New finds

I went along to Home - Pulse this week, the Home & Gift Fair held at Earls Court and found these interesting...

Just Trade - co-founder Laura Cave set up the company in 2006 based on providing a route to market for Zoe Creations, a jewellery project based in the shanty towns of Lima, Peru. 

They work together to create ranges that are commercial for the European market and help and develop the skills of the artisans. Its just great that the creativity of two worlds come together to make such beautiful product. 

These bird necklaces are so sweet and carved out of a nut! The collection derives from a collaboration with a bunch of guys in Ecuador - The Sosote Fair Trade Project. Read about it briefly below and their website. Very clever and such detail. What a celebration of traditional art fused with contemporary design!

The boys select a Tagua nut which is as close to the desired finished shape as possible, the nut is then formed using a variety of sanding processes and polished to achieve a smooth surface.  The eyes are made by drilling into the nut and filling the hole with ground up Tagua shell, then sealed with varnish.

I was then treated to a cleansing wash sampled on my hand from Ruby Red. I chatted to Mike, the co-owner, and what a lovely chap he is! We were both extolling the virtues of travelling to South East Asia as they, like me, took time out to enjoy the other side of the world for 18 months and it too was fruitful for them! 

All their products are made from plant ingredients, free from harsh chemicals, SLS, parabens, sulphates, petrochemicals, synthetic perfumes and dyes and are never tested on Animals - sounds good to me!
This body cleanser left my skin so soft and contains Lime, Mandarin, Coriander and Cedarwood. Loved the fact they they have incorporated coriander - a very Eastern influence. I've found my love and use of coriander has grown ten fold since experiencing it so much in Asian dishes.....yummy!!

And finally, the very wonderfully quirky and of-the-now, Andrea Garland. Her website is so lively, it makes ya wanna buy it alllll! 

The scents are so delightful, chamomile and oak, palma rosa, rosehip and lavender, lemon balm and cedar wood - a veritable aromotherapy feast!



Her Beauty Products are all handmade from scratch, in Hackney, London. All her ingredients are natural, sourced from ethical suppliers and as many as possible are organic. 

Her packaging design is very unique in that there are watercolour paintings to appreciate on every product and her clever use of vintage tins and glass containers allows for a more ethical and green approach to skincare. 

She has even included lip balm filled jewellery!

Annnnnd, they offer a refill service to ensure your packaging is continually re-used. Get in!!

It was so refreshing to get an organic and natural brand experience that supports the environment, the natural world and us as human beings! Hear hear to sustainability!

I've only just discovered.....

Niddle Noddle........thanks to Kickcan and Conkers whose blog I love!

They are based in London, an online retailer of fashion, homeware and kids and are right up my street! sharing a very similar ethos to cuvcuv - many distinctive and unique, exclusive finds for people to love and enjoy. Something a bit different, offering both vintage and new! Check out the cutest bunting - would look great on my stall! 

The Graduate (the library continued.......)

!!!!

it's saturday, it's floaty dress day

I know not quite floaty but I love it!

and the beautiful kate does a fur n floaty so well

Famille Summerbelle

Just discovered this brand this morning and love the beautiful soft colours used in their new range Un Dimanche a Paris.

how delightful is this tape?!

the library

I dont know what I'd do without my Brixton Library! cuvcuv's business plan would never be nearly complete without that space.  
Likewise, Cecilia and I have our fortnightly escapades there to select books and stories and they always have a high turnover of new books for her to get excited about. We feel very lucky to still be able to utilise this local resource given there's so many local government cuts in this area.

And even though its literally down the road, I actually only discovered this last week: 

the fantastic word LIBRARY sculpture outside Clapham's library

by the eccentric and quirky artist Andrew Logan in 2012.

love this shot!

Great that it allowed the whole community to get involved!  

And glad I jumped off the bus to take some shots!

Ahh Woodstock!

Similarly I have been able to source a great deal of relevant retail market reserch from The British Library - its grand foyer exudes knowledge and fills me with awe every time I sense how much information can be sought from this free facility.

I'm still working on the 'monster' as its now become (the BP) and it's such a mammoth task to fulfill with so much evidence and information to give and assess. My strengths and weaknesses really become apparent when I have to do every little aspect of the business myself! Though I'm sure there is a massive sense of joy and self appreciation when it all comes to fruition.......at the moment, its just so blinkin hard! 

So at times like these we need a bit of Vashti Bunyan from the Album 'Just Another Diamond Day'