Little People Big Dreams New Additions...

Check out these amazing new additions to the Little People, Big Dreams series, being published throughout next year!

Previously a female led collection of books with the likes of Ada Lovelace, Amelia Earhart and Emmeline Pankhurst, we can soon see the boys getting in on the action with David Bowie, Stephen Hawking and Muhammed Ali, aswell as new famous female titles, Dolly Parton, Vivienne Westwood and Maria Montessori. 

Written by Isabel Sanchez Vegara and each illustrated by a different super talented artist; Raquel Martin, Matt Hunt, Eleanora Arosio to name a few.

These mini biographies celebrate the life and work of each person. Their contribution to music, science, sport, religion and many more.

Its great to see these new titles and I look forward to plenty more being added soon.

x x x

Etsy shop finds...a chat with Meenal Patel

This months etsy shop interview is with Meenal Patel.

An illustrator, childrens book author, designer and ceramic artist based in San Fransisco.

Making art is Meenal's happy place and it most definitely shows in her playful, modern artwork.

Inspired by nature, everyday life and her Indian-American heritage, Meenal loves to create patterns and draw people in her illustrations. 

Meenal also has a published childrens book 'Neela Goes to San Fransisco' inspired be her niece, available in her etsy shop, along with prints, cards and ceramic pieces.

So let's get to know a bit about the artists behind the shop...

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

 Hi there! I’m an illustrator and artist living in San Francisco with my husband and pup. I’ve loved making art in various forms since I was a kid. 

I went to college for graphic design in Minnesota (where I grew up) and then worked as a designer at a design and branding agency for 10 years where I worked on a wide range of projects from brand design to illustration to surface design. 

I went out on my own last year and have been focusing more on my illustration practice along with working on my next children’s book.

2. Tell us about a typical day for you…

 I start my day with breakfast and a cup of homemade chai. 

Play with my puppy, Dosa, for a bit before settling into my home studio. 

I fire up the music or podcast and spend a quick bit of time organizing my day and giving email a once over.

I do my best work in the morning so I try to start with something that needs a solid chunk of time. I’m trying to get in the habit of starting with the thing that scares me most like a brand new project that has a big blank page. 

That way I feel like I’ve accomplished something by lunch and don’t have that looming feeling that comes with pushing the hard stuff to the end of the day. 

I usually have an early lunch at home and then take Dosa for a long walk in the park. Everyday is a little different and filled with some combination of illustrating and designing for clients and my own products, prepping orders, handling nitty gritty business needs, meetings, sketching, writing. 

In the evening I like to cook dinner, go for a walk with my husband and Dosa. 

Recently I’ve been sitting back down for some work on some evenings but the necessity for that ebbs and flows.

3. What's your favourite item listed for sale in your shop? And the most popular item? 

Right now my favorite item is the Hold Hands Together print. The most popular is my children’s book, “Neela Goes to San Francisco.”

4. How would you describe your style/ work? 

My style is playful, modern and graphic. I think my background in design instilled an appreciation of quiet space and bold graphics. By contrast, I love patterns and intricate details. I like to merge these two things together – moments of graphic simplicity layer with textural patterning. I also love playing with color. In terms of subject, I love to draw strong women, kids, little joys in life and most of my pieces have a nature element to it. 

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

I almost always start with a small pencil sketch. I have a bunch of sketchbooks in different sizes floating around so there’s always one close by that I can grab to make a quick sketch when I have an idea. Sketching has been an important part of my process for a long time and it never fails me even when I get stuck. It’s the best way for me to get my ideas out of my head quickly. From there I either move to the computer and use Illustrator and Photoshop. I also like to use ink, pencil and have started playing more with gouache and watercolour.

6. Where do you work? Describe your studio/ work area… 

I have a small room tucked in the very back of our home that I use as my studio. It’s a little space but has a bunch of windows, which makes me so happy! I love being able to see the fog roll in and to look out at trees.

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

I’ve always loved Mary Blair for her sweet illustrations that are full of so many happy details. 

Another favorite is Sanna Annukka - love her artwork and how she creates worlds in her art that weave in her family’s heritage. I love Julie Morstad’s work too – she’s such an incredibly talented illustrator! Her work blows me away.

