there, Long life to Mollie! Get your subscription here or follow their adventures at their blog.

So imaging how happy I am to see the wooden hooks and knobs being featured in the latest issue of the magazine, out from tomorrow. The products are doing very well, Gassy and I have developed 4 new designs and a new colour to be launched at Pulse this June.

SPRING OFFER

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Thanks for the comments about the logo design, here and in facebook, it does really helps a lot to see other people's choices and opinions. 

I am working toward the next trade show in June, Pulse, and are stopping some of the products to make room for new ones. I won't be launching many new things, just 4 new hooks and knobs designs, the butterfly cushion, and perhaps a new product Gassy and I are working together, there is only so much I can design/make at the same time I run the business. 

The prints have been doing very well, but has decided to stop the yellow version of the chesterfield and keep the black outline only. I print and make in small batches, I love screen printing, specially on paper, and now that the sun is out even more. There are only 10 units left of this one, if fancy follow this link to the shop and enter the discount code YELLOWCHESTERFIELD to get the disocounted price of £15.

Re-branding, a desperate designer...

Tuesday 10 April 2012

Hello hello, I am Marga, a desperate designer by now...I can't look at these logos any longer. I am re-branding chocolate creative, and designing the new logo, website, and blog, but man, I am finding it very difficult. I rather work for someone else than for myself. I would like to keep the logo, simple, and just play with the typography, and save the chocolate bombom elements for decorating the site, blog etc...As the products are handmade, I like the handmade quality fonts, but love the cleaner and fresher swiss font too. Since the collections are quite busy and full of colour I feel the logo has to be mono-crone and simple, not to clash with the products, and be adaptable to all the uses. My favorite so far is the 3th choice, but can not make my mind up, and the developer needs to have it by today. 
PLEASE any feedback on these logos would be very very welcome, I need an honest opinion. Thanks from a nearly gone mad designer...


My blue porcelain collection keeps growing...

Sunday 8 April 2012

It must have been 3 years ago when I first fell in love with this blue china style, don't ask me what style, or maker they are from. I don't have a great knowledge of antiques, I just buy what I like and find interesting, obviously I don't make a good collector. I know some of these are very very old, and the patterns quite unique, so I must have not done so bad after all. I use them for styling and serving cakes and bread when people come around for dinners. The collection keeps growing, with tea and sugar pots that use to put my jewellery etc...When weather gets better I will start going to carboot sales and antique fairs in the look for more gorgeous pieces to bring home.


Do you collect, if so what is it? There is this new site called fyndesters, where you can upload photos of your collections and share them with the world, check it out, very easy and good fun to use.

Telling stories with Sian Zeng's range of wallpapers

Tuesday 3 April 2012

Before flying to Gran canaria, I had the great opportunity of working with designer and friend Sian Zeng, and photographer Richard Clatworthy, in these photos for her new range of wallpapers. She asked me to help with the styling of the photos, and I must confess that I was a bit nervous as I am used to style my own work and photoshoots, but has never done it for some else, or work with another photographer apart of Piero, but I enjoyed every minute of it, sourcing the furniture, the props, the dress, and overall being part of it.

I met Sian three years ago at her degree show at Central San Martin, and have been friends since them, I love her work and sense of story telling through her drawings and collections, my favorite are the magnetic wallpaper collection, it is like a fairy tale, full of magical characters, and beautiful drawings, my picks has to be the flying pig, the hedgehog, and the mystery houses.

I am thinking of getting the blue version for my bedroom, they come as normal wallpaper or as magnetic, and your choice of magnets.
The little girl was so good to work with, we played fun games while working together.
The hedgehog was a bit spooky, I dropped him once, as I was holding him, stuffed animals are not my specialty, but must admit he grew on me, and got to like him at the end.
The magnets are the cutest thing, they complement the wallpapers to perfection, 
you can even write small messages on them and combine to make up your own story.
My white chair and vases together with some old pieces 
we borrowed from a soft furnishing business.

Photos: Wallpapers Sian Zeng, Photos Richard Clatworthy, styling Margarita Lorenzo

Inspiration from Fired Earth

Monday 2 April 2012

I have been waiting for the good weather to arrive to start redecorating my room and studio/office, plus restoring/painting some old pieces of furniture I recently found, but since the weather is so erratic in London, (on Friday I as walking in a T-shirt and yesterday I was wearing my Winter coat, scarf and gloves again), I will start as soon as I get some spare time. Browsing Brightbazaar blog, I came across photos of one of my favorites paint/tiles UK based companies, Fired Earth. They always inspired me when thinking of colour scheme, although I don't need much help as I know what I want, moody grey and blue/green for the walls, and darker grey and blue for the furniture. 

 Great styling, choice of furniture and wall paint.
 Fresh turquoise
 Tiles for my new future bathroom, when budget allows, soon I hope... 
Simply gorgeous, perfect grey and yellow combination, and what about the fifties lamp and chairs, 
can I have them please?
(photos by Fired Earth)