abigail*ryan

Just another Thursday...

2012-01-26T15:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I bought a biscuit tin in the M&S bargain corner for a pound (because I had one in my purse, I thought it was a good way to spend it!) reduced down, all because it had a little scratch on the lid. I knew we could give it a good home... today I made space for it on our kitchen shelves. Minimalism isn't for me, clearly.

Tonight for dinner, I cooked some sausages, and we had them with a Belfast bap, pickles (dill, beets, onions), cheese and mustard by candle-light. Felt like a little feast, somehow. Even though it was actually a scraping the cupboards/freezer roulette kind of dinner...

Just another Thursday!

A@a*r x

Oh January...

2012-01-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

Hmm... it's a funny old month so far. We're staying up far too late and sleeping in far too much, and as a result, the overwhelming mood around here is, well, of DARKNESS! The day is almost over before it begins.

Yellow-tinged photos by lamp-light don't have much appeal, and honestly, neither does an 8am start each day which is the only good light to be had - so here it is, what we've been up to with an artificially lit hue...

Hot chocolate I made as a little early evening pick-us-up last Friday (boy, was it ever good!) and an embroidery I have been working on today... I have something brewing here, will share very soon. I'm excited! Can you tell in the dark? ;)

I was saying to my MIL last week that I *really* missed the light in my old flat, (seriously check this out, and this, and these! le sigh) - especially at this time of year! High ceilings and big white-ish walls are as distant a memory as Spring and bunches of bold and bright flowers through the house... one day, we will get both of those back, I am sure. Springtime first, no doubt.

It was our THIRD anniversary on Sunday, so that was a lovely bright-point in all the darkness. We dined by candle-light and ate a beautiful beef stew (Ryan's request), peanut and chocolate cup-cakes and drank champagne (an engagement gift) in our new crystal glasses (also an engagement gift!) and talked through plans for our wedding.

Guess January isn't so bad after all, egh!?

Axo

Oh Veda...

2012-01-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about living in Northern Ireland (aside from Ryan!) is the amazing selection of breads you can get here that are not available on the main-land... one of my favourites is Veda - a small but rich and dark Malt bread that kind of collapses in on itself when toasted and buttered hot. AMAZING!

Ryan makes a very good home-made version which is his Treacle Bread (promise to share a recipe some time soon!)...

What's even more amazing is that everyone from here will tell you it's not as good as it used to be, as several of the old bakeries have closed down here in recent years, so I can't imagine how much better it could have been when it's already scrumptious!

Had some this morning with some lovely scrambles eggs (organic, free-range of course!) and it was a very nice start to the day...

Happy Friday everyone!

A@a*r

p.s. the plate was a Christmas present from Ryan, and is by the lovely Julia Smith...

Mollie Makes | Creative Couples...

2012-01-19T08:23:00.000-08:00

Now that Mollie Makes, issue ten, has hit the news-stands, we can finally reveal the gorgeous pages from the magazine that we are so kindly featured in...

Alongside five other lovely creative couples : Something's Hiding in Here, Lotus Events, Robin and Mould, Peris and Corr and Shipshape Studio we share a little bit about what it's like to work together as a couple and how we got started... we also loved reading everyone else's story and their tips for success, too!

Thanks so much for the team at Mollie Makes for including us, and congrats to the other lovebirds who were featured, too... make sure you pick up an issue, it's a belter, and there are several projects I would love to get stuck in to right now (if our tax return work wasn't looming, hehe!)... but will certainly be returning to.

A&R

Mollie Makes...

2012-01-17T10:28:00.000-08:00

We are absolutely delighted to be featured in this months edition of the wonderful Mollie Makes magazine, in the 'Let's Work Together' cover feature, where six creative couples tell their story on how they started and what it's like working with your other half (brilliant, btw)!

We are in fantastic company, and just want to say a big HELLO to anyone who might be visiting our blog after reading the article... thanks for visiting!

A picture of the article will follow shortly...

Find us on Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Flickr and our website :)

Abigail & Ryan

Confetti (thoughts)...

2012-01-16T11:10:00.000-08:00

One thing I never truly realised about getting engaged, was how all-encompassing thinking about what kind of Wedding you would like, and all the little details involved, could be! I have already had a few sleepless nights with ideas spinning around my head, and we haven't even set a date yet... (yes, really!)...

We stumbled across an amazing UK based supplier today - The Real Flower Confetti Company - that I am sure will be a MUST for our big day! We both adore the idea of confetti - and adore the idea of real petal confetti even more. To have found a supplier who grows, and dries, their own amazing selection of flowers is fantastic... and now, all we have to decide is which petal to go for?

I vote Hydrangea (isn't the pale green just gorgeous?) but then, Wildflower is pretty stunning, too.

You see, DECISIONS! ;)

A@a*r

all images courtesy of The Real Flower Confetti Company

We're in a BOOK!

2012-01-13T14:43:00.001-08:00

...this morning, a copy of Alison McNicol's Craft Business Heroes arrived at our door - and we were over the top excited to flick to page 118 and see our names in print!

Alison has released the Craft Business Heroes book as a companion book to The Craft Business Handbook (which we will be reviewing here shortly!) and it contains 30 interviews from Creative Entrepreneurs which makes for a VERY interesting read indeed, if we do say so ourselves!

Topics from how you started, to Trade Show experiences and working practice are covered, and it is really great to hear how other Creatives started their business and are finding their way through all the challenges that come your way!

Thanks so much to Alison for including us in her book - you can follow her group on Facebook too.

Bon weekend, all!

Lucky...

2012-01-13T12:01:00.000-08:00

We're very lucky, and touched, to have received so many beautiful cards from friends and family to celebrate our Engagement - thank you to everyone!

Happy Weekend, all!

January Sale...

2012-01-07T07:03:00.000-08:00

... we wanted to do a little something to ring in the New Year in style, to celebrate our newly re-designed website and our engagement (wedding fund, hehe!) so are having a January Sale! For the whole month, you can get 15% off your entire order by entering HAPPY2012 at the checkout.

We hope you have fun shopping ;)

A&R

New Year, New Site...

2012-01-02T13:01:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! We hope you had a brilliant one, and wish everybody a wonderful year to come full of excitement, health and wealth... ours has started with some sunshine, and growth...

Not only outside is there growth and change (daffodils are peeking up already!), but also over on our website, which we have been working hard on, revitalising for 2012 - we're so pleased with it, and hope you will like it's newly re-launched look, too.

Please let us know if you encounter any bugs, we coded it in Safari, so are keeping our fingers crossed it looks as nice in other browsers ;)

Back soon!

A&R

The happiest of news!

2011-12-28T06:34:00.001-08:00

Did everyone have a wonderful Christmas?! I would love to hear what lovely pressies Santa brought you... what lovely food you had?

We had a lovely quiet morning - Ryan bought me some beautiful presents, gorgeous stained glass from Flora Jamieson, a beautiful plate from Julia Smith, an amazing Mimco handbag (to match my planned xmas day outfit!) and lots of other goodies, too! He was lavished with all sorts of games for the wii and xbox, and he is now happily playing Skylanders... I may not see much of him for a few days ;) Our parents also lavished many gorgeous gifts on us (we had Christmas dinner with Ryan's parents and sisters), and we are overwhelmed with how many lovely things we received... thank you to everyone!

We have some very happy news to share! On Christmas Day - Ryan called me in to the living room and told me there was something hidden in the twinkling Christmas tree... I had a wee hunt, and found a box, and inside, the most gorgeous ring! When I turned around, Ryan was down on one knee and asking me to be his wife... I burst in to tears and of course instantly said YES! We are so happy and I am just over the moon with my beautiful engagement ring and the most wonderful man I could ever hope for, who I can now call my fiance...we already knew we were going to spend the rest of our lives together, but now it's official...

