I’d like to thank all who entered the first Burrs & Berries Contest! I enjoyed reading the way you each incorporate art and design differently in your everyday life, and it’s always very inspiring to hear the way others get their design fix! I used Random.org to select two winners randomly, and here they are – each will receive a copy of down the rabbit hole!
Winners who will receive a copy of down the rabbit hole design book are:
• # 7 Treena
• # 5 Camilla
CONGRATULATIONS!
If your name appears above, I will be contacting you shortly for your complete name and mailing address so I can mail the book to you. Please reply to my email to claim your prize by June 7th, because if I don’t hear from you by then, another winner will be selected at random to get the book!
I’d like to thank you so much for participating in Burrs & Berries first contest and giveaway! I am very excited to be sharing this book I designed with you!
(images: samia kallidis for burrs & berries)
Good morning and happy Monday!! Welcome to a brand new week of design and lovely inspiration, and your last chance to enter the first Burrs & Berries Giveaway here!
1. Untitled 2. Untitled 3. Untitled 4. Desayuno de princesa – Day 8 5. Untitled 6. but then it rained so I went home
I’ve got a super busy week ahead of me, with lots of work to catch up on and even more errands to run, but I’m eager to get them finished and out of the way! So, let’s start the week with gorgeous photographic inspiration, with soft and dreamy touches of pink, neutrals, and black. These photos give me a feeling of calm, and just effortless beauty in unexpected places. How about you?
(images: sources listed above)
Happy Friday, friends! What plans do you have for the weekend? I’m getting ready to sign off until Monday, so I’ll leave you with a young talent to serve as inspiration for the weekend! Also, Monday will be the last day to take part in Burrs & Berries first ever giveaway, so don’t forget to enter here if you’d like a copy of the book!
Now, on to the inspiration! Fifteen year old Anna Hatzakis is truly a talented photographer and an inspiration in many ways! At such a young age, she became interesting in drawing portraits of her friends and family at the age of eleven. Anna currently works part time as a freelance photographer while completing her last year of high school.
Would you like to know some more impressive information about Anna? Well, she is releasing a book of her own drawings that will be available later this year in limited quantities, and she is also working on her own fashion line for the summer 2010 season to be available in her online shop this summer! I find so much inspiration from Anna, from her beautiful photography to having so much drive and motivation at such a young age, and following through to follow and achieve her dreams!
I love the magical and dreamy quality to Anna’s photographs, that hold so much emotion and expression in each shot. From the models to the mood of the photograph, each one tells a story of it’s own and portrays a strong feeling. And I feel that Anna captures that so well, with each dot and element in the photo, she creates such balance and harmony through her lens.
I love the hues and soft tones in Anna’s work, that create a delicate and intense quality to the work. If you’d like to see more from Anna, and get regular updates, you can visit her flickr page here.
How does Anna’s work make you feel? Does it speak to you in a certain way?
(images: anna hatzakis)
Greek designer Elle Sakellis first launched Otrera in 2004 as a jewelry company, and it quickly grew into a successful private label jewelry business.
Named after the mysterious Greek warrior goddess known for her astounding beauty and prowess, Otrera carries collections that incorporate a combination of femininity with a fun edge in their summer collection vibrant silk scarves.
Elle lives in Manhattan and summers with her family in Mykonos, where she became inspired to create her Evil Eye scarf and bring the print as well as a piece of her culture into the world of mainstream fashion. I adore the new Otrera Hamsa scarf collection that comes in a variety of colors, with hand sewn glass evil eye charms on each end adding a gorgeous and elegant touch to your outfit!
(images: otrera)
Sabrina Dehoff is a German jewelry designer who launched her own eponymous brand in 2006 with her first collection “Little Helpers”. Sabrina creates thematic collections using a variety of characters and fantastical elements, with such playful and dreamlike forms in minimal presentations.
Sabrina studied fashion design at the Royal College of Art in London with a Masters degree in Womenswear, and afterwards trained at Guy Laroche and Lanvin in Paris for several years. In 2000, Sabrina returned to Berlin to start her own fashion consultancy company and gallery vonRot.
Sabrina Dehoff collections represent the perfect combination of elegant, delicate, playful and colorful necklaces, bracelets and earrings. The Spring/Summer 2010 collection “Sweet Surrender” feels so pure, light-hearted in it’s mood and maintains a great balance, using a variety of fun and interesting materials. I love her colorful bracelets, as well as the gold and tan necklace that could be worn as simple and classic, or edgy and glam depending on how you use it! I find that so fun in fashion, that you can interpret it however you like, and get creative and experimental.
(images: sabrina dehoff)
I have some wonderful little shops to share with you today that come from all over the world! I found beautiful things while fishing through Etsy, and these include classic jewelry, inspirational paintings, fun garlands and adorable crocheted toys! Sound like fun?
Paola Zakimi is an artist, painter and illustrator from Argentina. I am in love with her sweet illustration style, soft colors and character portraits. Her use of neutral tones and subtle touches of color create such a serene backdrop, and Paola puts so much emotion into her characters through their expression, eyes, and even through their figures.
