design crumbs magazine
Special Feature: luke arthur wells from bbc2’s the great interior
EDITION 6 SUMMER 2016
design challenge
features:
Interviews:
Luke Arthur Wells from Great Interior Design Challenge Orla Kiely Spotlight Scandi Kids Moodboard How to Jazz Up Your Kitchen by Victoria Eggs
Luke Arthur Wells Penny and Rose from Penny Rose Home & Gifts Rachael Taylor from Rachael Taylor Designs Sarah Baxter of Baxter and Snow
Showcases
Articles:
Marie Canning Dawn Critchley’s Design Wand Paper Fuel Emma Mitchell
design crumbs magazine
Make it in Design Event Review A Day in the Life - Love is Action Have Your Ducks in a Row by Claire Leigh Rachael Taylor - Exciting Launch
DESIGN CRUMBS MAGAZINE: BROUGHT TO YOU BY WHITE SPACE CREATIVE DESIGN
contents
features
5-6
luke arthur wells
9-10
how to jazz up your kitchen by victoria eggs
13
designer spotlight - orla kiely
25-26
moodboard - scandi kids
29-30
no sew sewing feature - charlotte briscoe interiors
articles 1-2
white space creative design news
3-4
belle and the moon news
15-16
make it in design event review
20
a day in the life - love is action
21-23
have your ducks in a row by claire leigh
27
rachael taylor - exciting launch news
showcases
14
marie canning
18
dawn critchley’s design wand
19
paper fuel
24
emma mitchell
interviews
7-8
luke arthur wells
11-12
penny and rose from penny rose home & gifts
17-18
rachael taylor from rachael taylor designs
27-28
sarah baxter of baxter and snow
design crumbs magazine
EDITOR OF DESIGN CRUMBS MAGAZINE 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 or to increase their brand awareness and/or online presence. I also design digital illustrations which feature on greeting card, stationery and gift collections - available from my Etsy shop: belleandthemoon.co.uk {my new venture!}. 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 to provide a platform to raise awareness of others in the design industry. So, from graphics to homeware, baking to mixed media, interiors to embroidery, you’ll be sure to find something of interest to you! Please feel free to email if you’d like to feature - or if you have any feedback, suggestions or comments.
regular contributors
ANNA HAMILTON OWNER OF TILLY MINT’S EMPORIUM AND MISS MINT’S BLOGGING SERVICES Classically trained, as a 2011 graduate from the Manchester School of Art and with a strong passion for Embroidery, I am hugely passionate about conserving traditional techniques passed down from generations. These are combined with conceptual, contemporary themes to progress techniques for future generations.
VICTORIA EGGS OWNER OF VICTORIA EGGS Hi, my name is Victoria Eggs (yep, that’s my real name!) and I design and manufacture premium quality homeware, gifts and stationery which are inspired and made in Britain. British Made is at the very heart of the business and is the fundamental drive. Our customers tell us they’re happy to buy British and we’re proud to keep it that way.
guest contributors
CHARLOTTE BRISCOE OWNER OF CHARLOTTE BRISCOE INTERIORS
CLAIRE LEIGH OWNER OF TWO DUCKS BOUTIQUE GIFT SHOP
RACHAEL TAYLOR SURFACE PATTERN DESIGNER AND ILLUSTRATOR
Charlotte Briscoe Interiors specialises in handmade curtains, roman blinds, home accessories and gifts, I have always had a passion for beautiful fabrics. I predominately use the stunning Violet Olivia range of linens, finished with precision. All items are made to order, with customisations accommodated willingly!
I own and run Two Ducks, a boutique gift shop that offers gorgeous gifts and artisan foods from some of Britain’s most talented designers and makers and spend a lot of my spare time has been spent visiting boutiques, galleries, craft fairs, Deli’s, Farm shops and village fetes. I’m also a Consultant for Country Living magazine.
Rachael is a fun designer, illustrator, author and teacher, with over several years’ industry experience in a variety of fields. Rachael developed her early signature style of layering, textures and quirky hand drawn linework. She is also the cofounder of Make it in Design, creative resource hub and design school.
design crumbs magazine
news
white space creative design news by charlotte bevan {editor of design crumbs and owner of white space creative design} QBF MOCK UP ROLLER BANNERS
graphic design
As I mentioned in Spring’s edition of Design Crumbs magazine, I have been working with Vigo IT Solutions for five years now! I was asked to design some flyers - the look of them is pretty slick and contemporary and contains the new building blocks design theme which the directors requested. The services are displayed on the front of the flyer {as with the roller banner featured in Spring’s edition} and the reverse highlights Vigo’s philosophy, as well as client feedback.
Last year, I created a logo, presentation folder and pen artwork for networking event Quay Business Forum. I was asked to design a roller banner to be displayed at events. I provided my contact with three different options for the roller banner and all five partners selected the third design. There were no amendments and no development was required so the project was turned around in a week!
What’s wonderful about working with Vigo is both directors feel strongly about design and consistency of the brand. I can’t wait to share the website I’m currently developing for them!
I’m currently working on the development of their website!
I was asked to create a fun and stand-out logo for new wine company, Red Dot. Owner Keith wanted a logo that wouldn’t look out of place on a wine label, as further down the line, that’s his intention - to bring out his own wine! I provided Keith with three logo designs. The concept above was selected - my favourite!
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news
The watercolour circles represent a wine stain and also mirror the business name ‘dot’. It’s subtle but effective. The main typeface is informal and rounded, which contrasts to the more block sans-serif type for the remainder of the business name. Just using two typefaces which complement each other makes the design really easy on the eye.
