radiance

Cottage in the Dales with nice lights!

2012-01-30T12:05:00.000Z

I love the synchronicities of life. I met a woman called Rosemary on Twitter recently and bobbed over to her website to have a look at her holiday cottage in the Dales. I have happy memories of a family holiday in this village as a child and actually wondered if it was the same cottage. Turns out it wasn't but it was on the same lane. Anyway I looked at a few photos and messaged her to say how lovely it looked. What I didn't notice first time was that she has Green Ambient Ball Fairy Lights by Blaze On in her kitchen AND it turns out she bought them from me! Ha!

The Cottage is in Burtesett.

I have memories of this pathway through the field as my little sister who was two at the time was obsessed by a poorly sheep that was lying by the path and we had to visit it every day (sadly it didn't last out the week).

Anyway, the cottage looks really lovely doesn't it. I quite fancy a trip there.

There are some more pics on their 1 Southview facebook page

Lift Your Mood light switch stickers

2011-12-31T17:38:00.001Z

Look whose coming to Radiance to make us smile in January! These 'Lift Your Mood' light switch stickers by Heather Swift will be there to greet me when I go back to work (after a very nice holiday) on Wednesday.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Looking forward to it already! :)

*they have arrived! See them here!*

2011-12-23T09:52:00.000Z

Happy Christmas everyone! We will be open until 4pm Christmas Eve and then will be hibernating until the 4th of January. Thanks so much for making 2011 a great year. I'm looking forward to next year already but first A HOLIDAY! Have a good one and see you next year. x

Peace and goodwill

2011-12-16T21:45:00.003Z

We're having such a lovely time in the shop at the moment. There are lots of lovely people popping in and buying pretty things, it's particularly bright and twinkly inside while it's so dull outside and me and Matt are wrapping parcels and parcels....and more parcels. SOMETIMES we get to unwrap exciting parcels too. These utterly gorgeous baubles arrived today. Sarah Lock turns each one and hand paints the stripes while on the lathe. Each one is strung on ribbon with some wooden beads and a little jingly bell. They are all unique. I have listed a few here, but there are many more in the shop too.

So I will take this opportunity to wish you peace and goodwill. Radiance will be open until 4pm on Christmas Eve and then closed for a rest until the 4th January. Happy Christmas! x

Christmas paper bags

2011-12-09T10:29:00.002Z

The yummy Christmas paper bags have just arrived from In The Clear on Etsy. Perfect for some Christmas cards or a rotary candle!

Christmas celebrations!

2011-12-02T19:21:00.003Z

I hope you can join our Christmas celebrations tomorrow. Together with Snug and Hat Therapy (my old shop neighbours) we will be having a prize draw for everyone who spends over £5 with lovely prizes from all three shops. The mulled wine will be flowing and we have lots of those lovely German gingerbread biccies to nibble too! And Makepiece is doing mulled wine as well so there's going to be a few tiddley people on Market Street tomorrow.

And while I'm here let me point you to the new rotary candles. We have lots of designs in plentiful supply but these angels and trumpets have all gone at our suppliers and we only have a handful left. Snap them up while you can!

The Christmas cards are out!

2011-11-20T11:45:00.003Z

We have some Christmas card packs this year and they are very pretty! These ones are by Kate Thornton and come in a pack of four.

Helen Minns has designed this beautiful set of six Christmassy designs. They come in a pack of twelve with two of each design.

and look at Dave the dog in his new Christmas jumper. I love him! He is by Boodle!

Wintry window

2011-11-16T21:02:00.008Z

Today the Magic Cupboard came to Radiance. It really is the most magical thing...

It's creator Helen Musselwhite made a special delivery in person and it was lovely to see her. We had a cup of tea and talked shop. I do find her very inspiring. She is a busy bee, working on a book cover illustration and preparing for an open house in Brighton, amongst many, many other things.

You can't see from the pictures but it has fibre optic stars in the sky in the sky that actually twinkle!

The cupboard is bigger than I imagined. All the better for sitting in the shop window. It inspired our white wintry window display.

Snowy white ambient ball fairy lights from Blaze On, Tord Boontje fairy tales and Midsummer light, Snowballs from Luna Lighting...all made it twinkly and magical.

I hope you can come and see it for real but if you can't then here's a little video of the Magic Cupboard that Fiona made of it so you can have a closer look.

New virtual tour

2011-11-14T21:56:00.004Z

Today we have launched the new virtual tour and this time there is double the fun. You can have a whiz round the shop but also go in the back and have a peep in the studio where you will see me hard at work! ....can you tell I tidied up for the occasion?

The fantastic work was done by Joby Catto of Anti Limited. He's done a great job!

Getting ready for Christmas with a Gypsy Style Bag

2011-11-14T20:03:00.004Z

Now this ISN'T a picture of me strolling home in the evening sun after a day on the beach....far from it here in Hebden Bridge with the dull wet days we're having, BUT you might see me or Matt strolling (or perhaps struggling) along to the post office (after work in the dark) with these lovely bags holding our mail order parcels. These huge weekender bags hold lots and lots of parcels. I have one already but I thought I'd by another in anticipation of Christmas orders (and because Matt keeps taking it home and forgetting to bring it back). I've often been asked where I got it from so thought it was time to blog about them

They are all made with recycled plastics, are water resistant and come in a range of sizes and lovely colours and their creator Noel Cianci them is very lovely indeed! Visit the Gypsy Style website right here.

The Gathering of The Illuminated!

2011-10-26T23:23:00.001+01:00

My mate Dave is an LED expert with a business called LED Fantastic. For the last couple of years his name (LED Dave as I call him) has come up SO often in conversation when I chat to makers about various designs that they would like to illuminate, and I have referred many people over to him for his expertise with great results. Above and below you can see Helen Musselwhites stunning 'Magic Cupboard' and below that, you can see Priscilla Jones's quirky 'Illuminated Teapot'.

LED's are great because they offer a low energy and low risk way of lighting things up!

Now the great thing is that Dave also runs the Hebden Bridge Hostel

which is an ideal place to stay and host a workshop.

We thought it would be great to get everyone together, artists and lighting designers for a weekend at the hostel to learn more about these wonderful 'Light Emitting Diodes' and how we can use them in our work. It's also a great chance to hook up and share ideas and enjoy a lovely relaxing weekend in Hebden Bridge at the same time. 20th- 22nd January 2012.

Here is a link to the flyer with all the information about the weekend and it would be really wonderful if you could make it!

Orange Loopy Lu's

2011-10-16T10:20:00.002+01:00

Here is a great picture of Lothair Hamaans Loopy Lu's, which I just spotted on the Design Sponge blog when they did a sneak peek feature on the home of Gunilla and Eivind Platou in Norway.

I hadn't seen Loopy Lu in orange before. Radiance has it it in white, green, pruple, pink, yellow and red though!!!

Radishes, peas, birds and bees!

2011-10-01T12:09:00.006+01:00

We've been quiet on the blog but certainly not quiet around here in real life! I have been working, working and working on the book and I am soooo nearly finished. I went to Llansteffan on to stay in a beautiful quiet house to try and get finished (blogged about it over on the Hannah Nunn blog) I'm posting it all of to my editor on Tuesday so just have a last few days to gather everything together!