If you’re looking for simple, elegant and classic jewelry to add the final touch on your wedding day, Bride Blu is certainly the place to go! You will find a variety of beautiful crystal, pearl and vintage jewelry that is feminine, in a mixture of designs and styles.
This Neck of the Woods is a fun and colorful shop run by Australian graphic designer Claire who currently lives in Germany. You will find lovely paper garlands, mobiles, seed packets that are all so carefully handmade using German papers with all original patterns in beautiful detail. I can see these being used for any occasion, and why not even as a regular decorative element in your home?
Sherry is an artist, knitter and crocheter, and owner of the shop y0omii, based right here in Toronto. She creates the most darling little characters, she describes as odd and cute at the same time, by crochet achieving great quality and design. You can also get to know each character a little better through Sherry’s sweet character introduction page on her blog! Cute!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my Etsy picks for this week! If you have some favorites, I’d love to know about them too, so please list them below in the comments section.
(images: sources listed above)
How would you like to journey to Sweden with me today to pay the fabulous interior stylist, Lotta Agaton a visit in her hometown of Stockholm? Lotta creates such beautiful and calming spaces, using mainly monochromatic neutral tones that give the interiors a power, in a serene way, that demand attention.
Promoted by Agent Bauer, Lotta has collaborated with the most interesting publications and clients in Europe, USA and South America. She started Residence Magazine about ten years ago and worked there for four years as drafting and interior design manager. And since, Lotta has been freelancing and working with many big advertising agencies and newspapers both in Sweden and internationally.
Lotta has a wonderful talent of styling different objects, making even the mundane look beautiful and interesting. She uses a combination of patterns, texture, shapes and sizes to create intriguing compositions. She makes every room look cozy, with a lot of character and elegance while still maintaining and informal feeling, the perfect combo for a home I think!
If you’d like to get to know Lotta, she authors a blog where she shares her likes and inspirations.
(images: lotta agaton)
I recently announced that Burrs & Berries will be going through a re-design, and that’s where I’ve been today! I redesigned the layout a couple of weeks ago and decided to take a stab at coding the stylesheet myself last night, and voila! There’s still a bit more work to do, but I am so excited to finally reveal this new look to you, as I feel it represents Burrs & Berries giving it a more comprehensive look and feel that works well with the design content of this blog. And most importantly, I hope that it gives you, my lovely readers, a comfortable and welcoming online space and experience here every time you pay a visit. So, let’s move on and look at some textiles and paper goods together, shall we?
Olive Manna is the shop of designer Natalie Jost and carries a wide range of lovely products including stationery goods, fabric and packaging material. You can find notebooks, stickers, gift tags, book notes, divine twine, all in an assortment of different shapes, colors and patterns! If you’d like to buy some twine or even notebooks, you can do so from her online shop here.
P.S The first ever Burrs & Berries giveaway contest began on Monday! If you’d like to own a copy of down the rabbit hole book, make sure you enter here!
(images: olive manna)
The moment I set my eyes on Dublin-based illustrator Phil Dunne, I couldn’t wait to share his incredible talent with you! And I have a feeling you’re going to have a hard time looking away, as I’ve been swept away with the abundance of bright colors he uses, the intricacy of his illustration, and patterns he creates. I think this might just be my favorite type of illustration. I mean, what’s not to love?
Phil began his BDes degree in Visual Communications at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin in 1999. But he’s been drawing, painting and doodling for the past 29 years, and upon graduating in 2003, Phil began to build a portfolio of diverse projects and clients, working on illustrations for advertisements, magazines, design books, events and more.
My favorite illustrations of his belongs to a series he created for Lush Magazine, which consists of the intricate and colorful drawings on the women’s head shots or beauty shots. They work so well as spreads that look great in a fashion magazine, don’t you think?
I absolutely love the juxtaposition of illustration that is carefully created alongside the beautiful photographic work of Alkan Emin. The combination creates such an interesting image, with more elaborate stories to tell that emphasizes and brings out the photography. Phil creates such beautiful compositions with his colorful and contrasting illustrations, using and forming great focal points within each image through his drawing patterns. If you like what you see, be sure to visit Phil’s online portfolio for more of his gorgeous work!
Does this illustration style appeal to you? When paired together as a collage, how do you think illustration and photography work together to emphasize the strong points in both mediums?
(images: phil dunne)
I’m excited to announce the first ever contest and giveaway here on Burrs & Berries! I have 2 copies of down the rabbit hole, the book I designed that tells the visual story of Alice in Wonderland. And I’ve decided to give them to two lucky readers! I’d love to share this book with you, so if you’d like one, the details on how to enter are below so please read them carefully and follow them closely to make sure your entry qualifies. Thank you!
Entry Details:
This contest is open to all who read this blog from anywhere around the world, and I will pay the shipping fees so it is completely free! No anonymous entries will be accepted. Comment on this post below using your valid email address, which is the email I will use to contact you if you win. It will not be published in the actual comment, it’s for my eyes only!
In the body of the comment you must list your first name and answer the following question. How do you incorporate art and design to express your creativity in your everyday life?
The giveaway will be open to enter for one week from now until Monday, May 31, 2010 at 12:00 PM EST and will have two winners. Winners will be selected using Random.org. I can’t wait to read your comments!
(images: samia kallidis for burrs & berries)
