WORK & PLAY

With Christmas just around the corner preparations here at Clementine & Bloom HQ are beginning to take shape. We were lucky enough to be placed near to the very talented Anya Keeley at Handmade In Britain this year and so have added two newcomers to our collection of her gorgeous tree decorations.
                                


Then when we were exhibiting at the Wealden Times Midwinter Fair last month we picked up this lovely stripped vintage bauble.


And if you follow us on Facebook you would have seen our very own handsome Luigi modelling with a huge purple bauble - this one is definitely not meant for the tree!


We have been working hard too - we spent a great day last week knee deep in lampshades and cushions taking product shots with photographer Ian Marriott-Smith.


It was so good to work with a professional photographer, he made the whole day run very smoothly so do go and take a look at his website. Now we can't wait to get the final shots out there for everyone to see.

WHAT A WEEK!

What a great week we have had!

First we were invited by the team at the Decorcafe to participate in their evening discussing the latest trends and designs in fabric. It was really great to be able to bring along samples and sketchbooks of our own ideas and have the opportunity to talk about the design process from conception through to the finished product. We met some lovely people and made new friends and will definitely be looking out for Decorcafe's future events. Click here for photos and more information. 

On Wednesday we packed up the van again with stock and our display boxes and headed to Bedgebury Pinetum in the middle of the Kent countryside for the Wealden Times Midwinter Fair.
This large event was held within the walled garden and certainly proved to be a great start to the Christmas season - mulled wine, Christmas carols and plenty of stands packed with gift ideas. 



We had a great time and also managed to spend a considerable amount of money but are already looking forward to their Summer event next year!

TOWN & COUNTRY

We have been exhibiting at Handmade In Britain for the last few days which is why we've been a bit quiet - you know all those little prep jobs you think will only take five minutes and then the actual show itself. We had a great time though and had some very positive comments about some new product lines that we were showcasing there (more on that at a later date!)


And we have more exciting news as we will be exhibiting at the Wealden Times Midwinter Fair which takes place from 21st to 23rd November. This will be our first time attending this event but we've heard so many lovely comments about it we hope it will become a regular date in our diary.


If you haven't come across the Wealden Times magazine we recommend you take a look. Every month they explore the interiors of two local homes which are always beautiful and original. We're very pleased to be featured this month in their gift supplement along with fellow exhibitors and as you can see there is something for everyone from foodies to crafters and everything in between. Do mark it in your diary and we hope to see you there!

BIG BLOOMS


This weekend I snuck away from the studio for a quick bit of rest and relaxation and there was no better place to indulge my love of colour and texture than Columbia Road Flower Market.



Normally I am not a particularly big 'flowers girl'. The other half stopped feeling the need to buy them a long time ago and now I just pop the odd bunch into my supermarket trolley to brighten up my day. However in this instance I couldn't resist...


I now have these spectacularly large hydrangeas and brassicas in the hallway. I'm planning to dry them out and maybe make a Christmas garland with (I know, optimistic as I continually suffer from not having enough time to do all the things I need to do let alone want to do!)



These flowers in my antique jug don't require any water! Perfect for busy people and the colours and foliage are just right for Autumn.

In total I spent £25, more than I normally would on flowers but then as it was my first visit I couldn't help but go a little crazy. I would absolutely recommend it for a lazy Sunday stroll; next time I will definitely go early as it was very busy, maybe stroll around the lovely little shops first and then buy my big bouquets!

HANDMADE IN BRITAIN '13

Our regular followers will know that we debuted our Entomology collection at Handmade in Britain last November. Frightening though it seems that a whole year has flown past already (but what a good year it has been!) we are now preparing to return to Chelsea Old Town Hall from Friday 8th - Sunday 10th November for the 2013 showcase.


It is a wonderful event, perfect for buying Christmas presents or simply treating yourself to something handmade. We would love to see you there and if anyone would like 2-4-1 tickets then simply sign up to our newsletter!

BESPOKE BLUE BUTTERFLIES

A few weeks ago we were approached by a customer who was looking for some lampshades for her bedroom but wanted something luxurious and a little different from the usual high street options  - well she had come to the right place!

She wanted them to pick up the other colours in the room so swatches were sent, discussions took place and the final colours were decided upon.


They are two bespoke Papilio lampshades in a beautiful rich azure blue silk with silver and navy accents. We loved them so much we chose them for our new blog banner!

We love taking on commissions so if you would like us to create something entirely unique for your home then contact us via info@clementineandbloom.com and don't forget you can always browse our website for inspiration www.clementineandbloom.com

PERIOD LIVING

We seem to have hurtled into a new season at an alarming rate and although the weather is very pleasant at the moment Autumn has definitely arrived. With this in mind we felt it was time to refresh our banner and wallpaper. The banner is a glimpse of the latest commission that we have just completed (proper reveal to come soon) and the wallpaper is Polka Dot Beetle, one of our favourites.
                                             

We are really pleased to announce our inclusion in November's Period Living magazine (yes, that really is us at the bottom of the page!) Our Aubergine Butterfly and violet silk Archive cushions are featured in the editor's picks section and we are very chuffed as it happens to be one of our all time favourite home mags.

This week we started our business course which we hope to blog about soon but for now we are going to curl up on the sofa with a nice cup of tea and read the rest of the magazine. Enjoy!

TO BLOOM IS TO KNOW YOUR ROOTS

At Clementine & Bloom we have been very busy, not just beavering away in our studio producing all our lovely products but we've been busy trying to do the right thing. We are two creative people who love nothing more than to make a cushion or a lampshade but there comes a point in every creative company's life when things have got to get serious. And we think now just might be that time for us!

