Friday 25 July 2014

A Spaniel's Tail

Lottie from A Spaniels Tail in our Deckchair Stripe Fabric Dog Collar

WHAT A CUTIE!
Meet Lottie, a beautiful English Cocker Spaniel, and the newest dog on the Dog-Blog block.

Lottie very kindly reviewed one of our super soft, machine washable, webbing re-inforced, environmentally sound, far too goo to be true, fabric dog collars.

See what she thought of it here: 

To buy the collar that Lottie reviewed, click: here

To be a park of our FLASH SALE this weekend, find us on Facebook to get 25% off our entire website. 


Dogs and kids at Creature Clothes

Sunday 22 June 2014

Boris, OBE - Police Horse of outstanding bravery

Police Horse Boris and his PC Tony

I had the great fortune to meet an amazing Police Horse today - Boris, OBE.

He was out patrolling the Arnold Circus Midsummer Picnic and saying hi to the local children with PC Tony on his back.  Boris is 21 years old and has been a Police Horse since he was 4 years old.

Last week Boris received the PDSA Order of Merit (the animal equivalent of an OBE) for his bravery in the 2011 London riots, showing leadership and fearlessness, and giving his fellow police horses confidence in a terrifying situation - leaping over fire, through smoke, rioters and missiles.  He worked a 26 hour shift when the riots erupted, only stopping for 20 minute water breaks.  All of the police horses involved were near exhaustion once the rioting was over.

A little bit of youtube research, and you can see Boris leading his fellow horses in many a situation, from the riots, to official royal escort duties.

Most touching is this video of Boris where he is described by PC Paul Copeland
 on Wetnose TV, who's founders Gavin and Andrea we met at the London Pet Show earlier this year before they flew off to Romania to continue their devoted animal welfare work.

Our Creature Clothes stand at London Pet Show even pops up on one of their videos as a backdrop to Ben Fogle's interview and pledge of support for Wet Nose Day at the show.

Arnold Circus Bandstand
A glorious day and a very special encounter with a very special horse.

Thank you Boris.



Saturday 14 June 2014

East London Comics and Arts Festival


We visited ELCAF today - WOW. 


It was a haven of art and design brilliance.  Packed with comic and illustration fans and the artists they had come to worship, the room was buzzing with excitement.  The rain was pouring outside as the Queens birthday fly-over zoomed overhead.  It was all a bit special.

#ELCAF
My daughters immediately set about erasing the undoubtably very witty comment someone had written on the collaborative cartoon board in the entry hall, to replace it with "I Love Mummy". 

Maybe not as original as what the organisers had intended, but I was super chuffed.

The exhibition space - Oval Space London - was amazing. We walked up a fire escape running alongside a huge gas works and past a cafe with pallets elegently bolted to the walls and housing strawberry plants - check the Creature Clothes Instagram feed for pics of these - and into the exhibition hall.

Luke Pearson
My kids screamed 

"HILDA! MUMMY, IT'S HILDA, IT'S HILDA!"

Not only was it Hilda of Hilda and the Troll fame (she's HUGE in our house - check her out), but it was also Luke Pearson the brains & pen behind this feisty super cool girl.  The Hilda books are available on the Flying Eye Books imprint from Nobrow Press.  

He inscribed their new book - Hilda and the Midnight Giant with a beautiful drawing of Hilda for them.

Two seriously happy little girls.

Dan Berry
Next up we stopped at Things By Dan, and met Dan Berry who's latest graphic novel is about a dog, albeit a dead dog... I left a card for all visual references needed for cool collar illustration!
The book is called The Suitcase.

Aside from illustration and writing work, Dan has a podcast called
in which he talks to comic artists about their work and how they do what they do - I'm subscribing tonight.  Looking at the interview list, I'm going to have my headphones on for a looooong time listening to every single episode.

Malarko
Then... I heard a whisper... Malarky/Malarko was here.  
"NO WAY!"
we all screeched (we're so cool us) and found his spot.  
Malarko's work has featured on this blog before and we are always seeking out his Street Art to use as a backdrop in our urban shoots for Creature Clothes.  One of our most popular and highly featured images is of my kids and dogs taking their own brushes to his work while wearing their deckchair stripe collars (the dogs) and belts (the kids).  The obsession started when my girls and I watched him transform the wall at the end of our street into an explosion of colour, foxes, monsters, googly eyes, and everything inbetween - all in glorious technicolour. 
We've been a bit obsessed ever since.

