Lush Designs

Beetroot. King o' veg.

2012-01-26T08:17:00.001-08:00

People.

Embrace this most delicious of vegetables:

and ignore all those snobby modern types who put about the vile rumour that pickled beetroot is inferior to that which is unvinegrous*. What could be more delicious than a slice or two of pickled beetroot with pie and mash?

Beetroots available in tea towel form from Lush Designs www.lushlampshades.co.uk

(*That which is not vinegary)

Lush Olympics

2012-01-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

Tally ho

2012 Olympic Year

2012-01-18T12:37:00.001-08:00

You may or may not know that the 2012 Olympic Equestrian Events are taking place in Greenwich Park, within trotting distance of the Lush Designs shop in Greenwich. Unfortunately we have failed to secure tickets for the Dressage which is our FAVOURITE sport.

No matter. We shall climb one of the noble plane trees that grace the perimeter of the park, get out our binoculars and peep at the goings on as is our God-given right.

This is an artists impression of one of the Horse Driving trials. Prince Philip may well be too old/poorly to participate so I imagine some other esteemed Royal will keep the royal end up.

HOME Earl's Court

2012-01-16T05:46:00.000-08:00

Trade Shows. All the fun of the slightly unfair.

Actually this year we didn't have a big fuse box on the wall of our stand (for the first time in ten years) and therefore didn't have to inventively paint round it/display an item in front of it/make a feature of it.

There was, however a couple of surprises - who knew there would be a complimentary muslin ceiling on our stand? Some people would cry out for such luxurious additions, but try fixing eight pendant light fittings up with tightly stretched muslin in the way.

Oh yes, and we were expecting a wall where there is an open side, hence the creeping tea towel display which we artfully extended out to the right.

If yesterday was anything to go by its going to be a very successful show. Our new Owl design is melting the stony hearts of buyers, and the new Castles and Cottages lampshades are proving popular with the buyers from shops like Arcadia in Cambridge http://www.arcadiagallery.co.uk/

and Radiance in Hebden Bridge http://www.radiancelighting.co.uk

Prints Charming

2012-01-14T13:24:00.000-08:00

Some unwise people have had recessed spotlights fitted in their houses. While we are not against the unwise per se, (see dear little fools depicted above) Where the jiggins are they going to put a Lush Designs lampshade in their unecessarily modernised dwelling places?

What those same people are allergic to cushions?

Eat takeaways and have no need of tea towels?

Only swig from the bottle and drink not from mugs?

How can we at Lush Designs infiltrate their homes?

Ha! A simple print of one of our illustrations, on lovely Hannemuhle rag paper.

We have quite a few to choose from at the Lush Designs Shop in Greenwich...

A cheery beetroot (one of the veg series)

A noble stag

A cottage (in which no recessed spotlights are to be found)

Twit Twoo

2012-01-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

Who don't love owls?

We celebrate our love with a new shade in this lovely fashion-forward shade of green.

...and for Status Quo, Jeremy Clarkson and other denim enthusiasts (who may or may not care whether their taste is directional, zeitgeisty or paradigmical) we also do it in a lovely deep and meaningful blue

Available at the Lush Designs shop at 8 College Approach, Greenwich SE10 9HY and very soon from http://www.lushlampshades.co.uk/ and while you're in Greenwich, why not visit The Royal Observatory which the observant among you will have observed on the obverse of the shade.

Happy Noo Year!

2012-01-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

May we present our lovely, pure cotton, made-in-England with-buttons-oh-yes, Cottages and Castles design addition to our bedlinen range. It looks jim dandy with Lush Designs Centaur pillowcases or our romantic LOVE pillowcases

So new is this fabulous product that I haven't had time to take a proper photograph yet and some of you may have noticed that this is a photoshopped 'artists impression' of a duvet cover. You can see the real thing at the Lush Designs shop at 8 College Approach in Greenwich. Until we've included them on our website all enquiries should be addressed to us at info@lushlampshades.co.uk.

Bah Humbug

2011-12-13T15:03:00.000-08:00

This is dear Michelle. What would we do without her? See how this slip of a girl copes cheerfully with our pre-Christmas interweb order postage. The sooner she stops being our downtrodden intern, finishes her degree and gets on with the magnificent-career-she-is-bound-to-have the better

Hey! We're all crazy here at Lush designs - look at how wacky we are!!!!

(Thats our wonderful team at the studio - Michelle, Nesba and Yvonne. We love them kooky gals)

Today's post is brought to you by the letter P

2011-12-12T03:45:00.000-08:00

Popular pussies on a plate

Perfect for party pies.

Purchase at:

http://www.lushlampshades.co.uk/

8 College Approach

Greenwich

London SE10 9HY

Heat without heating

2011-12-08T05:39:00.001-08:00

In these straitened times you can save money and reduce your carbon footprint by installing one of these new Cottages and Castles lampshades. You will surely reclaim on fuel bill savings the cost of this glowy home essential.

Why, we estimate that it will have paid for itself in less than ten years. A wise investment indeed.

Disclaimer:

Any attempts to suck the 2nd party (the customer) into our evil vortex with untruths are in line with regulations set by Lush Designs -:article 1f. "That any lampshade will be attributed by the 1st party (Lush Designs) with unrealistic claims shall be so nice that the customer will forgive the party (Lush Designs) and buy one anyway."

Castles and cottages

2011-12-03T13:19:00.001-08:00

"When oh when oh whenowenowen are those Lush Designs so-called designers going to do a new lampshade design?" they cried

Now oh now oh now. Thats when.

Here's our new Cottages and Castles range. If stern detractors have found us dilatory then perhaps they'll realise it took a long time to draw the curly whirly trees of this liquorice and lace arboretum and all those fancy follies with their architectural embellishments. Now we can rest our achey-breaky fingers and get on with something else.....

