TEA TOWELS - to dry for

to dry for is your one stop shop for the best in designer tea towels. brands stocked include pintuck, mr.ps, solitaire, and unity peg. to dry for also commission exclusive designs such as this one (above & below) by uk illustrator stuart kolakovic. also shown below is a sun design from pintuck and floral/bird tea towel by lush. see here for more fabulous designs.

ILLUSTRATION - stuart kolakovic

if you admired his tea towel design at 'to dry for' then you might like to see more on illustrator stuart kolakovic. stuart is based in the UK in the west midlands and is represented by the heart agency. you can visit his website here, or follow his interesting blog, and even get hold of your own piece of art in stuart's etsy shop here.

VINTAGE - mini moderns

mini moderns have put together a collection of cushions using vintage 'found' fabrics. all made in the UK, these are just some of their limited edition designs. see mini moderns for more info.

EVENT - london lane fete

"soak up the fun of the village fete in urban london" - homeware, fashion, refreshments, handmade cakes, brick a brack, and games will be on show at the london lane fete this weekend. 11th of July. 12-6pm in the yard behind 17 london lane. one of the designers orgnising the event is anya jane who has more info here.

IKEA FINALE- aprons

its the final day of my ikea photo report (although i still have the student show to post next week). these gorgeous geometric folk type patterns were spotted on aprons in the household department. the patterns are bright and fun but still maintain their scandinavian cool. dont forget, if you have seen something this week that you wanted to buy, that the new ikea catalogue comes out in august - so it could be that some of these designs may soon disappear.

IKEA - cushions

more stylish geometrics - this time on cushions. rectangular in shape 'lusy blom' is just £3.59 for the cover and pad. also by the same designer, cilla ramnek, is the cute 'lusy knapp' set of two cushions featuring hand drawn images of buttons.

IKEA - cushions pt 2

various cushions and upholstery prints spotted last week in ikea.

IKEA - bedding

finally from ikea a quick look around the bedlinen section. i especially loved their take on the stem print featuring ever decreasing shapes inside the leaves.

IKEA SNAPS - tripp tins 1

for todays ikea snaps im in the kitchen department, where i couldnt resist these 'tripp' tins which were designed by anna efverlund. i love the bright colours and retro geo pattern, and they sit nicely next to orla kiely's patterns. just £1.99 for a set of three.

IKEA - tripp tins 2

this second set of ikea 'tripp' tins use the same colours as the previous set but features a different pattern (this time designed by s edholm/l ullenius). £4.88 for the set of 3.

IKEA - glassware

interesting and unusual designs on summer glassware at ikea.

IKEA - napkins

paper napkins, designed to co-ordinate with glasses and cutlery, as spotted in ikea last week.

IKEA - tableware

there didnt seem to be as much patterned tableware as i would've expected in ikea. most of the designs were just plain colours. but here are my best finds...

IKEA - textiles pt.1 : birds

today's ikea snaps are all from their fabulous textiles department. somehow ikea manage to bring bold scandinavian style to the masses, and at really low prices. for example the beautiful bird designs shown here (designed by s edholm/l ullenius) are just £3.91 and £1.99 a metre. scroll down for lots more textile snaps, and if you cant make it to ikea then you can still get hold of their fabrics here on etsy.

IKEA - textiles pt 2 : organic

i love the grey and yellow combination on this floral from the patricia collection by linda svensson. followed by tree like designs from cilla ramnek, and the organic black & white shapes of the collection by sven fristedt.

IKEA - textiles pt 3 : leaves

leafy designs of all types, as spotted in ikea last week.

IKEA - textiles pt 4 : brights

examples of ikea's very bold fabric prints.

IKEA - textiles pt 5 : geos

finally some snaps from the petronella collection of retro styled geometrics by linda svensson.

IKEA TRIP - fiona howard cards

more snaps from last weeks ikea visit today. starting with these gorgeous floral cards by fiona howard (who we've featured here before). fiona also designed the amazing sanderson wallpaper we all fell in love with recently. her art cards for ikea are sold in a pack of 5 and are single postcards ready for framing. im off the the paperchase press show today to see the launch of their new autumn and christmas products so my trusty camera will be back in action again today. see you tomorrow for a few more great ikea pics.

IKEA - wall art

also in the ikea art dept : above is an example of fiona howard's cards in a frame in one of the stores roomsets, and below more snaps of the various art cards. i especially thought the kitchen set by korpi and gordon was so cute. interestingly the figure cards are by P+P favourite lotta glave.

IKEA - children

ikea always have a bright and fun collection of patterns for children. my particular favourites were these animal characters designed by eva lundgreen.

IKEA TRIP - lighting

last friday i went to ikea's newest british store in southampton which has only been open a few months. i managed to get quite a few snaps which i will posting up this week. we've got textiles, bedding, kitchen, wall art, cushions, kids, and first up today lighting. there was also a student show taking place featuring project briefs set by ikea for the art and design students at southampton university.

