Roll on 2017!

Well, we're pretty much rounding up 2016 now, 

and getting ready to welcome in, with open arms may I say, 2017!!

I really hope next year is a good one, and for all my lovely readers and followers of this little blog, may it bring with it, good health, happiness, love and laughter.

Thank you once again for following my goings on, and for all the lovely comments you leave, here and over on instagram, facebook, etc... 

I really appreciate hearing from you, and it's lovely to be part of a great blogging/ social media community.

Happy New Year to you all...

2017...lets do this!

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Instagram...

Heres a little peek at my goings on over on instagram recently.

The last few months of 2016 have been pretty quiet, and to be quite honest, it's just how I wanted it.

Rainy days at home, reading, baking, snuggling up with the fluffy one...and then getting the house a little festive.

Oh and I can't forget to mention the Star Wars themed party for the boy,  back in September, ha! 

Well, the force was well and truly with him on his big 4.0!

(How much longer can I get away with calling him 'the boy do you think'?!)

You can follow along with me here...

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Dreaming of a white Christmas...

Please can we have snow on Christmas Day this year...

When I was little, we'd always have snow around the big day, (poised with hat, gloves and sledge) and now, nothing, nada, zilch. 

Oh, unless you count that horrible mid January slush (or one year, even in March!) we get that makes everything icy, grey and miserable.

So, please, please, pretty please, with a cherry on top, lets have some glorious, bright white, glittering snow on Christmas Day. 

Yay to that!

I'll be back next week with a few more posts before the New Year, but for now,

Merry Christmas everyone! 

Hope you all have a fabulous time.

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Take Four...festive drinks

Some fancy festive drinks in todays 'Take Four' post...

That mint hot chocolate looks amazing!

And those marshmallows...mmm

Misteltoe punch from A Beautiful Mess

Fresh mint hot cocoa with Matcha marshmallows from The Bojon Gourmet

Cranberry Rosemary holiday punch from Cupcakes and Cashmere

Honey blueberry hot toddy from Foolproof Living

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Colour crush...

Such a lovely combo in todays post.

Gorgeous bright blue hues with icy pastels and fresh mint greens...

(image credits clockwise from top left)

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Monday giggles...

(image above copyright of louise/ loveprintstudio)

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Shop independent... Deco Baby

Deco Baby is an online shop, full to bursting with lovely items for your little ones.
Stocking brands such as Hibou, Little Lovely Company, Meri Meri and OYOY, its a little one stop shop to get some great gifts this Christmas.

(You can see the previous gift ideas posts on Berylune and Ruby Roost here)

Here are a few favourites from Deco Baby... 

"Deco Baby is a new online shop selling stylish, modern décor and accessories for your children's spaces. 
With a carefully, curated collection of modern & retro inspired products sourced from designers and brands Worldwide, Deco Baby’s ethos is simple; we hope to inspire you to be creative, make your nursery truly amazing and most importantly delight both you and your little ones.

Deco Baby is located in Guildford, a picturesque and historic town situated in the picturesque Surrey Hills, barely 30 miles from London. 
The surrounding countryside and nature is echoed in several of the product lines sold; including birds, butterflies & trees [to our knowledge Guildford does not currently have any monkeys roaming free, but if you hear any different, please let us know!].

Whilst we cannot guarantee our products will prevent your baby from waking you, we can try to ease environmental concerns from keeping you awake at night; Products are sourced with this purpose in mind and the majority of Deco Baby packaging either includes a high-percentage of recycled product or is manufactured from sustainable sources."

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Mid week giggles...

When everything gets a little bit much...

(image above copyright of louise/loveprintstudio)

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Colour crush...

Time for a 'Christmassy' colour crush post...

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(image credits clockwise from top left)

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Shop independent...Ruby Roost

Ruby Roost is an online boutique 

selling gorgeous brands such as House Doctor,  HK Living, NKUKU and many more.

There are some fab ideas for Christmas gifts so head over and take a look.

Here are a few favourites...

"Ruby Roost is an online homeware boutique. Inspired by good simple design, objects that tell a story and high quality craftsmanship, we love to seek out home accessories and treasures that are a little bit different, quirky and unique. We are passionate about the little touches you mix – old and new – that make your house, your home.

Passionate about creating homes that are as unique and individual as you, our collection is sourced from all over the world with homeware from established brands, to vintage finds and selected pieces from our family of designers and suppliers. We are always searching and working hard to bring you an irresistible and eclectic range of home accessories and gifts.

