p is for....

Welcome to a new week! I hope you had a relaxing weekend. We start the week with some P's...enjoy!

Port Chalmers Design Store

The Port Chalmers Design Store is owned and operated by Sarah Wood and Rebecca Wilson. Situated along side the main port for the southern New Zealand city, Dunedin. Port Chalmers is a picturesque (well actually, stunningly beautiful) bustling little area, dotted with shops and artists studios.

Port Chalmers

Sarah and Rebecca set up the store to create a space where Otago locals could buy the NZ designed products they see in magazines. With a solid contingent of successful NZ designers, the Port Chalmers Design Store has also established itself as a launching pad for Dunedin designers to test their products in the market, and showcase their work.

Do stop by if you are in the neighbourhood.

(images from Port Chalmers Design Store, NZ Life and Leisure and Rydermonkey)

NOTES:

visit the Port Chalmers Design Store website

visit Sarah and Rebecca's retail store at 15 George Street (the Main Street), Port Chalmers. Dunedin, NZ.

Pakhuis Oost

Located in the Netherlands, Pakhuis Oost has a strong collection of colourful, fun and quirky products - that I love!

Their winning combination of pattern and colour is inspiring and their sense of fun invigorating! - enjoy!

(images from Pakhuis Oost)

NOTES:

visit the Pakhuis Oost website

contact Pakhuis Oost for stockists

Good on Paper

Good on Paper was the first stationery company I really fell in love with - the one that all my friends got links to, the one that inspired e to look further, to search longer - to find more!!

Lisa Wong Jackson is the owner and designer of Good on Paper. Based in Berkeley, California, Lisa's designs custom wedding invitation sets, business identities and other print collateral as well as producing her own collection of products for the home, office and baby.

The Good on Paper designs are simple and fresh, and Lisa uses recycled paper, earth friendly inks and organic cotton wherever possible.

(images from Good on Paper)

NOTES:

visit Good on Paper online

contact Good on Paper for stockists

Thomas Paul

I mentioned Thomas Paul in my post 'M is for Melamine' as he produces a fantastic range of melamine plate collections. I love Thomas Paul's cheerful prints that are on everything he designs. His print patterns have a flavour of 'by-gone eras' with designs inspired by Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Fifties Modernism, Sixties Pop Art, Seventies Glamour, Asian, Baroque, and Hollywood Regency.

Always ahead of the curve, Thomas Paul creates innovative, affordable and gorgeous home accessories.

Here is a hint of his work.

(images from Velocity Art and Design)

NOTES:

visit Thomas Paul's website

shop for Thomas Paul products at Velocity Art and Design

Monday Art Find:

I am going to postpone Monday Art find for a few weeks as I just never get a chance to compile a really good amount of information. I am going to approach some people I know that love art, to see if they would like to guest blog this section. - If you would like to, or know someone that would, just drop me a line at thedesignalphabet[at]yahoo.com -it would be lovely to hear from you x thanks!!

And it's Q tomorrow!! see you then x

kickin' with k

Jumpin' straight in....

Kindergallery

When I first discovered Kindergallery I was so excited! - Finally a clever person has collated all my favourite (kid inspired) artists!... and best of all the store is based in Australia! (I mentioned Kindergallery in my 'C for Collage' entry, when I wrote about Lorena Siminovich's work being apart of the Kindergallery collection).

The clever someone behind Kindergallery is Fiona Lang. Fiona opened Kindergallery in 2007 with each piece in her collection hand-picked to inspire the imagination of children of all ages. Fiona has sourced the finest art and design fro children from around Europe, the U.S and Australia.

"We have selected works exhibiting an aesthetic richness to which children can respond in different ways as they grow up, and which will form part of a child's visual vocabulary for a lifetime."

I was going to try and hone my selection and just highlight one of my favourites, but I couldn't decide, so here are four!! You must go and check out the gallery!

