Amelia’s Magazine | Christmas Gift Ideas 2012: Best Design Gifts For Women

by hand london elisalex dress
The Elisalex dress from By Hand London.
Looking for some last minute gift ideas to please the lady who loves good design, handmade goods and occasionally creating her own? Well go no further…

It was with much happiness that I ran into Elisalex de Castro Peake at the recent East London Design Show – daughter of ethical fashion doyenne Orsola de Castro and one time creator of ethical shoe brand Nina Dolcetti – Elisalex is back with a brand new project based on her love of hand sewing. Easy to follow patterns come in a lovely box designed by business partner Charlotte Hintzen.

by hand london charlotte skirt
The first two patterns available are classic shapes named after the founders, and they will be adding to these soon. In the meantime if someone is kind enough to buy you the fab peplum skirt pattern, then why not join the Charlotte skirt sewalong in the New Year? For those who are novices to sewing the site includes ace tutorials such as how to make a DIY skirt.

Lauren Baker skull Frankie
Some of Lauren Baker‘s more extravagant creations might require you to remortgage your home, but this artwork is reasonably priced. Frankie, above, was inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead. He is cast from a human skull and then painstakingly hand decorated with beads and acrylic.

TOFT crochet_hippo_amigurumi_pattern
At the Toft Alpaca Shop find a one stop shop to buy the yarns and the designs to create cute crocheted Amigurumi toys – or commission their crafters to make one of the little guys for you.

Bianca Green BOLD iphone cover
On the gadget front this gorgeous abstract BOLD design by Bianca Green fits perfectly into our ongoing love affair with all things tribal.

dom and ink iphone skin ophelia
Or go for something a bit more illustrative: how about contributor Dom & Ink‘s fabulous portrait of Ophelia on an iphone skin? It’s bound to be a talking point.

Batter My Heart Dom and Ink
dom and ink batter my heart zine
dom and ink batter my heart zine
I’m also loving Dom & Ink‘s Batter My Heart zine – chock full of great illustrations, wry observations and insights on the theme of relationships. It’s guaranteed to appeal to anyone who is or has been heartbroken.

Rebecca Desnos Petal Scarf Wrapped
On an eco conscious tip take a look at these beautifully crafted bamboo scarves by Rebecca Desnos: each geometric design is handmade with plant dyes using a Japanese technique called Shibori.

lowie fingerless gloves
And I adore these eye catching merino wool fingerless gloves by ethical woollen brand Lowie. They are decorated with an interesting thistle design and are long enough to cover your entire wrist area for extra warmth.

chelsea doll Red Heart Bobble Trapper Hat
On the more affordable front, I really love this cute woollen trapper hat with fleecy lining at Chelsea Doll.

thriftola lola hanger
Leona runs Thriftola, a website dedicated to bringing you the best in vintage gems. She was formerly the brains behind much loved jewellery brand Lady Luck Rules OK and she has finally decided to make a new product: meet Lola. Lola is a stylish hand illustrated clothes hanger designed to showcase your favourite garment to perfection.

COCO BOHEME RECYCLED CARDBOARD ANIMAL HANGER
Or if you fancy something a bit sillier you could look to these Coco Boheme hangers, made out of strong recycled cardboard and printed in environmentally friendly ink.

emma hamshare
Fashion brand äelska specialises in beautifully made collars, and I absolutely adore this buttery soft sequinned version that would look great with a party outfit, here modelled by creator Emma Hamshare, who once upon a time helped make Amelia’s Magazine in print.

carmen woods clutch
For bag fans look no further than the new range of British made goods by Carmen Woods, all made using the finest leathers. I love the bright pattern on this clutch.

Kelly Moore Libby Camera Bag
And for the serious photography fan, check out these newly discovered Kelly Moore camera bags: incredibly stylish totes to keep your equipment safe. Above is the Kelly Moore Libby Camera Bag. So want one to cart my SLR around in during LFW!

pumpkin sputnk notebook betty
Thinking about some luxury stationery? How about this gorgeous hand stitched journal, which comes with a timeless photographic hydrangea design, by Pumpkin Sputnik.

Melly bee notebookswrapped
Or something simpler: Mellybee makes slim pocket-sized notebooks, screenprinted by hand onto 100% recycled card with a delightful anchor design.

Who Runs the World Girls by Studio Her
Finally and by no means least, may I draw your attention to this genius screenprint from Studio Her? It first caught my eye at Sarah Julia Clark‘s graduate exhibition and she was kind enough to send me one in all its golden feminist glory: now you or your loved one can own your very own version for she has finally set up an online Studio Her shop. Hell yeah: Beyonce for the wall!

