I would like to thank everybody who came to our event last Sunday at The Glebe House in Clapham. Alix, Lisa, Lynne, Virginia and I really appreciate your company, purchases and interest in our work.

It is doubting to organise a free gathering as you don't know if people will turn up. On the Sunday morning I arrived at the house hoping that people will come along and join us in our cosy and fun event. Considering the amount of similar markets happening in the capital and near by, I am very pleased to say that we got a nice turn up. We did our best advertising it, we even did door-to-door leafleting on a few cold evenings. Sometimes I find smaller events better and more successful, especially if they take part in nice charming spaces. 

Above my stand with a few of chocolate creative products, the purses, tea towels, lavender sachets and tea light holders were the most popular. Below Roddy & Ginger beautiful products, her aprons, cushions and cards were a success. 

 As part of the Christmas market, we had some fun workshops running. Lisa Stickley spent hours teaching children how to make collages and draw pictures, while she read them her new book.

In the next room, Lynne run some nice workshops on how to make natural gifts and wrapping presents. People got creative and made some niece pieces. The little boy in the picture made the most, he had so much fun, and took part in all the events, clever little boy!

The fabric bunting is mine, my mother made it this Summer with designs from my English romantic collection. If I were to sell it, it would be the most expensive bunting around, the fabrics costs a lot of money to print and are of very good quality.

Below, some samples of natural gift making and presents wrapping by Lynne from Papermash.

Christmas Market @The Glebe House London

I have organsied together with some very talented ladies a Christmas market at The Glebe House, in Clapham Old Town. There would be some stalls selling beautiful gifts and workshops for adults and children. You can expect to see handmade accessories from Virginia Roddy & Ginger and myself chocolate creative, plus workshops run by Lynne Papermash and Lisa Stickley. If you live in London, don't miss this opportunity to spend a day making fun handmade things and a bit of shopping too! FREE entry to the market, If you are thinking of booking a workshop, I recommend to pre-book it, as there are limited places in each of them. For more details, prices and booking please follow this link.

Bright Friday: give back on black Friday

I have something very nice to share with you all. This Friday, November 27th, I’m collaborating with independent brands papermash and Sian Zeng on Bright Friday. As an alternative to Black Friday discounts we’re donating 15% of sales on Friday to Doctors of the World UK, a small charity who offer vital healthcare to vulnerable groups, primarily refugees across Europe, in Calais, Lesbos in Greece and in Germany. In London, they run a clinic in Bethnal Green who serve groups who feel uncomfortable accessing traditional GP surgeries; the homeless, refugees and sex workers. A friend who works at one of the largest aid agencies really recommended them to me as a smaller charity who are doing great work (they’ve been in the Calais camps for a long time) and who would really benefit from our support.

Here’s a comment from the Executive Director of Doctors of the World, Leigh Daynes: “By supporting Bright Friday you are directly helping refugees, who are fleeing conflicts and war zones and are in search of a better life, even more urgent as we move into the winter and conditions deteriorate. To find out more please visit www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk.”

There are some items from our shops below, and you can visit our Bright Friday website for more info as well as our shops. We’d love it if you could help share the word too, via Twitter and Instagram, (@brightfridayuk). If you don’t want to buy anything, we don’t mind at all but please consider texting DOCTOR to 70660 to donate £3 directly (plus network charge.) The charity has been super supportive of our little idea and we’d love to make it a great fundraiser for them.

Thanks to all for taking the time to read this post and thanks in advance if you decide to take part in this event.

Bright Friday | chocolate creative | papermash | Sian Zeng | Doctors of the World

CHOCOLATE CREATIVE AT THE ETSY-WEST ELM POP- UP IN LONDON

Hello and how is everybody? I hope well and enjoying the sunshine that we are having lately!!
February has been a very busy month and it seems March would continue the trend...

I am very happy to announce that I am going to take part in the first esty pop-up shop at west elm in London. The event has been curated by Arianna and Carole from Heart Home Magazine.  I am really excited to be part of it, and see how big stores such as west elm are doing more and more collaborations with small independent designers/makers/brands.

If you are in London and happen to come along to the event, please come and say hello, I don't know in which area of the shop I would be yet, but I am sure you will find me there!! See you all soon!

