It’s a Wrap….70sStyle!

There I was in my local independent stationers buying some swing tags for my next fair,and as I turned to leave my heart leapt as I spied this pile of gift wrap lurking, literally in a bucket,like some naughty kid everyone tries to ignore.

Can you believe the utter kitsch beauty of this? I think it’s from the 70s and the signature seems to be Reni…..so if anyone out there has any info I would love to hear from you!……and the best part of this find? The price?….40p for a pack of 25 sheets of this gorgeous paper.

Yes,I bought it all…7 packs in total. What will I do with it I hear you cry? That’s easy. I am going to wallpaper the loo with it as a tribute to all those brides whose marriage went down the toilet!!!

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Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!

This is a must see if you have even a passing interest in fashion. It’s one of the best I have seen…..and I have seen a lot of fashion exhibitions over the years. I first took The Sunday Times in 1997 and have been a devotee of the Style magazine since then. As a Fashion And Textile student I devoured the fashion shoots weekly and marvelled at the fashion editors unique style, who at the time was Isabella Blow. Much has been written about her since she tragically took her own life in 2007. This exhibition features her wardrobe of clothes from the designers she loved and nurtured and it’s wonderful to see the garments up close and witness the wear and tear…..cigarette burns,trace of lippy and scuffed heels! It’s so easy to imagine Issy in all her fashion fabulousness!
I took a couple of sneaky pics…

….and the obligatory selfie!

….brought this beautiful image by Nick Knight of McQueen kimono and Philip Treacy eye mask and devoured every piece of this fabulous show. I also felt an overwhelming sadness because of course the show features much of Alexander McQueens stunning archive and of that there will be no more either.
On returning home I dug deep into my magazine stash and found some images I have had since student days. Issy was fashion editor on these….Enjoy!

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Much was penned as tributes to this unique lady and again I have the evidence….

Isabella’s coffin was adorned with one of her favourite hats ( by Treacy of course)
I loved this exhibition as I have said but I also felt a profound sadness at the loss of this fabulous ballsy lady and her all consuming passion for the crazy world of fashion!

C’est Magnifique

Oo la la! What a find I had yesterday on my first rummage in the charity shops this year. I set myself the challenge of visiting them less frequently as my “padded cell” of a studio soon won’t have room for me. However, when I find something as joyful as these it’s hard to resist just popping in.

Delightful non?….oh how my brain went into overdrive, but first to translation….from the top….
He loves me
Passionately,fervently
Literally to madness
A little bit
Not at all.

Two of the napkins have an embroidered letter in one corner. I think its a V but could possibly be an N…..

The rest of the set have a very faint trace of the same letter that has been left unstitched. So,what’s the story,who is,or probably was V and he? Did he fall out of love with her during an eight course meal perhaps? Did she embroider them as a look back at how his feelings changed? Or does each napkin represent a different relationship? I guess I will never know but oh the joy of picturing the many possible scenarios.
Script on fabric is a current trend and something I have been thinking about this week to ease back into creative mode…..

But whatever I create it’s not going to have the romance and wonder of the napkins I suspect. What’s your thoughts on them?…..