Update & Christmas Wishes

Hi everyone!

Sorry for my blogging absence! I was so busy in New York I just couldn't find time to blog, I had an amazing time and have so much inspiration to share but I might just have to save those posts for the New Year!

Below are a few photos from the hundreds I took.. Just a few of the highlights being an incredible sunset from 'The Top of the Rock', the view from our apartment building and visiting the marimekko shop (fabric HEAVEN)!!

This will probably be my last post for 2012, so I am sending you all best wishes for the Christmas/Holiday season! I hope you have a great one!

Here's hoping 2013 is a great year! I have lots planned and lots of inspiration, new designs and products to share with you all, so come back in the new year! And finally, here's a rather cheerful Christmas decoration I saw in Canada back in the summer to see us out! Merry Christmas Everyone! x

Images copyright Rosie Simons 2012

west elm

I've discovered lots of fantastic places whilst here in NYC, one place I'd always heard people talk about but never visited was west elm. If you've never heard of it before west elm is a contemporary furniture and homewares retailer. They sell gorgeous furniture and accessories, I spent ages in the shop taking in all the different textures, patterns and prints!

Below are some pictures of a few things I picked up, some cute little candles, an owl candle and a decoupage glass tray. Everything is so well designed and there are so many wonderful colours and patterns!

I fell in love with these bright hand painted style patterns and was so pleased when I picked up the free paper in store to find a section all about the designer, Sarah Campbell.

Even their free newspaper is just beautiful! I would just love to work for west elm, creating patterns or working on graphic design, everything is just so gorgeous and wonderfully produced!

Do check out their website westelm.com, and for more you can follow @westelm on twitter, like west elm on facebook or for even more, and overwhelming amounts of gorgeous inspiration you can follow west elm on pinterest! Or better still visit one of their stores!

Images copyright Rosie Simons 2012 - Content copyright west elm

Live from NYC!

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been so quiet here recently! I'm currently away in New York City, now recovering from my jet lag and hope to bring you lots of exciting posts live from NYC in the coming week!

I do hope you enjoyed last weeks Feature Friday and our guest post from Decorque, today I bring you something slightly different on a Friday, photos from NYC!

I have seen some amazing things so far and can't wait to share it with you all! It's exhausting just trying to take it all in, my eyes have been spotting motifs, shapes and colours all over the place!

The pictures below were all taken in Brooklyn Heights/DUMBO, it's one of my favourite places in NYC, it's so peaceful I can sit for hours in the Brooklyn Bridge Park looking across to Manhattan watching traffic, trains, boats, planes and helicopters all go by, taking everything in!

Images copyright Rosie Simons 2012

Guest Post from Decorque

Today I bring you our first ever guest post! The post today is written by the wonderful Decorque, enjoy!

Decorque is a family-run business,  with the two designers being Lesley Stevens from Fashion & Textiles background, and Harriet Stevens a qualified Graphic Designer. Its a great combination, and one we like to think we fuse the two disciplines effectively.

At Decorque we love pattern and seek to bring that creative touch in to your home. We turn this……. into this!

On cork we have succeeded by digital printing, something a little different, a highly colourful and detailed decorative finish to our selection of placemats and coasters.

Why cork? well it is an eco-friendly natural product, which is very tactile, hard wearing and as you can see takes colour extremely well. Our aim being, to bring a fashion edge and trends in design, to the table.

We love mixing styles, skin print with flowers, typically english with tropical; from butterflies to the panthers and birds. The pattern and subjects, we adapt and continue throughout the collection, onto Opaline/ Plastic placemats, Stationery and Art Prints.

You can find our range on our website, we also have a selection of products on Etsy and Folksy and are proud to be featured on Blog and Buy Sale's Wish List. We also partake in some offline events, such as local craft and gift fairs.

We have recently launched a successful creative blog, sharing all our likes, loves and creative ideas, as well as collaborating with other small-businesses and like-minded creatives to create a social hub of ideas and inspiring design finds! Please do check it out, we will have a lovely contributor blog by the wonderful Rosie Simons herself very soon too!

Website: www.decorque.com // Blog: www.decorqueblog.com // Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/decorque/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Decorque // Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Decorque?ref=hl 

Blog and Buy Sale Wish List: http://stall.blogandbuysale.com/

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Decorque // Folksy: http://folksy.com/shops/Decorque

Images copyright Decorque 2012

Feature Friday - Emma Frances

Today our featured designer is..

Emma Frances

Emma tells us about herself:

'I've loved to draw and create since I was very young and always knew I wanted to be in a creative job.  I came on surface pattern by chance through university and absolutely love it! I’m not entirely sure how to describe my style, I like to experiment and try different drawing techniques out. I was fairly controlled in my designing throughout uni and it was only in my last project I began to loosen my style and try out something a bit different.'

