Small business… very big lampshade!

November 7, 2012February 16, 2025 Julie Gardner6 Comments

When it comes to drum lampshades, I like a challenge and it’s good to make something a bit different every now and again. So when I was asked by an Interior Designer, Kate Lovejoy to help her recover a very big seventies lampshade I was more than happy to.

Here’s what it looked like it in it’s glorious seventies condition; a little tired and bashed –

In fact it wasn’t that difficult to recover but it took two of us to roll the rings because it is SO big, definitely my biggest so far. Kate chose a lovely, colourful butterfly fabric that still has a seventies feel but now it looks beautiful (and still VERY big!)

So, another lampshade quandary successfully tackled and another happy lampshade and customer, did I mention I love lampshades?…

Artwork

Seventies vibe…

February 10, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

My drawings definitely have a seventies feel at the moment, like this one of some kitchen scales and a tea caddy I drew this afternoon. The tea caddy is actually drawn from my Orla Kiely one so I guess I’m drawn to that style, no surprises really. The fabric on the pot is another Cloud 9 design called The Banks – Pumpkin by Michelle Engel Bencsko. I’m not usually keen on orange but this fabric is great for small areas and for giving it that seventies vibe.

I’m going to try and machine embroider all my kitchen drawings onto tea-towels when I get time, but for now I’m happy working on ideas, makes a change from screen-printing and making lampshades!

Artwork

Fresh on Folksy…

February 9, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

I’m working on some pictures at the moment but still really like my retro teapot and cup and now it’s been featured on a blog called ‘Fresh on Folksy’! You can also find it in my Folksy shop of course, along with some other pieces.

My latest drawing is seventies inspired; I still remember our brown and orange floral sofa and matching curtains in our living room when I was growing up. The fabric is from Cloud 9’s Across The Pond collection designed by Michelle Engel Bencsko and is called Variegated Butterflies. Cloud 9 Fabrics say the collection is ‘a fab mix of art nouveau and 70’s mod all revolving around a gentle aquatic locale theme’. I think it goes well with the seventies coffee pot, it’s very me!