i miss my cat

so i miss my cat, as part of my house move, i had to say goodbye to my cat and dog, hopefully its only a temporary farewell as they are both in temporary homes, but having just seen this on etsy, it made me sigh a sad sigh, my cat cheese was not exactly a lap cat, and would only tolerate a few cuddles, but i miss her so much.

I'm not ashamed to say i cried a few tears when i waved her goodbye last week..this is from craft smiths, and its just lovely.

woof

so today i want to be a dog, just so i can wear a coat like this, its just too cool, i saw it on etsy from a shop called KCQ

and i bloody love it,

im here

so hello, sorry i have been absent from my blog, but as you may remember i have been moving house, and I'm sure you know just how traumatic that can be, and this proved to be the case with me, it wasn't just a change of roof over my head but a fresh new beginning, one that i didn't really want, but hey, here i am and life goes on.

oh and yeah, you know how i got the job i couldn't talk about, well i can now because i quit, it just wasn't me, anthropologie is an incredible shop, and everyone was so nice, but as a place to work, not for me. simple as that, and what with moving house and having some life changes, it all just came at the wrong time, and i don't want to be a name on a clipboard, and that's all i was really. anyway, to get me back into the blog habit, here are just a couple of snaps showing details of my new place, ill take more and show them when i get more sorted.

I'm finding the opportunity to lie on my bed and just relax far too tempting at the moment,after a good few months of upheaval, i feel i deserve the chance to breathe. hope everyone is well, whats new ?

just outside my door

so sometimes all it takes to put a smile on your face, is mans best friend and a sunny day, and my charlie, well she just loves nothing better than being shouted at to sit still whilst i take pretty pictures of her, OK so she hates it, but it makes me smile, and on a day like today when the sun was shining and the leaves were falling, i knew all would be well...

where do i start

so I'm only bloody moving house in 2 weeks time.. and i just don't know where to start, I'm trying to be sensible and only take to the new place just what i really need, and not what i think i might need one day.. what do i put in storage ?.. will everything fit ?...arghhhhhhhh, but at least it will give me something to blog about, its almost like starting again... im strangely excited to de-clutter my life, and whilst my new place is minuscule, i know ill make it home in no time. watch this space.... oh and i forgot to mention my new place is only around the corner from where i am now, so at least i don't have to get to know a new area...

i love this

so whilst my life goes through some massive crappy changes, ill just do some therapeutic virtual shopping... yes please, ill have 20 of these.. from here...

shut your gob

so i am officially the worst blogger in the world, if there was a prize i would win it, if there was a sash, id be wearing it, but recently my crafting hands have been idle and my crazy exciting life has, or is currently quite crap. if you were to read the below posts you will see i have recently started a new job, and its been brilliantly hectic, however having promised images and news, I'm afraid i wont be the man for you, i was given a very friendly talk this week asking me, well telling me that I'm not to even mention the aforementioned company here on my blog... so whilst other blogs are bursting with pictures of the amazing interior, and the excellent products and furnishings, me, will be saying nowt... so normal service will resume soon here.. i hope.

im still here

so I'm still here, just been busy doing nothing, sorry..... but tomorrow morning at the silly hour of 7.30am i start my first day in my new job, i know from the comments on my previous post that you know its at anthropologie, Europe's first one, and I'm mega excited to be part of the adventure. and hopefully ill be able to post pics on here very soon... so again bear with me while my life takes a new path.. who knows where this might lead me... but with a 40% discount card by my side I'm sure it will be a frilly decorative one...

insider knowledge

so, this is A small post to give a massive clue as to where from moNday i will be working, i had THe inteRview today, just fOr a sales assistants job, and i only gone and bloody got it.. i really hoPe its everything i want it tO be, its a new shop to this country, its the first shop in Europe actuaLly, and its a really rather incredible Opportunity to be involved in it, I'm not at all ashamed to say that I'm a Good sales assIstant, for about 7 yrs now i havE worked in small independent boutiques, one of which i owned and built with two friends...(pics on flickr)..but i now want this adventure to take me new places, I'm not going to stop making things, that's in my blood, but lets just say I'm very excited by this new chapter in my life.. I'm being slightly coy because i don't want to get into trouble, but if i get permission i will be the man to know quite soon, for those insider tips and news.... now re read this post and look for the not so subtle clues..