AND I've been getting ready for The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair which is in 3 weeks. I'll be on stand 16 this year with all my lamps!

And what's new in the shop? House of Chintz have made a new lampshade. 'Mirror Bird', availavle in three sizes for base and ceiling.

Meryl Till has been busy with bees and has new honey lamps and candle cups.

and some floral ones too.

Joanna Coupland has made us some radish and pea fairy lights. These two veg were always my favourite on her string of fruit n veg fairy lights so I thought it would be lovely to have a set of them made up. The pink and green together are vibrant and lovely and the shapes are great! She can make up a set with any fruit or veg that you like...well she's willing to have a go at pretty much anything. She told me about a set of 'cow' fairy lights that she was asked to make where each fairy light was a different breed of cow! Wow!

Lots of new ceramic lights!

2011-08-13T10:34:00.002+01:00

I kind of wish i could go back to my ceramics HND (that i dropped out of half way through many years ago) with my since discovered passion for lighting because you can do such beautiful things with ceramic and light. These gorgeous Snowball lamps from Luna Lighting arrived this week.

and also some new lamp bases arrived from Ken Eardley too.

I had trouble finding shades for them last time so I had these lovely little shades made especially by Ruth Allinson of Quincy lampshade. She did a great job!

Karin Eriksson Vase

2011-08-03T16:56:00.003+01:00

We had a new Karin Eriksson delivery today and in it was this beautiful vase. It has grasses on just like I was drawing yesterday.

Holly & Jan

2011-07-31T18:16:00.004+01:00

Let me introduce to you to Holly and Jan, both local to Hebden Bridge but who I met through Twitter! Funny that as they have just set up in business together as Social Media consultants who specialise in helping creative types with their social media masterplan!

They are in the middle of their 'Summer Tour' where they are going round chatting to local businesses over about how they use social media for their business. Last week they came to Radiance to do an interview with me and you can read all about it here.

The lovely photo is by our fab local photographer Sarah Mason of Zebra Photo and speaking of her work jump over here to look at her pics of the grand (and it was) opening of our new opposite shop neighbour Home-Oh!

House of Chintz in the Yorkshire Post

2011-07-30T13:25:00.002+01:00

The Yorkshire Post have features our House of Chintz shades in their Saturday magazine today. It's always exciting getting a bit of press!

My House Party

2011-07-23T13:27:00.003+01:00

I was happy to discover 'My house party' whilst bumbling around on the internet one day. They are a husband and wife team based in the U.S and they designed these tiny wooden houses, originally to house air plants. They look really sweet with little air plants in but can also be used as storage or decoration. The ones with strings are really very tiny. Only a few centimetre's high. I think they are so sweet!

New fabrics by Jorja Wilkinson

2011-07-21T12:06:00.006+01:00

We have just got some lampshades in beautiful brand new fabrics by Jorja Wilkinson Design. Yesterday she brought me a delivery of her finest ladybirds,

whippets,

fish,

bees,

and butterflies. Add those to the pelican and magpie lampshades that we already had and it comes to quite a collection!

They don't do things by halves!

2011-07-20T16:45:00.006+01:00

There is a brand new shop opening in Hebden Bridge this Saturday and it's causing quite a stir! Home-Oh! is right opposite Radiance and I have been watching people stop and take it all in as the weeks have passed and it has taken on it's new identity! Some are amused, some are confused but mostly people are just excited! It is the new venture of The Yorkshire Soap Company boys whose grand soap shop has been wowing people since it opened it's doors last year (I blogged about it when it opened). It's going to sell home wares and quirky things and I have been trying not to peep inside to spoil the surprise. Whatever is in there you just know it's going to be amazing because these guys don't do things by halves!

I mean LOOK at the invitation to their champagne launch that came today! An invitation on a plate!

Can't wait until Saturday!

Louise Traill's paper Chandelier

2011-07-18T21:31:00.003+01:00

I have been wanting to have one of Louise Traills handmade paper chandeliers in the shop since I first opened but I have kept her so busy with making her Heirloom fairy lights that she hasn't had the chance to make one! Louise once had a beautiful shop in York called Halo and I remember driving past it once late at night and being enchanted by all the twinkly colourful lights and one of her chandeliers in the window....years later I have a twinkly shop of my own and one of her chandeliers in my window! :)

She makes each panel with pretty handmade papers that she has been collecting for years and then embellishes each one with beads and sequins and trimmings.

It is soooo pretty. Here it is on the website.

It got featured over on the Indie Quarter blog today too in an article that Jenny wrote on our new website. Thank you Indie Quarter!

Sarah Lock Lighting

2011-07-17T12:46:00.005+01:00

I've been excited to share these beautiful wood turned lamp bases with you for ages but have been waiting until the launch of the new site. I went down to Brighton to interview Sarah Lock for the book a few months ago and totally fell for her work.

This is Sarah in her workshop with one of her lamp bases on the lathe. She taught herself to turn after wanting to make use of great chunks of timber left over in her partners carpentry business. She discovered how much she liked it and over time found that she was quite good at it!

When she has her finished shape she had paints each one. She creates the tiny stripes by leaving them spinning on the lathe and painting them while they spin.

They are all topped of with a linen shade (also made by Sarah) and a twisted gold cord.

They are sooo lovely. You can see them on the website here.

The new website is LIVE!

2011-07-15T21:06:00.004+01:00

I have been so excited for weeks and weeks and working like a crazed obsessed thing to get the new Radiance website ready for it's launch. Most other things have had to go out of the window, well actually no I haven't completely abandoned my responsibilities, other things just paled into insignificance while all my interest was with the new site. I ache all over and my eyes are SQUARE but it has been so worth the work because it's beautiful and I love it!

I am very lucky that my lovely boyfriend Robert is very talented developer and we have been working closely on it for months thinking carefully about what we wanted the site to be about. We wanted to create a simple site led by warm and beautiful images that really reflects the spirit of the shop. He worked hard to make that happen creating the clever zoom facility (I love this bit), the simple layout, the brilliant search facility, (I still get excited about searching for 'red' or 'green' or 'flower lamp' and seeing everything pop up in front of me) the fast loading times and much much more that I couldn't even begin to explain! It has made me realise what a true craftsman he is.

Today we went LIVE and today feels good. As Robert says this is just the beginning. The site is will constantly change and develop and there will always be things we need to add ( i can think of loads right now actually) but we just had to get it to a good jumping off point and get it out into the world.

So I invite you to have a look and a play and I hope you like it as much as we do!

www.radiancelighting.co.uk

Juan and his balancing stones

2011-07-10T10:16:00.003+01:00

Juan, the guy who balances stones is becoming quite a feature of a sunny day in Hebden Bridge. He creates his graceful stone sculptures along a large stretch of the river.

I was overhearing a sceptical couple watching him and not believing that he could possibly be balancing them without some kind of aid or magic!

