Brighton Festival Artist Open House

Dear Friends of Dodo

You are invited to come and celebrate the hosting of our very first Brighton Festival Open House show at a special soiree we are holding on Thursday 12 May from 6pm 'til 9. There will be nibbles, 'refreshments' and some wonderful art - all in the beautiful surroundings of Dodo Vintage. Music will also be supplied by our Double Dansette DJs. We would be really happy to see you.

Commited to supporting local artists we will be showcasing some of Brighton's best including Ben Allen, Chris Kettle, Christopher Gilvan-Cartwright, Claire Fearon, Sylvie Howitt, Sebastian Pedley, Kandy Ackland, Christine Branton, Scratchy Muffin and Beth Boorman.

There will be paintings, prints, paper cuts, sculptures, photography and other delights for sale along side Dodo's lovingly restored vintage furniture.

Teas and delicious homemade cakes will be served throughout the May Festival weekends.

Website up and running!

GREAT NEWS! Our website is now up and running! Featuring pictures of our lovely stock and details of each item - plus news and pictures of our gallery there's no reason not to visit: http://www.dodovintage.co.uk/

Chattri Memorial...

During World War I, there were over a million and a half Indian Army soldiers fighting alongside British Troops.  Of the casualties, 12,000 Indian soldiers were hospitalised in sites around Brighton, including York Place School, The Dome, The Pavillion and The Corn Exchange. Of these, 53 Hindus and Sikhs died in Brighton and their bodies were cremated on a site on the South Downs near Patcham and their ashes scattered into the sea.

On the site of the funeral pyre was erected a monument named The Chattri and on Sunday 12th June there will be a memorial service held at this quite unique historic site.

Visit The Chattri website for more details

There's a Dodo In Ma Kitchen What I'ma Gonna Do?...

Hello Dodo-ites, Dodies or whatever a collection of our friends would be called, here's a new little section of our blog that we will be doing regularly...recipe corner!

Seeing as we're Sussex born and bred, we'd thought we would try and gather some good old down home, Sussex county cooking ideas for you all to try at your next gathering. For the first recipe, we have decided on Sussex Pond Pudding.

It seems to take a bit of time but we reckon it will be worth it. We will try out the recipes ourselves too and show you the results...and feel free to email us with a picture of your attempts!

SUSSEX POND PUDDING.

INGREDIENTS:

225g/8oz self-raising flour


110g/4oz shredded suet


75ml/3fl oz milk


75ml/3fl oz water


200g/7oz slightly salted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra to grease


200g/7oz soft light brown sugar


2 large lemons



METHOD:
Mix the flour and suet together in a bowl.


Combine the milk and water together in a jug or separate bowl.


Mix in enough of the milk and water to the flour and suet mixture to make a dough that is soft, but not too soft to roll.


Roll the dough out on a floured surface, to make a large circle. Cut out a quarter of the circle (to be used later as the lid of the pudding).


Grease a 1.5 litre/2¾ pint heatproof basin or bowl. Place the larger circle of pastry into the bowl and join the cut sides together, pressing well.


Place half of the butter cubes and half of the sugar into the bottom of the lined bowl.


Prick the lemons all over with a larding needle or skewer, so the juices can escape, then place the lemons on top of the butter and sugar.


Place the remaining butter and sugar over the lemons to fill the bowl.


Roll out the reserved pastry quarter into a round and place on top of the basin filling. Press the edges together to seal the pudding.


Place a piece of foil over the basin, creating a pleat in the middle. Tie the foil in place with string and tie around carefully to create a string handle over the top, so the pudding can be easily moved when hot.


Bring a large pan of water to the boil and lower the pudding into it. The water should come halfway up the sides of the bowl.


Cover the pan with a lid and leave to simmer for 3-4 hours. If the water level falls too low, replenish it with more boiling water.


To serve, carefully remove the basin from the pan and remove the foil lid. Put a deep dish over the basin and turn the pudding out onto the dish. Place on the table and serve immediately.

New Items...

Just a selection of some new items to come into Dodo over the last week or so. As always, contact us or pop into the store if you're interested in anything you see here (though popping in the store is recommended to see all the lovely stuff we've got!)

A New York State Of Mind...

Thinking of visiting good ol' NYC? Want to know what's going on in the city that never sleeps? Or you just like to look at some really interesting articles and dream about going over there! Then get yourself a bagel, a 'cwoffee' and a salt beef on rye to go and check out Hollister Hovey's Blog - and I promise not to do anymore New York stereotype jokes!

Axe Heroes...

No, it's not a new game on the PS3 or whatever the latest games station is called. It's our favourite wood felling and outdoors equipment site Best Made!

They have just announced the release of their new axe... The Best Made American Felling Axe! 4lbs of American 5160 High Carbon Steel, 35" of Appalation Hickory wood are the ingredients for this beauty. It is hand finished and painted and an all round American legend, like Johnny Appleseed!

Rag Trade Pop-Up...

Rag Trade Pop-Up stores are somewhere you can buy - or sell - 'pre-loved' clothing. You can get some real bargains to boot (or a pair of boots!) and give them garments an extra lease of life.

Check out their site for more information...

I Fought The Lore and The Lore Won!

