Mister Bell's BIG Launch!!...

Hi everyone...well, today is the day! After much hard work and many a long hour, Mister Bell has finally launched his brand new shop, FULLY stocked to the brim with two *brand new* debut jewellery collections and the full inventory of his stunning new one off  handbag designs...I am so happy to be able to tell you a bit more about what he has been feverishly working on, today...

The shop is broken down into three categories for you to browse through...

The Menagerie Collection: A collection of elegant, whimsical, but defiantly fun creatures, borne from his own illustrations and doodles, each character is hand pierced from sheet sterling silver and carefully hand finished. Beautiful quality and decidedly wearable, these designs are perfect for every day wear and to add a touch of humour to any outfit. Entirely handmade in the workshop we share in Glasgow...

The Woodland Collection: A stunning collection of hand fused, wood and nature inspired pieces, which range from dramatic and theatrical to delicate and perfectly wearable for day to day. 

All the pieces are hand made from sterling silver, and combine beautiful semi-precious gemstones beads, freshwater pearls, and vintage japanese cabochon flowers. Entirely handmade in the workshop we share in Glasgow.

Handbags: Created in his Belfast studio, every single DesireLines bag Mister Bell makes is a one off design, never to be repeated in exactly the same way again. He loves the creative challenge this affords him, dreaming up new and exciting colour and texture combinations each time, and knowing that every customer will be carrying something totally unique to them! Each bag is crafted from the finest of materials, hand woven Scottish tweeds, tartans and buttersoft Italian leathers and expensive, luxurious and unusual hardwear. 

*{I am a HUGE fan of  his handbags, and own three myself, so can swoon and wax lyrical galore about their dreamy quality and beautiful finish!! You know...I think I have already ;)}

You can read a little more about Mister Bell's back-ground {in his own cheeky words!} right here ... ;)

 ...I hope you will all enjoy browsing the work as much as I have! I know I may be biased, as this boy is my love, but he really is one hell of a talented chap and I am sure his new work is going to go down a storm!

Stay tuned for some collaboration work we have in store in the coming months...handbags, jewellery and even some home products. I plan to, at last, get back to my love of pattern design...so you can see what Mister Bell + me + a sewing machine + inspiration galore + a jewellery workshop + a computer, can come up with.

I hope you'll agree, it's quite an exciting prospect ;)

So...without further ado - www.desirelines.bigcartel.com is officially OPEN!!!

...spread the word friends!

xoxox

Abigail

Workshopping...

Mister Bell and I are busying ourselves away in the workshop this week - I'm working on orders and scheming up new ideas for some limited edition necklaces using some gorgeous new gemstones supplies I picked up {green garnets and these gorgeous colourful quartz which are the most beautiful summery juicy shades!}... I'm also itching for July to arrive as I will be spending a few weeks in Belfast working on lots of pattern design/new products and beginning work on my limited edition items for an August birthday celebration...so there is much to stay tuned for {and to do!}!!

Mister Bell has been busily piercing out flocks of darling little birds, for his first wholesale order - soon to be with MirrorMirror, and busily working on orders too after last week's shop launch. He picked up some yummy supplies at the bead shop too {aquamarine and freshwater pearls as below} - so I can't wait to see what new jewellery he will create!

In addition to that, my inspiration wall got a bit of an update with some gorgeous Laura Ashley wallpaper, some Lucienne Day fabric scraps and new postcards galore - so the workshop has been highly industrious all in all...

Both Mister Bell and I have set up Facebook business pages recently where you can get some extra info about our work and news... you can become a fan of me HERE, and of Mister Bell right HERE...hell, you could even become a fan of *both* of us, if you fancy!?

I also made a yummy banana and date bread...so if anyone fancies the recipe, just let me know and I shall post it! We are finding it makes the perfect breakfast...and afternoon snack...and supper... ;)

Back soon with more workshop scenes!

xo

Back...

