The warm, moist summer we have experienced so far may have caused disappointment, but its not all bad news, as due to the wet and humid weather, this will be the best season for butterflies in 30 years.

The butterfly is a symbol of rebirth, transformation and good fortune as well as being beautiful.

So why not bring some butterfly enchantment into your home, by exploring the gorgeous motifs on the following Portmeirion favourites? :

Botanic Garden Fuchsia Ewer:

This delightful Botanic Garden Ewer, pictured here, features the beautiful Foxglove and butterfly motif , and is sure to add a touch of elegance to any bathroom or kitchen - you can even use it as a vase, or combine it with the basin for a traditional look.
Dimensions : 1.6L (3pt).
Material : Earthenware.
Freezer and oven safe also dishwasher and microwave safe.
Priced at: £42.50.

Botanic Garden Pink Parrot Tulip Teapot, £53.

Botanic Garden Dog Rose Heart Dish, £36.50

Dawn Chorus Cake Stand, £26.50.

About
The celebrated designer Susan Williams-Ellis created Botanic Garden.

A true British classic, it presents a wonderful mixture of herbal motifs, setting a new fashion for casual dining in the 1970s and today, Botanic Garden looks as fresh and exhilarating, as it was when launched in 1972.

For more information about Portmeirion’s Botanic Garden collection, please visit the website.

For Portmeirion stockists please Tel: (01782) 743 456

After a hard winter it is nice to think of spring being just around the corner, and the inspiration for this Kitty tea service from Herend, is the lovely spring flower the Tulip.

Kitty
The playful Kitty décor is a modernized version of Bouquet de tulipe, a pattern devised in the 1930s:

• In the centre stands a single, colourful, wind-swept ‘parrot’ tulip, its orange, yellow, red, mauve or blue petals conjured up with virtuoso brushwork.

• The cup of indented petals waves on the end of a supple stem, from which springs a pair of wavy leaves contoured in black.

• Round the ledge, springs a pair of wavy leaves contoured in black. It also has a gilded rim and surrounding motifs of tiny, bright meadow and garden flowers. This delightfully playful, cheerful décor is painted in six colour variants.

• The hand painted tulips which adorn the porcelain, seem to have flown unto the pieces in an unruly manner, their heads and leaves still tilting from the wind.

• This pattern is also available as a dinner service.

The service will fit into any decor be it classic, traditional or topical, and bring a ray of sunshine unto the table.

The teapot is £127.50 and the cup and saucer £76.50.

For more on the Herend decorative tableware designs and products, please visit the website.

Tel: (020) 7384 9722

David Redman London has released a range of beautifully designed Christmas gifts to treasure.

Designed by David Redman himself, these luxury items have been crafted by world class silversmiths, glass engravers, and artists.

Each piece is a work of art, and presented in a luxury gift box:

Pictured here is the Redman Emerald Cocktail Shaker, Martini Jug, and Martini Glass.

Inspired by Tanquery10, the shaker and jug are made from beautiful cased emerald crystal and cut to emulate the shape of the Tanquery 10 bottle

The tops are in hallmarked English sterling silver. Both vessels have a 1 litre capacity and retail at £775 each.

The Martini glass has an unusual angular base. Available to purchase in pairs, they retail at £195 (per pair).

Redman Automobile Decanter; Made from black cased crystal, blown in a tyre shape and cut to emulate the tread.

This stunning decanter is finished with a solid silver steering wheel stopper, collar, and wheel centre. It measures 20 x 16cms and retails at £1250.

Redman Amethyst Diamond Cut Vase, a striking piece made from Amethyst cased crystal deeply cut in a diamond shaped pattern. It measures H35 x D20 cms and retails at £575.

Redman Fragrance Bottle. This elegant design is the latest to be added to the collection. It combines beautiful clear crystal with a deep Amethyst interior finished with a sterling silver collar. It retails at £250.

The David Redman website is currently under development.

Meantime for all enquiries about his products and services, please contact:

Tel: +44 (0)1273 622560 or email info@davidredman.com.

Herend has launched a new service, Pivoine, which features the flower of spring - the Peony, so popular in Chinese decorations.

Traditional Chinese thought considers the Chinese Peony the symbol of prosperity, plenty, respect and dignity. It is the un-official botanical symbol of China, a symbol of spring worldwide.
The Peony motif has been used before by Herend to great acclaim.

On this new service the Peony has the company of a playful butterfly, and both the peony and the butterfly are mostly placed at an angle rather than centrally, giving it a light and playful air.

The colours are light and pastel and the shading in the painting illustrates the craftsmanship mastered by the Herend painters. All Herend porcelain is hand painted.

Pivoine includes pieces for dinner, tea and coffee services.
Price example: £154.40 for a side plate.

Visit the Herend website to view the beautiful collections.

Tel: (020) 7384 9722

Stuck for inspiration for that perfect present? The White Lounge has some lovely art gift ideas.

Giving art as a present is perfect as it lasts forever, it’s really personal, and it’s more thoughtful than another bottle of perfume or more clothes.

It doesn’t have to be expensive… The White Lounge art gift ideas start from just £15.

Zoe Reece, founder of The White Lounge.com, has sourced some unusual and beautifully designed home accessories, which will make lovely gifts for the modern mum!

For example Glass scent bottles and bowls from Teign Valley Glass:

• Erin - The delicate glass scent bottle in our picture, is both pretty and functional. Each bottle is freeblown and has an individual stopper made to fit. Available in 4 colours (shown left to right): red, yellow, green and blue. Size: 14cm high.

• Swerve - Another unique glass scent bottle is decorative and useful. Each bottle is freeblown and has an individual stopper made to fit. Available in 5 colours : turquoise, orange, blue, pink and green. Size: 26cm high.

