marie claire maison (et mes fleurs!)

Last Friday a very nice person wrote me an email: 'your Blom is in the French Marie Claire Maison. Not just a little product shot on the shopping pages, but big time and beautifully styled!' Thanks, Jolanda, for letting me know.
I am honoured: one whole page for my Bloms! And styled in a way I have never seen before. I am used to the Scandinavian pure and white style, this is so different, so fresh, floral and French!
I have had a lot of attention in the press up until now - I feel blessed by it - but strangely enough not in France. This might be a turning point...

To my distributor & Klevering who obviously arranged this publicaton and of course to Marie Claire Maison: MERCI MILLE FOIS!

STOCKIST SPOTLIGHT: my red poppy

Initially I started this series just to satisfy my own curiousity. The shops, the people who sell my work worldwide...who are they? What are their dreams, their inspirations, what made them start their own businesses? A feature in words and images with a little surprise-coupon at the end...

Number 1: My Red Poppy - 18Rue Gambetta - 49300 Cholet - France


Owners: happy Caroline on the left, fashionable Benoît on the right

What made you decide to start your own business?
Benoît wanted to start a business of his own already for a couple of years. He loves retro design from the fifties and sixties and interior design objects in general. I was in for a carreer switch and I was looking for activities in the kids world. So we decided to combine our skills and open an interior shop with decoration, accessories and vintage furniture for children.


Is there any article that you sell - or maybe more - that you are simply in love with?
We adore these origami designs made by a young designer from Nantes, called Erwan (see below). His flowers, buntings, mirors…simply wonderful. His paper designs are very elegant and combine with whatever atmosphere, whatever space in the house. Of course, Jurianne Matter, we love your creations a lot. Your designs are small objects that adorn your house and your daily life. Furthermore: the bed linen from Pipoca, the Acapulco chair and we are completely taken by all things designed by Herzensart. And of course many other things!

Erwan's origami

Pipoca

Acapulco-chair and JM-wishboats

Another Acapulco-chair and Herzensart stamps

Do you have a particular way of styling in your shop? Your own ‘hand’?
Our personal touch is Benoîts’ sister! She has helped us a lot with the shop interior; she has the gift of knowing how to create a real special feeling by composing different elements. The most personal touch in our store is the crocheted bag (see below) by ‘Mémère Brossard’, the grandmother of Benoît. We try to create a warm ambiance, that makes you feel at home.


What article did you buy for the shop recently and why did you buy it?
We have chosen the cushion covers by Clare Nicolson, because they really depict what My Red Poppy is about. The prints are retro, tender and very creative.

What do you expect to become a real future trend in your business?
We are focused on a nordic feel, mixed with vintage as well as contemporary elements (like you can see in the Edition Paumes – books). And on printed designs that have inexpected colours. We try to show this inspiration in our assortment.
What will you be doing in five years? What is your dream?
We are thinking of a range of products of our own brand. We are grouping together with some very talented graphic- and product designers in order to develop an assortment of textile accessories, interior objects, printware and – why not – furniture…

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
It is through our work that we meet very nice people with whom we share a passion for creating, doing business and for the distribution of beautiful objects…and that is simply fantastic!

Are you living or travelling near Cholet? Visit My Red Poppy and don't forget to take this coupon with you!

It was a pleasure meeting you, Caroline et Benoît, merci beaucoup!

small blessings

A dear dutch blogfriend wrote it yesterday: Count Your Blessings. Her situation and these words made me realise again that a happy everyday life is a precious gift.
1. My biggest blessings - my three men! - don't want to be photographed on my blog. And my parents - who are still alive, talking about blessings - live too far away to take a snapshot.
So here I share the other 'gifts' of this weekend. They might look futile, but when all the important blessings in life are counted first, there is room left in my heart for small things like this.
From top left: 2. One of my friends here in the village is Bjørke. She is very dear to me, inspires me and...she makes these lovely vintage button bracelets (for sale here). This is the latest one in my collection. 3. My friend Willy, 81 years old, put this huge vintage woven, pure woolen, scarf on my cold shoulders yesterday night. Keep it, she said, it suits you.
4. The tree in front of my house is pregnant with spring blossoms. She (it 's a she, definately) inspired me to design my new Little Trees. 5. And this nice Nümph tunic I bought yesterday: gorgeous print with butterfly clouds. At home I found the label: it is made of organic cotton. And that made me happy.

etsy: white and grey - clay

After the overkill of colour of the last weeks I was dying for some visual peace and rest. Found it in clay, on Etsy.
From top left: hand built ceramic pears, by Element Clay Studio, Leaping Rabbits mobile by the Amsterdam-based Artisanie Europe, vintage Hungarian porcelain easter bunny from Vintage Biffan and a porcelain wall sculpture called Graces, made by Prince Design from the UK.

DIY free downloadable mini paper bunting!

I designed another free downloadable paper craft. This time for one of my customers - Hippe Kippe (fashion and more) - who opened a brand new store. They wanted to celebrate it in style and share it with you!

You can download the prints and the (sorry: dutch!) 'how-to' here. Print page 1 (how-to) and pages 2 and 3 (the prints). Cut about 2 mtrs of cotton thread, cut the diamond shaped prints, fold them and glue them as triangles on the thread.
You can use the bunting for wee parties, send it as a sweet greeting card, or just use it as a home decoration. Have fun!

ambassadors?

Dear foreign blogreaders: below you see my first blogpost in dutch. Don't be afraid: this is only once. And it has a reason!
It is hard for me (by myself) to find and visit all the lovely shops, that might be interested in selling my paperwork and that are hidden in this country. Therefore I am looking for dutch ‘reps’. Friends, fans and ambassadors that are willing to share their enthusiasm about my work in their favorite local shop. I reward succesfull contacts with 3 different sets of my designs. Wouldn't it be great fun when this works through my blog?


Win – win - win: Werk aan de winkel!

Er zijn veel bijzondere en leuke winkeltjes verborgen in Nederland. Die zou ik graag kennis laten maken met mijn ontwerpen! Welke ambassadeur, fan, papiervriend en vriendin maakt één – of meer - van deze winkeliers enthousiast voor mijn werk?

Doe je een goed woordje in je favoriete winkel, dan kun je daarmee drie mensen blij maken, een win-win-win situatie dus!

1. De winkelier is blij met de kennismaking met een leuk nieuw merk.
2. Ik ben blij met een nieuwe afnemer.
3. En jij wordt blij, want je krijgt van mij 3 producten naar keuze toegestuurd.

Wil je een winkel in je buurt gaan benaderen (liefst locale winkel, geen web), stuur mij dan van te voren even een mail. Wordt het een match - maw: doen zij na jouw bezoek een bestelling - dan neem ik contact met je op om je te kunnen bedanken voor je ambassadeurswerk.

Ben heel erg benieuwd hóe en óf het werkt zo vanaf mijn blog, spannend… Ik zou het zó grappig vinden om op deze manier samen te werken!

bibi and chief

They have arrived: the 2 new mini buntings I designed for Engel. Owner Sabien is now showing them on the Spring Trade Fair in Utrecht, together with some other great new stuff she sells in her wholesale company (I''ll post about that later...)
The commission was traditional yet open-minded: design a blue-ish boy bunting and a pink girl bunting. People who know about my relationship with the colour pink will think this must have been a difficult project. Well, it wasn't! Maybe it is the flow, the spark between Sabien and me, I don't know, but designing Bibi and Chief was a feast!