uncategorised

YES, it’s May!

IMAG1502-1-1-1YES, it’s time once again to put away the winter woollies and hope that the rain stays away too to let the sunshine in for the Summer months.

YES, it’s time to wear the Summer colours: some gentle pinks, yellows and mauves. The antiqued Long Leaf or Acorn Bunch earrings from ArtySmarty’s new collection are the perfect accessory. If you prefer some vibrant shades, with some subtle details, then Katie Brown’s fine silk scarves are a delight.

YES, it’s time to paint any tired-looking furniture and give it a new lease of life with Annie Sloan decorative Chalk Paints™. Provence, Louis Blue or English Yellow will give a fresh, bright and cheerful look and transform your rooms!

YES, it’s time to fill vases with beautiful flowers and stems from the garden or florist. Sarah Mc Kenna’s new collection of vases and ceramics provide the ideal backdrop to your favourite Summer blooms.

uncategorised

In the making

tennis ball‘In the Making’ one of the many events organised as part of Ireland the Design Island was held in the Coach House at Dublin Castle. I managed to get to this very interesting design exhibition on its last day!

This exhibition showed the making process of many everyday objects including anything from pencil to chairs, musical instruments as well as banknotes and coins. Each unfinished piece featured at the exhibition was beautifully displayed against a black background, revealing both colour and shape and it was fun to try to imagine what the item was from the unfinished material.

marbleSeeing each item at the very start of the manufacturing process was fascinating: the abstract shapes in materials used along the way looked beautiful in their own ways. The exhibition was curated in a way that allowed you to make a mental and visual connection with the finished piece. I found it totally fascinating to see the evolution of the objects and to realise that by the time the final product is completed, it has gone through so many different stages of moulding, shaping, cutting, stitching to the point when it is finally polished, checked, tested, re-checked and branded.

The tennis ball is paused at 50% of its production; dumbbell shaped blanks are cut from the fluorescent yellow fabric by an automated stamping machine. (P.1) Glass marbles paused at 70% of their production just before the cutting of the cane and the strengthening of the  glass marbles in a very high temperature. (P.2)

uncategorised

ID2015

IMAG1403-1

2015 is the year of Irish Design and there are many events organized nationally and internationally to celebrate the makers and designers of Ireland. I hope to feature some of these events throughout the year. It’s going to be a fantastic opportunity to appreciate the many talents available and be totally inspired!

 Makers and designers are truly passionate about their art and craft and it really shows in the quality of the items they produce. The care and skill involved in creating a hand-crafted piece, together with the inspiration behind the design idea, make the whole process of creating it truly unique. The natural beauty of each piece; be it made of wood, metal, ceramic, fabric or paper, is everlasting. And of course with each designer comes a story, which means that it is connected and personal to him or her.

First stop: Showcase held in the RDS where top Irish makers and emerging designers exhibit their original hand-crafted products.  It is a great forum for meeting the makers, talking about their designs and discovering their collections and their creative journey.

uncategorised

All treats, no tricks!

Halloween is a very Irish feast. As the evenings get shorter, it’s all about getting spookey costumes on and enjoying the autumnal dark nights and the cracking of the burning fire logs. My own favourite thing about Halloween is taking out the recipe books to make barmbrack and other seasonal treats like pumpkin soup and oven-baked apples. A great way to celebrate the end of the summer and face the coming winter season.

IMAG1308-1-1

Plenty of other treats in Handmade Design Studio this autumn  such as woolies to keep you warm on All Saints’ night: black of course ! Hand-knitted scarves, warm and stylish hats by Mad4hats, fine merino felted wrist warmers and matching snood by Niki Collier Designs. Add a bit of drama and sparkle with some earrings or cuffs by award-winning jewellery designer Bláithín Ennis.

carrot blanketCheck out the new carrot twill handwoven blanket by Studio Donegal : its orange colour will brighten up any room and create a sense of pure comfort, guaranteed ! Gail Kelly’s signature leaf pattern printed on unbleached cotton is a striking yet simple contemporary design. It adorns the dining table as a runner and would be a lovely backdrop to your own home-cooking and edible treats !

And if you are painting the town on All Saints’ night, make sure it is in Annie Sloan chalk paint™ Graphite or Barcelona Orange !

 

 

uncategorised

Wishlist

tweet bowl yellowMore sun please! There is nothing like sitting out in the garden, the local park, a terrace on a balcony or by the seaside soaking up the warm sunshine and wishing every summer was like this in Ireland. Bees humming about the flowers, birds singing their little hearts’ content in the early hours, the smell of freshly cut grass, the long evenings and the dining al fresco. … Yes! Summer is truly here and hopefully for a little bit longer…The Tweet bowl  by KaroArt is bound to put a smile on your face.

 

 

 

uncategorised

Blooming!

IMAG1079-1What a joy to see the beautiful pastel colours of the trees in blossom! It makes you want to touch the fluffiness of the petals and smell the gentle scents. The gardens are starting to get their colours back, the birds are tweeting in the very early hours of the day and swooping happily from branch to branch. Away with the dark evenings too! Time to shed the layers and put those woollies out of sight. Hopefully the sun is here to stay a little bit longer! The change of season brings a nudging sense of new life and a desire to start afresh, so here are a few ideas to help you feeling re-energized and light again!

bird broochWatch the birdies! The bird theme appears in the quirky original brooches by Artysmarty with birds and single feather brooches available to jazz up any cardi, jacket or shirt this season: colourful and affordable.

