Wednesday 29 July 2009

My favourite prints from Alexander Henry's Autumn 09 Folkloric Range - Coming Soon!


Azucar, pretty sugar skulls with glittery bits!


Cute Piñatas, I really love this one, it would make a great fabric to brighten up kid's rooms.

And finally, what's not to love about Señor Burrito?

Hoping to have these prints in my eBay shop as soon as they are available, they currently have a vague ship date of June - August, so hopefully not too much longer to wait.

Based in Burbank, California Alexander Henry Fabrics lead the industry with its cutting- edge, conversational print designs. They introduce new collections twice a year and although their collection is vast, I stick with just the Folkloric range as this fits nicely into my Mexicana collection.

Friday 24 July 2009

I totally love this and wish someone would design one for me



I really, really need someone to design a logo for my shop, Between The Trees. I love the vintage tattoo imagery but with day of the dead sugar skulls, pretty milagro hearts and maybe a cute cameo appearance by Frida Kahlo. Oh and get rid of Neptune and his female sidekick, this is where I want my trees please. Any offers?

Rain stops hammock play, meanwhile elsewhere

As the rain continues to lash the UK, I thought I would share a couple of photographs emailed by happy hammock buyers who seem to be having better luck with the weather in Europe.

From Spain, the perfect hammock location has been found amidst a pretty Orange orchard. Siesta paradise!



Meanwhile, an Italian customer goes one better by creating what is quite simply hammock heaven with a scrumptious seaview. Oops there goes some more pangs of jealousy from my poor rainsodden heart.



Will these rain clouds above please move along, us UK dwellers would like our annual dose of sunshine please!

Wednesday 15 July 2009

Sugar Guadalupe and Day of Dead Skulls



I have loved stocking these wonderful Day of the Dead themed sugar and chocolate moulds and judging by sales it seems my customers love them too. Now back in store at last is the Large Original Mexican Sugar Skull Mould plus a couple of newcomers.



First newcomer is the Medium Original Mexican Sugar Skull mould, previously I just kept the more whimsical Oaxacan skull mould which has two moulds front and back of skull, but thought these were rather nice and perhaps a little easier for sugar skull newbies to make as they only have one piece. Also joining my ever growing troupe of sugar and chocolate moulds is Frida, she came along as the result of a specific customer request, but has been flying off out of the shop, so will be kept as regular stock in the future.



But onto the real star of the show, once again, my favourite lady, the Virgin of Guadalupe stands out. A wonderful new addition to my range of Mexican sugar moulds, a beautifully detailed 3D Virgin of Guadalupe mould which comes in two pieces, front and back.





Here’s what my supplier has to say about the new Guadalupe mould, “Last year, when I was in Michoacan for Day of the Dead, I ran across a sugar skull vendor selling from a rickety wooden table under the arches of the town square. He had just brought in a new batch of his famous sugar Guadalupes and women were clamouring to buy them for their ofrendas! It would make a very special offering for their departed loved ones. They were iced with green or blue frosting for the Virgin's cape, golden yellow flames of the esplandor, and little gold "teacher stars" stuck into the icing of the cape. They were true works of folk art! We have tried to make a similar Guadalupe mould this year for your enjoyment... for those of you who can't go to Patzcuaro to get the real thing.”

Sugar skulls are a traditional folk art from Mexico used to celebrate Day of the Dead on November 1st and 2nd. For hundreds of years, mounds of colourful sugar skulls were sold by Indian vendors in the open air village markets of Mexico. During Day of the Dead, spirits are welcomed back to their homes with beautifully decorated altars covered with wild marigolds, candles, incense, special foods and sugar skulls being the name of the person being remembered. The Day of the Dead festival is in November and I plan to write more about how to make sugar skulls a little later in the year and have my own mini workshop with some of the neighbouring kids, so for those of you interested in trying out this wonderful activity, pop back around early October to find out more.





To finish off today's blog post, I thought I would include a few of the lovely photos sent in to me from an Australian customer who was designing decorations and displays for his home and cafe for last year's Day of the Dead festival. Thanks to Aaron x





This last photo is his cafe where some Day of the Dead festivities took place, note the lovely papel picado and loteria imagery he has used! I have some new Day ofthe Dead papel picado in which I have yet to list in my shop..so watch this space as I will blog about it soon. Gorgeous!