design crumbs magazine
Special Feature: Meringue Girls
Showcases:
Tilly Mint’s Emporium SQUIDGES Bakery Ginger Pickle
Articles:
Keeping organised What makes a great website? Coastal moodboard
design crumbs magazine
EDITION 1 AUGUST 2015
Interviews:
Hannah Stoney of Yellowstone Art Boutique Freelance Designer and Illustrator Dawn Machell
Reviews:
Emily Notman workshop Ideal Home Show
DESIGN CRUMBS MAGAZINE: BROUGHT TO YOU BY WHITE SPACE CREATIVE DESIGN
CONTENTS features
showcases
2
meringue girls
3
tilly mint’s emporium
5-6
moodboard - coastal design theme
7
squidges bakery
14
designer spotlight emma bridgewater
17
ginger pickle
14
pantone colour picks summer 2015
articles 1
white space creative design news
4
keeping organised with the little stationery cupboard
8
blogging tips by anna hamilton of tilly mint’s emporium
9-11 what makes a great website? by charlotte bevan of white space creative design 12
learn more about...instagram by charlotte bevan of white space creative design
design crumbs magazine
interviews 13
hannah stoney from yellowstone art boutique
16
dawn machell - freelance designer and illustrator
reviews 15
emily notman workshop
18
ideal home show
EDITOR OF DESIGN CRUMBS MAGAZINE
contributors
Charlotte Bevan Owner of white space creative design In 2011, I set up my graphic and web design business in order to help make my clients’ ideas come to life. And, with the aid of my lovely assistant, one rascal Miniature Schnauzer named Rosie {above!}, I feel I am really making a difference. It’s such an amazing feeling to be able to be a small part of helping a business start up, expand and establish/increase their brand awareness and online presence. In addition to creating logos, business stationery, marketing materials and websites for clients, I also design digital illustrations which feature on greeting card, stationery and gift collections - available from my Etsy shop: lovewhitespace.etsy.com. With both of these aspects of my business progessing well, I thought it was about time I did something to help other designers, makers and small-business owners... Hence the creation of Design Crumbs Magazine! The purpose of the magazine is, with my team of contributors, to provide a platform to raise awareness of others in the design industry design in its widest sense. So, from graphics to homeware, baking to mixed media, interiors to embriodery, you’ll be sure to find something of interest to you. We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to email us {designcrumbsuk@gmail.com} with any ideas for future showcases, articles and interviews or simply with your comments on this edition.
design crumbs magazine
ISABEL BEVAN LOVER OF COLOUR & INTERIOR STYLING
ANNA HAMILTON OWNER OF TILLY MINT’S EMPORIUM
For many years, I have had a love of colour, interior styling and design and ceramics. I love living by the coast, holidays in the USA and in this country. My hobbies include family history research, crafting and scrapbooking. I’m so looking forward to my regular interior design mood board slot in Design Crumbs and hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
I work predominantly within the field of Textiles, as a 2011 graduate from the Manchester School of Art. Classically trained with a strong passion for Embroidery, I am hugely passionate about conserving traditional techniques passed down from generations, combined with conceptual, contemporary themes to progress techniques for future generations.
if you’d like to become a contRibutor, we’d love to hear from you! designcrumbsuk@gmail.com
news
white space creative design news by charlotte bevan {editor of design crumbs and owner of white space creative design}
website launch
I thought I would share one of my favourite projects over the last couple of months, the Recovery North West website, which launched in May. {Working with Vigo IT Solutions, who set up and hosts the site}.
It’s such a beautiful shop with gorgeous floral arrangements for all occasions. Feel free pop in if you’re in the area. If you’d like to stock white space products, please get in touch with Charlotte: hello@ whitespacecreativedesign.co.uk.
business development
As of May 2015, white space creative design is a member of Wirral Chamber of Commerce.
The contemporary style of the website showcases their dramatic recovery and breakdown images perfectly! Features such as accordians, carousels and call out bars make the site super attractive, whilst helping to build RNW’s brand through layout and formatting. Check it out here: recoverynorthwest.com.
illustration
*New stockist alert!*
Wirral’s Chamber promotes and protects the interests of the business community and allows members {including me!} to participate in networking, training workshops and events - as well as providing effective support and guidance in terms of business growth and development. If you’d like to find out more, please visit the website: wirralchamber.co.uk.
