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.