Madison Honey Vintage is Kimberley Vernonn’s creative outlet: ‘I create romantic and dreamy, fabulous hand-made limited edition jewellery, using vintage and modern trinkets to create cute little kitsch treasures.’ Named after her baby daughter Madison Honey , Kimberley’s company has been trading since December 2009. Being made redundant gave her the opportunity to transform her lifelong hobby – she has always made jewellery for family and friends – into a business she could develop at the same time as being a full-time mum.

Kimberley loves to scour boot fairs, flea markets and charity shops for beautiful vintage jewellery which she then recycles into her own modern designs, often inspired by the trinkets themselves. ‘I’ve been really into nature inspired pieces recently as I found a vintage necklace with gold plate leaves…’ Ranges popular with her customers are the Skull Cameo Lockets with black satin bows, French charm necklaces and Alice in Wonderland charm bracelets. No two pieces are ever quite the same but Kimberley has a passion for her occupation, and she says every piece is made with love.

There is nothing Kimberley loves more than to be given a commission to source unusual or rare charms – she’s currently on the look out for scissors and other sewing related charms for a fashion designer client – and expects to grow this service when her website is up and running soon. She will also invite prospective customers to contact her with ideas for customised pieces. She confesses to having recently been tempted to keep for herself a one-off bracelet she made especially for a friend using skull cameos and vintage silver charms: ‘I had to control myself…!’

Kimberley’s creations can be found here on The Brighton Collective website.

She sells at some craft fairs as well (including Telscombe Craft and Gift Market on the third Sunday of every month) and dreams of a bricks and mortar shop one day, to go alongside her online business.

Written by Catherine Meek

Sometimes the best things in life are the little things – a mug of tea when it’s freezing outside, a good book and a bubble bath, a little black dress…

Claire Potter’s Simple Pleasures Cupcakes are one of those things. I came across her stall at the BHASVIC boot sale whilst freezing my socks off looking for vintage treasure one chilly Sunday morning. With lashings of frosting and flavours I’d never even thought possible (Coke Float, anyone?) they were the perfect antidote to the Sunday morning blues.

Claire and her team make them from scratch in their cupcakery near Brighton using traditional recipes and just a sprinkling of magical imagination.

Flavours include Strawberry Fields (which has a strawberry jam centre), Lemon Meringue, Oreo and, my personal favourite, After Eight, which is topped with green butter cream and a little chocolate flake. The more adventurous can try Coke Float, Hot Chocolate(not as innocent as it sounds – a chocolate and chilli cupcake with spicy butter cream topping), and seasonal flavours such as Pumpkin Pie and Courgette. This month’s flavour, Vanilla Roses, pays homage to the Chelsea Flower Show. For updates on the latest flavours follow @simplecupcakery on Twitter.

Simple Pleasures cupcakes cost just £1 each for a very generously sized ‘maxi’ cake. Look out for their bright red parasol at the BHASVIC boot sale or get them delivered by contacting Simple Pleasures Cupcakery via http://simplepleasurescupcakery.blogspot.com/ .

Enjoy!

By Amy Sandiford-Watts

Love in every stitch is the promise of Catherine Meek’s label for bespoke hand knitted sweaters and socks. Hailing from the north east of England Catherine is inspired by generations of women before her who knit for their families as the men mined coal down the pit. She celebrates the devotion of these women to the make do and mend brand of homemaking they lived with pride. Whilst she agrees that shopping on the high street for mass produced cheap and cheerful items available globally makes sense in today’s fast paced world, she also maintains there is no substitute for the love and care these women knitted into the garments they produced by hand.

Catherine offers a knitting service with a difference: “Just as the cable pattern in fishermen’s jumpers represents elements of a life at sea as well as being decorative, so I craft a personal gift for my clients.” Jumpers and socks are created to the customer’s size and spec. Jumper designs range from the more traditional aran knit to one off items which say something about the wearer – a golf club or a teddy bear for example. Socks can be fine and monogrammed or soft and fluffy subject to requirement.

