Mel Smith Designs: interiors

Showing posts with label interiors. Show all posts

festive fair finds!

ahhhhh...today is the first saturday in about a month where i'm not either at a Christmas fair or planning for my next one! i'm still in bed and it's delightful (except for the fact i have a nasty cough and cold). i enjoyed all of my markets (for different reasons!) and wanted to share some of the work of the amazing designers i met whilst exhibiting across the last 3 weeks.

Made In Clerkenwell

i was located in the basement but i was surrounded by 10 other fantastic designer-makers with a great selection of goods.

i have a soft spot for ceramics and instantly fell in love with Sally McGill's new collection - bold blue and coral on white...right up my street!

another great selection of ceramics were on offer from my show neighbour Jane Sarre - i'm always a sucker for that olive colour, and putting it on beautiful vases...well, i'm not sure how i resisted!

and of course Katie Victoria was my very lovely and very Welsh neighbour for the show. gorgeously bright and bold knitted scarves, cushions and a rather lovely bobble hat i had my eye on all show!

East London Design Show

hosted for the second year at the Truman Brewery there were over 100 stands selling homewares, jewellery, prints, furniture and...ping pong games!

the stand to catch my eye the most was from the lovely Winter's Moon, a combination of mid-century finds and new retro inspired prints on an array of homewares - my ultimate weakness!

i caught up with Sophie Home who i first met at the Wimbledon Art & Design Fair earlier this year, once gain selling her yummy geo knits

winner of the Best Stand was Reclectic, a company that sources vintage furniture to hand paint with imagery inspired by that era. we happened to be opposite so could gaze at it all day!

The StockMKT

i'll be honest - this was by far my favourite market - the atmosphere was just amazing and the dj's and live Voodoo Love Orchestra were bloody fantastic! the first time it has been held at Spitalfields but it went down a treat.

now unfortunately i was so caught up in the dancing that i didn't actually take any photos! but probably a good thing otherwise i'll end up giving away some of the Christmas presents i have bought people!

from the design Library . . . Orla Kiely - Home

i'm pretty sure this book will have been on everyones Christmas / Birthday lists at some point but i'm going to post it anyway. Orla Kiely's 'Home'.

i was looking back at my 'my style - interiors' pinterest board from the Smart Creative Style course and thought i'd have another wee look through this book. there are quite a few photos from the book that link strongly with my board - lots of white backdrops and strong layered colours. the palette is pretty me too! the book starts with Orla's influences and her own products, and then each following chapter focuses on a different mid-century styled home from around Europe - including her own.

buy from Amazon UK for only £19.50 or Amazon US for $24.99

my own smart creative style. BOOM.

last weeks post was short and sweet so i'm afraid to say i'll be back to waffling this week!! :p this week is about the latest e-course i took part in - Smart Creative Style by Monica Lee. it's a touch late i'll admit (i completed the course in at the end of last year!). it was a great little group and the steady growth of the classes really made you assess and dig deep into what you and your growing business is about.

throughout the course there were tasks to complete and videos to watch. lots of notes taken covering a lot of different areas, but as the title suggests the main aim was to find YOUR OWN CREATIVE STYLE. everyone was having their 'wow' moments, their realisation of what they should be doing, where they should be heading, and it was great to follow their journey. but i hadn't mine. well, why the hell not?! this was not fair! i wasn't having a sudden 'BOOM, this is it!!'... not even just a little bit. {sad face}.

so what had i discovered along this journey then? well, through my pinterest boards (above) i found that despite me thinking i wanted beautiful wallpaper dressing my walls i actually liked my interiors to be white with splashes and layers of colour. and this was just how i would lay out my lovely boutique shop. my fashion style was similar - more block colours with just a little pattern. the illustration and artist inspiration that i was drawn to was always fairly graphic-y. that is it was simplified shapes and characters in (yup, you guessed it) block colours with subtle texture, but always with a hand drawn feel...

so ok, looking back it was all there and i could see a vague kinda link, but then about a month ago i think it all came together. i had just bought two books - Olle Eskell (above) and Charley Harper - and was flicking through. at around the same time i did a blog post on how i wanted to get into illustration a bit more an featured some other designers (Peter Donnelly (bottom) and Angie Lewin) and things started becoming clearer. i must have just become blind to it before, a common thing for designers to go through when they've been working constantly on a project. fresh eyes are a joy!

i did a blog special on Mad Men graphics (by Malota, left) following a Mad Men themed hen do, and finally i had a tidy up of my pinterest boards and took out any designs i didn't really, really like. and then...