We are committed to providing a friendly and efficient service. If you have any suggestions, questions or feedback, we would love to hear from you.

We are always on the lookout for new and exciting designers and want to support emerging talent. Please feel free to get in touch if you are a designer and think your products would sit well in our store."

If you missed the previous gift guide for Berylune , you can see it here.

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Books you'll love in 2017!

There are some lovely looking books coming up in 2017, so I thought I'd share some of them in todays post. 

It's an 'add to wish list' kinda day!

Deep in the Forest - Josef Anton & Lucie Brunelliere (7th March 17)

Antoinette - Kelly DiPucchio & Christian Robinson (23rd March 17)

Tidy - Emily Gravett (18th May 17)

Lots - Marc Martin (23rd February 17)

Imagine That - Yasmeen Ismail (4th July 17)

Sometimes Its Storks - L.J.R Kelly & Brothers Hilts (1st March 17)

Somewhere Else - Gus Gordon ( 5th December 17)

Emma and the Whale - Julie Case & Lee White (7th March 17)

I Don't Know What To Call My Cat - Simon Philip & Ella Bailey (12th Jan 17)

Norton and Alpha - Kristyna Litten (9th February 17)

All available to pre-order on amazon

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Creative Quarters...Karen Thaco

The next designer to be featured in Creative Quarters is Karen Thaco...

Karen was Born in Galveston Texas, but was raised in Guadalajara Mexico, and her curiosity to explore brought her back to the USA, but now in the company of her beautiful family; her kids, husband and Emma their dog. 

They now live in California, but don’t know if this will be their final destination, but they are learning and discovering as much as they can. 

This multicultural environment has strengthened them both personally and professionally. 

In 2006, Karen began her degree 'Design for the Graphic Communication' at the Universidad de Guadalajara. She had the fortune to be at school when the old academy programme was still quite artistically oriented. 

They made paper signs and handwritten typography, and also used watercolours, soft pastels and markers most of the time. 

She commented that her skills were very limited at this point and she would compare herself to her classmates who she viewed as superior.

After two years she submerged into the virtual world, discovered blogs, artists, new websites, etc... and because of that, she learned to value and love what she was doing. 

Since graduating in 2010, Karen’s first inspiration was Carolyn Gavin. She loves her authenticity and colourful work. Karen also discovered and loved the Lilla Rogers website. 

She has always loved kids design, surface design and editorial design and enjoys simple forms, full of colour and texture. 

In 2012 she took a course at Jackie Rueda’s website school and she met great bloggers that inspired her style, love of art and social networking. But without question, her love for God and family are her main incentives and inspirations.

She has always worked as a freelancer, and has recently made a collaboration with a cute Mexican company, Retazo, who make eco-friendly bags for their kid’s line. 

At the moment, she is working on another collaboration with Happie Scrappie. 

One of her biggest dreams is to design a full line for lovely brands like Carters, The Land of Nod, as well as doing collaborations with Suzy Ultman, Louise Richards and Jillian Phillips...

Karen’s dream and something she is working on right now is to have a well consolidated online shop with a wide line of products.

At the moment, she has an etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/karenthaco where you can buy designs.

She loves to design patterns, cards, postcards, educational material and gifts, and although she uses CAD to finish her designs, she always starts with drawing and wants to get into using watercolours and soft pastels soon.

Karen is inspired by all the normal little visual details that surround her in everyday life.

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I hope you've enjoyed reading a little about Karen,
and seeing a selection of her work.

To get in touch with her, please visit her website here for details.

If you missed the last Creative Quarters post featuring Abbey Costello, you can read it here.

And don't forget, if you'd like to be featured, 

please send examples of your work with links to website portfolios, 

and some info about you and your background, etc... 

to Louise at loveprintstudio@live.com 

Look forward to hearing from you!

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December...the month to sparkle!

Glitter is never a bad idea right? And its well and truly essential this month, especially when its rose gold glitter, ooooooooh...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

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Shop independent...Berylune

Over the next few weeks, leading up to Christmas (gasp!), I'll be curating a few little gift idea boards to help with those present lists.

As its 'Small Business Saturday' today, I thought I'd start with a selection from a lovely little shop in Royal Leamington Spa, Berylune.

Something for her, something for him, 

for the little ones and for the home, aswell as just yummy items...

