A range of stylish cameras and accessories to put the fun into photography

Can you remember the joy and frustration of analogue photography, waiting for your film to come back from the developers and that thrill when you open the envelope to see you photographs for the first time? We love analogue and want to put the fun back into taking pictures that is why we are celebrating the fourth anniversary of Lomography in the UK by featuring a collection of the most stylish cameras for analogue fans.

 
Lomography is a community dedicated to experimental and creative analogue photography. The community share photos, tips and inspiration and supply a variety of low-fi cameras and experimental film designed for play. Anyone can be a Lomographer. Just pick up a camera and snap whatever you fancy, then wait to see what develops.

La Sardina is a great choice for the style conscious, decorated in a variety of prints including this lovely deckchair fabric. It has a wide angle lens, ideal for selfies and landscapes alike and it takes 35mm film. Add a flash and a selection of experimental films to see what this little camera is really capable of. You can find inspiration on the Lomography Sardina website. There are tutorials and galleries of Sardina images shared by Sardina users. Why not join in and share your own Sardina photographs.

Here in the South West there are plenty of opportunities to get out and about with your Sardina camera. Why not join Bath Photo Walk for their Autumn Photowalk in Victoria Park. Or meet local lomographers in Bristol. Bristol Lomo Club meet once a month.

You could store your images in this Ted Baker pretty floral photo album or display your favourites in pride of place on the fridge with this set of vintage fridge magnets from Cavallini.

Lomography UK are running a celebratory competition over on their Facebook page. Enter the fourth anniversary competition to win one of four cameras.

These gorgeous little cameras start at £59 and we have a selection of colourful and experimental film from £8.50. See the full range here http://www.bloomsburystore.com/brands/lomography or pop in to the store.

Accessories from Paul Smith and Ally Capellino for Fabulous Fashionistas

Bloomsbury’s own Fabulous Fashionista, Jean Woods, has been making the news this week after appearing in the Channel 4 documentary. With features in the Radio Times and Daily Mail, it is clear that he media are fascinated by her unique, age defying style.

Jean is proof that there is no age limit on style and this selection of stunning products will tempt fashionistas of any age. Team a Swirl Jaquard Stripes Silk Scarf and Grey Stripe Beanie from Paul Smith with a dark red Ally Capellino Kelly Bag for a youthful injection of colour.

There is still time to see Jean and the rest of the fashionistas in this inspiring documentary on 4od.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/fabulous-fashionistas/4od

Fabulous Fashionistas

Here at Bloomsbury Store we’ve been getting very excited over our Jean appearing on Chanel 4's Fabulous Fashionistas! You may remember us blogging about Jean being filmed back in April, and now she will finally be hitting the screen!

Award-winning director Sue Bourne explores the art of ageing in the company of six extraordinary women in a Cutting Edge film. With an average age of eighty, Bridget, Daphne, Jean, Gillian, Sue and Lady Trumpington have something inspirational in common – to keep going, to look fabulous and to have fun. Without botox or plastic surgery, these women are redefining old age – in style. Not one of them feels like an ‘old person’ and, in their own ways, they are defying expectations of the ageing process. 

Fabulous Fashionistas features uplifting, often poignant personal stories and insights into how staying young and dressing with style is about more than following the latest trends, but about an attitude to life itself. 

Keep an eye out for Jean serving in the shop!

Catch Jean and 5 other stylish ladies on Channel 4 on Tuesday the 17^th at 10pm. 

Make your lips shimmer

We're really looking forward to getting some new products in from Burt's Bees, soon to arrive will be these wonderful UK gift sets. The previous gift sets we have stocked have been geared towards the US market so these beautifully new branded sets feel more us. We love the packaging in sunny shades of yellow and the products as always are sublime. Even better with these sets are the savings you'll make - usually getting one products for free!

New Burt's Bees Naturally Nourishing Gift Set £19.99 (saving 16%)

Burts Bees Honey Collection £15.99 (saving 40%) free mini body lotion!

