IKEA - 2008 catalogue

the new ikea catalogue dropped through my letterbox this sunday, and i was really pleased with their sentiment 'be brave - not beige' alongside lots of pages featuring lovely bold prints.

TEATOWELS - skinny la minx

yesterday i heard from heather moore, the talented designer & blogger behind skinny la minx. she mentioned how her brand new tea towel designs were taken from this original paper cut she had made called summer weeds. available now and going fast from heather's etsy store.

STATIONERY - doe sf

grace over at design*sponge put me onto these fab pads at doe san francisco.

GIFT WRAP - eieio

cool new gift wrap from eiei-o.

CARDS - andy pratt

cute cards from new york based designer andy pratt. click here to visit his website.

AUTUMN SEASON - next

its that time of year when autumn/winter catalogues are published, and these are a few choice prints that appealed to me in the new next directory. yellow was a strong theme in homewares as predicted by print & pattern just over a year ago.

BOOK - wrapping paper worldwide

'wrapping paper worldwide' is a brand new book that looks at the world of gift wrap design. its jam packed with pages and pages of pictures showing papers in different themes such as wedding,baby,birthdays etc. the style is commercial, we're not talking cutting edge - but it does provide a wealth of ideas on the types of motifs you can use for each occassion. theres also a cd included. the book is available now from the amazon print & pattern bookshop, click here for amazon UK/europe , or in the US you can use the ISBN number to order at your local store/web as unfortunately the book has yet to arrive at amazon USA.

wrapping paper worldwide published by index books ISBN-10: 849630969X

NEW DESIGNER - eleanor hodson

after the new designers show at the beginning of the month i posted up a few of the graduates cards picked up at the show. one of which was by eleanor hodson. afterwards eleanor got in touch and sent me some more of her designs. inspired by an architectural theme, she loves using photos taken of angles and shapes within arcitecture then using these to create intresting patterns. she hopes to put across an urban feel in her work, but with a softness by the addition floral type motifs. eleanor says "i want to give a kitcsh feel to my designs and this is often given by a 60's influence. i find black and white helps to make my designs to stand out giving them a contemporary, clean fresh feel." like all the graduates we've been covering this month eleanor is now hoping to land a job, and is happy to consider any kind of design vacancy, or even a work experience placement. email eleanor here, or see more here on her website.

ILLUSTRATION - sophie dupasquier

more lovely illustration today, this time by sophie dupasquier. really delicate, nice colours and sweet too !

STATIONERY - sukie

there have been new things happening over at sukie since i last looked, including the lovely alphabet print (top of post), and not yet released, but available for pre-order on amazon uk or usa these new correspondence cards and label set.

STATIONERY -anna bella

florida based anna bella are doing great things with patterns on their invitations and fine stationery. the ranges include invites and anouncements for all occasions, cards, book plates, and stylish wedding stationery.

WALL DECALS - tonky

looking for unusual wall decals ?, then one to watch could be tonky.

DESIGNER - kimb james

yesterday in my inbox i found a heartfelt plea from design graduate kimb james. kimb will be graduating from the savannah college of art & design this summer after completing her textile design course, and is now seeking employment in new york. heres what kimb said about herself "i constantly draw in little notebooks, and turn those adorable little doodles into patterns. i have this joke with my friends that I can turn anything into a pattern. i hope to conquer NYC with pattern, or at least enter a small design studio and create patterns for childrens apparel or anything that can harbor a fun pattern with unicorns and hearts and cupcakes". if you are a studio or company looking for a new recruit, or seeking to buy some designs why not drop her a line or check her online portfolio for some great designs. i love the dishes design at the top of the post.

DESIGNS - kimb james

in an addition to the post above, kimb just sent me over a few of her new designs this morning.

PRINTS - 3p-3

these unusual gocco prints are from 3p-3 's etsy shop. giselle & pablo, the creators of 3p-3 sent me over some pics the other day with a link to their flickr pages. im always fascinated to see behind the scenes of designers at work, so couldnt resist posting these today.

PATTERNS - ana romero

patterns from ana romero at her puzzle website. ana is a graphic designer from portugal trying to launch a career in surface design. she is trying to create her own brand of pattern related products as well as working as a freelancer in commissioned work. click here to view more.

ILLUSTRATION - melvyn evans

today im absolutely in love with the works of london based illustrator melvyn evans. check out his gorgeous website here.

GLASSWARE - shinzi katoh

i really enjoyed looking at these new glass designs from japanese zakka artist shinzi katoh. new readers should check out our previous shinzi pictures.

