Monthy Round up - April Sunshine

A look back at Aprils best bits...

I have been away in the UK for most of this month, but have thoroughly enjoyed looking back at all Nicola has been up to while I have been away.

1// Two of our best sellers (scarves and token ceramics bowls) were back in stock in April.  The 200 scarves are dwindling fast... we'll get some more on order for the winter!

2// Our Creative In Store workshop was filled with a brilliant group of creatives bods.  We are planning, prepping and looking forward to working with all of you on the 1st June.

3// We had some new furniture arrive in store - I need to emphasize 'had' - we had new bookshelves and kists, they have all sold! We have more on order arriving next week!

4// The Easter bunny popped in... pretty eggs, bunnies, chicks and even daffodils adorned the The Ruby Orchard.

5// Indie berries joined The Ruby Orchards growing list of suppliers and stocked us with her brilliant cards and postcards, very cool doodle books and cute love vouchers.  Che's blog is so, so funny... you must have a read here.

6// A new mini series on the blog 'A little bit of Britain - shop watch' was launched.  Over the next 2 months we'll be posting and sharing with you some lovely decor shops from Devon in the UK. Week 1 - Olivia James Design, check them out here.

Winter is peeking its head around the corner, the leaves are turning the most beautiful shades of orange and brown... Thank you for your custom in April... See you in May!

Freedom Day

On 27th April 1994, the first democratic, post-apartheid  national elections were held in South Africa. Today South Africa commemorate 20 years of freedom.

A little bit of Britain - Shop watch week 1

New mini series:  A little bit of Britain - shop watch

Whilst on my break away from The Ruby Orchard visiting friends and family in the UK I have spent many hours ambling around my favorite and familiar places.  I have decided to give you a little taste of some beautiful English Home Decor & Gift shops that always inspire me and provide fresh ideas for The Ruby Orchard.

The first in the series is in my home town of Crediton, Devon.  Olivia James Design opened its doors 5 years ago, a family business which has recently had a new business partner join them. The town was desperate for a shop like this!  They are stockists of Gisela Graham, Emma Bridgewater, Susie Watson and many other fab British designers.   It is crammed full of pretty gifts, cute cards, gorgeous soft furnishings, lovely toys and country style ceramics.  They also work with local creatives and stock locally made products.  You can follow them on facebook too - click here.  Enjoy the pics... and keep your eye out for the rest of the series.

 

Feature on Creative : Indieberries

Che Dyer is the fabulously funny creative lady behind our latest range of range of quirky cards, love vouchers and doodle books. Her products are an extension of her hilarious blog in which she creates the most amazing cartoon about life happenings.

1// How did your business begin? When / where / how did it all start?
I started blogging in 2010 when I was in South Korea teaching English. I've always loved doodling cartoons and keeping journals, so it seemed like the logical next step to start a creative blog! After I won the South African blog awards in 2010 - my blog traffic increased rapidly and I began to receive lots of requests for personal cartoons, logo designs and funny graphics. I soon realised that people wanted to have a piece of indieBerries for themselves - so I decided to create a range of stationery that would enable them to do just that!

2// Why do you do what you do?
I love being creative - It completely drives me. So creating stationery and witty cartoons allows me to explore that creativity. There have often been times when I have thought about giving up and going back to teaching or corporate design work, but my husband (ever-supportive) has always said, "I won't let you give up on the thing you were born to do". So I guess... I do what I do, because I was born to do it.

3// When you were younger what did you want to be when you grew up?!
Weirdly, when I was about 7 or 8, I used to carry around a tiny little yellow notebook with me where ever I went, and any time we passed the card section of a shop, I would go and sit and write down all the little jokes that I could read in the cards and try to recreate the cards when I got home! Maybe my stationery-creation gene started as young as that! I actually went to university to study theatre - (and psychology to potentially become a drama psychotherapist). Luckily I came to my senses and realised I wasn't going to be the next Charlize Theron so I picked up Journalism and Media Studies at the last minute.

4// What inspires you when designing new products?
Every day life! There is so much amazing humour/ inspiration/ ideas that we can get just by being open to and taking in things that go on around us! Even though I do most of my work on the computer - I am usually way more creative when I am away from the computer!

5// What are your hopes and dreams for your products?
I would like to have a wider distribution of my products, both wholesale and online and potentially create a "persona range" - with one or two characters in different funny situations. I have so many awesome book ideas - but they all take time to create! My ultimate dream would be to have a little brick and mortor shop somewhere selling my own products and doing creative workshops in a gorgeous art space! *sigh*

6// About you? What's your - Top Song? Top Food? Top beverage? Top Place? Top movie?
OOOhhhh top song. That is SO tough. I'm a music magpie - so it's hard to single out one! If I had to pick, I'd say Mumford and Sons - I will wait, because I think it's the song that most epitomises my relationship with Warren.
Top Food - I'm going to go with sushi... or Indian Curries with naan bread with a big glass of red wine.
Top place... also a toughie! I LOVE South Korea for the quirky stationery and the fashion, I love Angkor Watt for the calm serenity, I love Thailand for the crazy bustling and I love our couch... because Sundays with Warren.
I have the worst memory when it comes to movies - in fact, I could watch an entire movie and then only 2 minutes before the end realise that I have actually seen it before.

7// Imagine you are heading out for dinner with a bunch of creative geniuses - who would be sitting around the table with you?
A table of creative geniuses... I'd have to pick Edward Monkton, Keri Smith, Oliver Jeffers and Nick Bantock - because I have a LOT of questions to ask him about Griffin and Sabine.

Our Easter opening times

The Easter bunny is on his way...

We've got lots of little bunnies, chickens and lambs running around the shop just in time for the long weekend Easter festivities.

Easter in the Devonshire sunshine

Nicola Tweed has taken the reigns and is keeping The Ruby Orchard thriving whilst I visit friends and family in the UK.  Here's some British countryside for you all to enjoy.

Daffodils & Tulips & Spring sunshine = Easter!

Enjoy your Easter preparations! 

Coasting into first place...

Our Ruby Orchard designed coasters are possibly one of our best sellers, each week we get customers commenting on how cute and practical our little hedgehogs and owls are and at R95 for the set they are the perfect little gift for any occasion.

 

Our top 3 home decor blogs to follow

Decor8

This blog has been a firm favourite of mine for as long as I can remember, it's simple, clean and ticks every single home decor inspiration box. Decor8 is a resource to over 48,000 readers a day. Wow! A few years ago I was lucky enough to meet the inspiring woman behind it all at a blog meet up at the Regent street branch of Anthrapologie. Chocolate cake, hot chocolate, bloggers and very wise words of decorating wisdom filled the gorgeous upstairs room of the store. If you are looking for fresh decorating ideas, beautiful interior spaces, independent art and more then this your go to blog!

Elle Decor

What I love about Elle Decor is that comes in both blog and magazine form.. for me magazines will never ever go out of fashion! Elle Decor gives you inspiration that really is accessible and easy to thread into your own home no matter what your budget. On the blog there's also a nifty 'Shopping' section that gives you great hints and tips on buying furniture.

79 Ideas

Total Pinspiration! This Bulgarian blogger has a pretty eye for detail and has created 79 Ideas which is a collection of all the lovely things that she discovers on and offline.

We'd love to know what you favourites are too.. share them in the comment below so we can also indulge!

Baking inspiration

The kids have been on holiday for almost a week now and I bet we guess right when we say they might just be (already!) driving you up the wall and making you wish it was school time again... so how can we help you get over that?

Well by providing you with some much needed baking inspiration with our nifty heart cookie cutters.

 

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