In addition to undertaking work directly for clients - which I am able to share with you! - I also design logos, business cards and marketing materials, as well as build websites as a subcontractor. Unfortunately, I am unable to showcase these so instead, I’ll get a jumpstart on Belle and the Moon’s news with these prints - perfect to brighten up any wall, desk or dresser! {All prints are available from belleandthemoon.etsy.com.}
The off-black colour ensures the logo is striking but not competing with the red of the wine stain because they are the same colour tone so they work really well together. Keith also required business cards for a wine show he was attending in London - so the turnaround time was pretty tight. But we did it! I initially provided a few options - one even included a wooden background to reflect a cask! - but Keith wanted simple and sophisticated so I just added the logo on the front and on the reverse I laid out Keith’s business details in a centre alignment. I also added two little wine droplets to tie in with the front of the card.
For more information about the services white space creative design offers, please visit the website: whitespacecreativedesign.co.uk. Alternatively, get in touch by emailing: hello@whitespacecreativedesign.co.uk.
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news
belle and the moon
by charlotte bevan {editor of design crumbs and owner of white space creative design}
website build
custom menu with customer account options.
CHARLOTTE BRISCOE INTERIORS
The shop is split into different categories including cushions, gifts and home accessories, lampshades and magnets. All of these products are handcrafted by Charlotte, and all are finished beautifully. Charlotte also hand selects home accessories to feature in her shop such as clocks, lighting and candles. All you could possibly want in an online interiors shop! In addition, Charlotte requested a newsletter sign up on her website, so all of her visitors can keep up to date with her news and special offers. This was displayed on the Home page and links in to her MailChimp account. Please visit Charlotte’s website to find out more about her services, shop and news! charlottebriscoeinteriors.co.uk.
I’m so excited to announce the launch of Charlotte Briscoe Interiors’ website and online shop! Hooray!
GLOW COMMUNICATIONS
Charlotte and I collaborated on her logo, business cards and flyers, so it was wonderful to work together on building and developing her website. Charlotte is a dream client - taking so much care, time and effort in writing the content and taking the most beautiful product shots, which has made the website look so pretty! The WordPress theme selected was clean and fresh, contemporary and full of white space! I integrated the shop into the Home page, with featured products, as well as highlighting Charlotte’s fabric suppliers and also creating a
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Funnily enough, Gemma from Glow Communications selected exactly the same theme for her website as Charlotte!
simple circle – each of which can be used as individual submarks for future marketing materials.
This is a great example of how two websites with the same template can look completely different!
The colours are fairly bright but muted so they look gentle and attractive to complement the strong three typefaces, rather than compete with them.
Whilst Charlotte used the full features and functions of the theme, Gemma decided to keep hers minimal - on the Home page, all that is displayed is what you see on the screenshot to the left!
WANDERLUST
Clean, crisp and concise, Gemma’s new website showcases her services perfectly! Gemma provided all of the content and images for the site, which made my job much easier! And working with her was a real pleasure because she has such a love for providing social media, blogger outreach and online marketing services to small beauty and fashion brands so she felt very passionate about the look and feel of her website. To view Gemma’s brand new and sparkly website, please visit: glowcommunications. co.uk.
brand styling WAGGY TAILS
Hannah from Wanderlust was so pleased with her logo that she requested that I design a phone cover so she can advertise her blog, wherever she goes! For the artwork, I simply placed her full portrait logo on the case and added a travel-type sign containing her blog name. I mocked it up and there were no tweaks! Hooray.
Waggy Tails is a lovely pet sitting service, provided by my client Emily. Emily requested a simple logo design with some sort of animal graphic or illustration. I drew a dog, cat, bunny and gineua pig and encased these little illustrations within
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special feature
luke arthur wells
sharing passion for fresh, contemporary design to create the space of which you’ve always dreamed
Finding fame on BBC2’s The Great Interior Design Challenge, Luke Arthur Wells has certainly made the most of the opportunity! After featuring on The Great Interior Design Challenge in 2014, Luke has become a fulltime interior stylist and business owner.
“I’m up to tackle any decor dilemmas”, Luke states. And with him, he bring alongs a wonderful network of creative contacts and expert tradespeople, to make his clients’ vision for the perfect home come to life. Luke’s interior design service - with flexible and adaptable plans to meet client design needs - blossoms from simple consultancy sessions to make the most of client space to idea development, conception and full project management to realise the scheme.
Luke says, “Trying to find the beautiful in the everyday helped me to discover my passion for photography and styling but it wasn’t until I came to set up the first home of my own that a To accompany the design service, Luke has love of interior design really hit me.” launched an online shop. Having researched endlessly, Luke is proud to have sourced “great Having trained as a stylist at the University design houses and independent designers of Central Lancashire - from which he gained accolades from the like of I-D magazine - Luke creating some beautiful products” for his shop. He continues: “I love products that are simple, is now turning his understanding and love of but striking, relying on shape and texture more design from people to their houses, helping so than bright colour.” And that’s certainly create not only beautiful interiors but also warm, inviting homes through a design service reflected in his design-led pieces which are available to purchase from his website. and online shop.
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special feature
all images above sourced from lukearthurwells.com/shop
lukearthurwells.co.uk As well as featuring on The Great Interior Design Challenge in 2014, Luke’s work was also displayed in the accompanying The Great Interior Design Challenge Sourcebook {available from all good book stores!}. Check online for a great deal...