It really was the best Christmas, ever!

We will be back soon, but I have lots of staring at my engagement ring to do and dreaming of weddings ;)

much love from a very happy A & R!

Christmas Eve...

2011-12-24T09:04:00.001-08:00

... it's finally here! After a super busy week of rushing around and tying up loose ends, it's finally Christmas Eve and almost everything is ticked off the list. It's even at that stage where you stop worrying about the tiny little parts that aren't, too. Bliss.

We have been making gorgeous home-made confectionery... INCREDIBLE Salt Caramels, two types of fudge (peanut butter and chocolate!), and apricot logs. The wrapping part is almost as fun as the eating part. Almost, but not quite!

All our presents are wrapped (I still have to do Ryan's, though, shhhh) and I had a lot of fun! Inspired by Hello Sandwich for Martha Stewart's wrapping competition this year... I decided to go origami bow-crazy and I love our silver and neon pink theme with bright accents.

FINALLY, and before we sign off for a few days, we want to take the opportunity to say a huge thank you to all our customers and followers this year for their support - we would like to wish you (and everyone!) a VERY Merry Christmas indeed... hope you have a gorgeous time with friends and family.

With festive love,

Abigail, Ryan & Angus!

Sleepy Puppy...

2011-12-19T05:13:00.001-08:00

Too good not to share. On the sofa, right now.

Festivities, finally...

2011-12-19T04:36:00.000-08:00

I have been *trying* to get a moment to get our house all Christmassy for... um... maybe two weeks now!? Well, yesterday, I was going to get it done come hell or high water! It was decided.

I spent the day cleaning and tidying the house (which was more work than could possibly be imagined as I finally had to tackle the mass of tea-towel stock that had been lying around in boxes for weeks (months!) and work detritus which always manages to creep all through the house), so, when it was all finally finished, it was already late, and dark and I was exhausted, but I could finally set the tree up... yay...

Always lovely, though, unwrapping loved decorations and finding the perfect spot for them! I did have Ryan untangle the lights, though, as knots make me full of rage and we couldn't take the chance that I would burst and untangle them with scissors or something like that! ;)

So nice to wake up this morning (dark and rainy) and be able to light up the tree and revel in the twinkling... it's finally Christmas and we are all set for a week of final orders leaving, wrapping presents, festive cooking and more regular than we would like cleaning of the floors as Angus leaves muddy footprints in his wake every time he comes in from the garden (won't it freeze outside, please!?)... Merry Merry!

Hope you're all set for a good week as we slide on in to the Holidays!

Tea-towel Sets...

2011-12-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

We meant to post this a few weeks ago when these launched in the shop, but we have been kept so busy with holiday season busybusy that we haven't had a chance until now...

...when we launched in 2009, our Full Shebang sets of tea-towels were one of our best sellers, so when we changed over the designs last year, we always intended to put together another set! Well, you know how it is, months disappear in a haze and here we are, a year later and we're just getting round to it. We tell ourselves it's not just us who are so disorganised... it helps us sleep better at night... hehe ;))

ANYWAY, we scoured for weeks to find the perfect boxes and designed beautiful new labels to make sure this would be a worthy gift set anyone would love to receive, and we are so happy with how they turned out!!

They have been selling like hot-cakes over the last few weeks, and I have to say, I can see why - I think I would love to get one of these under the tree, too...

Each set comprises our full collection of eight tea-towels: Dahlia in Mango and Raspberry, Hydrangea in Duck-Egg and Avocado, Rhododendron in (our new, gorgeous bright!) Fuchsia and Aubergine and Agapanthus in Heather & Cornflower... our new tea-towels are now complete with a fab hanging loop, which is lovely, and they are eco-friendly printed with water-based inks on unbleached cotton, hemmed on all four sides. You can wash these at up to 50 degrees C, too! Practical and pretty... what more could you ask for!

You can find the sets right here, in the shop, priced at £80.00.

We hope you love them as much as we do. Coming shortly (we hope!)... Lavender Bag Sets!!

...a little more of us!

2011-12-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

A little while ago, we had the pleasure of being photograhed by the lovely Brian Morrison for a little testimonial we gave BT for their fibre Broadband service which we use... we honestly love our super speedy internet, so we were only too happy to oblige!

Brian took a few shots of Ryan and I at our kitchen table, where most of our work is done, and we had a very nice chat indeed, too... I realised afterwards that in my haste to get ready for our morning photo-call I hadn't put any jewellery on, and also, my carefully selected knitted dress (rather cool looking, if I do say so myself) actually just looks like a v-neck jumper. All in all an epic fashion fail for me, but doesn't Ryan look great!?

...in another fun, working from home twist of fate, you can also see our washing in the background in some of the piccies... ahh, well, that's real life for ya! ;) You have to laugh!

A@a*r

Grand Finale and the TWELFTH Day of Christmas...

2011-12-11T16:24:00.000-08:00

... thank you SO much to everyone who supported our 12 Days of Christmas Sale. We had so much fun picking out treats from the collection and hatching which items we would offer up.

We really wanted to finish with a bang so our offering up, for 24 hours only, our beautiful boxed showcase collection of all eight tea-towels... brand new and just in the shop a week or two...this make the most beautiful gift to give this Christmas!

When you buy this set, you already save a huge £20.00 on the individual ticket price - but today we're knocking a further £15.00 off that... selling the set, usually £80.00 for £65.00!!

We hope you love this as much as we do... and will enjoy this Christmas pressie from us, to you.

with love,

A & R xo

On the ELEVENTH Day of Christmas...

2011-12-10T16:44:00.000-08:00

...abigail*ryan give to you: Buy One Get One FREE on our Dahlia Lavender Bags ;)That's as good as half price and two for £13.00!

Just let us know which one you would like, on us, in the note to seller section when you purchase one...

ho ho ho!!

A&R

Make sure to tune in tomorrow for our GRAND FINALE!!

On the NINTH & TENTH Day of Christmas...

2011-12-10T14:17:00.000-08:00

(Sorry we're a little late on this one)...on the 9th Day of Christmas we were offering up Rhododendron Aubergine tea-towels!

***

TODAY, the 10th Day of Christmas...abigail*ryan gave to you: Three Cushions for the price of TWO!!

... any cushions you fancy, just purchase two and let us know which third one you would like on us...

Follow the snowflakes daily to find our special deal - we change them over daily at midnight!

A&R x

On the EIGHTH Day of Christmas...

2011-12-07T16:18:00.000-08:00

...abigail*ryan gives to you: Our Sycamore Scallop Cushion in Seafoam and Coral... one of our fave's! :)

Priced for 24 hours only at just £39.50, instead of our usual £59.50 - you can indulge in one of our luxurious hand sewn cushions at an even better price...

Follow the snowflakes daily to find the deal of the day.

ho ho ho!

A & R

On the SEVENTH Day of Christmas...

2011-12-06T16:32:00.000-08:00

...abigail*ryan gives to you: THREE for TWO on *all* Lavender Bags!

Purchase two of our beautifully scented, gift boxed and hand sewn Lavender Bags and just leave us a message in the note to seller section when you're completing your purchase and tell us which design you would like as your third and final choice :) Choose from Dahlia, Rhododendron, Bud and Seeds patterns - three colourways in each!

Follow the snowflakes daily...

Enjoy!

ho ho ho! :))

On the SIXTH day of Christmas...

2011-12-05T16:13:00.001-08:00

...abigail*ryan gives to you: Our Sycamore Scallop Cushion in Hot Pink & Teal... this is the cushion we actually have in our kitchen window seat, we LOVE it! Backed with Irish linen and hand sewn at a*r HQ, these are on offer for 24 hours only at £39.50 instead of £59.50...