The Mister is currently softly snoozing beside me after doing some chunky crocheting {oooh, I think it's a cowl!? *excited* ... will share soon!}...so I thought I would snaffle these few moments to stop in and say Hi...

It's a brand new year and I already feel like I have dropped the ball in this space - however, in a slight change from last year, I refuse to feel too badly about it. I seriously needed some time off after working so hard in the lead-up to Christmas {between the two of us, running our businesses and launching our new one!}, some time doing nothing to ring in the new year, to recharge my weary body and oh-so weary mind and do a little bit of nothing - some time not worrying, and not trying to juggle it all.

Mister Bell and I are in Belfast doing a good bit of exactly that!

Spanner in the works time, however, as I am, at this point, fairly under the weather - the whole Belfast side of the family have been fighting Swine Flu {yes, you heard it right!} for several weeks and now I seem to have succumbed. It's all so very frustrating as there is no hard and fast symptoms, and the doctors don't even check any more but I am swinging between feeling pretty crappy and rather hideously rough... a week in, and I am already bored of being so sore and tired.

I would rather get stuck into the year now! ;) But, what can you do??

We wanted to run sales in our shops to celebrate the snow and to thank you for all your support this year - but now, orders will be going out a little slowly because of the above... still, we wanted to say thank you nonetheless so there is 20% off in my shop, and in Ryan's, until I am back in the workshop - which will {hopefully} be a week tomorrow...

Ryan blogged more about the sale HERE :) Our codes are 'SNOWDAY10' = a lovely great whacking 20% off!

So far the year has been off to a lovely start apart from being not well - we cooked a big Hogmanay dinner for the family {traditional Scottish fair, a big steak pie!} and have spent lots of days snuggling on the sofa together, watching movies, Mister Bell playing his new computer games... leafing through cookery books we got as Christmas presents, baking together - cooking and eating good food...it's been lovely.

We even hit up Ikea in a bid to get organised - so far we have tackled the front room and it's looking great so far...shelving and storage on each side of the fire-place... DVDs all alphabetised and organised, space in many a nook for pretty things and book-shelves waiting to be filled. Now we are on the hunt for a rug - something on a budget, as sadly {really, really I mean sadly} I can't stretch to this one! ;)

I bought a new orchid to stem my floral craving though. I felt it was a necessity and an apt reward for braving Ikea {twice in two days!}.

Okay - I shall go for now, my energy window has passed and I am running on empty.

Hoping to be back soon, and able to share all sorts of new things with you. I already know 2010 is going to be a busy and exciting year for me with huge changes and new horizons... can't wait to kick this flu and get royally stuck in!!

Happy New Year everyone :)

xo

p.s. the image above is Charlie Harper. R bought me the *amazing* Todd Oldham book for Christmas, and I just adore it... good thing too, as he almost broke his ankle and wrist falling down the stairs at the train station in Glasgow carrying it home! That's love for you, egh? ;)

Honestly...

...I'm not dead, I promise!! ;))

...somehow more than a week has just disappeared far too easily in a haze of working, being busy and looking at lots of amazingly gorgeous things both online and in person, out and about!!

Here are some of the shots of the *stunning* Hyacinth beds at Belfast Botanic Gardens from the other week. I am now full stocked up with inspiration for the HW pieces and am nearly there with finalising them...it's been almost too hard to choose what imagery to use! I have also started work on some new big pieces for a forthcoming show at the Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh...so I am having fun with those. 

Some gorgeous links found whilst browsing Children's Illustration for a few hours this morning with the mister...could spend hours browsing that wonderful blog! :)

:: Eric Carle {amazing author and illustrator of the Very Hungry Caterpillar} has a blog!

:: Where the Wild Things Are looks fantastic...can't wait to see it!

:: Drawing with Water {wow!}

:: Crayon Physics Deluxe looks fascinating!