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interview
luke arthur wells interior designer
WHICH THREE WORDS WOULD YOU USE TO DESCRI B E YOUR brand? I’d say ‘understated’, ‘faithful’ and ‘true’ –
it can be hard when making a business a commercial success to continue on a path with these virtues, but in the long run, these are the assets that set you apart from your competitors.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT NOT WORKING FOR ANYONE ELSE? Decision-making is a much more streamlined
Sourcing products has got to be my favourite part of the job – whether they’re from design houses or cool independent designers, it’s kind of like shopping for yourself, but with just a little added pressure!
who or what inspires you? I think rather than idolizing lofty designers,
it’s great to be inspired by people who do the same sorts of things you do. It’s your duty I think to keep an eye on what’s happening in your industry, and your prerogative not to replicate what you see, but look at other people’s success to inspire you to do what you do but even better.
process! However, the buck stops at me, which can be a little intimidating on large projects or when selecting product ranges, so it’s good to have creative people around me who share my vision for the brand to use as a sounding board When it comes to styling a shot, I do very much go with the flow. My style is quite organic for ideas. and the right pieces tend to leap out at you – it’s great when you do have to consider the practicalities of living in a space for styled shots, just what looks beautiful.
what is your creative process?
WHY DID YOU GO INTO BUSINESS - WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? Knowing I wanted to work in the field of interiors, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted to do and where I wanted to position myself. As an interior designer, while you can still have your own style, you’re always working to a client brief, The shop, in comparison, is my space to explore my own style and appeal to the people who enjoy my aesthetic.
Looking at the marketplace, I felt that was an absence of affordable, novelty-free, design-led interiors shops that were backed up by quality styling and photography, as well as a friendly face – the world of interiors can be a bit stern at times!
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When it comes to interior design, there’s a lot more process involved in how I create. It usually stems from a central idea based around a quirk in the space which I want to highlight – cue lots of sketching and rifling through books of fabrics, paint swatches, wallpaper samples and more.
WHAT do you feel smug about?! I’ve had some great opportunities, but nothing
to feel smug about! The thing that I love most is that fantastic people, brands and publications want to collaborate on projects – it’s definitely humbling and I try my best to work with anyone who fits with my brand aesthetic.
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It’s a small world and I think it’s great to be able to meet, support and work with other people as much as possible.
IF YOU WERE TO GIVE YOUR JUST-STARTING-INBUSI N ESS SELves SOME ADVI C E, WHAT WOULD I T BE? Don’t be too hard on yourself. Not every
project is going to be a winner, but they’re the mistakes that you learn to be better from.
DO YOU HAVE ANY HINTS OR TIPS ON HOW TO ENTER YOUR DESIGN FIELD? If you want to try and enter from a non-
traditional route (outside of education, that is), the best way I can think to get your foot in the door of interiors is to start talking about your passion for it to an audience online. Putting your stuff out there online is great for seeing the reaction to your style, as well as making connections that could lead to great opportunities for you to grow your ideas and reach.
lukearthurwells.com/blog
design crumbs magazine
from luke’s blog...
STYLING SOMETHING NEW AT DWELL MANCHESTER If you’re local to Manchester, you might best know Dwell from their store in Barton Square at the Trafford Centre. It’s a pretty amazing store for some styling inspiration and I’ve been known to come home with more than just a few shopping bags from there in the past. That’s why I was excited to hear that another Dwell store had just opened in Manchester - a bit closer to home at the White City retail park - and I was even more excited when Dwell invited me along for the day to get creative with their room sets and come up with some of my own combinations using their current season furniture and accessories. Dwell’s new stores are really fresh, using sections of bold, bright colour to highlight some of their key pieces, however, they encouraged me get styling in my own, more monochromatic, style. READ MORE...
lukearthurwells.com/blog
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FEATURE
How to jazz up your kitchen by victoria eggs, creating british-inspired homeware and gifts
There often comes a time when no matter how much you love your home, you fancy a change but do not have the budget. Fear not as we got some help from award winning homeware designer Victoria Eggs who has given us some great inspiration on how to turn your kitchen from ‘drab to fab’ with some very simple and pocket friendly solutions.
wall art There is no need to browse homeware sites
dress your table Bored of your wooden or glass kitchen table?
You can easily revamp it with an eye catching tea towel. Not only does it add some colour to the room, but it also protects the table from any scratches and spills. Depending on the size of the table you may wish to use more than one tea towel to create a table runner, alternatively you can lay them out as place mats or napkins.
and the local furniture shops to find a great piece for your wall. Simply look no further than your tea-towel drawer. All you need to do is pick your favourite tea towel and frame it Voila! Some new art!
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FEATURE
musi c al chai r s ti l e heaven Sometimes all you need is new kitchen chairs. Be Now I know we said we wanted to be cost brave and have a selection of different colours around the table.
You can find some beautiful second hand chairs on ebay (I currently have my eye on a few!) or in vintage furniture stores. You can revamp these with brightly coloured cushions or paint them to suit your room.
effective, but sometimes a small change of tiles or a statement wall can do wonders for your kitchen. Choose from stylish white underground wall tiles, to English dinner themed wallpaper or even a chalk board wall sticker to add some personality to your kitchen. A statement wall can be a lot more cost effective than replacing the units and flooring.Using screen prints and paintings is a failsafe trick when it comes to injecting colour into your home.
pinterest.com
liNewghtlight the fixtures night are a thing of the past (not to mention expensive). Filament light bulbs have become increasingly popular over the last few years, there are so many design-led light bulbs available on the market along with brightly coloured cords, why not hang these above the kitchen table instead? Your guests will not only be impressed with your creativity, but they will want to do the same in their home!
So there we have it. A ‘new’ kitchen without having to re-mortgage your home or get the builders in!
victoriaeggs.com info@victoriaeggs.com
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interview
Penny Rose Home & Gifts homeware, gift and stationery shop
Two sisters, Penny and Rose, combined their shopping addictions and love for giving presents to create Penny Rose Home and Gifts. They set up the business summer 2015 after years of dreaming about owning their own store. Here, the two girls are able to express their passion for home styling and décor.