Head to the website daily and follow the snowflakes!

ho ho ho!

On the FIFTH day of Christmas...

2011-12-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

...abigail*ryan gives to you: our Agapanthus Tea-towel in Heather for just £6.50 (instead of £12.50)...

Ho ho ho!

Follow the snowflakes every day for our special Twelve Days of Christmas Deals :))

On the FOURTH day of Christmas...

2011-12-03T17:21:00.001-08:00

...abigail*ryan gives to you! Our Hydrangea tea-towel in Avocado... reduced to £7.50 for just 24 hours...normally £12.50!

Head to the site and follow the snowflakes daily for our fab daily deals!

ho ho ho!

On the THIRD day of Christmas...

2011-12-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

abigail*ryan gave to you...

Our Ginko Cushion in Lime and Ink for an amazing £35.00 instead of £59.50 - hand sewn from our own exclusive cottons and irish linen - it's a one time only deal... for twenty four hours only :))

Just call us Santa! ho ho ho!

Head to the website and follow the snowflakes to enjoy our 12 Days Sale...

On the SECOND day of Christmas...

2011-12-02T04:23:00.000-08:00

...abigail*ryan gave to you :))

ANY Seeds Lavender Bag for uh-mazing price of just £8.00... gift boxed and ready for giving!

Follow the snowflakes every day at abigailryan.com and find a new item unveiled every day at midnight GMT...

ho ho ho!

Twelve Days of Christmas...

2011-11-30T13:49:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! We're so excited to be kicking off our Twelve Days of Christmas extravaganza this evening... at midnight tonight (GMT) no less!

...at midnight for the next twelve days we will be putting one item on sale, or on offer, for 24 hours ONLY. You will find crazee-good prices and never before seen discounts - Tis the Season, after all ;)

Follow the snowflakes each day to find the item on offer in the shop... here's a little clue for today's offer which will go live in just over two hours...

Watch out on our facebook, Twitter and here for daily offers galore :))

Happy Holidays!

Studio Visit: Alison Macleod

2011-11-29T07:16:00.001-08:00

When I was in Glasgow a few weeks ago, you might remember that Ryan, Angus and I visited my lovely friend Marianne Anderson in her studio? Well, she happily shared this lovely space with the equally talented and lovely jeweller, Alison Macleod!

I took some snaps of Alison's bench and inspiration wall and she has been kind enough to let me share them here... I love Alison's work - a fabulously layered collection of found objects and delicate formed silver to create pretty, ecclectic pieces of jewellery that you just want to wear! Alison is very inspired by found objects and places like junk shops, and I think that 'treasure trove' feel is evident in both her work, and her space. There is something gorgeous to look at in every corner...

I didn't know where to look first, but the lovely space certainly put a smile on my face!

You can see all Alison's beautiful jewellery here on her website and online shop, and can also follow her fab blog right HERE, find her on pinterest, and on twitter, too!

Book Review: The Liberty Book of Home Sewing...

2011-11-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, Ryan surprised me with (as far as I am concerned!) one of the craft book releases of the YEAR! The Liberty Book of Home Sewing... I was extremely excited when I opened it...

Now, obviously, we run a business with foundations of sewing, designing sewn products and fabric, but that in no way took the sheen off how inspiring this book is for me!

From the moment you pick up the book, you appreciate the details: The fabric cover, so tactile, and beautifully embossed with the title. And as soon as you open the book you are greeted with bright and breezy end pages, printed with gorgeous Liberty designs! It's certainly a good start ;)

... going forward, you turn page after page of inspiring sewing projects - from pretty frilly aprons, door-stops, or even kimono-dressing gowns where you can be inspired by the combinations of colours and fabrics the stylists and authors have so (seemingly) effortlessly woven together. The feel of the book is upbeat, with cheerful hand-drawn step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow and engaging. The projects themselves, are like jewels you would happily lay down a lot of money for in a shop, and you are excited about the prospect of being able to create yourself!

I personally think this would be a wonderful book for beginner and more experienced sewers alike. It's really an exercise in learning how wonderfully all sorts of patterns, colours, scales of prints and textures can work together... as a serious colour and print enthusiast, I loved it!

Yet another wonderful release from the Liberty team, and a fabulous glimpse in to their fabric collection, somehow capturing the feel of their haberdashery department (which is one of my favourites) for those who might not be able to visit in person.

I would certainly recommend this book. Sitting down with this, and a cup of good tea on a sunny afternoon is a VERY nice way to spend some time.

Don't miss Liberty's wonderful SEW LIBERTY club, where you can find some How to Make Videos and downloadable patterns...

Abigail@abigail*ryan

Breast Cancer Care Tea-towel...THINK PINK!

2011-11-18T07:08:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone - we are very pleased to annouce that today we are launching a limited edition run of 200 pale pink tea-towels to raise £1000 for Breast Cancer Care!

Our best selling Rhododendron design has been re-worked in this very lovely pale pink and we will donate £5.00 from the sale of each tea-towel to the charity in the hope our funds can make a very big difference.

Every tea-towel is hand screen printed on eco-friendly unbleached cotton, with water-based inks. Every one will come beautifully tissue gift wrapped and protected in a plastic envelope adorned with our signature labelling - this one specifically produced for this occasion!

Please spread the word about this very special launch, and gift as many of these this Christmas as you can - not only are you buying something beautiful, you're doing something beautiful as well.

Click HERE to buy them :)

Thank you so much! Please help us support the amazing work done by Breast Cancer Care...

xo A & R

Preparations...

2011-11-16T04:10:00.001-08:00

We've been pretty busy for the last few days, assembling, wrapping and labelling up products and packaging ahead of Christmas and for a pop up shop we are taking part in (info for TANK Gallery Pop-Ups, right here on facebook!) and a charity Craft Fair we're doing tomorrow evening at Clandyboye Estate courtyard (7-9pm for anyone local!)... we have had new labels printed, which we are delighted with - do you like them?!

The last of our new batch of tea-towels arrived this morning, and we have begun assembling our new boxed gift sets. There is just a little sneak above, but I must say, they're very gorgeous and we can't wait to share them and get them up online! I'm rather excited to think some people might be opening these on xmas morning ;)

Back soon!

A@a*r xo

Hilary Grant MITTENS!

2011-11-11T05:58:00.000-08:00

I decided to take a little break from work yesterday and get out the gorgeous Hilary Grant DIY mitten kit my Mum had bought me last Christmas (yes, yes, I know it's almost a year ago but I have literally blinked and missed the last 10 months... now I am cold again!) ... several hours of lovely making followed and now, I have a pair of pretty mittens to keep my paws warm. LOVE them!

Above is a little work in progress sequence to show how I made them (as per instruction!). The only change I made was to whip-stitch through the blanket stitched edge with the second colour of wool I got in the pack to give them a piped edge look... I think I got a little carried away enjoying the sewing ;) As you can see by the second from last photo, it got pretty dark - so I shot them again this morning to show the detail...

For those of you who don't know, Hilary Grant is a super talented and lovely knitwear designer based in Dundee, Scotland. Her work is absolutely gorgeous, and her current collection is inspired by the patterns she finds in the street combined with traditional motifs found in Scottish and Scandinavian textiles... most of her knitting is done using the Fairisle technique which allows her textiles to have beautiful intricate patterns and a wonderful mixture of colours within each piece... all are made from the highest quality lambswool, which is super soft. Something I can attest to with my new mitts! ;)

Some of my favourite pieces from Hilary include her super long *gorgeous* PomPon Scarfs and of course, the DIY Mitts! You can purchase these lovelies from her online shop...

Thanks Hilary for such lovely MITTS!

Lovely Press...

