Lotus Love

Oh, I am so charmed by this dinnerware... how gorgeous would this look for a springtime dejeuner? Very chic.
The Green Lotus Leaf Collection from Chintz & Company in Victoria...
Each plate is a delicately ruffled, hand-painted lotus leaf. What a dramatic table effect to stack each guest's place with the largest leaf at the bottom and the smallest at the top. Stunning!

Dirty Girl 16 1/2

Super cool pottery by Victoria artist Faro Annie Sullivan of Dirty Girl Clayworks. I showcased some of her talent in a previous post back in February... her work is currently showing at Studio 16 1/2 in Fan Tan Alley located in Victoria's Chinatown. I bought the Namaste vase for my dear mom as a gift for Mother's Day (I have been dying to post this piece for a long time, but of course I had to wait until after Sunday so my mom wouldn't see her special surprise in advance!!). I just love it... I might have to get one for myself!

Lovely Lu

I received a lovely email about Lisa Komuro and Ulla Clark's gorgeous Spring designs at LU Prints based in Pemberton, BC. I adore the fun and fresh hand-printed textiles like the Zen Napkins, Owl Tea Towels, Geese Apron, & Leafy Napkins. You can see them at the Portobello West market monthly in Vancouver...

The Landscape of Eating

Topoware is the brainchild of Canadian industrial designer Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino and Karola Torkos of Germany. They create tableware that incorporates the philosophy and geography of landscape in the designs... the result is a dining experience that is graphically *and* topographically fulfilling!

China Set - bowls, salad plates, and dinner plates lined with questions to label your culinary experience: "Are you hungry, very hungry or done? Are you modest or greedy? Do you have a mom/dad or child portion?" Tablecloth- defining your personal space at the dinner table, this hand-sewn tablecloth draws a subtle pattern around a person Placemats - made of layered wood, defining what comes first and where cutlery and tableware should be placed.

Birch Love

"It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanates from old trees,

that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit"

~ Robert Louis Stevenson

I simply adore these Birch Mugs by Jessica Rust Designs
They remind me of the striking birch trees of southern Vancouver Island... the black painted branches and snow-white trunk. There is something romantic and heavenly about the Birch... to find peace and love among a silver forest.

Tea-sy!

I am lovin' this PC Brew Control Tea Maker

You no longer have to fret about removing the filter to brew that perfect cuppa tea... simply turn the knob on the top and the filter insert swivels shut. That's cool!

Serve in Style

Stunning plate collections from Makkum... bright, bold, and beautiful.

Seasonal Podium

The Fruit Stand designed by Designfenzider, the tack table base and round glass tray holds all your favourite perishables...

Tableware & Birdsong

The beautiful decorative style of the Taika series created by Finnish designer Iittala. Exuberant and ornately decorated, the two colour schemes are striking: the rich deep blue and crisp pure white. A lovely representation of nature... especially our beloved feathered friends. Available in Victoria at Design House on Yates, and Gabriel-Ross on Bay Street.

Lime Tea

Cozy-T teapot created by designer Ismael Basso... the look of a chartreuse cozy enwrapping a snow white teapot. Very sleek, very spring.

Wings in Flight

To spread wings and soar... across the deep blue sky and through the clouds so pure and fine, bracing and delicious
Bird's Eye View ceramic design by Adi Fainer
(top) Wintering Trumpeter Swans in flight over Central Saanich, taken by W. Tremblay

Petite Treat Milky Sweet

"Utility is the first principal of beauty"
~ Soyetsu Yanagi

The Petite Treat Milky Sweet is a unique cup and saucer combination from Locus Research in New Zealand. The milky white ceramic saucer fits into the corrugated eco-timber coaster so your favourite cuppa stays put and your precious furniture remains protected. I like the design... très cool!

It's a Great Day for the Irish...

St. Patty's Day blessing opun ya...
Clover Leaf fine china from Belleek... home of Ireland's oldest pottery. A perfect representation of thee Seamróg (Shamrock)...

Effloresce

I must have spring fever...

Flowers are blooming everywhere! Savour a delightful meal on a Fleur Table Mat from Howkins... Steve Howkins' Sol Screens and Malmo lights are divine and desirous, but I think these mats are worthy of adoration!

The Many Marvels of MimiBe

MimiBe is locally famous for mastering the unique and ancient craft of "Art Nouveau" enameling. Her stunning designs are inspired by the natural surroundings of Victoria, vintage wallpaper and fabric samples, mid-century interiors, and everyday objects. Her copper enamel housewares are just gorgeous, and the selection of handcrafted contemporary jewellery is simply heavenly... I must admit I am totally enamoured with the I Love Seahorses pendant!

The Grace in a Silhouette

A silhouette of a tree...



Black Forest vases and tableware set designed by British ceramicist Bodo Sperlein for Dibbern, from Clio
(top) Tree 'with hole' captured par moi

The Hues of Magenta

The soft colours of thee season...
A stunning selection of Small Petal Bowls and Crudites Trays from Magenta, available at Igloo Imports in Toronto

A Passionate Palette

The colours of summer... as red as the tulips in my front yard, as green as their stems, and as blue as the sky on a clear day
The all-new Tall Serving Bowl in glossy Red Red and my favourite Platters in Aqua Blue and Venetian Green, handcrafted by Silvia Dotto in Vancouver

Tea So Sweet

"If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you"

~Gladstone, 1865

Je suis dans l'amour with Trish and Julie's new luscious Tea Cozies...
I so adore how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company. The gorgeous Spring selection of cozies at Smoking Lily comes in a plethora of different designs and shapes, all lined with quilted satin to snuggle up to your precious teapot.
Oh, how can tea time in Victoria be any more heavenly?

There is Beauty in a Wobble

Gailan Ngan's Wobble ceramics are zen gorgeous. I first laid eyes on the exquisitely refreshing designs at Vancouver International Airport way back when... and I was captivated. They purposefully lack feet, handles and a proper flat bottom so the beauty of the pieces lies in the simple form. Although the designs appear more sculptural than functional, they are intentionally and intricately created to gently rock about without spilling a single drop. The four piece wobble set includes a cup, bowl, small plate and plate, and are available in a palette of soft, serene glazes. Available at Bombast and Small Medium Large in Vancouver.