CARDS - y not me

next up its these cool cards on etsy from jill galloway sherman. jill is a photographer, teacher, and the designer behind y not me .

PRINTS - isofoto

i love this cup print called 'espresso shots' by isofoto. its A4 in size and available from their esty shop. teamed with the 'java' print below this pair would look great in a kitchen. isofoto is a project by top card designers ally gore & rob reader whose cards i love.

MUGS - orla kiely

six lovely new mug designs have been added to orla kiely's homeware range.

CARDS - orange tree

orange tree project are a group of designers that felt a strong need to give back to their community. their goal is to serve others by doing what they do best, creating fresh, inspiring design. so they hope to create a line of original products that have both contemporary appeal and an inspiring message. all profits from the project will go to local charities in san diego. this set of illustrated notecards is the first product available on the recently launched OrangeTree Project website.

DESIGNER - coronela

these fabulous patterns are by carolina goncarlo, the brazilian designer behind coronela. carolina has produced some complex repeat patterns, as well as brilliant collages made from little cut out motifs (above & below). on her website she shows step by step pictures of how the collages are built up.

NEW DESIGNER - amy underhill

today im posting the work of a couple of graduates who exhibited at the 'new designers' show earlier this month. first up are the wonderful designs of amy underhill. amy was on the cardiff stand, which for me was the best in show. i absolutely loved her style, and feel sure she will do well in her career as her designs are both fashionable and highly commercial. amy is currently job hunting, but is also hoping to take on freelance commissions. since the show shes been busy designing her own website, which will be fully up and running soon. contact amy here via email to discuss projects or to buy one of her cute fabric owls for £15.

NEW DESIGNER - emily jones

next up another talented graduate from new designers. emily jones studied at huddersfield and exhibited this fun and quirky collection at the show. you can contact emily via email for freelance commissions or to find out more.

FABRICS - bantie

pretty patterns from swedish designers bantie . based in stockholm, bantie was started ulrika gyllstad and wilhelmina wiese, and named after ulrika's inspirational auntie. they have created a great collection of 12 patterns, which can all be viewed here.

SCRAPBOOK PAPER - scenic route

these are some terrific new 12" x 12" kraft paper designs just released by scenic route. i loved the bird one last time, and this time im drooling over the circles (top of post). click their website to see the new collections of sumner & ashville in full.

TEXTILES - mijnes

i first heard about the bright & bold designs at mijnes through decor8, and recently they've added this lovely new animal gingham collection. plus i cant resist the birds !

HOMEWARES - rock scissor paper

the brilliant rock scissor paper have launched their long awaited homewares range of tea towels, aprons, and coasters - all with beautiful prints and a funky bright palette.

PAPERCHASE - monstarz

i managed to get a look at the new paperchase collection this weekend - 'monstarz' have just been released, they're very cute and very japanese.

FASHION PRINTS - bags

this owl print on a bag and a purse caught my eye in topshop.

this cool shopper was spotted in accessorize, lovely bird print on the outside and a sweet little yellow leaf print on the inside.

SHOP - royal festival hall

this is a photograph i posted back in september 2006 showing 2 glass doors covered in a fantastic ogee pattern. it was taken at the royal festival hall in london during renovation works to cover up all the mess that was going on behind. its finally completed so i thought i would show you what is now behind the door - a beautiful gift & design store !

the halls signature design (at top of post and running throughout) now known affectionately as 'net & ball' was originaly created in 1951 by Peter Moro. like many 50's designs it has a scientific influence: and is an abstract version of the square wave seen with the aid of an oscilloscope –the visual representation of sound. if you are in london shopping this is a great store to visit to find a stylish gift or souvenir as everything is chosen for its design merit. and as its on the south bank between the london eye & tate modern its easy to combine a visit to all three.

NEW DESIGNERS - exhibition

these are some pictures i took the week before last at the 'new designers' exhibition. it took place at the business design centre in islington north london, and showcased the work of hundreds of top graduates from colleges and universites all across the country. photographing the students work is not allowed, hence ive just taken a few general shots to give you a flavour of the event, and hopefully persuade you to visit next year. its well worth a look either to recruit, buy some freelance designs or just to get ideas, and spot trends. part one - which i attended is for textiles, surface pattern design, and ceramics. part 2 held last week was for 3d & product design, furniture, graphics & illustration.

