As the season gets into its full festive stride, it's been nice walking past our local Paperchase and seeing some of our commissioned designs in the window. None of Paperchase's in-house styles credit the artists though (I should hang around in-store, telling people 'til I get turfed-out).

The Sledging Penguin's still looking strong and the Resplendent Reindeer's survived a bit of extra bling to the baubles, but my favourites are these four woodcut designs for the cube packs… I mean, 24 cards, what a bargain!

Shady Characters

We're planning a couple of more styles of these drum shades and hoping to streamline the assembly stage (i.e. get a bit quicker at making 'em). Edward made the zig-zag base prototypes by hand and, even by his own admission, they took ages. First job for the new year: cost their properly mechanised manufacture!

Other Animals

Popped through the super-swish sliding door of Victoria Miro on Saturday to see a collection of Alice Neel paintings, My Animals and Other Family. I figured it'd be a child-friendly show, and it was. Almost!

Hang About!

 

Some of the things we make have a ridiculous labour-to-profit ratio, maybe one day we'll find that UK manufacturer to make all our dreams come true. These new children's garment hangers are a pretty good example but, boy, do we love 'em... it's especially rewarding when someone notices the mole's Le Corbusier specs!

I enjoy the aftermath of "Bonfire" here almost as much as the world famous mayhem which proceeds it. Every smoke stinky street is lined with the red paper of spent firecrackers and still smouldering stacks of discarded torches. You gotta hand it to the townsfolk, they know how to go collectively nuts on one night a year… or two, if you count the canon they discharged on my street at 6am!