But he does. He stays with his stones for a long long time patiently balancing and re-balancing until he can let go and leave them teetering and seeming to defy gravity. His patience is amazing. He has more that most! It reminded me of a quote by Einstein that I read the other day. He said 'It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.' The stone balancing is a kind of meditation. He gets into a zone with the stones and stays there until they balance.

The other great thing about Hebden right now is all the knitting. You see the bunting in the picture? Every flag is knitted and it's part of the Hebden Bridge Arts Festivals ( i got the email about it but I'm a rubbish knitter) 'yarnstorming'. Lots of people made garlands and bunting and colourful knitted buns hanging in trees - even all the bollards wore woolly hats. I love living here.

(I just read that Juan is doing stone balancing classes in town too on the 30th July on Salem fields)

Jorja Wilkinson Design

2011-06-19T17:51:00.003+01:00

I love these new shade by Jorja Wilkinson Design. I first met her a bctf this year and have been looking forward to her bright and bold designs becoming part of the Radiance collection.

Jorja lives in York and has her studio in an old cricket pavillion. Sounds charming.

What lovely magpies!

Her fabrics are inspired by the bold clean lines of 1960's wallpaper.

I love that at a glance this looks like an abstract pattern but then you realise they are pelicans.

All of her fabric is printed in the UK and her shades are made by hand in North Yorkshire. You can see them on the website here. There will be more stunning designs to come soon.

Shine Lanterns and Little Trees

2011-06-16T09:07:00.001+01:00

Last week while I was down in Hastings waiting for the baby to come I popped up to London to visit Pulse. I was very happy to see Jurianne Matters beautiful new 'Shine Lanterns' and was kindly given some samples which kept our evenings cosy. They will be ready to buy in July.

I bought some of her 'Little Trees' which arrived yesterday and are very very sweet indeed.

It was delightful to meet Jurianne too. It's always great to meet someone in real life after you have been selling their products and reading their blog for so long. She's actually a real life person (haha) and very lovely too! We had a lovely chat over a HUGE sandwhich and a cup of tea in a lovely cafe in Shoreditch.

I can sing a rainbow

2011-06-02T20:19:00.003+01:00

A delivery of new lights from Blaze On arrived today.

wicker stars in rainbow colours.

They are really very cheery.

Happy Blue Day!

2011-06-01T21:47:00.006+01:00

We have had a day of photography inspired by my blue kitchen chair.. Here are some lovely teeny hare shades by Helen Minns.

They have a reversible fitting so they can be used on a base or hung from the ceiling.

These blue gingham lanterns haven't made it onto the website until today! At last!

and here is a new colour from House of Chintz (shown here with turquoise textile cable).

Such beautiful detail!

...and in case you need cheering up after all those blues here is a burst of colour!

Tomorrow I think I'll take my green kitchen chair to work!

Don't they make a lovely pair!

2011-05-29T21:36:00.002+01:00

I commissioned Joanna Coupland to make a pair of wedding birdies for a friends wedding present. Aren't they just the sweetest things! If you fancy a set let me know and we can get some made for you too.

Mr Fox

2011-05-29T21:06:00.002+01:00

Matt took some nice pics of Mr Fox. Seen here front and back! Can't WAIT for the new website. It's coming on in leaps and bounds every day! This one looks great hanging from the ceiling but is a good size for a standard lamp base too.

Cheeky Monkeys

2011-05-27T20:13:00.003+01:00

We have been taking lots of photographs this week in readiness for the new website, which by the way is really taking shape and shouldn't be too long now (hooray).

It's always hard photographing lights but we're learning a few tricks and enjoying having a play.

Look at these fantastic monkeys swinging through the trees.

In the studio of Louise Traill

2011-05-27T10:52:00.004+01:00

I went to visit Louise Traill the other day in her lovely cottage near York.I like this picture. It's like a fantastical mountain range!

Here are all her Heirloom lanterns waiting to be embellished with beads and trimmings.

These pieces are going to form the chandelier that she is making for us. I'm very excited to see the finished result. Can't wait to show you!

Stag and Dogs and Pheasants

2011-05-25T21:51:00.003+01:00

I've been looking forward to this new stag lampshade by Lush Designs for ages. Isn't he grand! The designer Maria Livings is showing her Northern roots here and Saddleworth viaduct has made an appearance!

Tricky as always to capture on camera. The lampshade is blue. The stag is dark blue, the viaduct and hill light blue and the sky is cream. It looks different with a light inside.

Here it is on the website.

Snug Gallery - another good reason to visit Hebden Bridge

2011-05-19T16:21:00.006+01:00

It's always nice when someone puts in a good word for you and that's just what the lovely Ed from Snug Gallery just did. Do you remember the old Radiance shop? Well this is what it looks like now that it is Snug Gallery which sells Eds photography, gorgeous ceramics, jewellery and other gorgeousness! This is a piece that is in the latest issue of glossy magazine Northern Homes. In the front of the mag he also had (what a celeb) this little piece where he says that Radiance is his favourite Northern Shop. How nice is that!

Green Owls, Bluebirds and Garden Foxes

2011-05-18T19:00:00.008+01:00

We were very excited to get these brand new tea towels from Helen Musselwhite. They are a brand new product for her. I'm sure they will do really well!

And as well as her tea towels she sent some new paper cut pieces for us. Totally gorgeous as always.

Green Owls.

The Garden Fox. I love all the patterned layers.

and 'Good Morning!'

Thanks Helen. x

Radiance Toffee!

2011-05-05T20:29:00.003+01:00

I had a little present today. Joanna Coupland (avid collector of quirky things) spotted this and thought of me and popped it in with an order of fruit n veg lights. Radiance toffee! Sounds delicious!

Colin in Living North

2011-05-02T12:23:00.003+01:00

Colin had a lovely Orange Faith lamp in Living North magazine. It's a lovely thick glossy mag and looks great! Thankyou Living North!

Meryl Tills in their new summer setting

2011-04-24T12:30:00.006+01:00

Just had a brainwave the other day and moved the stove out of the fireplace (it was easy it's electric) and went into Summer setting. The Meryl Till lamps really needed a bit of space around them and the alcove really gives them a chance to show off the patterns of light that they project. Look at this one. It's made from porcelain and glass. Really pretty.

Oh and Happy Easter by the way. I've never opened on Easter Sunday before but it seems to be pretty busy in here!

Please can you give me a hand?

2011-04-21T08:14:00.007+01:00

We are just about to re-design the Radiance website. It's not going to be vastly different, in fact it will look pretty similar but:

At our end it will be easier for us to look after so it won't lag behind (as it sometimes does) and stays ship shape and up to date!
We're going to have bigger images so you can zoom right in to get a closer look.
We will have more supporting images - light switched on, light switched off, front, back and inside so you really get a better idea of the products.
You know that I love telling the stories of all the designer/makers and their marvelous products? Well there will be more of that! I've been learning more about many of the makers recently as I've been interviewing them for my book (did I tell you I'm writing a book about contemporary craft lighting to be published next year?) so we will add more opportunity for interviews and links.
We'll have a search facility so you can easily find what you're looking for.

Is there anything you would like to see on the site? Anything that's bugged you or anything that would make it easier or more informative?

