Somerset House

It's now exactly two weeks to go before I show my jewellery and silver gifts in the stunning venue of Somerset House.  Really looking forward to this, my biggest show so far!

You can go onto http://www.treasureuk.com/tickets to buy advance tickets using the promo-code :: Jeweller241 - this entitles you to 2 for the price of 1 tickets.

Grand Imperial, London

We came here last night to celebrate success at Chelsea Flower Show. What an amazing Cantonese menu from top Hong Kong chef Rand Cheung. Superb service, beautiful calligraphy on the walls - loved the ceramics, especially the designs on the plates.

We over-ordered - great lunch for the next day though!

New Blossom Bowl

In the Pearl and Silver Collections at Claire Hart Design, Treasure 2012

Continuing the floral theme from Chelsea 2012, I'm delighted to have completed my new Blossom Bowl: with two small mother of pearl roses on branches and miniature spoon it is now ready for Treasure.

It will join my silver gifts collections: tiny Butterfly Bowl, Rosehip Spoons and Blossom Double Spoons......

....and of course lots of jewellery too - soon to be photographed.

Chelsea nearly ready to go....

.....and it's looking good!
I went up to the massive construction site on Friday, with my sister-in-law to help my sister Cathy set up. Hundreds of people working away, building the settings and planting. We saw the pyramid, lots of my favourite outdoor sculptors - well, here are a few shots.

I'll return to see it completed on Thursday.

Someone's excited to be at the Pyramid!

I just had to pose next to an old-style rickshaw

Signage looking good!

....and here's the head!

I like this sculptor's work of powerful animals

Omar @ Hideaway

blurred action shot!

Nothing like seeing Omar on home territory, down in Streatham last night to a packed sell-out gig at the fabulous Hideaway.

Blooming Aliums for Chelsea

the perfect aliums

Cathy's aliums, with two weeks to go......

With 10 days to go before she exhibits her sculpture at Chelsea Flower Show, my sister Cathy is growing (180!) aliums in a friend's garden - they should bloom in time to surround her work.  

Will they, won't they.....?? A brave few have just started to open and are looking promising. We have plenty of rain at the moment - we just need the sun now. Where is it??

more Istanbul inspiration

the awesome Haggia Sophia

One of the most serene rooms I saw in Istanbul - the Library of  Topkapi Palace

here are a few more images from Istanbul. There was too much to see in a short time!



 I'll have to go back.......

window in a sarcophagus, Haggia Sophia

Blue Mosque minarets and an obelisque

swirling dervishes

Istanbul Patterns

Turkish tea and roses 

I didn't make it to China this year, but I travelled East and got nearly halfway there - to Istanbul for a few days. Love the cultural fusion of West, Middle East and Asia.

I even found the jewellery quarter and made some essential purchases. I stumbled across helpful and friendly sellers just outside the Old Bazaar. I haven't been able to find roses this small in China, so am really pleased with this purchase. Yesterday I claw-set the first one on to my new branch necklace which will be unveiled at Treasure (now only 5 weeks to go!).

Here's a small taster to give you a flavour of the fusion of East/West designs.

Old Bazaar Lights

stunning window which was unfortunately in the Circumcision Room of the Palace:(

Haggia Sophia intricate wrought iron

Palace tiles 2

 Istanbul was a blast of colour, pattern, noise, cultures and definitely worth a trip. I can't wait to go back!

Old Bazaar Lights

Upstairs @ the Ritzy, Brixton

It was Forties glamour last night in Upstairs @ the Ritzy, with retro singer Gertie and her band.

Fred Astaire, dancing his way effortlessly through the film  'Top Hat', was projected larger than life on to the wall.

Fun to watch in the background.

Barter Books, Alnwick

Call in to the amazing Barter Books

when you're next in Northumbria......

....and get ready to settle in for a few hours, browsing through the enormous collection of second hand books in this huge old converted railway station. Stop for a bite to eat, by the log fire in one of the old waiting rooms.

Difficult to pull yourself away from Barter Books though:)

Women of the World Festival 2012



Mother's Day Cards

Congratulations to our very own Spark class from Mulberry School for Girls, plus all their fabulous teachers in the SEN Dept, for a great profit-making stall at the WoW Festival on Southbank!
What fantastic team-work!

Our mugs were our best-seller!







Coasters, key rings anmd badges all branded with our very own Spark designs



Conversational Concert in Bloomsbury

Hokusai's Great Wave off Kanagawa

I've just returned from the intimate surroundings of Pushkin house in Bloomsbury, where I heard piano duets by the fabulous Karl Lutchmayer and David Alexander: performing Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, followed by Debussy's La Mer.

Karl sets the scene as always with his anecdotes and insights into the composers' lives and music - I want to find out more about them. Debussy was inspired by the Javanese gamelan music and Japanese art and architecture that he heard and saw at the first World Exhibition in Paris, 1889. He had the Japanese woodblock engraving on the front cover of an early recording of La Mer.