New Artist to join our website this week is Claire Vine of Elsy & Vine

Claire Vine, of Elsy & Vine, makes beautiful handmade cushions, brooches and lavender bags in top quality lambswool. Each individual handmade piece has been cleverly created to allow layering and  mix matching in response to individual mood or character. So..escape in the pleasure of creating your own colourful world.  Elsy & Vine are ardent supporters of British craft and industry and wherever possible source materials and expertise from as close to home as possible.

Happy Days Cushion in blue/green lambswool

The Happy Days cushion is inspired by family holidays and depicts a large caravan repeat on one side and knitted spots on the reverse. It sports a complementary zipper at the base of the cushion and a 'forgarty' hollowfibre machine washable cushion pad.

The reverse of the Happy Days cushion in blue/green lambswool

Knitted lambswool and marino wool lavender bags, stuffed with locally sourced lavender are handmade using the best quality lambswool.

Cloud Lavender Bags in three designs

 

Adorable caravan brooches.

New Artists to join our website this week is Lara Aldridge Glass

Lara Aldridge Glass is a design partnership of Lara and Jon Oakley. Starting business in 1994 after finishing their studies, they are now located in a new larger studio space in central Brighton. Lara Aldridge Glass specialise in kilnformed glass and metal, their work is instantly recognizable due to the processes involved to produce every piece.

Beautiful wall panel 

Each piece is handmade by themselves, using a combination of metals in the form of sheet, rod, wire and powder which is assembled onto a single piece of glass creating a metal collage, having been originally inspired by Gustv Klimt whose work is also produced using the collaging process.  This process can take a number of days to assemble the finished designs. The final step is for another piece of glass to be added on top of the collage and the whole assembly being fired in the kiln. The kiln fires up to 1000 degrees centrigrade, and dependant on the scale of the piece being fired can be in the kiln for 7 days.

Another beautiful wall panel

These beautiful wall hanging are only some of the products produced by Lara Aldridge Glass.  On our website: www.cherrypickedforyou.co.uk you will find sets of glass coasters and beautiful bowls and dishes. So relax with a nice cup of tea and browse their collection.

Beautiful Glass Bowl

New Ceramic Artist this week is Annette Bugansky

Annette Bugansky is a British Ceramic Designer who graduated from Central Saint Martin's in London in 2005 with an MA in Ceramic Design. In 2009 Annette won Best Contribution to the Show at Origin, awarded by Crafts Magazine. 

We are really excited to have Annette on board as we just love her handmade porcelain cups that can also double up as a vase. Freesias or other small flowers look lovely in them. They are available in five patterns, Aran, Cable, Chain, Rope and Twist and they are fired to 1280 degrees centrigrade which makes them totally watertight.

Aran Patterned Cup/Vase by Annette Bugansky

Annette also makes the most gorgeous Porcelain Tea Lights. When lit the Tea Light emits a warm amber glow that highlights the rich surface of the knit textured pattern. Available in two patterns: diamond and rib. The natural matt finish of the porcelain is complimented with a glossy glaze inside.

Diamond Patterned Porcelain Tea Light 

Finally, Annette produces these gorgeous set of three Heart Decorations which make a lovely gift for someone special or as a treat for yourself and your home. Each heart features a slightly different texture pattern and is embellished with a heart shaped jewel making them special and unique.  Made of the finest porelain and glazed on the front they hang on a 3mm red satin ribbon.

Use them to decorate your home all year round. I have my set on some twigs in the kitchen. Especially lovely for Valentine's Day or equally gorgeous hangng from the Christmas Tree.

New Ceramic Artist this week is Kathy Laird

I have been trying to get Kathy to join my illustrious group of artists for ages. In fact, I set up www.cherrypickedforyou.co.uk with her in mind! I have been buying her beautiful garden pots and ceramic pictures for a few years and when I had the idea of opening an online showcase for designer led handmade products she was one of the first people I thought of. I didn't realise at the time how difficult it would be to get her to be part of my website. To be fair, Kathy is a very busy person. She is not only a ceramicist but also a landscape garden designer - which is very apparent in her work! Now she happily manages to find the time for both her garden work and the ceramic studio she works out of in Brighton. You can see from her ceramic landscapes the gardening influence.

We now have a lovely range of Landscape pictures by Kathy which would make a great gift for someone special in your life or as a treat for yourself and your home. Simply click under Artists and scroll down the Ceramic Artists to get to Kathy Laird to see the full range of landscape pictures we are able to offer.

Kathy also makes gorgeous pots that are frost free which means they can be left out in the garden, or attached to a garden wall (there are very useful holes in the back to place them on a wall) all year round even when it is icy cold and snowing! She also makes adorable jugs. Both the jugs and the pots are hopefully coming soon. So watch this space....

