MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL!

Here at SHOP we're finding hard to believe another year is coming to an end, but being big fans of Christmas and of progress in general, we're looking forward to a lovely Christmas holiday followed by an exciting new year at SHOP.

As with most years at SHOP thus far, this one has been one like no other.  It started out business as unusual, but has had many twists and turns, some rather unpleasant, some brilliant.  We've said goodbye to some people and we've welcomed many more.  We've lurched from the brink of extinction to a new lease of life - you know, ying and yang, circle of life, all that kinda stuff.

So, this is to wish all SHOP Fans a wonderful, wonderful Christmas and 2012.  We look forward to seeing you on the other side and in the meantime, we'd like to leave you with this extract from A Christmas Carol.  It is Scrooge's nephew talking to his miser of an uncle and we feel his sentiments about Christmas sum up how we feel about Christmas and in some aspects, about SHOP in general too:

  ``There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say ... Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round ... as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!'' 

Sending you all the old, old wish - see you in 2012!

Christmas News!

It's begininng to look a lot like Christmas! We ruddy love Christmas! We've already eaten ours and your body weight in mince pies and been using any excuse to mull up some wine we can think of..."Oh, I've got the sniffles, maybe a warm drink will help". "Yeah, I read this thing about this new recipe that's meant to be really good for your liver, let's try it out tonight". "I'm really thirsty and don't know about you but I've found the water is a bid flouridey this week". But the best one is "It's Christmas!" If you haven't been down to the Christmas Steps just yet this December, then you really need to pay us a visit after 5pm (when it's dark) to see our super Christmassy Christmas lights tumbling their way down the steps. DRAW by Sam Ulewicz tales from shop Three things we got in the post this month: 1) An invitation to go to Italy and hang out with the owners of a vintage shop. 2) A napkin ring 3) And this...

NEWS CHRISTMAS ARTISAN MARKET! The Christmas Artisan Market was a huge success with lots of great feedback from stallholders and visitors alike. It was by far our biggest and most well attended one to date. Apparently Christmas Markets need a USP to be successful...beat our USP universe! CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SWITCH ON! We genuinely didn't believe it could get more christmassy on the steps than it is already until the beautiful December 1st switch on. It truly was a heartwarming community event. To see all the piccies from the market and switch on event click on the blog below: http://www.christmasstepsartisanmarket.blogspot.com SPECIAL CHRISTMASSY NEW STOCK IN A SPECIAL CHRISTMASSY SHOP! SHOP's Bristol postcode means we always have Christmas in our hearts, but that doesn't stop us really ramping up the Christmas to the max! We have of course stocked up with lots of jumpers for the wintery weather  (still trying hard to get hold of some of the Christmas Jumpers we had last year) and perfect homewares for gifts. We've also got some lovely jewellery for stocking fillers and games for playing round the fire with the family. Click on the blog link below for a sneaky peak and a bit more info: SHOP's Feelin Christmassy!! CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS! We will be open up as unusual through December from Monday to Saturday 11am - 6pm. We will be closed from Friday December 23rd until Monday January 9th. EVENTS Exhibition: DRAW December 3rd - 10th | 12pm - 6pm Still time to catch the return of the Ulewicz brother, Sam with his solo-show, running until this Saturday the 10th of December. Here's a little blog about it: Draw by Sam Ulewicz Future Event: Keep a look out for news of our new look SHOP and a big shopping event heading your way in January to rid you of the post-Christmas blues!

Draw by Sam Ulewicz

Sam Ulewicz's exhibition, 'Draw' opened on Saturday in the arts space.  Sam has had a group exhibition in the arts space before with brother Tim Ulewicz and friends Ross Lovelock Ross Godding, 'Back Then'... but this is his first ever solo show!  The illustrations are ace and very funny but we won't spoil the punch lines, you'll have to come and see for yourself.  In the meantime, here are some pics:

Grrrrrrrrr!

The exhibition poster

SHOP loves this one! It's a tee shirt and a print.

The red arrows, these have been painted onto the wall.

Close-up...

A cabinet of goodies.

SHOP's feelin Christmassy!!

When you live on the Christmas Steps you can't help but feel especially Christmassy at this time of year...but we give it a really good go at being extra, extra, specially Christmassy anyway!

