Originally published in 1957, "The Lonely Doll" is the first book by author and photographer Dare Wright and it became a cult classic.
It follows the adventures of a doll called Edith and her other toy friends, and illustrated with beautiful black & white photographs. The book has recently been re-issued so you don’t have scour secondhand bookstores for the original fifties version.
It is available to buy from Amazon, priced just under £10 for the hardback or less than £5 for the paperback.
If there was ever an artist whose work was suited to appearing in a colouring book, it is Andy Warhol.
Sadly, the Warhol Colouring Book doesn’t feature his iconic pop art portraits, but a collection of his less famous drawings of animals and other pictures. It is a large format book with 24 pages for colouring. And dare I say it, it would make a great Christmas present for wannabe artists of all ages.
It costs £10 from the National Galleries of Scotland shop.
Don’t be put off by the company name because Stinkie Industries do produce a great range of Vintage Fabric Shopping Bags.
All of their bags are reversible, pairing army canvas with a variety of other vintage fabrics including net curtains, duvet covers and dresses from the 1970s.
Depending on the design, prices vary from £15 to £40. View the whole collection on the company’s website, I’m Stinkie.
Paul Smith has given the familiar “Love” motif a makeover for this wall hanging designed for The Rug Company.
Each letter is decorated with a different pattern including rainbow stripes, union jack and flowers. It measures 99 cm by 99 cm and is made from 80% hand spun wool and 10% canvas wool.
No two will be exactly the same as they are handmade, and of course being handmade also means that they come with a hefty price tag. The Love Wall Hanging costs £795 and can be ordered online from the Paul Smith website.
British designer Andrew Tanner has produced a collection of vases entitled “Off the Wall”.
Inspired by the retro patterned wallpapers by Cole & Son, the vases are made with bone china decorated with a choice of three patterns. Choose from orchid, paisley or rajapur to match or contrast with your own décor.
Lifestyle Bazaar is selling the Off the Wall vases for £85 each.
Umpen Editions produce several lines of retro influenced greetings cards, but the one that I’m most taken with is the “Stuffed with Love” range of cards.
Inspired by the craft and homemade trends of the 1960s and 1970s (which are enjoying a revival now), the cards feature adorable toy animals made from patterned vintage fabrics with a background of yet more vintage fabric.
Pictured here are Egg the Owl and Aslan, but the whole range can be seen on the Umpen Editions website. The cards are carried by the usual cool independent shops, and a full list of stockists can also be found on the website. Lady Luck Rules Ok has some of the Stuffed with Love cards to buy online for £2.20 each.
