Christmas Gift Idea #2

You know how much we love the Type Map Prints by Bold & Noble?

Well, imagine our excitement last week when we received an email from their lovely studio manager Sarah, with the following image attached...

Reflex Blue

THE WORLD!

Just when we thought they couldn't do anything better, they go and do this!

The prints measure 100cm x 70cm and we will be selling them framed in the shop and unframed online.

Available in three colours:- Reflex Blue, Warm Grey and Sheer Slate

Warm Grey

Sheer Slate

(They are arriving this week with limited availabilty for before Christmas) 

Christmas Gift Idea #1

As there are only 33 sleeps until Christmas, we thought you might like a little bit of gift inspiration to get you in the mood...

In the run up to Christmas we'll bring you different gift ideas for the special people in your life:-

#1

On Friday we took delivery of some beautiful solid silver jewellery by Libby Jubb; a local lady who creates timeless and stunning pieces from her home studio in Ilkley.

Her latest creation for us is a silver bangle with the phrase 'May you wings never be clipped' stamped around it and a lovely little silver dove charm.  

 

Price - £65.00

(Limited availability)

Nora's Online Shop is NOW OPEN!

After months of planning and numerous sleepless nights, we are delighted and excited to finally announce Nora's Online Shop is open for business!

When designing the online shop we wanted to stay true to our aim of creating a unique shopping experience that inspires you and reflects the feel of Nora's Ilkley.  

As with the shop in Ilkley, we have carefully selected the products we have chosen to sell online and we are proud to bring you many of our British made and most well loved ranges . We really hope you will enjoy browsing at your leisure.

For our local customers, we also offer a same day 'click and collect' service - browse and order from the comfort of your sofa and we will have your items gift wrapped and ready to pick up when you're next in town!

So what are you waiting for?  www.noras-shop.co.uk/shop

Rifle Paper Co.

Rifle Paper Co. is our new obsession...

We very excited to have been selected as one of only a handful of British retailers to bring you this beautiful boutique stationary from the other side of the Atlantic. 

Anna Bond is based in Winter Park, Florida and creates fabulously whimsical designs that we just love!

A perfect gift for give to a friend or keep them for yourself and send at your leisure!

Here's a taster...

        

       


They will also available to buy from Nora's Online Shop when we launch in the next few weeks!

*New* Type Map Prints

The wait is over...

We're pleased to announce the imminent arrival of two new Type Map Prints by Bold & Noble.

Following the success of the 11 other countries/cities they have designed and released in the last 18 months,  they have now added to the collection further and introduced a stunning NEW YORK map and equally beautiful AFRICA map. 

               



    
       

Both come in the traditional colours of Slate Grey or Duck Egg Blue and are available from Nora's framed and ready to hang and unframed rolled in a sturdy tube.

We have already seen exceptional interest in the NEW YORK map before they have even arrived in the shop; so if you have this in mind as a loved ones possible Christmas present, we would recommend contacting us sooner rather than later as we cannot guarantee availability.

Framed printed due in store this week and will also be available to purchase unframed online when Nora's Online Shop launches in the very near future.

The humble water glass

Ahhhh, the humble water glass.... 

An absolute essential and yet quite often the most overlooked of all the dinner table glasses.

I am one of those people who is guilty of coo-ing over delighfully shaped wine glasses; those with gloriously curvacious bowls, unusual stems and fine bevelled detail are my weakness.

However, when it came to choosing water glasses the ones I came across just didn't inspire or enthuse me... Until now....

These are quite possibly the most beautiful water glasses I have seen in a long time? - A great size that comfortably fill my (smaller than average!) hand and don't even get me started on the etching...

Stunning, stunning stunning

Now, just to decide which ones to buy for myself!

A Yorkshire Rose

To celebrate our 1st birthday we asked our favourite designer Helen McAllister of Helkat Design if she would make a cushion especially for Nora's. 

As always she has come up trumps and her 'Yorkshire Rose' cushion is perfect for our little Yorkshire shop!

We are so proud and honoured to have been one of her first retail stockists - her rustic designs inspired by the natural world complement our rural surroundings perfectly.

Each cushion Helen makes is hand made, hand screenprinted and finished with different ribbons and trimmings.  You are always guaranteed a completely unique cushion which is something you definitely won't find on the High Street.  Our favourite feature? The back is always as beautiful as the front...

  

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT NORA'S, ILKLEY

Skipton Sheep

It's true, I'm a Yorkshire lass born and bred -  I love the Dales; it's in my blood and pumps all the way through me. 

