Much toot much.

Here are a few finds for you then: you lucky sausages. I have missed a lot of Spitalfields this month, which is sad but I'm back next week with a lot of new stock.

The most handsome paste brush

and a little useful friend

A teapot with a little nubbin of a nose.

A cardi with crazy neon shoulders - unfortunately it is for a child, which seems a waste.

workwear for dolls. I like the way it is sewn all jaunty onto old envelopes.

An opening times sign to sell in the shop.

A pair of bakelite boobs.

A nice sack: retrieved from the bottom of a box and all squashed nice and flat. Made me thought of the bog people.

I also bought this rubber inflatable innard. I think I bought it because of the colours and the shape . . . but also because I am a nob. 

A nice litte handmade wall light.

And a tiny hangable shelf that will go in the shop to display danglers.

Talking of danglers: here is the largest dangler I ever found (I am struggling to hold it up high for the photo). What a beauty eh? It's going in the shop soon - it's going to take a bit of tactical hanging.

Victorian plant pots come to Stoke Newington.

Hello all,
The shop is coming along wonderfully - the latest news is that we're kickin' out with a little outdoor space. The emphasis is on 'little' at the moment: it's essentially the space of two porta-loos but the little concrete garden is nice! There's room for some of my favourite Victorian plant pots, a couple of chairs and some tubs of nice things. It makes me happy to nurture a little living plant and having outdoor space has meant there's a whole new variety of shrubs to buy from car boot sales. Huzzah.

Ta-da!

What's the name of these plants again? I've forgotten.

Euphorbia, my favourite.

And there's even some greenery happening inside the shop - some succulents for a start but the range is growing each week! Aargh! It's a little bit dead exciting - I've found some splendid people in London to buy from as well as heading to my usual countryside dealers. My new friend to buy from is so clued up and kind: he knows all the Latin names for the plants (and uses them all casual-like) but also doesn't mind when I ask questions like: 'where do you keep your danglers?' (They're called trailing plants apparently, so you know).

Plimsolls and succulents.

I know you're probably wondering which of those plants is my favourite . . .

Well - it's this one

If you'd like to visit the shop it's number 3A Evering Road in Stoke Newington (N16 7QA)
 - and if you come on a Saturday there's a nice farmers market just opposite.

That's all.

x

Běla Kolářová

I really loved the recent exhibition of Běla Kolářová's work at Raven Row (in fact I love Raven Row in general)

This morning I was looking through the catalogue, it made me so happy I thought I would share some images with you. I hope you like them and if you ever get the chance to see the works for real you should definitely do it. They're all so wonderful and considered and sparse; using simple everyday objects and often beautifully and carefully framed by the artist herself.

Thank you Robin Welch.

I have a new pot in my kitchen and it's a beauty! It's made by Robin Welch; a most wonderful ceramicist. (You can read a little more about him here). It's in a slightly bad way - all chipped and with baked on food but I take this as a blessing: it means I won't be tempted to sell it or just leave it on a shelf. I will cook with it, and enjoy it. I love the shape and the feel of it: it's chunky but even, it just feels wholesome to the hands.
I'm so pleased with it - my ceramic love is reignited, I've even started a Pinterest if you're interested.The other thing I like about it is just how easy it was to find out who made it . . . If there are any studio potters reading this (which there probably are because only the best, most high-brow folk read this blog) please take note! Don't make yourself a tiny cryptic signature stamp and then change it every few years just to be extra confusing. Just sign it big on the bottom - simple.
Thank you Robin Welch

Mayday.

Today I went to the Sweeps Festival in Rochester - an outing planned by that lovely beast Ali. It were dead good. 

We all got kissed by the Jack in the Green (who is my favourite) and I got gifted with ivy . . . which I didn't realise was for fertility until after I took it. I love folk traditions, they're so inspiring and bizzarre.
Do you have a favourite folk tradition or character?