Available now at the Lush Designs shop, 8 College Approach, Greenwich SE10 9HY, and very soon at www.lushlampshades.co.uk

Runnin' fo' fun. teens:)unite

2011-11-25T12:48:00.000-08:00

I bet most of you, at one time or another have longed to don festive attire and run, quite fast in a non-competitive, "fun" way for, say 4, maybe 5 kilometers.Be jealous, be VERY JEALOUS, For on Sunday 4th December one half of Lush Designs will be running around Greenwich with a load of other Santa-alikes to raise money for good causes.

OUR particular good cause couldn't be gooder. We're raising money for teens:)unite who support young people who have a life-limiting illness. Please sponsor us, the link below will make it very easy to donate....

http://www.doitforcharity.com/greenwich

TOBYBOO

2011-10-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

I was visited in the shop today by an interesting designer-maker called Tina Crawford. Under the name TOBYBOO she produces embroidered drawings, mostly architectural in nature. Here is The Sun pub - see how the charmingly free stitchery brings out the fine features of this familiar building allowing us to appreciate it anew.

Have a look at her website http://tobybooillustrated.weebly.com/

Here are some cushions Tina has made which have the nursery rhyme "Oranges and Lemons stitched upon them and the relevant London churches accurately described with lovely wobbly sewing-machined lines.

These bonkers Wizard of Oz characters are my favourite though ....

Look at the dear little faces!

Joan Osbaldeston

2011-10-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

Foxes

Last night I heard the foxes call my name.

Twisting in my sheets,

I heard it clearly as if it were you out there,

calling up to me from the garden.

I jumped out of bed, hurried to the window.

The night sky, though punctured with stars, obscured everything.

That tree where we saw the pair of jays

was just a blur

and the roses were charcoal drawings

not the riotous shrubs that filled the room with scent all Summer.

Two dark shadows slipped under the fence, out of sight.

You weren’t there of course,

but the thought of your voice

stayed with me all night.

This poem by Joan Osbaldeston was the inspiration for this drawing of nocturnal fox activity.

Those of us who have been kept awake by the eerie wailings of our vulpine neighbours will identify. Our response would be less literary and might include a bucket of cold water and some sweary shouting.

(Not really - we love you foxes and will do some fancy drawings instead)

Time for Tea

2011-10-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

Bathing beauties. In a teacup. On a tea towel.

Or perhaps on this simple clock. Made of screen printed birch ply and useful for letting you know when its time for tea, a bath, or a combination of the two.

Its our way of saying

JUST DO IT

However, if you agree that those dear little ladies are just begging to be sat upon you'll have to wait for us to create the cushions in order to fulfil this fantasy.

Unless of course you are resourceful enough to sew your own from two of the tea towels....

These were made by Laura Picarelli and featured on her blog http://mycaptainkirk.blogspot.com.

Clever gal.

Lushest East Dulwich

2011-09-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

Never let it be said that we at Lush only have each other.

No, for we have friends, REAL friends. The kinda gals who you need to have around when a shop needs a lick of (industrial grey) paint.

This is the work of knit specialist Row Pinto, whose exquisitely soft scarves in coloured stripes make your heart go PING.

She, like us has a studio at Cockpit Arts and now you will find her work alongside ours at Grace and Favour on Northcross Road in East Dulwich.

http://rowpinto.com/shop/

Not only is she the nimble-knitter of woollen wonders, but she's thoroughly nice person and (as is oft said of crusty old variety artistes such as Bruce Forsythe and Madonna) one of the hardest working people in this business.
Here's Row vacuuming before painting the floor. Who's got the cutest face, her or Henry? You decide.

Half -done.

Ah the smell of fresh paint. Almost, but not quite as good as the smell of the top of a baby's head.

Here's dear Amanda Ross putting one of her botanical prints on the wall.

She's fellow Cockpit Arts resident and in common with most designer-makers is erotically obsessed with Leonine Rock-Legend, Robert Plant. Now she's got her work in Grace and Favour perhaps we should have Improbable Bob's bleatings playing on a loop to soothe the customers and create a sophisticated ambience.

We were lucky enough to have a camera handy when this stylish customer (below) came into the shop. We thought she looked particularly elegant in front of a display of Amanda's delicate flower prints. http://www.amandaross.co.uk/home.html.

...and what was the choice of this person-of-good-taste? Why, she chose a Thames-inspired shade for her (doubtless impeccable) home. Thank you for your custom Madam, and thanks for looking so chic in the shop.

A teetering Lush Designs shade display as would tempt any homeowner.

Come and see the real thing at 35 North Cross Road, London SE22 9ET, as well as 8 College Approach, SE10 9HY.

www.lushlampshades.co.uk

(trade) Show Business

2011-09-14T14:10:00.000-07:00

Two or three times a year we at Lush Designs load a donkey cart with gubbins, trundle up West and show our wares at a Trade Show. Top Drawer at Earl's Court was where we were a few days ago. See how we created a magical environment within the confines of a 2x2.5m stand. This is where trade buyers and the press find themselves powerless to resist as we suck them into our evil vortex.

This excellent example of a nicely turned out young person is perusing our new range of prints. How sensible of her to be sporting (this season's must-have) yellow satchel and shoes - all the better to complement our purple wall.

Lush Designs, I repeat, Lush Designs.

2011-09-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

You know how you've always wanted a duvet cover with the words "Adventure On" and a picture of a woodcutters axe on it? Well your dream will soon come true for we at Lush Designs have at long last created a repeat print on wide fabric and of this will be made bedlinen.

For those of you who are indifferent to tools and inspiring mottos there's some rabbits for the ladies and some architecture for the men.

As usual we've thought of everything.

Cat bores

2011-09-12T14:23:00.000-07:00

Yes. Thats what we've become.

Since we found the (thrice) faecal evidence of their presence in our garden this morning we think we're entitled to exploit our neighbours cats and depict them on a bone china mug soon-to-be-available-from-Lush-Designs.

Having resisted drawing them in the act of befouling our lawn we have brought out some of their more charming characteristics.

Parma Violet

2011-09-01T03:50:00.000-07:00

Parma Violet - the chalky mauve sweet that ameliorates minging morning breath, available from independent chemists alongside Friar's Balsam and Compound W.