WHICH THREE WORDS WOULD YOU USE TO DESCRI B E YOUR ORGANI S ATI O N? Cute, colourful and quirky
who or what inspires you? Our daily inspiration is our
mother. She owned her own interiors business and it’s something we grew up around - so you could say its in our genes. Our mum is super creative in everything she does and if we every need a little inspriration, we know who to turn to. She’s also been a big part in Penny Rose, from post office runs to stock taking, shes always there when we need her.
who is your favourite designer? We look at the likes of Cath Kidston, who is a
massive inspiration to our business. Not only has she created a floral empire but she’s brought luxury items at affordable prices to the masses, which is something we aspire to do. She’s not only a fashion and print designer but she’s also We love that we are free to express ourselves a businesswomen and an author - the whole and make our own decisions. Yes, we make mistakes along the way but we learn from them package and a massive inspiration to us. and move on. Each step we take and every little success means more to us because it’s our own little triumph. Each season, we look to find the perfect products for our customers. We currently try to source local and small business creatives to bring our customers something which they may not find on the high street. To do this we Ever since we were both little, we have always scour the internet, Instagram and Pinterest wanted our own shop. Along with a huge and we have connected with so many passion for home decor and style, we knew it creatives through these channels. was something we just had to do.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT NOT WORKING FOR ANYONE ELSE?
what is your creative process?
WHY DID YOU GO INTO BUSINESS - WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? Both of us studied Business through school and college, so we have a solid knowledge of how the industry worked. We love being able to work at our own pace and yes, some days are much longer than others but we love what we do and we wouldn’t change it.
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IF YOU WERE TO GIVE YOUR JUST-STARTING-INBUSI N ESS SELves SOME ADVI C E, WHAT WOULD I T BE? Slow down and take your time. Don’t rush.
It’s not going to be easy but don’t give up. We wanted to do everything super quickly and have it all set up and going straight away. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing, we hit road bumps,
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it got us down from time to time and we did want to give up but we didn’t let it stop us from striving for our dream.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL MOST SMUG ABOUT?! Opening our own online shop. It was a huge
step for us - and we hope the first step in our adventure.
DO YOU HAVE ANY HINTS OR TIPS ON HOW TO ENTER YOUR DESI G N FI E LD? It takes a lot of time and concentration, so set
out a daily plan to work to and try stick to. Also, work in an environment you’re comfortable and happy to work in. The space you work in helps massively to motivate you. pennyrosehomegifts.co.uk hello@pennyrosehomegifts.co.uk instagram.com/pennyrosehomegifts
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a little more about the girls... Penny is your typical girly girl with a love for flowers and floral prints. She manages the day to day running of the business: taking charge of social media and customer queries; if you have a question, be sure to contact her, she'll be there to answer any questions. Her communication skills means that along side market research and social media, she understands what you want; she is able to relate back to Rose with the products you want to see more of.
Rose loves all things pretty and pink and dreams of beautiful spaces which makes her perfect in her passion for home design. Along side her creativity, she is a perfectionist; an attribute that ensures the products and service we provide are nothing short of high quality. Her keen eye for design means that she can pick out the seasons trends and the best gifts and products for our store. Rose works behind the scenes making sure everything is tickety-boo just for you.
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feature
design spotlight: orla kiely
orlakiely.com/uk
orlakiely.com/uk
Irish designer Orla Kiely credits her grandmother for instilling creativity into her life. {Her father was an accountant and her mother studied science.} Following her passion, Orla qualified as a textile designer at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, before moving to New York to work for a wallpaper and fabric designer.
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orlakiely.com/uk
Week, her father made the observation that {contrary to her exit show at RCA}, all models were sporting handbags but not one was wearing a hat. Orla took this under advisement and came up with using laminated cloth for bags - a huge revolution as this technique had only previously been used for tableware.
Orla’s business now operates out of a threestorey building in Clapham, South London, Following this, she moved to England to work for near her home - and her fashion line has been seen on royalty and celebrities including HRH Esprit and studied for a Master’s at the Royal Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Kirsten College of Art in London in simultaneously. Dunst and Alexa Chung. For her RCA exit show Orla displayed a range Orla has also developed her designs into of hats, which were purchased by Harrods. homewares and accessories. Orla began consulting for other companies and For more information, please visit: working on her own collection at the weekend. orlakiely.com/uk. During her debut show for London Fashion
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showcase
marie canning tiny precious porcelain petals
Marie Canning was created in 2012 by Marie when she finished her Three Dimensional Design degree at Manchester School of Art that year. Working independently from her studio in Hebden Bridge, she now makes jewellery and bridal accessories, available at gallery shops and bridal boutiques throughout the UK and in New Zealand, Australia and the US. Marie’s jewellery and accessories are exquisitely timeless and feminine, perfect for those who love the subtle and delicate. The pieces she creates are all handmade from porcelain, a very fine and beautiful white clay. Intricate floral details are handcrafted and decorated with pastel sweeps and drops of gold. These tiny pieces are backed with precious metals which keep the porcelain safe and protected.
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Along with her curated collection available online and via her beautiful stockists, Marie loves to work directly with you, providing a bespoke service. Focusing on the individual, she spends time considering your ideas and how the precious porcelain can become a piece which you will always treasure. mariecanning.co.uk
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event review
make it in design
rachael taylor and beth kempton collaboration
Make it in Design is a collaboration between two very talented ladies; surface pattern designer and illustrator Rachael Taylor and successful entrepreneur Beth Kempton and a dedicated team behind the scenes!
