Later this week I shall be taking a few days off so here are this week's revised opening hours....

Tues 14th /Wed 15th OPEN 10-5.30

Thurs 16th /Fri 17th  CLOSED

Sat 18th OPEN 12-4

20th birthday prize draw

As a thank you to our lovely customers we're entering everybody who makes a purchase this week (until Saturday evening) into our Birthday Prize Draw!

Prizes include a wild boar lampshade, a Roddy & Ginger birchwood tray, a Donna Wilson rubber stamp set & a geometric tablemat set by Fun Makes Good (all of which I'd love myself truth be told!). Oh and a there's a Boo Vake giftvoucher too. You also get to choose which prize you'd prefer - no purchase too small!

And if you happen to be in town this Saturday (4th May) pop in for a wee drink & some nibbles in the shop after 4pm!

UPDATE: Well done our prize draw winners!....Anne, Emma, Robert, Lindsey & Laura. All our prizes have now gone to their new homes. Thanks to all who helped me celebrate :)

twenty years young

I was really chuffed to find this in last Saturday's Herald, not least because it was the result of a genuine trip to Boo Vake, and a bit of research from the author, and not just a press release filler (as I always somehow imagined these items to be).

And as it happens it couldn't really be better timed as, as you can see, Boo Vake is now 20 years old!!  

The plan at the moment is to have a wee celebration in the shop on the 4th of May. I'll keep you posted :)  

springtime at boo vake

   

It's been a while since I shared a look around the shop & some of different work that's been arriving (I'd like to blame Facebook for that) so here is a wee glimpse... 

From the top: Fun Makes Good - leather bow brooches, geometric tablemats, Reiko Kaneko - fine bone china, Robin & Mould - cat & fox cushions, Tatty Devine - necklaces, rings, brooches & earrings.

Boo Vake has a big birthday coming! A bit about that very soon.....

risograph lions & crocs

 'jungle lion'  - A3 risograph print (£12.50 unframed)

'crocodile' - A3 risograph print (£12.50 unframed)

We've just taken delivery of these rather lovely risograph animal prints from Lisa & Edward at the Lisa Jones Studio. You might remember we had matching bone china mugs last year (if you were in the shop).

I have to admit I wasn't entirely sure what a risograph was until a few weeks ago (or rather I was sort of familiar with the outcome but a bit woolly with the process & the name for it). 

After a little bit of searching it would appear it works something like this: a thermographic master is created for each colour before the master is wrapped around a drum which is filled with ink. Whilst the paper remains flat the drum rotates at high speed, forcing the ink through the stencil (or master) and onto the paper. 

It's an attractive choice for artists & designers wanting a more affordable option to screen-printing as it achieves similiar spot colours (each colour is printed seperately) but with very fast duplication. 

And from Lisa & Edward themselves...."The paper needs to pass through the machine to receive each colour, which makes a mockery of precise registration, while the colours themselves are limited and can't be mixed (although, in truth, subtleties could be achieved through overlays or halftones). Despite these clunky limitations and inbuilt imperfections, they have a wonderful quality that's utterly matte and simultaneously somehow luminescent."

     

close-up of croc print

Whilst looking for imformation I came across this print studio in Glasgow that specialises in risograph printing. Worth taking a look at if you are interested.

back in the swing... and discovering the joy of weekends

above: 'neep' by donna wilson *

We may be more than halfway through January but I'm going to say 'Happy New Year' anyway! After a good break away from shop duties (mostly on the Black Isle & home in Perth) it was back to it last week with a head full of the cold & tax return to do (both thankfully now out the way). 

One of the joys of my break was the final weekend here in Perth. Having worked for myself for almost 20 years I can't remember a time when I had a Saturday & Sunday off in succession in Perth. My days off are Sunday/Monday (except the last five weeks before Christmas when it's zero time off). Of course I've had Saturdays/Sundays off when I've gone away on holiday (or to the odd trade fair or when getting married) but rarely (can't actually think of any instance) when I've just been mooching about at home in Perth. In all the time I've known my husband (12 years now I believe) he's put up with us only having Sundays off together. Usually this means that the pressure is on to get out & 'do something' or the day somehow feels wasted. Then comes Monday and although I'm physically not in the shop invariably I'm thinking about it or running errands for it.