BOOM!

it all came together, all my inspiration and styles i am drawn to and what i know i WANT my own stuff to look like but isn't quite there yet (close, but not quite). i had discovered Lucienne Day back at uni and have always loved her style, and that has led me to these other mid-century artists, more from the 40's right through to the early 60's its seems. i even had a comment that a lot of the fashion i selected was quite 40's. again, not something i'd actually picked up on.

so all this time i thought i was all about pattern, pattern and pattern. turns out i'm not - it's the colour, pattern is secondary. and i always love it when someone compliments me on my colour, much more than when they compliment me on the pattern. huh, who'd've thunk it.

this course really made you dig deep and it covered everything about you as a brand - style, branding, logo, website, social media persona... the variety and just outright amazing-ness of the videos covered absolutely everything in an easy to follow - and fun to follow (who'd've thought that for marketing advice?!) - way. and what has made it different to the other e-courses i have taken part in is the variety of creative areas involved - it wasn't just surface pattern based - and although chatting to other surface pattern designers is invaluable you can get some really different perspectives when talking to crafters, artists, illustrators...

i've just completed a small xmas card range and homed in on this style more, added texture and doodled more to get my character style right, or at least started. still a lot to do and work on to really get what i want but it's getting there and i'm really excited to be starting my new collection for release 2015!

look at me...i have STOCKISTS. oh yeah.

i'm quite impressed with myself that i've managed to keep to a blog post every Saturday since the start of the year, however, today's was a struggle. mostly because i've been busy working on projects so no time to think of anything to report. so it'll be short and sweet (which i'm sure many of you will be pleased about as, let's be honest, i do tend to waffle a lot of the time).

i guess the exciting thing is that now have STOCKISTS. yes. me. i have STOCKISTS. that's pretty cool if i do say so myself.

i have three new stockists (i'm becoming quite fond of that word!) off the back of Top Drawer, as well currently stocking in We Make London's pop-up shop in Camden and being part of Blog & Buys Spring Wish List. Lovely & British stock my lampshades whilst Purple Holly and Votiva Home will very soon be stocking my super-super double-sided cushions...can't wait!

and i'm also rather excited (probably a bit too much in fact) that i can now have a 'stockists' page on my website. yay!

Top Drawer Spring 2014...the review!

what can i say? Top Drawer and Home London were AMAZING! they did not fail to impress - so many talented people on display launching their new ranges, some previous exhibitors and some newbies...like myself! it was my first trade show and i LOVED it! can't wait to do the next one!

lots of interest across the three days, every day was a bit different - Sunday was the smaller boutique-y shops looking for exciting new stock, Monday i had chats about commission work and some press came and took some pics, and Tuesday was a bit of a mix too - a few shops, as well as other trade shows and pop up shops offering chances to showcase my products.

one of the nicest things to hear was when someone said they had spotted my products in the pre-show mag or on the website and they had tracked me down. it took a few goes to get used to talking to people but then you realise they just want a bit of a chat and it's easy peasey, haha.

i got to meet lots of people from the ABSPD course - Suzy Washington, Wendy Flynn (finally!), Trina Esquivelzeta, Jess Wilde, Kathryn Pledger, Kathy Schicker, Poppy Westwell, Jess Williams, Esther Cox...i hope i haven't forgotten anyone...sorry if i have!

take down was fun. i say that sarcastically. all hell broke loose. 5 o'clock and everyone has 5 hours to take everything down and get the hell out of the building! our slot for packing up wasn't until 7 and we couldn't be bothered to wait so we decided (foolish or not) to walk everything to the car parked 10 minutes away. 3 trips between 3 of us (thank you to Alice who only came to visit but ended up helping with take down!). i think i speak for all of us when i say Wednesday morning lie in could not come soon enough!

