Claire Laraine The Blog

ordinary life is beautiful enough

2011-09-14T16:56:00.002+01:00

I know that ordinary life is beautiful enough.
I know that there are un-touched and wild places
I know they are all already there
within my reach
they are here
between my breaths
they are the invisible moments
I am learning to see.

[she]

2011-08-11T22:11:00.001+01:00

look at yourself with kind eyes

2011-06-21T17:19:00.000+01:00

Brighton Stories...

2011-06-07T22:43:00.003+01:00

A Grateful Heart

2011-05-23T22:34:00.002+01:00

what are you grateful for today?

BEHOLD SEEING BEAUTY IN ORDINARY PLACES

2011-05-17T22:37:00.003+01:00

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful we must carry it with us or we find it not. Ralph Waldo Emerson

copper bound.

2011-05-14T23:52:00.003+01:00

Don't Hide

2011-05-13T23:17:00.005+01:00

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. Maya Angelou

letting myself be seen

2011-05-10T10:11:00.007+01:00

week 3. this week was an exploration of movement. with movement comes the moment before and the moment after...its opposite; the stillness. And it was in these moments of movement and stillness that I let myself be seen. I found my inner child in cartwheels and rope swings, the dormant adventurer climbing trees and running down sand dunes. And in these snapshots I see myself a contradiction. I see energy and quiet. freedom and vulnerability. I see playfulness and tenderness. acceptance and curiosity. I see the searching and the holding back. myself stripped bare and myself hiding. I see myself realising the smallness of my 'self' and the little stories I am made of and the stories around me that I am connected to.

CREATIVITY BECOMES YOU: the search for more

2011-05-08T11:38:00.008+01:00

search for more. everywhere. inside everything. every corner of life, every discovery, every moment. where do you see magic, what do you find beautiful, how do you capture those things that speak to your soul. what are the stories you want to tell. don't skim the surface, look deeper, search for more.

singing my own song louder

2011-05-06T23:01:00.002+01:00

(this is a message) to my fears: I know I am bigger than you are (but you are small enough to live inside me still) I know what you look like and I know where you hide (I am learning to see past you) you want me to keep my stories quiet (but I know now that its ok to let the truth of them be shared) Yes, I can hear your whispers (but I am singing my own song louder) Actually, I need you to help me grow (and I am, slowly and imperfectly) Sometimes I wish I was fearless (but then nothing would ever feel like an achievement) I think we have an understanding now (you know your place and I know your purpose)

BEHOLD SEEING BEAUTY IN ORDINARY PLACES

2011-04-29T20:32:00.002+01:00

The recipe for beauty is to have less illusion and more soul. Mary Baker Eddy

The Camera & the Unseen

2011-04-26T18:37:00.001+01:00

week one: This week was about turning the camera on myself. At first I was apprehensive, shy around myself, fixed on capturing the 'perfect' image (and once I'd created it, I had to share it with the world - I'm at that place where I am trying to open up and start to project my truth, even if its a little bit scary). I reminded myself to smile, breathe, go slowly. The week moved on and so did I, in ways that I wasn't prepared for. I began to forgive the camera for making 'mistakes' in fact I realised the images I loved most were the accidents, the unexpected, the unseen parts. I started to see myself, my habitat, my tribe with new eyes, from new angles and fun perspectives. I welcomed chance and nurtured possibility. I started to question it all and let it unravel. And somewhere along the way my fears became blurred and I found myself sort of suspended, in a place in between. This week I turned the camera on myself and have learned to embrace the vulnerable and un-told parts, in all their flawed and imperfect beauty.

Wading In

2011-04-20T18:51:00.008+01:00

This week I signed up to a great online course run by Vivienne McMaster called, Wading In: Dipping Our Toes into Self Portraiture. Its been great to connect with like minded souls and be gently guided through the journey. I am just at the start now, but will keep you updated as more photos emerge! You can see more here.

CREATIVITY BECOMES YOU: this is everything

2011-04-15T18:26:00.001+01:00

Creativity is more. Creativity is a philosophy. It is the way you lead your life. It lives within. It is not separate. It nestles invisibly between the everyday, a seamless patchwork of yourself. You do not control it. It controls you. This is everything.

