ArtShades

A trip to Kew Gardens

We squeezed in a visit to Kew before heading back home from London on Sunday.  It is years since I've been there in person, but really enjoyed watching  'A Year in Kew' - the TV series the BBC ran a couple of years ago.

I love the Victorian splendour of the Palm House

  

with its ornate ironwork providing the perfect backdrop to those huge fronds.

 

Leave via the west door and you step from tropical rainforest to the lavender fields of Provence.

 

The amazing Treetop Walkway (designed by Marks Barfield Architects, the architects of the London Eye) opened just over a year ago.  It is 59ft high! 

 

You can see how it was built and even take a virtual tour. 

You get a great view of the Glasshouses from up here too

 

and the entrance to the Rhizotron down below.

 

The tree you can see above is a bronze sculpture, but one little bird thought it was the real thing....

 

After discovering a fabulous photography exhibition (which deserves its own post) we went to see the Waterlily House

 

- a lovely little glasshouse with a special atmosphere all of its own.

 

I like the way the patterns of the roof metalwork are reflected in the water.

  

A truly inspiring place.

Kew Gardens is situated on the banks of the river Thames in south-west London, near Richmond.  Find Kew visitor information here.  Kew Gardens, Kew, Surrey TW9 3AB

Kew is open 363 days a year.

Wall Shades are in demand

June has been the month for wall shades here in the ArtShades' studio.  My last four orders have been for customised shades. This pair

 

were inspired by these drum shades.

 

This Caramel and Toffee Swirl design is a favourite

 

I am asked to recreate on a regular basis.

Often as a set of three

 

 

and sometimes as a single wall light.

 

And this set of little wall shields

 

that I was working on last week

 

was inspired by this set the customer saw on my website.

 

They are to sit atop pewter light fittings by Jim Lawrence, so I painted the frames with metallic pewter.

I posted them off yesterday and just as I'm writing this my customer has emailed to say 'we love them'.

I love that!

Stourhead NT Garden in Wiltshire

On our way back from Studland recently we stopped off at a National Trust garden in Wiltshire for lunch.  What a discovery!

We stumbled upon 'one of the finest landscape gardens in the world' and I confess I had never heard of it.  Stourhead was designed by Henry Hoare II as a place to entertain between 1741 and 1780.

As you can see it was a beautiful sunny day and the woodland walk was stunning.

 

Every so often a breathtaking vista would open up through the trees with a folly or classical temple framed with lush green.

There is a magnificent lake which was created by damming the River Stour.

 

I always like to see the old walled kitchen gardens which so often form part of such great estates and see how the National Trust staff bring them back to life by growing vegetables, fruit and herbs. 

My only regret was our visit was all too brief; I could easily have spent the entire day there.

The azaleas and rhododendrons were in full bloom during our visit on 31 May, it would be lovely to go back and see how the gardens change through the seasons.

If you are familiar with the garden when is your favourite time of year to visit?

Stourhead landscape garden, Palladian mansion, parkland, woods and chalk downs are located at Stourton, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 6QD

The garden is open all year from 9am until 6pm (or dusk if earlier). 

My Cards at Progressive Greetings Live 27 - 28 May 2009

My new card designs will be exhibited next week at Progressive Greetings Live - the UK’s first trade show dedicated to greeting cards. 

 

The show will be held at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London on 27 and 28 May.  Opening times for the Wednesday are 9.30am until 5.30pm and for Thursday 9.30am until 4.30pm.    

Colcards of Malvern, who specialise in embossed and gold foiled designs and published my work, will be exhibiting along with 170 more of the UK's best greeting card publishers.  See them on Stand 103.

Attendance at Progressive Greetings Live will be by invitation only with the emphasis on retailer buyers and overseas distributors.

 

ArtShades New Online Shop

I have sold my lamps and lampshades online via my website for many years.  Sometimes customers choose 'straight from the screen', but more often than not they email me to discuss their particular requirements. 

 

I have found it works well - I can offer a personalised service, tailoring methods of choosing designs, colours, sizes and payment to each individual.  Some people like a lot attention, others very little.  Some are more than happy to wait a few weeks while I make them a customised shade, others want one now!

In light of this I have added a Shop Page to my website featuring the one-off table lamps that are currently in stock.  Secure payment can be made using a credit card or your PayPal account.  Each lamp is available for immediate despatch, so using Royal Mail's Special Delivery next day service means the impatient among you could be switching on your favourite lamp within 24 hours!

 

It's another wet, grey day here in Malvern and lamp light is most definitely needed.

PS The Shop is set-up for UK use, so if you are overseas and interested in buying one of the lamps listed please email me at sarah(at)artshades.co.uk and I can reserve it for you.  I can have it wired up for US use and confirm alternative methods of payment and delivery.