The Little Flower Shop in Bromborough Village, Wirral is now stocking my illustrated greeting Stay tuned as I have lots of exciting upcoming cards, framed prints and pocket mirrors! projects I’ll be able to share with you soon!
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special feature
meringue girls making meringues cool again
Meringue Girls are making meringues cool again! Perhaps best known for their crates of meringue kisses, often including the intriguing flavour ‘unicorn poo’, Alex and Stacey hand craft each individual meringue.
trade cane caster sugar. Their meringues are also inherently gluten free – that makes them healthy too, right?! Alex and Stacey are big on creative flavours and colours, which include the aforementioned ‘unicorn poo’ {rainbow}, as well lemongrass and ginger {yellow}, pistachio and rosewater {green} and gin and tonic {blue}. Increasingly popular, Meringue Girls have supplied meringue kisses for PR events and VIP parties, working with amazing clients including Vogue Night Out, Whistles, Alexander McQueen, River Island, L’Oreal, Elle and Marie Claire.
Every quirky kiss is hand piped and bitesized, meaning each one is a unique shape and colour. Their mallowy middle and meltin-the-mouth texture sets Meringue Girls’ yummie treats aside from their competitors. Making them different from many artisans, they use the highest quality, natural ingredients from free range eggs to fair
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In addition, they are now stocked in Fortnum and Mason, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges. They also regularly pop up at street food events so you can be sure to find them if you’re out and about in London. Meringue Girls’ second cookbook ‘Everything Sweet’ is out now! For more information visit: meringuegirls.co.uk.
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showcase
tilly mint’s emporium
a great love for mixing contemporary themes, fabrics and materials
Anna, Owner of Tilly Mint’s Emporium, works predominantly within the field of textiles. A graduate from the Manchester School of Art, she is classically trained with a strong passion for hand embroidery. With themes of incorporating traditional embroidery methods with contemporary themes within her work, Anna is striving to sustain the art of embroidery for future generations.
Anna is going to be a regular contributor to Design Crumbs - so check out her blogging tips article on page 8 and watch out for her interview in our next edition! If you’d like to get in touch with Anna, please email: hello@tillymintsemporium.com.
Anna has specialist embroidery skills and great love for mixing contemporary themes, fabrics and materials. Anna’s aim is to revive handmade, specialist pieces, to ignite the excitement of embroidery, textiles and fabric craft, to progress these themes with a contemporary twist. These embroideries are created by Anna with contemporary prints, bright threads and encrusts vintage linens with embellishment, creating pieces of art for the home, bespoke wedding keepsakes and birth announcements. Anna can be found at craft and trade fairs selling her wares - check out her website {tillymintsemporium.com} for more information.
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article
keeping organised with the little stationery cupboard
The Little Stationery Cupboard was borne out of the imaginations of two stationery fanatics and business owners from the North West of England: the savvy lover of all things organised and ticked off Sarah {owner of Sarah Olsen VPA} and the creative and techie Charlotte {owner of white space creative design}. Their mutual love of beautiful stationery collections fused to produce usable business templates and office essentials which they hope their customers will find as helpful as they do!
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With a range of business and lifestyle printables available from their Etsy shop {stationerycupboard.etsy.com}, Sarah and Charlotte combine practicality with design. Being printables {also called instant downloads} means products are affordable and easily accessible - as well as customers being able to print every purchase as many times as they like from the comfort of their own homes! Moral of the story? Whether it’s business or lifestyle, it’s great to stay organised using printables!