Burt's Bees Mini Collection £5.99

The new Ultra Moisturising lip treatment should be in very soon also and we can't wait to try it out. Made with kokum butter it'll be a real treat for dry lips, and with winter soon approaching we'll be stocking up on it. We'll let you know as soon as it arrives!



But if you can't wait to get a Burt's treat why not try out the Burt's Bees lip shimmers, they're a great way to get a flash of colour across your lips whilst caring for them too. All Burts' lip shimmers are 100% natural and contain the same beautiful moisturising ingredients that the famous lip balms do too. With a range of 7 luscious shades to choose from you can't go wrong, so get lip smacking!

AW13 Ally Capellino has arrived

Ally Capellino is one our great treasures at Bloomsbury & Co, we love the understated simplicity and functionality of every item. From launching her first womenswear collection in 1980 Ally has has stayed true to her Britishness and now has two shops of her own. Going back to her fashion accessory roots her bags, wallets, purses and belts have won her many fans. With little, to no excessive embellishments and only subtle logo's and names placed keenly away from sight, her bags are a breath of fresh air in what can be a brand competition. Classic styles that you will come back to time and again.
Ally Capellino's AW13 collection takes on some really moody colours for this season, giving a great contrast to her light summery collection with its sea blues and mustards. The classic frame bags are all hand made in London with a factory that is unique in the UK. All use beautifully grained Italian veg tanned leather and feature the Ally Capellino Cockerel motif. Any item from the Capellino collection is guaranteed to last you a lifetime and will always be a classic.
See our AW13 womens collection here!  and mens just here!

Ally Capellino's AW13 collection takes on some really moody colours for the season, giving a great contrast to her light summery collection with its sea blues and mustards. The classic frame bags are all hand made in London with a factory that is unique in the UK. All use beautifully grained Italian veg tanned leather and feature the Ally Capellino Cockerel motif. Any item from the Capellino is guaranteed to last you a lifetime and will always be a classic.
See our AW13 womens collection here!

It's Nixon Time!

Nixon watches came into being 15 years ago as a reaction to the lack of quality and choice available on the market. They now consider themselves a game changer in the market who can "deliver what you need in various high stress work and play environments" with "a network of athletes, rock stars, retailers, and dedicated loyalists that bring Nixon products to market. They are absolutely committed to every last detail ensuring that what you get is the very best and will reflect your values, style and character.

Our collection of watches has grown each season as it's popularity demands us to expand colours and styles. New in this season we have the new version of the Unit 40, we were smitten with the original design but this new sleeker design has us falling in love all over again. And the ever colourful Timeteller's will have you re-considering your outfit to match your watch!

With something for everyones taste's from the traditional and super functional to the brightest fashion colours and hard wearing timepieces you won't be disappointed with Nixon watches in any way. View our online collection here or come in store for more!

Rodgers and Rodgers Jewellery Sparkles

Rodgers and Rodgers was started in 2010 by Lynn and Kate Rodgers in rural Derbyshire. All their jewellery is handmade using 22ct gold vermeil, 925 sterling silver and carefully selected semi-precious stones. Their jewellery is simple, elegant and timeless. With an ever expanding range of gorgeous semi-precious stones at the heart of the collection we have a hard time keeping a favourite. Currently at the top of our wishlist is this sublime Astrid gem bangle.

We think the pure simplicity of each item speaks volumes. The beautifully faceted stones allow the colour to really shine through and who couldn't resistant stacking these rings together?

 Mix and match your colours across a range of styles of rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces. Each made with the utmost skill and attention to detail. The studs have become a best seller (not only with us in the office!) with such a great price starting at £15.95 in a rainbow of dazzling semi-precious stones. We have a great selection online but if you can make it to our Bloomsbury Store in Bath then a bigger, brighter collection awaits you!