CHILDRENS CARDS - katyjane

australia's katyjane designs have just launched a brand new website. their first collection is a range of children’s party invitations and thank you tags "designed with a modern vintage twist". they also have matching party bags and accessories. invitations can also be personalised with a photo, name & age making them completely unique every time. see here for this really lovely new website.

MICHAEL JACKSON

the world changed a little bit on thursday as we heard the news that michael jackson was no longer in it. when i listened to the stories about his life it makes you understand something i have often realised : that really creative people cannot be ordinary.

images : letterpress card by snow owl and billie jean embroidery by my needle habit.

CARDS - present & correct

present and correct sent me details of their new 'spectrum' notecards. this set of 6 designs are a spin off of their 'colour wheel' print and feature a different colour and geometric shape on each card. the objects then relate to that colour; like a red bus, orange butternut squash and a purple amethyst. see here for present and correct's super stylish website or on etsy here.

CARDS - hygge by lagom

today im doing a bumper selection of posts about the amazing amount of fantastic new card designs that have just come out. im posting everything today as tomorrow im off to ikea tomorow so there will be no P+P. i will however be reporting back next week on all the dozens of wonderful patterns i can find in the swedish superstore. but back to today and we are kicking off with two brilliant new collections from lagom, the card publishing company owned by kelly hyatt. the first is this gorgeous blue graphic everyday collection call 'hygge' ( pronounced 'hoo-ga') which in danish means a deep sense of well-being; a feeling of friendship, warmth, contentment and peace with your immediate surroundings.

CARDS - monsieur boudin

monsieur boudin is a brand new collection of 12 card designs published by lagom. designed by the talented san francisco duo lab partners. 'monsieur boudin' was inspired by kelly hyatt's little sausage dog 'hugo" and his regular trips to paris a city he calls his 'second home'.

DESIGNER - kelly hyatt

if you have been admiring today's lagom posts and the wonderful 'hygge' collection then you may be wanting to know a bit more about their ddesigner kelly hyatt. kelly originally founded 'beaumonde cards' and designed many of their collections. he also brought us artists like bo lundberg and hanna werning. he later sold the company and started lagom. kelly is also available for freelance commissions and has worked for clients such as habitat to create bespoke designs. check out the new website for hyatt associates, from where these images are taken here.

CARDS - nineteen seventy three

one of my fave card companies is nineteen seventy three, who have just brought out this cute new range from darling clementine. i was alerted to the 'claudettes' collection by alex at papergrain where they have just taken stock of four lovely designs to buy online here. or you can check out the nineteen seventy three online if you want to view the entire set of 16 characters.

CARDS - sukie/nineteen seventy three

finally today its a marriage made in heaven from nineteen seventy three and sukie. together they've created a gorgeous new everyday card collection, which they have published as either greetings cards or postcards. great to send or just to keep and stick on pinboards so you can admire them. as seen here.

DESIGN STUDIO - oaffi

oaffi is a new seattle based surface design company that creates prints and patterns for "fashion related industries including apparel, interior décor, paper products and all other designer goods in need of 2D expression". clients can purchase artwork directly from the gallery which is then available as an immediate download. oaffi also do moodboards, illustrations and more. these stunning linear florals are from one of their recent collections. i love the intricate detail.

GRADUATE - mel selmin

designer melanie selmin has just completed a degree in 'contemporary textile practice' at the university of wales institute, cardiff. as you view mel's work and see how fabulous it is you wont be suprised to hear she i received a 1st class honours. mel will be exhibiting her degree collection at the new designers exhibition at the business design centre, london from 9th-12th july. you can contact mel at melissa_selmin@hotmail.com.

CARDS - paper stories

paper stories is an eco-friendly "paper boutique and workspace" located in grayslake, IL. created by kelly maron (of paper stories letterpress) and tami rasmussen (of tam tam design studio) they will be providing unique workshops and creative classes in paper arts, craft, and handcrafted correspondence . they will also be creating a boutique to sell their designs as well as the designs of other eco-friendly, independent artists whom they both admire. the grand opening takes place at the end of this month, but in the meantime do check out the paper stories website or etsy shop.

TRADE SHOW - printsource NYC

dont forget this august's printsource show in nyc - a great place to exhibit or purchase surface designs in NYC.

TEXTILES - of paper and thread

of paper & thread is the work of danielle smeets, an independent textile designer based in fremantle, western australia. danielle creates hand screen-printed textiles which are all locally printed in small print runs, ensuring each colourway is a limited edition. it is important to danielle to consider the environment when creating her textiles.she always uses natural fabrics for her basecloths and her screen-printer uses environmentally friendly solvent-free inks when printing my designs. you can see the of paper and thread site here, or check out etsy, where new colourways are regularly being added.

DESIGN STUDIO - wallnut

cristina londoño is a designer from colombia who has just launched her new website. wallnut studio was founded in 2007 and they have gained a reputation for modern prints for concepts, surfaces, fashion, prints and interiors, etc. you can view more of their fantastic pattern projects here.