So many fine things are to be found in Parma; Parma Ham of course, Parmesan cheese ... However Parma Violet is to be found in Kirkby Lonsdale, for not only is it a prehistoric confection, but also a lovely shop. Currently displaying and stocking a selection of Lush Designs products as well as lots of other fabulous gifts and Accessoires de Maison.

So those of you Cumbrians who crave a little Lush Designs something gallop along to Parma Violet at 45 Main Street, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria LA6 2AH.

http://www.parmaviolet.co.uk/index.asp

"Yesterday...

2011-08-23T05:05:00.000-07:00

...when I was young, the taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue...

there are so many songs in me that won't be sung.

I feel the beetter taste of tears upon my tongue..."

So sang Charles Aznavour.

Not us though. We feel the bitter taste of beer mostly.

This picture was taken when hairstyles, makeup and clothes such as these were commonplace on young people - whereas now they are only sported by attention-seeking ladies of a certain age wishing to audience-participate at a tribute band night on a cruise.

We have moved on sartorially and are ever so chic these days.

Gotta love Charles though ...

Butterfly Cakes v Cupcakes

2011-08-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

We have a problem with cupcakes.

Why all the icing? Bleeeagh.

We also have a niggling suspicion also that they are retrogressive and anti-feminist. A wholesome flapjack could never be accused of this for they uphold the spirit of the Greenham Common Women (look it up, young folks).

Having voiced this opinion one day in the shop an observant customer explained that cupcakes are indeed the bastard offspring of Kath Kidston. Which explains everything.

Time for a revival of the Butterfly Cake as seen here being served up in the garden by some cats who might be familiar if you know our work already.

Its not compulsory to use real butterflies - but they add a touch of sophistication we think.

This design will be appearing on our new china mugs in the Autumn. Pussy lovers take note.

Lush Designs SWANKY NEW website!

2011-06-30T04:31:00.001-07:00

We at Lush Designs like to think of ourselves as exciting, elegant and MODERN.

To reflect this excitingness, elegance and modernity we have a new, improved website which we exhort you to click upon with gay abandon...

http://www.lushlampshades.co.uk/

Nutritious

2011-06-28T01:11:00.000-07:00

Imagine yourself forking some sausages whilst smoke billows around you.

Well thats what we'll be doing if its nice this weekend.

To ameliorate the effects of charred meat we will be sporting our Lush Designs vegetable aprons.

AND - heres a tip - If the weather's hot we like be quite NUDE underneath our aprons and, providing one always faces frontward no-one is the wiser.

Porcine tray

2011-06-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

Its tray and its got wild pigs on it.

Country-style.

Available from the Lush designs shop at 8 College Approach in Greenwich and very soon at www.lushlampshades.co.uk

GREEN

2011-06-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

Here's that frolickin' stag lampshade again. Now available in that lovely kind of green that all right-thinking people ADORE .

Its a way of being green whilst doing absolutely nothing to save the planet.

However we also recommend that you look at http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/ and spend some money there.

Eminent visitor from overseas

2011-06-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

Just an ordinary day at Lush Designs. The window looks most gay in shades of pink and green.

... look who's here! Why its our dear friend Soyang who is visiting from a faraway land. She's a Doctor of Philosophy and fearfully brainy

Look at her though. She's as daft as a brush.

WATCH OUT!!!!

2011-05-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

Our new tea towel bears a warning to those unwary scuba divers who think the most dangerous thing in the River Thames is the undertow...

Available very soon at www.lushlampshades.co.uk , at the Lush Designs shop at 8 college Approach in Greenwich and Grace and Favour, Northcross Road, East Dulwich.

Today East Dulwich, tomorrow THE WORLD!!!!!

2011-05-02T04:57:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are lucky enough to live near Northcross Road in East Dulwich may be familiar with a shop called Grace and Favour. The proprietor, Rose Ratcliffe asked us if we would like to have a Lush Designs presence in the shop and we loved the idea. Grace and Favour sells unusual gifts, accessories, vintage fashion and homewares, and Rose has let us occupy part of the shop with a cheery display. See here our friend Karen who we enslaved in order to help us get it together over the Easter weekend. Karen kindly played the role of Lush designs helpmeet but actually she's a world reknowned embroidery designer. Oh yes. See her fabulous work at http://www.spurgin.co.uk/

Here's Karen again - we eventually let her leave once she had made everything look ship-shape and Bristol fashion.

Indeed here's a picture of Karen's fabulous work...

... and here's a picture of part of our display at Grace and Favour 35 Northcross Road, East Dulwich, SE22 9ET. Come visit!!!

Three cheers for the red white and blue

2011-02-15T09:24:00.000-08:00

This is part of an illustration for an article about the things various non-British celebrities love and hate about the UK.

The loutish behaviour of the British was commented upon negatively.

I can't think what they mean.

2011-02-06T05:26:00.000-08:00

Oh, but the weather's dreary.

Time to butter-up a teetering stack of toasted crumpets, park your arse on one of these cheerful cushions and watch a boxed set of Sgt Bilko.

Tins on tinternet

2011-01-26T00:23:00.000-08:00

Those dandycats are putting in an appearance once again;

This time on a handy storage tin which would be just the thing to put your teabags/pencils/cottonwoolballs/sweeties in;

or if you're a cat you could keep a dead bird in it.

Available soon at www.lushlampshades.co.uk and RIGHT NOW at The Lush Designs Shop, 8 College Approach, Greenwich, SE10 9HY.

Deerly beloved

2011-01-13T02:50:00.000-08:00

"Oh how I wish I had a lampshade with a stag on it, several dogs, three pheasants and some viaducts!
... In a smaller size too? Hot red would be - hot......
... in cream, perchance, and metallic gold...
... in that most directional of colourways, viridian and prussian blue....?"

Well, here you are. Buy these and you can have all the thrill of hunting without the concomitant bloodshed!

Tally ho!
Available soon from www.lushlampshades.co.uk

Lush Designs; the FABULOUS shop

2010-12-24T00:27:00.000-08:00

This is what our shop window has been looking like over the festive yuletide season. Gay and cheerful are the new stag/dog/pheasant shades are in seasonal tints of red, gold and white!

