If you managed to get along to Somerset House and see Rob at Pick Me Up, you might recognise the sign now gracing our window. Thanks to the lovely Libby at the studio for spraying it in such a great bubblegum pink for us. It looked good with the golden delicious apples that were there not only in honour of the Rob Ryan / Jeb Loy Nicholls vinyl collaboration we are selling in the shop, but more importantly to serve as impromptu snacks for us throughout the day. Perfect!
Our Dog of The Week this week was the adorable Chamon, also known to his friends as Elvis ( for reasons I shan't divulge for fear of embarrassing him ). Here he is relaxing after being thoroughly fussed over by me and Sarah.

...just like buses, you wait for one and three come all at once. This weekend, not only do we have the gorgeous new edition of 'Bird Lady' that I showed you on Tuesday, but we will also have a new and rather lovely edition of 'My Home' and a brand new, never had before, 'First Morning Of Spring' print. "...the smell in the air is fresh and full of promise and new beginnings". I feel a new favourite coming on.

...well here it is, as promised. Bird Lady was one of our most popular prints and ( excuse the lame joke ) literally flew out of the shop when we first opened. The colour combination of this new edition is really quite something. I love it. It will be available in Ryantown this weekend for all of you early birds out there to snap up.

I'm so happy to have these in the shop. A collaboration between Rob and the brilliant TATTY DEVINE , the necklace and brooch are made from walnut wood and available as a very limited edition of only 25 each. All signed and authenticated.

We had one of our busiest weekends ever last week, with a lot of new visitors still coming as a result of seeing Rob and his work at Pick Me Up. There have been quite a few enquiries for prints and paper cuts that were on display in Rob's work space, some of which have been sold out for quite some time. BUT one particular extremely popular print that we haven't had for a long while is due back in the shop, hopefully this weekend, as a brand new edition. So, keep checking back in to find out more. In the meantime here's one final look at our Rainy Days window display which really came into it's own during the past few blustery weeks.

....finally! another dog in the shop. This cheeky chapette is called Bailey, a rather lovely border terrier who enjoyed being scratched behind her ear far more than posing for the camera.

Well, hot on the heels of the auction in aid of The Marine Conservation Society, comes an auction closer to home. RAISE THE ROOF has been organised to raise money for a young teacher from our very own Columbia Road Primary School, who has become severely disabled by a terrible stroke. There are lots of incredible donations on offer, big and small, from many artists, local businesses and residents. Click HERE to find out more. Go on! you could help make a real difference to this lady's life.

Every now and then I look on ebay to see if any of Rob's work has appeared up for sale. To be very honest with you, I feel quite sad when I see things listed that I've sold in the shop, or that have been sent out of the studio with a special note. Buying things just to sell on immediately for profit somehow seems a bit at odds with the spirit in which the work has been produced, but there you go, perhaps I'm too sentimental. HOWEVER... there is one piece of Rob's work listed at the moment that I really do hope is sold for an enormous amount of money. All the proceeds from the sale of this wonderful paper cut will go to the MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY. This piece is an original paper cut, not a laser cut and not a print. A genuine beauty and you can bid for it HERE

Anyone who has visited the shop will be familiar with this board that Rob has produced in collaboration with the lovely Stuart Smith of LOVENSKATE who shares a print studio with Rob. This is the second edition of 'Join me in the struggle against banality'. Both editions have been incredibly popular and I have to say, a bargain at £100. All hand printed, hand painted and signed by Rob. We now have only two left.
Later Skater! ( as Stu would say ).

We had a fine time in the shop over the weekend with our new turntable and Jeb Loy Nichols's record. A song on one side and a story on the other. And Jeb's dulcet tones on both. Here's a closer look at the booklet Rob has printed to go with the vinyl.

What a wet and windy weekend it was in London. Early this morning, on my way to Ryantown, I was well aware of the contradiction between the text on my RAINY DAYS umbrella, ' I will always face a rainy day with a smile not a frown' and the scowling reality sheltering miserably underneath. Still, I felt better when I arrived at Columbia Road, the rain had eased, and I saw Finty and her dad Andy, who's cut flower stall is situated outside the shop. Despite getting up before dawn, driving in from Essex, setting up their stall in the pouring rain and standing around in the freezing cold for hours, they are always cheerful. And the lovely Finty is always smiling.

...see what I mean!