We are incredibly excited to announce that the Make it in Design team will be visiting major cities in the UK, USA and Europe in 2016 to deliver Sketch Doodle Draw LIVE! These FREE, informal, meet, greet and sketch sessions with Rachael Taylor are designed to: * give you an opportunity to meet and chat with Rachael and watch her at work * help you loosen up, experiment and be spontaneous as Rachael always encourages this way of working. She strongly believes there are no mistakes – so let go and just have fun
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* show you how to look for patterns in your surroundings where you’re guaranteed to see everyday things in a more beautiful way * bring creativity to the community and show how drawing, sketching and doodling can be a useful way to de-stress in our everyday hectic lives and be enjoyable for all the family too * give you a chance to get your work featured on the Make it in Design site and network with like-minded creatives! For more information, please visit: makeitindesign.com/sketch-doodle-draw-live
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event review
sketch doodle draw event review
by charlotte bevan, founder of design crumbs {and owner of belle and the moon and white space creative design}
rachael taylor and i My mum and I were lucky enough to be invited to the first Sketch Doodle Draw event with Rachael Taylor on Monday 16 May. Set in beautiful Sefton Park in Liverpool, the Palm House is a dome-shaped Victorian palm house, filled with gorgeous flora which hosts numerous events {including weddings, parties and community events}. And with the theme of the event as ‘botanics’, it was the perfect venue for the sketching event! Commencing at 12.30pm, Rachael and the Make it in Design team welcomed guests. Rachael took the stage {as it were!} and spoke a little about what to expect from the event - for delegates to just have a doodle and a sketch of the flora plants and flowers within the palm house, there’s no judgement, no bad work, simply have fun!
delegate sketching!
design crumbs magazine
the palm house, sefton park, liverpool
make it in design event
Then attendees were invited to take a goodie bag, which was full of Rachael Taylor treats like postcards and greeting cards, as well as leaflets promoting Make it in Design online courses and summer school, a notebook and some sweeties! What a lovely surprise. Once people dispersed and began to draw in their own style, Rachael, Lisa, Kelly and Vic then took the time to mingle and spoke to everyone who attended. It was at this point that I asked Rachael some questions {please read overleaf}. My mum and I had such a great afternoon spent with like-minded creative people - in a gorgeous location. Thank you so much to the Make it in Design team for a wonderful event - and providing us with a chance to meet the lovely and talented Rachael!
make it in design goodie bags
lisa moncrieff, make it in design team
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event review I think being true to myself and injecting my own personality into my work and website created a look that defined my signature style. It felt like an organic and relaxed process rather than being contrived. It also attracted the type of clientele I dreamed of working for.
How has your brand grown? How have you promoted yourself? I never assumed I’d become an international Your style is so distinctive - how did you arrive and develop it? I’ve always been a creative person, whether
that was through dance, drama or art. After I left my full time in-house job to fly solo I began to incorporate a much looser and quirkier style within my designs and I began to draw inspiration from my old screen-printing days. I longed to be unrestricted and free within my work, I dreamt of being left to do my own things. I wanted to design and create art based on my personality, my instincts and how I felt rather than creating designs that would tick a particular box or area of the marketplace. I love spontaneity and I longed to apply this to more lifestyle and design work. I always hoped I’d worked for myself one day and imagined myself becoming a freelance designer. I tend to soak up inspiration around me and this seems to spontaneously translate into my drawings. I draw my designs in a quite traditional hand-drawn process, as this feels more personal. I then work my designs up digitally using a Wacom graphics tablet. I love colour and tend to use bright palettes in my designs. I have always designed organically and spontaneously most of the time I just play my music and draw freely, I try to let my work just happen and more often than not it’s a happy accident.
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brand, I just wanted to be recognised as an independent artist but before I knew it I had built a design label. This then lead to the creation of The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design e-course and eventually cofounding Make it in Design with Beth Kempton of Do What You Love. Initially I started promoting through just a couple of platforms (Facebook and Twitter) and slowly started using others - social media changes so fast. Since I first started my business Twitter has been used less and Instagram has really taken over - you really have to do your research and use each platform the best way for your business. I also sent my work in to lots of design blogs, website and magazines and I’ve been so lucky to have had over seventy pieces of work published in many well-known magazines and designs books.
How and why did you come up with the idea of Make it in Design? Make it in Design co-founder Beth initially pitched the idea of a single design e-course to me after she wanted to create her own line of stationery but found her options very limited in learning how to do this. At the time there wasn’t any courses flexible enough that you could do in your own time and without having to travel. Beth and I connected more after I delivered a talk at her Do What You Love retreat and we combined Beth’s skills of managing and marketing e-courses with my
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design knowledge and industry experience to plan out a curriculum. The e-course was always going to be The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design. Beth suggested the title and I just loved it, as it was perfect for what the course covered—both the design side and the business side. From just discussing early ideas I realised there was a lot to say and teach which was proving difficult for just one course - we both agreed that we would need to cater for all levels and we would need to split the content up. This is how we developed Modules 1- 3. Make it in Design actually came a year or so later as we began to expand our offering such as additional courses, resources and MOYO magazine. Our mission is to motivate others on their own design journey to achieve their own success stories. Through our platform we offer both free and available to buy resources through our shop to cater for everyone and we also offer different types of courses and resources depending on what level you are at. We aim to give you all of the tools and support you need to ‘Make it in Design’.
showcase
dawn critchley’s design wand
Whilst at the Make it in Design event, my mum and I met the super talented Dawn Critchley. Just looking at her sketches, I knew we had to share her work so I asked for her contact details. When I got home, I checked out her website and Etsy shop... and oh my word, her work is so beautiful! So, read on to find out more!
Why do you enjoy teaching? What I love about teaching is getting to see
our students excel. We’ve had students win awards, work with dream clients and even group together to form design collaborations and collectives. I feel so lucky that we’ve enjoyed such wonderful feedback over the years. I’ll never forget nervously waiting for our first survey submissions. When we received the first batch of lovely comments it was amazing and made all of the hard work and long unsociable working hours worthwhile. It was so great to see real beginners who said they’d never used Photoshop and Illustrator before launch so confidently into the design world! We’ve had so many amazing students over the years and seen many unique styles. You know, in this industry, there really is room for everyone - that’s what I love about it.