Pictured clockwise from top left: 1 - 10 Poster by Issac, Inverno (Winter) Cut and Paste by Ana Ventura, Bird House with One Bird by Tamar Mogendorff and Sleep, Dream, Create, Explore by Meredith Gaston

NOTES:
Visit Kindergallery
International shipping is available


kikki.K

This fashionable and innovative collection of stationery makes me want to redecorate my workspace - just so I can have the gorgeous white storage boxes and pretty filing accessories!

kikki.K started as a dream for Swedish born Kristin "Kikki" Karlsson. When she set up a home office almost ten years ago, she could never had guessed where that decision would take her. Now boasting retail stores throughout New Zealand and Australia, and stockists all over the world, Kristina has well and truly established herself in the design conscious stationery market.

At kikki.K you can shop for stationery until your heart's content...from pencils to ringbinders, presentation folders to sticky notes... there is something to satisfy and stationery craving!

NOTES:
Visit the kikki.K website
See kikki.K for stockists


Kokeshi Dolls

These beautiful, brightly coloured dolls have an irresistible charm. I love the idea of having a collection of them one day - a mixture of old and new.

Originating in the Tohoku region of northern Japan, Kokeshi Dolls are thought to date back to the 19th century. It is believed they may of had some spiritual significance as Kokeshi represent a wish for a healthy child.

Just like Russian Dolls Kokeshi are making a comeback amongst illustrators and creative folk as a new surface for decorating. New ones have been spotted by Susie Ghahremani from BoyGirlParty and Portland based illustrator and Designer Alberto Cerriteno.

I do love the quaintness of the old ones though!

(top image from Revolutionary Girl on Flickr, bottom images from Wahooya)

NOTES:
there are many places to buy Kokeshi online. - a quick Google search should give you some options.

Kiwi Industries

I have to admit, I have a soft spot for Kiwi Industries....and yes, it is pretty much because the owners fell in love with New Zealand and based their whole range on the NZ lifestyle...and as you can imagine - the range is (of course!) beautiful!

I also admire their 'conscious' business practices and how they care for the earth and those on it.

“Kiwi Industries is about capturing this time, through its children’s clothing and gift line. Natural, organic, and recycled fibers are used to create classic designs with a modern twist. We use only high quality fabric, reminiscent of an earlier time before “throw-away” clothing – our clothing truly gets softer and softer with time. Wear it, wash it, pass it down from child to child.”

Here are some cutie-pie pics from their collection:

(images from Kiwi Industries)

NOTES:
visit the Kiwi Industries website
see Kiwi Industries for stockists

Monday Art Find:

I have to apologise about the lack of our usual gallery based Monday Art Find this week- I haven't finished collating all my information yet, so in the meantime.. here are some images from a good friend of ours, Paul Jones - congratulations Paul for making it into the Top 200 Best Advertising Photographers in the world! x

(images from Paul Jones)

I hoped you enjoyed the K's.. we are hitting the L's tomorrow - see you then!!

Welcome to a new week! I hope you had a wonderful weekend!




Let's kick the new week off with the F's....




Felt

Felt is a fabulous online marketplace for New Zealand designers and craftspeople to promote their handmade work and connect with buyers.

Owner, operator and designer, Lucy Arnold is the driving force behind Felt. Lucy's desire to promote 'handmade' as a consumer choice grew from a keen interest in the workings and integrity of making a living from producing handmade goods.

The Felt marketplace features a whole spectrum of products. The last time I checked there were 19 categories and 62 sub-categories - ranging from Clothing to Art, Toys to Textiles - there is something for every part of your home (and body!).

Check out Felt and support Handmade...

L-R: Olive Dotty Baby Booties by PedroSprout, Floral Bloom Swing Tags by MJBooks, Little Forest Pin by InMyBackyard.


(images from Felt)


NOTES:
Shop online at Felt
Read the Felt blog


Flat Pack

Don't you love how you can just about buy ANYTHING flat packed these days, and there are so many fabulous choices..

I thought I would showcase this Stool / Small Table. What I love about these stools /small tables is their simplicity in design, yet the finishing and detail of the prints are intricate and creative.

Named the 'Zaishu', this clever little Stool / Small Table by Matthew Butler and Helen Punton is designed and made in Australia from native plantation pine. Each Zaishu is hand painted or printed using water-based inks and varnish. Zaishu also feature artwork from various community groups and showcases endangered tribal art and hand painted work from the last of the Bollywood artists.