Categories ,2012, ,äelska, ,Amigurumi, ,art, ,Batter My Heart, ,beyonce, ,Camera Bags, ,Carmen Woods, ,Charlotte Hintzen, ,Chelsea Doll, ,Christmas, ,Coco Boheme, ,Day of the Dead, ,design, ,Dom & Ink, ,East London Design Show, ,Elisalex de Castro Peake, ,Emma Hamshare, ,fashion, ,Frankie, ,gifts, ,Kelly Moore, ,Lady Luck Rules OK, ,Lauren Baker, ,Leona, ,Lola, ,Lowie, ,Mellybee, ,Mexican, ,mosaic, ,Nina Dolcetti, ,Ophelia, ,Orsola Castro, ,Orsola De Castro, ,Pumpkin Sputnik, ,Rebecca Desnos, ,Sarah Julia Clark, ,Shibori, ,SLR, ,Studio Her, ,Thriftola, ,Toft Alpaca Shop

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Amelia’s Magazine | Christmas Gift Ideas 2012: Best Design Gifts For Women

by hand london elisalex dress
The Elisalex dress from By Hand London.
Looking for some last minute gift ideas to please the lady who loves good design, handmade goods and occasionally creating her own? Well go no further…

It was with much happiness that I ran into Elisalex de Castro Peake at the recent East London Design Show – daughter of ethical fashion doyenne Orsola de Castro and one time creator of ethical shoe brand Nina Dolcetti – Elisalex is back with a brand new project based on her love of hand sewing. Easy to follow patterns come in a lovely box designed by business partner Charlotte Hintzen.

by hand london charlotte skirt
The first two patterns available are classic shapes named after the founders, and they will be adding to these soon. In the meantime if someone is kind enough to buy you the fab peplum skirt pattern, then why not join the Charlotte skirt sewalong in the New Year? For those who are novices to sewing the site includes ace tutorials such as how to make a DIY skirt.

Lauren Baker skull Frankie
Some of Lauren Baker’s more extravagant creations might require you to remortgage your home, but this artwork is reasonably priced. Frankie, above, was inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead. He is cast from a human skull and then painstakingly hand decorated with beads and acrylic.

TOFT crochet_hippo_amigurumi_pattern
At the Toft Alpaca Shop find a one stop shop to buy the yarns and the designs to create cute crocheted Amigurumi toys – or commission their crafters to make one of the little guys for you.

Bianca Green BOLD iphone cover
On the gadget front this gorgeous abstract BOLD design by Bianca Green fits perfectly into our ongoing love affair with all things tribal.

dom and ink iphone skin ophelia
Or go for something a bit more illustrative: how about contributor Dom & Ink’s fabulous portrait of Ophelia on an iphone skin? It’s bound to be a talking point.

Batter My Heart Dom and Ink
dom and ink batter my heart zine
dom and ink batter my heart zine
I’m also loving Dom & Ink’s Batter My Heart zine – chock full of great illustrations, wry observations and insights on the theme of relationships. It’s guaranteed to appeal to anyone who is or has been heartbroken.

Rebecca Desnos Petal Scarf Wrapped
On an eco conscious tip take a look at these beautifully crafted bamboo scarves by Rebecca Desnos: each geometric design is handmade with plant dyes using a Japanese technique called Shibori.

lowie fingerless gloves
And I adore these eye catching merino wool fingerless gloves by ethical woollen brand Lowie. They are decorated with an interesting thistle design and are long enough to cover your entire wrist area for extra warmth.

chelsea doll Red Heart Bobble Trapper Hat
On the more affordable front, I really love this cute woollen trapper hat with fleecy lining at Chelsea Doll.

thriftola lola hanger
Leona runs Thriftola, a website dedicated to bringing you the best in vintage gems. She was formerly the brains behind much loved jewellery brand Lady Luck Rules OK and she has finally decided to make a new product: meet Lola. Lola is a stylish hand illustrated clothes hanger designed to showcase your favourite garment to perfection.

