Archive for the ‘magazines’ Category

The Simple Things

Monday, September 10th, 2012

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Simple Things launch issue magazine cover with small pewter candle holder

The launch issue of The Simple Things magazine dropped onto our doormat a few days ago.

magazine article entitled "One Simple Idea"

We’ve dipped in & out of it ever since and have thoroughly enjoyed it!

magazine article about Berlin by Sandra Juto

It came with us on a simple, quickly thrown together picnic of bread, cheese & fruit that we enjoyed on Saturday – very much in keeping with the ethos of this new magazine.

page in a magazine showing apples in a wooden box wrapped in paper

As the name suggests, it celebrates the simple things in life – friends, food, nature, hobbies, holidays and the pleasures of house & home.

page in a magazine showing a selection of cheeses

Or as the magazine itself sums it up, “grow, cook, make, share.”

magazine article entitled "Discovering Slow Food"

Ingredients and quality of produce are celebrated – there are articles about the slow food movement, a day picking apples and the joy one gardener gets from his allotment… lots of scrumptious recipes too!

magazine article entitled "Things to Go Out and Find"

There’s lot’s of outdoors-y stuff… things you might see in the park, garden or on a country walk – quite literally the birds and the bees… and the trees!

page in a magazine with an image of a kitchen

Interiors with an unfussy, homely feel are featured – in this edition the light & airy spaces of Dagmar & Randy’s Berlin apartment.

image in a magazine showing bread sticks and slice of bread with chocolate spread on a plate with glass of milk with striped straw

It draws in products that bring a bit of pleasure to daily life  – whether it be a perfectly functioning tool, a toast rack that brings a smile to your face or a beautiful hand crafted cosy that helps you to savour your tea break.

page in a magazine showing various various glass wares and candles

One favourite piece was a lovely article about the old, gently fading advertising signs that give clues to buildings’ former lives – it reinforces the importance of taking time to notice the environment around you.

page in a magazine showing various images of vintage shop signs

With 130 pages in all, there’s plenty more on offer too – interviews, book reviews and craft projects.

magazine article about a vintage radio collector

The production values of the magazine are excellent – quality paper, photography, writing etc.

magazine article entitled "Things to Wake Up and Want"

It retails at £4.99, with a special offer of three issues for £5.00 which is a great deal.

magazine article entitled "Warm and Cosy"

We’re definitely going to sign up to see how it develops – we’re looking forward to our future copies.

Ideal Home Photoshoot

Saturday, May 5th, 2012

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photography light illuminating vintage Kenneth Townsend "London Series" tiles and other items on a shelf

In our last post we mentioned this week’s photoshoot of our home.

photography equipment in a pile on the floor of our sitting room

Photographer, Simon Whitmore and stylist, Sally Denning arrived on Wednesday morning laden down with loads of equipment – cameras, lenses, lights, light reflectors, computers – all essential kit to produce glossy magazine-quality images.

photography light illuminating a shelf in our sitting room with a view through to our kitchen and laundry area

There were hours of arranging, discussing and reviewing images. Our blog photos take us quite a bit of time, but this is a different world!

Photographer, Simon Whitmore and stylist, Sally Denning in our kitchen discussing photos

The house feature is for Ideal Home Magazine and will be published sometime in the Autumn.

Flea Market Finds

Monday, April 2nd, 2012

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cover of the May 2012 edition of Homes and Antiques magazine

The new May 2012 edition of Homes & Antiques magazine popped through our letterbox today – an ‘upcycling’ special.

"Flea Market Finds" feature in the May 2012 edition of Homes and Antiques magazine

We loaned a few things to stylist, Kiera Buckley-Jones for her ‘Flea Market Finds’ feature.

H is for Home shop stock including a small vintage dandycord sewing box and small sky blue vintage clock featured in the May 2012 edition of Homes and Antiques magazine

The items look great – some super styling from Kiera, incorporating them into various room settings.

H is for Home shop stock including a vintage Crown Devon pottery sugar shaker featured in the May 2012 edition of Homes and Antiques magazine

Lovely photographs by Carolyn Barber capture the combination of classic period pieces and upcycled projects which give tired or neglected materials a new lease of life.

H is for Home shop stock including a framed vintage orange woolwork picture featured in the May 2012 edition of Homes and Antiques magazine

We’re not being biased, but this magazine is an excellent read – it’s evolved over recent years and now includes lots of vintage loveliness in its various articles and house tours.

Wallpaper Sale!

Monday, March 5th, 2012

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mosaic made from the covers of issues 1-15 of Wallpaper* Magazine
you can click on the mosaic to expand the view

We’ve been having a bit of a spring clean this week. We’re letting go of a few things – one of the first things is this collection of Wallpaper* Magazines.

The group consists of the very rare and covetable launch edition and the following fourteen issues – they span late 1996 to late 1998.

They’re currently up for sale as a single lot on eBay!

Feathered Friends

Friday, September 30th, 2011

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pile of vintage 1970s RSPB magazines

We did a recent post about owls, but forgot to include the illustration below – a charcoal & wash study of barn owls by John Busby.

illustration of a pair of barn owls from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

However, it’s given us the opportunity to blog about this collection of magazines from which the illustration was taken.

title detail from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

They’re vintage 1970s RSPB magazines that we picked them up in a local charity shop – 20 or 30 of them in total.

illustration of a kingfisher from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine illustration of a robin from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

We’re very fond of birds and see numerous species on our dog walks, but it was the magazine covers that were of initial interest…

illustration of goldfinches from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

…with their varied & striking artwork.

illustration of a water rail from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine illustration of various birds from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

Artists featured in this post include Keith Shackleton, John Paige, Eric Ennion, Kenneth Waterfield, Robert Greenhalf, John Busby, Jean Young, Michael Warren, Ian Willis, Ken Wood, Fulco Pratesi, Philip Rickman and Robert Gillmor.

illustration of a quail from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

illustration of snow buntings from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine illustration of a sparrowhawk from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

Some of the work has a real period style – and the magazines are very frame-able as the title & date are kept very restrained.

illustration of spotted red shanks from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

illustration of a wood pigeon from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine illustration of house sparrows from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

Inside there are lots of bird related features, stories and advertisements of course… and even more artworks!

posters of sea birds from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

illustration of a pair of hoopoes from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine illustration of a lapwing from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

It’s virtually impossible to pick an absolute favourite, but it might well be the paper collage below…

illustration of a greater spotted woodpecker made from coloured newsprint in a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

…a great spotted woodpecker by John Paige dating from 1973.

an illustration of brent geese from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

We holidayed in North Norfolk over the summer and these woodcuts & silkscreen take us back to that lovely corner of the world.

detail of an illustration of brent geese from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

We’ll be keeping an eye out for some more of these vintage issues.

illustration of choughs from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

The modern editions have high-tech photographic covers, with attention grabbing banners & adverts. That’s OK of course – but we think these earlier copies are actually more interesting – and far more charming.