Baby Preparation

I have decided that I do not have quite enough to do so I have started knitting a patchwork baby blanket for our imminent arrival. I have selected some really lovely colours from the Rowan Cashsoft DK range and am really curious how it will turn out as the patchwork pattern will have an evolving design process. I will put some pictures up as soon as it starts really taking shape. The last blanket I knitted was for my gorgeous nephew it tooks 6 months and gave me RSI, it has taken me over 4 years to pict up the needles again.
I do want to add more blankets to the range next winter so if you have a favourite homemade blanket at home send me a picture.

This week I am also busy getting ready to go to Tokyo for the European Union Interior Design Mission. I had to have our new product catalogue translated into Japanese. I sent them the Indesign document assuming they would translate it directly into the document. Instead they returned the translation in a word document with the English beside the Japanese characters. Fine, I started putting it into the document except the way the document was designed I had to break some of the words to make the fit i.e table runners, except how do you do it when you don't know the language? In this catalogue I have promised to preview our new collection bags except I leave in 5 days and have yet to receive a picture of the samples.
Note to self always give it about 5 times more time than you think any project will need.

I will send picts from Japan. S

Sick of fraudsters

On Saturday, we moved to our new studio in Bermondsey. I am really excited to be in our new home. I want to thank our friends who helped with the big move, it was a long day moving 100's of boxes and could not have happened without them. I owe you dinner.
It'll take ages to get it all organised but that process is always ongoing.

I am incredibly frustrated by all the people who contact étoile attempting to commit credit card fraud. It is hard enough to run a small business without trying to protect it constantly from fraudsters. They come at you from all angles trying to purchase goods in volume, asking for interior design services etc.. Whenever something is too good to be true, and it seems like it'll be a good day as soon as they mention they can only pay by credit card your heart sinks. Of course they could purchase whatever they like via Paypal on the site but they are trying to by pass it with all sorts of special conditions. I have now declared war on the fraudsters and am investigating how I can cooperate with the police and the banks to use the information they give me against them.

To end on a lovely note my friend Nicole bought one of these lovely Urchin Pouf by Christien Meindertsma made of strands of felted wool that are knitted together. I will definitely be looking at getting one in the near future. The colours are divine and would look fabulous with some étoile prints.

The Futuristic

I am always in awe of people who can not only write music but have the courage to get up on stage and perform it. I saw a great band on Saturday night, that happens to be my husband's, it is only their second gig but they rocked it. It is Indy rock and would appeal to many. My favourite song is Penelope. Check out The Futuristic's music on their my Space page, http://www.myspace.com/thefuturistic.

I love music when it can evoke images and inspire you creatively. Perhaps it can evoke a memory that has strong images attached. Two of my favourites are Interpol's Evil and Neil Young's After the Gold Rush.

Today, we did a lifestyle shoot for our new cushions in the range. We have always used my summer house in the back garden as our location but this time we moved indoors and used my front room. It is small so was a bit or a challenge but I am happy with the images and we will include some of them in our new catalogue for next year. Paula Beetlestone, who shoots all the images for our website, did the picts today and as usual did a wonderful job. I always enjoy working with her. Ercol lent me my dream bench(see photo above) for the shoot their 450 love seat, which I will be buying as soon as I have a bigger house. S

Icons

One of the things that inspires me is people. I am always surprised by what some of the people, mostly women, I know can endure and keep going. People can be so incredibly strong.
I won't name particular people but I can probably say most of my closest girlfriends have been through a lot and I respect them all very much.
Frida Kahlo, was one of those strong women, the film about her life was so beautiful and I left the cinema mesmorised and completely inspired to create and be creative throughout my life.
She was practically crippled in a street car accident when she was a girl and taught herself to draw while she was bed ridden. These injuries continued to plagued her for the rest of her life.
Yet, she was will full and modern in a time and country where women were not supposed to be.

Women like that give me the crazy ideas I have had to start a business on my own, travel to India on my own to meet suppliers, to move from Canada on my own etc.. because once I get an idea in my head and especially once it has left my mouth I feel like it is as good as done and I follow through with it. Intrepid, I believe, I have been called. I do hope this baby gets a little, just a little of that so whether a he or a she they won't be scared to try things. S