NEW DESIGNERS

these are just some of the lovely business cards and postcards i picked up at the new designers exhibition. there was so much talent on show, its fantastic to see how textile and surface pattern design is flourishing in the UK.

eleanor hodson
clare bungey

nadia sheltaway

krystal orphanides

linda bestwick

jill freeman

emma fox

PRINT & PATTERN BOOKSHOP

updates have been taking place in the print & pattern bookshop - and the fantastic news is that the petit pattern series of books have been re-published and are now available in the UK. i purchased 2 books in the kinokuniya bookstore in san francisco's japan town, whilst on holiday last november. after reviewing them here on P+P, lets just say 'the phone lines lit up' and everyone wanted to know where they could buy the books. so the good news is that they are now on amazon uk/europe. not quite such good news for the US as some have limited availability or are still pending release, see my store for details. if you havent seen my amazon pages before, its just a selection of books & stationery ive chosen from the amazon website and your order goes direct to them in the usual way. there is one shop for the UK and one for the USA. below are some snaps taken from the books, if you want to get hold of them locally you can try ordering them using the ISBN numbers provided. if you are in london - pop down to foyles on charing cross road today as when i was in there the other day they had around 6 titles on the shelf.

first up its kids & toys UK & USA ISBN :486100506X

check & knit UK & USA ISBN : 4861005078

scandinavian style UK & USA ISBN : 4861003865

japanese style UK & USA ISBN : 4861003903

not part of the petit pattern series - but in the same style & size featuring clip art style silhouettes of all kinds everyday objects, animals, plants and people.

silhouette UK & USA ISBN : 4861004128

frame / line UK & USA ISBN : 4861004349

just a note about the petit pattern books - they are not copyright free but you can use them on designs and products that are not going to be sold. even so they are very inspirational and will certainly fire your own imagination. i also find the colour schemes very interesting.

PETIT PATTERN BOOKS

these were the first two petit pattern books i reviewed last year - click here to see the dots pics, and here for the flowers.

dots & stripes UK & USA ISBN : 4861003849

flowers & leaves UK & USA ISBN : 4861003857

PAPERCHASE - new arrivals

ive also added some lovely new paperchase bits to my amazon shop - i love, love, love the sticky notes !

A MILLION HITS FOR PRINT & PATTERN

i feel sure that today there will be a milestone for print & pattern as we will surely pass the million mark ! ive know idea what will happen to the counter !? (but i expect it will implode and go wrong as it has no extra digit). im pleased that so many people are loving the world of pattern design with around 5000 people a day reading P+P. BIG THANKS TO ALL READERS.

ps. tune in tommorow if you can for important news on pattern books.
image from print & pattern flickr site.

DESIGN COMPETITION - tigerprint

UK card designers 'tigerprint' have launched a competition to design a wrapping paper that could go into production for M&S. there is a £200 prize on offer plus the possible chance to see your work in production. tigerprint are well known for their student awards and work placement schemes. below is an example of a previous winning design by julie grey.

SCRAPBOOKING - bam pop

new scrapbook papers from bam pop! as seen on their flickr site. these 'ninguins', ninja penguins, are pretty original and do you remember the cute designs we featured before ?.

CARDS - hotchpotch

i snapped this picture of hotchpotch cards above, in a branch of wh smiths, and it inspired me to look them up online to see more.....

BEDLINEN - sweet home london

i like this floral bedlinen (above) from sweet home london. the company was started by an ex laura ashley designer so you can be sure of great attention to quality. click the website to browse the bedlinen, quilts, and cushions.

PATTERNS - trash chic

regular readers will know that i advocate patterns can be put onto any product, and this is a great example as even bin liners can get the pattern treatment. at the top and left is 'trash chic' from firebox and below baroque black & white from the 'home chic home' collection by two's company.

BAG PRINTS - envirosax

talking of bags, theres a lot of pressure on us to re-use our plastic carrier bags, and heres a good way of using pattern design to help save the planet. these prints all feature on waterproof fabric bags by envirosax, so people can look stylish whilst being green. there are lots of designs to choose from here.

GRAPHIC PRINT - atelier r bernier

i love this new collection from atelier r bernier called 'vegetic'. this gorgeous bold graphic print is featured on textiles, lampshades and wall decals.

TRAVEL STICKERS - paperchase

i thought you might like to see these super cute little travel stickers purchased in paperchase on friday, they cost just £1 for a sheet of 100.

NEW ARRIVALS - urban outs

there have been lots of new arrivals at urban outfitters since i last reported - so heres a quick round-up of some new patterned pieces.

