tour de Mull!!

It wasn't quite Mark Beaumont but myself and the other (Ken) are just back from 5 days cycling (and camping!) round the Isle of Mull! Here's a few pics from the 'great adventure'.

A quick detour to Duart Castle.

Ken at Lochbuie.

Me having a well earned cuppa after reaching the end of the long rise in Glen More (and the sun came out!).

Leaving Calgary behind.

Ken at the top of the long upwards stretch on the Calgary/Gruline road.

Glorious sunshine overlooking Ulva.

A waterfall!

On the road back from Glengorm to Tobermory.

Some might remember I did a bit of damage to my knee a wee while back (many thanks to Mr MacLean and PRI for sorting me out!) so I've been doing a bit of cycling since to keep things working, hence this trip. I was a bit apprehensive about tackling Mull's long slow (never ending!) hills as I'm more used to undulating Perthshire as far as cycling is concerned. But it was all good in the end and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Single track roads were a bonus as it meant many more opportunities to stop - which I'm all for! Although I spent a large chunk of my childhood on Mull it was great to get round to parts I wasn't at all familiar with. And can I just recommend waterproof socks - I couldn't have done it without you!

sukie

We have new things from Brighton's Sukie! First off are the travel journals which have silkscreen printed covers and inside a mix of lined, plain & squared paper. They also have sewn-in envelopes to hold all the 'stuff' ' you've picked up along the way! Priced £9.50.

Next we have the perfect multi-purpose notebook. One half of it has plain paper, then turn it over and the other half is lined! The covers are silkscreen printed and the paper is recycled (as are all the Sukie notebooks we have). They are £7 each.

Finally, we have 3 more designs of Sukie's screenprinted hankies. They are big enough to use as scarves, or (as I've done in the shop) they can be stretched over a canvas and hung on the wall. They are £8 each.

I made-a-book!

We now have these 'make-a-book' kits by illustrator, book artist & printmaker Alison Hardcastle - so I thought I'd have a go (results below!). Each kit (there are 4 designs) has a screenprinted cover & A4 sheet, a needle & thread, and an instruction sheet. What you end up with is a fabulous little Alison Hardcastle book or notebook.

The technique is really simple but amazingly effective and if you are new to bookbinding I can almost certainly guarantee that once you've made your first book you'll be thinking about making your own from scratch. Perfect introduction for any budding artists or illustrators in the family. Each kit is £8.

lush!!!

Some lovely new cushions from Marie & Maria at Lush Designs. Also we have a new batch of hanging birds in orange, pistachio, pale grey & teal.

The monkey lampshades make a return in a smaller size (17cm x 20cm). And we also have mermaid shades in orange or turquoise to fit your lamp-bases (hurrah!).

new ceramics 3

More new ceramics! This time from Bristol based ceramicist Karen Welsh. We have a number of boxed sets from her Deco Loop range (in the patterns shown above). Each set includes handmade cups, a jug and a sugar bowl with silk-screen printed images fused onto the fine bone china. Perfect for the espresso drinkers amongst you (I have to admit that it's tea all the way with me!). The boxed sets are £48. We also have some individual tea-light holders/sugar bowls (in the same designs) which are £9 each.

donna wilson....more monster kits!!

For all those who have been asking we now have a brand new batch of Donna Wilson's 'make your own monster' kits in. For those who don't know each kit is a 'lucky dip' of pre-stitched knitted shape, stuffing and lots of bits & pieces to make your own monster!
Also back are Donna's felt coasters in red, turquoise and gorgeous olive (as above).
Or you could just choose from one of Donna's own fabulous creatures or cushions (below).

I first because a massive fan of Donna Wilson's work about 4 years ago when my sister (who had been lecturing at Gray's School of Art at the same time as Donna) brought back a booklet with pictures of her wonderful knitted creatures. I think I've been well and truly hooked ever since! They never fail to bring a smile to my face.

clockwise from top left:

sleepy pom, tig, ralf, rill, harry hairy head, angry ginger (my fave!), rainy day cushion.

new ceramics 2

Also new at boo vake are these ceramic vessels by guest Irish artist Emer O'Sullivan. Each of her slab built vessels have a combination of impressed lace, floral decals and drawings inscribed into the clay. Prices range from £27-£36.

lush designs cards

We've just received these fabulous cards designed by Maria Livings of Lush Designs (published by Umpen Editions). We've had Lush's very much admired lampshades & hangings for some time now so we were thrilled to get these in. They are £2 each.

new ceramics 1

Recent arrivals to boo vake are these whimsical ceramics by Kent based designer Polly George, produced in crisp white fine bone china. After much admiring from afar we now have Mrs & Mrs Jones lemon & lime squeezers, Mrs & Mrs Jones cups and Mrs & Mrs Jones bottles. Could just make that perfect wedding present! And they come boxed too. Also in are a selection of her butterfly, rose & bird tea-lights and butterfly cups & saucers.
And a welcome return for Hannah Turner's ceramic hedge warblers & oddies (crested or otherwise!) in oranges or blues.

polly george: mr & mrs jones lemon & lime squeezers £22,£18; mr & mrs j cups £17,£15; mr & mrs j bottles £22,£18; tealights £12 (all boxed). hannah turner: hedge warbler (un-crested) £36.

welcome to our new blog

With the new website (eventually!) up and running we thought the best way to keep everybody in the picture would be to run a blog alongside. And here it is! Here we will post news, new arrivals, and anything else we think might interest you.

top left: hanging bird by lush designs; tape-measure make-up bag by erin originals; soop rings. midddle: johanna basford mug; lavender bods by the black rabbit; space hopper by kate geoge. bottom left: hang-about-horses by andrea williamson; vintage shopper by showpony; cyril squirrel-fox by donna wilson.