but that wasn't all the work done, oh no. straight on to following up all the contacts made at the show and now we wait replies. some goods news to share very soon but i'll keep you waiting for that ;)

i did manage to have a quick look round Top Drawer and Home and met fellow ABSPD-ers Zoe Atwell and Hannah Nunn, but unfortunately missed Cara Holland (Patternbooth) and Anna Dent. here are a few of my favourite stands and the lovely designers themselves. feast your eyes on this little lot...

Sian Elin - pretty eye catching wouldn't you say? nothing needs to be said...

I Drew This - cutey character cards were my favourites

Blooming Briony - i went to school with her! small world :)

Jessica Hogarth Designs - new summery card ranges

Stitch and Story - was opposite this stand so could stare at the loveliness all day long...

Rocket 68 - retro style caught my eye walking passed. unfortunately Jill was a little camera shy :p

i would also just like to say a few thank you's -
Liz Smith (Elle Jane Designs) for helping me throughout this project;
Jess Hogarth for giving me so much advice it's ridiculous;
Jen Whitham for her advice too and also for introducing me to Jess in the first place when i was doing my first Spitalfields market;
Deb Velasquez for all her printing tips;
Sam Nesbitt for the photo shoot;
Quincy Lampshades for making the designs into the fabulous shades they now are;
all the ABSPDers for their support and encouragement;
and of course, friends and family.
i'm sure there are others but my brain still isn't back up to full speed so i apologise.

gosh, that turned into a bit of an awards ceremony speech didn't it?! sorry about that!! i just wanted to say thanks dudes, it means a lot :)

august - round up

it's that time of the, erm, month again... it's MONTHLY REVIEW time ;)

so what has been achieved in the month of augustus? well...

* the first weekend was a no-go as i had to attend the beautiful wedding of Mark and Lucy. i know, i know...such a chore. ;)

* my kickstarter project was more than successful, going far beyond it's target. a total of 39 backers and £509 pledged. i would like to thank EVERYBODY who donated towards this - it means so much that you have supported me and i can't wait to send you your notebooks! some quite interesting statistics - of the 39 backers 10 were close friends, 10 were design buddies from uni or the courses i have taken part in, and 20 were complete strangers! the average pledge was £13.05 with the biggest being a whopping £61...crikey!!

* i have submitted to the new Print & Pattern Geometrics book. fingers crossed my designs are accepted - it would be great to be published in one of Bowie's book again!

* i had my first product photo shoot. i can't give away the shots just yet but here are some close up shots as a bit of a sneak peak...

* i hit the magic 200 likes on facebook!

* the last product i have budgeted for the show are some tea towels. i have finalised my designs and sent them to the printer. should take about 4-6 weeks so early october i hope. then i can get selling for xmas! yes, i said it. C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S.

* and on that note i have started researching places to sell my items, both online and offline. might even do a couple more markets this winter...

* i signed up to Monica Lee's Smart Creative Style e-course which starts 6 days after my return. i will be learning more about suitable branding and marketing techniques for my launch.

not the most satisfying month in terms of getting things done but there was a lot to prepare and i wanted to fit in a weekend at home with the 'rents.

so with that i bid you farewell for 3 weeks. 3 whole weeks on holiday. can. not. wait!!! very excited to a certain miss ruth canty who has now been travelling for, oooh, 10 months it must be, and join in her adventures.

the big plan . . . 6! (plus a little panic)

i'm in a bit of a reflective mood tonight. i think it's because i am going on holiday for 3 weeks next wednesday and that is a long time without my macbook and photoshop!! i know, i know...i'm lame, let it go, have a break...blah blah blah.

but i can't! i love it too much!

but i have my doodle pad to take with me and of course my camera to get snap happy. there'll be LOTS of FB pics whilst i'm away, that i can assure you!

so anyway...back to deep thinking...hmmmm...