I’m also inspired by kids (most especially my nieces!), nature, strong women and my Indian-American heritage. And ice cream. Always ice cream.

8. Tell us ten random facts about yourself… 

1. I love uncoated, toothy paper

2. I love bunnies

3. Frogs make me nervous because they are too easily squishable

4. I can speak Gujarati (my grammar is pretty poor but I can get by)

5. I love reading and love my bookclub

6. I am shy and sometimes have a hard time in large groups

7. I love hiking and camping but hadn’t done either until I was an adult

8. I’m from Minnesota but can’t ice skate

9. I love vintage cookware

10. I love animals and nature – can never get enough of the Planet Earth series!

9. What are you currently passionate about or fascinated by and how is it inspiring your work? 

I have been down-the-rabbit-hole thinking about family, heritage and the ways we keep our family cultural traditions alive. My next children’s book carries themes around those things and it has made me think really deeply about my family and our culture. It has also made me even more curious about other people’s experiences. All of this is inspiring my new children’s book that will be out in 2019!

I also love nature and have always been fascinated by the magic of the natural world. That one is a forever passion that continually inspires my art.

10. What's the most rewarding thing about being a designer/ illustrator? 

When someone smiles, feels joy or connection to something I’ve made. When someone has the opportunity to see a part of themselves represented in my art. Love connecting with people like that. And generally, making art is my happy place and I love the act of doing it.

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A huge thanks to Meenal for taking the time to be part of the etsy interview feature.

If you'd like to see more of her work, be sure to follow Meenal over on instagram.

x x x

Creative Quarters...Maria Atanackovic

The next designer to be featured in Creative Quarters is Maria Atanackovic.

Maria Atanackovic is an Irish Surface Designer based in Dublin. 

Working under the name, Studio Maluda, she specialises in designing quirky prints for application onto a wide range of products. 

Inspired by the oddities of the everyday, shapes, silhouettes and natural forms she aims to create uplifting artwork that is unique, versatile and playful. 

Maria holds a BA in Surface Design from University of the Arts, London where she specialised in printed textiles. 

Since graduating, she has lived and worked in countries as culturally diverse as Taiwan and Panama. 

These experiences enabled her to collect a lot of visual research and enriched the eclectic style of her work. 

Using photographs and sketches as a starting point, she mostly draws her motifs by hand. These, will often be combined with collage and mark making techniques before being digitally rendered and put into technical repeat. 

She likes to create a sense of ordered chaos in her work and is particularly drawn to clean lines, vibrant colour and the way shapes interact with organic forms.  

In 2017, Maria won the Make it in Design scholarship competition. 

Since winning the prize, she has licensed work to Card Making and Papercraft Magazine, Deny Designs and Wraptious. 

She also exhibited at Blue Print earlier this year with Dot and Flow. 

In addition to her digital Surface Design work, Maria is also a member of Print Block, a textile collective based in Dublin. 

Here she experiments with dye based screen printing, block printing and facilitates workshops. 

She would love to collaborate with you. 

If you would like to discuss a project, license a design or work together please get in touch by email maria@studiomaluda.com

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

If you're interested in working with Maria, or want to get in touch, please see below for various ways to contact her and also see more of her lovely work...

http://studiomaluda.com/

https://www.instagram.com/studiomaluda/

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!

x x x

Five instagrammers to follow if you're a jewellery lover!

Here's another five fabulous instagram accounts to follow along with, especially for all jewellery lovers out there!

Be sure to check out their feeds and hit that 'follow' button for beautiful handmade pieces and design led jewellery, whether it be concrete, ceramics, terrazzo, acrylic or polymer clay.
I literally want one of everything! 

If you missed the last little party round up, see it here.

@aweatheredpenny

@formejewellery

@petrichoralia

@thebeadbench

@rollingroses

x x x

Party Animal!

For all your little party animals with a birthday coming up...
Fab ideas for dress up, decoration and of course, the cake!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

x x x

Something for the weekend...

Fancy a spot of crafting this weekend?

Head over to the Paper & Stitch blog if you fancy giving these a go...

A step by step guide to creating your own clay jewellery and lots of techniques to try.

(image above © Paper & Stitch)

x x x

Outfoxed...

Outfoxed is written and illustrated by Claudia Boldt.