Contact Catherine at loveineverystitch@gmail.com to discuss your order.

There’s nothing I love more than browsing the pages of design magazines – Elle Decoration, World of Interiors, Homes and Gardens etc. I also love to flick through Country Living and Country homes and interiors. I often come across images that I just adore – whether it’s a cushion, a lamp, a vase of flowers. Last year (there was a period of time when I had a LOT of time on my hands) I went through the magazines cutting out anything that caught my eye. Since then I have occasionally got this folder out and used the cuttings to create cards for friends. It’s cheap, it’s personal and scores a LOT of brownie points!

I was really interested when I found out about Rosie Granger who has been making collages for six years. ‘I’ve always been a collector of interesting bits & bobs – pictures from newspapers & magazines, old labels, tickets, scraps of tissue-paper and lovely vintage paper…’ explains Rosie (to my delight!) ‘and I have a couple of books full of words I’ve ‘collected’ – lyrics, or passages from books & quotes which I use in my artwork’.

Her artwork has a real retro, nostalgic and idyllic feel to it. ‘I love the style of the ’40s and ’50s’ says Rosie. ‘The fashion, design and the music’. ‘And things of a quite utilitarian nature really capture my attention, so I often use pictures of vintage radios, telephones and clocks in my collages’.

Rosie came to Brighton in 1989 to study Art History at Sussex and, like many, stayed on in Brighton after graduating. At that time Rosie’s artwork took an illustrative style using pen & watercolour. She sold paintings & handmade cards through Brighton outlets and had a market stall once a week.

Rosie tells me how she gradually moved away from drawing and painting as a result of the demands of a young family. ‘I started making these collage-pieces about 6 years ago, as birthday cards for friends and family’ she explains ‘I think my two daughters have had an influence too, with butterflies, flowers and glitter also featuring, these days!’

Polly from ‘Cross Street Press’ (who I will also be featuring on the blog) encouraged Rosie to come up with a few collage pieces to frame and show alongside her lino-cuts. The originals and some Limited Edition giclee prints are on sale in Brighton in the Frame Factory www.frame-factory.co.uk where Rosie works part-time as a picture framer.

By Helen Ruff

Ooooh exciting! Do you remember Fimo? I used to love it! Moulding those coloured bits of plasticiny goodness, waiting for it to dry and then varnishing it! I also harbour a secret passion for cake and anything miniature such as dolls houses and dolls furniture… So imagine my excitement when I came across Mini Patisserie who like to make miniature food and turn it into jewellery!

The products include Marshmallow Flump Earrings, Banoffee Pie Necklace and the Jam Sandwich biscuit ring!

Alice runs the Mini Patisserie shop on Etsy and her sister Caroline makes all the miniature goodies. She has been making these sweet (in the cute sense) sweets for a couple of years since her neighbour commissioned her to make some small cakes for her daughter’s dolls for Christmas. Her passion for miniature startedwhen she was a child ‘I used to make small items for my Sylvanian Families and once I made a mini body shop with hundreds of little bottles of shampoo!’.

I asked Caroline how she comes up with her ideas and where she gets her inspiration. She tells me ‘I Google the word cake quite a lot’ and ‘I look in cake shops and take pictures of them when no-one’s looking’!!

Caroline, who is originally from Brighton, has followed her passion and is self taught in the design department. She has a ‘Master of Research’ degree in Genetics!

Her designs are sold via Etsy www.etsy.com/shop/itstimefortea and at the IO Gallery in the North Laines.

You can read the Mini Patisserie blog here http://minipatisserie.blogspot.com/ which details Mini Patisseries love of full size patisseries and they recommend some good Local places to visit for exceptional cakes (the pictures are mouth watering!)

By Helen Ruff

I came across Polly Sadourian Linocuts while browsing on the internet and I didn’t really know what a linocut was. I’m learning so much about design techniques!

Basically lino printing or lino cutting involves transferring a design onto a lino block. The block is then hand carved and the areas that remain are inked and printed onto fabric or paper.