Hopefully back tomorrow with some glimpses of happenings from the workshop...in the meantime, have a wee look here at the launch of Mister Bell's jewellery collections...and there is more coming soon, too. So, so, SO good!! :)

*Edit* - for everyone interested in Mister Bell's jewellery, you can get in touch by emailing him directly...

Happy Monday all...xo

More from Mister Bell...

Some more wonders from the menagerie of Mister Bell {of DesireLines} ...this fantastic necklace and earrings set is for his sister's birthday. And it charmingly depicts her two cats Kitty and Geoff {one fat with half a tail, the other skinny and wholly intact}...he couldn't bear to leave out the pet goldfish either, so he became a matching necklace {in his bowl}...!

*Amazing* work for his first time in the studio...I think we have a new jewellery master on our hands - and so damn cute they can't help but make you smile!! :)

He is going to be back in the studio with me again soon, so if anyone would like to commission any of the pieces you have seen here...just drop us a wee line...

Back tomorrow with some serious developments on Hyacinth Watch!!! ;))

xo!

p.s. I can't wait to have a whale of my own!!  Yay!

So utterly Desire-able...

Gosh I am feeling like one hell of a lucky gal this week...with an influx of amazingly good things into my home {and all produced by one fantastic man, too!}. Let me share my good fortune {and glee} and guide you through the beauty...

Above, a stunning photographic print which, by chance of fate, works perfectly with the colours in my living room {not that I choose art to match my decor, you understand...but it's a lovely happenstance when it works SO well!}...the detail and depth of field in this piece just blow me away...I can't wait to hang it! Above the sofa works, don't you think?

Moving on to the goodness I can carry on my arm - my brand new, and stunningly beautiful handbags arrived today...and wow! It took me a long time to decide which bags to snap up for my own...hours and hours in fact - but I am so pleased with my choices...the Peach Tartan Nigella {with ochre yellow leather accent!}, and the Green 'Keeper Tweed' Vivienne {ohhh the handle!}...

It's not often that something makes me gasp, but these sure did! Each arriving in delicious cotton dust bags, their weight and quality is just dreamy...the fact that they are entirely hand made and unique {only one of each colour way is ever made!} makes the whole experience even more special and rewarding...

The fact that they are made by the wonderful and talented Mister Bell {remember him? ;)}, of course, only makes me even more enamoured of them, and in turn, of him...

In the market for some beauty? Visit Mister Bell's store... Desire Lines... for his latest handbag collection, just uploaded today, and prepare to fall for them as hard as I have!!

...other ones that especially have my heart - here, here and here ...save me from myself, I could SO go on!! ;)

Remember each bag is a *one off*...so if you find your new love...be sure to snap it up asap before someone else does!! 

You'll be happy you did, you can trust me on that.

;)

::::

...in other news, Hyacinth Watch is still alive and well - just a little intermission today as I couldn't contain myself...but I have been photographing and recording over the weekend, still, and am looking to begin work on the necklaces this week! Spring has sprung! It's still damn cold though... 

Good thing I have these luxurious new goodies to keep me warm! ;)

Happy Tuesday to you!

xo

Guest Blogging and Roses...

...just stopping in quickly this evening for a wee hello! It's been another busy week and time, I am afraid, is continuing to run away from me. I am in sunny Belfast at the moment with Mister Bell, but fly home tomorrow...

We have spent the weekend doing all sorts of lovely things, such as attending a wedding on the Antrim Coast with gorgeous views, and a lovely family picnic yesterday at Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon's Park left us with hundreds of photos of stunning roses {it's coming up for Rose week soon!} and indeed a touch of sunburn! ;)

Here are just some of our shots!

In a little bit of news - Mister Bell and I are in the process of setting up a textile pattern design and home-wares company, and as I was scheduled in to Guest Blog on Design Sponge this week, I thought discussing pattern design we loved would be a perfect topic to run with!! Read my first post right here...

