It's December, and it's been a long time.

Here's some of my card creations elfing it up!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Vintage postcard

Vintage postcard
Originally uploaded by sillyshopping

Market Finds

Came up trumps this morning at Wolverhampton Market. It's fairly uninspiring place (although it does have a great little caff that does the nices bacon sandwiches)although a good source of cheap fruit and veg. And cow snouts as I found today, although even a rabid carnivore like myself is a bit stuck what to do with them.

Still managed to hunt out these great little photo magazines in the flea market isle. I should always look down here more, occasionally it yields some good finds. I just need to work out what to do with them now.

We also found a great 1930's home management and cookbook. Some great recipies in there we need to try. Lots of recipies for ham jellies, beef juice and high tea. Marvellous!

Well done Yasmina

Best thing about the Apprentice this year......

Back to work

Sorry about the lack of posts for a while, I've been travelling around California and Nevada for a couple of weeks and then straight back to the Pulse trade show in Earls Court.

Never let it be said I waste an inch of my wall space at these shows. Cram it in!!!

Anyway, so back to work now and just as busy. Was a great holiday though. Saw some amazing places I hadn't seen before such as Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and Death Valley National Parks. The trip got off to a great start with the flight out where the lovely crew of Virgin Atlantic gratefully received some of my cabin crew cards and gifts that I always take on these journeys.

Photo published with their kind permission.

Lots of orders to do now I'm back. Keep Calm and Carry On is going down a storm!

These always amuse.

Some people think it's odd having my mobile number on the back of my cards, I don't. It means I don't get these crazy texts and calls to my private number. There must be something in the water at the moment as I've had these two texts over the same weekend. From different numbers no less too.


Suppose I should expect such smut with my cards being the way they are :-)

We wish you a Merry Christmas.

Took my first order for Christmas cards yesterday. It's a mad crazy world. This won't be an oddity either; from about now and all over over the summer Christmas order will be drip feeding in ready to be processed come September / October.
Ho Ho Ho!

Oh, and whilst we're at it....

Self Indulgent, but.....

Had a great text over the weekend. Somebody saw my mobile on the back of a card and decided to tell me what they've thought. Love it! Does my ego no end of good...

I like Letterpress

Even though my own cards are fairly close to the bone ("Fancy a tit wank?", "Slut of the skies", Happy Birthday you big knob jockey") this doesn't always match the cards I actually like to buy. After all if I want to send smut to my friends I can quite happily make that myself, and I do. For the last months I've really been into Letterpress. This isn't that popular here in the UK, but in the US shops go mad for it with whole shops devoted to the stuff. The best has to be Greenwich Letterpress in New York. Last couple of trips I've made to the city I've gone in there and spent a fortune of a great selection of cards thats now going to take me ages to get rid off. I need to find either (1) new friends to send them all to, or (2) new occasions to send them for.

Here's a small selection that I'm going to send to you.

This is a good week!

Can this week get any better!
Passed my driving test (fourth time, late starter, I know) and found out we have secured our reservation at The French Laundry in Yountville, California. It's currently voted the best restaurant in the United States and I'll be eating there two weeks today.
Needless to say I'm VERY excited!

Anything Goes!

Felt like a spot of kitsch this morning and youtube is always good for such needs. I was looking for Harpers Bizarre version of "Anything Goes" by Cole Porter but sadly they only had the 59th Street Song, which still reeks of a ripe brie.

Fortunately though, I did manage to find this version of Anything Goes, which, lets face it is hardly restrained. You have to love Kate Capshaw in this and it's great how she's infront of the credits and all the dancers are behind them - that seemed really hi tech back in 1984.

That's set me up for the day :-)

I love Kodacolor.

I found some great new photos last weekend at the various flea markets in New York. As usual the Garage on W26th always brings in the best. Nothing I love better than rummaging through piles and catalogues of old kodacolor photos generally whilst nursing a bit of a hangover as I inevitably had a few too many Appletini's the night before (in this case it was Gimlets). They're very good at making them at the Monster in NYC, asking if I prefer them sweet or bitter. Thats good.