After all the website is for you!

I'd love to include some testimonials too so if you would like to say anything I'd love to hear it. What do you love about Radiance? The shop or the website?

I would really appreciate any comments....

The picture above of the Blaze On fairy light garland was taken by a lovely customer from France who used it on ther blog post about perfume and silk lingerie! Very pretty

Meet Holly Ross

2011-03-30T21:28:00.006+01:00

I have been waiting in anticipation ever since I was kindly pointed in the direction of ceramic artist Holly Ross. I was instantly mesmerised by her work. It's so jewel like and magical.

Holly recently graduated from Bournemouth University and this is where her 'Wonderland Wonders' Collection first took shape. She was inspired by many things all at once- Islamic architecture, bird cages and fairy tales and they all came together to create her whimsical collection.

There are a lot of processes involved in creating just one lamp. Here's Holly in her studio working on one of her House lamps.

Holly slip casts fine bone china and then uses a range of different surface techniques on each piece to create it's unique texture such as piercing, carving, shellac resist and imprinting objects into the surface.

Transfers on the inside of the lamp create mysterious shadows when illuminated. Each of the bird cages is finished off with a delicate chain and a sparkly colourful charm which really add to their magic.

The houses are decorated with silhouettes of winter trees, birds and deer.

I'm really excited to have them at Radiance. They are really very special! You can see our selection here.

New Colin Chetwood Wall Light

2011-03-02T20:26:00.002Z

I was chatting to Colin Chetwood a few weeks ago and said that it would be great if he made some kind of wall light because people are often searching for unusual wall lighting. Being the fantastic creative guy that he is he designed one straight away and here it is. Just perfect! It has three simple petals to shade the bulb which can be made in many colours. It can come with a plug or be wired directly into the wall. I'm very excited to add it to the Radiance collection! What do you think?

Liz Emtage Tea Light Holders

2011-02-25T20:41:00.006Z

I have just been on a whistle stop tour of London and Brighton interviewing lots of very inspiring designer/makers for the book that I'm writing on Contemporary Craft Lighting (I don't think I've mentioned it on this blog but the story is here on my Hannah Nunn blog if you'd like to know more). Anyway I was lucky to meet ceramiscist Liz Emtage for the first time who welcomed me into her studio at Cockpit Arts and gave me a lovely inspiring interview.

And I didn't come away empty handed. I have bought some of her lovely tea light vases for Radiance. They are fab because they have two uses. They can be a glowing tea light holder or a beautiful vase! I have bought some with Summer Grasses and some printed Butterfly ones that were a collaboration with her friend and colleague Kim Robertson. They are all very lovely!

when it was all but a dream...

2011-02-08T11:36:00.005Z

Look what I found! We have just had a big clear out at home as we've just decorated the living room and I have unearthed all sorts of gems in the process. This is my sketchbook from back from when Radiance was just a creative dream! Look there are some Amy Cooper lamps in the window and it looks like I still made my floor lamps then too (I'm going to revive them soon).

There was a girl who made ceramic tower block nightlights with little windows cut out. She even made little cars to go with them (you can see them at the back of the second picture). It was shame she had stopped making them by the time the shop opened. I got Wendy's nightlights though...but they didn't end up on a shelf like that.

Lovely to know that it all turned out alright!

Introducing Matthew Easby!

2011-02-06T20:51:00.004Z

This is the lovely Matthew Easby and he has just started working at Radiance on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays! Matthew did his work placement at Radiance a few years back when he was studying graphic design at Manchester Uni. He has been a friend of and an occasional helper of Radiance ever since. He also designed our beautiful gift vouchers.

We have been in the new shop for nearly a year now and I do declare the move a big success. Things are busy and I had to acknowledge that I can no longer do it all on my own ( I know I have my Dad, but he only comes for two days) so the time had come to find someone else (we also have Cathy on a Sunday too and Ffion on a Saturday and I will introduce them here properly very soon).

...and its great to have Matthew about. In time he will be looking after the website BUT first we are going to build a new one. Not quite yet but it is on the way so that's very exciting. I'll keep you posted.

Oh by the way. We now (thanks to Ffion) have a Facebook page. Do come and say hi!

Ose Design in Let's Knit Magazine

2011-01-29T21:07:00.003Z

Ose Design's lovely knitted lamps made it into Let's Knit magazine this month. What a great page!

New Rotary Candles

2011-01-13T21:28:00.012Z

I was very happy to unwrap a box of new rotary candles today. We have stars...

and Spring Trees...

and simple hearts...

and flowers...

butterflies...

and many people will be happy to know that the carousel one is back too! And if you haven't had enough here's a little video of them going round and round and round and round.....

New Press for 2011

2011-01-12T22:47:00.002Z

We've had some lovely press today. This is Making Magazine which is a lovely new magazine full of inspiring articles, interviews with artist and makers and crafty projects. You can learn how to make this lovely origami lampshade on the front page. It was nice to flick through the pages and recognise some great makers, many of which can be found at Radiance. Jane Blease had an Interview and Helen Rawlinson was featured too with lovely pictures of her at work in her studio.

I love this cosy picture of my lamp nestled amongst friends, like Wendy Jungs heart nightlight, Ose Designs knitted lamps and Inkes birdbox light.

New Papercuttings from Helen Musselwhite

2010-12-14T20:02:00.002Z

I just need to share these with you as I'm delighted that they are on the way to Radiance and should be with us tomorrow....

Podcast Interview with Joanna Coupland

2010-12-06T11:05:00.004Z

Step into the quirky world of Joanna Coupland with this lovely podcast interview. Fiona went to interview her in her colouful house in York packed with curiosities. Find out how she came to make all her lovely little birdies and other animals.....

Late Night Christmas Shopping in Hebden Bridge

2010-11-24T21:19:00.007Z

Late night shopping starts tomorrow and shops on Market Street will be open until 8pm every Thursday until Christmas. The official dates for Hebden bridge shops opening late are the 16th and the 23rd December but lots of Market Street traders wanted to do more nights so there will be lots of shops opening other nights too.

I'm going to turn the big lights off and light all the candles and tea light holders and maybe a few fairy lights and make it really really cosy. It's a great opportunity to do this as you can't see them at their glowing best in the daylight but as it will be dark outside...and maybe even snowing it will be very cosy indeed!

Above is a picture of Wendy Jungs new starry tea light holder. Beautiful isn't it. I haven't got them on the shop yet but I should have some in the next few days which I'm excited about.

My good friend Natalie Seager from Gallery 339 in Halifax was very kind to point me in the direction of these little beauties. They are rotary candle holders and they are so sweet! And only £7.50 too! A lovely little Christmas prezzie! I love the donkey!

Click play to see a little video of them in action!