(images from Zaishu)


NOTES:

To see the complete range and /or to purchase visit Zaishu
Also see reform school for more information and to purchase the 'TribeWanted Baby Zaishu' with the proceeds benefiting the Mali District School (in Fiji), supporting arts and sustainability education.


Extra: Visit the Ponoko blog for some fabulous flat pack furniture and some outdoor equipment for kiddlies..




Frazier&Wing Mobiles

Who would of thought that cutting up some glossy's could result in something as beautiful as these mobiles by Frazier&Wing.

Designer / Artist Heather Frazier established Frazier&Wing in 2006. Her gorgeous mobiles are constructed using carefully selected imagery from magazine pages. Each piece is hand cut and strung with mono filament - taking up to eight hours to make. Each one is a true labour of love.

(images from Frazier&Wing)

NOTES:
To view the whole collection and / or to purchase visit Frazier&Wing
International Shipping is available.



Finches (and other birds)

I was browsing around etsy - as you do - and came across 'FromTikiWithLove'. I am not sure of the name of the clever person behind 'FromTikiWithLove', but her illustrations are beautiful.

What we do know about her is from her profile - "I am a 25 year old medical illustrator who lives in the burbs of Chicago. When I am not drawing hearts and guts, I enjoy illustrating and painting birds. I have a parrot named Tiki and a backyard full of bird friends that visit my utopia of feeder."

Here's the goodness...

L-R Top Row: A Pair of Goldies, Big Blue. Bottom Row: Yell-O Blackbird, Bonjour, Lil Robin.


(images from FromTikiWithLove)


NOTES:
Visit FromTikiWithLove's Blog
To see the complete collection and or to purchase, visit FromTikiWithLove's Etsy Shop
Extra: For all your Bird related Goodies, visit The Fat Finch.

UPDATE: August 08' ** New Information**
I have recently discovered CG Arts -

"Carolina Gudanowski runs C.G. Arts, a company providing medical illustration services, and just recently bird art! Carolina started her Etsy store, From Tiki with Love, in 2008, to showcase and sell her bird art creations. Visit the shop www.fromtikiwithlove.etsy.com or shop from this site, using PayPal checkout."

So there you go, From Tiki With Love is the fabulous work of Carolina Gudanowski : )



Monday's Art Find..

It's Monday again, which means I get to showcase an artist (or in this case two!).


This Weeks Art Find: Tim and Tigerlily Biskup

I was so inspired the other day after a visit to one of my daily reads - sfgirlbybay - that I showed the post to my son (aged 5) who also got all excited, and we are now working on an exhibition to have together!

The post in question was about Tim and Tigerlily Biskup and their current exhibition (finishes on July 27th) at the Grasshut Corp Gallery in Portland Oregon.

The father and daughter duo (Tigerlily is aged five), have contributed 40 new works to the exhibition that they have worked on individually and together.

This is Tigerlily's first show, while her Dad Tim has been exhibiting far and near and all over the world. Tim said "We've been drawing and painting together since (tigerlily) was able to hold a crayon. We've always been inspired by each others art, so the idea of doing a show together was inevitable."

Thanks so much sfgirlbybay and Tim and Tigerlily for the inspiration!

(Clockwise from top left: Helpers, Faces, Painting 350 and Animal Parade)


(images from Grass Hut Corp Gallery)

NOTES:
To view Tim and Tigerlily's exhibition pieces visit Grass Hut Corp Gallery.
To view more of Tim's work visit Flopdoodle
Read Tim's blog.


And that's it for Monday!! See you tomorrow for G!

it all begins with 'A'...

Welcome to the first of our 'official' design alphabet posts - the letter 'A'!!

Lets Go!!

inspired by Amy Butler

From fabric, to sewing patterns, books to stationery, and more... is there anything this gal can't do??

It seems that the world is full of Amy Butler loving creatives. A quick look through flickr confirms that there are many, many, many cute little aprons, fabulous gum drop cushions and a myriad of chair re-upholstering projects happening throughout the globe. The 'Amy Butler' name is synonymous with contemporary vintage-inspired style, and her range oozes with goodies that are modern, bold and distinctive.

Amy started making small passport sized bags in the 80's, while living in Kansas City.