I love how these random photos from the 50's to the 70's capture someone elses life who I'm never going to know. Without sounding to wanky its a "window into their world".

I love her. I love everything about her. The dress. Especially the hair. And the expression that says "how may I fucking help you?"

This is the first photo I think i've found with a cigarette holder in. Top marks for the coat too.

Fancy dress parties are always good for a laugh, even more so if they feature a guy in comedy drag. Some of these events that I have the photos are look a blast!

Brilliant compostion, and what is that on her lap? Is it real or fake - I really cannot tell.

I love the light in this photo, which by the look of the F in the top right corner suggests I might be Vegas. I think it was taken in 1976 looking at the print on the photo.. Looks like they're up nice and early and bathed in that lovely morning light (looking at the long shadows).

Who's the DADDY!!!!

Again, great light in this photo. Not sure if I'll be able to use any of these on my cards but they're great additions to my private snapshot collection. A great morning's rummaging.

Random Album Design

Okay, I'm impressed with this Facebook group. Might do a couple a day, just to pass the time. The Random Album Generator. Rules are as follows:

Here is a fun challenge for anyone interested in design and/or album covers.
Instructions:
1. Visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.
2. Visit: http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3 The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.
3. Visit: http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
4. Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.
5. Upload your contribution to this group.

So far my results have been:

Particulary pleased with this one, and:

More to follow, no doubt.

Off to watch Lost now. Thank heavens for an itunes US account!

In these times of crisis we need to Keep Calm!!!

Finally put my new Keep Calm and Carry On cards on the website this week. Sourced from the iconic WW2 poster kindly supplied by the original home of it, Barter Books in Northumberland.


Originally printed in WW2 and to be used in a time of national crisis (ie German invasion) the posters were never released, but one turned up in a set of dusty books at auction purchased by Barter Books. This artwork seems to be everywhere at the moment. I noticed James May was wearing a T shirt with it on on "Oz and James drink to Britain" - good show by the way.

Good for the recession too.
I've also been designing Christmas Cards today. Seems a bit of a head fuck in February but they need to be ready for, well about three weeks ago, as is the madness of the greeting card industry. Nearly there I think....

Getting broody again...

I would really quite like to live here. Unfortunately it's not for sale, and probably too expensive.
I'm really broody about houses at the moment. We really do need somewhere bigger, both working from home. I would also like two proper reception rooms and more guest bedrooms.
One day, hopefully next year. Saving bloody hard.

I need to rummage

Having the urge to go to some more flea markets. Will be in the Garage in New York in a month or so. This is a great market and I'll no doubt stop by Larry and Estelle, two stall holders who supply me with vintage snapshots when I'm out there. This market also has the bonus of being undercover - great in New York in March.

I've found some great stuff in this market, especially in some of the vintage colour snapshots.


Other's on the list to visit again, or for the first time this year are Alameny Flea Market and Almeda Flea Market, both in San Francisco, Noodermarkt in Amsterdam and Saint Ouen in Paris (even though I'm no fan of the city itself). As well as photos and ephemera I'm always on the lookout for nice little mid century pieces to fill our new house with*

*when ever that may be!

Yes, I'm having a 3 day weekend!

After five days at the behemoth that is the Spring Fair at the NEC I think I need a well earned day off. Getting up at quater to seven and doing the commute to Birmingham International for five days has done me in. I know I'm a wimp and this is what most normal people do all the time but my usual commute is usually from the bedroom across the (very small) landing into my office.
Since being stuck in Hall 3 for the last five days I've developed a runny nose, sore throat and probably ricketts for all I know. All those germs circulating around the air conditioning...yum.

I've sorted out some paperwork and spent the rest of the day creating a better looking blog - well asking Mat to make a better looking blog. I'm not very clever at those things. Even joined twitter last night; well if its good enough for Stephen Fry.