Apologies for the patchy posting, folks. A great many things have come up, some of them rather sad, and I'm looking at a pretty mad month. Don't worry though, I'm sure I'll be moaning about it all here!

Meanwhile, here are some funny little cardboard coins I found in a charity shop, dated 1971, the year the exciting new decimal system came into use, so I assume they were a teaching aid. No idea what to do with them, I just couldn't leave them in the shop!

An Announcement and a Lucky Escape

New Stuff there, above. I am planning on closing the shop for the month of May while I attempt to complete my degree and get loads of great jobs, so if there's something you've got your eye on I recommend that you grab it now!

In other news, I just got up to turn the radio on and, on hearing an odd buzzing noise coming from myself, lifted up my dress to see the BIGGEST bumblebee I have EVER seen fall out of my skirt. It's about the size of a pygmy hamster, or something. You could've knocked me down with a feather.

This Week, I am mostly loving:

I am absolutely blown away by the work of Bethan Laura Wood, who I came across via Supermarket Sarah (which is also brilliant). Her work sort of bridges fine art and fantastic accessories design, as well as furniture and set design and all sorts. A very talented lady.

My favourites are the Soft Rock silk scarves, top, and the Link collection of wooden jewellery, bottom (Interesting Fact: one was worn on stage by Patrick Wolf, my future prince) which I think show such a versatile sense of pattern and material. 10 gold stars, Bethan!

This magnolia tree is on my way to and from university, and I had to grab a picture yesterday with the blue blue skies behind. Still no contrails in the sky, just the moon peeking out early.

Pretties from Lovelies

I have been showered with treats in the post lately, and am feeling very lucky. Thanks so much to Nath for the lush tin of treats above, and to Angie for the goodies below. I am grinning from ear to ear!

Kittens and cupcakes to you all for making my mad stressy rush to complete my degree a bit more cheery, and also to lovely Queen Marie for the most amazing scarf, which I have not gotten it together to photograph as yet.

Isn't a bit of sunshine lovely, volcano ash or no volcano ash?

Some new bits, coming right up in the shop

While rooting about in my old stuff I found this book that I made in my first year - I think it was the second book I'd designed and made. It's about the four points of the compass rose that were used by medieval sailors to navigate the high seas, plunder foreign islands, swashbuckle, etc. The globe in the back is my favourite, I think, and an idea I might reuse in another project...

What I have been spending my last ever student loan on. The tapestry-type thing (fireguard?) I bought originally thinking it would make a good necklace display stand, but I like it too much to take the picture out, so I think for now it will just have to stand about looking pretty!

The photographs were in frames that I got for putting silhouettes in, but I just fell in love with the images and the people too. Look at those tiny boots and that massive chair! 10 points to anyone who wants to come up with a story about who they are and what became of them...

And the winner is...

A massive giant thank you to everyone who entered the Easter giveaway! Here are all the names in a teacup (couldn't find a hat).

Drumroll please.....

Congratulations Micaela! Please get in touch with your address. I wish I was a very very rich lady of leisure so I could send you all something, you all gave such convincing winning reasons! However, the tea cup of chance has spoken.

Some new things in the shop. Mostly I wanted to show you the waistcoat picture because that's the first dress I've made in a while and I'm pretty chuffed with myself. I was going to add a collar of somesort - peter pan? lace? but now I'm not so sure. Any advice welcome!

Colour of the week

What should you do when shopping for your brothers birthday present in the pouring rain and howling gales? Buy sunglasses? In the same colour as most things you own? Yes yes.

Trend Schmend

New range of nautical-themed things now available at All Things Original. Someone, I can't remember who, recently said to me something along the lines of 'the nautical trend is still hanging around - how boring'* which got me thinking - I don't really think of 'nautical' as a trend, it's just a look that I have always liked. I have a ridiculous amount of stripey tops for someone with only two arms, and I bet I'm not the only one.
Digging around in my files the other day I found something that definitively proves that wanting to look a bit like a sailor is really a lifelong commitment:


(Circa 1993, at someones wedding!) Oh, how my heart longs that I still had that hat, or those shoes. Alas to get big!
If you too have a weakness for such things, don't forget to enter my Easter giveaway, below, by the 9th of April


*or perhaps I read it somewhere? Not sure. Deep, anyway haha

That's right, its an...

Ahoy there my lovelies! In celebration of it being Easter, and the holidays, and all things lovely and spring-like (except, perhaps, the weather), I have decided to have a little giveaway. Here for the winning are:

• a Super Duper Things stripey headband
• a nice goldy vintage brooch
• a pair of Super Duper Things anchor studs
• a tickety-boo vintage scarf that is just GLORIOUS.

I think I will also throw in a set of postcards of my drawings, and anything else that comes to mind. Perhaps some buttons. Would you like some buttons?

To enter, pretty please leave a comment stating just why you really ought to win, and I will pick names out of a hat on Friday 9th. To get your name in that hat twice or maybe thrice, do a tweet or a blog about it and let me know!

Lots of easter love, Louise x