See how very DEAR our customers are?

They recognised queen Victoria on this lampshade -

Cute, adorable AND intelligent.

Tray Tray Bong

2010-12-07T11:53:00.000-08:00

"However will I carry all these beverages which I have poured for my many fabulous and important friends who are gathered in my designery lounge area talking about important things in an amusing way in spite of being in need of refreshment? I only have TWO HANDS!!!!"

Fear not! Lush Designs to the rescue!

Wooden trays now available at the Lush Designs Shop at 8 College Approach, Greenwich, London SE10, elegant, sturdy and ideal for breakfast in bed, lunch in the garden, or that game where you have to guess which object has been removed.

Also available soon from http://www.lushlampshades.co.uk

Spotty

2010-11-29T13:39:00.000-08:00

"Where do you get your ideas from?" People innocently ask - little knowing that they won't then be able to get away for the next hour as we exhaustively explain the minutiae of our many inspirations and very possibly including unasked-for autobiographical details, only drawing breath as we shed a wistful tear, recalling our finest moments.

Who can forget "Pillows With a Pocket" ? The genius of our tubular waste-bins with no bottom?

I digress

Here is a design inspired by the combination of winter coming on, reading Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion and having swimming lessons....

The ultimate manifestation of which is this lampshade, which features scenes from the evolution of the mermaid in the primordial swamp, (Available in several charming colourways)

complete with SPOTTY TREES;

available from http://www.lushlampshades.co.uk

and from our new shop at 8 College approach, Greenwich SE10 9HY

Lo! What should appear on our crab apple tree but this evil fungus which spells DEaTH

Possibly a case of life imitating art.

Coming to a lampshade near you...

2010-11-21T17:04:00.000-08:00

See the fierce hounds, the alert deer, the fearful pheasants!

This design will be circumnavigating a lampshade and dangling from a flex before the week is out. You mark my words.

SOCIETY, big, high; whatever

2010-11-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

Hey! Remember that great BIG SOCIETY? Yes, that one.

Did you fail to get to grips with the CONCEPT?

Did you confuse it with the cheerful yet incisive film of a similar name?

Fear not!

Here's a guy who can biff away the bafflement!

He's Jesse Norman, Conservative MP for Herefordshire and South Herefordshire....

(Not to be confused with the exquisite soprano Jessye Norman)

Still bewildered?

Don't worry Jesse explains it all in his book. In fact I heard him the other day on the radio explaining how it was all grand in the 1860s when we was all looked-arfter by kindly old Chuzzlewits and we didn't have any narsty old welfare state spoilin' everyfink.

Arf

2010-11-07T15:22:00.000-08:00

In the shop today:

2010-11-04T16:32:00.001-07:00

While we're in the shop, if its quiet we take the opportunity to get some drawing done.

Today I drew some trees which will form part of the Pennine landscape in one of our new designs.

Whilst I toiled creatively the phone engineer was putting the phone line in (you have to wait at least three weeks to get this done now BT Openreach have decided that two engineers is probably enough to cover Greater London and the Midlands)

Our engineer seemed like a nice fellow, was very efficient and knew most of the words to Folsom Prison Blues.

He looked over my shoulder and said "Are you doodling?"

Luckily he didn't spot this poorly executed deer (with elk ghost next to it) which I hastily concealed with the order book lest he make a disparaging comment;

"It has the embarrassed look of one who has accidentally trumped"

He might have said.

And rightly so.

Catchweasel

2010-10-31T02:26:00.000-07:00

A little while back a charming young man came into the shop and bought these Lush designs vinyl graphics to decorate his shutters.

It transpired that he was not merely a customer, but a fellow traveller so to speak.

Richard Catchweasel (for it is he) designs and makes beautiful furniture.

His eccentric hand-made pieces are a delight.

Knowing my love of God's creatures Richard commissioned me to draw his rampant weasel logo for him.

Here it is on a gorgeous T shirt available from http://www.catchweasel.com/

Modelled here by my daughter, who is also modelling a plate of curry.

This may look like a sad puppy but in fact its a wonderfully clever table with an ingenious compartment for your journals.

I like to think that the object below could be described as a console - or even a credenza

(two of the best words in the English language).

I simply adore it.

Like the mongrel offspring of a school desk and a wizard.

He has promised to provide us with a piece that we can display in our new shop soon.

Richard also makes sideboards and the like that wouldn't confuse a those of more classical tastes. See more on his lovely website - http://www.catchweasel.com/

Eleonor Pritchard

2010-10-28T14:44:00.001-07:00

Here at Cockpit Arts in Deptford you will find the studio of the disinguished artist-in-wool that is Eleanor pritchard. The subtle intricacy of her weavings are a marvel to behold. Who wouldn't want to own one of her blankets? A marriage of tradition and aesthetic intellect are manifest within her work.

Eleanor Pritchard's woven pieces work on domestic and a grand scale and she is rightly recognised as an important figure in this most subtle of media.

Known for her phlegmatic intelligence, Eleanor is the cool water that becalms the madness on the first floor at Cockpit Arts.

What is she planning here? Something complex I should imagine.

...and here is her husband, Peter Pritchard. He surely is an inspiration.

In the NEW shop today:

2010-10-25T16:53:00.001-07:00

Boyoboyoboy.

It was quiet in the shop today. Thats Mondays for you.

"Hey?" you cry "Whats with the negative vibes?"

Yes, its true to say one more often likes to big-up oneself and tootle one's own trumpet.

In an effort not to disappoint may I invite you to admire the cheery display on this elegant set of drawers.

Ben Nevis and its environs

2010-10-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

This sort or avant-garde architecture is an inspiration to us at Lush designs. Why, I reckon this hobbledy house is more haunted still than the one we imagined in the picture below.

Never mind that man-made madness, see the magnificent marvels of mother-nature;
here is the mightiest mountain in the whole of the United Kingdom (as I like to call it)

We triumphed over its awesome perils on Saturday.

"I can't talk now, Mum. I'm busy walking backwards over a hideous precipice."