So, the delight of waking up on a Saturday morning, in my own bed, and not having any plans, and knowing the next day it would be the same was something else. As it happened we did actually feel a pressure not to waste the Saturday but when Sunday came along all that was out the way and it was guilt-free pottering central at home (even with feeling a bit ropey with colds). It's amazing how much you can pack in when you don't have any expectations. I really could get quite used to this weekend thing. Just as well I do a job that I love as it will be another year before it happens again :) 

* tenuous link to January (when neeps (turnips to Scots/swedes to the English) get a good old outing with haggis & tatties in celebration of Mr R. Burns) .

I hope everbody had a lovely Christmas. Me & Boo Vake will now be taking a wee break & we will be back, fully recharged, on Tuesday the 8th of January. A big thanks to everyone who has supported us this year! Arlene x   

new gift guides

Have been busy updating the gift guides on our website. Almost there now, just a few more guides & a refreshing of the home page to do (why does this always take me so long?!). So here's s few to start off with...

house - details here

 jewellery - details here

  woollies - details here

Hope you like!

before it's just a distance memory....

When I got married last year my lovely family clubbed together to get us a weeks hire of a 70s VW campervan. Last month, more than a year later, we finally got to take that trip! The obvious choice for us was to head to the Highlands.

 

Our route (somewhat dictated by the weather): Inverness - Lochcarron - Applecross - Shieldaig - Kinlochewe - Red Point - Gairloch - Poolewe -  Altbea - Ullapool - Achiltibuie - Inverkirkag -Lochinver - Loch Assynt - Bonar Bridge - Croik (detour)- Portmahomack - Nigg - Cromarty - Fortrose - Inverness. 

Bealach na Bà

Our van 'Blanche' (she was white just a few weeks before) managed the singletrack hairpins over the Bealach na Bà into Applecross like a trouper (all thanks to Ken).

Applecross   

on the Applecross Peninsula

Badachro

Red Point

the viewpoint at Red Point

Inverewe Gardens, Poolewe

The brightest day coincided with us passing through Poolewe so the perfect opportunity to take a wee wander around the Inverewe Gardens.  

under Stac Pollaidh

Altandhu

We had a mixed bag of not so bad weather from the beginning but on the sixth day our luck well and truly ran out - above being our view for most of the day (think windows open and squeegee in operation for full effect - got to see through that windscreen somehow!). So cruel since we passed through some of the most amazing landscape that day. Just as well we got a good look at Stac Pollaidh the day before as Suilven and Canisp were no where to be seen. So instead of continuing north we followed our noses and headed back eastwards.

Ardvreck Castle, Loch Assynt

Croick Church

On the way back east we took a wee detour to Croick Church best known for it's connection to the Highland Clearances and the sheltering families of Glencalvie, who recorded their plight in stratched messages on the window in 1845. The small churchyard is also the last resting place of a dear family member so a rather poignant place for me all round.. 

close-up of Croick Church window

Portmahomack

So where to head next? Portmahomack of course -  the driest place in Scotland (apparently). At least that day it lived up to it's reputation.

Nigg

on the Nigg - Cromarty ferry

Cromarty

Chanonry Point

We spent the last night on the Black Isle before returning 'Blanche' back to her home in Inverness. After a week of being greeted with waves and smiling faces it was quite a comedown to hand over our 'mobile tearoom' & drive away in our very ordinary car. 

new hilke macintyre

'blackbird in the rain' - approx 13cm x 13cm (£60)

It's always a joy to get some new ceramic reliefs from Hilke MacIntyre in the shop. Here's our latest offerings....

'sunny day' - approx 13cm x 13cm (£60)

' just a shower' - approx 17cm x 11cm (£60)

'countryside in september' -  2 parts, approx 27cm x 27cm in total (£160)

  'snowball fight' - approx 20cm x 11cm (£70)

'football in the village' - approx 11cm x 22cm (£70)

'woman & cat' -  approx 5.5cm x 11cm (£35)

(Sizes & prices to follow when I'm back in shop tomorow)