Katt Frank Illustrations

Katt Frank is a very talented British food lover and freelance illustrator. Visit Katt's website and blog to see more of her lovely hand drawn artwork.

Squeak Design : Introduction and interview

Today I am super-excited to introduce Squeak Design, a small Melbourne label producing beautiful silk scarves designed by the sweet and affable Pippa Oostergetel.

With each original design digitally printed on 100% smooth silk and finished with a hand rolled hem, Squeak's scarves are really lovely to wear and add a gorgeous pop of colour to any outfit!

You can see the full scarf collection on Squeak Design's website: www.squeakdesign.com. Also, shipping is free in Australia, hurrah!

Pippa and I used to work together a few years ago so I thought I'd pester her for a little interview to find out more about how she got Squeak started, what inspires her and what can budding entrepreneurs learn from her experience.

With Squeak's first collection getting some much deserved attention and a new collection in the pipeline Pippa certainly has her hands full. Huge thanks to Pippa for taking the time to answer the questions and sharing her story with us.

Tell us a bit about your background, what did you study and how did you come to start Squeak?
Well, I guess it all started when I decided to study Textile Design at RMIT University and specialised in screenprinting. After Uni I was lucky enough to work in the Spacecraft printing studio for a short while before moving to London to do an internship with London Printworks Trust. I lived overseas for nearly two years, travelling a lot, learning a lot and ultimately spending most of my time in the beautiful country of Switzerland. 
When I eventually returned home to Melbourne I quickly got a job as a Textile Designer for a company called Ladelle. As my first commercial design job I really did learn a lot, but I always knew I wanted to do my own thing. I was at Ladelle for nearly three years before I took the plunge into Squeak. I had a lot of support from my friends and my family, all of whom believed I had the talent to go for my dreams, so one day, I just did it.

What drew you to designing silk scarves and where did your inspiration of the range originate?
I have always loved scarves. I am almost constantly wearing one. I don't know why, but I think it's usually the colour that draws me to them. I love to brighten up my outfit with a well chosen scarf. Therefore my range of scarves is naturally quite colourful! I don't have a specific theme or 'inspiration' for the range, however most of my scarf designs have, in some way, come from my photographs that I took whilst overseas. Some in a very obvious way, and others as very subtle layers of texture in the background.

What is the process that goes into designing the scarves and what part do you enjoy the most?
Like I said, most of my scarves incorporate my photography, so I usually start in Photoshop. I'll find a photo that I want to work with, bring it into Photoshop and then just have a play. It's amazing how many great ideas can come about by just playing. It usually leads me into some really interesting areas that may eventually become my next scarf design!
As for my favourite part, well that's when I get to see those designs on the final product for the first time. It's an intense mixture of excitement and pure fear! It's not until you see the final product that you know if you really love the design or not. But when they do turn out just as you had envisioned, it's an absolutely fantastic feeling.

This is Squeak's first range, what was the most exciting thing about getting this far and what are you looking forward to in the future?
The most exciting part is watching it actually become something. No longer an idea in your head or a vague dream, but an actual reality. I get to wear my scarves, sell my scarves and see people's reactions when they see them for the first time. It's just a real sense of achievement. 
But there's more to the dream, so that's what I'm looking forward to. I'm already looking at designing new products and branching out into different areas. Hopefully that sense of achievement will just continually grow.

Do you have any advice or tips for young designers like yourself who are starting out on their own?
Ask for help. From anyone and everyone. There's no way you can do everything on your own... and it's not as much fun if you do it all on your own anyway. Also, social media... get on it!

Maison Martin Margiela goodness

So I've been feeling a bit flat lately but when I saw these two rather fetching flats by Maison Martin Margiela I figured there's nothing's wrong about being flat. Quite the opposite really.
Via La Garçonne.

Etsy Finds: Softly spoken planters

1. Moss green mid century planter from FrancFrancis,   2. Vintage wooden hanging planter from ohalbatross,   3. Brass himmeli plant hanger no. 2 from HRUSKAA,   4. Hanging recycled glass Terrarium - Small Dodecahedron from megamyers,   5. Enamel chamber pot from Etsplace.

Nollison giveaway on Sunshine of mine!

Bonjour mes amis, I'm very happy to announce that I'm giving away 2 lovely Nollison notebooks in collaboration with the lovely Anouk from the sweet French blog Sunshine of mine.
I met Anouk a few months ago when my Friend Anne-Claire and I held a stall at Craft Hatch market. Anouk and I had a longish conversation about design and blogging and business and let me tell you, this young girl will go far.
To get in with a chance please simply follow the instructions on the post here. Good luck!