Polly’s lino prints are sold as images to be framed and greetings cards. They feature all kinds of images – from hearts, to teacups, doves, tee shirts and socks! Polly tells me her ideas come from all kinds of sources and things catch her eye all the time – colour combinations, patterns in magazines, descriptions in books.

‘Films seem to contain lots of things that inspire me’ says Polly ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ had some lovely fabrics that gave me some good ideas for colour combinations and I saw Alice in Wonderland recently which gave me the idea for a new linocut ‘Curiouser & Curiouser’ which I’m working on at the moment’.

Polly is originally from an Art History background but has done practical courses along the way from adult education classes to the beginnings of a part-time degree in fine art. ‘Basically I just can’t get enough of making and have always been like that!’ she says.

Originally from Bethnal Green, South London Polly moved to Brighton with her husband 7 years ago. ‘I love the sea and the fact that everyone uses it – it can be a really wet and windy day but you’ll always get people down on the promenade just watching the waves’.

She goes onto explain more about her love for Brighton: ‘I love the vibrancy, particularly the North Laines where you see so many different types of people. It’s not unusual to see someone dressed as thought they’ve just walked out of the 1940’s in full 1940’s dress including a vintage bicycle’.

Polly sells her work through the Frame Factory in Sydney Street in the North Laines as well as through www.etsy.com/shop/CrossStreetPress?page=1

By Helen Ruff

The Baglady of Brighton revamps, revives, and recycles vintage fabrics, trimmings and odd bits and bobs to create unique and unusual bags, pouches and purses.

The ‘Baglady’ herself– designer & creator Katy Dormer (who is much more glamorous than she sounds!) fuses together an array of unusual textures and patterns in clashing colours. ‘Giving a new lease of life to old and almost new, means everything has a use and nothing gets wasted’ she says.

Materials are bonded together using traditional techniques such as weaving, quilting and embroidery.

On her website www.bagladyofbrighton.com she features different styles such as ‘Seaside Inspirations’ – these pieces take inspiration from Brighton seascapes. ‘The designs and textures evolve from observing the tidal ripples and the vibrant, moody colours of the sea’ says Katy.

The ‘vintage’ section features luxurious satins, lace and pretty floral prints.

‘Camp Kitty’ is a character that also features on Katy’s bags and purses so I asked her about her inspiration for this. ‘The kittys came about after I was given a box of whiskers cat treats for my cat Clyde’ she explains ‘He turned his nose up at them and instead of throwing the box away I thought the lid would make a great template and so it did!’

Katy explains that she scours charity shops for fabrics and is very lucky to have lots of great resources donated. ‘Its amazing what people hold onto because they love the colour, pattern or texture’ says Katy ‘it feels good to revive what’s been stuck in a cupboard for years!’

Katy grew up on the outskirts of St Ives in Cornwall, she studied Art in St Ives and Falmouth and Textiles in Farnham, finally moving to Brighton where ‘Baglady’ was born. ‘I started making a bag for my sister for a birthday present’ says Katy ‘she had a friend who loved it so I made another and so it started!’

I asked Katy how she came up with the fantastic name ‘Baglady’: ‘It popped into my head one day when I was having a sort out and caught myself laughing of the image of me headfirst in a bin bag rummaging for fabric to re use before it went in the bin!’

Katy tells me she has recently met knitwear designer Suzan Pearson through Brighton and Hove Chamber of commerce and they are in the process of setting up a design collective to share an open studio. She says she is looking forward to working with creatives from different disciplines.

The Baglady of Brighton’s studio is at 19 Montpelier Place, Brighton and appointments can be made by contacting Katy on 07747650795 or bagladyofbrighton@googlemail.com

Her work is also sold via Retail Therapy; 101 Gloucester rd, North Lain, Brighton and at a regular craft market on 1^st Saturday of every month at Friends Meeting House, Ship street, south lanes, Brighton

By Helen Ruff

Sarah Meredith has been dedicated to the art and craft of jewellery making since she was 16. After gaining a degree in metal work and jewellery design at Buckinghamshire University College, Meredith went on to work for various jewellery designers before starting her own jewellery business – ‘Rock Cakes’ in 2005.

