Love isn’t love until you give it away

Whilst researching for the new displays for the run up to Valentine’s Day it got me thinking about love of course so here is a little blog post of things I love that are now in Heart Gallery for you to love too …

Bear Hug – Julia Ogden

Original pencil drawings, giclee prints and cards based on Love, Friendship and Support by our very own super talented Julia Ogden.

‘And on’ partnership pair of silver rings with diamond

Diana Porter’s jewellery range includes her signature ‘and on’ partnership rings, ‘and on’ bangle and ‘I who is you who is I’ set of silver bangles.

close up of detail on the notebook case

Fabulous leather pieces concentrating on music lovers and bookworms by emerging local artist Rod Boyes.

Kindred Spirit

Andy’s etched glass work was a hit at Christmas and we are so chuffed with his new pieces. Perfect for homemade drinks such as damson gin, lemoncello vodka but these lab bottles work really well in the bathroom for shampoo and conditioner too.

Silver and 9ct gold heart rings

Karen’s popular silver and 9ct gold heart range now has a cute little addition of these rings.

Silk Scarf digitally printed from a hand-dyed original design

Sarita’s Reminiscence Collection of floaty scarves and lavender filled pouches and eye-masks will make a lovely gift not just for a Valentine but for a Mum too as Mothers’ Day is not that far away.

Ethical recycled silver jewelery

Ali’s ethical jewellery is inspired by her love of dancing and the dynamic lines of movements she creates whilst dancing.

Ceramic Hearts (can be personalised)

We love Laura’s ceramic hearts and they are certainly the perfect little love token at this time of the year. Our personalised service includes bridal favours matched to the wedding colours where possible with the wedding date stamped on as a great keepsake.

Ceramic Hearts (can be personalised)

And there you have it, a little snippet of new pieces we love and hope you love too….Love isn’t love until you give it away.

Speaking of love, I can’t end this blog post without an image from Kate Lycett though. A customer sadly lost her Dad recently and with a little bit of money he left her she really wanted something that reminded her of him and where he lived so every time she looks at this she will remember the years filled with love that they spent together:

Waterfront – Kate Lycett

Meet The Maker – Sarita Jepps

Sarita Jepps – Textile Artist

Sarita hand dyes and hand paints silk fabrics often inspired by nature. These fabrics form the basis for original repeat patterns that are digitally printed onto silk chiffon and satin. 

Silk eye mask

Silk eye mask

This collection is a glance back to fond memories of growing up in a small seaside town with candy colours, delicate floral petals and butterfly wings representing the emergence of Springtime…which is why she has called in the Reminiscence collection.

Silk scarf

Silk scarf

Her soft eye-masks are sheer luxury and her little pouches are filled with dried lavender. With the smell of the lavender in your home you can close your eyes and pretend you’re in the Provence for a little winter escape!

Silk lavender filled pouch

Silk lavender filled pouch

The gallery smells divine at the moment with all the lovely lavender floating round so it’s a big thank you to Sarita for her lovely work.

 

Meet The Maker – Ima Picó

Ima Picó - Textile Artist

Ima Picó is a visual artist and muralist based in Manchester, UK. Better known for her mural installations, she also produces limited editions of her textiles with a strong visual connection with her artworks.

Graffiti silk skinny scarf

Graffiti silk skinny scarf

The designs for Ima’s scarves have been digitally created from photographs of graffiti and publicity found in the streets of Indian and European cities. 

Graffiti square scarf

Graffiti square scarf

Ima’s scarves have been printed with a digital textile printer onto habotai silk. Habotai silk is the result of thousand of years of silkworm cultivation and it is considered for its white and smooth fibre the most valuable of the silks.

India inspired silk scarf

India inspired silk scarf

Ima recommends hand washing the scarves in lukewarm water, adding some drops of hair shampoo or mild soap. Avoid soaking the silk and roll the scarf in a towel to extract the water before placing it to dry, keeping it away from direct sunshine.

Graffiti purple skinny scarf

Graffiti yellow skinny scarf

Graffiti yellow skinny scarf

Ima’s new collection of spring scarves is here! Luxurious silk scarves with bright colours and original designs inspired by her travels around the world. Heart Gallery is now an official stockiest for Ima’s luxurious and unique silk scarves.

Tied silk square scarf

So wrap yourself in luxurious silk and feel wonderful – see you soon!

Meet The Maker – Claire Armitage

Claire Armitage - Textile Designer

Claire Armitage creates exquisite silk clothing and accessories to cherish.

Claire Armitage - Scarves

Each piece is handmade in Cornwall, adorned with beautiful textile prints inspired by Claire’s sketchbook drawings and illustrations. The prints are rich in narrative, blending floral and nautical imagery with literary references to poetry and fairytales. Each design is finished with delicately layered edgings, French seams, antique button fastenings and hand-embroidered details.

Claire Armitage - scarf print detail

The feel of The History Dress Collection is light and fresh with a vintage twist, inspired by dresses from the 1920s to 1950s in Helston Folk Museum, Cornwall; where Claire spent much time drawing and researching. The dresses in this collection can be layered together, echoing the layers of trace and history in the museum dresses. Although Heart Gallery does not stock Claire’s dresses at the moment we felt they needed to be included in this post about her; too good to miss!

Claire Armitage - History dress collection

The Salt Collection was designed for Cornwall Design Season and was on display at The Eden Project throughout April 2011.  It was inspired by Claire’s drawings of the winding streets of St Ives, the evocative hues of the Atlantic Ocean, cliff-top flowers and the sweeping architectural lines of the Tate St Ives.

Claire Armitage - selection of designs

The richly coloured and illustrative Iris Collection takes literary inspiration from Sujatta Bhatt’s evocative poem ‘In Her Green Dress She Is’.

Claire Armitage - Iris Poem Girl

The Sea Garden Collection blends nautical and floral imagery inspired by the subtropical gardens and fishing harbour near to Claire’s studio in Cornwall.

Claire Armitage - scarf details

Textile designer Claire Armitage has also worked as a freelance costume designer for nearly a decade, she is a lecturer at University College Falmouth, and holds a BA in Textiles from Goldsmiths and an MA in Textile design. Claire’s studio is located in the beautiful subtropical surroundings of Trewidden Gardens, Cornwall.

Claire Armitage - Salt dress collection scarves

Claire Armitage - silk scarf

Heart Gallery is proud to have been carefully chosen by Claire to be her stockist is this area and her scarves are truly special.