Generous Painted Enamelware, Luxury Colour

The men and women sailed narrow boats along the waterways of England created a unique style of painted enamelware, said to be the oldest folk-art in the country. Today only a handful of narrow-boat painters are still at work, yet a novice can apply a simplified version of the classic narrow-boat designs to dull household items, and transform them with the colours and vitality of the original ware. Canal traditions are also popular in France as well as Holland where distinctive styles of decoration have evolved over the centuries. Read the rest of this entry »

Wedding and Romantic Gifts: Herbal and Spice Cushion

Cushions make both decorative and practical gifts. Indeed, in some cultures such as that of the nomadic Bedouin Arabs, cushions are an important piece of furniture. The word cushion comes from the middle English word cuisshen, which in turn owes its origin to the Old French coissin, meaning a hip rest.

In the past ornamental cushions were a symbol of wealth and status, as only people who had the time and money to lounge around had need of them. Kings and emperors were frequently surrounded by piles of brilliantly coloured and intricately stitched examples. Read the rest of this entry »