Totally engrossed in their new books. Happy happy happy.
Such an inspirational day. We can't wait for next year.
In the meantime I'm really intrigued to see the effect such a visually overwhelming and exciting art laden day had on my kids.  I post the highlights of their creative output onto Tumblr - I'll be keeping it updated until then!

Ruby Tuesday and Juniper's tumblr:


For more information on ELCAF:

Wednesday 11 June 2014

Memories of The #HoundAround in Shoreditch



A few weeks ago we had the great pleasure of being a part of the Hound Around in Shoreditch, East London.

Here are our highlights from the show!

An East London Welcome - go left at the K9 Street Art for #Hound Around



Stolli and Goose Lounging in the #Hound Lounge on our Dog Bed Covers

The space the event was in was amazing - perfect for showing off our collars and leads suspended from the rafters.
See http://www.secondhome.io for more info.
Stolli and Goose were very excited about the Agility Course - they even created a Sibling Rivalry Relay Team!
Of course they HAD to wear matching team colours in the form of Red Gingham Bandanas
Juno takes Goose over the ramp - check our bunting in the background!

This is fellow exhibitor Stacey from ArtSea CraftSea - check out her hand machine embroidery on her facebook page - it's amazing.
https://www.facebook.com/ArtSeaCraftSea

New customer Gus looking amazing in his neon orange collar

Some of our wonderful customers - I love their matching greys and silvers!

Marlene the Frenchie looking 100% fabulous.
Check out her mum's amazing work at www.marlenesgang.co.uk
Ralph the Ridgeback came and hung out with me for a day at the show, and got himself all neon'ed up in a new collar
Our model and BFF Taz popped by to say hi and update us on the new range she's been testing for us... the feedback is GREAT so the new lines will soon be unveiled!

Taz, Juno and Bessie give the assault course their best shot!


Wednesday 21 May 2014

Fun, Fashion and Fogle & Pole at The London Pet Show

We made so many wonderful new friends, furry and non furry, at the London Pet Show last weekend - here are our highlights!

 Fogle & Pole designers Ben Fogle & Cosima Pole - #selfie with our logo
Our first customer of the show looking very beautiful in her new bandana
Top Dog Model winner Simba the Leonberger with his pack of Chihuahua's comes to say hi.
Follow Simba on twitter @Simba_the_Leo
Heidi from Pets Pyjamas pops by to update her look to our neon pinks - fabulous!
My dog Goose made a very special friend on Sunday.
Here he is with his new favourite human Julian, having their photo taken with Ben.
New Creature Clothes team member Kim and I meet our neighbour at the show, #Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick of Fitzpatrick Referrals, and The Supervet on Channel 4.
One of our much loved customers and website Gallery stars, Hogan comes to say hi and pick up a new collar and bandana.  We love Hogan!
Hogan's friend Orla decides to go for a Sample Sale white leather collar with a starry slip on bandana - super chic we think!
The coolest of all dogs, Yoshi.  What a dude.
Ben meeting his many fans
How chic are these ladies and their pooches?  Fudge went for a red and white stripe collar and lead, while Suki went neon pink.  Fabulous!
Ben Fogle, SuperVet Noel Fitzpatrick and The Barking Blondes Joanne Good and Anna Webb judging the SuperDogs Live Competition
This beautiful pooch popped by for a new bandana
Our new look stand - so happy with the design
Beautiful Fogle & Pole Vintage Welsh Blanket Dog Beds
Bens books
One worn out dog - Goose takes a well deserved nap.
Juno and I take a break to see the Bunny Showjumping - AMAZING!
Goose and me on the tube home, still loving our neons!


Monday 12 May 2014

The London Pet Show


I am very excited to announce that Creature Clothes will be at the London Pet Show this weekend - 17 & 18 May 2014 at Earls Court One on Stand D411.

We will be at the show with our full collection of cool kit for dogs, cats, kids and owners too.  We will be taking live entries for our Dog Of The Month Competition (winner is voted for on Facebook and wins a 50% discount voucher for our website), and throwing an enormous sample sale - a perfect opportunity to pick up a bargain or a one of a kind collar for your pet.

We will even be making bespoke leather dog collars to order on our stand - chose the colour, size and studs and I will make it for you while you wait!

Alongside our classic and much loved lines will be our collaboration with Ben Fogle - the Fogle & Pole Collection, featuring beautiful pet beds hand made from antique welsh blankets dating back to the 1920's.  We will also have the Fogle & Pole Emergency Treats Pouch, made out of re-used denim and filled with dog bones and poo bags (don't forget to scoop the poop!), and big enough for your phone and keys too.  Just clip it on to your lead and you're ready for walkies!

