Styling The Seasons June part one

Another month and the challenge moves on to see how to represent the change in seasons. It's only the beginning of June so I feel I may have another Styling The Seasons photo or two in me for later in the month.  For now though, I have a few looks which seem to represent how I feel at the beginning of this month. June.

Every season I have a favourite flower, one that I think, yes, this is my favourite of them all. So when I saw this gigantic foxglove in the hedgerow, I simply had to bring it home. I have always loved foxgloves, there's something fairy like about them, very unconventional in their blossoms.

Very close by were some giant poppies, so they came home too.

For some reason we expect that as soon as June starts the weather should be good. In the UK we never learn. So far, we have had some good days, and we have also had some freakishly bad days too, without any rhyme or reason.

Ive done a bit of decorating and changing things around, so decided to do away with the dark red walls which I painted for Christmas and go back to some neutrals again, using Annie Sloan Chalk Paints of course. 

Styling The Seasons this month of June also has a sponsor, that being the incredibly stylish furniture company Loaf  so a big thank you to them for spurring us on to create some images that represent the month.  As we have actually had a hail storm at the end of May, terrible gail force winds and bright clear hot sun shiney days, all in short succession, I decided to keep the ice skates hanging on their hook next to my sun hat as a joke.  (I actually bought these in a Swedish charity shop just because they are cute despite being a bit heavy to bring back.

This time next week I will have just returned from Blogtacular and Ive also got some fun photos to do featuring cushions and cocktail glasses #lovemyjob !

At Mine

This is likely to the the first of many posts about a new on-line community called "at(mine)" because Im really quite excited about it.

Previously the At Mine website was an invite only place where members post snapshots of their own homes and tag the sources of their style. It gives an insight into people and the brands they use to style their own homes.

The idea is great for people like me who seek inspiration for ideas and also style to inspire other people with how their homes look.
My profile is http://www.atmine.com/janice_issitt if you click on this you may be asked to sign up first. 

my lounge sofa with skulls from Brocant Antique and other globally collected items

Ive photographed a few homes of friends and always felt they should be sharing their style as each is different and unique, with some areas of common interests, but the finished look is vastly different.


I took these photos at my friend Shehla's house, she cleverly mixes antique Indian pieces with French and Swedish styles. Shehla has a lovely collection of different china, like Pip Studio and Burleigh.

Shehla has several old Indian doors which have been fitted into her home in the UK

A lovely French vintage feel to Shehla's utility area. Moroccan earthenware sits completely comfortably
with French enamelware. 

Shehla's coffee table is an old Indian cart. The candle stand is from Holy Cow Home 

The thing thats ties us together, as enthusiasts for how our homes look, is finding unique and unusual pieces, and because we take such pride in putting the look together, this site will be the perfect showcase for our talents.

The site launched to the public a few days ago so please go and check it out, there are also categories for Styling The Seasons and Urban Jungle Bloggers. If you want to snoop into other peoples homes then this is the place for you. 

Also find me and At Mine on Instagram. 

Burleigh at Middleport Pottery

On my return from Heswall this week we managed to get to Stoke-On-Trent half an hour before the shop at Burleigh closed.  Phew, just in time for some photos and purchases.

If you haven't heard of Burleigh, or Burgess and Leigh, then I bet you have seen their famous range of china ware called Asiatic Pheasant.

We were too late to take the factory tour but the shop selling 'seconds' was the destination this time.  Set in its original building in Burslem its like stepping back in time. This area is currently receiving some regeneration and the back to back houses surrounding Burleigh are waiting renovation so there are lots of abandoned buildings and factories around here. 

The buildings here are totally authentic and the same as they were 150 years ago.

In the 'seconds' shop the wares are slightly imperfect and thus reflected in the price. To the untrained eye you wouldn't know there was anything wrong. 

I can't recommend that there is anything much to do around this area so my best advice is to pop there while on route to somewhere else, its very close to the motorway so not too much of a diversion.

I hope to go back for the factory tour next time I go up to Heswall and will take lots of photos then Im sure.

The china comes in a variety of pretty colours and Asiatic Pheasant is not only in pale blue but also pink, purple and green.  It looks really good mixed and matched.

To see their website click here where you can read more about the history of such a great British company. 

Instagram photography and floral styling.

I've become such a mahoosive fan of Instagram of late, I guess because its more about pictures than words. My brain is clearly one which responds to visual stimulation, being obsessed with how my house looks, and by that I don't mean neat and tidy, quite the opposite.  I love colour, detail, interesting objects from every era, creating a visual story.  Taking photos and mood shots for myself and others gives me the excuse to hoard, what I call 'props' and have even managed to convince the other half that I need all these 'props' for photos.  Even shoes become props! Darling I need them for a photo idea ...

So maybe its time to talk about photography. My history with a camera goes back to 1978, so you could say that Ive been married to one most of my life, just upgrading now and then.  My first SLR was a Pentax Spotmatic F, fully manual.  I shot on film and printed in a darkroom, oh, how things have changed. 

