Featured Designer - Claire Coles

As I was researching for some new wallpaper ideas, I came across a designer called Claire Coles. At first I was a bit intrigued about the 'Custom Made' designs, but on closer inspection I found myself in awe. Claire creates Couture Embroidered Wallpapers which transform your wall or room into a vivacious piece of art! Each design is unique in its own right as the textures and scales vary. Claire creates a range of patterns by sourcing pieces of vintage wallpapers and intricately layering them with silks and leather to give that luxurious textured feel. I think her style is wonderfully unique and the wallpapers themselves represent the intricately skilled designer she is. If you are interested in commissioning Claire Coles or contacting her, then please click here.

Both Images are From the 'Midnight Garden' Collection

Both Images are from the 'Tropical Garden' Collection

This image is from the Digital Collection

Please note that all images are Copyrighted to Claire Coles and were taken from Claire Coles website which can be found here

Wallpapers

So I've been looking for some ideas on wallpaper and came across some of these, they're a bit random but I wanted to post them up so I could look back on them for some ideas in the future,

Esther Coombs has designed a wallpaper called 'Composed City' Which is being sold at Anthropologie.com for £88 per 8m Roll.

This Wallpaper is designed by Over & Over, exclusively for Anthropologie.com and it's called 'Block Begonia'.

I saw this one when I was on my travels, I really liked this from afar, it looks lovely on a wall, but unfortunately I cannot remember where I got it from.

This wallpaper is by Statement it's called 'Havana Red' and priced at £19.98 at B&Q. I particularly like the use of colour. The stems and detail are all metallic gold and I could imagine this to be stunning on a feature wall.

I picked this one up as inspiration for a new wallpaper I'm designing at the moment.

New Prints

That's right, I've been busy again. I've designed a Scandinavian inspired print in three colourways, these will soon be arriving in my shop, so stay tuned!!

Buttons

I was really pleased to find that this morning my parcel arrived with some buttons that I bought from Bay Beads. I really loved these unique looking buttons when I first saw them. They're really pretty.

I Can't wait to start using them!

Harbour Festival, Cardiff Bay

Well last weekend Cardiff saw the arrival of the Harbour festival, which I attended on the Monday. I actually had a really good time, there was fresh food and craft stalls. The smells mixing together were amazing! I particualarly enjoyed watching the 'Breitling Wing Walkers' which flew around over head.

Photo Courtesy of the BBC

As I explored more I found these...

And of course my Favourite...

NEMO!!

I thought these Balloon sculptures were amazing. I wouldn't have the patience to do this.



New Inspirations

This week I have been doing some research for work and personal use and I came across these talented people which I thought more people should know about so I'm dedicating this Post to the following people:

Suzanne Carpenter - I think I have a new favourite illustrator and I had to share this with you! Please check out her work here. I promise you won't regret it!!

Suzanne Carpenter - Home Sweet Home

Janine Rewell - Illustrator and Graphic Designer based in Helsinki, I think her work is quite unusual but I like the vibrancy and quirkiness of it, take a look at her site here.

Janine Rewell - Altarpiece, Made from paint on 3 Dimensional wood.

Phil Wall - Artist, Phil has a few different websites/Blogs but I particularly like Project Photo Doodle. I think the concept behind this blog is really well thought out. I love it. It's so fun and anyone can get involved! Check it out. This is one of my favourite pictures on his blog...

Phil Wall - Baby Nike Creepy Crawlers

These 3 Artists are some of my findings for this week. I hope you like them and please share them with others!

Primark Wrapping Paper

It's Official!!

My wrapping paper designs are now being sold in Primark nationwide. I was very excited to walk into Cardiff Primark yesterday and saw them at the checkouts. It took me by suprise as I didn't expect them to be there.

Sorry about the quality of the first image. It was a store snap and I had to take it quickly!

Here's a close up visual of the two wraps

Please Note All designs are Copyrighted to SwanMill Paper Co. Please do not copy!

The Big Draw

I found something really quite exciting this morning. As I was looking for some exhibitions to visit I came across this, The Big Draw at BayArt.

Basically, This event is being held on Monday 29th August 2011. It encourages you to take your own art materials (and paper) and gives the opportunity to all ages to spend some time drawing. Best of all this event is completely free and you don't need any experience at all.

"This year the drawing starting points will be linked to the Harbour festival – the tall ships, the crowds, the architecture. Differences of scale will enable everyone to take part – from adding marks to a huge wall size drawing, to making small individual tile size drawings which will add up to a huge drawing" 
- http://www.bigcardiff.co.uk/cardiff-events.php?event_id=4862

I'm a bit disappointed that I cannot make this event as I think it will be so much fun to meet new people and share experiences. Plus with it being the school holidays this event is a great day out for the family!