If, like us, you're at all interested in the surrounding area - and a little bit of the olde ways - then this book, "Sussex Folklore" by Jacqueline Simpson, is a great read. Full of tales from Sussex including ghosts, witches, dragons, Sussex customs and how Devil's Dyke was created. It has some nice little illustrations too.

More Stock Just Arrived...

We have some great new stock arrived this week, plus some newly renovated pieces that are waiting for a new home - could it be yours?!

There will be pictures appearing later but there's nothing quite like seeing the pieces in the flesh (or wood, metal, glass - whatever they are made of!) so pop in to Dodo Vintage and see for yourself!

P.S. We will soon have our website up and running. Look out for the launch date - appearing here soon!

Thanks!!!

A huge massive "Thank You" to everyone who came and made the launch of "Map of the Heart" with Sylvie Howitt such a success.

We really appreciate the support from you guys and girls and we hope you all had as much fun as we did.

Don't worry if you missed the launch though, as Sylvie's wonderful work is still on display for the rest of February so come on down, you're all very welcome!

And So It Starts...

We were really excitied to take delivery of Sylvie Howitt's work today. This evening and tomorrow will comprise of preparing the walls and hanging the artwork ready for tomorrow night's launch party.

Peeking through the bubble-wrap we could see the amazingly detailed paper cuttings and I tell you, they are mind blowing.

We also have some Valentine's Cards by Sylvie too - they are on sale right now and will be available tomorrow night too.


So hopefully we will see you tomorrow, Feb 3rd at 6pm for the launch of "Map of the Heart". In the meantime here's something to get you in the mood...

Stock Update...

Hello Dodo Friends, below is a photo update of stock that we have in at the moment  but, as ever, the stock is constantly changing as none of our items hang around too long!

If you see something you fancy, call in to the shop - we are open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, or call us on 07922 554 742

Map of the Heart Launch - This Thursday 3rd Feb 6pm

Calling all art lovers - in fact calling all lovers. "Map of the Heart" with our special guest artist Sylvie Howitt opens this week. We will be open from 6pm on Thursday 3rd February for the launch of this special 'Valentine's' show.

Sylvie's work is both intricate and beautiful and will be available for sale - along with some wonderful Valentine's Day and Greetings cards designed by this very talented artist.

Come along Thursday but if you cannot make it, do not worry, the show runs for a month at Dodo Vintage.

One Of Our Favourite Sites...

Although we deal with furnishings for your home, we love the Great Outdoors and all that comes with getting back to nature. Which is why we love Best Made.

Their simple to navigate site gives you a no-nonsense taste of the wilderness - with fantastic items to buy that you really would need to get you through a rugged terrain but with an emphasis on these 'tools of the trade' being extremely well designed to be the 'best made'.

As Founder Peter Buchanan-Smith puts it "It all started because I couldn’t find a well made axe in my local hardware store. I just couldn’t bare to resign myself to yet another hollow transaction, I couldn’t walk out the door with such a mediocre tool in hand. So I drew inspiration from my love for the axe - the tool I brandished on my family’s cattle farm and in the wilds of Northern Canada as a boy."


They do a lot more than make good axes though, as a search of their site will show you. They also have a really interesting 'Projects'/Blog section which guides you to a more natural, everyday lifestyle - amongst other things.

Best Made...you best go check them out!

NEW GALLERY SHOW FOR VALENTINE'S

Dodo Vintage is very pleased to announce our forthcoming show with the fantastic artwork of Sylvie Howitt.

Launched on February 3rd, "Map of the Heart" will showcase Sylvie's intricate and beautiful papercutting techniques in the surroundings of Dodo Vintage - enabling you to see just how well her wonderful work would compliment your home.

There will be a definite love theme to the evening as it will come in time for Valentine's Day - and what better gift than one of Sylvie's pieces for that special someone in your life?  The artwork is already full of passion, just read what Sylvie has to say about how much love goes into her work...

With Love
Dodo Vintage Gallery

Wood, Water and Energy...a simple recipe that for thousands of years has given inspiration and life to artists and writers work around the world... Paper!

I love paper, all kinds of paper! especially paper from a different era with its unique texture, colour and smell.

With a chance discovery of a collection of vintage maps in a dusty attic, my imagination was fired by a mixture of works from Victorian woodcuts to Hans Christian Andersen and my current favourite artist Rob Ryan.

Papercutting as an art form has existed for thousands of years, during which people have been cutting paper, transforming it into art as unique and diverse as their culture, from simple folk art, to elaborate mathematical masterpieces.

For me, the use of recycled vintage materials seemed the perfect way to express a simple story of hope and love, with a material from a golden age of adventure, romance and hope.  

I hand cut paper from my own freehand drawings.  I love the physical process of cutting into paper with a sharp blade, sometimes scissors, releasing that one off image and design as a result.  

There is something very appealing about the immediacy of this medium and the challenge of keeping the entire delicate image intact within the frame of the paper without the whole piece falling apart.  

I love the symmetry of the designs and the way it tells a story. You will find that my designs vary from the contemporary to the traditional folky look depending on my mood and inspiration.  

The paper I use has its own story, sometimes adding meaning to my paper cut and therefore bringing life into it.  

Whether it is the colours, the musical notes, the maps or the place names, I hope there can be something to trigger a connection, joy, memories ...