2011-11-07T10:52:00.001-08:00

A big shout out and a thank you to Ireland's Homes Interiors & Living magazine, who featured us in their December Christmas issue, not once, but TWICE!

Our Hydrangea tea-towel in duck-egg appeared on page 14, and on page 64, our *forthcoming* Tea-Towel Gift Set (all eight designs, beautifully boxed and ready for giving) appeared in the Gift Guide section...

Very delighted to be in such a lovely magazine! Hope you can pick up an issue :)

A@a*r

Welcome Home Glasgow - Store Tour...

2011-11-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

I was so happy when back in Glasgow to have a chance to get up to Sauchiehall Street and see our friend Mhari's newly re-opened shop, Welcome Home, inside the lovely foyer of the CCA!

Full of some of the most beautiful and unique art and design finds you will see in Glasgow - it was very hard to resist bringing a lot of it home with us. Good thing we didn't have any luggage allowance (or budget to speak of!)... I am pretty sure I could have filled a few carrier bags full of loot if things had been different.

Mhari, and Welcome Home, were previously housed on Keith Street in Partick, but after running a pop-up shop in the CCA last Christmas, they couldn't let her go (smart cookies!) and offered her the chance to stay permanently, the new space being revamped in a more bespoke fashion a few months ago. This was the first time I has seen the shop in person, and it didn't disappoint! The perfect mix of quirk and slick (in style, and content!), it's a pleasure to walk around and explore the displays Mhari curates on the plinths and in the cabinets, making it feel like you are discovering something new every time you turn around.

We're delighted to say some of our tea-towels and lavender bags are also stocked in-store, along with lovely things from Fun Makes Good, Finch and Fouracre, Imogen Luddy (I bought one of her badge brooch cards!) and Mhari's sisters line, Forgotten Stitches, amongst many others!

Hope all who are in Glasgow or pass through will pay Welcome Home a visit! The cafe at the CCA is great, too ;) We had some drinks and snacks there with Mhari while we had a long over-due catch up and then we went and had some FAB Japanese food along the road a'la Mhari's recommendation (thanks!!)... a lovely way to end our day :)

A@a*r xo

Anthropologie Edinburgh - Store Tour...

2011-11-02T05:08:00.000-07:00

While in Edinburgh last week, we just HAD to pay a visit to the recently opened Anthropologie store on George Street... when the news broke last year that Anthro was branching in to Scotland, I did kick myself every so slightly that we had moved away to Belfast and I was adding many extra hours travel to my journey before I could be in heaven ;) Still, I finally made it.

The lovely staff in the store very kindly let me photograph the beautiful merchandising and stock for the blog, so I hope you will enjoy browsing around via my lens!

I fell in love especially with a beautiful embroidered Day Birger et Mikkelsen coat, above, (their clothes always slay me!) and, as usual, the homeware proved a serious temptation to a complete addict like me. There are also some lovely little nooks, complete with beautiful sofa's for weary chaps to rest on - as there is only so much shopping a man can do, even in a store such as this, EVEN when they're a homeware designer! Ryan held up pretty well (so did Angus!)... but they did enjoy that yellow couch ;)

Congratulations to the Anthropologie team on another beautiful space and stunning displays. There is *always* something special and unique to look at in each Anthropologie shop you go in to. My favourite displays and textures in the store included the cast concrete wall with botanical impressions, the stunning tiled floor in the back of the shop and the fantastic central sculptural focal point with ladders and ropes galore! So chic! The bed-sets always look incredibly luscious as well... I was tempted to jump in, or take the whole thing home...

Another highlight was getting to see the beautiful Ceramics by Adam Harvey, which are completely stunning in person. I had a pinning frenzy with those new pieces a few weeks ago, so getting to see them in real life was a thrill... I am so glad we got to spend some time in this beautiful shop!

Thank you again to the staff for allowing me permission to shoot the store.

Abigail @abigail*ryan

Studio Visit: Marianne Anderson...

2011-10-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

Back in belfast at chez a*r and we're reminiscing about our ten days in Glasgow seeing friends and family... we had a great time!

I was so glad to be able to see all my pals while I was over, and Ryan and I went along to have a chat and a cuppa at my good friend Marianne Anderson's jewellery studio... she kindly let me take some snaps in her gorgeous, inspiring studio space she shares with the equally talented jeweller, Alison Macleod, and let me share them here on our blog.

I don't know about you, but I always love a glimpse in to other creative spaces. Makes me yearn for the day when we get to build our garden studio and have a place to keep everything in one space (goodbye kitchen table!) ;)

Marianne studied Jewellery and Silversmithing at Glasgow School of Art, and graduated two years ahead of me. Her work has gone from strength to strength and she exhibits and sells her work in the top galleries around the world and teaches lucky students both one to one, and at GSA. I love her meticulous, ornate detailing - beautiful colour palette of oxidised silver, 18ct gold, garnets, and pearls or mother of pearl. Black, red, white and gold never looked so good!

Check out Marianne's portfolio site, online shop as well as following her on Twitter and Pinterest :)

Was great to see you, lovely!! Come to Belfast and see us!

xo A

Hello Korean Food...

2011-10-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

One of the things we miss most about Glasgow (aside from friends et family, of course!) is Korean food at Shilla on Argyle Street... they have a wesbite for the Edinburgh branch, but not for Glasgow - still, it was an awesome lunch which we hugely enjoyed. If I could transport this modest little restaurant to Belfast, I would. In a flash!

Ryan and I were there with our friend Helen (of the lovely farm, fame!) and we had a yummy selection of goodies.

First off, delicious complimentary pickles (gorgeous tasty cucumber, ever so slightly sharp, wilted sesame garlicky greens and then beansprouts which were very unusual and almost tasted meaty and smokey - all good)... then starters of Ddouk Bok Yi (Mochi-type dumpling in Chilli sauce), Mo Dum Twi Jim (Tempura King Prawn and Veg!) and mains of Hoe Deop Bab (Raw salmon on sticky rice with vegetables and chilli sauce, served with miso soup), Dol Sot Bi Bim Bab (Beef with boiled rice, egg and exotic vegetables in a hot stone pot) and finally Oh Jingo Uh Bokum (stir fried squid and veg in a spicy sauce with rice)...

Each and every dish was incredibly good and we had such a good time. I may cry a little to have to sail further away from this good place come Sunday. Go if you can!!

:) A@a*r

Homes & Interiors SECC show & Julia Smith Ceramics...

2011-10-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

We were glad to be in Glasgow while the Homes & Interiors show is on at the SECC. It started today, and we went along to look at all the lovely things on display!

Heading there, we knew we were going to see Julia Smith Ceramics, whose work we LOVE! We were lucky enough to visit her studio last year (and it's shamefully taken us this long to share the shots! But here they are... it was very inspiring.) but we have been loving the loot we bought for over a year now (a clock, cups, the cat plate above and some bowls) and it was great to see her stand today and see the progression of her work, and all the lovely new pieces she is producing from her new studio near Inverness. You can purchase her lovely pieces online, or visit her at stand between now and Sunday the 30th October and pick up something lovely there!

We also had a great chat with the lovely Niki Jones while wandering round. It was great to see her beautiful homeware in person and the stand was looking beautiful, styled to perfection with the entire range! It was VERY hard to resist taking one of everything ;)

Hope many of you will be able to make it along, or you can browse the full list of exhibitors online here and drool over their website at your leisure!

We will be back shortly with some studio visits, yummy dinners and shop tours we did while on our little Scottish trip! See you then.

A@a*r

Sleepy Pup...

2011-10-23T06:23:00.001-07:00

Oh, it's been a big few days for little Angus - a big journey on the Ferry to Scotland where he was a complete star, and constant excitement being in a new flat and playing with his Granny and Grandpa non-stop! ;)

He's a little snookered now and naps at your side given any opportunity...