For more information on this event please visit this link. 

Featured Designer - Johanna Basford

When I was talking to my boyfriends sister not so long ago, she introduced me to the wonderful work of Johanna Basford. Johanna Basford is an illustrator who Graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee with a degree in Printed Textiles. Her porfolio mainly consists of Monotone drawings which turn into life size artworks spreading over several sheets of paper. I'm fascinated with her work. It's just so complicatedly beautiful.

Johanna has worked with several clients such as, Absolute Vodka, DKNY and Sony, to name a few.

My favourite print of hers is this one...

It's very simple in comparison to the other prints that Johanna designed but I just love the natural elegance to the piece. The way the artwork flows on the page is stunning.

I just love how from afar it looks like a sophisticated styled heart but as you look closer you begin to realise what beautiful imagery the heart is made up of. I think it has a little bit of a William Morris influence to it. 

I'm actually getting quite jealous of Johanna's Talent! I think her work is truely stunning! I've been requesting some of her prints as a christmas present, It's on my wishlist.

If you would like to take a look at Johannas work then visit her website here. Her website also has a blog and a shop (so you can buy that extra special gift).

New Background

Finally!
I have got my own designs up as my background page. It took me a little while to format it properly but now it's done, I don't think it looks too bad, (Although I do still have a few things to amend!) What do you think?

(This design was for my degree collection, It's called 'Painterly Orange')

 

Design Copyrighted to Leanne Carpentier. Please do not copy!



Busy, Busy

So this weekend just flew by as they usually do. Last week I was very excited as I had a ticket for the rugby on Saturday. Now if you know me personally you'll know that I just LOVE Rugby. There's nothing quite like the atmosphere in the City when a match is to be played. And this one match was always going to be important for us Welsh, because it was against England!

If you've never been to a Rugby match in the Millennium Stadium before then you definitely should. It was pretty much a full crowd Saturday and the roof was closed, so the noise and atmosphere of the place was unimaginable! Amazing!

Myself and my boyfriend were surrounded by English and as always I'm very Proud to be Welsh, so I was the only one (boyfriend excluded as he's Scottish) in a group of English singing my national Anthem to the top of my voice! Lovely! I honestly did love it! Talk about all eyes on me. Anyway I'm not going to ramble on about this sport as I know not everyone is interested, but I thought I would share a few pictures. Please excuse The quality and the heads that were sat in front!!

I wanted to show you how full the stadium was! Incredible isn't it?

This was the first point of the match, And it was to Wales!!! YAY!! 3-0

For the readers from around the world, I thought I should explain that at Welsh rugby matches, it's quite normal for people to dress up, and the most common is to dress up as a daffodil head. As you can see in the bottom right of this picture! The Daffodil is our national emblem along with the Leek.

The New Welsh Rugby Kits

And the Final Score....

Wales 19 - 9 England

Woo-hoo!! We won!

Moving on to Sunday, Well that was a complete disaster. I aimed to do some design work for my Big Cartel shop but sadly that didn't happen. My nan had a fall and we ended up spending the majority of the day in hospital, so I wrote yesterday off! Hence why I'm doing this today! Nan is all good though, few stitches later and she's fighting fit! Thank Goodness!

  

'UK' Riots (only it's not the whole of the UK!!)

So my title says it all, the UK riots are still going on, although it has calmed down a bit now. Thank goodness!! I'm so frustrated and sickened by these attacks. And just to clarify these Riots DO NOT cover the whole of the UK. Wales and Scotland are riot free!!

I could not believe what I was hearing on Tuesday, Radio 1's news beat had some people talking about these riots and someone said that they felt the need to loot shops as they were from a poorer background and the shopkeepers were rich people. This just goes to show some peoples ignorance! The only reason why these shopkeepers are so called 'Rich' is because they've worked exceptionally hard to get where they are today. I just feel so sorry for these victims who have been looted, Whose houses were set alight and burnt to the ground, Who's car's were smashed up and set on fire!

Come On Cameron! Get this sorted, too many people have suffered enough already due to these mindless idiots!!

On a slightly happier note, the social networks have come together to stick up for Britain, There are messages of encouragement to clean up this mess that has been caused. If you'd like to help cleanup, visit this website.

I also came across these magnificent prints in response to the Riot Clean Up. Take a look...

Print by EmmelineDraws, follow her on twitter here

And this one has to be my favourite...

I found this print on twitter too, follow @Adzlamb here. I really like the subject of his prints, they're very quirky and quite amusing. Adzlamb also has a website which can be found here, check it out.

Anyway I've had my little rant now, I hope that these stupid acts of violence and Criminality die down soon! Come on people we're better than this!!