Details of our new venture {which we are VERY excited about...as many of you will know, pattern design has always been a huge passion of mine!} will be coming shortly. In the next few weeks we will be able to share some sneak peeks here on the blog as samples arrive and products develop! {I can barely contain myself!} ;))

Happy Monday, all xo

No really... back this time ;)

I can't really believe another month has gone by {more than, even!} since my last blog post... every day I have wanted to pick up my camera and photograph little bits of my day and what I have been tentatively doing - and every day I have not managed.

This horrible flu has knocked me way harder than I thought, and even more than six weeks on/in... I am still having bad days.

It's all terribly BORING. Bless poor Mister Bell who has to put up with me going all weak and grey at regular intervals, and... sounding somewhat surprised, saying "God, I really don't feel well" for the umpteenth time that week. I think he deserves a prize!!

Still - as I said, it's all terribly boring, so I won't yap on much longer. I would be surprised if anyone is still checking in with this little space... no-one loves tumble-weeds! ;)

However - I picked up my camera today - so I hope the spell is somewhat broken!!

We are currently obsessed with these amazing bread buns we found frozen at the Chinese supermarket... we steam them every morning and have them plain or with some fruit jam and they are absolutely divine. I am hoping those + red bean mochi + miso soup + lots of fish will cure me. It's certainly a diet I would be happy to die trying, anyway ;)

The lovely orchids are left over from the Botanical Illustration class I am teaching just now on Tuesday nights - I thought they looked sweet in my little pebble vases from Paris, atop the pink granny square Mister Bell crocheted a few weeks ago...my toast catalogue arrived this morning too.

In other news, I am having a big clear out in the workshop {as a BIG MOVE is coming very soon!! :D} - I am going to be offering up some more one off gallery pieces from previous years {think statement necklaces and brooches with carved ivory and juicy smokey quartz!} over the next week or so. They are going to be massively discounted as many of them are one off items, and discontinued designs {like the carved pieces!}... so it's your chance to pick up a bargain. More details to follow...

We also have some fantastic draft excluders coming at abigail*ryan... because, I don't know about you - but it's still damn chilly here!

Okay... heading into the workshop soon, so I will go for today. Planning to be back very soon... maybe sharing more sweet treats if nothing else!?

xo Abigail

We've been busy!...

It's been another busy week here... I can't quite believe the weekend is here already! To celebrate, we stayed in today and loafed in our PJ's. Perfect, really - and we figure we can do some work tonight. ;)

I've been really busy working on the styling of all our new abigail*ryan products, and it was the tea towels first. I just bought a little dining table for my front room - after almost 2 years of eating off the coffee table, this is SO welcome {I can hear Mister Bell cheering in the background! ;)} and we have been enjoying using a few of our tea towels as tablecloths... they are so cheery!

Here are some snaps of some recent suppers - and a wee sneak peek from one of my styling sessions...

:: Antler Mag Blog

:: This is so nice

:: I'm dreaming of a studio like this for the Mister and I... via bloesem :) {One day!}

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend!!

xo

Blinking and the days fly by so quickly...

Happy New Year everyone. Hope yours is already off to a stellar start!?

To be honest, I am really happy to have said goodbye to 2010... I know it's a little too far in to the new year to be looking back already (I maybe should have made this post on the 1st!), but in spite of it being a year full of a lot of happy things (my move to Belfast being one of them, Angus coming in to our little family etc) - it really did kick our arses!

Starting last January off with Swine Flu had me on my back for months, barely able to work and feeling very sick and emotionally drained... those feeling really only began to abate a few months ago - and I'm finally feeling stronger now. I have been struggling with a very painful stomach since the Summer, and on Monday, finally got my confirmed diagnosis of IBS from a gastroenterologist. Stress management is all that is to be done... so let's hope less finds us this year, egh?

