Tatty Devine Workshop & Book Signing

On Saturday 12th November, a lovely sunny day, Rosie and Harriet from Tatty Devine came to Soma to host a jewellery making workshop and book signing.



It was really busy and loads of people came wearing their Tatty Devine jewellery!

People making their rosettes.







A happy customer with her finished rosette!



Lahloo Tea provided the refreshments and their Earl Grey and Peppermint teas went down a storm. As did the clementine drizzle cake they brought along! We also had some fun cat cakes made by my sister, who is a massive Tatty Devine fan!

Lahloo have recently opened Lahloo Pantry, a cafe and shop just around the corner from us where they sell their beautiful teas as well as very tasty food. They're definitely well worth a visit when you come and visit us!

The workshop was in aid of the new book Tatty Devine have just brought out, 'How to Make Jewellery with Tatty Devine' and the rosette brooch everyone was making is one of the projects. You can buy the book on our website here. Harriet signing a book below.



We've been selling Tatty Devine jewellery almost as long as we've been open, so they're amongst our longest standing artists!

You can buy Tatty Devine jewellery on our website here.
More photos on Flickr here.
Read Tatty Devine's account of the event on their blog here.

Tatty Devine Workshop at Soma

Tatty Devine Workshop Saturday 12th November 2pm - 4pm 

Rosie Wolfenden and Harriet Vine, the ladies behind Tatty Devine will be coming to Soma on Saturday 12th November to host a rosette making workshop! They will be signing copies of their new book, 'How to Make Jewellery with Tatty Devine' and teaching you to make a classic Tatty Devine rosette, one of the projects in the book. We will be holding this workshop in our first floor space.

There will be tasty cakes and refreshments to keep you going provided by Lahloo Tea! Plus some extra special cakes provided by Bristol's biggest Tatty Devine fan, my sister!

We first started selling Tatty Devine jewellery in Soma in 2005 and they've been really popular ever since! Do keep this date in your diary!

View Tatty Devine jewellery on our website here 

Go to the Facebook event page here

Soma for Not Another Bill

I was asked by Ned from Not Another Bill to put together the October mailout. For those who haven't heard of Not Another Bill before, it's a fantastic idea by Ned Corbett-Winder, a subscription service where you get a surprise present in the post every month. Each month is produced by a different creative or group of creatives.



I asked Bristol based illustrators Tom Frost and Peskimo to each produce a print and a badge for the packs and Glasgow based Lesley Barnes to design a tote. Each pack contained a print, a badge and a tote.

Both Tom Frost and Peskimo hand printed theirs - which was no mean feat! Tom's (pictured above) is a two colour silkscreen print on reclaimed card and numbered using a pin perforating machine and Peskimo's (pictured below) is a three colour silkscreen print. These prints were specially commissioned for Not Another Bill and not available anywhere else!



Lesley's tote was silkscreened in Cornwall on 100% organic tote bags using environmentally friendly inks. It features the great creatures she has designed for us. She designed the dancing bear tote that we sell in Soma and you can see the bear in the middle of this design.



You can see more work by Peskimo here, by Tom Frost here and by Lesley Barnes here.

And you can visit Not Another Bill here.

Pack Rat by Crispin Finn Exhibition

Last Friday we had the preview of Crispin Finn's new exhibition at Soma, 'Pack Rat'.

The term Pack Rat refers to people who engage in the excessive acquisition of possessions, even if the items are worthless.

For their 'Pack Rat' show they've created a set of prints in their trade mark red, white and blue based on their fascination with collecting inspired from items within their archive. These prints aim to make the ephemeral momentarily more permanent, examine the beauty of vernacular design and draw to attention how the everyday is worthy of wall space.



Alongside the prints they are showing t-shirts, notepads, greeting cards and other items designed by them, all in red, white and blue!





Crispin Finn is a small, London based design partnership. Founded and run by Anna Fidalgo - a graphic designer and Roger Kelly - a fine artist, their shared love of screenprinting, stationery and vernacular design inspired them to collaborate and develop their trademark style.

Working predominantly in red, white and blue, a restriction they initially set themselves in order to hand produce simple and affordable designs, the colour scheme has become part of the Crispin Finn identity.



The exhibition runs until 13th November.

View more photos of the exhibition here

View prints from the exhibition plus other items by Crispin Finn here

20% off magazines online during October

Throughout October we are offering a very generous 20% discount on magazines and books online. We have quite an extensive range of back issues and it's time to clear some of them out! We have Eye, 3x3, Varoom, iDN, and Anorak amongst others. To claim your discount, use the code HAPPYMAGAZINE at the checkout. This offer can only be used on books and magazines.

Next Exhibition: Crispin Finn at Soma

We're really pleased to announce our next exhibition featuring Crispin Finn.

Pack Rat 1/10/11 - 13/11/11 
A series of prints by Crispin Finn at Soma Gallery. 

The term Pack Rat refers to people who engage in the excessive acquisition of possessions, even if the items are worthless.

Crispin Finn love collecting all sorts of objects and ephemera from continental toothpicks to a vernacular beach bat & ball design, most of it being everyday and ephemeral, but all of it curious, clever or beautiful in some way. Filling shelves and cupboards of home and studio this mass grows daily as they come across the interesting within the quotidian.

The apparent cross overs between the areas of acquiring, selecting, organising, and obsessive compulsive behaviour are all themes that have inspired their show at Soma.

For their 'Pack Rat' show they've created a set of prints in their trade mark red, white and blue based on their fascination with collecting inspired from items within their archive. These prints aim to make the ephemeral momentarily more permanent, examine the beauty of vernacular design and draw to attention how the everyday is worthy of wall space.

The preview evening will be on Friday 30th September, so please do come along if you're in Bristol!

View work by Crispin Finn here.

New Donna Wilson for Autumn/Winter 2011

We have just received some fantastic new products from Donna Wilson. Above is her new Owl and Pussycat round cushion which is available in 3 colourways.



Big Ted and Wilbur are new creatures by Donna Wilson. Big Ted is pretty big!



The House scarf is also new and comes in 3 colourways. It's really wide and cosy and will keep your neck snug when it gets cold!




We also have a load of gloves, wrist warmers and mittens from Donna for when the weather gets chilly! All beautifully designed and knitted in Scotland from super soft lambswool.

You can view all these items on Donna Wilson's page our website here.