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article
moodboard - coastal theme by Isabel Bevan
Moodboards are an essential tool for any interior designer or stylist’s toolkit. Over the coming months’ editions, we will feature design style themes and identify what’s on trend. Colours, of course, play a vital part - look out for the colour palettes at the end of the piece!
american coastal
zendeninterior.com.au
Gypseanurse.etsy.com
Summering in the Hamptons! The beauty about the coastal design theme is that is can be used in any room of the house - and the look can be changed simply by the use of colour and a quick change of interior accessories. However, as a starting point, white and duck egg are definite go-to colours to ensure the look is clean and fresh. Think a bright and breezy beach house!
writer’s own
thoughtsfromovertherainbow.blogspot.com
and shells can be incorporated into the palette to add some depth and contrast to the sea and sky tones. A coastal theme should create a calm seaside mood inside your home; a place where you feel instantly relaxed! For more inspiration, look at designer Gisela Graham: {giselagraham.co.uk}. East Hampton here you come!
Using accessories such as shells, candles, lanterns and yachts can help create the look, along with white-washed furniture to give the feel of being beach side! Integrating neutral shades to replicate sand
“Have nothing in our houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”, William Morris, Founder of the Arts and Crafts Movement design crumbs magazine
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new england
thecountrygirlandfriends.wordpress.com
jossandmain.com
Think Martha’s Vineyard beach house! For a New England look, white and shades of warm grey or greige are the base colour scheme. Still light and bright, the grey tones provide some depth to the otherwise cleancut look. Accents of stars fit beautifully with this design theme, as do Hydrangeas {for a pop of bright blue} and again, as with the coastal theme, lanterns and starfish.
scrapbook-melissah.blogspot.fr
nauticalcottageblog.com
Adding elements such as textured fabrics {linen, chunky knits and burlap}, chunky, Shaker-style pieces furniture and white painted tongue and grove panelling can also help layer this look. The overall feel of this theme should be understated elegance, exuding quaint New England charm.
Bolder design elements such as latitude coordinates on cushions or wordle wall art enhance the basic style.
nautical
karnashus.blogspot.nl
artwood.se
Ahoy there! All-American shades of red, white and blue form the basic palette of a more nautical or maritime scheme.
beautifullyseaside.com
walnutandvine.blogspot.co.uk
The use of numbers, slogans, anchors and rope on cushions and accessories builds the look, as well as incorporating a bold graphic stripe. The use of the Stars and Stripes flag also fits in perfectly!
If decorating a living room, the choice of a casual white linen “slipcover’ style sofa works very well, along with bleached wood furniture pieces.
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showcase
squidges bakery
squidge-alicious cookies, tiffin and rocky road
SQUIDGES is a bakery based in Wirral (North West England) which creates fresh SQUIDGE-alicious cookies, luxury tiffin and gluten free rocky road. Every batch of SQUIDGES bakes is freshly made to order to ensure absolute freshness. No preservatives are added and only the finest ingredients are selected and, wherever possible, they are also fairtrade and organic and are from local independent businesses. With a delightful business aim: ‘we don’t want world domination, we are happy to be the little bakery with a big heart, hand baking each individual cookie so that each mouthful is SQUIDGE-alicous’, here at Design Crumbs, we are in no doubt of their inevitable forthcoming success. Currently, there are approximately 20 different varieties of SQUIDGES cookies and five different varieties of luxury tiffin and SQUIDGES rocky road for gluten-free customers. SQUIDGES can be found at local farmers’ markets and festivals and their products are
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available for sale at several establishments across Wirral, Cheshire and Liverpool. They also have a wide range of unique and personalised wedding, corporate and party favours, including SQUIDGES’ beautiful gift tube of freshly baked goodies. In addition, SQUIDGES also holds Milk and Cookies Parties, which inclide cookies in glass jars, a selection of flavoured milk served in mini milk bottles, paper straws and bags - and personalised invitations and table covering! These SQUIDGES Parties can be tailored to customers’ needs and tastes, for leisure or for corporate events. For more information, to view of their products or to make a purchase, please visit: squidges.com.
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top tips on.. blogging
by anna hamilton, owner of tilly mint’s emporium Writing a blog is a little tough. It’s a bit of an art form to make your content engaging enough to read whilst using the all-important keywords to help improve your SEO rankings. Here are three top tips from embroideress, stitcher and textile buff Anna Hamilton, from Tilly Mint’s Emporium.
