MadeLondon

I went to the contemporary design and craft fair, MadeLondon, yesterday. It was its inaugural event in the capital and  describes itself as, "...an exciting and fresh showcase and marketplace for the very best in contemporary craft and design...an enjoyable, eclectic fair featuring the most original makers in this country and beyond."

by Louise O Neil

I was not disappointed, in fact today my brain is still buzzing with the wealth of incredible design and craft talent I was lucky enough to see yesterday, and the whole place had a wonderful energy and excitement that I feel has been lacking from some other shows I have been to recently. It is still on for the rest of the weekend, so if Great Portland Street is within striking distance for you, I would really recommend a visit if the highest quality, handmade craft and design is your bag.

There was a breath taking array of jewellery, from the highest end, exquisite wearable art (swooned over the pieces by Henrietta Fernandez, Tamara Gomez and Louise O'Neill), to more affordable, sometimes quirky pieces incorporating interesting materials, text and designs, (I loved the retro brooches by Port-Bonheur de Wollie,  porcelain pendants by A Milner and C Kersten and intriguing enamelled jewellery embellished with handwritten scraps of text by Buddug Wyn Humphreys). It was interesting and vaguely unnerving to see that many jewellery designers play with such similar shapes and combinations - and that where nature-inspired shapes are chosen, I could see many are working on similar forms as I am, so that really everything under the sun has already been done, but we are all bringing our particular flavour and style to similar themes. Instead of feeling uneasy about that (would they think I am copying, am I being unoriginal?), I am beginning to appreciate that if you know your work is not copied then actually the myriad ways artists find new ways of distilling inspiration from similar sources should really be a wonder and a joy, not something to feel defensive about!

by Buddug Jewellery

I did come away with a few treasures, not expensive purchases, but things I that I will adore using and are super functional as well as beautiful. A soft, hand knitted pair of fingerless gloves by Tangent Accessories caught my eye for their cosiness, delicously subtle colours and pattern and also that they have no individual finger spaces, so easy to keep on and still be able to take photos when I have my camera with me on winter walks. My find of the show though was Dover Street Pottery by David Worsley. All handmade, David makes and glazes these gorgeous pots and vessels in the most beautiful and calm shapes and colours - they are quietly perfect and I love that they are all small and fit in the hand so comfortably.

There is something so pure and yet confident about them, and the subtle textures intrigue me - an unglazed rim around the base of the pieces remains where David holds on to the pots as he dips them in the glazes. Sigh.  The whole stand fitted into this ethos of no fuss, no bells and whistles just simple, fine design that spoke, so quietly but with such resolve, for itself.

And David keeps the prices very affordable with the ethos that as many people as possible should be able to afford hand made, beautifully functional objects in their everyday lives, not just the wealthy few, whilst providing a living to him. How wonderful! You can check out his web shop here and his blog here. One of his beaker style cups was perfect for a hot chocolate this afternoon after a particularly stormy walk. You can see from my photo what a perfect size they are for holding. Just lovely.

Have cosy moments this chilly, blustery weekend! Bxx

Bookhou

I don't often write posts about pretty design stuff I find on the internet, I figure there are so many blogs who do that well and I suppose I generally prefer reading about people who are doing creative things themselves, so I find myself writing as I like to read, if you see what I mean?

But I would love this blog to showcase some really special finds now and again, and whilst I realise it will be design that I love but that may not be your cup of tea, it will all be beautifully handmade by artists running their own creative businesses, which is interesting whether you'd be tempted to buy it or not, right? I'm hung up on the idea that slowly I will build up a little list of utterly gorgeous work handmade by some excitingly talented people with a killer eye for detail and form. And function, I'm fussy! Good idea?

I will label these posts, designer/maker list, so if you were ever in need of some gift inspiration, you could click on that label and the posts will all be there, with photos of some of their hand made loveliness, and links to their websites. I have to be clear at this point, I receive absolutely nothing from anyone to do this, they are just artists I have come across in real life or via the internet and have fallen hard for their work and want to share it. Simples.

So, first to my list is Bookhou. Arounna and John, a design shop duo living in Toronto, Canada,  make the most exquisite bags, purses and home wares. Their work embodies exactly the aesthetic I love most - simple lines and shapes, often with nature inspired patterns and motifs, all designed with such care to detail and look immaculately finished.

This sort of 'immaculate simplicity,' especially with a warmth and soul to it, is so hard to achieve, but look at the quality of the zips and pull-tags, the organic but functional shapes, the subdued, inky colours and lovely materials. Restrained but striking, exactly how would love my jewellery to be described!

Love this apron, looks fab front and back. Will have to save them pennies!

They also sell a small range of ceramics, artwork and wooden pieces - all of which, to me, exude the same sense of calm and freedom, maybe because of the echoes of pebble shapes and meadows and rainfall... To look this simple and this wonderful is a kind of magic.

It is intriguing how often inanimate but handmade objects seem to exude certain moods or atmospheres or maybe it is that they create a particular emotional reaction in the viewer, and perhaps that reaction is different with each person? Bookhou's field and stone ranges are my absolute favourites and I would love to buy a bag one day soon!

They also have a lovely blog and e-magazine, so loads to browse and isn't it always lovely to see a glimpse of where all the inspiration comes from? Enjoy.