Meet the maker: Drws y Coed

Hannah of Drws y Coed tells us about the dappled light through tree canopies that inspires her beautiful wooden lamps, all designed and made in Wales

Tell us a bit about Drws y Coed. 

I grew up next to beautiful woodlands, which inspired me to make products that replicated that woodland light effect. So I went on an adventure in making; seeing how I could source small-scale local production right here in Wales. The joy of digital production is that there are no minimum quantities and work can be made to order.

What's so special about your lamps?

My lamps create a bit of that dappled woodland in in people’s living spaces, bringing the outside in.  I love the cosy glow created when combining wood and light – it reminds me of firelight and makes for relaxing and warm evening lighting. I’m going for what feels good!

The lamps are designed to fit onto one sheet of ply with minimum wastage. The cut-out of the lamp top section is a coaster; the cable entry point becomes a cabin magnet. I’m making a product that can be made locally to order as part of a virtuous loop of production.

What's important to you?       

Creating beautiful things, in positive production loops. Making things in Wales feels good – I think we have a lot of potential to get things right in this beautiful place.

Describe your perfect cabin in the woods.

My perfect cabin would be just peeping out of the canopy with a full view of the sky and stars. It would have a platform out front for sitting in the mornings and evenings. Some walls would be perforated just like my lamps to allow in dappled light and have well-positioned apertures to frame the best views. Inside there'd be a good collection of books and cushions. There would also be a large circular skylight for stargazing and a small wood burner.

Anything else you want to tell us?

Drws y Coed means 'door to the woods' in Welsh.  I chose it because it relates to the light qualities I create with my lamps, and also because I have a dream of re-cloaking Wales in woodland.

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Drws y Coed will be one of 45 crafts people at Tent London at the Old Truman Brewery in collaboration with Etsy, 24-27 September

This is a sponsored blog post, created in collaboration with Drws y Coed. For more information on partnerships and joining our directory, please email advertise@ernestjournal.co.uk

Wunderkammer of today

We invite you to explore Eastern Biological's cabinet of botanical, geological and entomological stationery, gifts and oddities to satisfy the curious 

Body Anatomy Model
This 31-piece model can be opened up to reveal the workings of the human body. £14.50

Woodcut Notecard Set
12 notecards based on the book Woodcut by Bryan Nash Gill, revealing the inner beauty of trees. £11

A Voyage of Discovery, by Alice Pattullo
4-colour screen print of Charles Darwin and his groundbreaking discoveries on the Galápagos islands in 1835. £85

Opulent Oceans
This gift set includes accounts from early naturalists and comes with 40 art prints of sea creatures. £38

Galapagos Tortoise
Pop this hand-painted chap on your desk and simply revel in the joy of his being. Made from high density plastic. £5.95

Measuring Conical
A great alternative to a measuring jug for use in the kitchen. Available in two sizes. From £7

Jungle Plates
Inject some tropical flavour into your home with these melamine plates covered in jungle print. £6

Greenhouse Pot
This concrete base and glass cover provides a perfect environment for indoor plants. Please note: plant not included. £55

Late Jurassic, by Sam Brewster
We’re enchanted by this limited edition print illustration of a Pangaean landscape teeming with Jurassic life. £85

Large Fossil Fish
Treasure your very own nugget of prehistory with this fossil of a Knightia, disovered in the Green River Formation, Wyoming. £20

Discover more about Eastern Biological in our online directory.

This is a sponsored blog post, created in collaboration with Eastern Biological. For more information on partnerships and joining our directory please email advertise@ernestjournal.co.uk.

Introducing Tux & Tabby

Nordic-inspired toys, umami treats and other considered accessories for the discerning feline

Blizzard Feather Balls, £4.50 each

So, tell us a bit about Tux and Tabby. What's it all about?

We design beautifully styled, contemporary toys, accessories and treats for the modern cat and design-conscious owner. Our goal is for our products to become a feature of the room and a signature of the cat’s presence, rather than an unsightly embarrassment to be tidied up.

Working closely with local suppliers, we source the highest quality materials, such as wool from British rare breeds and natural pheasant feathers. We use these individual components to craft each item by hand which means that every toy and accessory is unique and always one of a kind.

Give us a taster of some of the things you sell.

We sell a range of considered products for the discerning feline, made for both life and play. Some favourites include a curated collection of toys and treats inspired by contemporary Nordic design to sympathise with the modern interior; a ball hand-felted from undyed rare-breed British wool and fletched with natural pheasant feathers; and Bonito flakes, paper-thin tuna fish treats with an intense umami flavour.

What's important to you?

Beauty, simplicity and uncompromising quality. 

Our focus is on the interplay between cats, their owners and the home, so we aim to design elegantly simple products for felines that complement contemporary spaces.

We also stand strongly behind our ethos of small-batch craftsmanship. This allows us to ensure exacting standards are met every time a product leaves our studio.