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Having gaining at First Class BA Hons in Surface Pattern Design and an HND in Fine Art, Dawn has built her brand ‘Design Wand’ up from scratch. From sketching outdoors, to live drawings, using watercolours, creating placement motifs and repeat surface pattern designs, Dawn loves working in a variety of media including, CAD and printmaking. Dawn’s freelance and licensing clients include Jan Constantine, Ulsterweavers, Tigerprint and Denby. For more information, please visit: dawncritchleydesigns.co.uk.
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showcase
paperfuel
beautiful handdrawn typography and illustrations
Welcome in my world of illustrations and lettering - all handmade in the Netherlands. As a graphic designer, I surround myself with typography every day. It’s so much fun to create typography by hand and make a composition you don’t really get when only working on a computer.
before I erase all the pencil lines. Now, I have so many options and I don’t want to overdo things. I either fill the text with total black, or fill it with horizontal lines or other decorative figures. Sometimes I add some drop shadow so the text will pop! When I am finished I make a photograph of the drawing so I can use it in Photoshop or in Illustrator to make it ready for a card, poster or whatever I like.
It started about 18 months ago when I made my first hand lettering piece. It became my line My inspiration comes from everyday life. Things I experience, the good and bad. If you for Paperfuel ‘Let’s rock this day’. follow me on Instagram you will see my life in drawings, which is great for me to journal When I started with hand lettering, it was so where I was in my life when I made a certain much fun to try all different fonts combined drawing. with banners and depth in text. These days I can imagine in my head how I want a lettering piece to look. Then I start by sketching with a black pen, trying out different compositions so I can see what works the best. When I’m happy with the way it looks, I start on a nice clean sheet by first drawing some guidelines. When I have got it all done in pencil, it’s time to draw the lines with my favourite Micron pen. When I am done, I make sure the ink is dry
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Besides the everyday life I also get a lot of inspiration from music and movies. The lyrics in songs and movies can touch your soul!
paperfuel.nl instagram.com/paper_fuel
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article
a day in the life - love is action
by carol | love is action movement
playground and will pull over the car to leave Love is action. I truly believe this. That’s why every day of the past five years I’ve been painting a wordrock. I will always find a nice spot to surprise someone. and scattering #wordrocks for people to find. Almost fives years ago, my son Antonio created Word Rocks Project. He was only ten years old at that time and willing to leave some joy around to make people smile. We never expected the idea to grow that much. But it did. We are all over the world now. And we keep trying to make people happy. Every day I paint two or three pebbles to carry with me during the day. Its such a delightful process. I choose the colors, the quotes, the lettering. I paint, write and seal the rocks, always wishing that the right words will find the person who needs them. It brings me a lot of satisfaction and joy to design the rocks. I’m not an artistic person so thats why I love to research ideas, visit art galleries and read art books. They all inspire me - and one thing can be taken for granted: each rock is done with a lot of love. I always have them with me. No matter if its walking my dogs, Sgt. Pepper and Hey Jude, or doing groceries. If it’s mailing a letter or having a coffee with a friend. Sometimes I pass by a
design crumbs magazine
Hiding the rocks without being noticed is hard sometimes. But I’m becoming an expert! Despite all the craziness around selfies, I prefer to keep anonymous. It’s all about about the message, not about the messenger. Every day I learn with this project. The world is full - very full - of people in need of love. Or affection, attention or comfort. And this has been a great and deep lesson in my life. It’s wonderful how the rocks put me in contact with people around the world who I would never have known otherwise. It fills my heart that with a simple acts of kindness I am bringing positive feelings to people. I truly believe that when you open your heart to a greater love, everything makes sense - and life becomes more beautiful. As I always like to say: love shared is love multiplied.
f facebook.com/love-is-action-movement instagram.com/love_is_action_movement
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article
have your ducks in a row by claire leigh, owner of two ducks boutique gift shop
Makers I now stock which I found in Country Homes Magazine
Visiting the Country Living Fair with Susy Smith, presenting Lottie with her editor’s choice award
For me, owning a gift shop is the best job in the world. I love handmade, I love beautiful things, I love meeting and chatting with people and I love seeing the things I stock in customers’ homes. Of course there’s a whole heap of fairly boring administrative tasks that come with running your own business but that’s part and parcel of being self-employed. One of the best parts of my job is choosing what to stock from such a wide range of fantastic designers and makers. It’s also a difficult thing to get right as there’s so much to choose from, so many price points, the brand feel has got to fit with the shop and then there’s a question of taste - what you pick has got to match your customers’ tastes! So I take this task seriously and spend a good chunk of time on it. I don’t know if all shop owners are the same but I want to find the unusual, the unique, the most beautiful objects the UK has to offer that aren’t seen everywhere else, so I make a lot of effort. Here’s how I do it!
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Visiting Top Drawer trade show
Social Media I love social media, I love how much you can engage with your customers, how you can show your passion for your products and how that alone sets up sales opportunities for you. It’s such a great way to communicate. So I use it a lot for research. I find makers on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook. I don’t just take a fleeting glance though. If I’m on Twitter, I may see a picture someone has retweeted, look at the profile of the person they have talked about, check out their website, look at all their photos, find a specific product and then contact them about it. I may search on a ‘hashtag’ of a subject matter (e.g. Father’s Day) to find people who are discussing the subject and showcasing their products. On a related note, I have to say, I don’t like very direct approaches on Twitter to stock products as if I don’t like the product, it’s a very embarrassing (and open) place to say no! I much prefer to establish a bit of a relationship with people.
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Craft Fairs and Events
Magazines
I try and attend as many craft fairs and events as I can, as often you find hidden gems (and makers) who can’t necessarily afford to attend the big annual trade shows.
I think most of us like a nice relaxing read of a good glossy magazine!
