Studio re-organisation, episode I

Studio reorganisation, episode I, originally uploaded by Wychbury.

I get the feeling that this is about to turn into another photo diary as the re-organisation of my workroom is a mammoth task!
You may remember some time ago, I shared my joy at finally getting my wish and having my loft converted into a workroom. I blogged it, photographed it and proudly added it to a gazillion flickr groups.
Well, wasteful ingrate that I am, over the last year my poor space has been absolutely trashed to the point where I had no choice but to spread through the house like a virus, invading every surface with brooches, clips, buttons and bits of fabric!
There were several catalysts for this turn of events:

1: The Winter plus the new stove I got in my living room - who wants to be in a cold loft where there are logs crackling?
2: School holidays - there have been loads and I can't stay in the loft when I've got kids in the garden - so I spread more (even into the garden sometimes!).

3: New designs and products - there have been a lot from Wychbury this year. The design process for most makers is a space guzzling one, as you lay all your componants out along with sketches and notes you can't possibly clear away before bed as you might forget what you came up with...anyway, you'd just have to get it all out again wouldn't you?
So the combination of these factors coupled with my extreme wool-headed laziness have led to an overun house with no usuable seating or even a dining table. No dogs or small children can enter as everything is so precarious and my own family have had to adopt a whole new way of life as they search for a space to complete even the simplest of tasks.

It ends here, for a while anyway! I've gone through the place like a hurricane and filled bag after bag with literal garbage and am currently redesigning the layout with my new products and working style in mind. Stay with me lovely family, friends and readers of our blog - it won't be long now and harmony will return!

Paula x

New Leeds.

So Wychbury are sneaking into Leeds!  I was 23 when I moved to Yorkshire, already at an age where the time for sitting on steps in the cool part of town and peering at passers-by through layers of eyeliner and clouds of cigarette smoke were left behind me in Birmingham.  However, the area around the Corn Exchange in Leeds has always seemed to me to be the place to hang out, filled with cool shops selling an abundance of all the stuff I just love to spend  frivolous amounts of cash on!


The Corn Exchange itself is Grade 1 listed and underwent an extensive renovation in 2008.  Now nice and shiny and full of great new businesses, the iconic round building is once again the hub of a vibrant and growing community of creative entrepreneurs now thriving even more via the blessing of our time, social networking!

On the relatively tucked away Kirkgate, Bird's Yard stands tall.  Three floors of open plan shops filled with a trove of vintage and handmade treasures from a huge range of artists and curated by a staff of committed, enthusiastic and very friendly people.  Not even a year old yet, Bird's Yard is effortlessly cool in that easy going 'buy a lurex belt on your way for a Saturday latte' kind of a way, everyone fits in, there's no pressure, maximum browsing opportunity and loads of fun! 

Carla DeAzevedo of MausHaus has just opened Nouveau Leeds on the second floor and this is where we come in.  After contacting us via Folksy about stocking our range, I got to know Carla via her participation in the Saltaire Arts Trail in May.  Nouveau Leeds is a bright, airy space with one of the stunning round windows the building boasts and Carla is in the process of filling the space with carefully chosen work from some amazing loacal artists.  We are chuffed to bits to be one of the first ranges to be stocked in the shop and wish Carla every success with her business.  Please check out all the links below for other ranges in Nouveau Leeds and the other units in Bird's Yard and please pop down to Kirkgate, you won't regret it!


Paula x


Indie Cindy
Kitschen Sink
Zincwhite
Littlebirdy Designs
Sew You
Life's Big Canvas 
And loads more.....if you are in Birds yard and your link isn't here it's because I couldn't find it!  Please add your links in the comments lovely people! px

Reverting to Type

John Bull Printing Outfit No.12, originally uploaded by Wychbury.

If you read our blog you may be familiar with my growing obsession with all things type, old typewriters and especially vintage John Bull Printing Outfits. Well, I am very excited to report that my latest set arrived today, No.12. this one contains an intact booklet and a long-dehydrated inkpad with the expiry date JUN 1948.

There aren't many letters but to my joy they are a different font to my previous set No.18. This discovery may herald the beginning of a collecting habit! I already knew from my Ebay sessions that many of the John Bull Outfits had image stamps included and the booklet in my new set seems to be implying that sets No. 33 and 115 contain small image stamps including floral designs. Oh yes - a pansy and an English 'Tudor' style rose - the quest begins!
Paula x
www.simongarfield.com/pages/books/just_my_type.htm
www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/3199489226/in/set-72157612...