Rock Cakes is home to an array of unusual and precious pieces. There is something for all ages, with cute silver ice cream cornet sundae pendants in the ‘Tuck Shop’ collection to an opulent black diamond ring in the ‘Grown up’ collection. Rock Cakes is no ‘run of the mill’ jewellers, it is extremely fun, and you are guaranteed to find a piece which is like no other.

My favourite collection is the ‘Proverbial’ collection. Based on everyday sayings, there are ‘In one ear and out the other’ earrings, consisting of two silver arrows, and ‘Every Cloud’ bracelets and necklaces – incredibly cute cloud shapes created from silver, linked together , with the option of diamonds for added sparkle.

With several collections, there really is something for everyone. The collections are fun and varied, with names such as ‘The Garden’ to ‘Brick a Brack’ to ‘Nightmares’! If there is something you are after which is not already listed, Rock Cakes welcomes commissions, and will create a piece of jewellery that really has your own stamp on it.

Meredith takes inspiration from her own surroundings, and can be found wandering around with her camera, looking for ideas that she can translate into jewellery. It is this ability to think outside the box which really makes her pieces stand out.

With a baby on the way (congrats!) Meredith is busy concentrating on Valentines Day, Halloween and Christmas pieces, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with. If you are looking for an engagement or wedding ring for a spouse, a cute necklace for a friend, something with studs and skulls for your kid brother’s birthday, an unusual pendant for yourself, or a sophisticated string of pearls for your Mum, then you can be sure to find just what you are looking for at Rock Cakes.

Hannah Bradbury

As the sunshine blazes through my double glazing I’m thinking perhaps it’s not the best time to be writing about woolly gloves but the story of Mouthy Mitts is great and now’s certainly the time to stock up on coffee sleeves or ipod socks!

Like many knitters, Jennifer Westwood was taught at an early age by her Grandmother and has been hooked ever since. ‘As a teenager I was forever knitting backless jumpers and sleeveless polo-necks for myself’ she tells me. ‘I’ve just always done it – partly ‘cos I’m such a fidget and can’t sit and do nothing!’

The idea for Mouthy Mitts came from a Radio 4 programme that Jennifer didn’t even hear! It was about a stallholder at Camden Market who was explaining what a happy life she had – knitting and selling her wares and enjoying the friendships and banter of market life. Jennifer’s husband told her about it and suggested she knitted items for sale. She liked the idea of a ‘portfolio career’ that fitted around her studies and family commitments.

‘It needed to be something relatively quick to produce and something that you can’t find on the high street’ explains Jennifer. She decided on fingerless mittens/gloves because they’re perfect size wise and they can be worn Spring, Autumn and Winter. The emoticon design is a digital look that lends itself to custom orders ‘which you can’t get in Primark’ quips Jennifer. ‘I love customers having their own ideas – one man who works outside on his laptop wanted a pair with « apple » across the left hand with a nerd on the right. Another customer wanted a heart and an anchor added to a pair of tattoo inspired LOVE/HATE mittens’.

The mittens are knitted in the round on 4 needles so you end up with a single tube which gives a really snug fit and smooth shape as there are no seams. This led onto the coffee cozies which are knitted in exactly the same way and have been popular on Etsy. Jennifer also makes cafetiere cozies. The emoticon design runs consistently through all the products as does the opportunity to choose colour/design as this is what differentiates the handmade from the high-street.

Jennifer’s products are sold via Etsy www.etsy.com/shop/mouthymitts and 90+% of her Etsy sales are to the States. ‘I love the idea that my mittens are being worn in New York and California’ says Jennifer ‘I even sent a pair to Thailand a couple of weeks ago’.

‘As for the future’ says Jennifer ‘going back to the stallholder in Camden Market, I’d love the idea of a stall, where I can sit and knit (and sell) all day so if anyone’s got a space, let me know ’

By Helen Ruff

As well as being an exhibiting artist, working at the Brighton Artist Residence and jetting between Brighton and his ancestral homeland of the Philippines to draw inspiration from his multi-ethnic background, Jeffrey Cervantes manages to fit in studying critical fine art at the University of Brighton.

