Had a couple of photos left from London trip; tiled entrance to a bank building a bit east of Somerset House. England is a true tile paradise, for the craft, the geometry, the glazes, and the architectural scale of the tile works. Warms a potters heart.
Learn all about English tiles at TACS.
There is much more to see of Paul Scott's ceramics but here are some blue and white tiles of his, to start with.
Photo from Christina Roos webpageExpressive, playfully painted and printed tiles by Christina Roos, Göteborg. Member of Sintra craft shop and gallery. Christina's ceramic history includes Norway and Canada, before she settled here. She does illustrations too, with the same temper.
Anybody in New York? You can see Holly, the engaging drama about child exploitation in Cambodia. Read more here. Buy tickets here.
Anybody wants to go to Berlin? Visit smosch.com, bitte!
Gudrun Åsling, textile artist and painter and Johan Lagergård, painter, keep open studio doors this weekend, Saturday and Sunday 12 - 16, at Konstepidemin, most welcome.
Book cover, Pippi Longstocking, photo from Swedish publisher Rabén & Sjögren
This week we celebrate that Astrid Lindgren, our most loved children's books writer, was born 100 years ago. She has written so many important stories and created my lifetime heroine, girl rebel Pippi Långstrump, world's strongest and full of wisdom. She (or Astrid, really) says "If you are very strong, you must also be very kind" and other smart things.
I am so content with my name, children in some countries mistake me for Pippi (even more being Swedish, they know she is from here) and thus immediately have a very positive opinion of my person.
Sing along with Pippi! And have a joyful weekend!
A few more London pictures to share...
V&A in London was not a bad place to hang out a few weeks ago. Tranquil inner yard and nice restaurant to gather new strength for another hectic gallery tour.
I love the museum, always grand exhibitions to experience and the collections are enormous, both the historical and contemporary. If not in London they are available for us all here, medieval English pottery, Turkish tiles, Indian embroideries, Korean lacquer ware, Asian ikat, glass, furniture, fashion, one can get lost...
V&A artist in residence blog here, beautiful work by Susan Lawty and museum pictures. She initiated the World beach project and invites anybody who likes doing stone drawings and patterns to take part.
Other little beautiful things to play with here.
Today I've been to a conference all day, about Culture in Schools and how to develop art as a teaching tool. At first scary feeling being surrounded by 200 teachers and head masters, transformed me into small school girl. It passed, with the shared sense of art's importance for young and old, giving room for self expression and communication.
PIF update: It's so nice to see now, from my horizon, how the word is spread. Camilla and Dana responded to this morning's Pay-It-Forward invitation already, one more to go to make it nice trio, don't be shy!
A few more notes from London trip, before it's all forgotten. We had busybusy days: Hidden Art, organisation promoting design and craft, office close to the Geffrye museum. The museum shows historical domestic interiors as well as modern design, and has a nice cafe and garden. 
Tube transport and London weather walk over the bridge to OXO Tower Wharf with all the designer studios/shops and a quick look at ongoing exhibitions.
After visiting Victoria & Albert, spending too much time in the museum shop and after visit at Flow Gallery, we thought we were in a big hurry to make it to Contemporary Applied Arts in time, fifteen minutes to closing!
It was our lucky day, they had an opening that night, Hue Line & Form. Instead of late, 15 minutes early, got a chance to meet curators, Brian Kennedy and Peter Ting, who put together the show in two parts for CAA, read more here. Excellent artists and crowded opening, we enjoyed. 
My favourite work from the show: collaborative work by Malcolm Martin and Gaynor Dowling
CAA shows member's work and have an excellent little book shop, too.
London Eye, after all, we are tourists. I loved the ride!
Must return to London, wasn't finished before Örebro happened!
To supernice Notting Hill, partly very chic, also with scruffier streets to explore.
Flow Gallery at Needham Road has a wide permanent collection of contemporary craft besides the exhibitions. Until November the gallery shows it's very first handbag show. "THE BAG SHOW is dedicated to the über-accessory" and a collaboration with the Royal College of Art's Fashion and Textiles department.
There are other galleries in the area and Portobello road is in walking distance in case of weekend market. Delicious cafe, Tom's, at a small square end of Westbourne Grow. Cakes and atmosphere, excellent coffee.
But the best coffee I've had, I think ever, is at Monmouth Coffee Co not far from Covent Garden. Small, small place, small small seats, but big coffee experience! Find a map here.
Origin, the craft fair arranged by Crafts Council is open until Sunday, with other exhibitors this week. I'm happy I was there an early weekday, not so crowded (hope, for the exhibitors, the crowds showed up!) It's a lot to look at, and it was interesting to see how differently they all displayed their work. Here is a list of all exhibitors this year.
My favourites from first Origin week:
Yoko Isawa, in between textile and jewellery; geometrical with a soft edge, in a beautiful scale of colours:
Photo from Yoki Izawa's web site, Veiled ring 4
Melanie Tomlinsom, hand printed tin, figures, creatures and fairy tales:
Photo from Melanie Tomlinson's web site, lovely brooches can be ordered
Lizzie Farey's whimsical robust baskets
Michelle McKinney's semitransparent woven artworks
Lucy Whiting's table ware
Sytze Roos and Silja Eggenschwiler, two familiar faces, functional fabrics under the common name Keskusta
And I loved talking to the engaged guy from Craftspace, a craft development agency in West Midlands. They put craft in a wider social perspective, both to increase opportunities for the makers and to use craft as a communicative tool. I wish I lived in Birmingham and took part of it!
I'm off for studio, need to go packing ceramics.
Something happened when I published latest post, it wasn't possible to comment. Stupid, as I asked for London suggestions. Please, try again, sorry!
The whole staff from KHVC Center for the Crafts are going on a study trip to London. I'm excited ! Haven't been abroad since football, or soccer as some call it, World Championships in Berlin last summer.
What is new and unknown to us in London?
We'll visit Origin at Somerset House, Flow Gallery, Contemporary Applied Arts CAA Gallery
Contemporary Ceramics, maybe Cockpit Arts.
Any other craft and applied arts suggestions? We have three days first week in October.
Also interested in tip on activities with teenager, mostly interested in shopping (preferably fake brand handbags)? We'll spend three extra days together in London before the colleagues arrive.
Most thankful for suggestions!