Don't be Sensitive

We love the new focus on specifically designed face care ranges from Burt's Bees and the new Sensitive range has been a revelation to us Bloomsbury girls. With the super soft cotton extract running through the collection you can wave bye bye to redness and irritation after cleaning away make up and wake up happy to fresh glowing skin.

The cotton extract will help your skin replenish its outer layers that can get stripped away when using harsh soaps and irritants. It will also soothe any redness and the rice extract and aloe will boost your skins moisture levels. The whole range is fragrance-free and as always only the most natural ingredients are used.

The new facial cleanser towelettes have been our favourite from this range as they are perfect for taking away on holidays and weekends away. Knowing you can always clean away dirt, oil and make-up at the end of the day with these tucked in your weekend bag is bliss! An added bonus to the wipes are that they are made from FSC approved natural cloth so absolutely everything about these wipes is gentle. You can view the whole Sensitive collection here!

We'd love to know what you think of the Burt's Bees face care products - you can leave us a comment here or email us at hello@bloomsburystore.com.

Pantone's Colour of the Year is Emerald

We ran a post in January about Pantone's colour of the year being Emerald - see it here. Well we're now the first UK stockist of Seletti's infamous Pantone tins commemorating this beautiful colour. The perfect hide away for the utility bills and storage for old polaroids and holiday niknaks. Stack them high and proud! Get the emerald tin here.

 ps. we now also stock this summery mimosa yellow! See the collection of colours here!

Summer Holidays

Summer is in full swing and we have some great gifts, games and ideas to keep everyone happy on these long balmy days.

Whenever we're looking for fun gifts to give we always look to the Wild and Wolf Ridley's range first - because it's jam packed with so many beautifully designed games and toys. Wild and Wolf have recently re-released the Ridleys nostalgic games in new Kaleidoscope packaging giving each item a toy shop feel - each games pulls you in with it's dazzling aray of colours and patterns.

This set of playing cards are a classic through and through - every household needs a deck of cards. whatever you play - snap, solitaire or texas hold 'em. You can perfect your shuffling skills till your heart's content. £9.95












For little tricksters the 4 Classic Jokes and whoopee cushions £2.95 will provide them whth those simplest of pleasures. Let them perfect the art of the 'nail through the finger' and listen to them giggle whilst dropping an 'insect in ice' into someone's drink (and just pick your cushioned seat carefully!)! 4 classic jokes £7.95

Board games are great for taking away with you and our favourites are 2 in 1's. The  Chess & Checkers £14.95 and the Snakes & ladders & Ludo £11.95 boards both have a vibrant 1960's style to them.With incredible double side board technology another classic family game is revealed. Just don't slide down too many snakes!

Don't forget to capture all those wonderful holiday moments. Why not try building your own pinhole camera! With this simple kit you just need some glue and away you go. Get the thrill of not only creating your own camera but then getting them developed and seeing the results. Pinhole Camera kit £7.95.




Check out the full range here - Ridley's games - with everything from tumbling blocks, pick up sticks and harmonica's to a giant bouncer summer will never be the same again!

Burt's Newest and Brightest Range

We love Burt's Bees at Bloomsbury (the kind with 6 o's love - loooooove). Ever since we discovered Burt's we've stocked the whole range in our lovely little shop and just can't get enough of it. So we're super thrilled to get their new Intense Hydration range in stock.

The collection includes the basics you would expect to find in any facial care range with cream cleanser, eye cream day and night lotions and a lovely new treatment mask. The range takes its inspiration from the Clary Sage a botanical ingredient which is known to tolerate harsh Mediterranean climates. For use on dry skin these products will help promote your skin's own ability to retain moisture whilst helping to reduce wrinkles and fine lines.

The treatment mask has us most excited as it's a totally new product from Burt's. Use this for an instant skin boost and revitalise your skin with moisture. It can be used once or twice a week and will give you a relaxing 10mins to yourself whilst it gets hard to work.