TALENTO CANARIO

Last month I had the opportunity to take part in and event called 'Fashion&Friends', back in Gran Canaria, where I am from. I was invited to give some lectures on creative enterprises, and the hows and dos of how to run your own independent design brand/company. As a preview of what was happening, 4 designers were invited to a magazine program on our local TV channel, to talk about the upcoming event and to tell a bit about our own work. Needless to say that the 4 of us were very nervous. I have never appeared on TV and I didn't know if I was going to be able to speak at all, but funny enough we all did very well haha...In the photo above, Charlie de Navarro, Ana Yaiza, Maisu and myself. 

There are certain things that makes me truly happy, and are very close to my heart, Being invited to be part of this event and have the opportunity to share my knowledge with people from my home town, who are starting and want to pursue a creative career, has been a very rewarding experience. GRACIAS to everybody for making me feel very welcome and loved, Antonio, Lucia and so many others for having me there, I really enjoyed it, despite of being a very stressful and busy week, over 30 degrees, 2 planes, and a full on event!

I met Ana Yaiza, at the TV make up room, she was very friendly and chatty, I din't know her work, but hey she knows how to sew!! Love her new range of bags with the wooden handle. 

Charlie de Navarro, yes look closer, they are not photographies but real drawings! that is what I call a talentent illustrator/artist eh? Charlie's work is based on fashion photos he find in editorial, etc...he is as charming as his work, young, cute and a promising artist! 

Maisu, from Tenerife, (where I was born), is the designer behind Va de Vivas, a brand focused on designing and making bags for an urban life.

EAST DULWICH FESTIVAL – CHARLENE MULLEN HOUSE AND WORK

Continuing with my exploring of the open houses/studios as part of the festival, my next stop was at Charlene Mullen's gorgeous house. I met Charlene Mullen back in 2008 when she first exhibited at 100% Design in London. I thought her work was super stunning and I really liked her, she is very friendly,  approachable and down to earth person. 

We live quite close to each other - for London standards - and we always said lets meet for coffee, etc...but we never seem to have the spare time to do it, so I was super pleased to finally come over to her house/studio and have a chat with her, I even got to hold her gorgeous cat, Ralph, (pictured below).  

Above, a view of her studio and selection of her cushions, that you can see spread out in her house. I am sure you recognise her work and have seen it all over the press. She is one of my favourite English designers. You can visit her house/studio next weekend too, as the Festival will be still on, more info at its website. As well as her work you can see and buy the gorgeous extra large ceramics from Daniel Reynolds and the amazing blankets from Eleanor Pritchard.  

OMG, her house is to die for, and the bespoke kitchen, hello give it to me, love the colours, 

cement and wooden floors, the 60's style house and the big windows. 

Photos by me

EAST DULWICH FESTIVAL – COLOUR MAKES PEOPLE HAPPY

Hola, nice weekend? I am back from spending the last three days, not working much and instead socialising like crazy. It was the Dulwich Festival over the weekend, and I visited Pulse yesterday, as some of my friends are exhibiting, (I will post a little review of the show in the next few days). I talk a lot, specially if I am passionate and interested in a subject, so that is what I did, talk and more talk, eat and have fun.
I met with Kate and Lynne on Sunday to do a little exploring of the festival. We started at Simon March's (pictured above) shop, Colours makes people happy. I have known him for a long time, so it is very nice to pop around his shop now and again, to see what he is up to. Simon is such a creative person, full of ideas and skills to put them in place.

His is passionated about colour and has got a great deal of knowledge about paints. Need some advice on what colour to use or some interior advice? He will be happy to help.

Simon's kitchen is as colourful as the rest of the shop. He collects dutch ceramics, home-wares, food packaging, etc...all so cute, I always leave his shop feeling inspired, specially by colour. Next time you are South East of the river, I strongly recommend you to pay him a visit, you will find wall paint, quirky lighting, cushions, paint brushes, wall art, and a long etc...of beautiful objects.

Photos by me 

A MAGICAL DAY AT THE BALLET

What a magical day I had on Saturday, I finally went to see the Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. I cried of happiness and emotion, It was the most beautiful piece I have never seen before, I was very emotional and happy to be there, the Opera House is an amazing building and to share it with my dear friend Juan, who hasn't had an easy life lately and who I haven't seen in more than a year made it even more of an special event. We are both from the islands and have a similar silly sense of humor.

