2017, the year of living greener, hacking and sharing skills!

It looks like the trend for greener living is one that's not going away anytime soon nor is the philosophy of sharing knowledge and finding eco friendly solutions to improve life in general!

101 Organic Gardening Hacks by Shawna Coronado is published by Cool Springs Press

Looking through this book at a first glance you'd think it was a straight forward gardener's encyclopedia but it's far from that!
What we do find is a book with a different way of doing things -actually you'll find it has 101!- of improving your green spaces through using simple everyday gardening skills to rejuvenating your garden with amazing recycling based projects or hacks.

This new title by Cool Springs Press, 101 Organic Gardening Hacks by Shawna Coronado is all about sharing her tips, tricks and showing you how to find practical solutions for the home garden. From practical time savers, clever up-cycling projects using everyday items to help you achieve an environmentally friendly, organic green space.
Divided into categories for easy reference the 101 hacks are accompanied by clear photographs and easy to follow instructions.

Having just recently moved into a house with a garden I found the prospect of using this book in my own little space extremely exciting! I can't wait to get my hands dirty come Spring time!
And also because I'm usually on a tight budget recycling and using found objects is something I also find really attractive and interesting.
I know I'll finally get the perfect garden with the help of this title by reproducing quite a few projects as well as put into practise some of the planting and growing advice.
We've inherited someone else's gardening choices and as much as I do love the Japanese style of our tiny garden I also feel that due to years of neglect that it could do with some attention and a good old re jig!
It's also super shady so any vegetable growing has been limited. Last year's tomato crop yielded 4 tiny little berries... though the quince tree is thriving and happy -we got 8 kilos of plump fruit in early Autumn- so it's never going to be a bountiful vegetable field!
Coming to the conclusion that it won't be like Tom and Barbara's small holding in The Good Life was tough to accept! My planting will have to work around its natural geographical placement so it will be more of an ornamental garden with a few choice veg... And that's OK!
I will however have lots of nifty tricks to make my space an insect friendly, chemical free paradise using what I've learned... from weeding the environmentally friendly way (OH yes it can be done!) to harvesting seeds!

101 Organic gardening Hacks is for those who love experimenting and creating a space which not only looks great but also gives untold amounts of joy and by following an eco-friendly regime you'll be  giving back to mother nature too!
Thanks to Shawna Coronado and her quirky and creative ideas and her absolute love of gardening, this book will undoubtedly help both novices and the seasoned gardeners who are after a bit of inspiration.
There are lots of projects from simple decorating techniques to useful hacks like creating your very own irrigation system with a drip line kit!

I particularly love the outdoor chandelier and the pallet furniture but also the useful tips like how to keep your garden pest free with zero pesticides! There is so much to take away from this book so if you're looking to become the new Monty Don or just after a animal friendly, eco friendly garden then I'd totally recommend this new title.
Though I won't be creating the gardens of Babylon I have faith that my little patch of urban greenery will become my very own private garden of Eden! Minus the snakes... no, really, no snakes even though I love them but hedgehogs, birds and insects will be most welcome!

To order 101 Organic Gardening Hacks at the discounted price of £9.99 including p&p* (RRP: £12.99), telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk  and quote the offer code QPG466.

*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas. 

Modern Retro!

Whether you call it retro or vintage the reality is that the hunger for it shows no signs of dissipating!
Our love for the unusual, designer made and stylish is something we find is becoming more of a norm as home owners all over the world are swamped by Modern Retro Fever. And it's addictive! 

Published by Jaqui Small this brand new title by Caroline Clifton Mogg is one I've enjoyed reviewing immensely! I too am one of those swamped by the big love for quirky vintage living!
Though it's not a new kind of love it's one which has been maturing and growing along the years. A bit like the general public's appetite for it!
I have quite a few pieces of everyday furniture which are just fit for purpose but... there are also a few key statement pieces I've been collecting throughout the years.
But finding the right comprehensive look can be hugely daunting but equally thrilling! Knowing how things fit together, well that's an art form...

