The Owl and the Pussycat

Visitors to our shop are sometimes so interesting. This is Tatiana and Momo, who are illustrators, studying on the FdA course at Camberwell art college.  They told me they'd been illustrating The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear and pointed out that Owls and Cats were much in evidence at Lush Designs.

Here is Tatiana's take on the story - it can be used interactively with an app called Aurasma which you can see demonstrated on her website.  Its incredibly clever - the story reads itself and wheels through the image, which is beautifully executed. http://www.tatianaalisova.com/the-owl-and-the-pussy-cat.html

Equally charming is Momo's take on the story

Momo is quite happy to work in both watercolour and cake! 

See her lovely blog: http://momoscolourbox.blogspot.co.uk/

Customised Lush Designs

We thought we'd show you what one of our customers did with the cushions she bought from us.

Her name is Zoe Polatch and she's a designer-maker herself. http://www.zozos.me.uk/index_466P.html

And on the subject of customising here's what young Billy did to his school photo...

Absolute Bustards

When we were little gals long long time ago there was much talk of The Great Bustard and how terrifically ENDANGERED they are. We would quite like to see them re-introduced to the grasslands of Deptford park.  They are probably about eight feet tall and most ancient and noble, although having never actually seen one in real life we can't be certain.  What is certain however is that we must all take care of our natural environments and our wildlife, e'en though, in the case of Great Bustards, they may have an unfortunate name which combines a slightly rude chest-type word with a very insulting term for a person whose parents aren't married.

Just look what happened to Ammonites and Trilobites! They became mere fossils! Although a close look at that ubiquitous arthropod the woodlouse would suggest that it had a Trilobial ancestor. 

(Its a design for a vase by the way)

Deptford Bees

When you're feeling all sad because of the never ending bloody rain think of the poor bees who are out there in all weathers gathering nectar in their tiny, frozen paws and flying with their damp, bedraggled wings back to their mouldy hives only to be bossed about by a big fat queen who says "Stop moaning, get making that honey and where's my ROYAL JELLY!"

Inspired by our local bees, ALL of which have visited our garden I reckon, we have created this beelightful design which will probably get made into a tablecloth within a soonish timeframe.

When they're not appearing on one of our designs those poor exhausted bees have been making Deptford Creek Honey which is doubtless what Pearly Kings and Queens have on their toast for breakfast.

In the Shop

Very occasionally I am compelled to introduce you to one of our customers.  

This is Sharmila. Look at her lovely top which manages to be cosy, groovy and a bit Aztec all at the same time. We had to get her to model for us, what with looking so good in a product-enhancing kind of way. She bought three lampshades one of which was this pale fox and cubs shade I think (hard to remember, we were nattering so much, she's a thoroughly nice person).

Sharmila came all the way from India, not just to visit the Lush Designs shop, but also to be present at the birth of her first grandchild (yes I know, she looks too young).  He's called Rihaan.  Look at his little face.  

SO SWEEEEET.

The Queensberry Hotel, Bath

A dear ol' school chum let us know that she's stayed at The Queensberry Hotel in that most Jane Austenish of cities BATH. At that very hotel she's seen some of our Monkey lampshades. We think Bath is a right classy place and KNEW that The Queensberry must be quite, quite lovely.

This is Lauren, who runs The Queensberry.  You can tell to look at her that she's delightful, and a woman of great taste and discernment.

Lauren chose this monkey shade for the bar.....

and what a lovely bar it is...

Our chum said it was a rather gorgeous hotel and had a great time (with a gorgeous man apparently, harrumph).  I wonder if she and Mr Gorgeous had a cocktail made by the shakin' barman (above) - if so  I imagine it would have been something classy, a Sidecar or a Negroni perhaps; I do hope it wasn't anything tawdry like a Slippery Nipple.

Have a look at the Queensberry's website - its rather good and has a little purple dancing feller on it.

Clown Tea Towel

As if we haven't got enough tea towel designs...
A recent trip to see Zippo's circus was the deciding factor - hence the inclusion of the sexy Gaucho Gabriel Carmona ( bottom row on the right) who did hot and dirty things with flailing Argentinian banging twirlers (they probably have a better Spanish name)

He also doubled up as the photographer during the interval when the children lined up to be snapped with a tiny horse no bigger than a chunky golden labrador and about the same colour. Gabriel's Gaucho poise was not compromised by this activity, and he affected an impressive lunge whilst photographing each child.

Anyway, our clownish tea towel will be available in due course then you can all have a little bit of Gaucho in your kitchen.

Ariba!