Natsukashii

A year has passed since me and Natalie visited Japan. Beth told me this lovely word above meaning wistful and reflective. That beautifully sums up how I'm feeling. The inspiration that I brought back with me has been long lasting and I think about it often. As I enjoyed blogging about it as much as I enjoyed being there I thought I'd re-visit my posts and have a little reminisce.

We visited  Tokyo first and stayed high up in a tower block hotel.

there were so many people.

 We saw the The Bright Lights of Shinjuko on a Saturday night

and had a lazy Sunday morning exploring The shop fronts of Nekameguru.

We visited  Hajime Studio, two creative guys that I discovered whilst writing Illuminate.

 Then we travelled on the Shinkasen to Kyoto and saw Mount Fuji on the way.

We loved  Kyoto and felt very at home helped by hanging out with Beth who was living there for a while and speaks fluent Japanese.

 We took the steep walk up Mount Daimonji and felt on top of the world.

I loved our rainy visit to the Bamboo Forests of Arishiyama where we had the pleasure of meeting Ai Kawauchi who I also wrote about in my book.

I was very inspired by the bamboo forests.

We visited many amazing Temples and Gardens with Beth.

 and she took us to a brilliant Sunday Morning Craft Fair 

 and introduced us to many a Washi Paper Shop!

 We had a big cycle ride out to the countryside to try our hand at Stencil Dying.

It's how they paint Kimono. It was fascinating.

We we had lots of chatting in cosy tea houses sheltering from thunderous rain.

I long to return and hire a basket bike and continue the adventure.

Maybe next time I'll go to the countryside and visit Ai in the South...and see the sea.....or maybe set foot on Mount Fuji. I'd like to visit lighting designer Sachie Muramatsu in Tokyo because I  only discovered her AFTER I got home....I'm dreaming....

Ffion and Euans first gig

We've waited for this evening with anticipation for so long.
Ffion and Euan's debut gig at the Trades Club. 

They were supporting JP Cooper along with Lucy Elizabeth at a charity gig organised by a lovely lady called Amanda Cox.

' Hi. So erm we're Ffion and Euan. We're brother and sister... and we're quite scared!'

They didn't need to be. Their beautiful sound reached out to all corners of the room and went straight in our hearts. They stilled the room with their loveliness. I wanted it to last forever.

It seems to obvious to say I was proud. It was just so wonderful to see my kids doing this joyful thing together. I've watched this whole thing unfold. I know their musical history and it's been there since their beginning. Tiny Euan in his highchair always sung louder if he was enjoying his food! 

Ffion wrote a lovely blogpost about her experience. It has inspired her to write more songs and it will be lovely hearing them unfold while she's home from uni for the summer.

The evening was well documented. Our Sarah Mason took these beautiful pictures and Robert made a video of  the whole gig (give of take a few moments where his new camera overheated...darn). Our friend Tracey also took this lovely video.

If you like what you hear this is Ffions Youtube channel where she posts her song singing and this is Euans Soundcloud where you can hear his remarkable music (writing music for film is his dream) and there are a few tracks of Ffion and Euan singing together here too.

This was one of those nights that will stay with us all for a long time to come.

Illuminate is doing good

I've just found out that Illuminate has sold over 1700 copies since it's launch in November. Surprisingly less than 50 of those copies sold through Amazon! Not what I would have thought at all!

I have just made an Illuminate board as part of my Radiance Pinterest account so I can collect and share images of makers featured in the book. They all look so pretty when they are together. If you're a pinner come on over. It's more fun with followers :)

Happiness is...

When you know you're going to be inside the shop all day on a beautiful blue sky sunny day you have to get out early to soak it up.

So I wandered up through Nutclough Woods because I knew the meadows above it would be in flower.

 Today is Matthews (who works for me at Radiance) birthday and years ago we had a birthday picnic in this meadow surrounded by buttercups so I thought I'd head for the same spot. It was glorious.

I'm totally happy in a meadow with my camera. I see shapes. I imagine how I can put them on wallpaper and lamps!

This little fella did some posing for me,

Then I headed down through the beech woods

and it was still only 9 o'clock.

The perfect way to start the day.

My visit to the wallpaper factory in MOYO magazine

The new issue of the beautiful Moyo (it means pattern in Japanese) magazine is out today and I'm so happy that on page 40 is an article I have written them  all about my trip to the wallpaper factory.

This is the first spread. They have styled it so beautifully. If you haven't seen this magazine before it is all about surface pattern - creating it, selling it and enjoying it. Issue 4 is 'The Paper Issue' and there's lots of inspiring things to read about!

Click here to have a read.

Thankyou MOYO magazine :)

Saltaire Arts Trail

We went on the Saltaire Arts Trail on Sunday. It was lovely wandering the streets of this pretty place looking for the open houses.

If the bunting was flying you could go in and see the work of loads of artists and makers....

and sneak a peep at the houses of Saltaire.

Radiance sponsored a house on Dove Street this year so we had to go and say hello. Laura Slater was there with her lampshades and prints. I wrote about Laura in Illuminate.

It was also lovely to meet Hannah Lamb at her open studio. 

We know each other only through our blogs so it was nice to meet in real life.

Her studio is high up and has a marvellous view across the chimney pots of Saltaire.

Hannah has been making cyanotypes of weeds on old postcards. Soooo pretty.

 It's nice that I understand how it's done after doing the workshop.

It really was a lovely day out.

Sea air and wild woods

Last week I visited my lovely friends in Hastings. 

This little chap was only a baby last time I saw him so we had a lot of catching up to do.

It's one of my favourite escapes. Wide views, bright light, sea air and the best company.

 I love this lot! Me and Wendy realised that we have known each other for TEN years. We met when we were newcomers at bctf and it was friends at first sight :)

We took a walk in the woods, through the Wild Garlic

and a sea of Bluebells

and there were a few cuddles along the way.

The Wild Garlic made our breakfast pretty. As Ffion put it, it looks like a Pinterest breakfast!

Such a lovely lovely time.