What you can't see in this photograph are the small children, nonogenarians and spaniel puppies that made it up to the summit too.

In Greenwich last week.

2010-10-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

Lumme - look at this. See that pearly king and queen, they've even got their very own pearly taxi.

Look very closely at that taxi window - see "Princess Diane and PRINCESS MARIA"

I don't know who princess Diane is -

but princess Maria;

do you think they mean ...

ME?

Extra Curricular Activities

2010-10-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

"What the jiggins is this?" you ask

"I don't know. They made me do it" I reply.

Thats what you get if you ask someone from Lush Designs to illustrate an article in an American magazine about investment.

Not in the least bit Boaring

2010-10-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

We went to a studio sale last night in a faraway place called Ladbroke Grove and met Joseph Paxton who is a talented London-based Welsh sculptor. Here he is looking suitably rugged-yet-sensitive as is the way of sculptors. We at Lush Designs are lurcher lovers - see how dogtastically Joe has captured the lurcher on his left.

As you can see here, he has something else in common with us here at Lush Designs

He too is a wild pig fan.

I think his pig is a bit wilder than ours though...

Also available as a tea towel, cushion, bag and bone china mug ...

Prét â Acheter

2010-10-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

Well, the NEW Lush Designs shop at 8 College approach in Greenwich is up and running.

To tell you the truth we're absolutely ZORSTED. Not so much so that we can't sell you a satanic tea-towel.

This Hell's Kitchen tea towel would make an excellent halloween gift for a maiden aunt.

Old shop - new shop

2010-10-08T15:35:00.001-07:00

Here's our olde shoppe.

Mighty purty, huh?

And here's our NEW shop. Find us at 8 College approach, Greenwich as of next week.
These walls are painted a colour called "pigeon"; which is entirely appropriate given the prevalence locally of this avian vermin.

Needs a bit of work.

CUSHION PREVIEW

2010-10-08T00:20:00.000-07:00

Is your bum tired of the same old cushion?
Is your settee too cornery?
Have you got a stain on your armchair?

Solve these and almost all other problems with a cat cushion.

Its generously proportioned and in a tasteful shade of blue-grey
Available from www.lushlampshades.co.uk from October 17th

Gay Paris - Maison & Objet

2010-10-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

Was ever there anything so glamorous and elegant as Paris?

Why, here is one of us (Marie) at Maison et Objet,

Quel sophistication.

See the tasteful 'objets' she found within this fabulous emporium of commerce.

But once again, that pushy madam Helen Minns managed to out-do us. It was she who got in with the in-crowd and secured a private audience with this exciting snowman - we couldn't get a look-in.

Chic, non?

Four of your five-a-day, vegetable napkins

2010-10-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

Man, Its been LOOOONG since we blogged.

Thats the trouble with being busy and important.

Never mind - here's a lovely new Lush Designs product that would be a suitable accompaniment for any 'Master-Chef-The-Professionals' type meal, (they were cooking duck and cherries and REALLY nice-looking spuds tonight on BBC2)

Lovely cotton napkins!

Hey, these would even posh up Fray Bentos steak and kidney pie and processed peas.

Think what a lovely self-gifted Christmas present they would make. Available from www.lushlampshades.com later this month.

Dungong

2010-09-14T10:14:00.001-07:00

This noble creature features in The Intrepid Dumpling's Dugong Story in the Just When Stories.

See its sensitive countenance. Its alabaster smoothness. Its poignant flippers.

I'll admit its a fanciful interpretation in response to the story which features a Troll Queen amongst other characters.

What a terrible shame they're an endangered species.

Lush Designs at Top Drawer

2010-09-13T14:04:00.001-07:00

Observe this skilled product-tweaking.

A couple of times a year Lush Designs takes a stand at a Trade show. This is where we show our new designs to trade buyers and meet the people who buy for hundreds of retail outlets from grand palaces of designs such as the exquisite department store Liberty , to wonderful little jewel-like shops like Frank in Whitstable

Here stands Helen Minns who is a close personal friend of ours and whose studio is within waving/whistling/chortling distance of ours. We contrived to have our stands side by side at Top Drawer - but CURSES! That Pesky Helen Minns created a stand of elegance and subtlety and her delicious etchings and lineny lovliness made us BOIL with JEALOUSY!!!!

There was only one thing for it ...

sabotage!
Unfortunately I was caught on camera.
Helen was found herself compelled to react with a tit-for-tat stanley knife revenge incident attempt.

JUST NOW!

2010-09-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

Just when Stories is now available to purchase from all good booksellers.

Not only does it feature illustrations by the the Beatrix Potter of New Cross (me) but it has within its covers stories by esteemed authors such as Michael Morpurgo, Hanif Kureishi and William Boyd, but best of all the profits go to Wildaid.

This pink headed duck features in a story by Alice Newitt, who's name suggests she might be an Edwardian scullery maid whereas in fact she is a talented 14 year old who won a competion to have her story included. All the animals featured in the stories (including this crazy looking duck) are endangered or extinct.
A limited edition silk-screen print of this is now available. Profits from the sales also go to Wildaid. For details contact us at info@lushlampshades.co.uk.

Les Souvenirs

2010-08-28T02:02:00.000-07:00

Meeow

Nougatez vous?
Don't mind if I do.

French beverages really are second to none.

Its squashed.
Its mouldy.
Its probably going to be delicious.

La Belle France

2010-08-27T17:00:00.001-07:00

We 'ave been on 'oliday.
Voila les pieds et the le soleil rising over ze olive groves.
Tray bong.

We're polyglots here at Lush designs

Lushlobes

2010-07-25T01:52:00.000-07:00

Back in the day - before designs were Lush, we used to make "jewellery".

We were called Lushlobes, but this one's for your Lush lapel.
See the fish, the cross, both holy symbols of Jesu.
On the other hand it could equally be worn by piscean heathens who devote themselves to the much maligned science of astrology. Obviously they'd have to have a bloody big velvet cloak though because if I remember rightly it was about five inches across.