"Berylune is a small, friendly business with an independent retail shop in Royal Leamington Spa. They opened their doors in May 2012, much to the delight of their local customers and friends. Berylune are thrilled to be able to offer their products to those further afield! The Berylune team is small but perfectly formed - sisters Emily & Amy and their best friend Zoë.

You will find Berylune sells an eclectic mix of retro style interiors, modern crafts and just about anything that takes their fancy! They make many of their own products, and carefully select the rest. Everything you see for sale on www.berylune.co.uk is stored in, packed and posted from Berylune's small bricks and mortar shop by a team of just three - not an impersonal 'fulfilment warehouse' in sight."

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Friday giggles...

(image above copyright of louise/ loveprintstudio)

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Etsy shop find...a chat with Amelia Flower!

This months etsy shop interview is with the lovely Amelia Flower.

Amelia is a UK based illustrator and designer.

Working from her studio in the Cotswolds, she creates beautiful illustrations and sells them as greeting cards in her etsy shop, aswell as sharing her wonderful designs on her website and instagram account.

A self confessed people watcher and lover of ceramics, Amelia is inspired by everything around her and spends a lot of time drawing, and its these doodles that go on to produce her fun, bright and colourful card designs.

Gorgeous!

So, lets get to know a bit about the artist shall we....

1. Can you tell us a bit about you and your background...

I've always been constantly drawing. 

I was incredibly shy throughout school, and would sit in lessons drawing in my exercise books and then I'd get my sketchbook out at lunch time and continue drawing. 

I really am obsessed! 

After A Levels, I took my Art Foundation course at Oxford Brookes, and then moved on to the Arts University Bournemouth to study Animation. 

The day after graduating, I started working as a Creative Artworker (a case of 'right place, right time'!) for a well-known party and stationery company. 

Two months ago, I moved to London to work as a full-time designer, which is where I am now! 

I'm 18 months post-University, so I know how fortunate I am to have found such great employment so far in the creative industries! 

2. What books/ magazines are you currently reading/ browsing?

I've recently finished Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, and have started re-reading Quiet by Susan Cain- a must for any fellow introverts! 

3. Who are your design heroes and what inspires you?

A popular choice, but Quentin Blake is my absolute favourite. 

I saw an exhibition of his original drawings from Kitty in Boots at the House of Illustration recently. 

His style is so distinctive, that even a smudge of ink on paper is instrantly recognisable as his. 

I've recently discovered Mouni Feddag- her work is so vivid and full of life. 

Some more favourites are Jordan Sondler, Carolyn Suzuki, Nina Cosford, Polly Fern, I could go on..!

4. Tell us about a typical day for you...

I am a morning person, and usually get up between 6 and 7 and go for a run before I do anything else. 

I love to run, and it helps me to concentrate for the day if I have been active before I sit down at my desk. 

I am most productive late in the evening or very early in the morning, so I try to make the most of those times!

5. Can you give us an insight into your creative process?

I am an obsessive people-watcher, and my ideas usually come from sitting in a nice cafe with a coffee and drawing people in the street outside. 

I love to see what people are wearing, and like to imagine what they are talking about, or where they might be going that day. 

From these drawings, I might find a character or two that I love, and develop them into an illustration. 

People-watching also inspires stories and scenarios that are usually the starting point for a new design. 

6. Top 5 favourite things in life...

Drawing, having a new Moleskine sketchbook, Breakfast, all things Danish, and good stationery shops.

7. What’s the most popular item for sale in your etsy shop? And also, your favourite?

My most popular card is a print of Yoga poses, which is also my favourite! 

8. How would you describe your work/style?

My style has changed a lot over time, and in the last year or two I have refined my style into something that really works for me. 

My parents bought me a very good graphics tablet for my 17th birthday, and I still use the same one every day, almost seven years later- a great investment, Dad! 

9. What art do you have on your wall?

Currently, nothing, which is a real shame. 

I've recently moved into a rented house, so the walls are still very bare! 

10. What's your guilty pleasure?

My boyfriend says 'Abba', and he's probably right. 

Also, Grand Designs.

11. What are your top three blogs?

So many! 

I've been reading Emma Block's blog for a few years. 

Her illustrations are beautiful, and her work always inspires me. 

I also enjoy reading Creative Review and Ape On The Moon.

12. What’s the most rewarding thing about being a designer/illustrator?

Being able to do what I love!

(all images above are copyright of Amelia Flower)

A big thank you to Amelia for sharing her world with us.

You can follow her on various social media here...

etsy | instagram |website

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