You decide – new Quincy Kepler Lampshades (Geo 1)
I’m launching a unique new range of lampshades, so I held a competition with a very specific design brief and colour palette. Submissions from surface pattern designers across the globe came flooding in. I’ve chosen eight designs, but just can’t decide on the final three and I need you to help me. Vote in each poll - Floral, Geo 1 and Geo 2. I will buy the designs with the most votes and then go into production with a glorious new range. Preview the designs already chosen here. Don’t forget to share! Voting closes...
read moreYou decide – new Quincy Kepler Lampshades (Geo 2)
I’m launching a unique new range of lampshades, so I held a competition with a very specific design brief and colour palette. Submissions from surface pattern designers across the globe came flooding in. I’ve chosen eight designs, but just can’t decide on the final three and I need you to help me. Vote in each poll - Floral, Geo 1 and Geo 2. I will buy the designs with the most votes and then go into production with a glorious new range. Preview the designs already chosen here. Don’t forget to share! Voting closes...
read moreYou decide – new Quincy Kepler Lampshades
I’m launching a unique new range of lampshades, so I held a competition with a very specific design brief and colour palette. Submissions from surface pattern designers across the globe came flooding in. I’ve chosen eight designs, but just can’t decide on the final three and I need you to help me. Vote in each poll – Floral, Geo 1 and Geo 2. I will buy the designs with the most votes and then go into production with a glorious new range. Preview the designs already chosen here. Don’t forget to share! Voting...
read moreFirst reveal of Quincy Kepler Lampshades
The new Quincy Kepler Lampshades will be unique. Design-led. Pretty. Affordable. Different. Bold. You want a preview? Awww. Go on then. I’m so pleased with these beauties, it’s hard to keep them to myself. These are eight designs already chosen as part of the new range. But I need three more. Complete the picture by voting on your favourite designs here. ABOUT THE DESIGNERS (top to bottom)… Candy Joyce Candy spent her childhood in a contented flurry of drawing, colouring, and painting, she may have grown up since then but...
read moreThe CHARGE quilt
Can you spot YOUR lampshade fabric? This is the quilt made from the gifted fabric scraps at the Mass Charity Lampshade Make. Ain’t it divine? I must admit that I like it a great deal… I see all the smiles and frowns of concentration as people made their lampshades. The random square pattern features a truly eclectic mix of decor-weight and quilting-weight cottons in all colours and designs: birds, robots, polka dots, sailing ships, hot-air balloons and more. Backed with a vanilla-coloured cotton, edged with a dark green ditsy...
read moreHow to… photograph lampshades
Here’s my Top Ten Tips… Don’t rush it Find a plain background Use a mirror to bounce that natural light about Keep the lightbulb off Always place the lampshade seam to the back Use different bases to complement lampshade size and styles Scour your house to find interesting props that colour match Place props with varying depths, heights and angles Angle your flash gun to the ceiling Use a good...
read moreContemporary Craft Lighting
Have you ever wondered about the lampshade hierarchy? Let’s build a skills ladder: our humble drum lampshade coming in at the bottom (people think these are easy-peasy to make), with the classic cone lampshade one rung above (more maths in making these). Further up the ladder we have the mighty empire and tailored lampshades (pins, hand sewing, hours of work to create just one). Higher still we have engineered lighting: either grandiose or modest, this type uses materials that demand engineering. What about the top spot? The lighting of...
read moreTheo Paphitis supports Quincy Lampshades
Scoring a try with a rugby-inspired tweet to win the attention of businessman Theo Paphitis has sealed another business triumph! Every few weeks I had tried my hardest with a Small Business Sunday tweet, hoping that the BBC Dragon’s Den star would retweet it to his 320,000 Twitter followers. Imagine! All those people suddenly aware of my quest to banish beige and boring lampshades for good. Ta da! I hit the spot with this… I cannot over-emphasise the importance of Twitter for small businesses like mine. It offers a wealth of...
read moreMass Charity Lampshade Make – Success
Teaching peeps how to make lampshades is a doddle for me now, so how hard could it be teaching 60 in one day? In aid of the CHARGE Family Support Group, the Exeter Mass Charity Lampshade Make sold out thanks to ace artwork contributed for free by Sorbet Design and loads of Twitter, Facebook, blog, magazine and newspaper buzz. Saturday the 26th of January 2013 had arrived. Provided for free, the hall at the Hub on the Green was ready: the banners were up, the hardware was out, the biscuits were baked, the ironing boards were primed, my apron...
read moreMass Lampshade Make
Want to learn a new skill and hang out with friends? Make a lampshade for just £10 and support a great charity? Come to the Mass Lampshade Make where you’ll learn how to make a stunning drum lampshade during a 3-hour workshop using just half a metre of your favourite fabric. You’ll have a smashing time, be amazed at your creation, enjoy free tea and biscuits and feel fabulous when you either buy your lampshade for a minimum donation of £15 or sell/auction your lampshade via any means you choose and donate the proceeds to...
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