Mixing the modern retro with objet trouvé is something that requires a little practise as well as an understanding of how each element works best singularly but ultimately as an entire look!

Having the eye and the ease to mix styles is nothing short of alchemy, though with this title at your side you too can create a magical and inspiring place filled with all kinds of gems!

But this is not just a book about admiring or valuing twentieth-century design. Far from being a catalogue this book is about how to make this wonderful style work in a contemporary home.

I like the way it's divided into sections according to styles under the Retro Styling banner, exploring different interpretations which will surely suit all types of tastes. Classic Mode, Rustic Reclamation, Structural Industrial, Colourful, Eclectic. In all I found elements I loved and thought I could re-create in my own vintage lovers home.

Knowing where things go, and how things respond to each other in a scheme has always been an integral part of successful interior design, and it is even more important when it comes to creating an interior that is a mixture of the expected and the unexpected.

And that's where Caroline Clifton Mogg's expertise and talent becomes clearly apparent.
This book showcases all the different elements, from chairs to mirrors, from lighting to textiles and also  Room by Room which looks at every part of the retro home providing an array of gorgeous and inspiring decorative ideas.


Modern Retro shows how to combine, how to edit and how to put the unlikely and the unusual together to make your home a modern retro masterpiece. And may I add that it won't be like living in a museum either... it's about building a livable home with imagination and heart!

To order Modern Retro at the discounted price of £24 including p&p* (RRP: £30), telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code QPG428.

*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas.

• Description

In that yawning gap between the antique and the new, there is something else. Some call it vintage, some retro, but whatever the name the concept is the same – the objects and furniture that are not quite old and not quite new, but are always original and unique. Modern Retro looks at this fascinating area of design and decoration. The arrangement of rooms – where to put what – has always been a vital part of successful interior decoration, and it is even more important when it comes to creating an interior that is a mixture of the expected and the completely unexpected. It is an art and it requires a real skill, for there has to be respect for every objet trouvé, as well as an understanding of how each element will work best. Modern Retro shows how to combine, how to edit and how to put the unlikely and the unusual together in a sympathetic way. Inspiration and ideas occupy every page of this absorbing book.

- See more at: http://www.quartoknows.com/books/9781910254165/Modern-Retro.html?direct=1#sthash.KLxXlQeP.dpuf

• Description

In that yawning gap between the antique and the new, there is something else. Some call it vintage, some retro, but whatever the name the concept is the same – the objects and furniture that are not quite old and not quite new, but are always original and unique. Modern Retro looks at this fascinating area of design and decoration. The arrangement of rooms – where to put what – has always been a vital part of successful interior decoration, and it is even more important when it comes to creating an interior that is a mixture of the expected and the completely unexpected. It is an art and it requires a real skill, for there has to be respect for every objet trouvé, as well as an understanding of how each element will work best. Modern Retro shows how to combine, how to edit and how to put the unlikely and the unusual together in a sympathetic way. Inspiration and ideas occupy every page of this absorbing book.

- See more at: http://www.quartoknows.com/books/9781910254165/Modern-Retro.html?direct=1#sthash.KLxXlQeP.dpuf

A LUSH bit of Christmas Art!

LUSH have been for a long time one of our favourite hand made companies! Back in the 1990's a really good friend introduced me to them; then known as  Cosmetics To Go; by way of a catalogue packed with amazing natural and eco friendly products from lipstick to baby shampoos. 

The fact that they were around then was a surprise as it wasn't really the "IN" thing.

But things were slowly changing and consumers were looking for a healthier body and not just a sane mind and spirit! Luckily LUSH are still here which I think is a sign of their visionary powers! They started off small but retained their ethics and a philosophy -which many people now share!- but now have shops all over the world... see, you can be a "hand made"company and not have to sell your soul to the corporate devil to achieve success!

