Botanical

My old employers over at London based design shop SCP have just introduced some beautiful new lotions and potions from a brand called Blodwen. Based in Cardigan Bay in Wales, Blodwen champion the use of natural ingredients, local craftsmanship and the revival and preservation of traditional Welsh skills.

All of the ingredients are carefully selected and the processes are in keeping with tradition – the Wild Rose skincare range uses just-opened rose petals from a hillside farm in Cilcennin that are distilled in darkness for 6 months to extract their potent oils.

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A simple slab of Carrera marble or Italian slate serves as a vase for up to three stems in this minimalist design by Barcelona based designer Sebastien Cordoleani for French design brand Moustache. Resembling a mini Japanese garden, the Plan vases feature a delicate lipped edge that holds a thin pool of water. The stems are placed in three drilled holes in the corner of the tray, casting reflections in the water below.

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Microcrafts, by Margaret McGuire and Alicia Kachmar introduces readers to a world of miniature arts and crafts. Each of the 25 projects, provided with instructions, photos and illustrations, are no larger than a spool of thread and span all categories of craft. Seen here is a teeny tiny plant that the authors suggest using cuttings from spider plants, jade, and string of pearls, which thrive in small containers. Bonsais, mini ferns, dwarf mosses, and micro-orchids are available at greenhouses and online. Read a tutorial on how to make this cutey here. No, this is not the first time that I’ve written about teeny tiny planters, nor will it be my last.

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London based designers Glithero are masters at documenting their creation process. Although I have seen their Blueware Vases before I hadn’t seen this beautiful ‘making of’ film. The process used is called cyanotypes, where direct impressions of botanical specimens are captured on earthenware, using photosensitive chemicals. Read the rest of this entry »