Monday 30 June 2014

Istanbul Day 4

   
My last day in Istanbul (see day 1, day 2 & day 3) was spent going to the Archaelogy Museum, walking through the spice market & around the old quarter & seeing the Blue Mosque one last time! Here's a few things I saw:-

     
Amazing heads & the oldest love poem....

 
The tiled pavilion...


   
Beautiful Doors & Gates...

Carved Tombs...

 
 Amazing heads on Sarcophagi...

 
 Carvings & students drawing....

 
 More heads and ancient jugs...

    
Old writing systems and old patterns that could be still used today...

    
Small collections & beautifully patterned jugs...

More mosques...

 
 Chillies, Sponges & Sausages in the Egyptian Spice Market....

 
 Beautiful Old Wooden & Brick Buildings & Stray Cats in Gardens...

A different view of the Blue Mosque....

 
 Last minute look at the unbelievable Blue Mosque.

Thanks Istanbul for sharing all your great treasures!


Saturday 21 June 2014

Book a Day: Week 3

Here's the book's I found on my bookshelf for Book a Day: Week 2 (see week 1 & week 2 to catch up).  June 14- An old favourite: To Kill a Mockingbird June 15- Favourite Fictional Father: From my old favourite it's got to be Atticus Finch!

 
June 16- Can't believe more people haven't read: Out by Natsuo Kirino, absolutely amazing Japanese Crime. June 17- Future Classic: Lanark, a mesmerizing vision of surreality in Glasgow should be around for years & years to come.

 
June 18- Bought on a recommendation: I bought 'The Book of Disquiet' after one of my favourite songwriters (Roddy Woomble) mentioned in a interview that it was his favourite book and it fast became one of mine. June 19- Still can't stop talking about: Naoko by Keigo Higashino is really weird and creepy and the cover's pretty amazing too. 


June 20- Favourite Cover: Is too hard to choose, there are so many (and books I've already choosen) but this version of 'Quiet' by Susan Cain is one of them, beautifully appropriate debossing.

If you want to join in & catchup check out the list
 of categories for each day!

Thursday 19 June 2014

Beautifunk Etsy Shop

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/beautifunkshop


I love beautiful vintage objects, I love functional vintage objects and I really love beautiful functional objects! So I 've opened beautifunk shop to spread my love of beautiful functional objects, gifts and homewares.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/191094653/more-years-under-the-earth-book-norbert?ref=shop_home_active_8   https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/190852230/wooden-hand-jewellery-display?ref=shop_home_feat_1
Vintage Book & Wooden Hand Jewellery Stand

'Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful' - William Morris
This William Morris quote sums up what things I'm putting in the shop and was an idea for the name of my shop 'BEAUTIFUNK' joining the words beautiful & functional! 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/191324363/architectural-mansionpalace-print?ref=shop_home_active_5   https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/191320878/black-embroidered-cross-body-shoulder?ref=shop_home_active_4 
Beautiful Architectural Print & Embroidered Bag

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/191852805/shogi-japanese-chess-game-pieces-wooden?ref=shop_home_active_2  https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/190868606/handmade-weaving-wall-hanging-white-pink?ref=shop_home_feat_3 
Shogi Japanese Chess Pieces & Handmade Weaving Wall Hanging

 
& my Pandacat helping me take pictures outside!

See all my great finds in the shop & I'll be adding some new things in the coming weeks!

I also created the logo banner and am making linocut print business cards,
if you need any business design work doing why not see my portfolio website!


Monday 16 June 2014

Custom Book Stack Print

https://www.etsy.com/listing/193005191/custom-book-stack-linocut-print-literary

I love books and love making products to celebrate them so after creating a Murakami & Austin Linocut Print
you can now get your own favourites on a Custom Book Stack Print of your own!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/193005191/custom-book-stack-linocut-print-literary   

 Hand printed onto A5, 160gsm cartridge paper with hand inked typographic book titles & author names. Just choose your own 6 favourite authors & books and you can also choose what colour titles you want. Available now in my shop.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/193005191/custom-book-stack-linocut-print-literary  https://www.etsy.com/listing/193005191/custom-book-stack-linocut-print-literary
 I chose some of my favourite books for these examples, it was really hard to decide which ones to include!

What are your favourite books?




Saturday 14 June 2014

Book a Day: Week 2

       
Here's the book's I found on my bookshelf for Book a Day: Week 2 (see week 1 to catch up). June 7- Forgot I owned it: I totally forgot that Maigret has scruples and cost 2&6. June 8 - Have more than one copy: There are 2 copies of HP & the G of F in my house!

       
June 9 - Film or TV tie in: Tarrantino screenplay with great cover designed by pentagram! June 10: Reminds you of someone you love: Dervla Murphy books always remind me of my Dad travelling round Africa & Asia.

   
June 11 - Secondhand bookshop gem: Found this great art book tome in a 2ndhand bookshop, a really useful gem June 12 - I pretend to have read it: I don't really pretend to have read books, but nearly all the classics are on my never-ending to read list.

June 13 - Makes me laugh: A question that will always make me laugh!

If you want to join in & catchup check out the list
 of categories for each day (the hashtag changed to #bookadayuk because of some weird outrage from the 'original' usa hashtag users!)