Find your writing style! For a successful blog, write about something you’re passionate about. To make a blog more engaging, create a fun and informal, chatty tone. This way your readers can instantly connect with you. You wouldn’t want to drone on like an old school teacher, would you?! This is also a great way in which to build your brand’s identity. By getting to know you, visitors to your blog will form a loyalty and trust with you, increasing your brand/ organisation/blog awareness and, hopefully, will result in engagement and interaction.
Use keywords intelligently Keywords are a vital way to improve your rankings. It might be worth creating a pool of keywords which you can dip into if you’re ever feeling...well...uninspired! Squeezing keywords into the first paragraph might sound tricky but concentrating on carefully constructing your intial few sentences is a great way to improve your rankings. Also don’t forget your meta data...labelling images which feature in your blog is another hint to boost your rankings. Think of how you’d want Google to find your blog! However, a word of warning, be careful not to ‘keyword stuff’ {loading a post with keywords in an attempt to manipulate your site’s ranking in Google search results}. This will often result in Google blacklisting your blog so no-one will be able to find you!
Take time to focus on imagery Good quality photographs are a must! Make sure you reference images if they are not your own {after, of course, seeking permission to use!} and add hyperlinks - either to your own products or about the subject you are writing. Approaching people who you are writing about is standard practice in order to obtain accurate information, as well as being a great way of getting your work noticed and shared! The blogging community are a friendly bunch, they might even write about you too!
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article
what makes a great website? by charlotte bevan {editor of design crumbs and owner of white space creative design} There are many ideas from website designers, developers and users themselves, which may be considered in order to create a wonderful website. So…what makes a great website? The following five steps will point you in the right direction!
Ease of Navigation Always bear in mind the ‘three click rule’ where website users should be able to find the information they are looking for within three mouse clicks. Visitors need to be able to find what they are looking for quickly otherwise they’ll get fed up and leave! Usually, sub-pages are great to logically structure your information and each page should contain relevant images and content to the page title.
Organisation and Hierarchy To obtain a professional-looking website, it will most likely be based on a grid format of some sort. This way of organising content and images in sections and boxes ensures that the site looks balanced, structured and accessible to website visitors. As well as making your website look uncluttered, fresh and contemporary, your visitors are more likely to hang around to read your content and look at your images, perhaps even clicking on other pages they didn’t realise they wanted to look at before visiting your website!
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This creates a positive user experience, meaning visitors are more likely to come back! They may also tell their friends and then your organisation builds upon word of mouth.
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Visually Appealing Keeping information displayed neatly in sections and boxes, which create clean lines, is aesthetically appealing to your visitors. This is one method of creating an engaging website. Other methods include: * effective images on a full-width slider at the top of your Home page {using animated images provides a dynamic approach} * integrating portfolios, images and galleries into your content {to break up text} * adding client testimonials and reviews {increases your organisation’s credibility to prospective customers and clients} * writing regular blog posts {improving your website’s search engine optimization Original Content as well as enabling website users to see something new every time they visit your site} Original content is of paramount importance * displaying social media feeds {allows users when building and developing your website. to see you keep up to date with your news, events and activities} The most obvious reason is for search engine optimisation (SEO) purposes. In addition, it is recommended that you Rich information (which includes your use this opportunity to integrate your organisation’s keywords), which visitors find organisation’s branding identity. Your relevant and useful, is Google’s friend! It will corporate logo, colours and imagery mean your website ranks well on Google all help website users build up brand search results, making your website and awareness and recognition, which fosters company more visible. loyalty and trust, hopefully leading to more sales, turnover and profit for you! This fresh and inviting content, which visitors will never have read before, will also set you aside from your competitors. It should also be engaging and dynamic – and, significantly, well written. No typos, spelling mistakes or grammatical errors should ever feature on your website, blog posts or social media. If mistakes are displayed, your website visitors may think you are uneducated or lazy, which may have huge negative implications in the provision of your services. Not a great reputation for your organisation to have! The final point advocating original content is for your organisation to communicate a strong and clear message, building your brand identity through tone and language at the same time. Success!