I believe that whoever likes clasical ballet should see this piece at least once in their life. I wasn't blessed with a ballerina body and gave up dancing at an early age, but watching ballet brings me back to that early days and makes me feel super special. I go as often as I can, we are very lucky in the UK to have top dancers, (some of them Spanish), performances, and theaters. We then went for a treat at Carluccios and did some shopping for my new bathroom, hand-wash and cream by L'Occitane, where I could spend a small fortune if I had it...THANKS Juan for such a magical day, for your company and friendship, have you seen the Nutcracker?

DECORATE WORKSHOP BOOK UK LAUNCH

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity of going along to Decor8 author, Holly Becker's second book, Decorate Workshop launch party in London, at the amazing Anthropolie store in Regent Street. They couldn't have chosen a better venue for the launch, well, perhaps a place with more room, as we were so many...I was very pleased that they choose London to present the book and that I was around to come along. I enjoyed her first book very much so was looking forward to get my hands on her second publication, plus seeing her, and everybody else. 

The book is full of gorgeous houses, inspiration and most important, plenty of tips and advices of how to decorate your house. I like how she has structured the information by chapters and the clear and easy to follow design. I share the same aesthetics and views on decorating, my house is anything by minimalist, perhaps if I had more space, minimalist would be a choice...but my love for furniture, homewares, vintage, and having the studio here, makes the space a bit crowed and mad, but I like it this way, it is always evolving and changing.

Love how she has decorated her house in Germany, incorporating a studio and work areas.

I was very pleased to meet Holly again, she is such a nice and warm person, not only I admire her great work and determination, but how charming and interesting she is as a person. She is actually the same as in her blog, natural, clear, creative, honest and funny. The room was packed with a very nice crow, in fact some of my fav bloggers were there, so nice to see them now and again, chat about our work and life in general. I thought I wouldn't have the chance to say hello and have a little chat with her, but I did, I think I was the last person to have the book signed by her.

Holly and Will talking about the book and below we all gathered at the event.

MY DEAR FRIENDS AND TALENTED DESIGNERS 

Kate, Sian and myself met at the event to celebrate the book launch and have some us time, as we are always so busy that can't meet up as often as we wish. We were very happy to Sian bear's kits now being stoked at Anthropologie, how cool is that?? This is the best photo of the ones we took as we couldn't stop laughing, and talking...Love you girls. 

I declare Anthropologie the best dressed store in London, with and impressive selection of products and clothes, the displays are simply gorgeous and super creative, I find going in there like being in a surprise box, full of things I want to bring home with me; and I always leave feeling inspired by their vision and creativity. Below some pictures of how the store is currently looking.

 

SHOP CRAFT & CREATE

Friend Zeena, is having a pop-up shop starting this Wed, so if you are in London, and fancy some shopping for handmade gorgeous products, or simply enjoy some crafting 'me time', come along, more details bellow.

Having fun with mum and friends...

Good morning Monday, nice weekend? Hope so, sun has been out, but doesn't feel like proper Summer, rains almost everyday, and feels chilly and very windy, so I guess I would have to wait until October to have some kind of Summer, I am going home for a few weeks, so I can rest, be with boyfriend, and enjoy the good weather...

Last week I went along to the papermash crafting event, 

organised by Lynne from the tea for joy blog and held at the Papered Parlour in Clapham.

Lynne alongside nice Caroline from Patchworkharmony and more friends...

 My mother came along to the event, she really enjoyed it and got to decorated her jar, which is now on her side table by her bed. Below myself with mum, I don't know why we look so serious haha...

 Delicious cup cakes, I took a few home but they never made there, they were eaten on the bus...

 It was very busy, the place had a very cosy and nice atmosphere

 Gorgeous Zeena doing her screen printing workshop

Thanks Lynne for putting together such a nice afternoon, the decoration, the activities, and the people gathered at the papered parlour were great. Nice photos by Michelle of My Creative Photography, thanks for taking this great photos, it makes a different when you have someone talented like her doing the job, I am hopeless when it comes to taken pictures, so thanks again Michelle for the nice shoots, my mum looks great in them.