Incredible talent (aka lovely things for you to buy)

A bit of a break from the norm, but I wanted to share the work of three of my housemates with you this morning. All three of them are artists or designers who are starting their own businesses and are immensely talented. All take commissions or are selling from their current collections. As much as it pains me to say it, Christmas is coming down the road, and something from an independent, talented small business is surely a more awesome gift than most things (given that the turn around time for commissions is 4-6 weeks, I actually feel a little less dirty for suggesting this - forward planning and all of that).

One thing I will say is don't expect to pick up a corset for £30 or a huge commissioned painting for a tenner. These are people's businesses - they're trying to make a living, and to earn a fair wage.

First up Matthew Knight's Art (aka Wittle Creations)
It always amazes me that Matthew's work is done by hand - the vibrancy and detail of it makes it come across as computer illustrations. We have some of this work hanging up in our studios and it's quite honestly stunning. Quirky, colourful, engaging. He also works on found objects (oil cans, bits of wood), which adds to the gorgeous visual impact of his work. The best thing to do if you see a piece of his that you want is to go chat with him on his Facebook page or drop him an email. Ditto for if you have something in mind that you'd like to commission him to make.

Website (under construction)
Tumblr (amazing showcase of his back catalogue)
Twitter
Facebook
Big Cartel (A3 prints for a mere £15)

Next up is Kiran-Lee Designs
Oh God, I want everything Kiran ever makes ever. I spend so much of my time perving over the sheer beauty of the corsets she makes that I'm pretty certain I'll end up with a restraining order by the time I'm done living with her. One I'm settled in my new job, I'm commissioning her to make me a beautiful corset. She only has a limited selection on her website, but she's open to commissions and has made some gorgeous things. These are honestly some of the best made corsets I've seen. She takes a lot of time getting them just right, and the quality of the stitching is second to none. She also designs other lingerie (bras, knickers etc) and costume pieces (pasties, masks, hair clips etc). Also, if it helps, she has one of the most scathingly sarcastic senses of humour ever.

Facebook
Tumblr
Etsy

And finally, Tatterdemillion Bazaar
Living with Lorrianne (who runs Tatterdemillion) is best described as living with a modern day courtisan. She's always off somewhere or other bringing laughter and entertainment and generally being her own wonderful, entertaining self, often dressed in naught but a pair of horns she's made and some gold body paint. When she's not generally being fabulous, she's making beautiful things for other people to be fabulous in too. Tiny hats, massive horns, obscenely ornate necklaces... anything to add an extra bit of wow factor to a costume or outfit (and I can confirm that her horns are wonderfully comfortable to wear and look awesome on)

Facebook
Etsy

As I said at the start, these are fledgling businesses and they'd appreciate all the sharing, love and purchases you can send in their direction, so go like, comment, chat and maybe even buy. They're all lovely, lovely people and I'm sure if you went and said hello, they'd be happy to chat with you and maybe even put together a one of a kind commission.