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Usability The usability of a website includes the functionality of a website within different browsers {such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Mozilla and the dreaded Internet Explorer} and screen resolutions {how many pixels your screen can display horizontally and vertically}. Having a responsive website is also vitally important, more so now than ever before. This means web designers crafting a website which provides optimal viewing {including minimum resizing, panning and
scrolling, as well as easy reading and navigation} across devices like a desktop PC, laptop, tablet and mobile. In addition, your website must comply with RNIB guidelines to ensure usability for all, through choice and size of font, as well as best practice policies regarding page hierarchy and page structure (for example headings, accordions, tabs and so on). Remeber to include a zoom function! With more people browsing the internet on the go, you need to make your website as easy as possible to read and navigate on mobile phones, particularly.
If you would like white space creative design to set up, build and develop your website, please don’t hesitate to contact Charlotte by email: hello@whitespacecreativedesign.co.uk or for more information about the services I offer, please visit: whitespacecreativedesign.co.uk.
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in uk.linkedin.com/in/ charlottebevan
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social media series
learn more about... instagram by charlotte bevan {editor of design crumbs and owner of white space creative design} Instagram launched in October 2010 with the aim for their users to ‘capture and share the world’s moments’. As of June 2015, there were 300 million active users posting distinctive squareshaped photographs and 15-second videos. Users are able to apply filters to their images, as well as easily manipulating them by adjusting the brightness, contrast, warmth and saturation. Instagram accounts are not only for personal use, business owners also utilise this social platform to extend their online presence, in turn building their brand and increasing awareness of their business and products or services. And with 300 million potential customers, why wouldn’t you give it a go?!
hints and tips Show your personality Using Instagram is a great opportunity to show there’s a face behind your products/ services, that you have a personality - give your business some sparkle. Use hashtags To get your images more widely noticed than your immediate network, use hashtags which describe your image. Engage with others Not only is it lovely to connect with other users, it’s also a way to gain followers and potential customers. Post regularly There’s nothing worse than a stagnant Instagram account!
hot instagrammers to follow
lauren conrad @laurenconrad
pinks and green @pinks_and_green
emily quinton @emilyquinton
CRUMbs and doilies @crumbsanddoilies
lily rose co @lilyroseco
Television personality, designer {Paper Crown, LC Lauren Conrad and XO Eco} and author.
Specialising in lovely homewares and gorgeous gifts for you, your home and your children including RICE.
Bringing you daily happiness, joy and inspiration through photography, writing, making and workshops.
Small gang of cake-obsessed individuals, making sure you enjoy the best darn cake you’ve ever had.
Online shop specialising in gifts, interior styling, stationery, party and wedding supplies.
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interview
hannah stoney
images copyright of Hannah Stoney
owner of yellowstone art boutique
Hannah is a Staffordshire-based designer and owner of Yellowstone Art Boutique - a space for new British artists and makers to sell their work.
WHICH THREE WORDS WOULD YOU USE TO DESCRIBE YOUR ORGANISATION?
Design-led, handmade, contemporary.
why did you go into business - what do you love about what you do?
WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE DESIGNER?
I’ve followed the journey of Rifle Paper Company since Yellowstone opened, and their success and products never fail to inspire me. I met Anna Bond last year and I was a total fan girl! Apart from her, the artists I stock are my favourites. I wouldn’t sell them if I didn’t respect and love their work.
WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
Ideas start as a list, then become written descriptions, then sketches, then paintings. I always start with words, which I think is unusual for an artist. I’ve always been keen I have a few strings to my bow! I’m a on writing and although I’m very visual, I designer and I also own/run the shop have to make notes constantly. Yellowstone Art Boutique. Yellowstone sells work by British designers - I sell approximately I also design bespoke wedding stationery so 45 different makers’ work, including my own. that process is slightly different as it begins with client interaction and trying to work I’m also very motivated to continue making out how to represent their day, through my work, and as Yellowstone becomes more established, I am taking more and more time paintings. That begins with lots of sketches and lists and is pieced together like a jigsaw. to design and create. I always was, and still am, so passionate about showcasing new artwork. Artists who have no reputation, but deserve to be successful... I’m such a smug person which sounds bad but that’s why Yellowstone began and why it is I’m so proud of what I’ve accomplished so far. thriving - because our customers care about Every goal I set myself feels like my greatest where our products are made and who by. My store is in its fifth year of trading now (insane), accomplishment when it’s done! Getting great press in lovely magazines like Ideal we have three online shops, I have four Homes, Country Homes & Interiors and Mollie members of staff and, sometimes, I can’t quite Makes is a great nod of respect. Keeping believe that all the hard work is paying off. the shop running smoothly and building a reputation is such a great feeling.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL MOST SMUG ABOUT?!
