5 in the morning

... it's 5 in the morning, the rain has been so heavy through the night that I awoke at 3 and couldn't get back to sleep..so I have decided to have an early start which is no bad thing as the 'to do' list this week is is a mile long, as well as a 6th birthday party for 15 kiddies to plan, and a holiday to prepare for. Also working on plans for the studio to be extended, finding it really hard to visualise a lined black and white drawing no matter how many further scribbles, sketches and paper 3d mock ups I make....

...above pic taken yesterday on a glorious hot summers day (sneaked out of the studio to potter again)!?????...think I may need to get the dinghy out of the garage to do the school run this morning...

(don't forget to keep looking at studio snippets as I am getting particulary good at posting the daily/weekly happenings of the studio there at the moment...)

quicker than you can switch the kettle on....

...considering I have my own business and can step from my studio into the garden quicker than you can switch the kettle on...I am extremely disciplined....it doesn't matter how beautiful the garden looks, how warm and sunny it is outside...the build up of interior magazines just screaming out to have their pages turned...I remain in my studio, head down, clocking in like a good little employee.....

...well, not today. I became unsettled at 3 o'clock - I could no longer turn my head to the temptation of sitting in my favourite spot of the garden taking in the scent of the roses that are having their prettiest year ever.....

but then the clock struck 4 and I had to return to the printing, proofing, packing position, so I picked and pruned and took a little of the garden back inside with me....

chalie

...husband in bed enjoying a 'father's day lie-in' - funny how it seems to be father's day every weekend! So me and Ava went into the studio to make her party invitations (this is what happens when your mummy is a stationer!) leaving little sister Mia trying to sabotage at any available point.....my role was to print and cut and Ava was responsible for typing in her names, sticking on anything she could find that sparkles 'it's a girl thing!' and writing her envelopes. I love how she is at that adorable stage of writing how words sound so 'charlie' becomes 'chalie' - and by the rules of her northern accent she is totally right!!.........

winter perfection

...the winter palettes for sample requests are now arriving each day, soft creamy vanilla, warm apricot, terracotta and slate greys, moss greens with deep aubergine, treacle, toffee and honey...

...love love love the stying of this shoot, found over at green wedding shoes...from the taffetta corsage to the mix of fresh and dried florals with the detail of whispering feathers and cotton lace...and not forgetting the shimmering mix of brooches, pearls and buttons...there's still time to start collecting in time for winter!!!!!

photography by courtney dellafiora

studio snippets

...you may be interested to read 'sample day' over at studio snippets...

you may also want to become a follower of this blog (as well as here) as we feature a few posts a week showing what is happening in the studio and you may just see the perfect collection for your day, lots of images are posted here that do not feature on the actual main web site - take a look!!!

mr darcy's proposal

via white and wander

peonie & elderflower

...I love this time of year as the garden clusters together and brings to flower so many interesting colours and textures...the peonie and black elderflower caught my eye this morning - so off I went, out in the heavy sea fret to bring a little of the outside into the studio ready to start a very busy day with a big capital 'D' for deadlines!!! ........

standing still

...during the last few days this is where I have been hiding....sat by the lake's beaches enjoying the clean air, the blue skies, the sun on my face, the silhouette of the landscape, the children laughing, enjoying time standing still for just a moment to say hello to my husband....batteries now totally re-charged and ready to work my way through June...

image: buttermere, the lake district.