I like to think that my heart is nestled between two wonderful Yorkshire towns:- Ilkley and Skipton.
Ilkley is where I was schooled and where I now spend most of my time and Skipton and the Yorkshire Dales is my heritage.

My wonderful Grandad was born in a picturesque little hamlet to the North of Skipton called Kirkby Malham.  I'm proud to say that I can trace my family back several generations to Kirkby Malham and the surrounding area, and I think this goes a little way to explaining why it feels so right for me to be settled in this part of the world.

In honour of this I have asked the brilliant Kate Thornton to create one of her amazing map decoupage prints just for Nora's.  

As we already have our 'Ilkley Cow and Calf' print, we would now like to introducing our very own 'Skipton Sheep'


Skipton Sheep
Exclusive to Nora's


Some may know that Skipton has a long and significant history and it's name actually comes from the Saxon word for 'Sheep' - hence our little sheep!

The colour I have chosen for the background is 'Yorkshire Dales National Park' green and is the same colour they use in their logo.

I have to say, I think it's just lovely and I can't wait for them to arrive with us!

Sunlight on Closed Lids

A couple of weeks ago a lovely lady called Kate came in to Nora's; with her rainbow coloured umbrella and red shiny shoes she asked if we would like to take a look at her illustrated cards and pictures.

Now, I have to confess that I'm not an easy person to impress when it comes to illustration and I do have very specific taste however, it wouldn't be an understatement to say that I fell completely, totally and utterly in love with Kates work.

Her bold colours and imagery from a bygone era create such a wonderful nostalgic feel that you couldn't fail to be delighted to receive one of her cards from a dear friend or loved one.  The brightly coloured envelopes she uses are enough to make you smile before you even see the card.

 


As for her fabulous prints, I can't wait take this one home and give it pride of place in my living room.

Orwell & Goode Textiles

Back in April we went to the British Craft Trade Fair in Harrogate - probably our favourite fair that showcases British handmade talent at its best.

Out of all the brilliant stands, one really stood out to us - we love new upcoming designers and we think that Bronagh and Zuzana of Orwell & Goode are going to take 2011 by storm!

Their stunning range of textiles and prints are quirky and beautifully finished - we love them and think you will too!

Mrs Orwell and Mrs Goode met in 2008 when Mrs Orwell taught Mrs Goode how to silk screen print.  Mrs Goode had a blast and thought Mrs Orwell was such a brilliant teacher she returned twice more. They had lots of fun working together and giggled far too much!  Mrs Orwell and Mrs Goode were on holiday in Ireland together when they had the idea to design a collection together and so came about 'Orwell and Goode'.  Together along with their small and very talented team they design, hand print and stitch their many many ideas into the most beautiful of creations for living, dining and giving.

Happy Birthday Nora's!

Twelve months ago this week Nora's story began...

To celebrate we're having a bit of a 'doo' this Saturday at the shop!  A glass of Pimms and a Cake Pop plus 10% off voucher for our lovely customers!  What more could you want?

(If you haven't experienced a 'Cake Pop' (aka: little pieces of heaven on a stick) come and try one, we guarantee you'll get addicted!)

We hope you can join us in the celebrations!

Amish Barn Stars

Following the ever increasing popularity of anything with a 'heart' on over the past few years I feel to have overdosed somewhat on them so I'm always looking for something new and a little different to add interest to a home. I think I've finally found just the thing with 'Amish Barn Stars'. 

I first came across them about 18 months ago and found their look incredibly appealing - I love anything quirky (as I'm sure you know!) and their vintage, 'reclaimed' style really caught my eye.

I researched them and ultimately fell in love with the story behind them - Originally used by Amish farmers to decorate their barns and identify the builder, they are made from reclaimed tin that has been salvaged from old farm buildings and are considered to bring good luck.

The different colours also have different meanings:-
White - Purity, Free Flowing Energy
Blue - Protection, Peace, Calmness and Spirituality
Green - Growth, Fertility, Success in things and ideas that grow

After months of searching, I have been able to locate some original Barn Stars handmade by the Amish Community in the USA which are now for sale at Nora's.

12" - £26.50
22" - £55.00
29" - £75.00

Red, White and Blue



Royal Wedding Tea Towel

by Gemma Correll £10

Available at Nora's



With less than two weeks to go until the 'Big Day' Union Jacks are flying and I can sense the excitement building in the air.

I haven't really experienced a positive Royal event on this scale before and I've found it quite suprising and fascinating to see how I have been completely swept up in it all.

I wouldn't call myself patriotic, but I have to admit I am looking forward to seeing all the pomp and ceremony on the day. I can't deny how much I love a good wedding and like most ladies in this country I will be transfixed to a TV when the bride emerges and we see her dress for the first time.