Starting next week we have enrolled at The School for Creative Start-Ups, an amazing opportunity to learn all the things we need to know in order to grow our company. As creative people the business side of working often gets pushed to the bottom of the 'to do' list - it's too easy to just make something because you love it, but as Christmas rapidly approaches we are looking at forecasting sales, planning a marketing strategy and dare I say it adding a few new lines!

So it's time to step away from the studio and back into the classroom for this mother and daughter team. A scary thought until we saw this little poem on the side of a construction site (hate to say it but we forgot to take a snap of who wrote it), the words seem particularly poignant at the start of this very new chapter for Clementine & Bloom. We will keep you all posted on our progress and as always we would love to hear from anyone else on the course or taking a similar big leap!

MUSTN'T GRUMBLE

We know this is a little late but the last couple of weeks have been very busy and it's not been an easy post to write. After last year's amazing Thames Festival our expectations were high but sadly not fulfilled. We were located with the We Make London team near Tower Bridge and as there were no events taking place on the Saturday and very little advertising it meant there was not much footfall (excepting the odd stray tourist or local resident surprised to discover an artisan market taking place on their doorstep!)



This did give us the opportunity to have a wander in the vicinity and we came across this wonderful sculpture by artist David Kemp at the Hay's Galleria. The Navigators looks like a creation from a Jules Verne novel and was made using recycled and found objects.



The final day of the festival was better, there were choirs and bands performing in the Scoop near our stalls and people were wandering along enjoying the entertainment and making the most of their Sunday.




We were informed that the budget for the festival was reduced this year but then why did the organisers  stretch the event across two weekends? The spectacular fireworks finale was greatly missed by stall holders and visitors alike and the atmosphere of carnival and colour we've come to expect was non existent. Our fellow stall holder Jane sums up the experience precisely here.

The event is called the Mayor's Thames Festival so come on Boris let's put a little more thought in for next year or you may find yourself celebrating on your own!

UNDER THE SEA

It seems like ages ago that we were on holiday, not only because the weather has taken a serious turn as Autumn sets in but also because we are unbelievably busy. I know we are lucky that there are two of us at Clementine & Bloom but this week it would be good if there were four! I hate to say it but we are now in full preparation mode for...Christmas...


Fear not though because as promised here is our second inspirational post from our holiday, a trip to Monaco's aquarium was a real highlight. All the amazing colours of the tropical fish against the deep blue ocean background was so visually exciting and to top it off I got some great snapshots of a few interesting underwater creatures.


  


We love the vibrant colour combination of orange and ocean blue.

Reminds me of something I've seen before...

THE GREAT ADVENTURE


Hello to all our lovely readers (old and new!) we are back from our summer holidays and boy what an adventure we have had. Having flown to the South of France we then rented a car and drove in the most spectacular zig-zag back to Paris to catch the train home. Rather than bore you with the hundreds of holiday snaps that we took, the next few blog posts are intended to inspire.


One of our greatest loves is to travel, there is nothing more inspiring than immersing yourself in different cultures and the best way to do that is to shop with the locals. I can't tell you how many times we have both come back with weird and wonderful purchases stuffed into our suitcases or taken on board as hand luggage - all because of the desire to build a home full of treasured memories and possessions.




So what did we buy on this trip then...on the last day we decided to head out for a little bit of antique rummaging and we came across this beautiful Singer sewing machine. This is potentially the best bargain we have ever had, a mere €8!


P.S : all market photos were taken in the Old Town in Nice. There is a flower market most days except Monday when it's full of antiques.

POSTCARD

 
 A picture postcard from our holiday. 


We will be back in the studio from next Monday 9th September, until then enjoy the sunshine everyone!


THE MAYOR'S THAMES FESTIVAL



Great news! We are happy to announce we will be participating in The Mayor's Thames Festival along the Southbank for the second year running. This is a fabulous event which brings together a huge variety of activities on, about and around the River Thames.


We will be situated at More London next to the Scoop on 14th and 15th September and if it's anything like last year it promises to be a fantastic event. The whole thing is completely free and aimed at all ages so mark it in your diaries and we'll see you there!

AQUAMARINE GILDED BUTTERFLY


Check out our new favourite colour combination - aquamarine silk with the copper gilded butterfly design. These were printed recently for a customer and we loved them so much we are thinking of adding them to our range permanently.


If you can't wait that long you can always email : info@clementineandbloom.com to talk to us about a commission or stop by Greenwich on a Wednesday to buy this beautiful little vintage Jersey pottery bedside lamp base with our new aquamarine gilded butterfly shade.


THE BARBICAN CONSERVATORY


Have you ever been to the Barbican? Just like us you have probably only ever been there to see an exhibition or maybe go to the theatre. Last Sunday we went to see the gardens...


The simplest way to describe the Barbican estate is as a concrete jungle with a million dollar price tag. Yes, there are high rise flats built in the late 70's from a brown concrete mix but it's also nestled right in the centre of London making it a very desirable location to live. Many parts of it are open to the public but as it's residential there are also a lot of areas that are private, then there are those sections like the conservatory that are open on select days of the month.


I had been recommended to visit by a friend and so at a loose end this Sunday I decided to take a look for myself. As you can see from the pictures I was not disappointed, it's compact and beautiful making it the perfect place to browse for a few hours. I came away feeling truly inspired...maybe a plant inspired print is just what Clementine & Bloom needs!