A view of London by Esther Coombs

by Tamara Kelly • August 10, 2012 • Shopping • 0 Comments

With all eyes on the city of London during the Olympics, I thought it would be fitting to celebrate the wonderfully fun designs by Esther Coombs. The pieces below capture the beauty of buildings around London – with the odd cake thrown in. Esther hand draws the designs directly onto vintage china, giving a new lease of life to discarded ceramics.

I love how she fuses the graphic architecture with the dainty quality of crockery reminiscent of your Granny’s favourite china. I think you’ll agree, the end results are beautiful unique pieces that would add a touch of modern day homespun to any country home.

From top left; Cupcake plate, £36; Battersea Power Station floral jug, £46; English Heritage cake stand, £138; ‘The Gherkin’ building plate, £36; London Row platter, £44, London Skyline tea cup & Saucer, £34, all by Esther Coombs.

by Caroline Keenan • March 9, 2011 • Crafting, Out and About • 0 Comments

If the promise of spring has inspired you to start a new craft project, you’ll find plenty of ideas at the Stitch & Craft Show at Olympia, London next week from 17th to 20th March.

The show has 150 exhibitors across three areas – knitting, stitching and papercrafts – plus demonstrations and workshops where you can learn to crochet, make cards or knit a flower corsage. It’s a great place to shop, try something new and meet other crafters.

Tickets cost £10 (or £8 in advance); to book call 01394 288521 or order online at twistedthread.com. To find out more, go to stitchandcraft.co.uk.

I’d love to hear about your local craft fairs and events – where are you going this spring?