Golden rules of working from home

So, I thought I'd write a bit about some rules to act as a mini guide about working from home, as the vast majority of start-up designer/makers such as myself do. I want this blog to be not only a promotional tool for myself but also to share my journey into the scary and endless realm of setting up as a designer.

1. Get dressed! Sounds obvious, but dressing for work as you normally would (if you were going to step outside of the house) is an important part of working from home. For me, what I wear dictates a lot about how a feel during that day. You don't have to go all out with a trouser suit, but at least try to get out of pjs!
2. Take breaks! Don't be afraid to allow yourself decent lunch and snack breaks. It's very easy to skip lunch where you're knee-deep in a project, especially when there's no one else around to remind you it's time for tea, but it is important to step back from what you've already achieved that day and allow yourself a bit of head space.
3. Always allow time for drawing just for its own sake. As a creative person it is vital to spend some time cultivating ideas - even if they all end up in the bin and never go into production. 
4. Set out goals - outline what you want to achieve well in advance. I've started to create a weekly diary of everything I want to do that week, and what day I'm going to do it. Plan time for drawing, trips out to galleries and exhibitions as well. Mix it up so admin tasks, making tasks, and trips out are separated out, that way you won't get bored doing one thing all day!
5. Don't get distracted - the internet is a great big wonderful resource for research etc, but try not to get too distracted by (non-work related) Facebook, Youtube and everything else! Make a list of what you want to look up online and stick to it!

Are you another designer/maker trying to set up their business? Get in touch to share you're own experiences!

Feature! - Emma Francis Designs

A lovely lady called Emma who writes a very interesting and creative blog has agreed to write a feature on me!

Here's the link: http://emmafrancesdesign.blogspot.co.uk

It's always nice to have people saying nice things about your work!

Blog and Buy sale wish list

I know I keep banging on about it, but the blog and buy sale spring wish list is a really great place to get unique products both gifts and for the home.

I thought it was time I shared a few of my own favourites with you:

This cushion by designer Georgia Bosson is a lesson in simple is effective. What a brilliant idea, and great colours. 

I really love this print by Hey Jo Design. So beautiful and elegant! I'd love to give this house room. Other colours available. 

These unique Easter eggs by The Cocoa Mistress certainly come with a hefty price tag, but they're are just so cool! It's never to late for chocolate.

Marmo Scarf by the lovely Petra Green. I actually have one of these myself and can vouch that they are very useful, especially this time of year when you need something not too warm, not too cold. This scarf bridges the gap perfectly, and I love the graphic 80s style print. 

....Really tempted to get one of these packs of temporary tattoos by DB Illustrations, for those who aren't quite brave enough for the real thing. There's a floral pack too for those who aren't so keen on woodland creatures. 

I'm a sucker for anything bright, and this cushions by Kitty McCall hits this fix. 

This unusual mug by Parasite Ceramics caught my eye - I love that the shopping trolley is so small it almost, but not quite, looks a bit lost. 

Never been a fan of 'tray' design, but this cutie from Roddy and Ginger (great name) won me over. Beautifully photographed as well. Have a look for yourself. http://stall.blogandbuysale.com

A tale of two artists

So....

Now that I've got regular hours at work I am able to make this blog a weekly thing, therefore am able to  plan it more! which is nice.

I wanted to share with you some artists that I've long since admired. Yves Klein isn't someone I've always liked, it's been hard for me to really get to grips with, and I'm not alone. Many of his exhibitions and live performance art has been mis-understood, much to the frustration of the artist. And I'm not claiming to understand his message now but I have found a respect for him.

A lifetime dedicated to one colour - you've got to admire this man. And boy what a colour! Here we go....

Such a wonderful, unearthly tone of blue. 

Another man whose life was dedicated to a similar cause is Emil Nolde. He was a supporter of the Nazi party who then got ousted because his art was not accepted. His paintings were removed from museum walls and he was forced to paint in secret. He then created hundreds of beautiful watercolours which he called 'The Unpainted Pictures'. Here are a few of my favourites:

As you can see, I found it hard to narrow down my collection! He's a great example of how watercolour can be just as powerful, if not more, than other mediums such as oil and gauche. And I know it sounds a wee bit corny, but you can really get a sense of emotion through the colours in his work. 

Stay curious!

Sunny(ish) day out

So.....

The sun was very nearly out today woohoo! Went for a little jolly up in London town as I felt like I was a bit out of the loop with what was current. Turned out to be a very inspiring trip!

First stop was Liberty off Oxford Street. They had a great range of new chinaware, here are a few of my favourite pieces:

This collection is designed by the late Piero Fornasetti, an italian designer who achieved the extraordinary feat of engaging a surrealist approach and applying it to design, resulting in some very unique pieces. 

And here's some of Liberty's own pieces, think this range would look great if the colours were mixed together to create a really vibrant table setting. 

Absolutely love this digitally printed cushion awash with colour in an abstract landscape. This is the 'Carly' cushion by Boeme Design, a company based in Guilford. 

I then took at visit to the Conran Shop, a place I had heard many things about but never had the opportunity before to visit. I found it interesting, if a little cold and alienating. A great lesson on visual merchandising was to be found at every turn though! Here are some woven cushions that took my eye, based on the works of different cubists. 

A VM's dream...beautifully displayed scarves on an "Yves Klein' blue background. 

A touch of Ikat, of course....

....And these innovative lights inspired by, you guessed it, sea buoys. I really love these, but you'll have to save up for a while to get them, at £500 a pop. 

I juts thought these little tea light holders were very cute and would look great outside in the summer. 

Quick snap shot of the Conran window display, with a Moroccan theme in monochrome. I like the use of geometric shapes (I'm guessing based on an Islamic design) coupled with subtle pastel colours and black and white. Very chic!

I must visit these shops more often!

New Spring Designs!

So.....

I've been working on some new designs for Spring. I wanted to create a collection of digitally printed cushions that used my knowledge of colour and techniques of working with inks that I learnt about from uni.

I wanted to create some unusual and different colour combinations that were exciting and vibrant for spring but were also useable and easy to make a key piece of a colour scheme in any room.

Here's a sneak peak of what's to come....look out for these on my Etsy site (www.etsy.com/shop/pollytaylordesigns) soon.

Let me know what you think!