We've decked our halls with the usual mix of mismatched decos and created our own little grotto that will have Santa greenland with envy.

Of course we've also had a bit of a top up on party dresses, Christmas jumpers, homeware and well everything really...These pictures don't really do us any justice, if we do say so ours-'elves'.

Christmas Warm-Up Events!

A CHRISTMAS WARM-UP MONDAY 28th NOVEMBER Buy Nothing Day SHOP | 11am - 6pm SHOP will be closed on the 28th for our 5th annual Buy Nothing Day, in support of an Adbusters campaign to discourage over-consumption.  It primarily means boycotting the big boys, but we like to support it in our own unique way ... by having a day off!  The actual day varies, depending on where you are in the world, but the general idea is just to ask yourself, do you really need those elephant shaped ear-muffs? THURSDAY 1st DECEMBER Grand Christmas Steps Lights Switch On! The Christmas Steps | 5.30pm onwards All of us who live on The Christmas Steps are very proud of our unique name and for the last three years we've celebrated Christmas by putting up some twinkly lights to make the Steps even more beautiful than normal.  On Thursday 1st December, children from St Michael's School will sing us all some carols before the plunger is plunged at 6pm and the Steps will be lit up!  Stick around for some late night shopping in the whole Christmas Steps Arts Quarter too, this and each Thursday throughout December until 8pm. The Oxygen of Publicity (A Lust for Power) SHOP's Arts Space | 6pm - 9pm Artists Shelley Davis and Thomas Martin are exploring the complex and conflicting issues of gender politics and expectations via the medium of video and audio, in this pop up arts space event. SATURDAY 3rd DECEMBER Christmas Artisan Market The Christmas Steps | 11am - 4pm In keeping with the area's reputation for independent artisan traders, we're hosting a Christmas Artisan Market on the unique and festively name Christmas Steps themselves.  Come along for a lovely afternoon and experience the wonderful teetering charm of the artisans’ stalls cascading down the Steps, showcasing the high standard of beautiful crafts and wares – everything from sweets to frilly knickers, original art works and handmade instruments, providing you with the perfect opportunity to pick up local, handmade and fully unique Christmas presents.  There will be stacks of festive cheer too with carols and mulled cider a-plenty. Draw by Sam Ulewicz SHOP's Arts Space | 12pm - 6pm Sam returns to the SHOP Arts Space with a solo show, until the 10th December.  Sam's show will include large scale murals as well as his illustations.

Red Door Exhibition

Red Door Collective have taken over the Arts Space at SHOP this week with their own brand of ambient music and urban art.  The show is exhibiting the work of 11 local artists and opened on Friday 11/11/11. 

It has already proved very popular and is one of the busiest shows that SHOP has experienced.

Here's some pics:

The Home of Christmas Shopping!

On Saturday 3^rd December, from 11am – 4pm, the beautiful and intriguing Christmas Steps Arts Quarter (where SHOP lives!), in keeping with its reputation for independent artisan traders, is hosting a Christmas Artisan Market on the unique and festively name Christmas Steps themselves.

Come along for a lovely afternoon and experience the wonderful teetering charm of the artisans’ stalls cascading down the Steps, showcasing the high standard of beautiful crafts and wares – everything from sweets to filly knickers, original art works and handmade instruments, providing you with the perfect opportunity to pick up local, handmade and fully unique Christmas presents.

There will be stacks of festive cheer with the famous Steps Christmas lights, as well as carols and mulled cider a-plenty and if that weren’t enough, there are many other artisan traders and businesses in this unique and beautiful site in Bristol’s city centre, as well as great places to eat and drink.

FFI:

http//christmasstepsartisanmarket.blogspot.com

http://www.christmastepsartsquarter.co.uk

christmasstepsartsquarter@yahoo.co.uk

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When was the last time you took a walk down a different street? The Christmas Steps Arts Quarter consists of eight unique streets in Bristol's old city, lined with independent shops, art galleries, bars, cafes and more than a few surprises, where artisans and creative traders work side by side to keep this diverse corner of Bristol as unusual as it's been throughout its long and intriguing history.

November Newsletter!