i make things too

so i didn't make this, but my mate gemma did, and gemma is the massive crazy brains behind the lazy oaf empire,i have known gemma for many a year now and i have watched her company grow from a market stall in east London to a quite enormous worldwide conglomerate, like what blake carrington did in dynasty, with oil.. but gemmas oil is t shirts.. does that make sense or have i confused everyone ?.. anyway lazy oaf have just launched what i think is their best collection ever and this one caught my two beady eyes, and i know lots of you out there will want one of these...but its only in girls sizes and not big boy sizes like i would need.. its ace isn't it... get it here...

im still here

so this last few weeks i have travelled the world and been busier than a busy thing... OK, so this might not exactly been true, i have actually been nowhere and done very little, and the poor blog has been neglected.. good job me and this blog didn't sign a pre nup, or it would now be asking for half of nothing.. but i have been out and about and to get me back into the blog way, here is what has caught my eye the last few weeks.. firstly my silly dog charlie. she is happiest when a ball is about to be thrown for her, either in the house or in the park, she just gives me look as if to say.. "come on fatty throw the bloody ball"

and its been really nice weather here the last few weeks, not too hot but nice and crisp, perfect ball throwing conditions..
and the next thing i saw and i totally got out my pennies to buy, were these little blocks i saw in a local charity shop, they are just so brilliant and each one is different and so colorful, what are these called ?.. i have no idea.(my david hates them)..


and the last thing that made me get out my camera was this tower that has been built down by the river, next to the royal festival hall, its part of 100% design festival that is taking place around London now, and I'm rubbish because i forgot to note down who did this but it was really striking..

and when stood inside it and looking up, it made for an even better photo opportunity, it was made from what looked like giant cardboard tubes.. wonder if i could recreate this with bog roll tubes ?..
so I'm back to blogging and have lots to show, i have been making lots of things to sell in carry me home, dresses and some amazing little capes.. i maybe see another, etsy shop happening soon... but then again.. maybe not. ill just share them here.. and sell them here

an amusing week

so, not sure if anyone even noticed but i have been having a blog battle with an anonymous commenter about my blog.. they took it upon themselves to leave a nice comment criticising me about starting all my posts with so, so i have been here....so i have been there etc.. who cares ? and i don't know about you, but i would NEVER ever leave a comment on someones blog Belittling their style, i would never be so rude, because that's all it is.. its just my style. a blog is a personal thing, that you use in anyway you choose, i couldn't care less if i don't use the correct grammar or start every sentence with a capital letter, life is too short.. whoopee do its just not important to me. I'm a 33 yr old man, I'll do what the hell i like, she says I'm a terrible speller, tell me something i don't know.. ill cope with it, and the spell checker on this blog must be rubbish too. but what got me more annoyed was how all the comments were left anonymously. and the fact she took it upon herself to take time out of her day to leave such a rude comment says so much to me.. i might be a crap speller but i actually have a life... and anonymous said she wont be back.. but i bet she is, she obviously loves me and my blog, so hello anonymous... stick it... you have amused me much this week..or is it weak ? remember im a terrible spellar. and silly anonymous, why do i need to buy a dictionary to look up vitriol.. (thats what google is for) and unlike you i do like vitriol..when it fits.

i made some accidents

so i have made some new little happy accidents, i have sold quite a few over the last few years here at carry me home, my friends shop. and thought it was time to get them in my etsy... these little guys, like everything i make, are the result of me just sitting down and having what feels like a lucky dip into my bag of ribbons and fabrics and seeing what i pull out, i don't plan, i just create, following only the tiniest of plan in my head.each one is unique, each one has a head of ribbon hair, and each one has a hand sewn felt heart upon their bottoms..these guys are now in the shop, i hope someone gives them a nice home, they are made for everyone, not just for kids...

a helpless patient

so can you believe how fast time seems to be flying past us ?.where are the days going, what have i been doing, how is it that its now Thursday already when it seems only yesterday that i blogged about the September issue film i want to see.. anyway i have obviously been so busy and creative (in my dreams)... but this page i rescued did stop me in my tracks this week, and it just makes me smile, and thank the lord i did rescue it because if ever i stubble across a helpless patient, i now know how to give the poor soul a fireman's lift.. if it wasn't for this page i might have just dragged them along like a caveman with a fresh kill.but not now.. and what makes me smile most is the fact that these men had to pose for these photographs to be taken, and i can imagine them saying to each other "i say, don't we look jolly stupid old chap". but like us, at least they learnt something.
this page is now in stevensstuff...

i want to see this

so i really want to see this film... my David would rather boil his own head than watch this, so i doubt he will be accompanying me to this feast of fashion, its been ages since i even bought vogue magazine, and how my family never knew i was a homo ill never know ? because as they were pushing the trolley around the supermarket i could usually be found in the magazine aisle perusing the latest glossies...I'm more of a vogue living kinda guy now though and i want my pretty fabrics to be on the furnishings around me rather than on me, but i still know this film is right up my street.


