Burrs & Berries » 2010 May

Etsy Love

May 272010

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)

Interior Stylist Lotta Agaton

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May 262010

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)

Olive Manna Textiles & Paper Goods

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May 262010

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)

Spotlight on Talent: Phil Dunne

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May 252010

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)

Burrs & Berries Contest: down the rabbit hole Book Giveaway!

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May 242010

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)