Wee Birdy

Wee find: Lazy Oaf Christmas jumpers

Secretly loving Lazy Oaf's slightly mad Christmas jumpers this season, the type your gran (or Ron Weasley's mum) might have lovingly laboured over for months. I think I need one because I've never actually been a lucky recipient of the classic reindeers-and-snowflakes version. It's limited edition and has been hand screen-printed in red and blue. £39, from Lazy Oaf.

Wee find: Nathalie Lete puppet theatre

 

Here's the latest in French artist Nathalie Lete's painterly goodness: a children's puppet theatre from Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop. I'm just re-discovering this marvellous Covent Garden-based independent toy boutique, which also has a brilliant new online shop and blog.

It's so easy to forget about some Londons' speciality shops, particularly if they're located in the touristy part of town. Pollock's is a real little gem, with all sorts of traditional toys for kids and puppet theatres for less than a tenner. Nice antidote to all the mass-produced, high street tat around.

I'm also a little bit in love with this miniature puppet theatre (below), which at £6.50 is a very good buy AND (wonders of all wonders) it fits in the palm of your hand! Super-sweet.

Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop
44 The Market
Covent Garden
London WC2E 8RF
Tel. 020 73797866
Nearest tube: Covent Garden
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening Hours:
Monday to Saturday 10.30-6pm
Sunday 11am-4pm

Tatty Devine update: new Covent Garden shop

This just in: Tatty Devine Soho is moving to Covent Garden and will officially open for business on Saturday 7 November. Sounds like a great move to me - as much as I loved the Soho store, it did feel a little removed from the bustle of neighbouring shops. I think they'll have a much stronger presence in their new Monmouth Street premises. 

Along with the full Tatty Devine collections, the new shop will showcase an ace selection of products by the likes of Eley Kishimoto (keep an eye out for their flash print purses and hosiery), Mimi (luxe leather bags), Alexander Wang and Jeremy Scott (cool sunglasses). There will also be a collection of pieces designed especially for Tatty Devine by Rob Ryan (hurrah!)

And in true Tatty style, the girls have organised a raft of activities to celebrate the grand opening, including a "carnival-style parade" on the evening of Thursday 19 November, with a line up of performers, artists, fans and friends making a procession from the Soho shop to the new Covent Garden space. Customers will also be treated to some surprises and treats on Saturday 21 November, where every visitor will be entered into a competition to win a limited edition White Tiger Necklace.

Tatty Devine
44 Monmouth Street
London WC2 9EP
Tel. 0207 836 2685
Nearest tube: Covent Garden
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

All jewellery featured here is from the new Tatty Devine 'Button Up' collection.

Shopping in London: Ryantown goes B&W

Everything's in black and white at Rob Ryan's shop Ryantoon at the moment, with all stock - from cushions and prints to tiles and decorative packing tape - rendered in a monochrome palette. Genius idea. Check it out while it lasts - until November 15.

Ryantown
126 Columbia Road
London E2 7RG
Nearest tubes: Liverpool Street and Bethnal Green
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Saturday 1pm-4pm
Sunday 9am-4pm

For more shops in East London, click here. 

All images courtesy of Rob Ryan.

Wee find: Baubles at the Shop Floor Project

The Shop Floor Project is one of my favourite UK-based online destinations for design, jewellery, fashion and all things gorgeous, and they have just revealed this year’s grand line-up of limited-edition artisan Christmas baubles.

And what a beautifully curated collection it is, with leaping horses and acrobats, hand-carved Polish birds and hand-beaded hot-air balloons. Here are my top picks:

Prices start at £10, from The Shop Floor Project.

1. Ye Olde Bauble Game by Samantha Allan, featuring a boxed set of five hand-signed decoupaged baubles and tree-side game instructions, £55 per box.
2. Hand-beaded hot air balloon by Clara Francis, from £85.
3. Flying Acrobat by Daniel Heath, screen-printed wood, £28.
4. Jumping Horse by Daniel Heath, screen-printed wood, £28.
5. Hand-carved chattering birds by Zosienka Coombes , £10 each.