I want to live inside this

2011-04-12T09:06:00.002+01:00

Atlas Hands by Benjamin Francis Leftwich

sneak peek (little secrets I've been working on....available online soon!)

2011-04-11T20:45:00.006+01:00

some more little snippets of all the lovelies that are to come... I can't wait to get all those scrabble tile necklaces listed in the shop, can you!? Please leave your thoughts and comments below, I'd love to read them...

BEHOLD SEEING BEAUTY IN ORDINARY PLACES

2011-04-09T08:28:00.001+01:00

The absence of flaw in beauty is itself a flaw. Havelock Ellis

sneak peek (little secrets I've been working on....available online soon!)

2011-04-07T19:26:00.004+01:00

Scrabble tile pendant necklaces...more to come soon!

Project Your Truth

2011-04-05T21:20:00.002+01:00

I am teaching myself to...
stop holding back. be the keeper of my own temple. remember what I am made of. live deep and not skim the surface of life. turn toward the mystery. trust in the changes. lay myself bare (sometimes). project my truth. not to hide. keep faith in the logical. dance in the puddles. trust in the faith cocooned. What are you teaching yourself?

CREATIVITY BECOMES YOU: turn away from boredom

2011-04-02T20:20:00.003+01:00

Don’t be still. Answer the whispers. Look beyond. Search for more. Turn away from boredom. Create. Build stepping stones, bridge the void between where you are and where you want to be. Look for creative opportunity in the seemingly ‘empty’ moments before boredom finds you.

what will happen when the memories don't know how to draw themselves anymore?

2011-03-29T23:00:00.004+01:00

CREATIVITY BECOMES YOU: folding into the process

2011-03-27T11:05:00.007+01:00

Forget about the end product for a while, give into the enjoyment of the journey. Let ideas come to you when they are ready, let them grow as they will. Connect. Embrace the mistakes, follow the natural rhythms. Experiment. It will take you over, steal the hours. Fold into the process. All of creativity lingers there.

BEHOLD SEEING BEAUTY IN ORDINARY PLACES

2011-03-26T10:00:00.005Z

Beauty and sadness always go together. Nature thought beauty too rich to go forth upon the earth without a meet alloy. George MacDonald

sneak peek (little secrets I've been working on....available online soon!)

2011-03-24T20:38:00.008Z

corsage; silk, cotton, paper

bracelet; fabric wrapped beads

oversize corsage; fabric, ribbon, paper

CREATIVITY BECOMES YOU: it is something felt

2011-03-21T23:35:00.001Z

Living creatively is not always a choice. Sometimes it is something deep inside of you that won’t settle. Can’t settle, until it finds its way out. It is something felt. Something glimpsed. With no name. But there it is, where it has always been, chattering in your mind, tugging at your insides, tickling your fingertips until you listen. Birth it. Nurture it. Hold it gently. Send it into the world around you.

BEHOLD SEEING BEAUTY IN ORDINARY PLACES

2011-03-20T11:00:00.007Z

those who look for beauty find it.

It started with a letter...

2011-03-15T17:19:00.003Z

Kate Morton is one of my favourite authors. Not so long ago I lent my lovely sister my most favourite book, The House at Riverton and in return she gave me me this, the new novel - The Distant Hours. (and informed me I must let her read it when I am finished!)

My copy of The House at Riverton was given to me by a friend who knew I'd love it, and it has since been passed around to like minded people who have read and loved it and needed to share it. I love it when a book does this. This is what they are for.

The thing that reaches out to me most in Kate Morton's stories is that they have a way of weaving lives together, spanning generations, speaking of secrets and the connectedness of it all. Its something that has always fascinated me and often inspires my work. Lifetimes and their memories, the spaces and the un-told parts, the history I am intrinsically connected to and the history I am blindly drawing.

Find these books. Read them.

"For it is said, you know, that a letter will always seek a reader; that sooner or later, like it or not, words have a way of finding the light, of making their secrets known" Kate Morton

http://www.wthanchashop.com

2011-03-10T00:57:00.008Z

I have recently returned from a few months in South East Asia, where I volunteered at an NGO called the Cambodian Handicraft Association. This project is nestled right in the heart of the country's capital city, Phnom Penh and supports disabled young women in gaining employment. The organisation offers the Polio and landmine survivors the opportunity to learn a new skills base in handicrafts, tailoring, weaving and running a small business.