Some of the other shops opening late on Thursdays are (forgive me Market Street people if I forget anyone) Snug Gallery, Hat Therapy, Muse Music, Dynamite, Ruby Shoesday, Element, The Book Case, The Yorkshire Soap Company, Spirals, Earth Spirit, Sage & Onion, Heart Gallery, and The Old Treehouse. These are the ones I'm sure of but there could well be more! What a great collection of shops and what an wide selection of present buying opportunities. I've just taken a little mental stroll down the road and we've got art, craft, paper-cutting, ceramics, photography, bespoke hats, berets, scarves, accessories, music, CD's, records, great clothes, unusual designer shoes and boots, vegan bags, designer/maker jewellery, precious jewellery, personalised artwork, books, cards, wrapping paper, handmade bags, felt, amazing handmade soap, bath oils, bath bombs, candles, fair trade products for the home and yourself, jeans, eco friendly furniture, kitchenware, chocolate, incense, bags, purses, brooches, beautiful toys for babies and children and of course LAMPS and lighting!!! Might be worth a visit!

Fantastic Mr Fox

2010-11-21T12:08:00.004Z

Our lovely red foxy lamp shade by Lush Designs made it into the Guardian Christmas Gift Guide 2010! Well done Mr Fox! They have an interactive gift guide where you can click on this picture to discover the categories or you can browse by category. Might be worth a look.....

Featured in Good Housekeeping

2010-11-18T11:57:00.003Z

Joanna Couplands bird fairy lights are becoming very famous! Here they are in Good Housekeeping Magazine. They are in a special edition of the magazine that is only available to buy in the North East. Click on the image to see a close up! Her birds are flying out of the door. Everythime she sends some over they are quickly snapped up! Glad they are going off to good homes to add some cheer and sparkle!

Treasure Hunt In The Secret Arcade

2010-11-04T19:53:00.002Z

The Secret Arcade is all dressed up and decorated for Christmas and to get us into the festive spirit there is a treasure hunt to participate in. If you take a wander down the aisles you will find hidden letters that make up the words HAPPY CHRISTMAS. If you click on the letters you will find some treats and surprises from the shops. Go and have a play! Radiance is in the Home Decoration aisle.

Live & Love York Magazine

2010-11-04T19:22:00.004Z

Joanna Couplands little bird fairy lights are getting alot of attention this month. They have just appeared in Live & Love York Magazine, a very pretty magazine that circulates the town each month, headlined as 'Lights You Just Won't Want to take down'! Absolutely! You can read this magazine online here. The birdies are on page 41.

They are out in Good Housekeeping Magazine too but I haven't seen it yet. Maybe tomorrow!

Nud Textile Covered Electical Cable

2010-10-31T21:00:00.005Z

Radiance has just got these lovely new textile cables in stock. This is just the same as ordinary two core electric cord but it is wrapped in lovely coloured textile so you can make a feature of it rather than trying to tuck it out of the way!

This has been quite widely available in Europe but is quite new to the UK I think so it's really exciting to have some!

We have it in lovely colours, red, pink, turquoise, black, green, black and white zig zags , grey and gold.

You get three metres in a pack and it comes simply packaged in a clear plastic tube. You could use it to give a new lease of life to an old lamp or replace your ceiling cable to make a colourful feature. If you do anything exciting with it let us know so we can share ideas on the blog! See it here on the website.

p.s. Remember to use a qualified electrician!

Interview with Helen Musselwhite

2010-10-27T20:07:00.006+01:00

Fiona went along to visit Helen Musselwhite in her studio at her home in Manchester and Helen gave us this fascinating and truly inspirational insight into her work. Helen hand cuts intricate designs in paper, layers and then frames them. A glimpse into a perfect little world of fiction and fairytale with animals and birds as the central characters. Paper and a scalpel are the tools of her trade, nature is her muse, and together they become these wonderful paper sculptures!

Helen truly loves what she does and this really comes across in her work and the way she talks about it. Recently she was commissioned by Stella McCartney to design her shop windows for the month of October in London, Paris, New York, LA and Milan. Listen to her story.....

Lovi

2010-10-27T18:25:00.008+01:00

I have got so much to blog about! I've been occupied by exhibiting at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair so Radiance has been a little neglected. Now the show is over I have been lavishing Radiance with the attention it deserves and getting out some new stock. There is so much that is new and exciting. I will start with these lovely birds and hearts from Lovi. They come flat packed in a postcard like package so you can pop it straight in the post to someone. They come with instructions to build a bird or a heart. The birds come in yellow, red, green, natural, blue and black. The hearts are in red, pink, green and natural. Perfect!

House of Chintz

2010-10-15T08:45:00.008+01:00

You may know Kate Boyce from her fabulous semi abstract paintings of our local landscape. If you don’t, then have a quick look here. I used to be in the same studio (Northlight Studios) group as Kate, before I moved to the shop so I have seen her work develop over the years (and been to her sell out exhibitions and open studio events). Anyway I’m very excited to announce that she has now branched out in to lampshades under the name of ‘House of Chintz’ and Radiance is the first place to have some! Lucky us!!! I thought I’d ask Kate a few questions about this new venture!

So Kate, how did this come about? What made you want to make lampshades?

Well, my creativity has manifested in many ways over the years and I do like to try out different things. Before becoming a painter I started out as a surface pattern designer and not so long ago I decided I wanted to bring pattern into my paintings in some way. I often arrive at ideas by playing about with images on the computer and I was doing just that one time when I realised that rather than being an idea for a painting I had a design that was just asking to be a lampshade!

You have three designs so far with great names such as ‘Buddleia of Suburbia’ and ‘Caravan of love’. What are the designs inspired by?
Yes I couldn’t resist the opportunity to give my designs some fun names as I had so much fun making them. Working on a new project gave me a sense of freedom to explore different themes that had bubbled away at the back of my mind for a while. Whereas my paintings deal with a deep sense of feeling about a mainly rural landscape, this new work stems from a light hearted look at the surroundings I grew up in – the suburban landscape of Middle-England. The designs began as a combination of my own photographic imagery with scans of floral fabric from the 70’s and 80’s. I find it engaging how suburban houses were often lined with stylized versions of nature in the form of co-ordinating furnishing fabric and wallpaper. This along with the growing popularity of gardening as a hobby showed the importance of the natural environment in an otherwise concrete jungle of housing estates. I decided to reflect this stylised imagery onto the external surroundings in my designs. They in turn have been applied to a contemporary interior design product which I hope others will identify with in terms of the imagery and the nostalgic atmosphere they evoke.

Without giving your secrets away can you tell us a little about how the shades are made and finished?
The designs are printed with fade resistant inks on a high quality tear-proof paper which allows light to filter through beautifully. I then apply a protective polymer lacquer to deter dust and allow gentle sponge cleaning. After assembling the shades using fittings for either pendant lights or lamp base I then finish them with a velvet trim.

If someone wants to commission a lamp of their own what can you do for them? Can they come in other sizes?
My current three designs are all 30cm in diameter; however both larger and smaller sizes are in the pipe-line. I also plan to offer a bespoke design service. I have made a couple of shades as commissions for friends based on their own houses and favourite fabrics.

Have you got anything else up your sleeve? I heard you were going to an MA. Where’s that?
I have been enjoying sharing my work time between designing and painting so much that I have decided to apply for a postgraduate course in surface pattern. If successful I plan to explore my ideas further and gain more knowledge of new technology for the application of my designs on other surfaces.

