Brighton Open Houses

Every May during Brighton festival, artists will open their houses to the public each weekend to show and sell their work. 

The Brighton Open Houses are always something I greatly look forward to as it not only means spring is here, but also that I can happily spend my weekends having a good old nose around some of the most stunning houses in the city, admiring the artwork and enjoying a slice of homemade cake. 

Over the past 10 years that I've been going to the open houses the standard of works on offer has gone from strength to strength, and as well as being incredibly varied and of a very high calibre, you're always guaranteed to get a lot of bang for your buck.

This year there are 200 houses showcasing the work of over 1000 artists and makers, so the hardest part is choosing which ones to visit. Last weekend I headed to the houses grouped Beyond the Level along with some stops off within the Fiveways area, dropping into some favourite houses along with some new additions to the trail.

My must-visits are listed below, and if you're heading down to Brighton in the next few weeks I'd highly recommend stopping by a house or two, where you'll be met with a warm welcome and if you're lucky, a sunny back garden to sip a cuppa in. All the houses listed below are open on the following two weekends from 11am - 5pm.

'31' - 31 Preston park avenue, BN1 6HG
'Teresa Winchester and Friends' - 45 Preston Drove BN1 6LA
'2 Knoyle' - 2 Knoyle Road BN1 6RB 
'Aymer Arts' 1 Aymer Road BN3 4GB

www.aoh.org.uk

Currently coveting - Etsy

I've been using Etsy since I stumbled upon it seven years ago, in the sites' very early days, and have happily purchased everything from vintage popcorn bags to artisan marshmellows to jewellery from there ever since. 

So much more than an online craft shop, their front page is beautifully curated and is a real gold mine for anyone looking for something unique for themselves or for a special gift for a friend. 

I find myself clicking the little favourites button on more and more items every week, but here are some things I'm coveting at the moment. 

Beautiful little landscape painted in oil by PaintingWell

Some quirky coasters to bring character to the table

A pretty temporary tattoo until I'm brave enough for the real thing

Necklaces in candy colours

And because you can never, ever have enough bags...

... or wallets