Discover...Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Earlier this month, Bubble and Speak set out on a whistle-stop tour of Yorkshire's best family attractions, events and eateries. Salts Mill was our first port of call - and, after all that coffee and cake, we decided to get some fresh air at The Yorkshire Sculpture Park. 

Outdoor art gallery YSP plays host to an ever-changing programme of exhibitions. Based in the grounds of Bretton Hall, Wakefield, it's currently home to works by Henry Moore, Ai Weiwei, Barbara Hepworth and Anthony Caro. 

There are over 500 acres of rolling countryside to explore, and many of the estate's original features - including a deer shelter, chapel and camellia house - have been restored and repurposed. 

YSP also boasts several indoor art-spaces - the largest of which, The Underground Gallery, is currently showing a selection of Henry Moore's sculptures and drawings. 

Families can enjoy a picnic in the grounds - but, on the rainy afternoon we visited, its fantastic café and restaurant seemed like a safer bet. After a brisk half-hour walk, we felt as though we'd earned a hot chocolate and vanilla latte...

The restaurant is situated on the second floor of YPS's award-winning visitor centre, and affords diners panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Downstairs, there's an independent shop selling art books, children's toys, and gifts and jewellery by local designers. 

The park regularly hosts family-friendly events (from sculpture workshops, to heron watching and after-hours gallery evenings) - but children will be just as happy exploring its fields and woodland. 

So, what do you think? Does YSP sounds like your idea of a great family day out? Let us know...

Sophie Crichton Illustration

Do you remember Sophie Crichton, who created this wonderful chair for our Out of the Dark auction? 

Aside from being a dab hand with a paint brush and staple gun, she's also a talented illustrator - and we couldn't wait to share her work with you!

London-based Sophie has been drawing 'for as long as she can remember', after catching the bug from her illustrator dad. 

"Wherever he went he always had a sketchbook with him and sometimes he would draw pictures for me and my friends and I would colour them in," she explained. "I remember painting the landscape on holiday with my first set of watercolours. I must have only been about 5 years old."

Sophie went on to study at Kingston University, before becoming a freelance illustrator. Her commissions ranged from artwork for a production house, to editorial illustrations for The Guardian. 

We love the way Sophie uses drawing to document each new adventure - whether it's teaching in Thailand (where she also worked on a school colouring competition for the Phuket newspaper), or falling pregnant with her daughter, Olivia.  

"Having Olivia has been so far one of the most enlightening things I've ever done," She said. "Her little personality that develops daily fuels many a doodle in my sketchbook!"

That might just be the cutest pregnancy announcement we've ever seen!

Now back in England, Sophie has been working on a series of colouring and activity books for Usbourne Publishing. And, when she's not sketching - or jotting down ideas for her own picture book - she also runs upcycling blog Deco Dolly. 

"Home for me, where I live and work, play a big part in my creativity," She added. "When I have time away from work and being a mum, I can be found wondering antique and charity shops, grabbing wooden bargains and painting them up in bright and beautiful colours."

Little wonder people were clamouring to snap-up this talented mum's OOTD chair!

Keep up-to-date with Sophie's doodling over at her blog - or learn more about her work here. 

B&S Meets...Sarah Mason Photography

Drum roll please...we're delighted to introduce Bubble London's S/S16 campaign image! 

It's the work of talented local photographer Sarah Mason, who you may have read about here - or here. 

Sarah is based in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, where she runs Sarah Mason Photography with her partner, Suzi. Bubble and Speak are big fans of her beautiful, atmospheric and often candid images - and we wanted to learn more about this season's campaign shot (not to mention Sarah herself! That's her on the right, if you're wondering). 

Sarah, could you tell us a bit more about Bubble's new campaign image?

This session was from last year, on the summer solstice. I’ve been photographing Phoebe & Mabel (two sisters), for a few years now. The family enjoy camping in their bell tent, so we decided to have a camping themed shoot in a beautiful meadow above Hebden Bridge.  There was much merriment, twirling and racing through the tall grass! Then Mabel just stopped in her tracks for a ponder, and that’s when I took this shot. It was a really beautiful evening.  Mabel is very pleased that her photo has been chosen to front the campaign!

We're glad to hear it! When did you begin taking photographs? 

