INTRODUCING the new CASAS design

Saturday 29 June 2013

Hello all, how are things? I hope well, and enjoying the weekend, good at this end. I am back in London, happy to be at home, working from my studio, with Missi beside me, (I have missed him so much), and mum downstairs watching Spanish TV. Sun decided to come out and we have almost recovered from the long trip and cleaning the house.

I am happy to introduce the NEW casas tea towels, they are hand printed on Union linen, and come in 3 different colours, black, fluro pink and olive green. The design is inspired on my drawings of the old houses back home and the hydraulic tiles. I am launching them in TENT LONDON, this September, but since the stock is ready I have uploaded them to the online shop.

I am very happy with the photos, Piero and I took before I went to Gran Canaria. We did so much in 1 day, but managed to get some good shoots. Well I hope you like them, different colours to recreate different looks, black for a more minimalist look, or green and pink for a rustic and retro look, or simply mix and match. They are the perfect touch to update the kitchen!

Images Piero Pierini 

SUMMER EATING – THE SPANISH WAY...

Monday 24 June 2013

Hello sunny Monday, nice weekend? I hope it was as nice as it was for me. Last night we celebrated the beginning of Summer, according to our Spanish tradition "La noche de San Juan (Bonfires of Saint John)", with a gorgeous full moon, dancing on the beach, and making wishes.

And as Summer is upon us, the way we do things, live, dress and eat change according to the warmer weather, and longer days (hoping to get some of this on my return to London). I have been wanted to share with you all, my friends' new business in Barcelona, Mr Frank and the Butis. This new venture is a mobile food catering idea in the form of a van, that sells in a very stylist way the culinary concept of eating the traditional butifarras, a delicious Catalan Sausage, but HELLO in very new and fun way.

I met Pilar, (pictured above) many many years back at Uni, when we were studying graphic design in Barcelona. She is a top designer, and you can tell by the great image they have created for Mr Frank. I love the brand they have designed around the product. The name, the graphics, the typography, the clothing, van, packaging, etc...Not only they have looked after the product's quality, but the presentation, which is equally important. Follow them in facebook, to find out where they will be next, you can find them at music events, etc...If you are in Barcelona and are looking to add some style and fun to your event, get in touch with them, I am sure you will love it, where for me, I am hoping to get my teeth in 1 or 2 of this butifarras as soon as I am in Barcelona, hopefully this year. 
Love the sunny photos, and the style, I hope to be eating one of the butifarras very soon...
Well done Pilar and Natxi, and good luck with Mr Frank!

Wishing you a sunny weekend

Friday 21 June 2013

It is hot and sunny over here, but just the right temperature, not very hot, just pleasant, hot enough to be on the beach and to seat to draw some cactus and plants that my mother has outside the house. I don't tend to go to the beach before 4pm, as I am very concern about the sun and my skin. I had a mole removed a few years ago from my arm, and my complexion has changed lots since I moved to London fifteen years ago, so needless to say that people think I am foreign due to my luck of tan...haha...
Coming to Gran Canaria, doesn't mean holidays to me, I just carry on with what I was doing in London, but in a more relaxed way. Having this amazing weather and the beach near by, makes a huge difference. I have been super busy, working towards my next trade show, TENT LONDON, updating the website, sewing and making bags and purses with my mother, meeting creative people over here and organising work. Today I have finally started to draw some plants, I have this idea in my head for the next collection, but very little time to play with it. 
Listening to my old The Cure album, a classic, I have always loved this band. Chair I got for €7, I know, I couldn't believe it when I saw it in a second hand market, here in the South of the island. Vintage hawaiian shirt €3 tacky but I love it, goes well with my yellow scarf, new bags with neon straps and flip flops.

Have and amazing weekend, I hope weather is good where ever you are, it makes such a difference in our lives...I am off to the capital to meet some friends and collect some leather straps for the new bags. See you on Monday!

PERFECT PROPORTIONS BY STUDIO ABATON

Wednesday 19 June 2013

One of the first things I do when I get to Spain is to buy the interior magazines I don't get to see in the UK. Browsing Spanish title 'Interiores' I came across this beautiful house built and furnished by the Architectural Studio Abaton.
This house, called Casa Oviedo, is a gorgeous example of the projects the studio get to built. Houses with simple and perfect proportions and in tune with its surroundings. Open spaces, filled with light and air, and an interesting mix of vintage furniture that match very well the new pieces. Natural wood, big format photography, white walls, and plenty of space, make up this beautiful house, I wouldn't change a thing, to me it is totally PERFECT. Their portfolio is filled with more amazing houses, interiors and projects, well done Abaton!
Photos by Belen Imaz

A GORGEOUS HOUSE AND HAPPY PAINTINGS BY HADOS

Wednesday 12 June 2013

Hola from sunny Gran Canaria, where I currently staying, working and enjoying the sunshine, family,  friends and landscape. I haven't been on the beach yet, hopefully after lunch I will have some time to go for a long walk and get a bit of tan... While back here, I try to visit and see as many people as I can. Yesterday I spent the day at the capital, Las Palmas, with Lucia, and later on went off to Elena and Alvaro's (from Hados), gorgeous house up in one of the most beautiful parts of the island, Tafira. We were talking about our businesses, future plans, creative work, and life in general. I totally fall in love with their house, surroundings and art. They both are artists on their own right, and as a duo work under the Hado's brand, (see more of their work in this previous post).
 
Some snaps of their home and paintings by Elena. I love her work, and style, the house is filled with colour and simple pieces that makes the space feels cosy and welcoming.
Above, a painting by Alvaro, and some more snaps of the exterior of the house and garden area. Great mix of old wood doors, combined with some neon/fluro touches. Thanks Elena and Alvaro for having me, and giving me the opportunity to visit the area and see the paintings.

NEW PRODUCTS AND PHOTOSHOOT

Monday 3 June 2013

Hello everybody, nice weekend? Another week has gone flying and I am counting the days to go home. Flying in a few days, so has to leave all photos and new products ready. Today, Piero and I have been taken the photos of the new products, a micro desk wood accessories, consisting of various pencil holders and a desk organiser. Gassy and I started to work on this ideas over a year ago, so I am very pleased to finally show the final result. 

I will be launching them in TENT in September, maybe I can have them ready in the shops soon, but still have to work on the packaging, pricing, etc...Launching new products takes a long time, there are a lot of things to take in consideration...I won't bother you with the details, so I leave you with some photos we took today, I hope you like them. Piero and I are extremely tired and not having the best time right now, but somehow we managed to produce some nice shoots, I guess out of desperation and pressure to get things done.

Photos by Piero Pierini, styling chocolate creative