#ABSPD e-course / / Twitter Give-Away!

We are giving you lucky creatives the chance to win £50 to spend in our shop! Our shop is full of colourful, bright & design-led goodies including aprons, canvas bags, phone cases & iPad cases! 

All you have to do to win this fab prize is to tweet 3 creative, unusual, & unique words about ABSPD (the e-course) using the hashtags #ABPSD #ecourse #surfacepatternecourse

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

The person who comes up with the most interesting 3 words that sum up our pattern filled e-course will win, it's that easy, good luck! The more times you enter before Friday the more chances you have of winning!

(The winner will be announced at 5pm (GMT) on Friday the 9th of August).

Organic Retro Leaves Apron (Origin Collection)

Doodle Sqaures Apron (Origin Collection)

50's Inspired Canvas Bag (Signature Collection)

Organic Origin iPhone 4 Case

Scribble iPad Case

Photography credit navyblur, model Emma Kenny.

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

More about MaJoBV!

Good morning creative people!

Welcome to a Beauty morning with me, MaJo :) This week though, Rachael gave me the chance to tell you guys a bit more about myself, so my weekly Beauty Breakdown will be posted next Tuesday afternoon (a one time exception). 

This quote really helped me feel better on a sad day… you can read more about it here.

You already know the basics about me: I'm a Colombian living in Milan, Fashion, Textile and Surface Pattern Designer in L♥VE with whimsical, bright, quirky, fun design, nail-art, dogs and fake eyelashes :) So far 2013 has been a great year for me: I was chosen as one of the Top 10 designers to participate in REPEAT(ed), became an Artscase artist, was chosen by Rachael to be one of her guest bloggers, and have some more great news in the boiling pot :) I'm just really thankful for all the amazing things that have happened so far, and I'm very excited for the road I'm paving for myself: I'm sure it'll take me far… I just have to believe it!

Anyway… I would like to take advantage of this free post I was given to also talk more about my life in Europe and why I'm here. I can't really explain why, but ever since I was little I wanted to live in Paris. Life works in different ways, so I ended up moving to Milan instead. I love travelling and learning from new places and cultures, I also like change, so I don't think I will stay here forever… I would like to experience long term stays in other European cities too, so I might move to Paris someday in my life, who knows, right? 

People wonder why I choose to be here instead of choosing my own country and family and all the comforts I could have there… well, I guess the quick answer is: I like creating my own success, even when there is an easier way to choose. I miss my family A LOT! but I was taught to be independent and to work for what I want, and all I want is to prove my family I'm strong and capable enough to do so :) 

Il Duomo di Milano - I literally cried the first time I found myself in front of it. It is just stunning and every time I see it I realise how lucky I am to be in such a historical city. 

Searching deeper, there are many more reasons why I like living here: Europe is filled with art, history and culture… everywhere you go, everywhere you look you breath in years and years of inspiration. Europe is a really small continent, but so culturally rich it seems huge. I love travelling, and moving around Europe is very easy and also cheap if you find the right offer. I love the fact that I can take a plane and be in Berlin, Paris or Madrid in an hour or so. I have over 25 countries with their own language, culture, traditions at the palm of my hand… I feel I'm on the World's bellybutton, and I love it!

I took this picture one day while walking to work… it is the courtyard of a beautiful old building in downtown Milan, and I just found everything about it beautiful. So many architectural motifs to be inspired by. I wanted to show you an example of how easy and simple it is here to find things that just take your breath away :) 

I don't know where life will take me, I don't know if I'll live the rest of my life in Europe or if I'll eventually move back to Colombia… I might, so I'm trying to soak in as much inspiration as I can while I'm here. One thing is true though, inspiration is everywhere… even in the tiniest of places, even in front of wherever you are now sitting reading this post. We all just need to learn to observe, and we'll be able to find beauty everywhere!

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read this personal post. I hope you've enjoyed getting to know me a bit better. I leave you with some of my newest work (and a couple of oldies) hoping to still inspire you today. Have a great day, MaJo.

Also my beautiful country (Colombia) serves me as inspiration… actually, it is always present in my work even if not always as literal as in this design which was inspired by the colonial architecture and colours  of the gorgeous city of Cartagena. 

Gift Guide: At the Movies

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 for the movie lovers in your life.

We all have one die-hard movie buff in the family or friendship group. The person you turn to when you can't remember the name of the film, you know that film, the one with the actor with the beard and the brown hair. Buying a gift for that friend can be a bit of a minefield, it's likely they already have an exhaustive DVD collection and all the film memorabilia they could possibly want. You need a really original gift, one that will stay true to their movie-loving ways without injuring your bank balance. Here are a few suggestions to get you started...

Keep their DVD collection in check with this typographic bookend inspired by classic movies from Goodwin and Goodwin. 

Movie posters are re-imagined in a minimalist style by artist Claudia Varosio. I particularly love Claudia's take on ET and The Shawshank redemption, but there are plenty more in her Etsy store to chose from. 

This clap board iPhone case is the perfect combination of whimsical charm and designer cool. 

More incredible movie posters, this time for Wes Anderson fans. This vibrant collection is the brainchild of British Indie, a design studio producing alternative TV and film posters, all of which are fantastically colourful. 

This handmade film reel necklace is a thoughtful gift for a sister. It can even be customised with a birthstone or letter charm for a really personal gift. 

Celebrate a special occasion with a sophisticated cocktail and these 'film fatale' coasters. 

A surprising contender for this weeks gift-list is IKEA with a brilliant Charlie Chaplin canvas. I've seen this in the flesh and the canvas is white, rather than grey as shown in the picture. 

What do you think? Seen something you like? I'll be back next week with an Easter inspired Gift-Guide. Have a lovely day, Leonie x

New iPhone 5 Cases in stock!

I am so excited to announce that my brand new range  of iPhone 5 cases with US licensing partner ArtsCase have landed! They have received so much interest already & now you can get your hands on one!

My collection has 6 colourful & bright designs to choose from, showcasing my signature look! They are also available in the Apple iPhone 4/4s/5 & the Samsung Galaxy SII/Galaxy Note/Galaxy SIII. You can shop the entire collection on our brand new online store.

ArtsCase Phone Collection - Fab Video!

Earlier we shared my brand new designer phone case collection with new USA licensing partner ArtsCase! We are so thrilled with the look of the website (see images below) along with the fab & funky video showcasing the new collection! Below are some stills of the video, I love seeing my patterns used this way! You can view the video on my ArtsCase profile or check it out on youtube! You can shop the entire collection here!

ArtsCase Phone Cases have arrived!

My brand new range of phone cases with US licensing partner ArtsCase have landed! I am so excited about this collection which we showcased at Top Drawer last week as part of our licensed range. They recieved a lot of interest & I am so happy that everyone loves them as much as we do!

Artscase are passionate about style & their team 'focuses on not compromising functionality over good looks!' Their brand is about introducing personal devices that match your lifestyle & personality!

My range has 6 colourful & bright designs to choose from, showcasing my signature look! They are available in the Apple iPhone 4/4s/5 & the Samsung Galaxy SII/Galaxy Note/Galaxy SIII. You can shop the entire collection here. I hope you like them!

 'Contemporary'

'Doodle Squares'

'Ghost Leaves'

'Organic Origin'

'Organic Retro Leaves'

'Bold Oriental'