'I take inspiration from everything around me, I seem to see patterns in everything! If I'm coming up with new motifs then I find it helps a lot to put some good music on (Coldplay!) and just enjoy myself. I was also very lucky to have grown up in the most beautiful North Yorkshire countryside so a massive amount of inspiration comes from memories of my childhood.'

'I’m very passionate about what I do and I love it when a design comes together, I’m hoping to freelance more in the future, and eventually would love to own my own brand and sell my designs.' 

And here are a few links :

Blog - http://emmafrancesdesign.blogspot.co.uk/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/emmafrancesdesigns

Twitter - @Emmafrances22

Images copyright Emma Frances 2012

Off for some adventures

Tomorrow I am off to Germany for a long weekend of family, friends, exploring, Christmas markets and yummy food. On my return I am then heading off to New York City (squeal!) so my blog posts may not be as frequent as normal for a few weeks. I have scheduled a few posts but also hope to bring you design and inspiration posts live from the Big Apple!

Below is a photo of the lovely Hamburg Christmas Markets and a fantastic illustration of Hamburg by Anna Härlin

Source: sharingtravelexperiences.com

Hamburg Illustration by Anna Härlin

Giveaway winner and a little Christmas treat!

Wow! Thank you everyone who entered the giveaway and for the lovely comments!

I am pleased to announce, the winner is.. Carrie!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As you all left such wonderful comments I have decided to return the favour and offer you 10% off everything in my Etsy store using coupon code 'CHRISTMASCHEER10'!

Feel free to share with your friends and family and spread the Christmas cheer!

This offer is only valid for 48 hours so get in there quick! Deal ends 12pm (midday) GMT Thursday Nov 29th 2012.

Images copyright Rosie Simons 2012

Muskoka Colour Inspiration

While I was in Canada in the summer I noticed that everyone had a particular type of chair, called Muskoka chairs after the region. They all had them in different colours and this particular set really caught my eye as a nice colour palette so thought I would share it with you all today for some colour inspiration!

Image copyright Rosie Simons 2012

Spoonflower Matisse/Nasher

This weeks Spoonflower contest was run in conjunction with The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University and the brief was to create a design that would look at home in a Matisse painting. The colour palette was specified, with some really lovely colours so I couldn't help but take part!

Below is my entry, you can vote on the Spoonflower website here!

Images copyright Rosie Simons 2012

GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate gaining 200 followers on Twitter I am hosting a little giveaway! You can win a pack of 8 of my Christmas Cards, 2 of each of the 4 designs below, just in time for Christmas!

Use the widget below to enter the giveaway which runs until midnight Monday evening (GMT).
There are 4 ways to enter:
1. Leave a comment telling us why you'd love to win these wonderful Christmas Cards
2. Like Rosie Simons Graphic & Surface Design on Facebook
3. Follow @rosie_simons on Twitter
4. Tweet about the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you just can't wait to get your hands on these lovely cards or want to purchase a greater quantity, they are available to buy from my Etsy store!

Share some festive feeling and share this giveaway with your friends! Thanks for stopping by!

Feature Friday - Kate Marsden

Today I bring you the fourth 'Feature Friday'

Today our featured designer is..

Kate Marsden

Kate talks us through her story, passions and plans for the future..

"I studied fashion and textiles at Lincoln College of Art & Design in the mid 1990s, then followed my now husband to London and ended up working for a law firm!  I'm still there 14 years later, but I realised a few years ago that I needed an outlet for my creativity.  I kickstarted this with a short course at Chelsea College of Art, and I've now taken a number of short courses there in textiles, painting and ceramics." 

"My real passion is surface pattern design, but I also like to knit and took up crochet earlier this year.  I use my paintings and sketches to create pattern designs and translate these into designs for ceramics, cross stitch and all sorts of different things.  I've recently opened a shop on Folksy."  

"At the moment I'm working on some new fabric designs which I hope to launch in the new year, and I'm also preparing to launch my website." 

"I'm constantly inspired by things I see around me.  I particularly like the styles of the 1950s in fashion, textile and print design as well as architecture.  Sometimes I'll spot something on the street, or it'll be an exhibition or something in a magazine that gets me started on something new."

"With regard to my creative process, I generally start with my photographs and make sketches based on them before creating paintings (usually acrylics, occasionally watercolour).  I will then turn my painting into a repeat pattern on the computer.  My 50s City design was just drawn, photocopied and pieced together (although I still worked from my earlier paintings initially). 50s City was screen printed, whereas Park Hill was digitally printed."

Twitter: @kdmarsden
Blog: http://www.kate-7ws.blogspot.co.uk
Folksy: http://www.folksy.com/shops/MadeByMrsM

Images copyright Kate Marsden

Society6 introduce throw pillows

Society6 have just introduced throw pillows! So you can now buy my designs as cushion covers from my store! Society6 are also doing free shipping from now until Monday so why not pick up some Christmas presents? 

Images copyright Rosie Simons 2012