One of my fave LUSH scents... The Smell of Weather Turning. A beautiful and original perfume...smells of fires and damp forests.

As a green baby- thank you mum for always looking out for natural alternatives!- this company was naturally one I'd be attracted to and I'm still a fan!

They are a great success story and I love how they keep up with trends and are forever evolving remarkably without ever losing their soul... or ethics. 

Fresh faced and clean! Fresh face masks for lots of skin types... just don't attempt to eat them!

So this Christmas they've teamed up with a few talented designers like Jonathan Kenyon, Creative Director of Vault49, a New York design studio that specialises in creating branding, advertising, design and art to offer something new. Check out his "White Christmas Packaging", it's Nordic Pop/ German Techno meets a snow boarding Santa!

We love LUSH products and we love the fact that they've collaborated with so many renown and amazing artists... who knows maybe one day they might even work with us! 

HUM a crafters hand cream to help soothe the "crochet claw"? Now there's a good idea... Just putting it out there lovely creative head of Lush products!

LUSH interview with Vault49 on designing White Christmas packaging - https://www.lush.co.uk/article/meet-designers-vault49

Lush White Christmas gift - https://www.lush.co.uk/products/over-30/white-christmas

​

If you'd like to read more about the collaborations please follow the links:

https://www.lush.co.uk/article/meet-designers-abi-cooke-hun

https://www.lush.co.uk/article/meet-designers-sarah-bagshaw

https://www.lush.co.uk/article/meet-designers-sarah-howell

https://www.lush.co.uk/article/meet-designers-dan-funderburgh

https://www.lush.co.uk/article/meet-designers-serge-seidlitz


For further info and products please visit: https://www.lush.co.uk/

 

COMPETITION TIME!

If you would like to win a copy of the LUSH graphic Novel On the trail of Sandalwood smugglers just answer the following question in the comments. We have two copies to giveaway so enter as many times as you like but please keep to one entry on each platform (Twitter, Face Book and Instagram).
If you are answering below we ask that you provide an email address so we can contact you.

Question:
What was their company name before they became LUSH fresh hand made cosmetics?

*The winners will be picked at random from all entries on Sunday the 7th of December 2014.

Candid Art & Design exhibition...

Candid Arts Art & Design Fair is now on!

I usually go every year and as usual the selection of designers doesn't disappoint. A splendid showcase of high quality,desirable hand made wares that will have you reaching for the purse. If you're already thinking about Chrimbo...go! It's just around the corner from Angel Tube station and a hop and a skip from Islington on the Victoria Line.
You won't find hoards of shoppers elbowing their way through the stalls,the shopping is relaxed and friendly. It's not quiet but it's calm...the kind of atmosphere I like to shop in. You can take your time, browse, look without feeling you're in some one's way and you can even talk to the designers!
You'll find absolutely gorgeous gifts and lots of temptation. Personally the intention was to go shopping for others but...I ended up treating myself!
Here are a few of my favourite things...


Alice Rose Lewis...www.aliceroselewis.co.uk

Alice Rose Lewis


Alice Rose Lewis


Cherry Loco...www.cherryloco.folksy.com

Alison Lewis...www.alisonlewisdesigns.blogspot.com


Kayleigh Biggs...www.kayleighbiggs.com


Kayleigh Biggs...


Lisa Bliss...www.cupiditasmanus.blogspot.com


Lisa Bliss



Amy Broclehurst...for info email: a.k.broklehurst.88@googlemail.com


Holly Fulford...www.wix.com/fulford123/holly-louise-designs



Holly Fulford...



Conte de fees...www.contedefees.com



Chantelle Pett...French Living and all things romantic! www.chantellepettdesigns.blogspot.com


e mail: chantelle_pett@hotmail.co.uk

Cut-Click...a new online magazine!

Cut-click is an online magazine for art & design.
A new issue is launched on the 19th of every month.
Cut-click is created by Baker2d & Caroline Twidle
We cut-click, do you?