Caravan of Love is here, Suburban Dream is here and I'll be adding Buddleia of Suburbia later on. Watch this space...

Radiance Gift Vouchers

2010-10-11T19:38:00.003+01:00

The new Radiance gift vouchers are here and they are really really pretty. They were designed for us by the emerging talent that is graphic designer/illustrator Matthew Easby (keep an eye on his developing website as there are lots of lovely things to come).

They are available in £10, £25 or £50. Perfect if you just can't think of what to buy someone!

The Birdy Auditions....

2010-09-25T19:09:00.010+01:00

Ah! So THIS is what happens at Radiance when we have all gone home in the evening....Joanna Couplands birds come out to play!

I wonder who will get the part.....

Sweethearts

2010-09-24T21:09:00.003+01:00

Let me introduce the brand new Sweethearts by Blaze on. They are like the popular cotton ball lights only heart shaped! There are 20 lights on a string and they come with warm white LED bulbs in which have a life expectancy of 100,000 hous or 10 years of average use. They are swapping all their fairy lights over to LED's now as they use a lot less energy ( i think these use a 10th of the energy of the ordinary bulbed ones) AND the bulbs last a whole lot longer. I was worried that they might not have the same glow but to be honest I can't tell the difference!...so it's all good.

These lights have a lovely fun feel to them...they are really sweet!

Podcast with Helen Tayler of Ose Design

2010-09-20T12:55:00.006+01:00

Fiona has just done this lovely podcast with Helen Tayler of Ose Design. Go and get yourself a cuppa and have a listen while Helen and Fiona chat about Helens journey to becoming a design/maker, the difference between recycling and up-cycling and of course knitting!

New Helen Mussewhite work

2010-09-10T21:45:00.004+01:00

Today has been a great day for exciting packages arriving. Eight new pieces from Helen Musselwhite are now adorning the shelves...well actually seven now beacuse the one with the little cottage sold moments after getting it out of the box!

Remember I told you about The Secret Arcade? Well Helen has is in the Arcade too and after being spotted there has recently been asked to illustrate a childrens book and to design a window display for a prestigious London Stationers. Exciting stuff!

Pretty Heirloom Lights

2010-09-10T20:33:00.006+01:00

This very beautiful set of Heirloom lights by York designer/maker Louise Traill arrived today. It's particularly lovely....I know....I always say that though each time a new set comes in. This one has very soft colours when the lights are off and a lovely warm glow when they're on. Ahhhh! Soon Louise is going to make us some of her 'Carnival' shades too. I'm looking forward to them...

Sketchbooks

2010-09-09T23:03:00.007+01:00

I was flicking through this old notebook and found my plans for the Radiance website. It's nice to look back and see the design in process before it actually happened....and nice to see that it turned out pretty much like it! ...bit of a dodgy sketch of Mibo's Clacket Lane lamp though. Sorry about that Madeleine!

Making Blom!

2010-09-07T21:21:00.005+01:00

I made a bunch of Jurianne Matters lovely BLOM for a friend the other day and Ffion took some photos of the process so if you're curious here's how you do it....

There are three sheets of coloured paper flowers in a pack.

First you have to press out all the flowers.

There is a generous reel of wire in the pack too so cut this up to make your stems...roughly 30cm each. Use wire cutters if you don't want to ruin your scissors!

Then thread each flower onto the end of a stem. There are little slits in each flower to do this.

You may want to thread some leaves further down each stem too. That looks pretty.

When they are all threaded on they are ready for a vase or perhaps to give someone in a bunch.

There is even a little gift tag on each page of flowers for a note.

Perfectly lovely! You can buy them here at Radiance.

Knitted Lamps by Ose Design

2010-09-03T20:30:00.007+01:00

It's been a while since we have done an artist interview on the blog so I thought an interview would be a good way to introduce a brand new designer/maker to Radiance. Helen Taylor makes these lovely knitted lamps which I immediately fell for - their lovely colours and their quirky asymmetric shapes give them real character.

So Helen, tell us about what you do?
I make hand knitted lampshades from yarns which I choose for having a lower environmental impact, such as recycled materials, silk and linen. The lampshades are very unusual: the flexible knitted cover gives them a curvy, 'organic' shape, and I mount the lampshade frame within the knitting to give an asymmetric design to the shade. I make pendant and table/standard lampshades.

What inspired you to start making them? Where did the idea come from? It's simple really, I needed a new lampshade for my bedside lamp, and having looked around I couldn't find anything which caught my eye as being a bit different. I decided to make my own from an old lampshade frame I had. In fact, the very first shade was woven, using fluffy wool. I loved the curvy asymmetric shape and so did friends, so I thought I would make more.

I know a lot of thought has gone into the production and safety testing etc. How long were you working on your research and development? R&D has taken about 6 months, and is ongoing! To display my shades I make simple wooden lamp bases from chunks of oak wood (FSC certified) and the lamp bases had to be safety tested to ensure they comply with the relevant British Standard for safety. The shades have been tested against the British Standard to ensure they meet the fire safety requirements.

Have you always been a knitter? What’s your background? I have always loved making things, particularly with textiles, and I did a degree in Textile Science years ago, followed up by a Masters in environmental chemical engineering which is where I get my knowledge of sustainability issues. I also worked in sustainability consultancy in the construction industry, helping to encourage resource conservation in buildings. I gave all that up, though, to work for myself as a designer maker.

You have called your business Ose Designs. Where did the name come from? Ose is French for 'dare'. I speak French and love the language, and chose Ose to reflect the idea that a lampshade can be daring and punctuate a space with a designed form, as well as being functional.

.

You told me you work at home. Do you have a designated work space? I have a workshop in the cellar, a desk in my bedroom, and I do most of the knitting in the living room!

What piece of machinery or tool could you not live without? The knitting needles!

What do you like the most about being a designer? I love seeing the finished product, hanging a new shade and switching on the light for the first time, to see how it looks. It's always a pleasure.

LINK LIST. Elle Decoration magazine - always full of beautiful homes. (no web address) www.folksy.com - I think it's a great site.

You can find Helen's work on the Radiance website here.

The New Yorkshire Soap Company

2010-09-02T20:18:00.009+01:00

The fabulous Yorkshire Soap Company has been attracting people to Hebden Bridge for a good few years now to it's tiny, but possibly the most beautiful and cared for shop on Market Street BUT it has just MOVED and you really have to see it now in it's new premises because it is truly STUNNING. It opened on Saturday but with being in my shop all weekend I hadn't had a chance to visit until today. It was very inspirational and almost brought afew tears to my eyes! They have worked very hard and have created something amazing!

The most wonderful thing is that they make all their own beautiful bath products (upstairs in the shop in fact)..... things that look good enough to eat.

Marcus won't be happy with me for posting this photo of him (don't worry Marcus we're looking at the beautiful chandelier, not at you! ;))!

They really have done a fabulous job and it is a real asset to our Market Street which seems to be getting better and better all the time. Another good reason to visit Hebden Bridge!

Oh and their brand new online shop is coming soon....

