Mum's the word If you're looking for some inspiration for this Sunday....... These drawings by artist Maxwell Dorsey of wild flowers displayed in humble jars and glasses are refreshingly simple.  The quality of line together with the clean, muted colours evoke a the cheerful optimism of spring! Presented in oak wooden frames - at £48, I can't think of a nicer gift this season!

Birds and Bees are a strong theme this season - we love this new addition to the popular birdy range.  Glass tumblers with a distinctly 50's vibe - very cool at £8.50!   Give Mum something stylish to chat on!  The 746 is a quintessential British retro telephone and '60s style icon. Launched in 1967, it would inspire two decades of conversation and is, to this day, the universal symbol of the phone. Seen here in Swedish Green £52. Birds and flowers scented with indian jasmine fragrance, these pretty tealight candles burn for approx 4 hours. A handmade and fairtrade product £6.00   Spring is in the air with the new floral themed Garden Party line from Envirosax, bang on trend - not just a fabulous handbag size strong carrier but an addition to Mum's spring wardrobe! £7.50 "If the bee disappeared from the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than four years to live." - Albert Einstein - Help save civilisation with these amazing seedballs - £4.95 PiP Studio...Happy Products for Happy People...and firm favourites at map gift shop, new porcelain products available from the Chinese rose range prices from £10.95 Gorgeous Vase from Rob Ryan (just in shot) and fabulous gift bags & cards!

Featured Artist - Maxwell Dorsey

Those who know map gift shop will no doubt already know we pride ourselves on showcasing local talent.  As textile designers we also love a print!  It is with absolute pleasure that I am introducing the work of local artist Maxwell Dorsey.  I met Maxwell some 30 years ago - and am pleased that over the period our paths have continued to collide - his studio is in Bickerton Road where he works with his partner and collaborator Yvonne Chambers.   He recently has produced some ranges of work which fit very nicely alongside our spring collection.  His drawings of wild flowers displayed in humble jars and glasses are refreshingly simple.  The quality of line together with the clean, muted colours evoke a the cheerful optimism of spring!

 I can't think of a nicer gift this season!

These limited edition giclee* prints are presented in oak coloured wooden frames and are sold individually for £48.

Maxwell has also produced a range of lino cut prints based on British Wildlife.  "Wild about Britain" is a strong theme of the moment at map gift shop with images of hedgehogs, foxes, badgers and hares adorning everything from slippers to espresso cups and saucers.

These limited edition prints are  available individually framed for £48.

*  for those (like me) who hadn't heard the word giclee here's the wikipedia definition - 

The word giclée was appropriated by Jack Duganne, a printmaker working at Nash Editions. He wanted a name for the new type of prints they were producing on the IRIS printer, a large-format, high-resolution industrial prepress proofing inkjet printer they had adapted for fine-art printing. He was specifically looking for a word that would not have the negative connotations of "inkjet" or "computer generated". It is based on the French word gicleur, which means "nozzle" (the verb form gicler means "to squirt, spurt, or spray"). One unintended consequence of Duganne's choice of name was its problematic use in the French language since it is also modern French slang for male ejaculation.

Pretty in Print

An explosion of florals has burst onto our highstreets this spring - I for one am very happy with this floral trend - and as ever, we are quick to react and fill the shop with some blooming marvellous designs and products.  We are often described as "an Alladins cave" but right now map gift shop looks more like the Garden of Eden.