Hello sunshine, Fresh Air & new bits...

Hello all! 

Had a really lovely weekend visiting Studland Bay in Dorset for a leisurely plod down the sand dunes, followed by cream tea on Brownsea Island surrounded by peacocks, red squirrels and deer!

 Sunday took me to Quenington's Fresh Air sculpture exhibition, which is set in the most beautiful gardens and really worth a visit (more tea and cake here too!) It is on for another week or so, so there's still time to visit if you havn't- each year is fantastic...

Nicola Ransom, Flight I

 Fiona Haines

 

Peter Garrard

The images above were from some of my favourites...though certainly not the biggest, most technical or expensive, it's always the simple, modest things which speak to me the most- things I can see in my own home- probably the reason I create the things that I make...

...Bringing me nicely onto some new bits! The Cotswold Sheep Society tea towels are now ready to buy here, along with some new Stratford-Upon-Avon design tea towels which you can get here or in The National Trust's newly opened 'Arter' store in the centre of Stratford, which is looking really lovely set in an old Tudor building.

 A quiet reminder that I will be at The Cotswold Show next weekend, 2nd-3rd July- do come and have a chat with me! Tickets can be bought for £8.00 in advance on their website. The event attracts 25,000 people with a Shetland pony Grand National, racing llamas, falconry and motorbike displays, food tents, hot air balloons and lots more. You can find me in the craft tent, come and say hello! x

Competition winners and new products!

Firstly, congrats HELEN! You're the winner of the eco-cotton 'Singer' tote bag- email me your address and I'll post it out in the week for you to enjoy!

Speaking of competitions, I said I'd report back about my amazing Cotswold House and Cotswold Life Magazine competition win last Friday (here), and fully realise that a whole week's gone by since! The experience was absolutely fantastic- Cotswold House Hotel in Chipping Campden is beautiful and made the perfect setting for the Laurent Perrier evening, in which we sat around a table with around 20 others, (who must've been wondering what the heck we were doing there!) eating equisite food and a Laurent Perrier champagne to match each of the five courses. The only downside was my fella had to drive, so I had to polish off his champers too! Amazing times to remember for a long time to come, and very recommended! Will have to pop back in for a cream tea stop-by soon...

New products in my Etsy store in the form of sweet little illustrated pocket mirrors for handbags, gifts and such. You may remember my post here, when I had a nice day of loose inky stick drawings I did for a friend's birthday? They now happily take the form of little hand mirrors- an elusive fox, whimsy owl and inquisitive cat!

The mirror comes with a hand-made protective case, made with re-purposed leather and stitched with a nice gold thread. Get them here! I'll be taking them to The Cotswold Show in a couple of weekends...

Enjoy the weekend! x

Oh, Cotswold Ewe!

Since starting, this venture has opened me up to some really interesting people and opportunities. I've recently been working with The Cotswold Sheep Society who hosted the International Jumper knitting Marathon in Meysey Hampton which I ran a stall at (here); and have come up with a design based on the wonderful breed and the Cotswold's rich wool heritage, markets and wool churches, but for today's interiors.. 

'Cotswold ewe' linen union tea towels will be available by the end of the month so keep watching my Etsy store, and will also be available at The Cotswold Show in Cirencester, July 2nd-3rd through me and the society's stand.

I also have a limited edition of 26 framed art prints in a smart 'Cotswold green', all signed, dated and numbered ready to hang. The prints measure 40X50cm framed, which will make a striking feature point in any room. I will deliver locally for free. Email me here for further enquiries. Support local and add to your art collection today!

         

All images and content © Stephanie Cole 2011

Win!

'Follow' my blog (bottom left!) to be in with a chance to win one of my hand printed eco-cotton Singer bags! A winner will be informed next week, good luck! 

Also remember the 10% WELOVEJUNE2011 discount code will run out on my Etsy store at midnight tonight! x

Recent happenings and exciting post!

This week's been a week of birthdays with both my lovely parents and best friend! Phew!

We ate at The Potting Shed in Crudwell with the rents, then to The Wild Duck in Ewen with a nice group of friends for their Tuesday Steak deal...then spent the rest of the week feeling rather full and a bit squidgy around the edges! Both eateries recommended!

This is an ink drawing I did with a stick for my friend, see the cat? It was soo good to do some loose drawing since the imagery I use for screen printing has to be exact and graphic to expose to a screen properly. I ended up doing a few more of these including a fox and a few funny looking ladies...

The Potting Shed, check out those wheelbarrow light fittings!

I've been mostly printing at Rapture and Wright for the rest of the week, then printing some of my bits up in ready for The Cotswold Show (2nd-3rd July) and some other bits coming up. However, these beauties from Moo.com turned up, all beautifully packed and plastic-y smooth. Lovely! There's also a hint of another project I've been working on in the pic...

Tomorrow, I am getting utterly spoilt by Cotswold Life Magazine and The Cotswold House Hotel, Chipping Campden, as I was the lucky winner of their 4 course Laurent Perrier Champagne dinner competition- rather chuffed as i never win anything (apart from a luggage bag combo from Laurence Llewlyn Bowen at a village fete once!) And so the eating marathon goes on...!

Have a great weekend x

It's a lovely day for a sale!

Catch a hand made bargain in my Etsy store sale! With father's day coming up and the weather (supposedly!) getting warmer, what better excuse to pick up a treat; many of which are one-offs! Avoid disappointment and invest in a piece of British design, be it a British tweed cushion for that empty armchair or a handy eco cotton shopper, all hand printed by yours truly! 

Just enter the code: WELOVEJUNE2011 at the Etsy checkout then wait eagerly by your letterbox! Offer expires June 10th x