If you were a cat for the day (or night!), where would be the first place you'd go?

Without a doubt, our first stop would be a gallery or museum. Probably the British Museum in London, or the Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum in Helsinki. We’d love to be able to prowl around at night when everyone else has gone home.

Anything else you want to tell us?

By focusing on the quality of craftsmanship and materials, we’re looking to redefine what has come to be viewed by many as the traditional model for cat products – generic, brightly coloured and mass produced toys and treats.

To this end, we’re hard at work and are in the process of developing some fantastic new products, which will launch soon.

Ernest readers receive 20% discount when placing an order with Tux & Tabby – just quote 'Ernest20' at the checkout. 

This is a sponsored blog post, created in collaboration with Tux & Tabby. For more information on partnerships and joining our directory, please email advertise@ernestjournal.co.uk.

Age of Reinvention #6

It's the sixth and final phase of our Age of Reinvention competition in collaboration with Pedlars and The Good Life Experience. This time, we're offering a Swiss Army officer jacket – what would you make out of this?

Measurements: pit to pit 54cm, length 75cm, sleeve length 60cm

A century ago, Britain was known as “the workshop of the world.” It was a hotbed of invention and industry. After a 100 years of decline, we’re seeing a real resurgence of craftsmanship – a return of traditional industries, swathes of makers taking risks to set up businesses based on doing what they love and buyers who value the story behind the products they buy.

To celebrate this new age of innovation, we've launched the Age of Reinvention competition – a chance for amateur inventors to furrow their brows, doodle on graph paper and transform old items into unique and practical products. The competition is brought to you in collaboration with our friends at Pedlars, purveyor of wonderful homewares, gifts and quality vintage, and The Good Life Experience, a festival of music, food, culture and the great outdoors.

Between January and August 2015 we're offering six items for reinvention. Each month, Ernest Journal and Pedlars will choose their favourite design concept then post the item to the inventor so they can work their magic. We will then exhibit the six completed items at The Good Life Experience (18-20 September 2015) and give each successful inventor two free tickets to the festival and a subscription to Ernest Journal.

The sixth item on offer is a Swiss Army officer jacket, made from cotton. The jacket is size L with a pit to pit measurement of 54cm. The length is 75cm and sleeve length is 60cm.

For inspiration, have a look at the winning designs from our first and second rounds: 

Age of Reinvention #1: a maker's smock

Age of Reinvention #1: a military groundsheet turned into a maker's smock, by Francli

Age of Reinvention #2: a cooking set

Age of Reinvention #2: pair of fireplace sides turned into a cooking set, by Grain & Knot

How to enter 

Simply share a sketch of your proposed design with us on Twitter or Instagram, mentioning @ernestjournal and @PedlarsWorld and using #AgeofReinvention.

The deadline for your design idea is 26 July 2015. 

If you have any queries, email features@ernestjournal.co.uk

Terms and conditions:

1. The closing time and date is 11.59pm on 26 July 2015. Entries after that date will not be considered. 2. The winning entrant will be posted the item for them to reinvent and display at the Good Life Experience. 3. The prize is two tickets to The Good Life Experience and a subscription to Ernest Journal. 3. The prize is non-transferable and no cash alternative can be offered. 4. See our full terms and conditions.

Behind the scenes: meeting mechanical sculptor, Nik Ramage

For the third print edition of Ernest Journal, photographer Colin Nicholls headed to a medieval farmhouse in Monmouthshire to meet Nik Ramage, a kinetic sculptor who makes machines the world didn't know it needed – including a mechanical hand with forever tapping fingers and a free-range pen. Here Colin talks about his approach to the shoot, his choice of Fuji X-E2 camera and then shares a few shots that didn't make it into the magazine...

A few months back I was asked by Ernest Journal to head down to Monmouthshire and photograph a man who builds mechanical sculptures. As always, I was game and treated to an incredible assignment with massive photographic potential. 

We arrived at Nik Ramage's house nestled in the South Wales countryside. I had a great feeling walking through the door, spotting unusual things all over the place, then Nik led us down the garden to his old chicken shed where he does most of his work.

For this job I took just one Fuji X-E2 body with 23mm and 56mm lenses and swapped them as I needed them. This was one of my first proper outings with the 23mm and I was thrilled with how it felt to use and the images it allowed me to make. I tired to keep my shooting style fairly realistic, while getting a nice amount of coverage for the magazine.

My editorial work is starting to gain real traction and allows me to visit some great places and meet fantastic people – something I'm working on expanding this year.

Colin Nicholls is a Cardiff-based photographer specialising in weddings and editorial work, with a passion for landscape and street photography. He shoots on Fuji X100 and Fuji XE2.

colinnichollsphotography.com

 

 

You can see more of Colin's images and read about Nik Ramage's work in the third print issue of Ernest Journal, on sale now

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Issue 3

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