The lotions are sublime to use, not greasy at all and are scientifically proven to provide your skin with intense hydration (when used in combination with other products in the range). As always only the most natural of ingredients go into making each product so you can be sure of what you are putting onto your skin.

You'll love what you see when you try the new Intense Hydration range from Burt's Bees. Click here to see our collection!

Summer Sale in full Swing

Our summer sale is going down a treat online and in store - so we wanted to share a few more of our favourite picks before they're gone! We really do have something for everyone, so if you're after a gift for a summer birthday, or looking for a little treat for yourself you won't be disappointed. Don't forget we also have a HUGE 30% off all of our Kartell stock - more of which is in store so well worth a visit to our Quiet Street store to see our bargains.

1. Sew heart felt slippers in fox - rabbit and donkey designs also available, these are just too cute for words, we love them! - Was £19.95  Now £16.95
2. Paul Smith polka dot triangle bikini - beautiful 40's detailing will ensure you look fab on the pool side this summer - Was £110  Now £88
3. Nixon Wire headphones in bright yellow, other colours are available, better than your ubiquitous white or black -Was £39.95  Now £29.95.
4. Bitossi salad utensils, these salad servers are made from bamboo from the new biodegradable range - Was £6.95  Now £5.50

Super Summer Sale!

It's our end of season already (even though the sun only just seems to have made an appearance here!) so we're celebrating summer with some HUGE discounts! We have some really great offers on furniture and lighting, men's and women's accessories and lots of lovely gifty bits too. Take a look at our top picks for today and let us know what bits you can't wait to get your hands on....

Kartell Bourgie lamp designed by  Ferruccio Laviani is a classic and can be spotted in some pretty exclusive interiors! Was £196 Now £137.20 - that's a  HUGE 30% off!

Ally Capellino Dean Rucksack - shown here in mustard and black (also available in khaki and olive) Was £215 Now £172

Paul Smith ladies Westbourne hobo bag in mustard - from the exclusive luxury range of handbags that Paul created especially for SS13 - read more here - Was £830 Now £664

We have an even bigger range of sale items in store, so if you can make it to Bloomsbury Store New Bond Street or Quiet Street in Bath you won't be disappointed - and it's gone, it's gone!

As seen in....

We're thrilled to see the new Wild & Wolf Thourghtful Gardener Watering Can in the June issue of Marie Claire, and selected by local girl Pearl Lowe too! Moving to the West Country has provided a sanctuary away from the busyness of the city for Pearl. Turning her hand to fashion design and crafting Pearl gives us a few tips on how to create an effortless vintage look in our own homes. Creating a 'Summer Bazzar' in your own garden is simple with the sublime turquoise colour of the Thourghtful Gardener watering can. The rest of the Thourghtful Gardener range compliment each other beautifully - like the bold seed markers.

 Pick up some more tips from Pearl in her new book 'Pearl Lowe's Vintage Craft' now at +Bloomsbury Store!

Father's day is nearly here

Don't forget dad this weekend!
We've made a little wishlist over on our Bloomsbury Store Pinterest page of all our favourite Father's Day gifts - see it here!

But here are a few more picks - remember UK orders can upgrade to Next day delivery for free using the code QUICKDAD. Just select the Next day shipping method and enter the code, make sure you place your order before 1pm on Thursday 13th June to ensure you get your present's in time!

From the top left -
Gentleman's Hardware Multi tool - beacuse dad's can fix everything.
Hornby enamel mug - great for a nostalgic dad for tea in the shed.
Beano gift wrap - a beautiful reproduction of you dad's favourite comic - maybe too good to use as wrap?
Happy Jackson Tache Tools and Beardy bits - or a washbag to regular folk.
Stirling Moss thermos flask - every number tells a story - and number 7 was Stirling Moss's.
The Very Embarrassing Book of Dad Jokes - we don't want to encourage him - but some are funny...some.