Tuesday 29 November 2011

Perfect Christmas present






Just a little reminder that the Word Map of The British Isles print is available in my shop. It makes an original as well as informative present and provides a real talking point in our kitchen! Everyone has their favourite bit - even our daughter!
So get yourself to the shop and snap one up.

Work on the new collaboration with Snowhome is well underway and we're very excited about it. I'm busying away with my paintbrush and Angus is busying away with his research. Keep your eye out for the new collaboration which will be finished end of December/early January. I won't say any more than that - I'll keep you all suspended a little longer!
In the meantime get over to the Snowhome website and follow the link on the blog to vote for them in the Telegraph shop awards. And while you're on their website purchase yourself some fantastically original and well-designed Chistmas presents - or better still visit the shop in York.


Sunday 27 November 2011

Christmas cards







As promised here's a look at my Christmas cards which have hit my shop and notonthehighstreet this weekend. Better late than never I suppose!
I have a mixture of single cards and packs of cards this year - all hand printed as usual.
I thought it might be nice to do a little offer seeing as we're nearly into December and I might be feeling a little bit festive so I'll include an extra card from my everyday ranges in with the first 10 orders of Christmas cards received.

Thursday 24 November 2011

A much needed break...












After a very hectic few weeks (hence lack of posts again) we escaped to one of my favourite places The Yorkshire Sculpture Park today. It's a fantastic place to visit - there's always a good exhibition or two on, the cafe serves very yummy food, the shop is fantastic and full of inspiring things and then there's all that open space to wander around and let a two and half year old run free!
The sun was shining today and casting the best shadows of the artwork onto the walls. The Donna Wilson exhibition was vibrant and full of woollen creatures and shapes. I loved the framed woollen trees and flowers. Her colours and patterns are superb.
In contrast was the Jaume Plensa exhibition which was calming and filled the landscape and gallery space with illuminated sculptures and lots of lovely letters - so I was in my element! The best bit was the 50 metre curtain of poetry which comprised of steel letters hung on wire which acted as giant wind chimes.
A good day out but now on with the next phase of orders before Christmas. I've been adding Christmas cards to my shop and notonthehighstreet shop tonight. I've nearly done them all (shamefully late - but I have been very very busy). They'll all be on there by the end of Friday and I'll do a proper post about them over the weekend.

Friday 4 November 2011

And the award goes to....Emily Sutton



While flicking through my latest copy of Elle Decoration I was really pleased to see that the 2011 Elle Decoration design award for Best British Pattern Design had gone to Emily Sutton for her 'Curiosity Shop' fabric for St Judes. I've met Emily a few times when she was student at Edinburgh College of Art. She always stood out as a very talented illustrator and I'm not surprised to see her in Elle Decoration among such other talents. Her whimsical designs use artefacts and vintage ephemera to re-create a very mid-century feel. I'm also a big fan of St Judes and keep an eye on their blog. They work with a very talented group of people (one of whom is my old head of illustration from ECA - Jonathan Gibbs).

One of the winners from last years Elle Dec design awards - Donna Wilson - has an exhibition at the
Yorkshire Sculpture Park starting very soon (19th Nov). I'm planning a visit to see her lovely textiles in such a great gallery space. It promises knitted trees and other curiosities so I look forward to it.