NEW IN - anthropologie

and a couple of things from urban outfitters older sister anthropologie, that caught my eye online.

DESIGNERS - showler & showler

i love the beautiful pastel colours and sweet motifs on these cards & mugs by showler & showler.

TEXTILES - miki amano

i heard about designer & illustrator miki amano in an email from rose & radish. she has designed an exclusive print for them called 'tea time', pictured at the bottom of this post. miki was born and raised in tokyo, japan, but she studied illustration at parsons school of design in new york. click here to see her beautiful website.

STORE SNAPS - diva

whilst in islington, north london on friday for the 'new designers' exhibition i popped into the 'diva' card shop on upper street and took a few snaps.

PRINTS - yumi yumi

lovely delicately coloured prints from aline yamada, a fine artist and illustrator living in ohio. to see more click onto aline's etsy shop yumi yumi.

PATTERNED PENDANTS

i thought you might like to see these images of the lovely patterned pendants from butterfly blue. they went down really well last time i posted them in my review of pulse 07. you can select from a huge range of patterns and colours, and pick a combination of 2 as they are double sided. click here to visit the butterfly blue website.

FABRICS - amy schimler

designer and illustrator amy schimler has produced a new range of fabrics for robert kauffman. the collection, called on-a-whim, will be released in august and in stores come september. so cute - and will be great for sewing crafts and kids decor.

PRINTING - better wallpaper

if you are looking to get your own design made into wallpaper then take a look at better wallpaper ltd. the derbyshire based company can produce digitally printed wallpaper directly from an uploaded image of your choice. through a specialist printing process in Stockholm, Sweden they can scale up any image (4Mb or larger) to any size with no pixellation! .

KIDS PRINTS - bunny & bee

these bold prints are from san francisco based bunny & bee. created by Jen Bright-Fathi and Faez Fathi a husband and wife team who after many years of owning our own boutique (in SF's Haight Ashbury district), have launched an online site for their own textile designs. they specialize in kids prints, but also do pillows, cards and bags.

STORE SNAPS - instore

im still posting my spy photographs today with a selection of prints on mugs, picnicware, cushions, beach towels, and glasses, as seen recently in bargain homewares shop instore.

WALL STICKERS - B&Q

wall decals have certainly gone mainstream here in the UK - you can now find them in B&Q ! it could have something to do with the fact they are owned by a french company and we know wall stickers are massive in france.

EXHIBITION - london 5th july

dont forget that the new designers exhibition opens today at the business design centre, islington, london. it showcases the work of hundreds of britains best design graduates. textiles and surface pattern design is featured in part 1 which runs from july 5th - july 8th. the show is open to anyone trade or public. click here to see a great film of last years event - also featuring the new prime minister gordon brown handing out the prizes and hopefullyrealising the importance of design!. part 2 is next week, july 12th-15th for product design, furniture, graphics, and illustration.

PAPERCHASE - forget-me-not

a few more paperchase snaps from their latest promotion - forget-me-not, a new range of mid year diaries. meanwhile this lovely colourful leaf design card was in the sale

ILLUSTRATION - anorak

remember recently we saw the designer kids mag okido here on P+P, well there seems to be a definate trend for these kind of cool graphic childrens comics because another one has been launched called 'anorak'. as seen for sale in borders, or subscribe from their website.

STORE SNAPS - tiger dk

today im continuing to post a look at things ive seen in the shops lately, all these snaps were taken in the danish shop 'tiger' in basingstoke. they have cute cram cream style trays and cushions from present time amongst the latest arrivals.

STORE SNAPS - paperchase

next up my favourite shop of all time, paperchase. new arrivals here included new patterns on photo albums.

STORE SNAPS - new look

a few fashion prints seen in clothing store new look.

WALL DECALS - john lewis

hello everybody, just to let you know im back from holiday and posting again here on P+P. i thought i would catch up with some store snaps that ive taken recently. these shots are from a sticker book i saw in john lewis, featuring wall decals by casadeco. if you find yourself in the oxford street branch its well worth looking through this book at all the motifs and colours. you'll find it in the wallpaper department.

OILCLOTH - john lewis

staying in john lewis i loved this 'apples' oilcloth fabric, £10 a metre - apart from use in the kitchen this would be great for craft tables or protecting your desk if you're gluing, cutting, painting etc. at the bottom of the post is one of their new fabrics.

BAG PRINTS - primark

more apples on this bag print from primark, all these snaps were taken in the huge new primark store on oxford street - its a haven of prints at the moment, but the super low prices mean its continually packed.