Gretel

I recently came across this crocheted rubber bowl and needed to learn more about it! It is sold through a website called Gretel which was founded by Abby Kellett, a British interior stylist. The website sells accessories sourced from around the world and has been described as selling items that are hand-made and that have an emotional element to their design. I see it as sophisticated design with a little bit of quirk and I love the items on offer. After drooling over the rubber crocheted bowl, I spied the fab knitted clock (in minimalist white, of course), the quirky serving platters and trays, as well as the "melted" candlestick.

Nice Pear

I had some time to kill today and suddenly found myself in the heavenly shop that is Itoya. It's in the heart of Ginza and a mecca for anyone who loves any kind of paper product or anything to use with paper. It is spread out over 7 floors and sells anything from traditional washi paper, stationary, to pens etc. I picked up some beautiful cards by Eleanor who is a designer/illustrator who creates stunning graphic posters and cards as well as designing your website if you so desire. You can check out her website here for more fab finds.

Off Your Rocker!

I love these posters by Jan Skacelik, depicting iconic images of Scandinavian mid century modern design such as the Eames rocking chair and the La Chaise chair. The colours are bold and strong and I love the quirky quotes that accompany them. Jan is a graphic designer based in the Czech Republic and you can check out more of his gorgeous work here.

Satchel Crush

I never thought I'd say this, but I've fallen in love with a satchel - these vibrantly coloured, neon ones to be exact. Who could resist their juiciness? They are made by the iconic Cambridge Satchel Company, and the fluo versions are sold exclusively through the Dover Street Market in London. Old school style with a new colour twist.

I Love You All

I love these vinyl wall stickers sold by Hommu, a Spanish company that produces funky items for the home. They immediately caught my eye as they pay homage to my favourite three cities in the world, which have all been home for me at different times in my life. They have been brought to life by graphic designer Joel Lozano and are designed to hang "wherever makes you craziest"!

New Kimono Clutch Bag

I have just added this kimono clutch bag to my Etsy store. It is made from patchworked vintage kimono fabrics in shades of pink and purple that I have found at antique markets here in Tokyo. I have added a green ribbon detail and some cute covered buttons. The lining is a green cotton that complements the ribbon on the outside. You can also view it on my Pinterest page.

Joe Cariati

I recently came across these beautiful decanters designed and made by Joe Cariati who is based in Los Angeles. All the items are handmade using a Venetian glassblowing technique and are extremely thin so that the light passes through them. He says: "I'd love to see them float off the table". What originally drew me to his pieces were the clean, simple shapes of his decanters, but I also realised how much colour plays an important part in what he does. This becomes apparent when you see the decanters placed together. Where they overlap, new colours are formed to create interesting new shapes. You can see his work here.

Nesta Home

I love these bold, bright, graphic images by Nesta Home. Tandie, who runs the business, lives in Phoenix, Arizona but says that her "heart is in many places. From the beautiful beaches of Southern California to the gritty urban streets of New York City". She hopes to capture the beauty of a space and reflect on our place in that space.

My heart is still in NYC which is why I was drawn to her screen printed image of a NY subway. You can check out her Etsy store here for more wonderfully graphic art work and cushion covers that would look stunning in any home.

Okura

There is a beautiful shop near us in Daikanyama called Okura that sells beautiful indigo and white items in a stunning environment. It is housed in what looks like an old Japanese warehouse and looks quite rustic and non-descript from the outside, but when you step through the tiny doorway, you are transported to another world. As you will see from the front page of the website, the interior is packed full of wonderful things to buy, from blue and white plates and wooden buddhas, to stylishly subtle clothing and trinkets. Even the packaging is gorgeous. I only bought a catalogue from them, but it was packaged up in a lovely bag with a little tag wrapped around it saying "arigato" - thanks!

Evidence of indigo dyeing in Japan appears to go as far back as the 10th century when indigo was expensive. By the 18th century, all types of people wore indigo products and it was thought of as a good deterrent for bugs and snakes!

Japanese indigo comes from the Polygonum plant. The leaves are gathered and left to ferment for three months. Every 3-4 days within that time, water is added to the leaves, mixed in and then covered with a straw mat. At the end of the three months, the leaves become a soil consistency and now contain the indigo colourant, but this substance cannot be used directly as it's not soluble in water. The soil substance is sent to dyers and they then place 7kg of indigo in a vessel with 1kg of bran and ash from wood and place it under ground. The dyers apparently check the alkalinity every few days, using their tongue! After several days the indigo is reduced and this is indicated by bubbles on the surface of the vat. The bubbles are formed by reoxidization of the reduced indigo. The dye is then finally ready to use!

Eberhard Ross

I recently spied this artist's work in a magazine and loved its ethereal quality. The artist is Eberhard Ross, a German native who has worked on canvas, sheets of paper and aluminium to produce works of art that study the apparently random formations of nature - such as snail shells, leaves, butterfly wings and ripples.

In his Swarm series, he took film footage of thousands of starlings flying across Northern Germany, and then translated that onto aluminium so that his paintings are literally a snapshot of a moment in their flight path.

Madeline Weinrib

I love the fabrics, cushions and rugs produced by Madeline Weinrib. She is a painter and designer living in New York and is the grand daughter of ABC Carpet and Home founder Max Weinrib. ABC is a beautifully opulent shop and Madeline carries on the family tradition, creating a collection that uses traditional forms of production but with a fresh eye on colour. She uses lush colour palettes and opulent pattern inspired by her travels to produce a juicy collection of ikat fabrics, brightly coloured rugs, and even beautifully covered chairs and sofas. I love the blue and white ikat collection (see my Pinterest page for more) as well as the vibrantly pink rugs - not sure if I could carry it off in my home though....

She also offers a bespoke service where one can create their own tailor-made piece using the amazing array of colours on offer.

Strawberry Fields Forever

I just added these three little strawberry cuties to my Etsy store. Each one uses a sweet strawberry print and they are all in shades of green and pink with a contrasting polka dot lining. I feel that they bring a ray of sunshine to an already perfect summers day. How could anyone resist their sweetness?!

Katie and the Wolf

I've just discovered this label with a fab name - "Katie and the Wolf". It is owned by Katie Proctor, a designer/maker who creates interior textiles and jewellery. She uses screen printing, applique, digital printing and hand painting to produce some quirky, original designs. I love her foxy Martha cushion, her screen printed and appliqued "Perch" cushion, and her "Birdy" lampshade.

Stick it to me

I spent an obscene amount of time foraging through post-it notes yesterday in one of my favourite shops here in Tokyo - the haven that is Loft. They weren't any old post-it notes either. They were the cutest array of stickiness and randomness with anything from crocs guarding your posessions, band-aids to sooth a sore page, sweet little cats paws to mark a spot, and I even found out what metabolic means......

"He is not just relaxing. Nor is he there just to occupy space. He is waiting very faithfully with an important message for his owner."

Ouch!

"We like picnic."

"It is soft in my cat's pad."

Apparently Metabolic syndrome is becoming quite a problem in Japan........