The experience was life changing for me, I heard so many sad stories and made real connections despite the language barrier, I was continually amazed by the strength of spirit inside these young women and the country as a whole.

I will continue to support this project in any way I can and will nurture the memories forever.

Parisian Dreams

2009-05-26T16:17:00.002+01:00

We've started listing our new range of 'Parisian Dreams' scrabble tile pendants in our Etsy shop, new pendants being added everyday, at just £3.70 /$6.00 how can you resist!?

The Kooky Clucthes

2009-04-15T11:07:00.001+01:00

It's been a while since our last post, but we're back with these fun clutches, perfect for spring/summer.

In search of the whimsical, the playful and the kitsch, these clutches demand that you don't take yourself too seriously and break away from the masses. In colours that good enough to eat there are 5 different designs, measuring 15cm in width at the top of the frame, approx 20cm in width at the bottom and 10 cm in height. Fully lined with heavy weight interlining, they feel good too. Perfectly sized for your wallet, mobile phone and for grabbing when you're on the run, in pursuit of some fun!

These are available to buy NOW...

Alt Fashion Magazine

2008-11-30T14:22:00.003Z

(click picture to enlarge)

Our 'Art on a tile' pendant has been featured in Alt Fashion magazine's December issue. Along with lots of other fab items ,our pendant is one of their favourite items this season. THANKS ALTFASHION!!

New Photos

2008-11-22T19:09:00.011Z

We've been having fun and taken some new photos of some of our favourite products, We will be adding this little animation to the gallery on our main website soon too

Art on a tile

2008-10-13T19:24:00.005+01:00

Wear a mini work of art! We've been busy making these beautiful, collaged scrabble tiles, and transforming them into unique necklaces. Made from beautiful found papers and mahogany scrabble tiles, no two pendants are the same. Each pendant hangs on a length of ribbon from a silver plated bail and the scrabble letter is visible on the back.

The 'midnight blue' range below, is stunningly beautiful, with simple imagery in a sophisticated colour scheme.

This range of pendants are totally unique and cannot be reproduced. With Christmas just around the corner, what a great gift for that special someone who likes to have something a bit different, they also make a great little stocking filler! All these pendants are available to buy online in the Claire Laraine shop from just £4.25.

Adorn yourself!

2008-09-19T15:15:00.014+01:00

Funkify your fingers with these beautiful rings we are currently working on. Feel privileged as we give you a sneak peak of what is to come!

This ring has been lovingly handmade using a colourful piece of 'found' fabric, trapped behind a glass pebble. The best bit is this sliver plated ring base is adjustable, so you can be sure it will fit you! We will be adding many more in the next few weeks, so come by and check them out, every ring will be completely different and truely unique and special.

To celebrate this, we will be giving away this lovely ring, yes - giving away, to one lucky blog reader! This is running in conjuction with our Partners in Crime blog, so to enter all you have to do is follow this link (http://clairelaraine-partnersincrime.blogspot.com/search/label/give%20aways) and leave a comment, one lucky winner will be selected at random and announced on 30th September. If you're the lucky winner you must email us with your details and we will pop your ring in the post!

Pretty Pendants

2008-09-19T15:15:00.013+01:00

As well as making beautiful rings from 'found' fabrics and card/paper, we are busy making lovely little necklace charms too. Each charm will come with a co-ordinating ribbon to tie and they make the perfect christmas present for someone special. These will be available to buy in our online shop soon, join our mailing list to be notified!

Give your gifts gorgeously!

2008-09-14T15:51:00.006+01:00

We've got our hands on some beautiful unwanted wallpaper samples that were just crying out to be loved and needed. So, we've turned them into fabulous gift bags. The bags are finished off nicely with a ribbon handle and are perfect for putting small gifts inside. Every time you make a purchase from Claire Laraine you can opt to have your item sent to you with one of these bags for just 50p more! As you might already know we love the idea of re-using, and hope that you will pass on your little bag to someone else next time you give a gift, just imagine how far these little lovelies might travel, spreading the re-new and re-use vibe as it goes!

