Feline Flora in Barcelona

I've been a little quiet on here of late as I've been away and since getting back it's been so hectic! We went to Barcelona, my favourite of all European cities. The whole city has such a laid back feel at the same time as bustling with goings on from all warps of life. We stayed near the Boqueria Market just off Las Ramblas. The higgledy streets full of quirky shops, art galleries and tattoo shops overflowing with heart wrenchingly beautiful illustration and design.  Scooters roll past up pedestrianised gothic streets, no ones bothered, I like it, it's too darn hot to be prissy!

I have always loved the fact that even the streets are paved with flowers, it's a dusty and in some parts stinky place, beautiful aged front doors often coated in graffiti but it doesn't alter the beauty in any way of every piece of broken paving tile to the fantastical fairytale Gaudi spires of Sagrada Familia. We also went to the new Gaudi Experience by Park Guell this time which was simply amazing! I love a cinematic extravaganza of any kind but whizzing around the rooves of Gaudi houses as they are being built, flying through Barcelona a hundred years ago and seeing the giant lizards and dragons of many a Gaudi piece come to life was just toooo good. Well worth it if you're there. Anyway, doodlings inspired by taking ones mind off horrible plane journeys and the decorative pretties of the Catalonian coast are here in the form of this print - "Feline Flora" -

  And also available as cards here -

We stayed for a few days up the coast too in Pineda de Mar and as you can imagine I was pretty excited to find a park full of giant cakes on a walk to Malgrat de Mar. (Parc de Francesc Macia)

The children are so well catered for in this wonderful park, cakes and trains and zipwires and slides of all sizes, just fabulous. It was strangely empty but as usual we were with the mad dogs and other Englishmen traipsing about at midday in the blasting sun.

My new house (I wish!)

 

Can you imagine how hot these were to sit on!

Didn't want this wee kitten below to feel left out of the cake themed adventure! (available as a print here)

 

 Lastly I was at Spitalfields again last weekend with Designers/Makers. A lovely time had with lots of great traders. Next stop will be Boomtown Fair and lots of new projects!

 

 Oh and one more thing, as I wanted make sure any bag I have for myself is wipe clean since I am a clumsy oaf I have made some new ones in a hot pink PVC/leatherette. It has had a right battering around Barcelona and is holding up well, even it's wee bob tail! You can get these ones here (and lots of others in the shop too). Don't forget you can order custom versions of the creature clutches in any fabric you like!