September feels good so far with mild weather, great sunshine and blue skies. A few wet days but we won’t talk about them !
A new colour has been added to the chalk paint palette: Giverny. Annie Sloan named this cool bright blue after the village in Normandy that was home to the impressionist painter Claude Monet. Giverny has a very contemporary look especially combined with Pure or Barcelona Orange. Associate with Paloma or Emile and you will achieve a more vintage style. Get your brushes out and start painting. Colour is everything!
Textile artist Daiva knows about art, colours and brush strokes too! She handpaints her silk and linen scarves in her Limerick studio. Each scarf is unique in its design, making it quite special to wear or to offer as a gift to a loved one.
For me, June means going out to gather some of the fragrant 
creamy-white elder flowers to make some delicious and refreshing cordial. mixed with sparkling water and served in a KaroArt porcelain tumbler, how delightful is that ?
If you are going to an outdoor food, music or literary festival or simply going picnicking by the seaside, you might want to pack a cosy and warm hand-woven tweed blanket for comfort. How about the colourful ‘Carnival’ blanket by Studio Donegal ? 
Invited to a wedding or a party ? Well then, the perfect and perfectly affordable acccessory to wear is the ‘Blush’ Palomar neckpiece together with the small teardrop earrings by Bláithín Ennis. Simply gorgeous! For a more casual look, wear the “Spring cycle’ or ‘Dublin castle flag’ necklace by ArtySmarty. Bound to be noticed.
Now that winter is behind us, May is the ideal time to get some brushes out and start painting your tired-looking furniture or even tackle the garden shed. Paint everything with Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan! If you want to see the Queen of Paint and get inspired for your projects, Annie will share her passion for decorative painting at the RDS House Event on Friday 20th.
Some beautiful new additions in the siopa beag from jewellerer Deborah Von Metzradt whose beaded and embroidered pieces are pretty special and fun such as her ‘Ziggy’ hairband or her ‘Wild Irish Gypsy Rose’ brooch. 
We’ll be dining al fresco in the next few weeks as Summer has finally arrived! Why not serve your nibbles, cheese and sweet delights in style with one of Caulfield Country Board : A favorite is the walnut serving board with its removable slate insert.
There is a lot to celebrate this month starting with Mother’s day on Sunday 6th. Is she a great cook? A wonderful listener ? A fantastic singer ? Has she a beautiful mind ? Whoever your mum is, give her a glorious gift for her day this Sunday ! If you are looking for something special to give your mother, how about a delicate vintage pendant or a pair of earrings from Forgotten China ? A truly individual piece as well as a keepsake, no doubt.
We have to celebrate St.Patrick’s Day, naturally with all things Irish. The best of guaranteed Irish art and craft all designed and handmade in every corner of Ireland can be found right here, on your doorstep.
Finally, Easter falls before the end of March this year too and if you feel like springing into action while you are out on your Easter trail, you could pick up a can of Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan and give that tired piece of furniture a fresh new look. How about Provence, English Yellow or Henrietta?
A new year has begun with some new creative ideas in the bag, a fresh lick of chalk paint™ in the shop and a forthcoming meeting with some emerging designers at Showcase.
As for colours, pastels are de rigueur this year: A blend of Rosequartz and Serenity has been chosen as the Pantone colour of the year. With such a blend of gentle rose and tranquil blue, 2016 could only bring a sense of balance and peace. Enjoy it!
You might have an idea for a Christmas present for a loved one or you might have got a nudge recently or maybe you have run out of ideas altogether! Sometimes, it can be quite daunting to select the perfect gift so here are some suggestions:
For the Nature lovers: ‘Robin’, one of the ceramic wall plaques by Silverbranch, a butterfly brooch by Artysmarty or a grapefruit-scented soya candle by Candella.
For the foodies: A cereal patterned bowl by KaroArt, a beech breadboard by Caulfield Country Board or a ‘food of love’ bowl by Sarah McKenna.
For the artists: A chalk paint mini project pack by Annie Sloan, a box of mini-soaps by Baressential or a felt heart brooch by Niki Collier.
For the bookworms: ‘Room recipes for style and colour’ by Annie & Felix Sloan, ‘Romantic Irish home’ by Robert O’Byrne or a vintage beaded bookmark from My Grandmother’s Closet.
For the fashionistas: An elegant felt hat by Nikki Collier, 
a silver and crystal pair of earrings by Bláithín Ennis or a limited edition clutch purse by JoanyG.
For the little ones: Organic baby bandana bib by Little Green Do, a pretty tooth fairy by Guadalupe Creations or ‘Aibítir’ first reader in Irish by René Mullin.
For the art lovers: ‘Mother Love’, a gilded fine art print by David Hill, ‘Great Tit’, a limited edition watercolour print by Terence O’Connell or ’Lak
elands’, an acrylic painting by Anne-Marie Kearns.
For the home-birds: A warm wool blanket by Donegal Studio, a unique hand-painted piece of furniture or A ‘home tweet home’ pebble art picture by OonaghKdesigns.
WISHING YOU A LOVELY AND PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS
By t
he magical colours displayed by mother Nature : bright yellows and oranges, deep wine reds and vivid greens. Some of the colours of the yarns used by Studio Donegal to weave their cosy woolen blankets are reminiscent of these autumnal tones.
Scary as it sounds, we are reaching the end of October pretty soon : if you are dressing up for Halloween and want your costume to be that bit more glamorous, Blaithin Ennis’ Jewellery will set the tone together with Niki Collier’s new felt collection entitled ’H for Hope’, and inspired by the character Trinity from The Matrix.
Now that the clocks have gone back an hour, we need to adjust a little as night falls that bit earlier. To brighten up the dark evenings, candles are a must ! The delicate porcelain tealights by Roisin Gregory will set the mood.
It is hard to believe that Summer is over and September will be here soon. After a couple of rainy weeks and with the days getting shorter, we are easing ourselves into Autumn. Oh! The thought of it!
However, if you want the Summer to linger awhile, make sure you burn one of Bog Standard candles such as Rosie’s Lane (lavender, jasmine and red berries) Hedgerow (blackberries, blackcurrant and strawberry) to enjoy those fresh summery scents a little while longer.
If you are looking for a new and creative skill to learn or if you are passionate about up-cycling and craftwork, why not come to one of the many workshops on offer You can also find inspiration in the latest edition of Reloved magazine or flick through the Colour recipes book by Annie Sloan.
As the cooler mornings dawn, you could be eating your breakfast porridge or cereals from one of KaroArt stoneware patterned bowls. Cut your loaf of bread on one of the wooden board by Caulfield Country Boards. And for hot drinks there is no better choice than Claire Molly’s Equus mug and espresso cups to enjoy your tea or coffee.
Before you dash out the door, pin one of ArtySmarty’s brooches to your shirt or top. Et voilà! You’ll have the smart casual look.
All beautifully designed for you. All handmade. All Irish.
July is looking promising following some gorgeous, warm days in June. The birds are happy out, the bees are busy and the subtle scents coming from the many flowers in bloom, fruit bushes and trees are just delightful ! Recreate those summery scents indoors by lighting any of the Candella soya candles: No.6, Lemon and 
Jasmine is fresh and gentle.
If you are going to a festival or an outdoor event, you can show your true colours by wearing one of Arty Smarty’s fun, vibrant and very affordable jewellery. Maybe you will have a day at the races, a wedding or family gathering? You could sport an elegant linen and silk trilby hat from Mad4Hats.
The patterned stoneware bowls by KaroArt for some nibbles on the patio or balcony are the ideal summer tableware. Coral or Sorbet?
handmadedesign.net 