WHAT OR WHO INSPIRES YOU?
My fiancé, family and friends inspire me to be motivated and work hard. They’re so proud of what I have built, but also have high expectations. Luckily, I’m super competitive so I’m always trying to beat my previous project!
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To find out more, check out: yellowstoneartboutique.co.uk. Yellowstone Art Boutique will be showcased in a future edition of Design Crumbs - stay tuned!
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designer spotlight: emma bridgewater by isabel bevan
"Who would have thought that it all started with just four shapes back in 1985 when Emma was looking for a birthday present for her mother? She couldn’'t find anything that she liked; so she set out to design it herself. The rest, as they say, is history (or should that be pottery?)."
the fab four
{‘How it all Began for Emma Bridgewater in 1985’ - emma bridgewater email newsletter}
This edition’s ‘Designer Spotlight’ features Emma Bridgewater. Established in 1985, the ethos behind the company is: “We like to make things that make everyday life a little bit nicer”. And we think that’s exactly what is accomplished! The distinctive designs and playful print looks very attractive on any kitchen worktop or dining table. To make a purchase, visit: emmabridgewater.co.uk.
hot picks
pantone colour picks: summer 2015 by isabel bevan
Pantone issue their Fashion Colour Report each spring and fall. Here are our colour picks from their understated and tonal spring palette - for summer!
strawberry ice design crumbs magazine
marsala
aquamarine
titanium
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review
emily notman workshop by Charlotte Bevan and Anna Hamilton
Charlotte {Editor of Design Crumbs and Owner of white space creative design} and Anna {Owner of Tilly Mint’s Emporium} joined Emily Notman on one of her wonderful manipulated wall hangings workshops on Saturday 23 May at Unit Twelve Gallery in Stafford. ‘What’s a manipulated wall hanging?!’, we hear you ask. Well...we won’t keep you waiting any longer... Emily creates bespoke textile instillations, mixing media and building up tactile delicate surfaces. She works her pieces with paint, dyes, bleach and ink, burning and layering, finishing it with hand and machine stitching, sometimes embellishing with beads and buttons.
In addition to running workshops, Emily also displays and sells her work at numerous trade shows and events, as well as in galleries and shops nationally. In addition, Emily loves working on commission pieces so if you’d like a manipulated wall hanging to your specification, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Emily: emilynotmanmixedmedia@gmail.com.
l to r: Emily notman, charlotte bevan and anna hamilton Anna and I would like to thank Emily for her encouragement and patient teaching style and also for allowing us to take part in her own special method of art - we loved it and would highly recommend her workshops. For more information, please visit: emilynotman.co.uk. samples of emily’s small manipulated wall hangings Emily’s workshops aim to show students methods of contemporary stitch, dying fabrics and construction ideas.
We will be featuring a showcase and interview with Emily in future editions - so watch this space!
Anna and I can safely say we *loved* our time with Emily! Not only did she deliver on the objectives of the workshop but she also spent time with each delegate, talking and coming up with ideas for each individual piece of artwork. What a wonderful day out - learning and unleashing a little creativity!
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interview
dawn machell
images copyright of Dawn Machell
freelance designer and illustrator
Dawn is a freelance designer from sunny West Yorkshire in the UK and specialises in graphics, illustration and surface pattern for babies and little people.
myself which I then put on my blog), I tend to mess around a bit more. I sketch all the time in a book I carry round with me then I pick out ideas and hand draw lots of bits which I scan in and work on in Illustrator. I’ve licensed quite a few of these designs and my regular clients often pick out images they like which I then do versions of for them.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT NOT WORKING FOR ANYONE ELSE?! WHAT are you most proud of? I love being able to please myself. I love the flexibility. I can go to all the school plays and assemblies. I don’t mind working till late at night so I’m free to do other stuff during the day if I want to. I can also choose which jobs to do. And I love not having to spend hours in the car getting to work!
why did you go into business - what do you love about what you do?
