Art Deco geometrics

 The latest Spoonflower design challenge is called 'Neutral Geometric Wallpaper' so I decided to create this tonal linear triangle design. It is inspired by the designs of the Art Deco period and I decided to use a colour palette of soft pinks and blush.

This print would look great on a feature wall in a living room, or as a statement in a bathroom.

The teal and turquoise palette is lovely and fresh.

It looks great as a scatter cushion which can be bought ready-made in my Spoonflower shop.

The yellow colour palette is bright and summery.

It works well as cocktail napkins, perfect for a late summer drinks party.

The grey version is soft and sophisticated.

It's perfect for using as napkins at a dinner party.

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Fabric Friday

The purchases I made in Amsterdam just keep on giving! On Monday I mentioned the gorgeous green Indian block print fabric I bought at Bloom Print. Today I'd like to mention a beautiful piece of fabric that I bought at a shop call Shirdak, which specialises in modern and tribal nomad textiles. They have a selection of felt carpets, kilim pillows, embroidered wall hangings and woollen bedspreads, as well as a collection of nomad-influenced fashion.

Marianne Tuerlings is the owner of Shirdak and she frequently travels to Central Asia to collect the unique textile products for her shop and website. There were many pieces of fabric I could have swept up in her beautiful store, but the most appealing one was this beautifully hand embroidered piece from Afganistan. I'm guessing it was originally made as a yoke to go on a top. The stitches are so fine, and when you turn it over, you can really appreciate the work that has gone into it. What I loved about this piece is that it looks so modern! It almost has a disco feel about it with its geometric design and shimmery threads. I can't wait to make it up into a clutch bag and am thinking of piecing it together with a geometric vintage black geometric Japanese obi fabric.
I love a bit of cross cultural design!

The embroidered area fits perfectly into a yoke shape, allowing for a seam allowance too!

Up close you can see how delicate and fine the stitching is.

On the back, the end of each row of stitches has been neatly knotted.

The black geometric Japanese obi fabric I have chosen to go with the embroidery is the perfect match.

Fabric Friday

It's Fabric Friday time and today I decided to make a trip to the Knitting and Stitching Show at Olympia as I needed a bit of a fabric fix! It's a great show for getting inspiration for new designs and seeing what's out there, and I also saw a lot of designs that I had worked on for Makower. Of course, the main reason for going to the show was to stock up on fabrics, and that's what I did! I'd obviously had a bit of a barren phase fabric-wise as I ended up coming home with a rather large selection. Here's a little taster.

My favourite stall there is The Eternal Maker, a mother and daughter run store based on the South coast of England. They specialise in unique and quirky fabrics as well as stocking haberdashery, notions, paper crafts and buttons.

 I loved their selection of animal prints, especially the birds and foxes.

 Yellows are very popular right now and these ones are lovely and fresh.

  I couldn't resist the quirky cat heads and will make it up into a cosmetic bag with the yellow geo as a contrasting lining. A little project for the weekend perhaps?

 Elephants are popular and these ones are really sweet, with a matching polka dot for the lining.

I really liked the subtle gold on these three geometric designs and may incorporate them into a clutch bag design.

Pink Rain

The beautifully-named 'Pink Rain' shop on Etsy is owned by Mafa, an Italian lass who creates quirky brooches, rings, wearable art and eco-friendly illustrated goodies amongst other things. I love her simple geometric wooden brooches which are hand painted in juicy colours. They would add a splash of colour to any outfit.

You can find more of her lovely items here.

Tool time

I just added this little tool pouch to my Etsy store. I love the quirky print (made from Japanese tenegui fabric) and the flash of bright green lining when the bag is opened. It's the perfect size for gizmos and gadgets. 

You can find it in my store here.

Pink and white geo

Talking of geometrics, I just added this vibrant pink and white geo cosmetic purse to my Etsy store. It has a matching coin purse/iPhone headphone case and is perfect for all the essentials for a mid-summer excursion. You can see it here.

New Summer Clutch Combo

I have just added these clutch bag/coin purse combos to my Etsy store. Each piece is made from a selection of Japanese cottons called tenegui. Tenegui are used for everything from napkins, to present wrapping and are hand printed onto soft, natural cottons, often using traditional Japanese motifs.

I have coveted these fabrics ever since I first moved to Tokyo three years ago and love using them to make clutch bags with. I thought this selection had a lovely summery feel and added colourful ribbons to each. I decided to make little coin purses to match the clutch bags and you can find them as a set at my Etsy store here.

Memories of Cornwall

I recently came across these lovely jewellery items on Etsy and was drawn to the soft colours and geometric patterns. They are created by Kate Harvey, a Cornish lass who now lives in Sydney, Australia. She is inspired by the beaches and coves of Cornwall, one of my favourite places. I love the way that she leaves the pieces unvarnished so that it retains its rustic, natural feel.

You can find more of her lovely items here.

Pisky Cove wooden bangle.

Sennen Cove wood and clay necklace.

The Innocent bangle.

Lantic Bay clay beaded necklace.

Sandra Fettingis

I recently came across these striking wall hangings designed and made by Sandra Fettingis, an artist who lives and works in Denver, Colorado. She is inspired by, amongst other things, modernist architecture and colorist ideas. I love the combination of bright colour and geometric design that she uses in her hangings and they would look stunning on any wall. You can learn more about her here.

Zigzag

'Zigzag' by cheekyleopard

I got back to Tokyo on saturday and the jetlag is rife at the mo. I decided to embrace it and get up at 4 this morning to create an Etsy treasury. I think the subject matter is dictating my present state of mind....

Japanese Washi Tape... WashiWishes $4.50	Art Print 8 x 10 - ... witandwhistle $18.00	Burlap & Suede Zig ... UrbanAnalog $36.95	Note Card Set - Zig... witandwhistle $7.50
chevron 2012 diary ... lorgieandme $38.00	Modern, Chevron, Ik... StudioMaMae $37.00	Chevron cufflinks (... BeautySpot $23.00	Marina Chevron neck... amybengtson $88.00
Chevron PINK IPhon... redtilestudio $36.00	CHEVRON blank cards... MilesOfLight $15.00	Black Chevron Block... CursiveArts $3.50	Large Round Wooden ... creativebyhear... $16.99
2012 Illustrated Wa... RetroMenagerie $18.00	Chevrons Art PRINT,... BatesMercantil... $16.00	retro embroidered w... monkeyandsquir... $30.00	Ready to ship - Nav... aletafae $80.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.