It tells the story of of Harold, who's unlike any other fox we'd have come across in stories before...he hates the thought of eating chickens, and loves Swiss cheese!

He longs to be a detective when he grows up and just enjoys reading detective novels.

After being given a challenge from his Dad to catch and eat a chicken, what will he do?

No spoilers here, grab a copy of this wonderful book to find out what happens.

(photos above © Love Print Studio,

illustrations © Claudia Bolt)

x x x

Peggy & Kate...

Kate Peggy Cronk is an illustrator and calligrapher based in London.

She founded Peggy & Kate back in 2014 to combine her love of colour, painting and nature.

Inspired by the things around her from her family home to the historic architecture of London, she's created a collection of prints, notebooks and greeting cards for sale in her very own online shop.

Kate will also take on bespoke commissions. 

Looking for a beautiful painting of your home or a super special one of a kind 'New Home' gift? 

Look no further. 

Kate will commemorate the chosen home in a beautifully illustrated portrait just for you!

And she also designs and creates wedding invitations too. 

(images above © Peggy and Kate)

x x x

Etsy shop find...a chat with Roeqiya Fris

This months etsy interview is with Roeqiya Fris, a Dutch/Egptian illustrator currently based in Rotterdam, whose work is continually inspired by arabic culture, fashion and nature.

Available as prints in her etsy shop, her stunning paintings can be bought to adorn your home, instantly adding atmosphere, a sense of magic and not to mention those beautiful, rich colours. 

There is so much wonderful detail and pattern in her work, from the florals,

botanicals, fashion prints through to landscapes and architecture.

Lets get to know a little more about Roeqiya shall we...

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

I’m a Dutch-Egyptian illustrator, living in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. 

In 2005 I graduated from the Willem de Kooning Academy of Visual Arts. 

I’ve worked as a fine art teacher, ran a creative workshop company called Fris Projecten for

6 years and started to really focus on creating my own illustration works about 1 years ago.

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

It starts in the morning with bringing my son to school. 

After that I usually start my working day. I work at home so no commute for me.
First I answer the emails and do some administration (Etsy things too) and after that I start drawing/painting for a commission or for myself.

I like to have lunch with a friend or my sisters, who live in the neighbourhood.

After that I do some housekeeping or some more drawing, and when my son comes back from school late in the afternoon we play a while and when my Husband comes home we eat together. 

In the evening I like to do yoga, watch Netflix or have a drink with friends.

3. What's your favourite item listed for sale in your shop? And the most popular item?

Favourite: the print ‘Drive like an Egyptian’. 

Most popular: the print ‘Morocco’

4. How would you describe your style/ work? 

I draw and paint with ecoline, watercolour, markers, pencils and gouache on paper.

My work is full of patterns and colours, and most of the time there are women and animals in it. 

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

I gather pictures of women, Arabic/Mediterranean scenes, plants. 

When I start to paint I use these pictures as inspiration. 

After visiting a movie, an exhibition, a city or county I like to make a painting about it, about the feeling it gives me. 

Sometimes I paint scenes that remind me of travels of my childhood, for example to Egypt or Spain.

6. Where do you work? Describe your studio/ work area...

I work at home, I have my workspace in the Living room. 

I like this because I have everything I need there and I don’t have to travel to an office or studio. 

I don’t have a lot of time to work, so this really makes a difference for me.

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

Matisse, Rousseau, I love their use of colours and patterns. 

8. Tell us ten random facts about yourself... 

I drink decaf because I can’t sleep when I’ve had drinks with caffeine

I have a white longhaired Persian cat

I live in the city centre of Rotterdam

I love Spanish Netflix series

I hate rain

I’m scared of spiders and wasps

I’m the mother of a special needs boy

I live with my Husband, who is my childhood sweetheart 

I have 4 sisters and 1 brother

I love the sea

9. What are you currently passionate about or fascinated by and how is it inspiring your work? 

I’m passionate about Arabic culture (countries), I love everything about it; the colours, the buildings, the smell. It’s really inspiring for me, as you can probably see in my work

10. What's the most rewarding thing about being a designer?

Being able to capture a certain atmosphere in a painting, allowing me to express myself creatively and communicate visually.

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A huge thanks to Roeqiya for being part of the etsy interview series and giving us an insight into her world.

To see more of her beautiful work, head to her instagram page. 

x x x