I think he likes it here ;)

Happy Sunday, all. Hope yours is as sleepy as Angus's!

A@a*r xo

Day on the Farm...

2011-10-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

We sailed over to Scotland on Thursday to visit my parents, and yesterday, Ryan and I went to see my friend Helen, her husband Iain and their two gorgeous children, Leah and Charlie. They have the MOST amazing panoramic view of the countryside in their living room - a full wall window, it's incredible. Photo's don't do it justice!

... we had a lovely day on the farm, and Angus had a great time seeing the cows and sheep on his walk! We got to see Helen's jewellery studio where she is working on her fabulous new collection (when it's online, we will share the link) and had a lovely walk in the Autumnal country-side between showers!

Thanks so much for a lovely day Helen :))

xoxo

New Gift Sets...

2011-10-18T10:06:00.001-07:00

Shooting photo's for our 'soon to be in store' GIFT SETS! :)

...all eight of our tea-towels will soon be offered up in a gorgeous set, perfect for giving (to yourself, or others!!).

These are our 'new and improved' tea-towels, complete with hanging loop and can be washed up to 50 degrees now (rather than previous 40) and a new colour of pink for our Rhododendron and our Mango Dahlia is a little different, too!! We love how they all work together and hope you think they're lovely as well...

I'll let you know when they're up in the shop!

A@a*r

Stock has landed...

2011-10-14T06:50:00.000-07:00

A BIG delivery of tea-towels has landed at chez a*r... watch out for gift sets landing in the shop (hopefully) next week!

... we can't wait to show you our brand new hanging loop (wootwoot!). Stay tuned :))

A@a*r

A gaggle...

2011-10-11T04:16:00.000-07:00

...of *beautiful* Greylag Geese landed on the green in front of our house this morning! There was about twenty of them, poking around, eating some greens and I couldn't resist heading outside with my camera to get some shots.

I didn't want to go too close and scare them as they were right on the road, but they happily trotted off after a wee while to find another patch of grass and I think they will have a very nice day wandering around. :)

What a nice start to the day! Aren't their feathers stunning?

Happy Tuesday, all.

Abigail@abigail*ryan

p.s. we phoned the RSPB to let them know they were here in case it was anything rare and they needed tagging or monitoring, but they assured us it's normal for this time of year so we will have to keep an eye out from now on!

The wee one is ONE!

2011-10-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

This post calls for a collective 'Awwww' - our wee man, fluffball, and light of our lives, Angus Bell, turned ONE on the 4th of October. We got him when he was just shy of 8 weeks old last November, and we honestly can't really remember what it was like before we got him.

He has changed so much since we brought him home, just a wee small ball of dark fluff... and has grown in to a handsome creamy-coloured chap with big brown eyes, the cutest little snaggle tooth grin and HEAPS of spirit. He is never short of a kiss for Ryan and I and has a big circle of aunties and grandparents who love him to bits, too. I think he is one happy pup!

Have a little look at Angus growing up over the last year...right here.

In spite of puppy training, and now, the terrible teens, he is still the best chum two stay-at-home designers in love could ask for!

We love you Angus!

Happy Birthday,

love, Mummy & Daddy ;) xo

COLOUR...

2011-10-03T04:29:00.001-07:00

Tear sheets, beautiful colour combinations to inspire.

Happy Monday! :)

xo A

Best Banana Cake...

2011-10-03T02:37:00.000-07:00

After a little Autumnal breakfast this morning, I have finally sat down and written up this recipe, as promised in the last post. Here goes!

Arrogant, maybe, but if there's one thing I know, it's cake and after a few refinements (i've baked this 3 times now) i'm pretty sure this might just be the BEST banana cake i've ever had...

Some have the needless frippery of chocolate chips, the unnecessary addition of chopped nuts, the superfluous augmentation of peanutbutter, cheesecake, raspberries, raisins, and any other number of things, but here we have it: pure bananananananananay goodness. Moist, rich and decadent enough to be a dessert (warm with a scoop of ice-cream, please...and maybe some hot fudge sauce), while still solid, and dare I say, healthy, enough to be great mid-morning with a cup of coffee.

Even better, it's dairy-free, egg-free and vegan...now who says I never give you anything..??!

Here goes...you can thank me later ;)

Best Banana Cake

3 medium/large Mashed Bananas

1 Cup Light flavourless oil (we use groundnut)

1 Cup Milk (whichever kind you prefer, we use Kara because I love it)

1 Cup Oats

1 Cup Sugar

2 1/2 Cups Self raising flour

2 tsp Baking powder

Preheat your oven to 180ºC.

Grease and line an 8'x8' brownie tin (one about 2-3 inches deep). We use a (wonderfully) fuchsia pink silicone one, which doesn't need greasing.

Mix everything together in a big bowl until well combined.

Scrape and pour the mixture in to your tin.

Make a loose fitting tinfoil hat to protect the cake during the first part of it's cooking time.

Bake for 50 mins, then remove the tinfoil hat and bake for another 20.

Ovens do differ, so you may find you need to keep an eye on your cake during the last 20...or, even, that it takes a little longer. Just make sure that a cake tester comes out clean and that the top, although a deep golden, isn't burning.

As soon as it's out of the oven, cover the top of the cake with clingfilm and put a clean tea-towel on top of that. This ensures the golden top stays moist and delicious. Leave to cool (as long as you can- it's pretty fantastic warm!) , then serve however you wish :)

ryan@abigail*ryan

abigail*ryan at Liberty...

2011-09-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

We excitedly mentioned a few months ago that we had success at the Liberty Best of British Open Call and that our cushions would soon be in store, and online, with Liberty. Well, it's all happened and they are there!

... we were delighted to spot our cushions on the shelves in the home department when they shared a picture of the launch of Timorous Beasties new range for the shop on facebook. If you look past the lovelies in front, you can JUST spy our lovely cushions stacked up on the shelves behind ;)

In addition, we're in the Liberty Magazine this month - which can you can pick up in store, or browse online, right here.

They also interviewed us for their lovely blog so you can read a little bit more about ourselves and how we started (and hear us gush some more about the beautiful shop itself!) by clicking on over.

xo!

Images all by Liberty London.

Sunday Cake Goodness...

2011-09-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

Oh my, it's been a busy Sunday!

Not only have I been running around doing all sorts of dull stuff like loads of washing (Ryan told me unless I did washed him some socks and be a better housewife I was totally chucked ;)) I have also been having a little bit of a refresh with the look on our blog and shop... we REALLY hope you like the new, brighter, cleaner look. We're loving it!

The Mister, wonderfully, whipped up this amazing banana cake today to take the stressful busy edge off... I'm on to my second slice right now, and sitting down to watch X-Factor with a cuppa. I think I've earned it ;)

Bon weekend to you all!

p.s. the cake is vegan. Who would like the recipe?

Fabric Sampling & New Patterns...

2011-09-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

Excitement here in the studio... our new pattern design (Agapanthus and Elderflower) arrived back from the printers for our colour sampling check stage. Two of them are absolutely perfect, so the Chartreuse & Olive and Cream & Stone are GO... we also have a charcoal colourway, which we are going to tweak again to get it just right!

... we're also loving our a*r cotton, which will be getting used in a very special way as part of our forthcoming Heirloom collection. Can you guess how? I keep giggling calling it our pirate fabric... ar! ;)

We (well, me!) are *seriously* excited to print some of the chartreuse for our living room - we have a new dark floor to go down, a wall to paint Olive and our new fabric to turn in to curtains (I have even spied a hot pink curtain rail that will bring out the hot pinks and purples in the flowers!)... maybe it will be our Christmas pressie to ourselves?!

