Categories / Art and Photography, Books

Vintage Penguin books – as canvas art

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We’ve previously covered classic Penguin book sleeves as both deck chairs and mugs – but not as canvas art.

Yes, you can choose your favourite piece of classic fiction (well, from the selection available), then hang it on the wall. These stretched canvas prints are printed on 100 per cent cotton canvas and come ready to hang. There’s also a choice of picture size too – 700 x 450mm (which is a reasonable size in itself) or the super-large 1400mm x 900mm.,

The smaller image retails for £99, with the larger one available for £299.

Find out more at the Art Meets Matter website

Categories / Books, Women's Fashion

Bring back handcrafted fashions with Weardowney Knit Couture

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I absolutely adore knitwear, which probably explains my woolen dress
shopping spree a couple of weeks ago. I remember fondly my mother’s own ’70s knitting patterns, but this collection’s designs are a foray a little further into luxury than cable knit mittens on strings.

You can make your own wardrobe fillers for winter with the
new book from Weardowney Knit Couture. This gorgeous little manual
contains 20 hand knit designs, from fabulous dresses to cute cardies, and even
tells the plebs like myself how to start from the very beginning.

Read more

Categories / Christmas

Vintage Christmas Bunting

1179_2 Is it too early to mention Christmas decorations? Possibly, but this Vintage Christmas Bunting is a cut above your standard tinsel and baubles.

It is made from eclectic pieces of materials that gives it a shabby-chic look and it stretches for 4 metres. It is also finished with tiny bells, which are a nice sound to hear around Christmas time.

The bunting costs £17 and is available from DesignShopUK

Categories / Books, Homeware

Paperchase Interiors Journal

InteriorsbookAn essential organiser for anyone moving home or embarking on a new decorating project is this Paperchase Interiors Journal. It will make it easy to store your photographs, design ideas, swatches and notes in one place.

It contains a variety of ruled, square and plain pages for you to use for notes, diagrams and drawings, as well as 11 plastic photograph-sized pockets and an zip up wallet at the back to put larger items in. The cover has a photograph of a stylish room and a pop art pattern.

It costs £8 from Paperchase.

Categories / Books

Book Review: Curious Pleasures: A Gentleman’s Collection of Beastliness

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As far as retro goes, you don’t get more retro than a book written by a Victorian scholar called the Reverend Dr Erasmus St Jude Croom. His Curious Pleasures: A Gentleman’s Collection of Beastliness was, in its day, one of the most shocking books around.

The best libraries in Victorian Britain kept this filthy tome under lock and key and only let doctors and professors look into the lewd and depraved tales. Apparently, the book was so shocking that if any woman was to glance through its pages, they would faint. It is now in print for the first time since 1901… so what is it like in modern hands?

Well, Curious Tales hasn’t lost its curiosity value and in fact, provides a saucy but gentle read. Of course, in a world that has full nudity in commercials for shampoo, this won’t be sending any ladies reeling.

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Categories / Toys and Games

Tesco’s radio-controlled mod on a scooter

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If the weather (or lack of a real scooter) is keeping you off the road, you could spend the time playing with this radio-controlled mod on a scooter from Tesco.

New in for Christmas, this scooter apparently has a ‘retro styled design’, along with working headlights and breaklights and a fully-functioning remote control. There’s even an ‘authentic looking mod rider’ says Tesco.

Sized at 18 x 24 x 17cm, it retails for £20 – batteries included.

Find out more at the Tesco Direct website