Cafe Cartolina

I'm sorry if the posts have seemed a bit sporadic in the last week - I have been very busy in the studio during the day designing our next Cartolina collection - there's not a lot of energy left, at the end of a 10 hour day, for blogging at the moment - I try to post only that which has inspired me. I took some pictures yesterday when I was taking a little break from designing. Just grabbed a few things. It was a little dark in the afternoon for lovely saturated colours but here's a sample . . . . the first is of my favourite little tins - these are very small and I love the type on them. The largest tin is very old and is hand painted on the top. Second grouping is a selection of french letters that I have - the handwriting inspires me everyday. they sit in a glass jar next to my computer. . . .

The last 2 groupings are an odd selection really. Here's a brief description of each piece - 2 miniature drawings from Switzerland that Doug picked up at a local farm sale. Two handcarved wooden boats that we found in the walls of a Victorian house that we renovated a few years ago(along with a pile of love letters.) Very long paper scissors, razer sharp, watch out! A wooden arrow shaped thingy for fixing fishing nets, why don't you? A pair of real tortoiseshell glasses from a long time ago. A cloisonee plate and 2 wee blue enamel dishes. Red prayer beads we bought in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul years ago. Two speckled eggs from a bird(?). A lovely vintage metal horse that I stole from Doug's studio :-)