• Saturn Bowl - Colourful and curvy, these glass bowls would look lovely as a table centrepiece or on a windowsill. Available in 4 colourways: blue, green, blue and green, red and yellow. Size: 30cm long.

All are priced from £65.

Visit The White Lounge website for more Mother’s Day gift ideas.

Customers and dealers can now buy online from the Gloucester Antiques Centre and purchases will be shipped to customers directly.

The launch is a significant step forward for the company, the dealers and the customers.

The ability to transact online is something now taken for granted in many areas of business. The new website brings the Gloucester Antiques Centre bang up to date and enables customers from all over the UK and worldwide to purchase directly.

The detailed photographs and descriptions of antiques on the website deliver an experience, which is similar to shopping at the centre in person.

The quality of stock available on the website is assured by their clear dateline policy.

Since Gloucester Antiques Centre’s change of ownership in 2006, they have invested heavily in modernising the way they operate in order to improve the service and value delivered to customers and dealers.

In July 2009 the Antiques Centre moved from its previous building, which was in a very poor state of repair, to a beautiful refurbished warehouse in Gloucester Quays.

The new website is the next important step towards providing the service every customer and dealer now expects.

Fresh stock at the centre is uploaded onto the website daily and the range of items currently on show on-line provides a real taste of what is available at the Antique Centre itself.

Visit the Gloucester Antiques Centre website to view the exciting collections.

Gallery Thea is a working studio, shop and gallery situated on the East Anglian coast in Suffolk, in the vibrant coastal town of Southwold.

The studio was first set up by artist Thea Cutting in 2000, and in 2004 she was selected as one of the finalists in Country Living magazine’s Rural Women in Business Award.

Gallery Thea offers a unique range of hand-painted and personalised ceramics, such as items from the Nursery Collection featured here, available mail order and online at www.gallerythea.co.uk.

Designer Thea Cutting customises individual pieces with a name or message. This makes for a truly individual, one-off item.

A Selection:

Commemorative wedding plates (complete with names of bride and groom, date and venue).

Newborn baby gifts (complete with name and weight of baby).

Presents to celebrate a special birthday or anniversary…..the list is endless.

Thea’s designs are unique and appealing; they make extremely thoughtful gifts that will be loved and treasured by the recipient.

Prices:
Nursery Mug £15.
Nursery Cereal Bowl £25.
Nursery Egg Cup £10.

To discuss your commission or for more details, phone Thea on
Tel (01502) 722 433.

Or order online at: Web: http://www.gallerythea.co.uk

Add a personal message this Mothers day to one of eight classic Emma Bridgewater pieces and create a really special present for your Mum.

She will love the thought and extra effort you’ve gone to and might even let you have the first pick of her Mothers Day chocolates.

The mug featured says it all - “Happiness for Mum is a cup of tea in bed and perhaps take her the papers as well” – and maybe some delicious breakfast, tidiness peace and harmony reigning downstairs and freedom to read her book – oh really the list could go on and on!

Other special gift ideas available include:

• Personalised Hearts Four Cup Teapot £50.
• Personalised Hearts 8 1/2″ Plate £13.00.
• Hearts Dove Candle holder £15.95.
• Gorgeous 1/2 Pint Mugs decorated with Spring and Summer flowers £15.95 each, or collect a set of 6 for £95.70.
  They will last longer than a bunch of flowers and 5% from the sale of each mug, will be donated to The National gardens Scheme.

Order your personalised gifts by Wednesday 11th March for guaranteed Mothers Day delivery in the UK.

Visit Emma Bridgewater’s online shop to view the collections:

Web: http://www.emmabridgewater.co.uk

Award-winning couture wedding dress designer Monique Lhuillier, has teamed up with world-renowned ceramics company Royal Doulton, to create a stunning collection of gift and tableware.

Inspired by the pattern and texture of the designer’s bridal gowns, the collection includes a wide range of fine bone china tableware, gorgeous stemware and desirable gifts such as photo frames and vases - perfect for birthdays or anniversaries, not to mention memorable wedding presents.

 In fact, some of the tableware is so beautiful, it may be tempting to use it on the special day itself!

Five beautiful ranges of tableware, four delicate stemware designs and an array of pretty giftware, offer something for everyone, whether opting for understated sophistication, or ultimate glamour.

Subtle decorative patterns on the tableware, including contemporary lizard skin, stitches and dots, are details that can be traced back to the designer’s bridal wear collection.

Femme Fatale pictured here, features the lizard design in a pearlescent taupe, offering a chic option.

The beautiful ranges of formal crystal (Atelier) and crystal glass (Etoile, Ruban and Joie), complement the tableware:
Choose from the stemmed crystal in the Atelier range, stitches-and-dots from Etoile, striking stripes of the Ruban collection, or simple clear glass from Joie perfect for minimalist dining.

Prices range from £20.00 to £40.00 for the stemware and £30.00 to £250.00 for the giftware.

The Monique Lhuillier for Royal Doulton collection is now available  in Harrods.

Web: http://www.mlforrd.com

Mono has launched a range of glass and hand made stainless steel vases called Rondo, designed by Mikaela Dörfel and a vase designed by Franz Maurer called Mono Convase.

The Rondo range has a unique design, which enables the opening at the top of the vase to be adjusted to suit the type of flowers displayed. It is made from glass and stainless steel and available in three colours, clear, black and white and in two sizes: 15 cm and 19 cm tall.

Retail prices are as follows:
15 cm Clear £91.80.
15 cm Black or White £110.60.

19 cm Clear £101.20.
19 cm Black or White £119.90.

The Mono Convase is a low glass and stainless steel vase, ideal for displaying heads of flowers. It retails at £83.40.

Both are available from:

Web: http://www.tabletopdesign.co.uk
Tel: (01189) 349424