These new lovelies will shortly be available as cushions in our shop... perhaps in around a month to six weeks. Stay tuned!

Bye for now!

Abigail @ a*r

Swatch!

2011-09-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

Things are pretty busy here at abigail*ryan HQ - I am still finishing off making some jewellery at the bench before we embark on a patchworking marathon next week, but we've also been stuck in colour-sampling/matching heaven/hell!

...LOVE when it goes right, LOATHE when it's not quite right.

We're getting there, though, and all our tea-towels will shortly be back in stock.

Tomorrow will be all about finishing orders for me, and then I think I shall let Mr. Bell take me to the cinema on Sunday evening if there is something good on... any suggestions??

Bon weekend, everyone! Hope you have some lovely plans?

Axo

Some LOVELY recent press for abigail*ryan...

2011-09-10T06:10:00.000-07:00

We have been incredibly lucky to get some wonderful press in this last month... being featured in three wonderful Magazines... a month of firsts... our first telephone interview (which translated in to a fab two page spread with Northern Ireland Homes and Lifestyle - Angus even got his picture taken!)... our first COVER feature...and our first inclusion in a Trend Report, courtesy of Elle Decoration.

All in all, VERY exciting! You can see more detail on our PRESS PAGE...

...we will be back soon, as we have some fabulous NEW fabric to share :)

A@a*r x

Morning munchies!

2011-08-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

This morning Abi and I were peckish from something a little different from our usual weetabix, so I had a flick through some recipe books (just to make sure I was along the right lines for quantities) and came up with these Breakfast Muffins.

Now, I don't want to disappoint anyone, so i'll make it clear now- these are *Proper Breakfast Muffins*, no moist, unctuous goo, no sugary-sweet treatiness, just a beautifully hefty crumb with the slight chewiness of oats and sweetly juicy bursts of dried fruit. Gorgeous warm from the oven for breakfast, possibly dripping with melted butter...maybe even some jam or lemon curd on the side, too...

Breakfast Muffins (makes 12)

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups Plain Flour

1/2 cup Oats

1 cup Sultanas or Raisins (or any dried fruit, I suppose, as long as you chop it to raisin size!)

3/4 cup Sugar

2 heaped tsps Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Bicarb of Soda

1 tsp Ground Mixed Spice

Wet Ingredients:

2 Clementines (juice of)

50ml Light Flavourless Oil (we use groundnut)

Make this up to 200ml total liquid with milk (whatever sort you like- we used soya)

2 Eggs

Preheat your oven to 200ºC

Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Stir the dry ingredients together in a large bowl

Beat the 2 eggs in to the container with the other wet ingredients.

Add all the wet ingredients in to the bowl with the dry and combine. Try not to over mix as this can toughen the crumb, even leaving the occasional swirl of dry ingredients peeking through the mix is ok!

Divide the mix evenly between the 12 cases (they'll be about 3/4 full).

Bake in the middle of the oven for 17-20 mins.

Serve warm.

Tips:

If you don't have any clementines, use 100ml fruit juice.

To boost the citrus flavour (it's very subtle) add the zest of the clementines (or whatever other citrus fruit you may have used).

If you have time, you could soak the dried fruit in the fruit juice first to make them extra juicy- just strain the fruit into the jug before topping up the juice with the other wet ingredients, and stir the fruit in to the dry ingredients before combining the wet and dry together.

The wee man...

2011-08-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

Mister Angus is doing pretty well after his trip to the vet (he was on a drip for 2 days and got lots of medicine to make him better)... he's been back for a wee while now, and has finished his course of anti-biotics and is well and truly back to his mischievous teenage self!!

He has a little burn on his lip from being so sick, it looked like he was wearing pink lipstick and the vet didn't know if it would turn black again... but it is healing nicely, and he is almost back to his old self.

... not long now 'till he turns one! We will need to plan a serious partay, right? Maybe an Angus shaped cake? ;)

Thanks for all the well-wishes and get well soons!

A@a*r xo

A sneaky snippet...

2011-08-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

...of our brand new pattern- being sent off for sampling in the next few days, we're hoping it'll be added to our range, as cushions and *cough* quilts (honestly- they're coming soon!) this autumn.

Four brand new colourways (stone, olive, charcoal and chocolate) and quite a different style of pattern to our existing range, we really hope you all like it as much as we do :)

Spiky, jutting elderflower leaves contrast with slim, elegant agapanthus blooms to create a pattern simultaneously regally traditional and strikingly contemporary. We've been playing with scale on this one, too...and, so far, there isn't a size when this one doesn't work!

You'll have to wait until after sampling before we show you any more than these little snippets...don't want to give the game away too soon :)

New Stockist... Unique Boutique Company...

2011-08-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

We're delighted to announce another stockist of abigail*ryan tea towels...

The lovely Cornwall based, Unique Boutique Company, sister site to the amazing Unique Home Stays has a fantastic selection of our textiles now live on their site! We LOVE the photographs they have taken of our tea towels and how they styled them... I'm always a sucker for a nice stack of linens!

... some other beautiful items on the site include stunning ready-assembled hampers like this Green Fingers themed bundle, and their gorgeous Pure Wool Blankets. There are so many beautiful items on this site that would make amazing gifts, or even just elevate a romantic picnic to utter perfection! Well worth bookmarking and remembering for that special occasion! ;)

On a little side note, we are currently out of both colours of our Rhododendron tea-towels (bottom two shots), but Unique Boutique have BOTH in stock, so head on over to their site if you are keen to pick some up!

Thanks so much to Jess @ The Unique Boutique Company for letting us share her beautifully styled images, and for choosing abigail*ryan products for her lovely site...

A&R

Get well soon Angus...

2011-08-11T10:38:00.001-07:00

It's been a long day here at a*r HQ... we woke up to a very poorly puppy indeed.

Angus had been very unwell in the night (he had been ill the day before... Ryan had named it the poopocalypse, but today was poopmageddon - for SURE)... ugh...

We rushed our limp and out of it wee chap to the vets in a big blanket, after a nice warm shower to clean him up and try and warm him up, too - and he has to stay there overnight on an IV fluids drip and has had lots of medicine to make him feel better.

Thanks to the lovely vet at Vets4Pets in Carrick for taking such good care of him.

Please keep your fingers crossed he will be better and home with us very soon. We miss the wee guy! :((

xo!

New Stockist - SMUG...

2011-08-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

Here at abigail*ryan HQ, we're always delighted when we get a chance to work with a new stockist- and we are absolutely delighted to be adding the fabulous concept store, SMUG, to our list!

Based in Camden Passage in London's Islington - SMUG is run by the lovely Lizzie Evans (pictured above) who has an eye for all things stylish, and has transformed a regular shopfront in to a light and airy destination shop space full of Vintage finds and beautiful goods created by the young design talent Lizzie loves to scout... the shops stock varies from original 50's Formica furniture, and paisley eiderdowns (I spied those lovelies in the middle shot!) to exclusively commissioned items from designers such as Donna Wilson and Matt Pugh...

...and now, abigail*ryan tea-towels! We hope our brightly coloured kitchen textiles will make a great addition to this gorgeous shop. We can't wait to pay it a visit ourselves...

Thanks so much to Lizzie for choosing our wares!

Abigail@abigail*ryan

Silver Lining...

2011-08-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

This poor little rose had been broken from its stem during a recent wind storm, so we brought it inside and are hoping the attached buds will bloom.

Sad though it is, it has made a very pretty little accent to the kitchen. Every cloud, I suppose... :)

ryan@abigail*ryan

Don't let anyone tell you...

2011-08-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

...romance is dead!

A heart-shaped tray of sweet, caramelised, just perfectly tart, roasted rhubarb transformed into a tray of heart-shaped, sweet, caramelised, just perfectly sharp, roasted rhubarb tarts...

