Pretty in pink

 Last weekend I went to Kew Gardens and was so inspired by the tropical plants I saw in the Princess of Wales Conservatory that I designed some prints for my Spoonflower shop.

The spikey plant is called an Australian Bottlebrush. The colour drew me to it but once you look up close you can see that each spike has a tiny white bobble on the end.

My version of the Australian Bottlebrush has been very simplified and I chose to draw it from above, to create a geometric pattern. I've added a few green leaves and there's a loose stripe in the background.

Tightly-packed chrysanthemums create a sea of vibrant pink.

Bright pink hibiscus flowers sit on a bed of bright green foliage.

Happy Monday

Happy Monday to all! I hope a good weekend was had. Mine was very nice, hanging out with good friends, going for good food and drinking some good wine. Perfect for a rainy February! Another antidote to the soggy weather, was a trip to Kew Gardens on Saturday afternoon, where there is an orchid festival being held at the Princess of Wales Conservatory. February is the carnival season in Brazil and the conservatory has been transformed into a celebration of Brazil's plant life and habitats in a blaze of colour, naturally!

The shot below was a rare opportunity with no people in it! The rainy weather drove everybody into the warmth of the conservatory and the warming colours that surrounded us.

'Rainforest Tree' sculptures and been constructed, covered in orchids and bromeliads.

The orchids really have to be seen up close to appreciate their intricacy and depth of colour.

I can't resist a bit of hot pink!

I love the ultra shininess of the plant below. I looks like it's been heavily polished.

A pretty hibiscus always makes me smile.

After seeing the orchids, we went to look inside the Palm House, a stunning Victorian iron and glass structure that houses exotic palms. The key factor of this building was that it is heated to tropical heat and was very welcome to shelter from the rain for a while.

Of course, on top of the welcome heat, there were some stunning palms to view.

I loved the layering of the different shaped leaves and the patterns that they created.

These leaves had a lovely geometric design to them and a texture that looked and felt like velvet.

Happy Monday

Happy Monday! I hope a good weekend was had by all. The weather here in London town was beautifully sunny. On Sunday I went to Kew Gardens and it was glorious to be outside, surrounded by the beauty of the gardens and to spend time with my good friend Jane. I also went there to check out the Handmade at Kew event, which is an international craft event with over 150 designer-makers displaying their wares. This included ceramics, jewellery, fashion and textiles, glass, paper, furniture, metalwork, sculpture and interior accessories.

Wallflower London was one of my favourite designers, with beautiful ceramic flowers that can be hung on the wall.

Helaina Sharpley is a wirework artist who produces painstakingly intricate wirework art.

Little Axe produces cushions, curtains and wallpaper using digitally printed designs that start out as lino prints. The current collection Wild Habitats is inspired by Scottish wildlife, focusing on rare and endangered species. I love the little zipper pouches.

Sadhu is a company that produces beautifully soft handwoven cashmere scarves in contemporary colour combinations. Each one is handwoven in Kashmir using the best quality fleece. 

Witts Design is a mother daughter team who has combined their knowledge of fashion, interiors and print to create a collection of screen printed and digitally printed nature-inspired printed items for the home.