I’ve always been interested in photography and I loved to borrow Mum & Dad’s camera when I was young to take photos on family holidays, pictures of my friends, and around Grassington where I grew up. I loved the anticipation of taking the roll of film in to be developed, getting the little slip, and going to collect them a few days later. It’s a lot more immediate these days, but I’ve been going back and trying film again lately.

What's your earliest memory of photography?

I think it’s probably of my Granddad taking photographs on our annual family holidays to Loch Awe in Scotland.  He loved to take all the grandkids out sailing on his boat.  Unfortunately I didn’t feel the same way, and most of the photos are me sitting in the boat with an oversized lifejacket on, either crying or looking very grumpy about the situation!  He had a really good eye for a shot though, and there’s a picture of me & my Mum he took that I absolutely love.  As a family, we’ve always loved getting the old photos out after a meal and looking back at all those memories (and all those fashion disasters!)

We love that red hat! So, when, where and why was Sarah Mason Photography founded?

I set up my own business in 2009. Before that I had been working in film & TV in London.  I’d been taking night classes in photography with 2 really inspiring tutors called Karl Grupe and his partner Julia Massey Stewart (http://www.themangolab.co.uk/). A hobby quickly became an obsession. I was eating, breathing, sleeping photography. An opportunity arose for us to move back up North to Hebden Bridge and we haven’t looked back since! I was called Zebra Photography back then as I used to take a lot of black & white images. But my style changed, and I outgrew the name.  As it was just me back then, it just seemed to make more sense that I called it after my own name, so I rebranded in 2012. Two years ago, Suzi joined the business. She’s a fantastic photographer, and she helps with the day to day running of the office.

What inspires you?

Meeting people and hearing their stories. I’m passionate about storytelling in my photography, I love documenting those beautiful family connections. I take photographs that make me happy! I love natural light and the way it falls, and nature & the changing seasons never cease to amaze me. On my shoots when the light is perfect and there’s a beautiful moment, these are the ones I crave. I get excited when I watch a good film or listen to a piece of new music that gives me goose bumps. I have regular walks with my friend Hannah who I also share studio space with in Hebden Bridge. These walks are really important to me, stomping through the woods or climbing the hills, talking about new exciting ideas for our businesses, and being inspired by our surroundings. Creating something that didn’t exist before, that feeling always excites me!

What's the key to good children's photography? Are kids easier to photograph than adults?

Sometimes adults can be a little more self-conscious. I’m the world’s worst at having my photo taken so I speak from experience! It’s important that everyone feels at ease and our shoots are very natural and relaxed. It’s important to us that the kids be themselves. For our family shoots, we’ll always ask what they like to do, and we’ll incorporate this into the session. I tend to find that once the kids have got to know me a little, they have lots of fun and enjoy the shoot! The same goes for our commercial photography with kid’s clothing brands - it’s about capturing the essence of childhood for us. Working with brands is a natural progression for us from our family photography, and we’re really excited about developing this area of our commercial work this year! 

You can learn more about Sarah and Suzi's work over at their website, www.sarahmasonphotography.co.uk - or, follow them on Facebook, twitter or instagram. Fancy a photo shoot of your own? Contact Sarah on 07912 325 833. 

B&S Meets...Tweedy Gromett

It's been a busy year for designer Julie Gromett. After competing on BBC2's Great British Sewing Bee, the self-professed 'Unruly Northerner' decided to found her very own children's brand - and Tweedy Gromett was born. This season, Julie will be showcasing her debut collection at Bubble London - not to mention competing for another coveted title, that of Bubble Rising Star! We've been talking tweed, trade shows and TV-stardom with the 'sewing-room rebel'...

Julie, when did you decide to found Tweedy Gromett? 

Tweedy Gromett was created in May 2014, shortly after the Sewing Bee had been aired. While I was on the show, I was being constantly tweeted about the clothes I wore. The waistcoat I wore on the first episode received lots of comments, as it was a little different to the standard waistcoat. I actually adapted the pattern from a tennis dress! After I left the show I made my 5 month old grandson a tweed waistcoat, and lined it with London guards as his dad was from London. My daughter put it on Facebook, and everyone was liking it and asking where she had got it from. It then occurred to me that maybe there was a market for this type of thing.I did some research and found there was little or no tweed for babies or toddlers - mainly because traditionally, tweed is quite a harsh fabric. But if you choose a light weight tweed and combine it with a soft cotton, it is fabulous.

