Tulips and daffodils are in full bloom; woods are covered in a soft purple carpet of blue bells; birds are gathering twigs and feathers to built their nests: Spring is well and truly here and there is a great sense of the world coming colourfully back to life. English Yellow and Antibes Green by Annie Sloan are cheerful Spring colours that will, without doubt, bring life back into any tired-looking piece of furniture.
Valentine’s day is a day for love, of course, and most importantly it is about expressing that through a carefully chosen gift for your loved one. It is the little things and moments that make Valentine’s day special and you can enjoy any number of these with a thoughtful gift. Let’s see, these could be …
The smell of freshly brewed coffee ready to be poured into your favorite mug. It could be the Irish Cob mug by Claire Molloy.
A walk along the beach (well maybe not in Mullingar!) or in the forest or across the beautiful midlands bogs all wrapped up in warm clothes. Nikki Collier‘s Swirl hat would be ideal.
Cosying up together for a chat, a laugh or a cuddle by the fire at home with some mellow music playing in the background.
Putting on a sparkly pair of earrings or wearing a stunning pendant before going out on the town. One of Forgotten China pendants are truly vintage.
Preparing some tasty food for a dinner en tête-á-tête. You will need one of Caulfield Country boards.
Greenery is the name of the fresh and vibrant new shade made by Pantone for this year. It is a truly Irish colour, symbolic of the undulating hills, the grazing land and dramatic landscapes of the Emerald Isle.
Foliage and botanical patterns are very much on trend at present and are reminiscent of William Morris’ textile and wallpaper patterns. Greenery shades are revitalising and make me yearn for nature’s imminent revival in springtime.
Being aware of the natural world, and being conscious of sustainability, another useful trend is the idea of ‘upcycling’. This is a great way to reuse materials and reduce our collective carbon footprint. Using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, did you know that here in Handmade Design Studio we can refresh and redesign any item of furniture for you?
We discuss the ideas for the style you like, the colour and finishing and you will be guaranteed to have a unique, individual hand-painted piece that breathes new life into your existing furniture and doesn’t ‘cost the Earth’ in every sense of that expression!
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