Pretty, delicious and pretty delicious they were, too!

(and the scraps made very yummy sweet-spiced bread sticks to whet our appetites :))

ryan@abigail*ryan

Creature Feature...

2011-08-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

We received a very lovely email today when Jenny contacted us to let us know that we'd been featured on her website, Indie Quarter.

The article is lovely, and we really appreciate her time and effort :)

To read the full article, just click HERE!

ryan@abigail*ryan

Doggy Delights...

2011-07-29T03:09:00.000-07:00

Angus has changed so much since we got him at 8 weeks old... not only is he a totally different colour, and size (of course!), we have watched his lovely little personality grown and change, too. He's beginning to be a grumpy teenager on occasion these days and loves to challenge us on every little thing if he wakes up on the wrong side of bed... but you can never stay cross at him for long (if even for seconds) - he is just too cute, and, pretty much an angel for us overall...always quick with a kiss and some snuggles.

He will be ONE in October... so, when my mum sent me the link today to The Stylish Dog Company - I pretty much knew exactly where I will be going to get him some pressies... here are some of the things that caught my eye!

I love the hand-thrown ceramics (the tapered bowl for pooches with long ears is genius!), he will certainly need a nice woolly jumper if we have another winter as cold as last, perhaps even a new bed to snuggle in to (though we might make him an a*r one, as he loves our fabric so much!), and possibly a new life-long lead, too?

So much choice! One of the best online pup shops I have come across! Check them out and pamper your pup today... :)

Abigail @ abigail*ryan

All images courtesy of The Stylish Dog Company...

A different point of view...

2011-07-27T03:54:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago, Abigail and I were having fun playing around with different shapes cut from our fabric to come up with new and exciting patterns for our (soon to be launched!) Patchwork cushions.

It was great, but we only had time to sew up a few before we had to dismantle the kitchen to have our new floor laid, so we quickly snapped some pics of our favourites to make sure we could replicate them. On taking the photos a strange thing happened...this block, which we both saw as a star as it lay on the table, suddenly became a very definite cross! It seemed so strange, and so interesting, that changing how we viewed the block, completely changed how we saw it... Have you ever had any experiences like this? We'd love to hear about them :)

The funny thing is we like it even better as a cross and it's been very inspirational. Now i'm really looking forward to taking the time to play around with our fabric shapes to come up with the perfect representation of a "nought" for a "Noughts and Crosses" or, even better, a "Hugs and Kisses" quilt!

I'll make sure to keep you all posted on how it turns out :)

ryan@abigail*ryan

You never know...

2011-07-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

...when inspiration will strike!

We've been gradually working through our house, renovating a little at a time, and yesterday was the turn of the kitchen and dining room floor. We love our new floor, and even had a lovely surprise when we lifted the old one- some gorgeously patterned vinyl underneath. It was only the tiniest bit, and too well stuck for us to lift, but a few photos means we can add to our inspiration file. You really never know when something will inspire you! :)

ryan@abigail*ryan

p.s. Hope you like the little sneaky peek of one of our heirloom quilts on top of our new floor- they're coming soon, and we really can't wait to show them off!

Worth Waiting For!

2011-07-26T03:25:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the imminent restocking of our incredibly popular Rhododendron Tea-Towel we have added a new feature to our website: Wait List.

Order any item on Wait List and your name will be added to a list that makes absolutely sure you will be amongst the first to receive the item. In addition and, even more exciting, as a thank you for waiting, you will get the item delivered to your door, in our beautiful gift-able packaging, for FREE!! That's right, not only are you guaranteed to be one of the first to receive your item, but you get FREE P&P, too!

Currently both Rhododendron colourways are available on Wait List, so get them now to make sure you get yours!

ryan@abigail*ryan

Rocking Friday Night...

2011-07-22T14:26:00.001-07:00

Friday night for a lot of people equals drinks out, fancy dinner maybe... celebrating the week behind you, and beginning the weekend with a bang. What are we doing, you may ask...?

Quilting! Oh yeah, baby, that's right ... working late on a Friday night is just how we roll... ;)

Bowls of wheetabix with banana, the pup on the floor at our feet (of course, finding something to snuggle on he shouldn't... but doesn't he have great taste!) and making a jolly-good mess on the kitchen table designing some new patchwork blocks...

I know you're thinking: is that an angel-fish I can see!?

Why yes, it is...!! Awesome to the max, right? ;)

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend to come. Hope you're having as a nice a Friday night as us, however you happen to be spending it!

x A@a*r

Happy Birthday Jacki!!

2011-07-16T04:04:00.000-07:00

It seems like only yesterday we were posting about my mum's 50th birthday celebrations so it was almost shocking to find ourselves singing "Happy Birthday" to her again just a few days ago!

We had a lovely lunch on sunday at Oregano and then, like the queen, my mum had her second birthday a couple of days later. Another lovely lunch, this one prepared by Abigail and myself, of sandwiches, cake, pie, crisps, and other proper party food- even Angus got in to the spirit of things :)

Abigail had spotted this new range by Le Creuset, and as my mum had just painted her kitchen bright pink, it seemed like perfect timing for us to treat her to a couple of pieces as birthday gifts- the adorable jam pot (sorry, no link- it's sold out!), and the beautifully proportioned tea-pot (the photos don't do it justice- it's a really lovely, curvy shape),both of which raise money for Breast Cancer Care.

We also surprised her with this vintage milk jug from Pedlars- as she's worked for P&O for the past decade, it was irresistible! In fact, she loved it so much, she's already ordered (and received) the matching sugar bowl!

ryan@abigail*ryan

There's a mousse, loose, about this hoose!

2011-07-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

The latest recipe from our laboratory kitchen (well...it's just are plain old kitchen, but we get to wear white coats and lab glasses...) is a pretty fantastic, dairy free, Chocolate and Coconut Mousse.

This stuff is incredibly rich, but, luckily, also incredibly good...so keep your servings small and share it with more of your friends. They'll suddenly become *best* friends after a taste of this!

100g good quality dark chocolate (dairy free and, at least, 60% cocoa solids)

200g (a bag) of marshmallows

1 can full fat coconut milk*

3 Organic Free Range eggs, separated

1 pinch salt

*make sure you've bought your coconut milk a few days before you want to make this.

First, prepare your coconut milk. If you've left your can undisturbed for a few days, the contents will have separated- this is what you want! Gently turn the can upside down, and open what was the bottom. Pour away all the thick, clear liquid until you're left with only the thick, white coconut cream.

Pour and scrape this cream into a pot over a medium heat along with the chocolate and marshmallows. Mix together and stir constantly to ensure the chocolate doesn't scorch. Once all have melted together into a coconut scented, pillowy, gorgeousness, take off the heat.

Separate your eggs. Whisk the 3 whites with a pinch of salt until they have reached the firm peak stage.

With a hand-whisk, whisk the chocolate mixture for a minute or two to ensure it has cooled slightly, then whip in the 3 egg yolks. The mixture will thicken slightly.

Now, loosen the chocolate mixture by stirring in 1 large spoonful of the beaten egg whites, before folding in the rest of them. Try to be careful here, as you want to keep in as much air as possible- more bubbles= more fun! A metal spoon is a great way to cut through the mix without knocking out too much air...

Divide the mixture between 4-6 dishes (use whatever pretty little things you have lying around) and place in the fridge. In a couple of hours the mousse will be set and you can dive right in!

Serve with nothing more than a knowing grin.

ryan@abigail*ryan

p.s. As this mousse contains very lightly cooked eggs you might want to avoid giving this to pregnant ladies and very young children if you feel it would be unwise...

Cutabitch Pie

2011-07-13T02:11:00.000-07:00

This is it. THE pie. The pie that, in fact, you would indeed cut a bitch for...

