"One art please"

As well as the bags and the clutches and the wallets, I've also been working on some embroidered illustrations. So far they're mainly rows of houses, but soon I think I might add some lamp posts and trees and whatnot. Maybe even a washing line or two, like in the PandaPerdu banner above.

Business cards

I've got business cards! In preparation for the Capstan's Bazaar craft fair on Sunday, I ordered a few business cards and mini cards (to use as price tags) from moo.com. They look brilliant and I can't wait to start handing them out to all and sundry!

Mini cards from moo, which are perfect for using as price tags 

Fancy sandals

Last month I went to Paris for work to visit a trade exhibition about fashion textiles and leather. Among the wonderful prints, designs and materials on show was a stand called 'Cuir & Creation' ('Leather & Creation') which showcased the work of young designers working with leather. 


My favourites were these satin and leather sandals by Art H Pied. They cost 95 Euros, but as they're hand-made to order in a workshop in Northwest France, I reckon they're worth it. 

These photos are from the Art H Pied website and I didn't take them myself

Old stuff

I've visited a couple of museums recently (namely the Cotswold Motor Museum and the Museum of Liverpool) and I have to admit that I really like design from the 'olden days'. I get museum fatigue fairly quickly and it doesn't take long before I start feeling like the little girl I overheard saying to her mum in the Museum of Liverpool: "Can we not look at pictures anymore?"

But, before the exhaustion of learning starts to set in, I always make sure to snap some photos of my favourite designs from times past. 

How exciting would it be to be eight years old and own this writing set?

I love the idea of sweets that are just for the weekend

A straightforward, no-nonsense message with an eye-catching design. I like it

Me in 40 years time?

New PandaPerdu wallets

This weekend I've been making a few more wallets for the craft fair next weekend. I came up with the design a while ago, after trying out a few different ways of making a wallet with room for credit cards, notes and coins. Technically they are quite tricky to make but I think they are worth it, as they achieve PandaPerdu's goal of being both practical and pretty. 

Three new PandaPerdu wallets, on drawers from Ikea which I'll use to display clutches and wallets at Capstan's Bazaar next Sunday

I love Chelsea

I have something to confess. I really, really like watching trashy US dramas, as well as a few carefully selected reality TV shows. I am so happy that Gossip Girl and 90210 are back in my life with their latest instalments, and sometimes I even re-watch episodes of The Hills to pretend that I am a silly person living in a condo in Hollywood.

But more than any of the others, right now I love Made In Chelsea. I kid myself that I am doing work-related ‘research’ when I watch it – by observing the fashions and handbags adorning the characters. But really I just love the banality of it all, the awkward silences and the borderline-OCD chatter about who’s going out with who and why. I also love the area of London that it’s set in – the beautiful architecture and the café-culture streets, the leafy avenues and rooftop gardens. I took these pictures when I visited Chelsea in May to report on the contemporary crafts exhibition, Collect, at the Saatchi Gallery. 

People queuing outside the Saatchi Gallery to see Collect

Pretty terraced houses in Kensington

I just love these pastel houses, with their tiny trees and exterior shutters  

Just look at those first-floor balcony trees - how wonderful!

Ye olde London archway. The next time I need to have an emotionally-charged and stilted conversation with a friend or loved one, I might just bring them here to do so. It will add a certain Made In Chelsea flair to my life

Fashion pick of the week - the Darla

I don't usually spend much time coveting expensive handbags - I'd rather admire them, be inspired by them and move quickly on because I could never justify spending that kind of money on a bag. But I've seriously fallen for Chloe's Darla shoulder bag and have spent way more time than I should have this week visiting the Net-A-Porter website just to enjoy looking at it. At £1,115, I don't think I'll be buying it any time soon, but a girl can dream.

Lovely, just lovely. The Chloe Darla shoulder bag in soft royal-blue brushed leather (I would call the colour blueberry-blue myself but there you have it)

I also really like this ensemble which the fabulous people at Net-A-Porter put together - the stripy cardie looks particularly snuggly