COCO BOHEME RECYCLED CARDBOARD ANIMAL HANGER
Or if you fancy something a bit sillier you could look to these Coco Boheme hangers, made out of strong recycled cardboard and printed in environmentally friendly ink.

emma hamshare
Fashion brand äelska specialises in beautifully made collars, and I absolutely adore this buttery soft sequinned version that would look great with a party outfit, here modelled by creator Emma Hamshare, who once upon a time helped make Amelia’s Magazine in print.

carmen woods clutch
For bag fans look no further than the new range of British made goods by Carmen Woods, all made using the finest leathers. I love the bright pattern on this clutch.

Kelly Moore Libby Camera Bag
And for the serious photography fan, check out these newly discovered Kelly Moore camera bags: incredibly stylish totes to keep your equipment safe. Above is the Kelly Moore Libby Camera Bag. So want one to cart my SLR around in during LFW!

pumpkin sputnk notebook betty
Thinking about some luxury stationery? How about this gorgeous hand stitched journal, which comes with a timeless photographic hydrangea design, by Pumpkin Sputnik.

Melly bee notebookswrapped
Or something simpler: Mellybee makes slim pocket-sized notebooks, screenprinted by hand onto 100% recycled card with a delightful anchor design.

Who Runs the World Girls by Studio Her
Finally and by no means least, may I draw your attention to this genius screenprint from Studio Her? It first caught my eye at Sarah Julia Clark’s graduate exhibition and she was kind enough to send me one in all its golden feminist glory: now you or your loved one can own your very own version for she has finally set up an online Studio Her shop. Hell yeah: Beyonce for the wall!

Categories ,2012, ,äelska, ,Amigurumi, ,art, ,Batter My Heart, ,beyonce, ,Camera Bags, ,Carmen Woods, ,Charlotte Hintzen, ,Chelsea Doll, ,Christmas, ,Coco Boheme, ,Day of the Dead, ,design, ,Dom & Ink, ,East London Design Show, ,Elisalex de Castro Peake, ,Emma Hamshare, ,fashion, ,Frankie, ,gifts, ,Kelly Moore, ,Lady Luck Rules OK, ,Lauren Baker, ,Leona, ,Lola, ,Lowie, ,Mellybee, ,Mexican, ,mosaic, ,Nina Dolcetti, ,Ophelia, ,Orsola Castro, ,Orsola De Castro, ,Pumpkin Sputnik, ,Rebecca Desnos, ,Sarah Julia Clark, ,Shibori, ,SLR, ,Studio Her, ,Thriftola, ,Toft Alpaca Shop

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Amelia’s Magazine | Love of Diagrams: Mosaic

Thursday 10th May marked a first for Florence of new soulful double act Florence and the Machine; it was the first time she had ever performed alone after a curious event left her machinist Matthew Alchin bundled in a car bound for Bristol. Although admittedly daunted by the prospect of filling the mammoth Bar Music Hall with only her voice, advice ailment Florence sauntered through her mystically bluesy set with ease. With an engaging presence and childlike innocence, stomach Florence traverses through tales of passion, web regret and revenge. With titles such as My Boy Builds Coffins and My Best Dress she presents herself as natural story-teller, her candid lyrics signify a vivid imagination second only to her startlingly powerful voice.

Adorably attired in a floral shirt bound at the waist and with a flick of her burnt brunette locks, Florence effortlessly commands the attention of the room, drawing a respectably large crowd to the front of the stage, emphatically pounding the floor to generate a beat: the large and airy Bar Music Hall becomes unified as a vibrant blues hall of yesteryear.

The set is short and although at times there is a sense that the song has ended a touch hastily, Florence has successfully avoided over-singing – or warbling – an irritating misjudgment often made by those with an especially strong and gifted voice (see Aguilera).

It would be an injustice to saddle her in the ranks of the recent spate of young, savvy female songwriters that have emerged over the past couple of years; Florence oozes a unique originality and charm, notably lacking the hunger for celebrity or ostensibly commercial success that many of her predecessors have pursued. However, not unlike the Nash’s and Winehouse’s of the contemporary, Florence aligns herself with the girls. She is accessible and familiar. Her tales of love lost and found, coupled with her playfulness on stage evoke a sense of a mischief akin to a young girl who has muddied her best dress. Florence is undoubtedly the star of the show but she wants us all to shine with her.
There can be no more than 15 people scattered around tonight’s venue to witness a performance of much promise from London‘s Strange Idols. Taking the stage in a rather unassuming manner, page the 5 piece promptly belt out Berlin– its breezy pop tones serving as a nice pipe opener, before the introduction of newbie Over and Over. Showcasing ambition as well as pop sensibilities, it’s all swooning choruses and chiming guitars, and it’s allowed to run its course. So far so good.

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