Carnival Time

2010-07-25T00:37:00.000-07:00

Another bit of Lush Designs history for you,

Its that time of year when the thoughts of the wild and crazy folk turn to CARNIVAL.
There's the extravagant Mas of Trinidad, the opulent sexuality of Rio De Janeiro, the toilet queues of Notting Hill...

and there's Deptford..

At one time in our long and windin' career we designed children for carnival use. This archive photograph was taken around 1992.

Note the purple socks. we were famous for that.

Raspberry beret?

2010-07-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

To be fair, Prince gets it right most of the time - but what he really shoulda been singin' was...

RAAASPBERRY TEA TOWEL

Available from
www.lushlampshades.co.uk from mid August

OOOOOOooooo

2010-07-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

You are being hypnotised
HEEEPNOTISED

You know you neeeeed one.

Are you liking our new marketing technique?

We learned how to do it off Paul McKenna in his best-selling book:
"I can make people buy your lampshades"

BLURT

2010-07-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

Do you like music?
Do you dig poetry?
Are you mad about mayhem?
Man you better love BLURT

We saw them play last night in Bow and they made our ears crinkle with joy

Hear them
http://www.myspace.com/tedmiltonblurt

Sorry

2010-07-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

There were far too many exclamation marks in that last post which was only about storage and didn't warrant such abandoned punctuation.

BUT HERE'S SOME MORE ANYWAY!!!!!!

In the STUDIO today

2010-07-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

Hey! Look at our new shelves!

See the neatness of our boxes!
Our rings in in apple-pie order!

In the Shop Today:

2010-07-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Was ever there such a cheery sight as these two colourful ladies? Our photo in no way does justice to their look.

Thank Christ Trinny and Susannah didn't get hold of them and put them in a bias cut linen skirt, a dreary jacket and lipstick the colour of a cats arse.

Little London shades

2010-07-20T08:41:00.001-07:00

They nagged, they cajoled, they begged;
we reacted, we created, we produced.

Here it is the (excitingly named) MEDIUM LONDON SHADE.

The dead lady IS on it (round the other side)

"Which dead lady?" you anxiously inquire.

"See our blog entry of June 13th" we gravely respond.

Chez Lush

2010-07-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

We at Lush Designs live wonderful creative lives and surround ourselves with loveliness.
See here how elegantly we have assembled an amusing selection of objets and justaposed them JUST SO in the window so that not just you, oh blog voyeur, but all those lucky passers by can feast their eyes upon the FABULOUSNESS.

Pussy design

2010-07-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

Appearing on kitchenwares near you soon...

Toying with an inappropriate avian hors d'oeuvre whilst using slow-moving reptiles as a stool. Is there no end to feline maleficence?

Apparently not.

Pussies are coming

2010-07-05T07:07:00.000-07:00

We're doing a series of cat designs, featuring these elegant creatures enjoying themselves in a leafy Summer setting

This tea towel design is a tribute to all those feline friends who come and visit our garden every day. Some come to piss, some to poo, some merely leave a grimy hairy patch on my favourite deck chair. One of them, who's owner has not seen fit to emasculate him, likes to leave his odiferous essence from time to time.

For reasons of delicacy we have anthropomorphised these most natural of creatures and given you the panto version.

Now available in brown.

2010-07-01T04:38:00.000-07:00

We DO like to blog on about our new stuff, but this time we're going to flag up an old favourite.
Its a Lush designs classic and we reckon it looks good in even the manliest domicile.

Guys, imagine yourselves casually doing some bicep curls whilst sipping on a fine Irish malt whisky and watching Eight out of Ten Cats - wouldn't this cool lampshade enhance the experience, whilst illuminating your ripped abs?

Go on; butch up your boudoir with The Lush Designs Dahlia lampshade

Just When Stories

2010-06-30T02:27:00.001-07:00

Entitled Just When Stories, the book is being published by Beautiful Books this August, in support of the campaign by WildAid and the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation against the illegal wildlife trade. The stories are focused around the questions "when will the irrational and cruel destruction of wildlife stop?", and "when we will take action to make it stop?".

This is a mock-up of the cover of The Just When Stories which we have had the honour of working on.
Anthologised by Tamara Gray these stories highlight the plight of just a few of the world's endangered species'.

This sad Chimpanzee is the illustration for one of the stories which is by William Boyd. I won't tell you what happens but needless to say its a brilliant story

This thirsty tiger features in a wonderfully strange and futuristic story by Lauren St John

A dream of Cranes by Nirmal Ghosh is a touching story of a child's wise concern for these magical birds that are endangered by human progress.

All these stories and more are in Just When Stories. It comes out in August and is available to pre-order from Amazon

Cockpit Arts Open Studio

2010-06-25T12:06:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we had our Summer open Studio at Cockpit Arts in Deptford.
Who are these two good lookin' dames in the prime of their lives?
Why, thats us!
Brings to mind that wonderful song;
"Ebony and Ivory live together in perfect harmony..."

Here are our chums Isaac and Hartwig enjoying a delicious sparkling beverage, which they richly deserve for having two As and a wig.

CAKES, Don't you just love them?

2010-06-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

Calling all cake-lovers everywhere!
Greenwich Market is a Mecca for cake-lovers.
The lady above is Maria. Her cakes are quite, quite delicious.

Sonia might put down her chopsticks and sell you a delicious apple tart if you ask her.
She's famous for her dimples.

Here is Ms Cupcake with her yankee-doodle-dandy cake stylings. You can easily find her on Greenwich Market on Thursdays and Fridays when the warblings of Rosemary Clooney and the Andrews Sisters belt forth from the cunningly secreted sound-system on her stall.

Here is a Lush Designs cake. Its not real of course and therefore has negligible calorie content

Delectable collectables

2010-06-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

On Thursdays and Fridays in Greenwich we are lucky enough to have the antiques and collectables market right outside the door of the Lush Designs shopHere's the very collectable Tony doing Sudoku, all casual-like
Here's Tony's tools. Aren't they so fabulously retro-manly?