(edit...a anonymous commenter pointed out the fact that i didn't originally start this post with so, like i always do..but i now fixed that, thanks anonymous ? )

(edit 2, to anonymous...if you dont like it, you know what you can do... dont read it..you big chicken, not showing your face..)

(edit 3, to anonymous, its not as if i will be losing anyone with anything worth saying .. i would never leave a comment on another persons blog criticising their writing style.. how rude is that..)

more printing fun.

so i have been back at my old college again and done some more printing, this time i hand printed by making my own blocks out of very technical and fancy cardboard and sellotape.... and again like with all my work i only had a vague idea what i wanted and as usual the end result is a million miles away from that idea, well the colours i used are.. i aimed for shades of grey with little accents of colour, but as you can see that never really happened.. but i couldn't care less because i really like the end results...what do you think.. should i be radical and not make these into cushions ?.. maybe bags ?.ill have a think, and probably do the opposite of what i conclude..

wave the flags

so i just listed these pages in my shop, i got them along with the stamps i blogged about below, and if I'm not mistaken, some of them are a little bit controversial.. Nazi flag anyone ?... and some of them i believe possibly are for countries that no longer exist or maybe are now named something different. but either way they are lovely colorful pages that will be lovely either framed and displayed or chopped up and re used.

anyone got a spare stamp

so there i was walking the old folks around islington when we came across the antiques bit, and wowzer it was quite lovely, with some shops literally just selling porcelain cups and plates, some selling just silver wear and others bursting at the seams with a whole plethora of loveliness.. but i found these amazing sheets of old postage stamps. or at least i think they are old, im pretty confident that they are old because someone went to enough trouble to paste them to these pages, and would someone do that to reproductions ?...i think not. so anyway they are now in my shop. and i know they will be some collage lovers dream, or simply beautiful framed and displayed..

two things that stopped me

so this week in sunny London i saw a few things that made me stop and stare, i have had my mum and dad down for a few days and anytime visitors arrive i seem to end up in places that would not normally be on my path, and this is what greeted me when i ended up down on the south bank, by the royal festival hall, and don't you agree, all trees should be wrapped like this...it turns out they are to do with an exhibition that is in the nearby Hayward gallery called walking in my mind, they are so cool i had to stop and stare, and take pictures of course..

and the next sight that greeted me as we wandered about was just outside the O2 arena, way down the Thames, i took my mum and dad to see the enormous dome where incredible concerts and shows are now held, and its the place where Michael Jackson was due to perform his 50 date comeback show, and just outside is the most intense wall of tributes, all handmade and heartfelt, be it poems or simple words, the sight was hard not to be moved by.. and not only that, it just looked really good.

what have you seen this week that made you stop and stare ?

i travelled back in time

so a few days ago i travelled back in time to 1998 and sat at my old desk at my old college and i drew some scribbles, and an hour or so later screen printed them on fabric...ta dah... it was as easy as that. and here is a sneak peek...
i graduated from ravensbourne college of design and communication in 1998, with a degree in fashion and textiles, the college was sad to see me go as they said i was the best student they had ever had and would ever likely have..(i wish), and until last week i had never been back, and to say i was slightly freaked out by walking into my old building, the place where i kinda grew up, was just a bit bonkers, but i sat at my old desk, and literally just doodled away a rough idea i had, got it exposed onto a screen and had it printed, no tests, no plans, just do it and see.. and this is what i got.. and i love it, as with the way i work, i embrace happy accidents, and it just so happened that the screen was quite imperfect, and not only my exposed image printed on the fabric, as you can see it has smudges and marks, but to me this gives the print life. and gives it that used hand made effect that i wanted.. and after the print had dried and been heat pressed to seal the pigment, i washed it lots to really fade down the intensity of the black, so it now looks more charcoal grey than stark black. I'm not sure what ill be making, but i think you know and i know what some of these will end up as ?.. trays for plates for eating dinner in front of the TV...also known as cushions... or is that just me that does this ?..so watch this space.