Without going too far down memory lane, lets jump to now. My latest love is my Canon 5D Mkii. I have two lenses, one zoom and one fixed. This camera is great at shooting in low light and chosen because I hate studio lights and artificial lighting.  Using just a folding reflector to bounce and direct light at times. 

My most recent purchase was a 100mm fixed macro lens which I bought second hand on e-bay.  It is a bit risky buying on ebay, I did once buy a camera body for my step-daughter which totally didn't work, luckily e-bay refunded but it did spoil her birthday surprise. 

Its a shame that camera shops have disappeared, my nearest one is quite some distance.

One thing about Instagram is its format for square photos, having always arranged and shot for old school oblong format either portrait or landscape. Its taken me a few weeks but now Im finding that I arrange and set up for the square format as it works better on social media. 

My drive for taking photos almost daily has been set with Instagram challenges which I have talked about before. And sometimes when I think the subject is out of my comfort zone, I surprise myself. It really keeps you on your toes, plus there are so many brilliant photographers there to aspire too.  I have won some challenges and competitions recently and it is such a thrill to be featured by great taste makers and style setters. 

Next week Im off for a flower styling course I won, so will be bursting to tell you about that. 

  

Making mood boards is a great way to try colour and texture combinations. Flowers usually feature as the colours of nature are the most inspiring and often the most vivid. Move in closer to see the detail and you will see things you never noticed before, I never really liked Ranunculas until I started photographing them.

This Graphite chalk paint background is the perfect muse for pinks and purples.

A lot of my background colours are using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, some of them are left over pieces from my Painters In Residence project.  

Mobile phone cameras are now remarkably good and I believe that its this that has encouraged a lot of women to take up photography.  I would encourage anyone who finds themselves taking more photos on their phone to think about moving onto a basic DSLR like the Nikon D60 or D90.  

My other tip is don't be lazy, don't just snap from where you stand or sit, get up, bend down, move the right distance away.  Think about the angle and how it changes the perspective.  A table wont look like a table if you shoot it from a standing position, get it at eye level so the legs don't warp. The beauty about digital photography is that you can take hundreds of pics and then go through them on the computer to see which works, a good learning curve.  

Ive met a few interior photographers who say that when they go to shoot homes, whilst the homes look beautiful to the naked eye, they don't always look so great on camera.  Hence why every part of my house looks like its been set up for a photo or a shop display, I just can't help myself. What this has taught me as an interior designer is that you don't need an impressive mansion, my home is very modest small roomed house with no period features but you wouldn't notice that if you came round, with your eyes distracted every which way with crazy colours and objects.

To join in on challenges and competitions just look out for the hashtag # followed by subjects like - my still sunday - capturing colour - gathered style - by arrangement - floral friday - my monday moodboard - this joyful moment - styling the seasons.

I actually have my own one #farfromthemaddingcrowd  where you post a photo and tag me @janiceissitt_life_style with a pic that shows your interpretation of "Far From The Madding Crowd". Please do find me and join in, theres a paperback copy of the book for the winner. I should also mention what a wonderful community it is on Instagram.  If you follow the right people you will not be bombarded with pouting selfies, but lovely insights into creative souls who support each other. Find your likeminded doppelganger who is residing on the other side of the world, the girl in Amsterdam who shares your love of tattoos and clogs, the mum in America who also collects Dala Horses and Swedish folky stuff, they are all out there through this portal called an App.  Modern life eh, its not so bad.

See you next week after Ive been to London for my prize of Syling Spring At Mine.

Styling Spring At Mine and Styling The Seasons

Hello and welcome April. I've so enjoyed the blossoming garden particularly photographing flowers and have treated myself to a new lens for my camera, a 100mm macro for super close-up work.  Joining with Apartment Apothecary and Lobster and Swan on their challenge to show how you style your home for the seasons.

Heres some that Ive done recently and I shall add more to the post as the days pass and new blooms appear.

Against my Aubusson chalk paint wall and with this Bitossi vase.

Using my latest car boot treasures, watering can as vase against Graphite chalk paint wall.

I bought a few of the outdoor pots inside for a while.  Books are a great way to get height in your displays

this is a collage made inside a copper bottomed box from Holy Cow Home

a small pleasing arrangement of green themed items to make a pleasing collage

my latest little collection of Observer books are not only interesting but look good. 

gardening has begun

Holy Cow !!! is H.O.M.E.

Recently I've been following my passion for Antique eastern furniture and sourcing with my friends for a new shop opening soon in Aylesbury Bucks. The shop will sell everything that is beautiful for your home, its fair trade, recycled and re-purposed with a super cool colonial scandi shabby edge. Its fusion man !

Hope you like my photos and styling and if you find Holy Cow Home on facebook you can arrange to purchase some of these items for yourself.  I shall be inviting you all to the shop opening as well.