A few weeks ago we were pleased to exhibit for our second year at Great Notts Show. We had the pleasure of sharing a stand with the lovely Hannah and Georgia from Bird in Borrowed Feathers. It was a great weekend with such a positive response from the public about all our talented designers. And the rain even managed to hold off!

Hannah Kindly took some great shots of our stand so we had to share them with you.

And here are some shots of Bird in Borrowed Feathers beautiful stall. Photos also taken by Hannah

Today we are getting to know Sam Pierpoint who creates fun and whimsical illustrations.  Sam handcrafts all of her 3D creations out of a range of fine quality papers, before photographing and editing the images digitally, to create each finished piece.

How would you describe yourstyle?

I’d say that there’s always an element of escapism in my work, I’m a day dreamer and I love to get lost in my own little illustrated world, expanding on it every day is what makes me happy!

Where do you work and does your location influence your work?

I work in a cabin at the bottom of the garden with my partner ‘Michael Foyle’ who is a photographer. I love it because it’s separate from the house which allows me to properly focus with no distractions.

How did you start as an artist/designer?

Art and Graphic Design were always my favourite subjects at school, the teachers particularly in these lessons were always the happiest and most chilled out which I really believe says a great deal about subject! I knew I wanted to do something fun and creative which would allow my imagination to run wild!

Can you give us an idea of your creative processes?

Yes! I build things out of paper, photograph the paper sculpture at different angles and arrange and edit the work on photoshop to create the final piece.All of my 3d work starts with making the base out of foam board using a glue gun to glue everything in place. Once I have a solid strong structure I can then start covering it with paper.

What is inspiring you or your work just now?

My illustrations are inspired by Mother Nature, wildlife and travel. I have a huge obsession with pattern, which always finds its way into my work. It often contains fusions of architectural, geometric, cultural and natural patterns to create vibrant and rich pieces.

Do you have any new designs you can give us a sneak preview of?

Of course! I have been working on a few things over the past month, including some branding and graphic design for a Tea Shop in Winchester, some designs for thank you cards and I’m currently working on a 3d paper London scene as a self initiated project.

What is your favourite thing about Nottingham?

The art shop in Bonnington! When I was at uni I couldn’t get enough of the different patterned specialist papers that they sell!

Today we are meeting Hannah Stevens. Hannah creates quirky, illustrative, personalised tote bags and greetings cards from her little home studio in Nottingham. Her illustrations are so cute and fun especially her new and very popular beard range, you got to love a beard!

How would you describe your style?

Weird, geeky, quirky and fun

Where do you work and does your location influence your work?

I currently work out of our tiny spare bedroom, there’s not much space and I’m always making a huge mess… I’ve filled the walls above my desk with photos, old cards and pictures for inspiration and to make the space a bit more cheerful!

How did you get started as an artist/designer?

I studied Decorative Arts at NTU and after leaving decided that I wanted to run my own business designing and making quirky products. At uni I specialised in screen printing and carried on with this for a year or so after leaving uni but I have since changed the way I work and my style has evolved quite a bit too.

Can you give us an idea of some of your creative processes?

I tend to come up with ideas at random and scribble them down in my little sketchbook, these ideas then sit around for a while and then I pick and choose the best ones to illustrate digitally using my drawing tablet. These designs are then edited to become either tote bags, prints, greetings cards or even jewellery

What is inspiring you or your work right now?

At the moment I am loving spacee travel and the idea of jumping into a spaceship and travelling the universe!

The best pieces of makers advice you have been given or can give to others?

Create an online presence, everyone is online at the moment, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. It’s so important for people to be able to find you online as there are just so many different makers around the world and you need to stand out!

Also have a website that’s nice and clear and easy to navigate, I’ve come across fab designers and makers who’s websites are so dated and hard to get around that I just get put off. You need to make it easy for buyers and potential stockists to find you and to see what you’re about.