is it christmas yet

so i have had quite a fun week, firstly i was on decor8, which was really quite exciting and got me some lovely compliments and some nice messages to my etsy shop, and secondly i joined the living etc forums and came out from lurking in the shadows and posted pictures of my leather cushion onto the see what i made section, and again, the compliments came flooding in, and hurrahhhhhhhhhh, my cushion only bloody gone and got sold, to some lovely lady who saw it there.. so blurghhhhhh to etsy (i love you really)...living etc forums rule.... and i started a major groundbreaking debate about the merits of dynasty and similar type of massive shoulder padded programmes...and it was on the forums, whilst browsing some of the other posters blogs did i see this...and I'm so buying it, its just really quite excellent...and its also stupidly cheap, and a limited edition of 500 and its A1 size, and I'm sorry but size does matter. its from here and the profits go to charity, and even the tubes that it gets posted in look cool..ill post about it on here when i get it... hurrahh for a good few days, they really kick you up the jacksie and make you move on, to try and better them....

if your names not down your not getting in...

so today i feel like my name is on the list that allows me access to an exclusive club, like my raffle ticket has been drawn from the lucky dip, like i am the one that people are looking and pointing at... you see today i have the privilege to be featured on what i feel is the greatest blog, decor8, holly asked me some weeks ago to put together a post called a few of my favorite things. and today its live on her site.. and the fact that of all the many thousands of people and places holly must see and know, she asked me, and I'm chuffed beyond words... go and have a look here at my post.. and i hope you like a few of my favorite things...

im a leather lover

so back in June i gave a sneak peek at some work in progress, well now after many many hours, its finally finished, and i have to say..i bloody love it, i adore it and I'm slightly obsessed with it, and if it was a real life walking talking pillow with emotions and feelings, well, it would have by now got a restraining order out on me...like Britney did, on that manager she had... this pillow is totally unique and even if i wanted to, i don't think i could ever even come close to repeating it, the leathers i used make this really stand out, and some of them are so sparkly and special that they look like precious jewels.i made it for a 14 inch square pad, and it had a soft corduroy back,.. i don't know about you guys but i seem to enjoy making things that take ages to make,and if i was to do the whole cost per hour pricing for this then it would be in the hundreds, but i long gave up the make just for a sale mentality, and i now make and craft to enjoy, so I'm selling it at what i feel is a very reasonable price for the amount of work involved, and if it sells its a bonus,and ill happily have to make another with different leathers, but if not ill have longer to look at it, and talk sweet nothings too... actually, please buy it now.. I'm talking to a pillow....help me.
it's in the shop now....

doodles away

so i finally got around to making some prints of my doodle,and they are now for sale in the shop... and each one is still going to be unique, because when i sell one..if i sell one ?. i will print it out and doodle onto it,adding more marks and scribbles, making it a unique piece...

happy logs

so my friend Zoe just came back from a holiday in Switzerland, and she just posted pictures on facebook, and this one made me smile and i want to show it here.. happy wood, even though they have been chopped down and are soon to be chopped up and burnt they can still smile about it...

somethin exciting comes my way

so this is a sneak peek at something i have been working on this week, something that hopefully will come to be realized fully in the next few weeks, something that has given me a few sleepless hours, something that could be good for little ole me, either way its been a busy around here... ill let you know if it all works out...

tuning in

so i have just listed these pages in the shop, and i really like them.. these were found in a dirty old bruised book that i got at the car boot and it is/was full of adverts for different American radio and communications companies, i think they date from the 1940s.
i get the feeling its not radios like we have today where we listen to music or the news, but radios more used for receiving information and signals and communications..but whatever they are advertising, i like the graphics and the illustrated style, and know they will be cool either framed and displayed or used and abused in some modern creative way by you crafty types.. i have many more , actually hundreds more pages to list.. not just from this find, but from all the other books i have rescued.. watch this space.. or shop this place

she loves me

so this week it was my birthday, and my 13 yr old niece made me the best gift ever, i told her to make me an abstract painting, which you can see here she did, and its very excellent in a Jackson Pollock style, however she also included in the parcel that arrived upon my door a quite amazing cross stitch that she designed herself..i swear i never told her to stitch this... and it blew my mind,its just so me, and so the saying that i always say about things,..the text and colours really work and the cake looks so yummy..
thanks Lisa, ill love it forever more than any cake..but not as much as i love you....
click pictures to see bigger