I went freelance when my daughter was young because I found that being tied to someone else’s working hours meant I had to find someone else to look after her all day - and you never get that time back do you? I love the freedom and would never go back to a ‘proper’ job now. I love the fact that I get paid to do something I would do anyway, drawing pictures and colouring them in is my hobby :)
WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
For client work, I usually study the brief, sketch out a quick idea on paper then work straight on the computer in Adobe Illustrator. For my own stuff (designs I do to entertain
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I designed Millie and Boris (bunny and bear characters) for my interview with Mamas and Papas. They took me on and also the characters – which were then used on every product imaginable in store for nearly 10 years! More recently I’ve illustrated several kids’ books. The first lot were published earlier this year and I was pretty excited to see them in my fave bookshop!
IF YOU WERE TO GIVE YOUR JUST-STARTING-INBUSINESS SELF SOME ADVICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Look into licensing! If I’d licensed Millie and Boris, I could be sitting on a sunbed outside my beach front home by now!
DO YOU HAVE ANY HINTS OR TIPS ON HOW TO ENTER YOUR DESIGN FIELD?
I don’t think there are any short cuts. Work hard, be versatile and a pleasure to work with. Always do your best work and just keep going. It helps if you love what you do. To learn more about Dawn’s work, take a look at her website: dawnmachell.co.uk.
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showcase
ginger pickle
digitally designed, laser cut and hand finished
Jade Murray is Owner and Founder of cute jewellery and design brand Ginger Pickle, which she launched after art school in 2012.
Jade also supports other British designers and sells their work as well her her own ranges online at: gingerpickle.co.uk.
Jade designs and makes laser cut wooden All of the wooden laser cut jewellery is jewellery, art prints and cards in her Alnwick designed digitally by Jade, laser cut in the UK and hand finished in her studio. The home studio. range features lots of cute animal and She stocks many independent shops and travel themes. galleries, as well as larger stores throughout the UK and beyond, including JOY and Prices range from £5.50 for hair grips to Fenwick, Canterbury. £10.00 for necklaces.
“Each time you shop at Ginger Pickle you are supporting the creative individuals that make our shop different, and that is such a wonderful thing, so I thank you all for shopping with us.” Website: gingerpickle.co.uk/ginger-pickle-collection NOTHS shop: notonthehighstreet.com/gingerpickle Etsy shop: etsy.com/shop/gingerpickle1 Folksy: folksy.com/shops/gingerpickle
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review
ideal home show manchester
by charlotte bevan {editor of design crumbs and owner of white space creative design}
l to r: charlotte bevan and laurence llewelyn-bowen
entrance to the ideal home show
lulu macaron
“everything I’ve heard about design crumbs...i like” - laurence llewelyn-bowen As a designer, I love visiting places where I think I may have the opportunity to gain inspiration. Friday 5 June 2015 was one of those days at one of those places! Event City in Manchester played host to Ideal Home Show for four days, filled with top brands, industry experts and hundreds of ideas for homes. Separated into clear colour-coded areas including Interiors, Home Improvements, Gardens, Food and Housewares, Fashion and Beauty and Technology, it was a little bit of everything to suit all tastes and interests. Highlights included the ‘Colour!’ talk by the always-funny Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, ‘Cutting your bills and fighting your corner’ with Martin Lewis and George Clarke’s ‘Amazing Spaces’.
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As well as these famous personalities speaking; artisans, designers and bakers were present in abundance! Stalls displayed and sold everything from food goodies like fudge and macarons {such as Lulu Macaron shown above} to interior accessories {like Jam Jar Lights and ohpopsi}. I particularly liked the combination of large national companies {like Arighi Bianchi and Costco Wholesale} and small businesses like A Taste of America and Fentimans. Such a lovely day, surrounded by beautiful things, immense shopping opportunities and tickets at just £12 {in advance} - who wouldn’t want to visit?! For more information, please visit: idealhomeshowmanchester.com.
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