Why tweed?

Tweed is something I have always worn and I have always been a fan of country clothes, so it seemed the natural fabric to work with for me.

What challenges have you faced in the course of launching your brand? 

The biggest challenge I have faced so far, is planning my year and keeping control of cashflow. As a new business, it's important not to get carried away with ordering stock and fabrics, and only spend what you can afford. Patience is a virtue and if you develop your business at a pace you can keep control of, it's much more likely to have a healthy bank balance and flourish.

Did you enjoy your time on The Great British Sewing Bee? 

Being a contestant on the Great British Sewing Bee is something I will never forget. It sounds a bit of a clichéd, but we all really bonded and I now have friends for life. The highlight of the show was winning garment of the week in the very first episode, especially since it was silk and I hate working with silk. I'm lucky; I learnt to sew with difficult fabrics because my daughter was a ballroom dancer and I could never get a dress made on time - so being the Have-a-go-Harry that I am, I decided to make them myself. It was all chiffon and silk, so I was familiar with the difficulties silk poses.

What advice would you give to someone launching a kid's brand?

If I were to give one piece of advice to someone who was thinking of launching a kid's brand, firstly it would be, a) don't use tweed, that's my neck of the woods. b) Think of something you really love and whatever you decide to produce, somehow, use a little bit of that in it. Clothes made with passion are always better than a run of the mill production line. Every waistcoat or garment I design, I'm convinced it my favourite.

Are you looking forward to Bubble London this February?

I am so excited about Bubble London. Although I have had stands at all the big equestrian and country shows this year, this is my first trade show - so where better to display my goods than London! I am also very excited about the opportunity to present to buyers as part of the Perfect Pitch Programme. Some people think I am mad putting myself under pressure, but I just love an audience!

Julie will be delivering her Perfect Pitch on Monday 2nd - stay tuned for the full line-up!

Register for your free ticket to February's show here...

Gas&Air Studios

'Recycle more' topped our list of new year's resolutions - and, this season, we're taking tips from Gas&Air. February's show will be partly furnished by the South London company, which creates innovative tables, chairs and benches from reclaimed timber. And we thought our egg carton desk-tidy was impressive! 

We caught-up with designer Guy, who explained how a garden-full of unwanted pallets became a thriving furniture business...

Guy, how and when was Gas&Air founded?

Gas&Air Studios started with a pile of old pallets in the back of a
garden in South London in 2009. After experimenting with the pallet
timber on various ideas we came up with our first design, the folding
Pallet Chair and Table. The possibilities of working with pallets was
exciting, and we enjoyed the freedom and hands on nature of working with
reclaimed timber.

Tell us more about the Gas&Air team...

At the moment there are three of us that make up the Gas&Air Team. There's myself, designer (and furniture obsessive) - then Denny and newcomer Dylan,
both carpenters and experienced and dedicated 'palleteers'.

Where do you source the material for your pallet furniture?

We source our pallets from timber yards and from local businesses in the
area around our workshop in Battersea. All the pallets we use are
damaged or unwanted; we never use pallets that are new or due to be re-used.
We have also started to use old, disused scaffolding boards in our
furniture, which we source from small business around London.

What has been your most exciting project to date?

In 2013 we were asked to provide furniture for the new Google
Engineering HQs in London. The office, designed by architecture and
interior design agency PENSON, is an amazing space, so it was very
exciting to see our furniture as part of the design.

What are you looking forward to about Bubble London?

We love having our furniture at different venues and events, and enjoy
seeing our it in action. Bubble London will be an excellent
opportunity for lots of people to experience our furniture. It is also a
great challenge for us to design some new furniture for a large and fun
event.

Look out for Gas&Air's unique creations in and around the BDC at Bubble London A/W15! You can register for your free ticket here. 

Rise and Shine

Celebrate the start of 2014 with the exciting new talent featuring in this season's Rising Star Award finalists. Take your pick of these original bright young things and be the first to introduce your customers to a fantastic array of fresh and dynamic designers in A/W 2014. 

 1. Young Soles – inspired by classic styling and British heritage, Young Soles re-invents timeless footwear favourites using traditional methods and tooling.