Worse still, for me, has been seeing Mister Bell unwell. Hospitalised the monday before Christmas, very suddenly (again), I hate more than anything seeing him ill and can't wait for this year to bring some resolution to that... our first Christmas living together wasn't quite what it should have been, but it was together no less and we can't wait for all the rest of them, to roll by, more quietly...

My life is completely full of love and happiness (the mister and the pooch alone more than see to that!) so this year, I am just wishing for health for us both... oh, and a little wealth wouldn't go astray but it's not top of the list! ;)

Already, we have had some exciting news about fantastic new stockists for our homewares... you can read more here (I am over the top!)... and we are drinking to our health with yummy juice from our new juicer!

Looking forward to Spring and all our plans to expand abigail*ryan (a garden studio is on the horizon!)... I should be popping in to this space, but as my life has moved on, I feel a little more comfortable over in this space, telling you what we've been up to. Maybe it's just that so much has changed, a new space feels better, or maybe it's just that keeping two up is too much?!

BUT, I truly love hearing from all the people who stop in to my blog, so I would love if you would stop in and see me in the new(er) space, too...

Wishing everyone a truly fantastic 2011 - and that you all find and/or enjoy your health, wealth and happiness (love!)...

More soon,

xo

Turn...

...been finding lots of little bits of plants on the pavement during my travels. The wind that has been keeping me awake at night has also been helpfully blowing little bits off the trees for me to find - I guess everything in life is a trade-off...

I am thinking a lot about silhouette {so, obviously, profile}...how I could turn a piece of something and document it, through drawing, to create movement in pattern. Almost like a still stop motion animation...or something. ;)

I also had my first froth this week...and managed to capture the beauties in full bloom just before they turned. Peony perfection.

Oh, and making me swoon today - Ceramics and beauty from Caroline Swift {via poppytalk} ...wow, right?

I'm very excited today as my Mister arrives tomorrow...and I just cannot *wait* to see him!! Yay!! 

Thanks so much for all your kind words about Mister Bell's big launch, too. Your feedback and support was really lovely...and we hope you will enjoy watching our forthcoming collaborations as they develop over the summer. We will be sharing some scenes from the workshop as the week goes on too, so stay tuned as we are both working on new pieces...

Back soon, Happy Monday!

xo

Happy Easter...

Greetings all, and a very Happy Easter to you!!

I landed back in Glasgow this afternoon after spending the week in Belfast with the mister - having the nicest time, and ruining all my best laid blogging plans by simply having too much fun to even think about it for a few days. I did take heaps of lovely photos at the Botanic Gardens though, which were a mass of inspiration {and an utterly lovely way to spend a few hours!}, and at the beach too, which I can't wait to share...{guess what, I even managed not to fall in a rock pool! Imagine! ;)}...

Above is a little sneak peek of some of the gorgeous new jewellery work coming soon from Mister Bell...it seemed thoroughly appropriate to share today, don't you think? Just wait until you get to see the rest! 

...more soon, and have a lovely long weekend! xo

An announcement...

... well, two!

First of all - I am delighted to have been asked to feature in 'My Creative Life' over at Ink on my Fingers... you can read the interview with me later on today... {Thanks so much Susannah!}...

Second, lastly and most excitingly - Ryan and I have finally launched a blog for our new home-wares venture. Our first two posts act somewhat as an introduction to us, and we will be using the space to document the progress of our collection as we prepare to debut, {hopefully around late October} and our inspirations!

So, without further ado ... I give you, ABIGAIL*RYAN ... !!!

We hope you will pop over and have a wee look, and will bookmark us to keep an eye on our progress. We are off for a week on holiday as of tomorrow, so will be updating our blogs upon our return!!

As a little celebration of our launch, we are both offering a lovely wee discount in our shops for the duration of our vacation {see what I did there? ;)} - 20% OFF to all our customers who enter the code BONVOYAGE ...

Click here to shop with Mister Bell, and here to shop with me :)

Bon weekend to all, see you again very soon :)

xo