i've had a lot of deadlines in past two weeks (2 of which i haven't reached yet so probably shouldn't be sat here writing a blog post but hey-ho)...and i am working towards getting loose ends tied up before i leave. so it's made me look back at how the past few months have been. i've thought about the designs i have chosen for my first trade show, the products i selected, how they all work together. and having the photo shoot was the first time i've had them all out together. they looked pretty good! (am i allowed to say that?!) i just hope that other people like them. that's the scary part!

my wall is looking rather full and wholesome. things are tying together nicely. but i'm now getting that nervous feeling. the one where you worry that actually everything isn't quite right - 'that blue is the wrong tone', and 'the yellow is too bright'. 'i should've gone for that palette on that cushion'. and it's all because it's all too real now.

the contract is signed. it's happening.

don't get me wrong - excited as hell! - but it now means judgement day is that much more a reality and it's blimmin' scary!!

of course, it'll all be alright on the night...but...

you can't help but have moments of sheer panic, questioning what you have done and what you are doing. the support i have is incredible. thank you to everyone that contacts me, gives me boosts, 'likes' my posts, shares my work - it means a hell of a lot, especially at a time like this.

so there's basically no turning back. dun-dun-duuuun.

a little mellow dramatic there, sorry. but yes, it's a done deal. next things to do are get the website done, get the shop up and running, market to blogs and mags, get some items in some local shops, update portfolios, and (last but not least) get advertising for the show! let's drum up some excitement (i'll probably call on you lot for a bit of help with that if you don't mind).

but i think i need to stop thinking about it all otherwise i'll never get to sleep...night all.

the big plan . . . part 5!

it's been 2 months since my last update and a lot has happened.

I HAVE PRODUCTS!! actual real things!

my lampshades and cushions were delivered all on the same day. like Christmas came early...lots of presents from me to me :) i also received my notebook samples through this week so will be sending off for the final designs this coming week. i'm not going to show off them just yet but i'll give a little teaser...

so what's next? photo shoot. that's what. and after batting a few ideas around with Sarah Fleming and Monica Lee i have an amazing idea! so excited...just need props and the all-important sunshine and it'll all look fabulous. Mr Samuel Nesbitt will be helping me out with this one...you ready, dude?!

so here's how the wall is looking mid-June...

...final cushion designs - check.
...final lampshade designs - check.
...final notebook designs - (pretty much) check!
...wall art - watch this space!

prices are pretty much sorted (knew my admin skills would come in handy one day...i'm a whizz in excel now!). this means i can start working on my brochures for the show

i had my second mentoring session with Monica of Smart Creative Women and i feel completely motivated right now. i don't know how she does it but she has the amazing ability of making everything the most exciting thing ever and giving you a big (but gentle) kick up the jacksie to get you going again...in a good way of course! we managed to discuss photo shoot, pricing, brochures, promo

packs, marketing, ideas for the show and website ideas - all in one hour! she's beyond amazing! it's now just finding the time to do it all...

pulse london 2013 review!

had a fantastic day at Pulse London today with Elle Jane Designs - we also bumped into Esther Cox and got to have a catch up with Jess Hogarth on her fab stand. lots to share so i'm just going to jump in with lots of pics...

JESS HOGARTH - always good to see jess and her cheery smile! fabulous stand with lots of new products to show off, but 'coastal cottages' is still my favourite

HOME SLICE DESIGN - met the lovely steph and eleanor of home slice - absolutely loved their stand!

THE BLACK RABBIT - how cute is this little owl tea cosy?! they also do mice, hedgehogs, bears and (of course) rabbits

FREYA ART AND DESIGNS - beautiful typography and cute prints handmade in the UK

BIBU - fun children's cushions, plus a new range of square cushions with bold geometric prints

EMILY BUCKNELL - lovely lampshades and a lovely stand...and all screen printed - just makes me love it more!

JO CLARK DESIGN - we had a lovely chat with Jo who Liz met at spitalfields a few weeks - lots of lovely illustrations (my particular favourite was the sausage dog!)