I visited Farnham Maltings Christmas Fair last November and ended up with about three new makers including a beautiful Felt Artist called Fudge and Mable where I ordered some Christmas felt decorations there and then! So I am always interested to hear of new shows going on. Trade Shows As designers and makers, you may well know many of the big trade shows that go on each year - (these include the Spring Fair at the NEC in Birmingham, Top Drawer in London, Pure (fashion show) in London, The British Craft Trade Fair in Harrogate, Glee Garden Festival in Birmingham and Scotland’s Trade Fair - The SECC in Glasgow to name a few). I attend as many as I can, depending on how much and what stock I need at the time. My time is always limited because of juggling my children so I often have to plan well in advance and just visit those I’ve already identified. I research the profiles on the show website and if there is no picture on the profile, I don’t even look as I simply don’t have enough time so I would always encourage makers to make a decent profile if they want to make the most of their investment.
Bojje - British crafted kitchen utensils I found researching on google
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My particular favourites are Country Living (which I have worked for as a Consultant) and Country Homes and Interiors and I am lucky enough to have been featured in both wonderful publications! I am always finding new makers in these publications and because of my connection with Country Living, I also feed new makers through to them for the emporium pages. It’s not always easy to get coverage in such publications but write a great email with good pictures of your product and your story, send it in - and you never know! Gift Shops, Antique And Specialist Art Centres I have probably visited every gift shop and gallery in every town I have ever visited since childhood! I love seeing different styles of shop and different products and really love a shop that stocks things that are a little bit unusual. I now have a good network of other shopkeepers that have become friends and we share tips and ideas and makers who we find work well for us. I wouldn’t really look to stock something that is in another shop locally as there’s less exclusivity that way.
Brighton Beard Oil stocked in Two Ducks
Hand-felted Christmas decoration by Fudge and Mabel stocked in two ducks last christmas
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Maker Approaches
Sometimes I just search Google for specific things I’m looking for and sometimes I discover a random gem. I was looking for an image of some candles I stocked from Cream Cornwall and came across a beautiful image of some oyster candles.
Lastly, makers/designers approach me directly either through email, Facebook, post or by coming into the shop. I probably get over 10 approaches a week.
I did a fair bit of research and was able to discover who made these candles. It was a shop in Cornwall but they made them themselves and they had never stocked shops before. I became their first stockist and it is still one of my best selling products! Personal Recommendations I get many personal recommendations and I have some customers that go to shows and fairs themselves and come back with a handful of business cards and makers products for me to see - I love that they get so involved in the shop! Trends I don’t really focus on trends as a priority, although they do sometimes come into play and if you catch a trend at the right time it can be a great seller for the business for instance, I discovered Brighton Beard Company products {an artisan producer of fine quality oils and waxes} whilst on a weekend away in Brighton - just before beards went crazy in the UK and they became not only great gifts for men but also attracted a new male client base I hadn’t had before! Usually you can get an idea for the trends of each season from the trade shows and reading relevant magazines so it’s always worth seeing ‘what’s hot’ in the marketplace. Saying that, you have to also consider your own market - your region may be a little behind London in the trend stakes and would better take the product when it has been more broadly adopted by the general public.
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There are a number of reasons why I might choose a maker/designer’s items to stock and it won’t be purely based on product. These are general things I look out for; *Building a relationship - hopefully it will be long term, so, is the maker flexible, will they send samples, reduce minimum orders etc? *Professionalism - have they done their homework on pricing, will they handle any customer complaints speedily, do they have professional photography - (this makes a huge difference), have they found out how the shop prefers to be approached (personally, I find it awkward if someone brings in their items to show me when I’m working), if you say ‘no’ will it be met with a professional reply? *Support - shops and makers need to work together to promote and survive - we work hard to promote makers products so we really appreciate their support in promoting us to their friends/family, on social media and if a maker is local to the shop, why not literally support and come in and buy a card or a gift?! So, there’s a little insight into running a gift shop. But also if you’re a designer/maker, maybe you can gain some hints and tips of how to approach getting your products stocked! If you are looking for a special gift; maybe something a little different, you’ll find a beautiful collection of unique gifts, homeware and fashion from some of Britain’s best makers at Two Ducks, the boutique shop in the heart of St. John’s Village in Woking.
two-ducks.co.uk
f facebook.com/twoducksgifts
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showcase
emma mitchell
craft journalist, naturalist, jewellery and crochet designer Emma Mitchell is a jewellery designer, craft teacher, writer for Mollie Makes magazine, budding conjuror of crocheted things, naturalist and mum. And she’s also an ardent fan of cake, yarn and hedgerows!
beehive or wren and fire it, the moment when she polishes away the white oxide from its surface still holds a serious dose of wonder for her!
Emma lives in a tiny Fen-edge village where woodland, grassland and wetland meet. The plants and birds in this rich landscape are a constant source of inspiration for the fine silver jewellery she makes, her botanical photography and her illustration work.
She says “I feel as though I’m a 16th Century alchemist who has been digging up and chucking acid at bits of rock for years and boiling what remains and sighing and experimenting and suddenly I realise I have made ACTUAL SILVER.”
Back in May 2008 Emma attended a workshop. During that brief three hours, her creative excitement level flew off the chart!
silverpebble.net instagram.com/silverpebble2
When she handmakes a tiny silver berry,
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feature
moodboard - scandi kids by charlotte 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 - as well as textures, prints and patterns.
scandimini.co.uk
scandimini.co.uk
scandimini.co.uk
quinceliving.co.uk
quinceliving.co.uk
kandivis.co.uk
I’ve only recently discovered this Scandi theme and whilst it’s predominately styled in children’s bedrooms, I can see it widening to other rooms of the house! Usually, Pinterest is my normal form of online inspiration, however, Instagram seems to have overtaken this platform due to so many businesses having accounts and promoting their products and styling so beautifully. Strangely, most of the Instagram accounts which sell Scandi kids’ products seem to be based in Australia. Whilst I’m unsure of the cause of this, I am loving them nonetheless! However, when researching, I have found numerous websites based in the UK selling these style products.