Check out his website/blog/twitter/facebook for updates on what he’s doing now – Jeffrey has clearly embraced wholeheartedly the cult of DIY celebrity – or head down to the Artists Residence in Regency Square to see (and possibly stay in) his work.

I was able to fit into his busy schedule and grab a quick interview for The Brighton Collective thanks to the modern magic that is e-mail.

Hi Jeffrey. Is there no end to your creative skill? Painting, illustration, video, photography, poetry, sculpture, interior design… you seem to do it all.

To me, all of the mediums are connected in some way. If I take a photograph I feel I could progress it towards a painting, or towards an illustration or even a sculpture depending on which medium will parallel the concept I want to portray. If the concept seems strong enough, I may create poetry triggered from it and possibly use all the mediums to create a video.

Do you have a current preference?

I suppose my current preference is wood engraving. At the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 I travelled to the Philippines to explore more about the culture, and there wood carving and wood engraving is a tradition and a craft. I feel that experimenting and exploring wood engraving is my personal way of regaining identity. It’s an art form which I am really curious about, and currently I feel like I’m still discovering it – compared to the highly skilled Filipinos who can sculpt and carve, I’m just exploring. But it’s just such a huge fascination to me. Philippine woodcarving has a very long tradition, some carvings are merely decorative, but many have symbolic meaning.

In my woodcarving I’ve been trying to explore the qualities of wood – the layers, grain and just the effect that mark has on it, so I guess it feels like I’m exploring (in a way) the concept of identity… having layers upon layers and grains within the wood.

Does your Filipino heritage have a great impact upon your art?

Yes. I was born in the UK, in Aylesbury, but my childhood was a mixture of English and Filipino culture, so I describe my upbringing as ‘halo-halo’ – ‘halo’ means mix in Filipino*. Religion and the importance of ethics really played a huge role in the Filipino household, it wasn’t strict, but it definitely influenced me. Growing up I really questioned my own identity, which my parents really supported me in, and I began my exploration into the history and politics of the Philippines.

Having knowledge of both sides makes me question and investigate social and cultural topics. I feel that’s what drives my current work. For a few years my investigation was more about exploring “belonging”. My recent work was more about exploring the effect globalisation and migration has had on second generation Filipinos born within the UK. I’ve been in constant exploration in the idea of identity – I’m really interested in identity and the formation of it, be it genetic or socially determined.

*[Halo-halo is also a popular Filipino dessert. It’s basically a mixture of sweet preserved beans (red beans, chick peas), coconut meat (macapuno), jackfruit (langka), pounded dried rice (pinipig), sweet yam (ube), cream flan (leche flan), shreds of sweetened plantain (saba), filled with crushed ice, milk (or coconut milk), and topped with ice cream. It’s amazingly colourful, and looks like something out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Google image it!]

So I hear you’re involved with the Artist Residence, an artist-run urban hotel that offers unique ‘art themed’ rooms in the centre of Brighton. Have you designed a room there?

I currently work at the Artist Residence, which I thoroughly enjoy. In June 2009 I designed the ‘Private Room’ which had my line illustrations on the walls and ceilings. There was a lot of colour, and it was a very loose illustration.

But, after constant visits to my work, I began to realise the importance of space and art, and at the end of 2009 I felt it wasn’t succeeding very well as it was very overpowering so I completely redesigned the room. In February 2010 it was repainted to create a more slick and stylish theme and now it’s entirely monochrome.

I believe combining the visual arts within your stay in Brighton is a necessity as we all know Brighton is full of creativity and inspiration.

By Amy Sandiford-Watts

Check out Jeffrey Cervantes online at: http://jeffreycervantes.com/

Look out for his open air exhibition in collaboration with the Waterfront Gallery (Brighton) this summer and the Artist Residence’s Open Hotel in the Brighton Fringe Festival during May and June.