2. The Little Tailor – a capsule collection of luxury baby knitwear in the softest premium yarns.

3. Nikolia – an adorable denim collection for children from age 1 to 8.

4. Piupia – simple and charming prints created from amazingly soft organic cotton.

5. Love Soap – made by mothers, for children, with love.  This new range of organic handmade bath products is hand blended in Suffolk from the very best organic plant derived ingredients.

6. Raspberry Plum – launching their first collection in January, Raspberry Plum is aimed at little girls from 3 to 8 years old and combines the practicality of modern fabrics with the class and elegance of vintage childrenswear. 

7. Holly & Beau – a collection featuring a magical colour changing fabric to add a little splash to rainwear.

8. IMA – fun and comfortable clothes in simple cuts and exciting, eye-catching prints, designed and manufactured in Spain.

9. Lilly et Louis – Created to keep children comfortable, cozy and stylish, each piece is manufactured by hand in Germany from cashmere, organic merino wool and organic cotton.

10. LabelLamb – sourced and manufactured in West Yorkshire, with one off pieces made from recycled lambswool for kids aged 1 to 6 years.

11. Milk & Biscuits – quality fabrics and beautiful details with a dash of vintage for children aged 2-8 years rocking their own style.

12. Lucypeachslice – individually designed girlswear from age 2 to 12 made with originally designed fabrics.

Register online now for your free admission badge. 

Travelling from the North? Take advantage of the East Coast promotion this week, with seats from £5. Click here for more information.

Are you our next Rising Star?

Judged by a panel of industry experts, Bubble Rising Star awards the best debuting launch brand at the show and looks for innovation, quality, originality and commercial appeal. As well as the increased exposure all finalists receive, the winning brand is given a free stand for the following show, guaranteeing a second season in front of some of the best buyers in the industry.

Sonia Rocha, Sales Manager, Wolf & Rita, last season’s winner (formerly Milk & Rock)

“We have made so many new contacts at Bubble and we are thrilled that we already have a stand to come back to in January as it has been a great experience for us and we never expected to achieve so much out of our first show of the season.”

Sarah Dyer, founder, Archie’s Boutique, Rising Star Judge June 2013

“It was a unanimous decision in the end but the variety on offer amongst the finalists was really great and I was so pleased to see several British manufacturers in the line-up as this is something I am championing.”

Nicky Lumb, director, Michiko and Me, Rising Star Finalist

“Having been nominated for the Rising Star award we have had a huge amount of interest, particularly in our four year dress so it has been a fantastic good platform for us. I am also really pleased with my stand location in Nest. It’s great to exhibit and be associated with so many innovative and homegrown brands."

Natalie Collier, founder and creator of Project Jelly, Rising Star Finalist

“Bubble is so important for an emerging brand like ourselves, it has given me the opportunity to turn a concept into a tangible brand and I am coming away from the show with so many new collaborations and stock commitments.”

For your chance to shine, please go to www.bubblelondon.com and apply for space. Collections that have been launched since February 2013 and have not yet shown at Bubble London will be considered for selection and an application form will be sent out for completion. Closing date for application for space is Friday 4th October 2013. Please note that applications can only be accepted if appropriate space is still available and stands will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Goodbye Google Reader

Image via Pinterest

Keep up to date with Bubble & Speak via Bloglovin' .

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Rising Stars

Milk and Rock was crowned the Rising Star of tomorrow at the spring/summer 13 edition of Bubble London. 

Judges Laura Turner from CWB Magazine, Molly-Meg, Cathy Olmedillas from Anorak Magazine, Nicola Eyre from Cissy Wears and Sarah Archard from Archie's Boutique unanimously agreed on the quality of branding and commerciality of the Portuguese brand's first collection.

Milk and Rock on the cover of the June/July issue of CWB Magazine

Milk and Rock will receive a 4m2 stand at the next exhibition on 26 & 27 January 2014.

Footwear labels Skribbies and Project Jelly were highly commended. 

On the Bubble

Bubble London closed the doors on a bustling autumn/winter 13 edition and announced a year-on-year visitor increase of 3% and a 20% increase of overseas visitors, when the show took place on 27-28 January at the Business Design Centre in Islington.

A number of new brands praised the high footfall and reported healthy orders across the two day show. 