It's going to be a great show, with Ben Fogle hosting the SuperDogs Live competition, Steve Backshall presenting a host of weird and wonderful creatures and Chris Packham signing copies of his book and giving out advice on how to keep your pets flea-free.  There will be rabbit show jumping (can't wait to see this!), animal displays, and all sorts of other pet-related fun - demonstrations, talks, activities, displays and hundreds and hundreds of animals for you to discover.

The show will be divided into 6 zones - the ever popular Discover Dogs, Discover Cats, Discover Small Furries, Discover Ponies & Discover Aquatics & Reptiles.  Now that is a LOT to discover!

Tickets are available via the London Pet Show website, or over the phone on 0844 873 7332.
Family tickets are also available, as are concessions for seniors.
Children under 5 go free.

Monday 5 May 2014

Matisse: The Cut-Outs at Tate Modern


It's been a stressful 24 months for me personally - in particular the latest 6 of those months, which is partly why my blog has taken a backseat recently.

Perhaps this has been showing a little more obviously of late on the school run, as last Friday I got abducted at the school gates by 2 lovely mummy friends, who marched me onto a bus and off to Tate Modern for some down time.  I have The Best friends and The Most Understanding of work colleagues...

Going round the exhibit was like fresh air being pumped into my lungs.  Matisse: The Cut-Outs is a joy.  Refreshing, vibrant and perfect for Curious-George types.  Seeing the video footage of Matisse slide through his gouach painted paper with huge fabric cutting shears, slicing out his shapes as if he were drawing outlines in the sand was food for my soul.  I always design with a pencil, rubber and light box, but my real tools are my scissors.  I'm a terrible artist (all of my past art teachers from school will wholeheartedly agree with this statement, particularly Mr Kite who kicked me out of Art GCSE after some hairbrained scheme did not go the way I had planned), but with scissors I can make the pictures in my head come alive.  Seeing Matisse, an artist so revered and worshiped creating such beauty with his enormous scissors made me feel so at home.  I yearned for my past life as a greeting card designer and maker, the joy of cutting and working with paper.

And wow - such huge writing he had.
And wow - such beautiful assistants he had.  As my friend suggested half way around the exhibit - do you think that was part of the Matisse's Assistant Application Process?  "Are they beautiful enough to be my assistant?"  I spent my teens and twenties hanging out with artists of a certain age at the Chelsea Arts Club, and I think I can in good faith say yes, it would have been.

I loved the layers, the pins, the colours, the shapes, the lack of immediate commitment in the process.  I need to try things out before I commit, test things for a while to see how the design fits with me and what I need it for.  Can it be changed, improved either functionally or aesthetically.  A product that I have designed and made has to prove itself to me and bring joy into my heart before I am happy.  This method of creating the composition with the shapes, moving them, editing, covering stains on walls (I LOVE THIS) made the work seem so much more real, more alive.

Every room brought yet more joy, The Fall of Icarus (a postcard of this lived in our bathroom when I was growing up, seeing the real thing was exciting), Matisse's huge handwriting and notes, the gouach painted sample set of Matisse's off cuts, the man himself's golden hat, seeing him work high ceilings with his home made Charcoal Wand and the beautiful, beautiful work in Room 7 for the chapel in Vence - a thank you to the nuns who had nursed him in his ill health.

Seeing the Blue Nudes together was a treat - I really enjoyed seeing the editing of their form in slightly differing blues.  I made endless notes of the pieces that I fell in love as I wandered through the rooms - pieces to look up in reference books to savour at a later date, but when I got home I realised that for me the joy was seeing this work actually there in front of me - seeing his cuts and slices through the paper, the pins and the pin holes where changes were made.  They were so real. So much art is perfect, it is hard to believe there is a human mind behind it.  This showed us the working mind behind the pretty pictures.  And what joyous images they are.

But I was left with one pressing question.  What glue did they use?  No wrinkling, no tearing, no peeling.  I am mystified.

I absolutely loved it.  Go see it while it is here in London.

Matisse: The Cut-Outs at Tate Modern, until 7 September 2014 (Adult ticket £18).

To see what I design and make: www.creatureclothes.com

Big big thanks to Tash & Kelly for the abduction, and to Mandy for covering my ass while I skived off work...