Capture the natural scents of spring and summer with the Baressential collection of soaps: try ‘Patchouli Earth’ with its original blend of patchouli, rosemary, orange and rose geranium which will make you feel radiant and relaxed or give the ‘Jaslime Grapefruit’ bar with its uplifting and refreshing scent.

With Spring cleaning in the air, it is now time to get your paint brushes out and chalkpaint that little tired-looking cabinet or brighten up the garden furniture. You can freshen and enhance furniture with decorative ChalkPaint™ by Annie Sloan! Go bright and cheerful with the colours Provence or Arles.

 

 

 

uncategorised

Inspired

showcase1Showcase 2014 features the best of Irish design with products from over 400 exhibitors. Ideally you would need two or three days to go around and see it all. Although I had only one day to get to it this year I had done my homework before going and had pinpointed the people I absolutely wanted to meet.

 It is always a real treat to attend the show as the choice and variety of Irish-made products is outstanding.  I went to it on the opening day with fellow designer and fashionista Naomi who has a great eye for spotting the unusual and the quirky.

We stopped at the stands of some of the makers that I stock in Handmade Design Studio such as ArtySmarty creator Angela Cutlhill, Matt Jones, Sarah Mc Kenna, Orla Barry, Blaithin Ennis among others. I discovered their exciting and on trend new collections and cannot wait to receive them in the shop.

showcase2

I also met some really interesting and friendly new craftmakers whom I had not metbefore and was truly inspired by their unique products.

 The beautifully crafted, high quality items soon to be found in Handmade Design Studio are:

  • Natural and colourful luxury soaps by Baressential
  • Urban-inspired fine silk scarves by Katie Brown
  • And much more …

If you are ever coming to Mullingar, come and have a peek!

uncategorised

Joyeux Noël

Christmas trayGetting a gift for a loved one is at the heart of Christmas shopping and you want to make sure you are getting something truly special. At Handmade Design Studio you are guaranteed to find a gift hand made with care in Ireland that is really beautiful and unique.

karelian cuffFor herself: Something to wear? A reversible silk and felted merino wool scarf by Inga Inne; Something to admire? An art piece by Anne-Marie Kearns. Something vintage? A Venetian beaded necklace by My Grand-Mother’s Closet. Something glamorous? A silver sterling and Czech crystal cuff by Bláithín Ennis or a Birdie ring by Niamh Spain. Something homely? A fine porcelain vase by Living Ginger designs, one of  Claire Molloy’s earthy horsehair vessels. Something to read? La vie est belle by Henrietta Heald about French interiors and lifestyle.

studio Donegal For himself: If he is a foodie: A beautifully crafted wine stopper by Matt Jones or a walnut cheese board by Caulfield Country Boards. If he is a DIY enthusiast: a can of chalk paint, Annie Sloan decorative paint in his favorite colour. If he likes his comfort: a woven woolly blanket or cushion by Studio Donegal. If he enjoys a cuppa (and what man doesn’t?), offer him a mug as Gaeilge by Placed.

IMAG0875-1For the little ones: To amuse them, a rattle or baby comforter by Essential Bears, a tooth Fairy by Guadalupe Creations. To keep them warm, a funky woolly hat by AKnits or you can choose one of the colourful hair slides by ArtySmarty.

For the teens: The fashion-conscious will appreciate a pair of earrings or necklace by Angela Cuthill or a double purse by Joan Greene. The ones with the quirky taste: a spaghetti scarf or a cool snood by C. Delabre.

 PS: If you prefer to have herself, himself, the little ones or the teens select their own gift, how about a gift voucher? All gifts are beautifully wrapped for you so that all you have to do is put it under the Christmas tree!

uncategorised

Autumn

Autumn is at our doorsteps with the evenings getting shorter and the leaves turning nice warm shades of red, yellow, orange and brown. It is starting to get a tiny bit chilly and we’ll be needing our woolies!

IMAG0791-1-1At Handmade Design Studio, we have beautiful collections of hand knitted or felted scarves, headbands and hats to choose from. They are made from fine yarns, organic hand-dyed threads or pure silk, linen and merino wool.

 If you enjoy having a cuppa and reading a book by the fire, take your tea in one of Thomas Lynan’s mugs. And when you need an extra layer, you might reach for a handmade patchwork quilt or a Donegal hand-woven throw. Before you settle in, light one of the of Bog Standard candles, such as Emily’s Parlour and, well you might be staying  in that chair for a while!

uncategorised

Summertime

Summer is well and truly here in all its colourful, perfumed and warm glory. Whether you plan to brighten your own or someone else’s garden or home we have items to make your summer even more summery!

IMAG0595-1For dining al fesco you could use a serving or cheese board from Caulfield Country Boards, or a small ‘food for love’ bowl or platter from Sarah McKenna for your olives and dips. The ‘Irish field’ candle from Bog Standard gives a lovely fresh cut grass scent, and one of the  stripy ‘Biarritz’ cushions by Claire Delabre will brighten up your patio or balcony. If your are going to the races or attending a wedding or a posh garden party this summer, one of Bernice Rafferty’s fascinators will no doubt make heads turn!

Brighten things up even further by painting your flower pots or garden furniture in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. How about Florence, Emperor’s Silk, Barcelona Orange or Greek Blue?