 

New Jewellery Artist this week is Michele Rosaus

Michele Rosaus works from her Brighton based studio, Lostwerks, where she specialises in hand made, limited or one-off necklaces, earrings and bracelets in gemstones and sterling silver.

Turquoise Button Necklace £58

This beautiful turquoise button necklace is created from natural green/blue turquoise overlapping beads and is finished off with a sterling silver toggle. A beautiful and flattering colour against the skin and a great choice for the summer.

Blue-Lace Agate & Leaf Charm Bracelet £45

Inspired by the summer skies, this sterling silver and bead bracelet is made from 16mm faceted Blue Lace Agate stones and cream and pewter coloured Swarovski crystal pearls. It is finished with a large Sterling Silver Leaf, cluster and ring charm.

Michele's beautiful handcrafted jewellery is created from unusual and often uniquely cut semi-precious stones, which are chosen for their very flattering colours and hues and for the way they catch and reflect light. This often means that each piece is individual to the wearer. Michele's jewellery is influenced by long lost skills, vintage traditions and imagery. However, Michele imbues each piece with its own contemporary flair and a modern and often sculptural twist. All Michele's jewellery is carefully designed in length and shape to be very wearable and complimentary to the human form.

To view all Michele's work, click Artists, Jewellery and then on her name. Or use the media bar and look under earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

New Jewellery Artist ths week is Kirstin Moore

We are excited to have Jewellery Artist Kirstin Moore join us. Kirstin makes the most exquisite Freshwater Pearl Necklaces, Earrings and Bracelets. She then adds garnets and black onyx to make really striking pieces of jewellery that you will want to wear or give as a present for the special person in your life.

Freshwater Pearl and Garnet Necklace £39.95

 

 

Each of Kirstin's pieces of jewellery on  www.cherrypickedforyou.co.uk are from The Regency Collection. This collection is inspired by the jewellery of the regency period using beautiful freshwater pearls, which were fashionable at the time, and complimenting them with semi-precious stones to add an extra dimension. Each piece is hand strung onto sterling silver wire adding a modern twist to the pieces.

Freshwater Pearl and Garnet Bracelet £24.95

This classy 8 inch bracelet is made of 6mm Grade AA freshwater pearls and 4mm round garnet beads. The silver wire setting on this bracelet accentuates the depth of colour of the garnet beads and beautifully reflects the warmth of the freshwater pearls.  A cluster drop emphasised by a stunning single coin pearl enhances the piece perfectly.

Freshwater Pearl and Garnet Earrings £17.95

These gorgeous cluster drop earrings combining beautiful 6mm Grade AA creamy white Freshwater Pearls with rich 4mm red garnets strung on silver wire match the bracelet and necklace and make a wonderful set of jewellery. Each piece can be worn separately but together they make a stunning collection.

Artists' Open Houses in Brighton and Hove and Fairy Sales Have Gone Through the Roof!

It is Monday afternoon as I write this and still I am feeling exhilarated. We have just completed our third weekend where we opened our house to the public as part of the May Festival. Most of the beautiful products on our website were displayed and the feedback from the people who came through our door was just brilliant. Running a website can be a little isolating as I'm not sure how our customers view the collection but hearing them praise it's coherence and tell us how inspiring it all is, coupled with the comments people left in our Visitor's Book is just overwhelming.

Every one loved the fairies, both Betty Bib's and Halinka's. Remember Halinka has designed us our very own fairies with cherry berets with green stalks,befitting to our name: www.cherrypickedforyou.co.uk

Our very own Cherry Orchard Fairy Couple

The Male Fairy has a choice of Lady in different attire - lucky!

 

 

 

Halinka is also well known for her rabbits and, of course, she had to design us the most adorable rabbits with cherry red jackets.

Betty Bib has also designed us our very own fairies. Betty Bib (aka Lesley Buckingham) is a renowned Fairy Artist, having written three best selling books on fairies which she not only wrote but illustrated too. These Sparkly Fairies can only be purchased from us:

Betty Bib's Boxed Fairies - each with her own special name in a scroll in the lid

Fairy sales during the Artists' Open House weekends have been very high. The biggest seller being the Betty Bib Fairy in a box that has her own secret name in a scroll in the lid which can only be discovered when she becomes yours! With so many fairies to choose from their was a frenzy of purchases but not before much deliberation as each fairy is unique.

We have one more weekend, which starts next Saturday, 28th May and goes through to Sunday 29th May. So come and visit us at 52 Carlisle Road, Hove, East Sussex between 11 am to  5 pm on either day and you will be guaranteed to see a fabulous collection of textiles, ceramics, wood, glass, jewellery,  and felt.