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The basis of the theme is clean lines, wooden shapes and a pastel colour palette - and the overarching styling is cute, minimalistic and fun. What’s wonderful about this is that it can be used for girls’ or boys’ bedrooms and can be styled accordingly with patterns, shapes and colours. As shown in the images on the right, the fun comes into play with wooden blocks which are often placed on wooden wall shelves or standalone hexagonal units to show their full advantage. Teepees are often placed for kids’ to play in as little dens and stylised clouds and eyelashes are used for wall decals, cushions, lights - you name it!
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feature
3craftybears
ourlittledreamers
happylittlefolks
wildriver
ourlittledreamers
poppy_and_peach
In addition to wooden shelves and wooden blocks mentioned earlier, wooden bead garlands are also frequently seen in kids’ Scandi bedrooms, as well as wooden peg boards to showcase all of these wooden gems!
Girls’ decor also includes pretty prints, watermelons and dreamcatchers in pastels, complete with feathers, flowers and lace whilst there are foxes, cacti and teepee prints and wooden blocks for boys.
What’s great about this style is that it’s made up of little trinkets so you can easily chop and change and move things around - really make it your own!
WOODEN SHAPE BLOCKS As discussed, wood plays a huge part when styling in the Scandi kids’ interiors theme - and they come in all shapes, sizes and designs.
ourlitledreamers
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theconniediaries
wildriver
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launch
rachael taylor designs: umbrella launch
We are thrilled to announce that Rachael Taylor has an exciting new brand of super mini pocket umbrellas with the UK company Soake. These fun and quirky designs will launch at Spring Fair which takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, UK between February 7 – 11 2016. Soake is a British brand {previously trading as Blooming Brollies}. They’ve been designing, manufacturing, importing and distributing quality, stylish and sassy umbrellas for eight years. They are thrilled to include Rachael to their partner line up which include; ArtBrollies, Kidorable, San Fransisco Umbrella Company, Galleria and more! Check them out!
interview
sarah baxter
recylced and from baxter andand snow, recycling wooden wine b owner of baxter snow, upcycled andupcycle recycle
WHICH THREE WORDS WOULD YOU USE TO DESCRI BE YOUR ORGANISATION? Quirky, creative, evolving WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT NOT WORKING FOR ANYONE ELSE? I love the freedom of working for myself as it has fitted in so well around having a family and being at home when necessary. My working hours are totally flexible and having my own workshop means I can sing along to the radio ‘til my heart’s content without harming anyone’s ears!
WHY DID YOU GO INTO BUSINESS - WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? The business actually came about quite by
accident, or fate, I’m not sure which but I spotted a wine merchant throwing lots of empty beautiful, decorative boxes onto a bonfire and thought it was an awful waste. When I enquired, he said he didn’t have room to store them and didn’t have a use for them, so I bought as many as I could save.
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boxes crates ed wineand boxes I began by making things for friends and family and eventually took on a stall at a large craft market in the Cotswolds, where thankfully, they were very well received. I started out working in my cold, dark garage so was very pleased to upgrade to the old cow barn workshop on a farm where I now spend most of the day. I absolutely love the variety of the vineyard panels and as each new delivery is different, receiving a new delivery of boxes to work with is extremely exciting.
who or what i n spi r es you? I’m totally inspired by all of the fantastic
people who run small business and seeing the amazing talent that is on offer away from the High Street. Some of my favourite designers/ artists are Kirsty Elson Designs, Louise O’Hara Art and Paper Panda.
IF YOU WERE TO GIVE YOUR JUST-STARTING-INBUSI NESS SELF SOME ADVICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I would definitely say to surround yourself with
likeminded people, which is so easy to do now with social media. I have many, many friends who also run small businesses and it is a great way to share ideas and learn.
baxterandsnow.com
f facebook.com/baxterandsnow instagram.com/baxterandsnowwineboxes
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feature
no sew sewing feature by charlotte briscoe of charlotte briscoe interiors
pin cushion
We might be exaggerating ever so slightly with the ‘no sew’ here but there’s certainly very little sewing involved in this project.. but that would have been a very long article title! I have used Cinnamon & Rose’s Austin Rose linen for this editions sewing segment. Cinnamon & Rose is a new fabric designer and can be found here: cinnamonandrose.com.
Equipment you’ll need: * Small terracotta plant pot * Fabric 30 cm diameter * Pebbles {handful} * Paint and paint brush
* Wadding {two handfuls} * Needle and thread * Scissors * Ribbon * Glue
charlottebriscoeinteriors.co.uk
f facebook.com/charlotte-briscoe-interiors instagram.com/charlotte_briscoe_interiors
Step one:
Step two:
Step THREE:
Paint the plant pot and leave to dry.
When dry, fill with a handful of pebbles to stop it toppling over.
Cut the fabric (30cm diameter).
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Step FOUR: Hand sew large stitches 2cm in from the edge and leave a 10cm tail on each end.
Step SIX: Pull the tails tight (take care not to snap the thread).
Step SEVEN: When the fabric has covered the wadding tie the cotton in a knot.
Step FIVE: Place the fabric with the wrong side facing up and place the wadding in the middle.
Step eight: Turn it over and neaten the fabric.
STEP NINE: Place in the pot and add glue around the edges if you would like.
STEP TEN: Finish with a ribbon and add pins!
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design crumbs magazine
get in touch with us... if you’d like to suggest or submit AN article, showcase, special feature or interview - please don’t hesitate to contact us. we’d love to hear from you! designcrumbsuk.wordpress.com designcrumbsuk@gmail.com 07599 346891
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