Polkka Jam Cat Days Collection (and interview)

A little while ago I shared the beautiful work of Finnish illustration and design studio Polkka Jam (see post here). Kristiina and Sami, the Turku-based design duo behind Polkka Jam, have been very busy running the studio and designing new products, such as my favourite Kissanpäivät (Cat days) Calendar, shown above. I truly admire the work of Polkka Jam and as a cat lover I simply adore the whole Cat Days collection.
Despite having her hands full the lovely Kristiina found the time to answer a few questions and give us a little insight into Polkka Jam:

Can you tell us a little about your background and how did you come to start Polkka Jam.

We studied in the same art and design school in Kuopio in eastern Finland and met there about 13 years ago. Kristiina has graduated as BA Textile Design and Sami as BA Graphic Design. Before Polkka Jam we have both worked and studied different craft skills like bookbinding, ceramics, knitting, weaving etc. Sami has drawn all his life and has exelled in record covers and magazine illustrations. Kristiina has been shop keeper selling independent Finnish design clothes and vintage clothes.

What influences your work and where do you find inspiration?

We can get inspired by many different kind of things and situations. Travels, nature and city culture. Nature documentaries, art books, also just normal everyday life is inspiring.

What is a typical day at Polkka Jam like for you?

Our normal day starts at nine and ends about seven o'clock. Nowadays we work on new collections, keep our web-shop, keep connections to customers and partners and pack the products to customers and retailers.

What do you love most about your work, and what do like least?

Right now we are in the situation that all the work is good. Drawing and designing and seeing the first copies of the new products is propably the best part of our work. Accounting is not so nice but when the company is our own it's important to be up to date with everything what's going on.

Do you have any words of advice for other creative people wanting to go out on their own or start their own business?

Trust your intuation. Be prepared to do lots of work. After you think you have found your style and are satisfied with the results - spread the word.

Thank you so much Kristiina and Sami for your time and wise words. All the best for the future, enjoy the snow in Turku and we look forward to seeing more of your wonderful designs!

The cosy home

These are a few of my favourite images from the A/W 2012 House & Home lookbook from UK Brand Toast. The soft, rustic colour tones and tactile materials really create a cosy and inviting look.

English pubs by Mr Wingate

Mr Wingate is a London-based hand printing studio established in 2006 by Sam Wingate.

The collection includes a range of illustrated prints and homewares such as these lovely two-colour print East End Pub Crawl cushions. 

These and other products are available online from Mr Wingate shop.

The white villa

This incredibly white and airy detached villa in Bjärehalvön Sweden was built circa 1909 and has 7 rooms. I don't know what Bjärehalvön is like but I would definitely like to buy this house and move in right away.
Via Henmet.

OYOY is not for YOYO backwards

OYOY is a newly established Danish interior design company creating high-quality products focussing on form, function, colour and exquisite materials. 
OYOY is inspired by classic Scandinavian style, adding undertones of simple, Japanese design and a passion for combining colour and materials. The result is a unique blend of simplicity and colourful design. I'm sure you'll agree with me that it looks great. Visit OYOY's website for more products and the inspiration behind the unusual name.

Country Road cushions

Country Road have a new range of decorative cushions which remind me of a Scandinavian summer. I'm especially loving the soft butter and grey colour combination, particularly on the knitted triangles cushion (which has been named 'Vernon').
Now all is left is for summer to arrive in Melbourne. Soon.

Zara kids lookbook : August 2012

I just love Zara. They don't always get it right but they do most of the time. And when they do it looks great. This time I'm loving the kids August lookbook. It's well balanced with classic pieces for little one and then there's this cutest little fluffy kitty.
Check out the rest of it here.

Anaca Studio photoshoot

Last week I was very fortunate to take part in a photoshoot with my gorgeous friend Anne-Claire of Anaca Studio and talented photographer Nik Epifanidis and these are some of the results of that day.
It was great fun helping out with the styling and bouncing ideas around. I even got bagels with cream cheese for breakkie!

Anne-Claire is a furniture designer and my most creative friend. She started Anaca Studio last year with the aim of producing aesthetic and practical furniture pieces that are sustainable and locally made. Despite the big challenges of sourcing materials and production locally the product range has grown from one table (Mr. Cross) to a small range which includes the beautiful Elliot coat stand and Phileas floor cushions shown above (the cushions are sooooo incredibly comfortable that you never want to get up again).

Anne-Claire isn't just a great friend, she also inspires and encourages me to follow my dreams. On top of all that I get the honour of looking after her two cats whenever she's away. I couldn't ask for better than that!

