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Fun Patterned Planter If (like me) your house plant obsession is reaching jungle status, you might be in need of a cute new planter - worthy of housing a new planty babe. The fun patterned planter is a simple DIY that doesn't require lots of materials or special equipment - just some leftover tester pots and washi tape! I finished mine in an afternoon, and that was including time needed to take photos between stages.  You will need: + A terracotta plant pot and saucer (I used a small Ikea INGEFARA) + Paint/spare tester pots + Paint brushes in a couple of sizes + Washi tape or masking tape Optional extras: + Plastic to cover your work surface (better than newspaper which will stick to the wet paint) + Jam jar/old mug to balance your pot on (raising the pot lets you paint all the way to the bottom edge without sticking it to the table) + Mug of water and kitchen roll (so you can wash the brushes easily between colours)  STEP ONE Paint the saucer. I used some leftover chalk paint which covers really nicely (and I like the colour), but the tester pots actually covered just as well - so any paint will do! Remember to paint at least part of the inside - as some will still be visible even with the pot on top. Set to one side to dry completely.  STEP TWO Mark out the plant pot for your first shape (the biggest). Secure two strips of washi tape for your shape/block of colour, making extra sure it is firmly pressed down against the line you'll be painting against. Wrap it right over the inside lip because you'll want to paint a few centimeters into the pot as well. Use a good, thick coat of paint (I only needed one coat) but make sure your brush strokes are even and all going the same way to keep things neat. Remove the washi just before the paint is completely dry for best results.  STEP THREE Continue to block out shapes with the washi tape (one at a time) and paint with contrasting colours. Let each adjoining block dry before you start the next one. Remember to tape all the sides to each individual block for strong, neat edges. Repeat until the whole pot is covered, with no terracotta showing on the outside (and a few centimeters inside).  STEP FOUR Add the detail. Switch to a much smaller brush to add random patterns and shapes to different parts of the pot. You can use little confetti shaped brush strokes, or larger splodges of paint - even a grid pattern if you're feeling brave. Use a contrasting colour to the shape you're painting and practice the pattern on some scrap paper if you need to.  STEP FIVE Add your fave plant and enjoy!  Find Rosie O'Neill available in store!
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This week we are catching up with Annabel Perrin who creates colourful and geometric products for the home.  How would you describe your style? Mid-century modern, colourful, geometric, bold and full of life! My interiors products are ideal for making a statement in your home!
Where do you work and does your location influence your work? I work from my home studio in Nottinghamshire. I moved back here (after several years in Manchester) last November and I'm temporarily working in the spare room, while I convert a dilapidated, garden outhouse into my new workspace! My patterns and products are influenced by architecture and cityscapes, so I'm enjoying rediscovering Nottingham for more inspiration!  How did you get started as an artist/designer? I've been creative for as long as I can remember and always excelled at anything arty at school. I trained as a textile designer at Manchester School of Art. After several enjoyable design internships and working as an Operations Manager for an independent online retail company, I was eager to combine all skills to set up my own creative business. So, in 2011 I went back to University to complete a Masters in Design. During this time I developed my business plan and created my first collection of surface pattern designs for furnishing fabrics, cushions and tea towels. It was a proud and nervous moment when I launched my first product range in February 2013. Since then I have branched into ceramics, wallpaper and stationery too.  Can you give us an idea of some of your creative processes? When creating a new range I start with a brainstorming session. I'll think about what I would like to achieve from the new collection, particularly in terms of the look and feel of the range, and also what new products I’d like to introduce. I’ll then decide on my colour scheme and start drawing and designing patterns based on this. I’m a perfectionist and I experiment with colour, composition and scale several times over before finalising a design! Then it’s time to create my product. My fabrics are digitally printed in the Manchester and then handmade into cushions, lampshades and tea towels (etc) by either myself or local family run businesses. 