Smoother than velvet peanut butter pudding, topped with a layer of barely set chocolate gorgeousness, both contained in a crispy, crumbly, buttery biscuit shell. You don't think you'd cut a bitch for anything? Well, just wait until she gets between you and the last piece of this pie...

As a super-awesome extra greatness bonus- this can easily be made lactose free!

Base:

350(ish) grams of digestive biscuits/graham crackers, crushed to rubble (make sure to check the label if you want to keep this dairy free!)

1/2 cup melted butter/dairy free margarine

Mix both together until you have what looks like wet sand. Spread, mash and squish in to a 10" pie tin, making sure to bring it up beyond the edge, creating a kind of lip (you'll see what I mean in the photos above).

Bake this in a preheated oven (18oºC) for 10-12 minutes. Leave to cool while you make the pudding layer.

Peanut Butter Pudding:

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup butter/dairy free margarine

1/2 cup caster sugar/brown sugar (either is good, brown adds a slight extra carmelly note)

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

2 cups milk (either lactose free, or other milk substitute)

Over a medium heat, beat together the flour, sugar and butter/margarine, making your roux to thicken the pudding. Stirring continually, it will go from grainy to glossy in a few minutes. Keep stirring, and, as you cook out all the floury-ness, the roux will start to pull away from the edge of the pot. Once you've reached this stage, keep stirring over the heat for a couple of minutes longer- just to make sure there is no longer any trace of flour, and to add a slightly nutty depth to the flavour.

Now add 1 cup of milk, you'll probably need a hand-whisk now to get this and the very thick roux amalgamated. Once this has been mixed in (it will still be very thick), add the second cup of milk. Again, whisk together until all is smooth and gorgeous looking. You should have a nicely velvety, thick sauce. Add the cup of peanut butter and beat in. Your sauce should immediately thicken to something dollop-able- almost like a super-smooth mashed potato. If it isn't quite thick enough, just stir over the heat for another minute or so. If it's too thick, just add a couple of tablespoons of milk to slacken it.

Dollop this in to the pie tin, then give the whole thing (carefully!) a couple of bangs on the bench to level out the pudding, and get rid of any air-bubbles.

Leave this to cool for an hour or so.

Chocolate Coating:

200g marshmallows (minus the few you'll eat straight from the bag)

100g Dark chocolate (make sure it's dairy free, as all good dark chocolate should be, and about 70% cocoa)

2 tablespoons milk (again, lactose free, or other milk substitute)

Melt the 3 ingredients together over a medium/low heat- stirring all the time to make sure the chocolate doesn't catch and scorch. Once all melted and amalgamated, pour carefully over the pudding layer. Pray for some left over.

Put the completed pie in the fridge and leave, again a few hours is enough for the chocolate to set, but this pie gets better with age, so overnight is great if possible. The whole thing will set firmer and, believe it or not, taste better.

Treat yourself to some ice-cream and left over chocolate sauce...or, my favourite, cut up a banana and pour it over. Heaven. Enjoy this cook's treat- you've worked hard, you deserve it.

Pie serves 10-12 (believe me, it really does!).

p.s. We'll upload better photos once we've made the pie again...which, believe me, will be soon!

ryan@abigail*ryan

Scrappy Log-Cabin...

2011-07-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

Running a good three hours behind, today - it's been a slow burn kind of day... breakfast at noon, lunch at 4 ish... chicken just put in the oven at 8pm... I guess we will eat dinner around 9.30?

We both felt a little inspired to head to the workshop (i.e. the kitchen) around 6...Ryan working on some gorgeous scrappy log cabin with some mixed sycamore scatter and linen bits, and me, picking up my elderflower leaf embroideries again... I got some new floss threads, and they are taking a little bit of getting used to as they are not quite as silky as my previous brand! Enjoying playing with my stitches again, anyway...

Nice way to spend a Saturday! Tomorrow is a birthday lunch for Ryan's Mum. Cannot quite believe that it was a year ago we were throwing a party (weekend party for weekday bday), and had just finished this cake! Wow - time flies when you're happy and busy, egh? ;)

What are you doing this weekend?? Hope it's a happy one!

A@a*r x

p.s. i love the back of patchwork, so much! Don't you?

From scraps...

2011-07-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Years ago, I bought a scrap of Lucienne Day fabric at Glasgow School of Arts Centre for Advanced Textiles... it cost me about a pound, I think, as it was just little bits and pieces and scraps and such, but I have been meaning to do something with it ever since as I LOVE it...

WELL - last night was the night!

A little bit of sewing later, and a bit of help from Mister Bell, and we have a new cushion for our sofa... I'm really delighted with it, and love the little bit of embroidery on the lucienne fabric...

Angus seems to like it, too.

Abigail@abigail*ryan

Kitchen Nooks...

2011-07-04T13:33:00.001-07:00

We did a little bit of shuffling this past week - moving all our cookery books off the shelves near the cooker over to some new shelves we hung in the alcove next to the fire-place...

We're loving our new breakfast reading nook! We have pushed the table up next to the shelves, now stacked with all our culinary literature, perfect for inspiring us over long, lazy breakfasts ;)

And now, in addition, we've got some extra space to display nice crockery on the 'free' shelves. Nothing like a bit of shuffling to brighten the place up, egh??

Finally got to hang our plate from Dublin, and our lovely pieces from Otchipotchi and Shan Annabelle Valla... the crockery on the small shelves is a lot of anthropologie, mixed vintage finds and le crueset...

Abigail @ abigail*ryan

Chock a block!

2011-07-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

A week of quilting will be commencing here at chez a*r from tomorrow... yeah, I know today is Monday, so we really should have started this week already, but we had a day out and about today running errands so we figure Tuesday is as good a day to start the week as any ;)

Above is my first ever quilt block completed...(what to make it into now?!) and number two, which is now almost complete as well.

Can't wait for the morning, now! ;)

Abigail@abigail*ryan

p.s. don't forget to enter our facebook competition to win a tea-towel!

Super Big Fun Competition!!

2011-07-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

Who loves free stuff?

EVERYONE!!

Who loves abigail*ryan stuff?

EVERYONE!!

(we hope... :) )

So we thought we'd put those two little bits of awesome together to make:

MORE AWESOME THAN ANY ONE PERSON CAN HANDLE!!

(you'll have to "like" us if you haven't already...which raises the question- WHY?? ;) )

ryan@abigail*ryan

Piecing together...

2011-06-30T03:48:00.001-07:00

We got stuck in to making some pieced patchwork last night... now I have overcome my slight fear of the sewing machine, I am whizzing away, too. Having a lot of fun combining our fabrics in to new combinations and making beautiful arrangements...

Today will be a whole day of this. So good.

Angus will look out the window and wish he was running around... he knows we will take him later ;)

Abigail @ abigail*ryan

Peg Bags, in the Shop!

2011-06-28T05:40:00.000-07:00

Finally - even though we made these months ago, I have just managed to get them photographed and in the shop... I guess it's all the lovely weather, makes me want to dry my laundry outside!

Not only is it the eco-friendly option (saving you electricity on a tumble-dryer) it also makes your washing smell amazing!

Our peg bag is made from screen printed unbleached cotton, and we have french seamed all the edges and double stitched everything so the envelope style pouch will last you for years... we sourced vintage trouser hangers, and then hand sawed them to size, so you have a great hanging hook for on your line, or on a hook when not in use. Each peg bag comes with 10 old fashioned wooden pegs, which, I think, work the best... and look the best, too ;)

They come in two colours... inky blue, and turquoise... so, happy shopping - you can find them right HERE, for just £16.50 each. Oh, and there are under 10 of each available...

We hope you like them!

Abigail @ abigail*ryan