NOVEMBER

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag? Drifting through the wind? Wanting to start again? Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin, like a house of cards, one blow from caving in? Do you ever feel already buried deep? Six feet under screams but no one seems to hear a thing. Do you know that there's still a chance for you, 'cause there's a spark in you? You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine just own the night like the 4th of July. 'Cause baby, you're a firework, come on, show 'em what you're worth. Make 'em go, oh-oh-oh, as you shoot across the sky. Baby, you're a firework, come on, let your colors burst. Make 'em go, oh-oh-oh.. You're gonna leave 'em falling down. You don't have to feel like a waste of space, you're original, cannot be replaced. If you only knew what the future holds after a hurricane comes a rainbow. Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed, so you could open one that leads you to the perfect road. Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow and when it's time, you'll know. You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine. Just own the night like the 4th of July. 'Cause baby you're a firework, come on, show 'em what you're worth. Make 'em go, oh-oh-oh as you shoot across the sky. Baby, you're a firework come on, let your colors burst. Make 'em go, oh-oh-oh. You're gonna leave 'em falling down. Boom, boom, boom, even brighter than the moon, moon, moon. It's always been inside of you, you, you and now it's time to let it through. 'Cause baby you're a firework, come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, oh-oh-oh as you shoot across the sky. Baby, you're a firework, come on, let your colors burst. Make 'em go, oh-oh-oh. You're gonna leave 'em falling down. Boom, boom, boom, even brighter than the moon, moon, moon. Boom, boom, boom, even brighter than the moon, moon, moon.

tales from shop

thREE THINGS WE'VE LEARNT THIS MONTH:

1. PEANUT BUTTER AND JAM ON A GINGER NUT BISCUIT is NOT A TASTY SNACK.

2. CHEAP HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS BOUGHT 3 YEARS AGO FROM WILKINSON'S aRE APPARENTLY MUCH MORE 'saleable' THAN VINTAGE CLOTHING AND HOMEWARE.

3. If you don't ask, you don't get.

NEWS

CHRISTMAS ARTISAN MARKET!
Christmas Artisan Market plans are well underway since last month and the pitches are filling up fast! It will take place on the first Saturday of December, that's the 3rd of December from 11am - 4pm. Get in touch if you would like a stall for just £5!

http://www.christmasstepsartisanmarket.blogspot.com

A LORI-LOAD OF NEW STOCK!
SHOP was very fortunate this month to have taken delivery of loads and loads of new stock! SHOP friend and hunter out of amazing vintage, Lori of Tenderfoot in Brislington provided us with homeware and women's clothes. After that we stocked on snuggly men's jumpers and shortly after that took possession of some truly amazing original 60s Chelsea and Desert Boots. They are dead-stock so are totally unworn!

Check out some of our blogs on the subject:

WOMEN'S AND HOMEWARE!
JUMPERS!
SHOES!

EVENTS

Exhibition: Red Door Collective
November 11th - 18th | 12pm - 6pm

A series of urban artists' portraits and prints from the Red Door collective. Ssshhhhh, rumour has it there will be a Banksy in the midst.

Exhibition: Shelley Davies
November 21st - 26th | 12pm - 6pm

Painter and Ceramicist Shelley Davis will be exhibiting some of her latest worK towards the end of November.

F.F.I Shelley Davies Website


COMING SOON!
The return of one of the Ulewicz brothers, this time it's Sam with a solo-show, starting on the 3r December, more details next month!

MORE NEW STUFF - Jumpers!

We've just received a little package of 20 or so Mens jumpers (although many of them I suppose you could regard as unisex), just in time for the start of Winter. Oh, got to go there's customers battering down the door...

Here some pics:

ORIGINAL 60s SHOESES!

SHOP was very lucky to come across a rich seam of amazing dead-stock ORIGINAL 60s Chelsea Boots and Desert Boots for men and women.

Moments like these happen rarely in the vintage world, when what's hot in fashion is a vintage design and then somewhere like SHOP manages to find the originals! Not only does this mean they are The Ultimate, the quality is much better than the modern mass reproductions. Even the soles are leather!

Furthermore, we're selling them for £25 which is cheaper than their newborn cousins! We're salivating over them (it's good for the suede).