TWEET TWEET

2010-06-17T23:39:00.000-07:00

We at Lush Designs are not only busy and important - we also create many products which are popular and successful.
We have to make lots of these birds - here's a pile of them without their wings.
In the olden days we screen-printed them ourselves, cut them out individually and sanded them by hand. We got fed up with being covered in ink, having sawdusty nostrils and vibration white-finger, so we now get Ken and Les to print and sand them and a robot cuts them out.
Its not all glamour though. Look what lurks in the back of the shop. A load of colours on a shelf which are saying:
"Come on! Those birds aren't going to paint themselves. Stop grinning at customers and asking them if they're visiting Greenwich for the day. They're not interested in your opinion of the weather. Get in the back and start painting birds".
Yes, it is still we that gets our hands mighty inky and makes those wooden birds into the colours that our customers can match to their decor/eyes/favourite cardigan.
Then of course we have to put them in bags and all; a pleasant job that can be done whilst listening to The Archers or one's ipod.

A bowl of birds ready for sale in gay profusion at the Lush Designs shop

Here's one we made earlier
These little birds have been a best-seller for us for a few years now

Today in Greenwich

2010-06-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

We're lucky enough to have a ringside view of Greenwich Market from our shop...
twisty and twusty
Wibbly wobbly
allez-up!
Blimey! Who's this noodle flinging fellow?He's Greenwich Market's very special noodle man Zhong Yi Liu, and he does this wonderfully mad thing which actually results in noodles which will be dinner for you in a matter of theatrical moments.

COMING SOON, yet another fabulous Lush Designs creation.

2010-06-13T12:41:00.001-07:00

Going to a festival?
On a cruise?
To a ghastly playscheme where you have to learn to juggle and the playworkers all have body odour and emotional issues?

You might need one of these...

Available from Lush Designs from August.

You'll be hands-free so you can:

a. Rave expressively using all all four limbs whilst keeping your sanitising gel safely about your person.
b. Carry sunscreen and polo mints whilst gesticulating at ancient monuments/porpoises.
c. Fail miserably at juggling with your phone/young person's oyster card handy for a quick getaway.

Run, rabbit run.

The Great Shade of London

2010-06-13T05:21:00.000-07:00

NEW! NEW! NEW!

You can now purchase one of these huge lampshades at the Lush Designs shop. They come in a variety of delightful colours and lovers of the macabre can choose the design which includes the drowned lady, whilst those of a squeamish disposition may go for the corpseless option.

This particular dead woman appeared in an earlier post when we first started working on this designs. Let that be a warning to those of you who are tempted to stray near the Thames in a state of inebriation.

For the enormously housed among us its the ideal statement piece. Imagine if this was displayed in one's baronial hall; the neighbours would be GREEEN with envy.

JUST WHEN

2010-05-24T02:22:00.000-07:00

This slender Loris is one of a series of Illustrations for a collection of stories which will soon be published by Beautiful Books. Like the Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling this collection features animals, in each case an endangered species. Hanif Kureishi and William Boyd are among the contributers. Profits go to Wildaid and The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.

O Loris with your arms so slim
Clinging to a jungle limb
Is your diet (mainly fruit)
The reason why you stay so cute?

I expect so.

In the shop today

2010-05-23T23:03:00.000-07:00

We've got a few new designs in the shop this week.

This is a snap I took today (blame the camera)

The very large shade hanging on the left which comes in a lovely Ribena colour (plus a few others) depicts a panorama of a condensed version of London as seen from the South side of the Thames.
For those of you who like boats there's two of them on it.
For those of you who like the macabre there is a secret drowned person lurking in the water.
For those of you who have a very big house its actually ideal, being fully 57cm in diameter.

HURRAH!

If you squeeze your eyeballs very hard you'll be able to see the lovely new Centaur design pillow cases displayed therein.

LUSHLOBES

2010-05-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

What in God's name is this selection of outlandish objects????!!!!

You may be interested to know that we Lush Designers have had many incarnations. Why, for a great many years in the 1980s we made costume jewellery. In them far off days we were called LUSHLOBES. When we stopped making earrings we changed it to Lush Designs.

Some of you may note with interest that a certain soapy bath-bomb company chose a rather similar name. Not many people get us mixed up though.

Anyway; thanks to lovely Jackie Elliman who has been a customer for all these years and sent us this photo of her ancient Lushlobe artifacts.

Tattoos R Us

2010-05-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

Now,

An interesting thing happened the other day. I found our old pal Terry Datson on facebook whom we haven't seen for over twenty years. Terry lives in Ireland and has a band called The Taxmen (www.thetaxmencork.com) Check out their swingin' grooves.

Many years have come and gone and his once flaming red hair is now snowy white.
In the olden days Terry had a marvellous band called Fatz Datz and the Kool Katz. We designed this cheery poster for them in about 1832 when Margaret Thatcher was in power and we all needed cheering up.

ANYWAY - we now discover that Tel's only been and gone and had the Kat from that old poster indelibly depicted on his manly (freckly) arm.

Bet he never thought we'd find him on facebook and demand a design fee!

Not really, Tel. We love being immortalised on your arm. XXX

Eeech! Ouch! Ooch!
Et Voila!

love of lace

2010-04-20T15:50:00.001-07:00

This is some lace we made using bobbins and ancient folky know - how.

Not really! We drew it with a pen and then made it pink in photoshop!

...and this is a lacewing.

"They say romance is back in style...

2010-04-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

...well I say it never went out."

Remember this TV advertisement for Le Jardin De Max Factor?

Anyway, here's a picture of NOTRE jardin.

If Jane Seymour had tried any of her shenanigans in our garden she'd have to crouch down REALLY low to smell these here fleurs. However the very smell of them would inform her that spring is truly here (as spookily predicted in an earlier post.)

Ashy descent

2010-04-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

Mark my words - its all going to look like this when the Icelandic ash comes down

Jolly Green Giant

2010-04-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

We've designed this lampshade specially for people with big houses. Its big enough for your edwardian drawing room and wont clash with your priceless antiques.

So you can get an indication of its bold scale we have photographed it next to the head of a genuine goblin.