DESIGNER - catrin lewis

if you are looking for a designer with a specialist interest in optical geometrics then how about catrin lewis?. catrin is a designer based in south wales who graduated from bucks with a degree in graphics & advertising. catrin is now available for freelance work & projects.

ILLUSTRATION - bukubuku

cute fans should take a step into the world of bukubuku, also known as illustrator silvia portello from spain. bukubuku is a fascinating blog packed full with super cute eye candy, and if you want to purchase a piece of your own you can check silvia out on etsy here. recent commissions include a new A-Z kids print for the french art poster site l'affiche moderne.

below the cute crochet from bukubuku that i featured on P+P back in 2007.

TOTE BAGS - mr ps

mr ps have a new bag out with a design featuring just that - 'new bag'. screen-printed by hand in vivid neon pink or green they are made from heavyweight cotton canvas. pefect for summer. see them online here, where i also loved the new cake themed tea towels.

PRINTS - orange bird studio

orange bird studio have a new website showcasing their prints and handmade cards.

PACKAGING - table topics

interesting packaging from table topics, where the patterns, colours, and fonts have been chosen to reflect a particular decade. as seen here.

NOTECARDS - suzy ultman

super talented illustrator suzy ultman (one of lilla roger's amazing artists) has created a new set of doll notecards for chronicle books. the pack will be released in september and will join this existing set by sukie.

FABRIC COLLECTION - erin kennedy

erin kennedy has just launched her first fabric collection 'painted posies' for andover fabrics. its a bright collection of modern but folksy florals that were created with quilters in mind. erin is an artist with a passion for fabrics which grew out of working in her mother-in-law's quilt shop. see erin's website here or visit andover fabrics.

DESIGNER - olive manna

olive manna is an etsy shop selling fabric goods and notebooks by designer natalie jost. but natalie also offers another service - a collection of downloadable patterns at affordable prices. they are for personal use only but you can enquire about commercial rates. visit the olive manna site here to view the patterns on sale, or see natalie's etsy shop here.

BOOK - wallpaper projects

i recently bought a copy of the book 'wallpaper projects' by derek fagerstrom and lauren smith. mainly because i love to look at the wallpaper patterns and designs. featuring more than 50 different things you can do with wallpaper this book uses some of the most stylish designs around including ferm living and orla kiely. the end papers also use a gorgeous grey & white design from lena corwin. published by chronicle books from amazon uk or amazon usa.

CARDS - father's day june 21st

this sunday sees one of the last big card event of the year before christmas, father's day. the male card design market isnt usually where we would go on print & pattern but there are some interesting designs out their on the high street in amongst all the usual beer and motorbikes. here are some that i managed to find on my little research trip.

FATHER'S DAY - paperchase

a selection of father's day cards as seen in paperchase.

FATHER'S DAY - marks & spencer

marks & spencer (tigerprint) have used the trend for laser cut cards to great effect on this stylish card for more discerning dads.

FATHER'S DAY - sainsbury's

apologies for the slightly blurred pics, but i liked this dark blue and brights typographic design from sainsbury's which picks up on the trend for hand drawn type.

CARDS & STATIONERY

there has been a fab new arrival at online store papergrain recently - a selection of designs on cards and notebooks by noi publishing. alex at papergrain has a keen eye for design and has chosen a selection from noi's slinki chic and sunlight collections, as well as lovely floral notebooks and notecards. see them online here.

CARDS - noi publishing

after seeing the noi designs at papergrain i wanted to know more about this talented company. based in the uk at farnham in surrey noi publishing are tracy, peter, and paul francis. they have a wide range of designs, and apart from fantastic florals they also have cool kids cards. see here for more collections and to enquire about wholesale. for retail check out papergrain.

CARDS - thank you teacher, m&s

cards to thank children's teachers are becoming a more important fixture of the card publishing calendar each year. which is good news for designers as this is such a fun area to design for. this selection are designs from marks & spencer, who as we know have their card design handled by tigerprint.

TEXTILE DESIGNER - ann granlund

i found textile designer ann granlund through jane foster's excellent blog.ann is a designer/screenprinter from Åland in finland, with a studio at the craftshop SALT in mariehamn, where she and five others sell our their products. ann loves to draw, sketch and combine colours and handprints all of her designs. check out ann's blog here or visit the SALT website where ann's patterns are often large with cheerful colours on cotton and linen.

CARD SHOPPING - caroline gardner

over the weekend i set out to do some research on father's day cards, but instead got very distracted by all the other designs on offer. it can be very hard to get excited about male card designs but i will do my best this week to bring you some of the better father's day designs available on the UK high street. in the meantime i couldnt resist taking some snaps of cards by one of my fave designers caroline gardner.

CARD SHOPPING SNAPS

more designs that caught my eye whilst i was supposed to be shooting father's day cards. starting with two designs from soul uk designed by (above) emma davis and (below) vicki aust. above & below 'green' by janine drayson published by hotchpotch.

above & below two designs by megan carter for camden graphics.

above and below, a delicate floral design by claire hocking from the 'giddy' range at woodmansterne.