One thing that has really touched me is how the next generation are also embracing this event;  I find it so wonderful to think that little girls are going to witness a real fairytale wedding and see an ordinary girl become a Princess. 

I'm also looking forward to the 'Afternoon Tea Party' on the Grove in Ilkley on the Wedding Day - again, this is something I've never experienced but I absolutely love the idea of closing a main road, setting up a picnic table and eating a big piece of cake alongside fellow happy folk whilst listening to a Brass Band!  What a great way to spend an afternoon!

To celebrate the occasion the knitting group at Create (above Nora's) have completed the 'Knitted Royal Wedding' (below)  As a fairly new knitter I decided to try my hand at a corgi... needless to say I only did one... We think the whole thing looks amazing and it will take pride of place in Nora's window from Saturday 30th April if you'd like to come and have a look!



The Knitted Royal Wedding completed by
The 'Create' Knitting Group

The Bride and Groom

Prince Harry, The Queen and Prince Phillip with Corgis
(mine is the one in a different colour and has no face...)





Royal Wedding Window Display at Nora's

 





WIN 2 BUNNY EGG COSIES

NORA'S FEELING GENEROUS!

**WIN WIN WIN**

The sun is still shining in Ilkley and Easter is a week on Sunday, so to celebrate the upcoming much needed Bank Holiday we're giving away 2 of our handknitted Merino Lambswool Bunny Egg Cosies! One for you and one to give to someone special!

All you have to do is follow our blog and leave a comment below (perhaps persuading us as to why you should be our lucky winner!)

Good Luck and the winner will be announced on Monday 18th April



Easter Offerings

Easter is only a few weeks away and in our house we like to celebrate with a pretty Easter Tree, yummy Easter Sunday Lunch and we're not allowed to forget the compulsary chocolate.

We'll be putting up the shop's Easter tree tomorrow (after I've chopped part of mum's tree in the garden down!) and decorating it with lots of goodies!

Easter Cards are in stock  and probably should have ordered more pretty Easter Wreaths as we've sold 3 already! 

I must not forget to mention our extremely popular knitted bunny egg cosies (£7.50 inc egg cup) - I'm still knitting away trying to get more ready for the weekend!

Nora's wins New Business of the Year!

We're celebrating this morning after winning the New Business of the Year award at the Telegraph and Argus 'Bradford Means Business' on Saturday night.

The Award, sponsored by Bradford University School of Management, was presented to us at a glittering ‘Oscars’ style event attended by over 300 people and recognised the huge achievements of businesses throughout the Bradford area.  The evening was hosted by renowned broadcaster John Hammond and featured speeches from ‘The Secret Millionaire’ Carl Hopkins and Bradford Council Leader Councillor Ian Greenwood.

We’re so thrilled to have received this award; it’s a huge achievement for us and recognises all of our hard work and also the support of our customers.  It’s great to be able to share our success and support other small businesses in Yorkshire and the rest of the UK by selling their products at Nora’s.  We’re looking forward to celebrating our 1^st Birthday in May and having many more years of successful trading in Ilkley. 

Thank you as always for your continued support

Mothers Day Inspiration

There are many things we all do everyday that don't take much effort but make a big difference to our day.

It dawned on me earlier that one thing I do everyday is tell my mum I love her; only a small moment at the end of the day but quite possibly the most important. I'm sure you don't need me to remind you how special our mum's are, but it got me thinking how many of us actually tell them on a regular basis that we think they're brilliant and that we love them.

I suspect that I am in a minority of people over the age of 12 who continue to do this and I have begun to wonder if perhaps by telling her everyday it makes it less special.

I've given it some serious thought over the past 48 hours, and I've concluded that being told (however regularly!) and knowing that you're loved is a truly wonderful thing and the sentiment is always the same.

So, if you're not a soppy so and so like me and you don't regularly remind your mum that you love her, please do make sure you remember to tell her on the 3rd April...






More Mothers Day gift inspiration on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=125760467452598&aid=57355

'Spring has Sprung'

Another glorious sunny day in Ilkley makes me think that 'Spring' may finally have 'Sprung'.

The sunshine and sprouting daffodils have spurred me on to display our new crockery and glassware that arrived on Friday afternoon. 

I have used a piece of rustic hessian as a tablecloth and on top placed a cream runner, cream heart placemats and finished off with a stunning selection of glassware and our new tableware in varying shades of taupe, beige and mocha. 

So fresh looking and yet so simple; we are particularly pleased with the results and it has definitely got us in the mood for some more sunshine and daffodils thank you very much!