Bird prints by Sanna Annukka

These are the new bird prints by amazing Finnish artist Sanna Annukka. Aren't they just lovely?
I really love her work and have a few of her older prints on my walls. 
My favourite new product however is her collaboration with fair trade rug company Node on this rug. I'd love to get my hands on one!

Tomboy style

Hello again, How are you? Really well I hope. I apologise for the long delay between posts. I've had jaw surgery 2.5 weeks ago which made blogging (and everything else) difficult, but I'm recovering well and should be back to normal in a few more weeks.
Since my jaw is busy healing I get tired pretty quickly so have been spending most of my time on the couch, knitting and watching movies in my pj's. 
If however I was to go out today (not likely, it's raining on and off) this is what I would have liked to wear:
1-4. Nusy 2012 Autumn collection
5. Pompom beanie from Calypso
6. Bennet belt from Steven Alan
7. XXV-RX glasses (XXV Limited edition) from Oliver Peoples

Soft Gallery for creative kids

I'm in love... with Danish label Soft Gallery.
The idea behind the label was to produce exclusive clothes for children who are not afraid to stand out from the crowd and who appreciate wearing design of a deeper meaning.
Each season Soft Gallery incorporates the creative designs of different artists for a distinctive look which reflects the time we live in but not necessarily influenced by fashion trends.
I very much like that philosophy which contributes to timeless and beautiful creations.
The childrenswear collection is available from babies size 0 to 14 years old.
There's also a super-lovely women's collection.

Folklore in London

London is not only home to the 2012 Olympic games but to some amazing shops, one of which is Folklore, an Islington based independent store which curates mindful design for home and life. The Jelly lamp is a standout for me.

Owners Danielle and husband Rob work with brilliant designers and makers. They look for craftsmanship, quality, simplicity and durability in all of the products which creates a calm and unified look in the shop. Some of the products are handmade, antique or made from recycled or found materials. Others are easily recyclable at the end of their life. All are made in an environmentally mindful way.

Also important to mention is that Folklore will donate 15% of the profit to a different not for profit organisation every year. 

Back to the Olympic games for a minute, I must say that the coverage from Australia's Channel 9 is just woeful. Jumping from one sport to another and never actually showing an event from start to finish is massively annoying. That's all.

Nollison on Notes to a further excuse

The lovely Diane from Notes to a further excuse (Great blog and a personal favourite!) wrote a super-nice post on Nollison's range of notebooks and journals. See the post here.

Thanks so much Diane, you've really made my day!

Doesn't matter if you're black or white

Keeping in line with my last post, I discovered these two great scarves by Tsumori Chisato. I just love them both. Get them at La Garçonne.

Black is always in fashion

I've always wanted to create a treasury in etsy and today I finally did. I tossed and turned but in the end picked some black and white items for a classic timeless look. You can view the full list here.

Interior design favourites

A chair can be just a chair but sometimes a chair can really make a difference in a room. I have a signature chair in my lounge which to me really ties the whole lounge interiors together. It's black with rounded arms and is adorned with a white fluffy cushion. I found it in the street and it was the first piece of furniture that nerd boyfriend and I owned together. One day I'd love to own an Eames rocker like the one above and a Jardan Archie chair. But until then I'm quite happy with my off-the-street black chair.
Do you have a special piece of furniture too? What would you love to own one day?
(sources for pics are on my pinterest)

Foxy bags from Aubin & Wills

I've been on the computer for about 12 hours and I really, really need to have a shower and go to bed. But just before I go I couldn't leave you without posting these super-cute foxy bags from Aubin & Wills.  The top one is the Islington laptop case and the bottom one is the Hayon wash bag. I must get my hands on one of these. Also check out this cute kids tee.

Fresh denim looks from Zara TRF

Zara TRF are keeping it clean and fresh with lots of white and lace. I love the combination of worn jeans with a striped shirt or just a plain white tee. It's so simple and classic. I might try a version of this look tomorrow for work. Which shoes do you think would go here? I'm thinking ballet flats maybe?

Sheepish home decor ideas

Found this great little article in Remodelista on using sheep in as interior decor items and fell immediately in love with these adorable fluffy creatures.
I have a smallish super-fluffy alpaca on the mantle piece named Lady Patricia, that nerd boyfriend carried all the way from Peru. She's brown with a white mohawk and we adore her. What I really really want though is a cat. A real fluffy cat.
Are you a cat person or a sheep person? Or maybe you like llamas?

Steven Alan spring looks

I love Steven Alan any time of the year so it's no surprise I love the Spring 2012 lookbook. It's simple and cute and reminds me of Connecticut for some reason.