What is inspiring you or your work just now? I'm currently putting the finishing touches to a new home textiles collection, which will launch next spring. It's inspired by California, where I spent my honeymoon last summer. Think sunset hues and bold textured motifs!  What is your favourite thing about Nottingham? Having recently moved back here, from Manchester where the arts scene is booming, it's great to see the same thing is happening here! I love exploring the independent galleries and shops within the city and also the surrounding countryside in Nottinghamshire. My family have always lived round here and my Grandma once ran her own interiors shop in Southwell, selling fabric and wallpaper by prestigious brands. It feels like things I'm carrying on her legacy now.  The best piece of makers advice you have been given or can give to others? I've been given lots of advice of the years but here are the snippets that have stuck with me… Make sure you have great lifestyle imagery of your products, so people can imagine what it will be like to have them in their home/ to wear them/ to use them. This will make them more likely to want to buy them! Give yourself a break - take time out when things aren't working and go back to it with a fresh head later. Go out and meet other designers where possible. I love doing shows and markets, as they're a great way to meet like-minded people, especially if you work on your own a lot of the time, like I do!  Find Annabel Perrin available in store!
Welcome to our new feature Meet the Maker! Every week we will be shinning a spotlight on one of our amazing makers. First up is Jo Want from Hello Sunshine   How would you describe your style? Bold, bright, cheerful and fun… oh and mostly yellow!  Where do you work and does your location influence your work? I am lucky enough to have a whole room to myself at our little house in Cambridge, it’s big, airy and bright and also full of all the things I love, random craft supplies, half drunk cups of tea and the odd cat! It’s definitely my happy place and everything from the prints on the walls to the books on the shelves are carefully chosen to reflect me and what makes me happy, which in turn keeps me inspired and helps fuel ideas for my work.
How did you get started as an artist/designer? I have always been creative and naturally chose to study art throughout school, college and uni but I always wanted to travel too. So I finished my Decorative Arts degree in 2006 and went off to explore as much of the world as I could afford to at the time. When I came back I got an office job (to pay my travelling debts) at Boots HQ. I always kept pushing to find the most creative roles within the company but ultimately knew I wanted to make and sell my own work for a living. Whilst at Boots I learnt a lot about brand and business, I also started playing with jewellery making ideas and drawing again in my spare time. I met other creatives in Nottingham through local craft fairs and from there was inspired to start my own business, Hello Sunshine, in 2012. I worked full time at Boots from 2008 - 2014 when I went part time and then finally made the leap to full time Sunshine in April last year! It was a long, and sometimes incredibly difficult journey but worth every up, down, in and out and I’m so happy to be here now, doing my ideal job for a living. Can you give us an idea of some of your creative processes? All of my jewellery designs start as scribbles and endless lists in multiple sketchbooks and notepads. Once I’m happy with an idea I start neatening up designs and tinkering with them on the computer to try and build up all the shapes I’ll need to laser cut to create finished pieces. I then work with lovely Laura at Bespoke Laser UK who turns my ideas into all the acrylic and wooden shapes I need. After sourcing findings and packaging materials as locally as possible I then make up each piece of jewellery by hand at Sunshine Towers ready for lovely stockists and customers to give it all a new home!  What is inspiring you or your work just now? At the moment I’m revisiting some old work (doodles in particular) and my long time love of Campervans for a new project. The whole project is inspired by my Nanna & Grandad’s beautiful old VW Campervan they had when I was very little. I have fond memories of taking trips to Attenborough Nature Reserve in it with them and I used to LOVE hearing stories about the trips and holidays they had in it. The family history and a deep rooted love of Campervans is totally inspiring me right now and I’m very excited about ‘Project Van’ and the new designs and products I hope will come out of all the daydreaming and planning I’ve been doing over the Summer!  Do you have any new designs you can give us a sneak preview of? I have a couple of peeks at some scribbles, drawings and laser cut samples I’m more than happy to share with you…
What is your favourite thing about Nottingham? Besides having lots of my friends and my family living in Nottingham I LOVE the growing creative community. There’s always been an underlying creative market in Nottingham but over the past 5 years or so it’s really exploded with new independant shops, the Nottingham Etsy Team and plenty more events and socials. I’m sad to have moved away just as I feel things were getting even better but I love coming back and will always try to take part in as much as I can. Also, coming back to Nottingham regularly means I get to try all the new food spots that keep popping up too! The best piece of makers advice you have been given or can give to others? Best pieces of advice I think I could pass on are:
 Find Hello Sunshine available in store!
New coasters in by @fableandblack! #aliceinwonderland #alice #nottingham #lovenotts #shopnotts18/8/2016 |
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