Available at the Lush Designs shop in Greenwich and SOON from www.lushlampshades.co.uk

Due to popular demand...

2010-03-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

We have introduced a new bone china mug to Lush Designs' range of products. Who can resist its porcine perfection?

YES, like our other china tableware its got lovely gold lustre on it which makes it most posh. Imagine what a glorious Easter gift it will make, much slimminger than chocolate eggs and together with a matching tea-towel will show even your plumpest relatives how much you love them during this holy time of year.

Available at the Lush Designs shop in Greenwich and very soon from www.lushlampshades.co.uk.

Oink oink.

Boing

2010-02-22T01:54:00.000-08:00

People say spring is never going to happen - that winter is going to stretch on and on and on and on and on interminably.

INCORRECT I say. For spring is just around the corner.

If you don't believe me just check out these rabbits, for they are simple creatures without a cynical or pessimistic bone in their bodies. Blessed with animal intuition they have already begun their wanton springtime frolics.

Guess what ...

2010-02-19T12:53:00.000-08:00

Its a Tasmanian Tiger.

See - how WICKED

BE MY LOVE

2010-02-10T00:43:00.000-08:00

If this doesn't warm the cockles of your heart I don't know what will

Linda Florence

2010-01-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

Ooooh. What's going on here?

Steel-town giant cutlery underfoot madness!

Amazing!

Lookee here. This is bonny Linda Florence (she's Scottish you know). Not only is she Bonny but she's talented, nay rather brilliant. Indeed, so brilliant that she won The British design award for suface design 2009 for her amazing Meta Table Setting floor design at Sheffield's Millennium Gallery.

Naturally enough she is one of our very special friends, so I feel her specialness must be seen on our blog, so that we will seem slightly more wonderful by proxy.

See what other wonderful things she's done; www.lindaflorence.co.uk

Coming soon....

2010-01-14T00:02:00.001-08:00

You saw it here first; NEW lush Designs pillowcases. These will be available individually for those of you who only have a single bed - or would perhaps prefer not to have a member of the opposite sex in bed with you.

They should be ready to buy at www.lushlampshades.com and at the Lush designs shop in Greenwich from May - just in time for the wedding season.

Long time no blog

2010-01-08T14:18:00.000-08:00

This charming image appears on our most recent tea towel.

As one of our children once said:

"All vegibles are good for you except one ... sweets"

How true.

Foxy fever!

2009-11-26T02:19:00.000-08:00

New! New! New!

We've now got a whole range of lovely fox and cubs products for sale in our Lush Designs shop in Greenwich. Very soon they'll be up on our website so all you faraway folk can buy them too.

Here's me drinking my tea from my fox mug.

Naomi Ryder,

2009-11-19T14:24:00.000-08:00

What is this mysterious, gauzy thing of beauty? Why! Its the National Gallery, exquisitely rendered in stitch.
Introducing another of our talented friends...
Oh how we love the work of Naomi Ryder. Was ever there such a talented needlestress? The fluid confidence of her drawing! The accuracy of her human observation! No wonder she's so busy and important. www.naomiryder.co.uk

Behold! The work of Stewart Helm

2009-10-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

Stewart Helm is a most extraordinarily prolific artist. He draws quite obsessively and his works are so numerous that in one exhibition his watercolour drawings were stacked up in piles in a glass case, each stack being a couple of feet high. Each of these drawings was a work of perfection in itself.
Stewart's work is exquisite in its intricacy and is like a journey through the body including the mind - both cheerful and sinister at the same time.
This genius happens to be one of our dearest friends. You have to look very carefully to drink in the detail of these tiny naked men, lying about like a tray of oven chips.

Pivotal persons 2 : Ken and Ron (Adtec)

2009-10-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

This Lush Designs lamp shade depicts Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show and features Bill himself with legendary sharp-shooter Annie Oakley, and Chief Sitting Bull, all watched by Queen Victoria (they're round the other side)
Our lamp shades are screen printed by these two marvellous brothers, Ken and Ron Servant. They work on an industrial scale in this railway arch in Deptford, very near our studio - but don't seem to mind working with small-fry like us. They print our lampshade-panels and all our birch ply-wood products.

What did we do before we found them?! We wore ourselves to an inky frazzle and made a big mess in the studio, thats what.

If you ever need anything screen-printed onto wood, canvas, paper, card, metal, plastic call Ken and Ron at Adtec. Tel. 020 8691 4778 or email sales@adtecgraphics.co.uk

Stick em up

2009-10-12T04:43:00.000-07:00

Another Jefferson Smith photograph. This time its the Monkey lampshade in front of a pale grey wall decorated with the Stalky Pods vinyl we have recently introduced to our range of products. You can but these in our Lush Designs shop in Greenwich or email us at info@lushlampshades.co.uk. They'll soon be available from our website along with the other wall graphics.

Birds

2009-10-12T04:27:00.000-07:00

Below is a picture of one of our Lampshades - its the mermaid design which depicts the evolution of the mermaid in the primordial swamp. The dangling birds are one of Lush Designs' most successful products - with their elegant laser-cut (by the pivotal Les Grayson) wings. Cheerfully coloured yet inscrutably expressionless, made of screen printed birch ply. A fantastic gift for someone you don't want to spent TOO much money on. I you want to get one to dangle decoratively at Christmas you can order from www.lushlampshades.co.uk.

If you think this is a rather gorgeous photograph then its because it was taken by the brilliant Jefferson Smith www.jeffersonsmith.co.uk. he's so talented. Sigh.

Pivotal Persons: Les Grayson

2009-10-12T04:16:00.000-07:00

The debonair man-with-a-clock in our shop above is Les Grayson - known to us as Laser Les - thats because he laser cuts the wings for our birds using only one of his multifarious skills.

He is also the horological talent behind our clocks - yes he can even cut wood IN CIRCLES.

He himself is a clock-maker and engraver, but he seems to be able to make anything with his many wonderful machines.

What would Lush Designs be without Les? NOWT, thats what.

He's based in SE London and you can contact him at lesgrayson@ukonline.co.uk