Here’s what some of you thought…

- Bambino Goodies 
- Chi.Qui.Ti.Tos

- Chic Little Baby
- CWB Magazine 
- Drapers
- From Fun to Mum 
- Junior Magazine 
- Kid Style Junkie 
- Kid's Wear Department 

- Little Scandinavian
- Smudgetikka 
- Stylesight
- The Tunbridge Wells Mum 

Q & A with Julia Boggio

By Shoshana Kazab - Fuse Communications

I caught up with renowned family and fashion photographer, Julia Boggio, to chat about her work, baby, and photographing the Queen. Julia is the creative director at Julia Boggio Studios, regular columnist for Photo Professional magazine and will be running a pop-up studio on Monday at Bubble London.

Tell us a little bit about your background?

I grew up in New Jersey, but moved to the UK a couple years after graduating from University. Fourteen years later, I now live in Wimbledon with my lovely Welsh husband and baby daughter.

Before photography, what did you do?

I studied Marketing and Creative Writing at University and then worked for 8 years as an advertising copywriter. I retrained as a photographer in the year 2000 after falling in love with photography while travelling in South America.

What type of camera do you shoot with?

I shoot my lifestyle work with a Canon 5D Mark II and my commercial work on a Hasselblad.

What sort of photography do you offer at Julia Boggio Studios?

Our motto is 'portraits for the famous at heart', meaning that we create magazine-standard images that capture your inner shining star. We photograph newborns, babies, children, families, and pregnancy. We also do 16th birthday fashion shoots for teens, which are very popular. We are also internationally renowned for our Vintage BoudoirTM pin-up photography and people come to us from all over the world for our couple shoots in London.

What inspires you when photographing portraits?

I’m inspired by the person sitting for the portrait. When their friends and family look at the image, I want them to think, 'Oh! That’s so them.' With children and babies, I think the trick is to create a situation in which they can be themselves and enjoy being in front of the lens.

How would you describe your own style?

Fun, stylish and timeless.

You launched a baby blog last year – what made you start the blog?

I started my baby blog, http://www.icarriedawatermelon.co.uk/, for a number of reasons, but mostly to connect with other mothers out there. I’ve always enjoyed writing and wanted to get back to writing for fun. It’s also a great way to introduce our studio’s work to a new audience.

What are the different challenges in shooting a newborn versus a toddler?

Newborn photography is a very specialised area and should only be done by photographers like us who understand the gentle care required for handling a newborn. Toddlers and children need us to be more than a photographer; they also need us to be a playmate.

You've photographed both the Queen and Sir Richard Branson. What was that like?

Both were amazing experiences. It was a great honour to photograph the Queen as part of her Diamond Jubilee tour to Merton. My husband, James, also got to meet her and I think he wants to print a huge picture of him shaking her hand for our living room wall! As two-time winner of Entrepreneur of the Year in Merton, I am a big fan of Sir Richard Branson and have absorbed all of his books. It was a fast and hectic shoot, but I enjoyed it all the same.

I have to mention your Dirty Dancing wedding dance as it’s not very often I chat to a You Tube phenomenon. What was that like?

It was pretty awesome and unexpected. Little did I think when I was planning my film-themed wedding that I’d end up dancing on The Oprah Winfrey Show with Patrick Swayze because of our first dance. It all felt extremely surreal.

Julia Boggio Studios
Unit 5, The Apprentice Shop
Merton Abbey Mills
Merantun Way
Wimbledon
SW19 2RD


Website: http://www.juliaboggiostudios.com/

Blog: http://www.icarriedawatermelon.co.uk/


0207 042 9777
shine@juliaboggiostudios.com

Spotlight on Carla Valverde

A few months ago, we were introduced to the amazing work of Carla Valverde by CWB editor and Bubble and Speak guest blogger, Laura Kirkpatrick.

Having previously worked in the theater world and as a teacher, the Portuguese designer unveils some of the secrets behind her treasured dolls.

I like to think of my dolls as a toy you can play with and “a piece of art” a child can cherish for many years.

When starting my own collection, one of my main influences were some traditional Portuguese dolls made at the beginning of the century called "matrafonas". 

I'm inspired by what surrounds me - animals, fabrics, fashion - and of course the work of some fellow designers such as Mimi Kirchner and Jess Brown. 

 

Due to popular demand, I’m currently working on more colourful and smiley designs.

As I always have thousand of ideas but very limited time to execute them, my home-based studio is never kept tidy for long!

For more information on Carla's work, please visit her blog.