ABSPD Alumni / / Wendy Kendall

So many of our ABSPD Alumni have been up to great & exciting things & we love sharing their fantastic news! In the run up to the next series of M2 of the e-course we will be sharing some of our alumni successes! Which you can also see more of in our Success Stories Facebook album!

Wendy Kendall is a freelance surface pattern designer based in the UK. Since graduating with degree in print design she has gone on to work as a bedding/nursery designer for UK manfacturers. Her 10 years of experience within the interiors industry has given her trend & design knowledge that has been invaluable to her surface pattern designs. "I have a simplistic, graphic, clean design approach that mixes playful patterns/textures with quirky handrawn outlines. I love the use of bold colours against bright whites and I particularly enjoy creating designs for children".

Wendy (as well as Phyllida) has produced a wonderful fabric collection with Dashwood Studio. A UK based textile company, Dashwood studio are an up & coming company who "specialise in producing beautiful, design-led fabric collections for today's quilt and home-sewing communtities". They are "passionate about what we do" & love "collaborating with the best design talent the UK has to offer". Wendy's 'Petite Street' collection has all around appeal & mixes illustrative hand-drawn styles with a graphic approach, with use of 'strikingly modern colour palettes'. We love how her collection comes together & her use of colour is perfect for crafting with!

Wendy also has fabulous licensed collections with Wallpapered.com, S-Blinds & DENY Designs!

You can find more about Wendy & her work on her website. Read more about her collection with Dashwood Studio on their website. Also connect with Dashwood Studio on their blog.

If you are interested in ‘The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design (the e-course)’ we are thrilled to announce we are running a new series (starting on August 19th 2013) Register here. Also, don’t miss out on our next run of Module 2 ‘Creating Your Professional identity’ which is running 19th August 2013! Brought to you by Rachael Taylor and Beth Kempton.

Rachael on Twitter: @rachtdesign Beth on Twitter: @DoWhatYouLoveXx

You can also read some magic words from some our past students who have gone on to achieve some amazing things!

ABSPD Alumni / / Phyllida Coroneo

So many of our ABSPD Alumni have been up to great & exciting things & we love sharing their fantastic news! In the run up to the next series of M2 of the e-course we will be sharing some of our alumni successes! Which you can also see more of in our Success Stories Facebook album!

Phyllida Coroneo is a UK based surface pattern designer with a background in high fashion. She is well experienced in trend & colour research. She also worked 15 years within the interiors industry for both residential & corporate clients. Her knowledge of colour, trends & markets has led a natural progression towards surface pattern design. "My design reflect my love of colour, nature, fashion and culture. I love to create fashion inspired colour palettes and mix bohemian and vintage style florals with contemporary and ethnic patterns".

Phyllida has gone on to create some amazing design work including her 'Enchanted Forest' Collection with Dashwood Studio. A UK based textile company, Dashwood studio are an up & coming company who "specialise in producing beautiful, design-led fabric collections for today's quilt and home-sewing communtities". They are "passionate about what we do" & love "collaborating with the best design talent the UK has to offer". Collaborating closely with creative director David Sweet, Phyllida has created a beautiful fabric collection. Her 'Enchanted Forest' collection was inspired by childhood memories of Somerset countryside & the children's book series 'The Faraway Tree' by Enid Blyton. Her colours stem from her love of interiors & fashion styling, as well as cultural influences. We absolutely love her use of colour & the magical qualities of her collection.

Phyllida also has a beautiful licensed collection with Keka Cases!

You can find more about Pyllida & her work on her website, Twitter & Facebook. Read more about her collection with Dashwood Studio on their website. Connect with Dashwood Studio on their blog.

 If you are interested in ‘The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design (the e-course)’ we are thrilled to announce we are running a new series (starting on August 19th 2013) Register here. Also, don’t miss out on our next run of Module 2 ‘Creating Your Professional identity’ which is running 19th August 2013! Brought to you by Rachael Taylor and Beth Kempton.

Rachael on Twitter: @rachtdesign Beth on Twitter: @DoWhatYouLoveXx

You can also read some magic words from some our past students who have gone on to achieve some amazing things!

Creative Review: Nancy Nicholson

I am thrilled to be able to share some inspirational art and design with you every Tuesday morning as Rachael's 'Art and Creative Writer'. This week, we're featuring the fun folk art of Nancy Nicholson.

Nancy is a freelance graphic designer and artist, working primarily with paper and textiles. She has recently developed a collection of designs for three dimensional paper products, stitch kits for home embroidery, and a range of poster designs.

Based in Kent, Nancy is continuing a rich family heritage in textile design. Her father, Roger was a textiles lecturer at the Royal College of Art, an artist and wallpaper designer, whilst her mother, Joan, was a leading figure in the revival of stitch crafts from the 1950s through to the 70s.

I've had my eye on Nancy's gorgeous folk art embroidery kits for a while now and her website has an online shop full of goodies for you to explore. Below is a small selection of what's available from this gifted designer.

More inspiration next Tuesday, have a great week, Justine x

Gift Guide: Arts and Crafts

What do you buy the person who has everything? Well, I can think of a thing or two...

Welcome to my weekly gift-guide; I’m thrilled to be sharing a selection of creative, quirky and downright awesome gifts with you here on Rachael’s blog. This week’s guide is dedicated to the crafters.

Arts and crafts have experienced a huge surge in popularity over the past few years. Hordes of people - young and old - have embraced new skills and are crafting their way through the recession. Some are even turning their talents into a creative career. Craft supplies and DIY books are the perfect gifts for the designers, makers and creators in your life, so without further ado...here are my best picks.

Embroidery is a craft as old as time, but Jenny Hart, the creative soul behind Sublime Stitching has brought it screeching into the 21^st century. Her whimsical, cheeky and fun patterns are beloved the world over. Check out her website for a full selection of products and a list of local stockists.

A sewing machine may seem like an extravagant gift, but this polka dot (POLKA DOT!) beauty from John Lewis is just £49. It’s a mini machine, so has fewer functions that a conventional machine, but it works like a charm. Also available in striking red and an only slightly offensive purple.

Kirstie Allsopp, the Queen of Crafts – there’s no one better to learn from. She has a host of TV shows and books dedicated to the art of crafting, but an all-round crowd pleaser has to be Kirstie’s Handmade Home. 

Just Sew Stories by Katie Allen is a beautiful sewing book for beginners. Easy to follow instructions, great projects and lovely photography makes this a delight to read.

The packaging and use of the word ‘vignette’ sold me on this carnivalesque craft kit. It looks like it could be suitable for children but I know many adults who would also enjoy making their own stylish bag.

Storage - or a lack of it, is a classic crafting woe. This adorable bird house sewing basket saves the day, neatly squirreling away all those beads, buttons and trim. 

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed today’s post! Leonie x