New Elsie Day Bags in store today by Edinburgh based Concrete Wardrobe regular, Katherine Emtage. Katherine makes bags and accessories in Harris and other Scottish tweeds. Her designs are both practical and beautiful, and use the tweed in new and innovative ways. She will be Maker of the Month here at Concrete Wardrobe in September, so there'll be more new work to see then. Just to note, the mustard clasp purse is also back in stock.

Back by popular demand and with new colourways, a couple of gorgeous limited edition Tessuti print cotton macs have arrived in store.  The macs are size medium, with concealed pockets on the front, and half linings inside. Choose between patterned natural and patterned black. Both completely individual and original, featuring Tessuti's signature print designs.

New puppy in the shop! There's been a new arrival at Concrete Wardrobe, in the form of Domino, the French Bulldog pup. Lighter than air and softer than butter, Domino has stolen all our hearts here at Concrete Wardrobe. Even Treacle, who was a bit unsure to begin with, has taken rather a shine to him (in small doses.) 

Friends at last

It's all too much for them after that!

 Domino's cute velvet face

British Birds and Porcelain Vessels

This August, two makers come together at Concrete Wardrobe for a joint Maker of the Month Exhibition.

Kittie Jones is an Edinburgh based printmaker who specialises in creating vivid prints of British birds. Susan Kemp is an East Lothian based ceramicist working in porcelain to create functional pieces, hand painted in floral designs.

Jones’ inspiration comes from British nature. Her practice begins out in the field making drawings from life. These drawings are then transformed into prints, drawings and paintings. A large part of Jones’ work takes the form of screen prints and monotypes. Her exhibition forms part of the British Birds series she has been developing over the past three years. These prints are square format and small scale. The aim of the British Birds series is to celebrate and highlight the diversity of bird life in the UK.

Susan Kemp moved to Fife to start her ceramics business over four years ago. After experimenting with a range of clays, Kemp has settled on porcelain as her medium of choice. Having used transfer patterns in the past, she has recently moved into hand painted designs, inspired by the green-blue colours and floral patterns of early Islamic ceramics. Kemp’s range to debut at Concrete Wardrobe includes tall and squat linear forms, contrasting with floral designs and a mix of blue and green-blue hand painted decoration. She explains, “Whilst the pieces are functional the forms are pushed just beyond that. They refer to function without being limited by it.”

Alongside her prints, drawings and paintings, Kittie Jones is exhibiting a range of greetings cards and tea towels. Of her exhibition at Concrete Wardrobe she says, “my work will be shown amongst some fantastic examples of contemporary Scottish craft, and to be on sale in August with so many visitors to the city, is very exciting. Who knows where my work will end up?”

Kittie Jones and Susan Kemp will be on display at Concrete Wardrobe from 1^st to 31^st August 2013.

Concrete Wardrobe is open Monday to Saturday 11am to 7pm. (Sunday 12 - 5pm.)

Concrete Wardrobe 50a Broughton Street, Edinburgh EH1 3SA

ENDS

PR: Katherine Emtage. Co-Owners: James Donald & Fiona McIntosh.