"I've never given a second thought to being an artist. It's really who I am, and what I enjoy. I'm inspired by my surroundings, my friends, my family, nature and the rich textures of everyday life. I was never much on following trends."

Amy's online store offers a product mix that is designed especially for the site, with new items being added all the time. Fabric and sewing patterns are available through one of the many retailers listed on her website.

Here are some piccys of Amy, and her studio... and some of her gorgeous fabrics and products ...

(images from Amy Butler)

NOTES:
- see the Design Alphabet Bookstore for a selection of Amy's Books
- be inspired (some more!).. Click HERE to see the Decor8 and Amy Butler Mood Board contest. (my "i heart nz" entry made the finals!)


i heart Areta Wilkinson

I first saw the work of Areta Wilkinson in a television documentary. I loved her work immediately. I was particularly drawn to her silhouette brooches that are housed under glass domes.

I am lucky that my boys love going to the gallery, and it was because of their love for gallery visits that I was able to see Areta's work at the City Gallery in Wellington.

The images of Areta's work that are found online (and above) only show a glimpse of it's beauty - when you view her work in the flesh it's intricate detail and exquisite workmanship is revealed unashamedly, as a true work of art.

(images from Anna Bibby Gallery)

NOTES:
- pictured above (Santa, if you are reading this, please can you put this in your sack for me!): Poi Girl III 2006 monel. 9ct gold pin. brass. glass. felt. 200 x 270 x 200.
- to purchase work by Areta Wilkinson please visit the Anna Bibby Gallery.

the goodness of Africa - Shweshwe

I have spent many a time browsing the Shweshwe online store. Next time I am Melbourne, their retails store is definitely on my 'must-do' list.

(Don't you just LOVE the wire coat rack pictured above?? It spells out the words "it's beautiful here").

"Shweshwe" means 'the sound the cloth makes when you walk' and is named after the fashionable wax coated fabric of Africa.

I love the eclectic mix of colour and forms that are shown throughout the Shweshwe collection, from the traditional and contemporary craft from South Africa, to the independent Zines or artisinal fashion from Cape Town.

(images from Shweshwe)

NOTES:
- Next time you are in Melbourne, make sure you visit the Shweswe Store located at 210 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia 3065. or shop online.

the goodness of Africa - Heather Moore..

..or Skinny Laminx as she is known to her 'Etisan' fans. Heather is an illustrator, writer and designer from Cape Town, South Africa. She produces a fantastic range of screen printed goodness... including these fabulous 'Spoons' Aprons and 'Eep' Tea Towels..

Heather also produces vinyl Wall Decals. I love the simplicity of this image below. It is of one of my favourite flowers / plants - the Protea.

The cleverness of this lady doesn't stop here...if you check out Heather's Blog you can find D.I.Y instructions for applying your own patterns to ceramics - so inspiring!!

(images from Heather Moore)

NOTES:
Visit Heather's Etsy Shop or her website for all this goodness and more.


Monday's Art Find

Introducing the first of our Monday's Art Find... Basically I can't wait for an artist's name to come up alphabetically, so I'm just going to post them as I find them every Monday!

I LOVE art. Looking through Galleries is one of my favourite pass times. I am constantly in awe of how clever people are, and how much they have such freedom of expression.


This Weeks Art Find: Chris Kenny

When I was over at Mein Inspiration the other day, I discovered the art of Chris Kenny. I ooohed and arhhhed over his work for ages...

"Chris Kenny produces an unexpected kind of poetry with his three- dimensional 'drawings' and constructions made from twigs, fragments of maps and strips of found text. Objects or phrases of the same type are mounted on pins and organised n a way that suggests an intention to rationalise the differences between them."

pictured from top:

Map Circle (Eureka) 2007 Construction with map pieces 24 x 24 x 3 inches.
Observatory 2007 Construction with map pieces 16 x 16 x 3 inches
Road Circle 2007 Construction with maps 20 x 20 x 3 inches
Map Circle (16 Typhoons) 2007 Collage Construction with maps 24 x 24 x 3 inches

(images from England Gallery)

NOTES:
To check out more of Chris's work, visit England and Co.

See you tomorrow for a whole heap of 'B's'!!