We will soon be adding sets of gift bags to our online shop for you to buy and wrap up your little gifts for your friends, just in time for christmas too!
These bags are made using Cole & Son wallpaper sample sheets, but keep coming back and checking our website for more !

An interivew with 5erg

2008-08-31T19:25:00.004+01:00

Silja from 5erg has featured us on her blog, she had some great questions to ask us, you can click here to read the interview.

Butterfly Whispers

2008-08-19T18:11:00.006+01:00

Butterfly whispers are beautiful little handmade tags with small words of wisdom taken from poetry I have written. There are currently six, but more are to be added to the collection soon. We have made these butterfly whispers into a facebook application, so you can send little tags to your friends to brighten up their day. Click on the post title to be taken to the application page. I hope you enjoy looking at these little lovelies as much as I enjoyed creating them."you are under the spell of the soul catcher"

"happiness is a butterfly"

"be the dancer in the dark"

"listen to the little messages your heart whispers"

"may your dreams carry you away"

"behold seeing beauty in ordinary places"

More Mirrors!

2008-08-17T18:29:00.003+01:00

Two new additions to our lovely mirror range coming to our online store very soon - http://www.clairelaraine.com

Matchbook notebooks

2008-08-07T21:44:00.010+01:00

In between featuring other fab designers and crafters over at Partners in Crime, we have also been busy making these stationary items, a little set of three matchbook notebooks.

We love them, and think you will too! In yummy shades of chocolate, orange and lime, who could resist such a delicious summery treat!

Each booklet measures 5x8cm and has 20 -25 pages of good quality paper inside, two books have cream paper and the third has white paper. Each notebook has been secured using a large, contemporary brad to match the card, and gives them a sophisticated edge! Each notebook has a different patterned cover and they look gorgeous all together. So I have decided that these will be little bundles of booklets!

A set of 3, tied together with ribbon, makes a perfect little present, or treat yourself to something scrumptious to keep in your handbag, great for your little scribbles, important notes or maybe a very stylish shopping list! You can get yours right now in my etsy stop!

PARTNERS IN CRIME

2008-08-04T00:44:00.008+01:00

I will soon be doing regular features where I will be showcasing all you other great designers and crafters out there, this new section is very nearly up and running, why not go take a look - and if you're interested in becoming a Partner in Crime, just let me know: criminals@clairelaraine.com

New Lovelies . . .

2008-08-01T20:54:00.007+01:00

The Mirrors have arrived!

Look at them.......mmmm................which one is YOUR favourite!? These fun and funky pocket mirrors arrived today. I had them handmade and my designs printed onto them for me at a great Etsy shop called PromosInASnap, and I am very very pleased with them. They measure 2.25 inch and have a very glossy finish. I will be making a felt pouch that will come with a pocket mirror when purchased to keep it nice and safe. I will be adding them onto my website very soon, but you can find them in my Etsy shop now, cllick on the link on the left hand side of the page. Feel free to leave your comments, I'd love to know what you think!

You can choose your favourite colour pouch, black, hot pink, bright green.

The pyramids are back!

2008-07-25T14:12:00.003+01:00

Check out our website to see all of the lovely pyramid purses we've been busy making. We love them because they combine fun and function This quirky shaped purse is perfect for keeping your pennies safe and looks great too - its bound to attract attention! Its also ideal for keeping your handbag tidy, put in all those little bits that always fall to the bottom of your bag and get lost forever more! With so many colours and patterns, there is one for everyone. The inside fabric is just as delicious too, but you won't get to see that until you unzip it in person - we like little surprises! We are happy to announce that you can purchase a selection of 5 of the purses at Joli Handmade (http://www.joliehandmade.com/) who have described these as "this summers hottest accessory".

Here we are!

2008-07-20T22:32:00.000+01:00

We've eventaully joined the world of blogging and although we are new to all this, we vow to keep this updated with all things fun and lovely and handmade! We always love to hear your comments and views, so don't be shy, have a look at what we are all about and then have your say here!