Holly Rowan Hesson

2010-08-20T18:44:00.003+01:00

I had a lovely visit this morning by Holly Rowan Hesson who was inspired to come and take some abstract photographs of all the colours and shapes at Radiance. I met Holly on Twitter and it's always nice when people come to life and you can talk to them face to face. We had a chat and a cuppa and it was a very nice way to spend an hour on a wet Friday morning. You can see lots more of her photos on her blog.

New Virtual Tour!

2010-08-17T19:44:00.006+01:00

Hooray! Now you can take a virtual tour of the new Radiance shop. Joby Catto of Anti Ltd has once again worked his magic and created this new virtual experience! (you might remember the last one he did a few years back of the old shop). You can scroll around 360 degrees and zoom in and out to look more closely at all the pretty things. So if you're far away it's the ideal way feel like you have visted in person! I hope I don't bump into you while you're scrolling about!

Porcelain lamps by Meryl Till

2010-08-16T15:08:00.004+01:00

We have a new glowing selection of porcelain lamps and candle covers in....I know it's still only August...and it is actually sunny today but the glow of this porcelain makes me look forward to the coming Autumn.

These lights are by Bristol based ceramicist Meryl Till. Meryl imprints textures into the clay and then pierces shapes which project beautiful patterns onto the surrounding surfaces.

Zingy Up-cycled Lampshade

2010-08-10T18:27:00.006+01:00

I love this new lampshade that Nikki Rose has just delivered. It was in the shop to greet me when I got back from my holidays which was a nice surprise! Perfect for a traditional standard lamp base. Nikki has used a beautiful zingy retro fabric and added crochet circles.

Radiance is in The Secret Arcade

2010-08-09T12:50:00.006+01:00

I am excited to announce that Radiance is part of a brand new online shopping experience called 'The Secret Arcade'.

The designers and producers -mother and daughter duo Denise and Samantha Allan wanted to recreate the atmosphere and excitement of wandering through one of those wonderful Victorian shopping arcades where you find a whole array of intriguing shops under one beautiful roof.

There are seven different 'passages' in the arcade, homeware & fabric, home decoration (we are here), books & prints, jewellery, fashion & accessories, perfume & beauty and childrens. In each arcade you can find four online boutiques, chosen for their individuality and their ability to satisfy even the most adventurous of shoppers! It's quite an adventure scrolling along each arcade and looking in all the beautiful shop windows.

They also have a BLOG and will feature news about all the shops in the Arcade.

It's a really unusual and creative website. I hope you enjoy having a look around....shame there isn't a pretty Victorian teahouse in there so you can stop for a virtual cup of tea and have a rest along the way. There is a lot of beauty and creativity to take in in one go!

Jane Blease Brooches

2010-07-25T18:38:00.006+01:00

Jane Blease sent me some of her new brooches yesterday which are rather gorgeous. She has made some new larger sizes...had to have one for my jacket.

Hey if you're ever passing through Manchester Airport, Jane has some of her work in the Escape Lounge. She was commissioned by a group of executives to decorate the state of the art £1.7 million Executive Departure Lounge, ‘Escape’, in Terminal One. Pretty swish!

Family Tray by Isak

2010-07-24T13:30:00.001+01:00

Isaks new 'Family' tray is on it's way to Radiance. What fun. I love it!

Giant Paper Lanterns

2010-06-19T15:08:00.003+01:00

I just got some simple paper lanterns for Radiance. I have a few average sizes but then i got these GIANT ones aswell. It is so huge that I actually have nowhere to hang it in the shop so it is rolling around in the workshop just generally looking HUGE and quite comical!

At Radiance today...

2010-06-08T19:16:00.013+01:00

I don't know if you saw the last panoramic shot of the old Radiance shop. It was fab, but as it's no longer up to date we are going to do a new one of the new shop. ...tonight! We have to wait until it's dark outside so I'm not meeting Joby (check out his blog for amazing panoramic shots of all sorts) until 10pm. I've been sprucing the shop up today and I took some pictures so I thought I'd share them...

The Karin Eriksson tea light holders look lovely next to Helen Musselwhites bell jar.

I bought a brighter, clear bulb for the Jane Blease lamp shade and discovered what wonderful patterns it makes.

I hung up the latest set of Louise Traill fairy lights. This is a very pretty set.

Good old Ball Lights...

I should light Sinead O'Moore's porcelain tea light holders more often as they glow so beautifully.

I've got quite a collection of tealight holders these days...

The Gypsy and Twink shelf is so cute! The Amy Cooper light is like a big moon for the owls.

Jurianne's Blom sit so well next to the Isak Fika cups.

Right well that blog post took a while but there is still two hours and ten minutes until 10 o'clock. Why did we wait until almost the longest day of the year. Ah well.. I look forward to showing you the results....

New Lightpulls

2010-06-03T20:17:00.005+01:00

I had a new delivery of Lorraine Ditchburns ceramic lightpulls today. Theres a new one in the mix. We now have some of her new deep blue glazed spotty ones!

Such Characters

2010-06-03T19:13:00.004+01:00

Some more little birdies by Joanna Coupland landed at Radiance today. Cute little guys!

Gypsy and Twink

2010-06-03T19:01:00.007+01:00

I am very happy to have had another delivery of Gypsy & Twinks gorgeous wood cut pieces, this time with some of her' Love Trees'. Aren't they just lovely! The tree has a tiny origami bird hanging from it's branches.

Fairy lights

2010-05-01T12:23:00.005+01:00

We had a big delivery of fairy lights the other day so all the colourful ball lights, including the most poplular rainbow tones are back in stock. We also have cocoon lights in pinks, purples and funky rainbow AND these lovely cabbage roses .

New Lush Stuff!

2010-04-30T18:18:00.006+01:00

Some new Lush stuff. Well actually we have had it in the shop for a little while but I hadn't got round to photographing any of it ....until now. I've added it all to the web shop now. Here is the fox and cubs bag...

..and the Horsey bag.

..and the wild pig bag.

and these gorgeous Fox and Cubs Mugs with gold lustre detail.

...and not forgetting the Tea Cup Ladies tea towel.

Joanna Couplands Quirky House

2010-04-24T21:57:00.004+01:00

Joanna Coupland's house and studio was featured in the Yorkshire Post today. It is as colourful and as quirky as her work is! Really nice to see!

Sanna Annukka cards

2010-04-24T21:32:00.002+01:00

We've just got some new cards by Sanna Annukka who draws on nature and folklore to inspire her work. Beautiful arent they!

How Much for the whole Family???

2010-04-24T16:27:00.003+01:00

We just had a lovely family visiting the shop and the children spelled out everybodys names in Jo Heckett magnetic letters while Mum had a good browse. After much adding up of how much everyones names were...and then how much the whole family would cost together (bright kids...didn't take them long to work it out) it was decided that perhaps it would cost rather too much for one visit! So we took a photograph of them instead to they it could be captured forever...perhaps they'll print it out and put it on the fridge!

