Christmas Gift Ideas 2012: Best for Babies by Independent Designers

Why shop on the High Street when you can find amazing, well designed and eco friendly baby gifts by independent designers and makers only a click away? Featuring: Oh Baby London, Hokolo, Kyna Boutique, Noodoll and many more.

This Christmas I find myself with child for the first time – there he is above – and so naturally thoughts have turned to gifts that babies of Snarfle’s age …

Christmas Gift Ideas 2012: Best Artist Prints for the Wall

Loads of inspiration here if you want to give art this Christmas: including work by Simone Lia, Jack Teagle, Petra Borner, Sanna Annukka, Matt Sewell, Von and many many more.

There are so many to choose from, where on earth do you start when you set out to buy a print for the wall? Well, here’s my run down of …

Christmas Gift Ideas 2012: Best Design Gifts For Men

Stuck for ideas? Here's the perfect selection of gifts for men who love design. And women...

In Love With iphone cover by Bianca Green.
Most men love a bit of gadget based frippery, and there is an almost endless choice of iphone decor out there. Amidst the …

Christmas Gift Ideas 2012: 12 Top Kitchenware Designs

Choose from ceramics, oven gloves, sustainable plastic ware, wooden trays and chopping boards made from felled trees of London.

I’ve brought you the best cushions, the best mugs and the best tea towels, and now here is the best of the rest of the homewares I found whilst scouring …

Christmas Gift Ideas 2012: Top Ten Best Tea Towel Designs

Tea towels: useful objects for the kitchen and handy places on which to display great art. Here's my favourites for the season: including lots with fab lettering!

Like cushions, tea towels provide the perfect surface to showcase artwork: is it any wonder there are so many great designs to choose from?

For some reason I seem to have …

Christmas Gift Ideas 2012: Top Ten Best Mugs by Illustrators and Designers

Wondering what to give for Christmas? The shops are full of mugs for a reason: they make great inexpensive gifts with character. And I've found the best designs for you online...

Beaver Mug by Lisa Jones. I *love* beavers so I was super excited to find this. No really, don’t laugh.
Next up: my recommendations for mugs. Yes, a whole blog devoted …

Christmas Gift Ideas 2012: Cushions!

Artists and illustrators have been busy creating a huge array of beautiful cushions for your home: and they are easily available to buy online. Find something for everyone on your Christmas list in my top selection here.

Pictor cushion in super soft faux suede by William Branton for Ohh Deer.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be blogging all my best suggestions for a range of gifts, …

Christmas Guide 2012: Artist & Designer Christmas Cards

Steer clear of mass produced Christmas cards this year and go direct to the designers who've made cards themselves: here's my round up of the best ones to buy online.

Christmas card by Matthew Land.
Christmas is nearly upon us, yes really. And to start my lengthy round up of gift recommendations for the entire family I firstly give you a …

Book Review: SuperMarket Sarah Wonder Walls by Sarah Bagner

Sarah Bagner of Supermarket Sarah fame has written an inspirational design book: published by Cico Books and available now.

Sarah Bagner has come up with a killer idea: walls as showcase, as vertical space where things are not just stacked inconsiderately but placed with love to admire. Since 2009 …

Halloween 2012: Illustrations, Baby Fancy Dress, Nail Art and Things To Do

A blog full of Halloween badness. BOO!

Halloween by Cristian Grossi.
I’m not going to write much about Halloween this year because I think I pretty much said it all last time around. And I’m knackered. All I …

What to do in Margate and Broadstairs (whilst wearing Chatham Marine Deck Shoes)

What to see in Margate and where to eat in Broadstairs: my advice on a windy October weekend. Whilst wearing a natty pair of pink deck shoes.

This weekend we went down to the seaside in Kent: my partner’s dad lives in Ramsgate and when we go down to Thanet we always go for a pootle around …

Introducing Artspotter: the App for Art Lovers

Arts enthusiast and entrepreneur Raphaëlle Heaf tells us about her new art lover's app, designed to connect people and venues all over the world.

Raphaëlle Heaf is the brains behind Artspotter, a brand new app designed to bring together art lovers and arts venues all over the world. Here she describes how the Artspotter …

Kingston University: RARE Illustration and Animation Ba Hons Graduate Show 2012 Review part three

At this year's show Kingston graduates showcased animation of exceptionally high standard - look out for names such as Phoebe Halstead, Angie Phillips, Zuzanna Weiss and Rosanna Wan.

I didn’t manage to watch all of the Kingston University graduate animations at their RARE showcase and sadly none of them are available to view in full online, but here’s …

London 2012 Olympic Games Team Opening and Closing Ceremonies Illustrated

Celebrating the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the London 2012 Olympics in illustrations. What did you think of them?

Jessie J by Laura Hickman.
Can it really be a week since the Olympics ended? Here’s my final blog post inspired by the visual drama of the ceremonies that opened and …

Kingston University: RARE Illustration and Animation Ba Hons Graduate Show 2012 Review part two

A whole heap of talent in my second round up from the Kingston illustration degree show.

Continuing on from my first review of Kingston University Illustration and Animation graduates, here’s more great talent found at the RARE this summer.

Otto Shillingford created an incredible Alphabet for his …

Kingston University: RARE Illustration and Animation Ba Hons Graduate Show 2012 Review part one

First round up of my favourite illustrators showing at RARE earlier this summer - including quite a few who've contributed to Amelia's Magazine: Lorna Scobie, Hannah Simpson and Rebecca Elves.

My graduate reviews are now running legendarily late – sorry, that’s what adding a baby to the mix does. But never fear I haven’t given up – there’s a crop …

London 2012 Olympic Games Team GB Illustrated

An illustrated celebration of Team GB at the Olympics. Enjoy!

Kristian Thomas by Tim Parker.
The Olympics are in town in case you haven’t noticed, and I’ve been lucky enough to get along to a few events in person. It was …

New Designers 2012: Illustration Graduate Shows and One Year On Review

Excellent work from a couple of University of Hertfordshire students and a selection of previous graduates now working as designers, showing in the One Year On section.

Following on from my selection of best illustration finds at Nottingham Trent and Cambridge School of Art, here is my final selection of finds at New Designers 2012 part two.

From …

New Designers 2012: Nottingham Trent University and Cambridge College of Art Illustration Graduate Shows Review

Great work from these colleges, where I happened to pick up on two illustrators who had won this year's Penguin Design Award: Tim Parker and Alex Walker.

Orobas by Tim Parker.
Following on from my review of the best graduate illustrators at University College Falmouth and Plymouth College of Art here’s what I discovered at the New Designers …