La Lumignonne

2010-04-22T21:22:00.007+01:00

Aurelie from Fifi Mandirac contacted me as she thought I might like these for Radiance. She was absolutely right and these beautiful little lanterns have just arrived all the way from France. They are a lovely card that can be rolled up into a cylinder to stand over a tea light . They come with a piece of strong paper to write your message and a coloured envelope. I have them in six pretty designs. Here they are on the website .

Tweet Tweet

2010-04-20T20:47:00.006+01:00

We've had Joanna Couplands birds for a while but now we have some with LEGS! They are such cute little guys and love to perch about the place keeping an eye on things! You can see some of them on the website. Wouldn't this one make the perfect Twitter bird!

Blom!

2010-04-03T12:49:00.004+01:00

Look what beauties are coming soon to Radiance. These paper flowers are new from the lovely Jurianne Matter. You can display them in bunches,

or garlands

or use as cake decorations

or gift wrapping. It's up to your imagination.

There are 15 pretty flowers in a pack and the come with florists wire so you can get creative. I can't wait for them to arrive. Should be coming in a couple of weeks.

Big Face!

2010-03-26T16:05:00.002Z

I keep meaning to post this picture that I took the other day. It's not photoshopped, it's a van parked outside the shop. She looks like she likes what she sees!

What a glow!

2010-03-24T20:52:00.003Z

I've never managed to capture these lights at their glowing best but this evening as I turned all the shop lights off at closing time I forgot about these ones and they were left glowing in the dark begging to be photographed! Lovely aren't they. They are made by Louise Traill and we call these ones the 'Rich Mix' Heirloom Lights.

Beast Wishes to you!

2010-03-24T08:31:00.004Z

I just got some images of some of the newer Beast Wishes cards so thought I'd show you them. You can see the rest here.

I'm on a Podcast!

2010-03-23T19:51:00.002Z

Last week Jenny Hudson from Indie Quarter came over to interview me for a podcast. We had a lovely time chatting about the new shop, my work, craft, design, the recession and making the most of the internet. I was a bit nervous before hand but Jenny in all her loveliness but me at ease and it was just like having a friend round for a cuppa.

I was more nervous when she finally sent me a link to it yesterday but plucked up the courage to have a listen today and it wasn't too cringeworthy! If you fancy a listen you can find it here.

Introducing Natasha Newton

2010-03-20T20:48:00.008Z

I first came across Natasha Newton on Twitter...or perhaps it was on Etsy, I'm not sure but I was struck by her paintings immediately.

She's an artist and illustrator based in Suffolk. She is endlessly inspired by nature - in particular the quiet beauty of the Autumn and Winter landscape - patterns, stories and symbolism, which she incorporates into her paintings and illustrations. Her atmospheric landscapes, forests, and birds have both a fairytale and a slightly surreal dreamlike quality to them. Natasha exhibits widely, and her work is now collected worldwide. In March 2010, the book publishing company Random House are using five of Natasha's designs for a series of books by the author Jorge Bucay.

She painted these three original acrylics especially for us! They are all painted on deep edged canvas.

Her work sits beautifully at Radiance between the Chetwood and the fairy lights. You can find it on the website here.

Aw!

2010-03-20T19:57:00.004Z

A little girl left this on the Jo Heckett letterboard today!

Exciting Press for Radiance

2010-03-17T20:30:00.007Z

We were in Fabulous Magazine on Sunday with Isaks red 'Blossom and Bill' tray AND Lush Designs 'Fox and Cubs'. Quite a vibrant page isn't it. The website has been very busy with this one!

..and we didn't know about this one but Ffions friend came to the shop and told me she's seen us listed as a stockist for Tord Boontje's Midsummer Lights. It was in the 'get the look' bit of their 'readers homes' feature, this month about Natalie Gray of www.nochintz.co.uk .....shame those pink ones have been discontinued...plenty of white ones in stock though!

Future Flora by Tord Boontje

2010-03-17T19:31:00.009Z

Tord Boontje has designed some new lampshades which caught my eye and I thought I'd try them at Radiance. 'Future Flora'. The name says it all really. They are based on flower forms which is Tord's main source of inspiration, but are very futurisitc...kind of like alien flowers from another planet!

As usual the design is fantastic. They are made from laser etched steel and come flat packed in a tiny package. They come with clear step by step instructions....there is a kind of dial in the middle and you line up all the lettered petals with the letters on the dial

until they are all layed out like this ...

Then you hang it up on a lamp holder and open out all the petals until you get your desired shape.

Here it is on the website.

The Big Launch!

2010-03-09T12:56:00.002Z

The launch of the new Radiance went really really well. I had a wonderful day! I hadn't finished making the open sign yet but people got the mesage and LOTS of people came!

My friend Rachel was the photographer for the day. What lovely pictures!

There was pink champagne and surprise flowers...

There were friends who popped in and friends who stayed all day. It was so lovely to have everyone there and see so many friendly faces.

Lucy and the Caterpillar came to play us sing us some of her lovely songs. Thanks Lucy!

The birdies kept an eye on things from their new perch...

and we had a visit from their creator Joanna Coupland.

We also had a surprise visit from Helen Musselwhite who brought this AMAZING papercut sculpture inside a bell jar AND a 'We are family ' papercut picture. How lovely!

All in all it was a real celebration. Thanks to everyone who came and thanks to everyone who couldn't make it but were there in spirit. Thankyou for all your lovely cards, beautiful flowers, yummy cakes and chocolates.

I am one happy lamp shop lady!

We've got there!

2010-03-05T22:42:00.003Z

Well it's the final night before the big opening. It's been a LONG day making the final preparations and this afternoon has been all hands on deck (thanks Dad and Robert and Keith and Anne and Rachel and Mia and Richard the window cleaner) to get it all ready. I'm SO tired but I couldn't go to bed without showing you. You've been on this journey with me afterall so you need to share in the moment when it all comes together . Getting the signs up this morning and cleaning the windows was the final bit of the jigsaw and brought it ALL together. Suddenly it look like a shop at last...in fact people were trying to come in (very reassuring!).

I'll show you pictures of the opening tomorrow. Night night x

You are all invited!

2010-03-01T19:28:00.001Z

I know that most of you are far far away but I wanted to invite you all to my opening party. How wonderful it would be if I could meet all you lovely people after you have been such a great big support these last couple of months. Only 4 days to go and then it's opening time. It's going to be a busy few days getting everything ready as there's still a lot to do but it's coming along nicely!

It's beginning to look like a light shop!

2010-02-23T22:31:00.004Z

The last few days have been tough. I'm full of cold and quite exhausted and not in any shape to make decisions BUT the decisions still have to be made! I had an afternoon off this afternoon to recharge a bit...well actually I went home for a rest and a cup of tea and just couldn't drag myself back! It felt strange being at home!!! Nice to be clean and in clothes that aren't covered in paint though!

The ceiling wiring is underway. I knew this would be the trickiest bit and it has been. Committing to where to put the ceiling roses has caused me endless angst, but as Robert keeps saying 'Perfection is the enemy of 'good enough''! They will be fine!

We have tomorrow to finish packing the old shop up before moving everything over on Thursday. That means tomorrow is also the day when all the last messy jobs have to be done in readiness for everything arriving...I'd better go to bed. Night night.x