Neal's Yard Wild Rose Beauty Balm Collaboration

Last year I was invited  by Neal's Yard Remedies to re-design the packaging for a 10 year anniversary edition of their best selling Wild Rose Beauty Balm.

Having worked with them previously to create a bespoke brooch for their Bee Lovely campaign, I was delighted to be considered again for such a prestigious event.

The brief was to keep it simple. To honour the organic ingredients of the beauty balm; Geranium, Patchouli, Rose hip and Borage.

I illustrated some simple (yet beautiful) watercolour and ink drawings and sent them off. Little did I expect that my first draft would be enough. Neal's Yard loved them. We were on the same page....

Several months later, I was invited to their Head quarters nr Gillingham in Dorset. To gain access to such a place was a real treat. There I met with the Marketing Director Nicola Nolan who got me involved in the project. She gave me a tour of the building...(woah is all I can say) and I even got to step inside the production room. I was shown a mock up for the packaging and couldn't believe how beautiful is was going to look.

Several months later, the limited edition product was launched. It is so exciting to see our collaboration now in the shops albeit slightly surreal.

ta dah!

My designs as decals in the Bath Store. So lovely to see it in the flesh. 

I was also asked to create some mugs as press gifts.

And I was invited to be guest speaker at an event in Bath run by Neal's Yard Remedies consultant Sian Hendra. It was a slightly daunting prospect, but a brilliant opportunity to talk about working with Neal's Yard and how the project came about. I took along my original drawings which went down a treat. And a few of my friends came along for moral support (thanks Amy and Marjorie my lovely housemates and Charlotte Farmer who prepped me with a G&T before hand).

I opened a shop.....

I am thrilled to say that just over a month a go I opened a shop on the Gloucester Rd in Bristol with a group of very talented and creative Bristol ladies.

Introducing Paper Plane....Our creative Co-Operative.

Paper Plane came about in February 2014 when the 7 of us (having met creatively through pop-up shops and fairs in the Bristol area) decided that we would like to start our own venture together. We found an empty shop on the Gloucester Road in Bristol (one of the longest independent shopping destinations in Europe apparently). After the signing of contracts, we set about stripping, painting and re-conditioning the former 'Timeout Travel' coaches to Poland shop. An exhausting but exhilarating 3 weeks of hard work resulted in this amazing shop/gallery.

Paper Plane as it was!

Stripping the rather heinous green walls.....

After pulling up the carpets we found these amazing wooden floorboards. 

Painting the outside of the shop. 

Our launch party was a wonderful event with lots of friends, local residents and businesses coming along to support us. We couldn't have asked for a more positive response and since opening, we have be inundated with customers and local residents coming in to welcome us to the neighbourhood.

What a party we had for our launch night. 

We've used lots of reclaimed and recycled wood for the inside of our shop.

Paper Plane consists of the shop at the front and gallery space at the back. 

My wares on sale. 

 Paper Plane is an independent shop and gallery representing local as well as national design, craft and art. Run by 7 Bristol based makers, we also invite guest artists to sell in the shop. Our gallery space is open for artists from all mediums to exhibit in.

Visit our website Paper Plane here.

We're also on Facebook and Twitter.

And Pinterest....

What a beauty you were 2013....

Commission for Ape Action Africa

Rock My Wedding Collaborations!

Way back when it was freezing cold and it was not unusual for my housemates to find me sat at the kitchen table hugging a hot water bottle whilst pouring over emails most evenings...(blimey this sounds rather Dickensian minus the modern day technology)...I received an exciting email from Rock My Wedding. One of the UK's biggest and bestest wedding blogs and all round place to go for ideas, beautiful photography, suppliers etc.

I was asked to design a range of cufflinks which were both contemporary and elegant and which would appeal to their male customers.

Having very similar humour, we had great fun coming up with a range of badges and favours or wedding table tags which were a quirky alternative for gifts and decorations.

I was invited to join the Rock My Wedding Pop-up Boutique in London back in April. It was held at the beautiful Avenue Restaurant and I met the wonderful Harriet Wilde shoe designer extraordinaire and fellow collaborator and the ladies behind Maid to Measure. A sure place to visit for Bridesmaids!

My exclusive range of cufflinks, badges and favours can be found at the Rock My Boutique shop along with some other wonderful collaborators.

Super fun bank holidays.

I kick started my Bank Holiday weekend with a trip over to Bath on Friday to help out at the Fringe Arts Bath opening night. My lovely friends Scarlett & Arran along with a whole host of volunteers have worked their socks off over the past months/weeks/days/hours to bring another amazing showcase of visual arts to the city. It runs from Friday 24th May - Sunday 9th June. Take a look at their website right here. http://www.fringeartsbath.co.uk/

Saturday was play day so I spent the day (perhaps with a cider or two) with a friend boogieing away in the sun to Bonobo, Mr Scruff & a whole host of other amazing musicians & DJ's at the Love Saves the Day Festival in Bristol. Love this video for 'Cirrus' by Bonobo.

Up at the crack of dawn on Sunday and a mad dash to catch the train to London, I spent a lovely afternoon meandering round Shoreditch and Brick Lane with my oldest pal Helen. My longtime consideration of purchasing a 'fanny pack' mainly for practical reasons over aesthetic, has now been reignited after realising that this is the no.1 fashion accessory of East london.

Monday was work day and so I trundled off with Ceramic suitcase in tow to Old Spitalfields market where I spent a lovely day selling my wares to friendly punters. It was great to see some regular faces (Brendan and Ruth of) I am acrylic  and met some lovely new faces Home Slice Design whose ceramics are just brilliant.

i am acrylic ( I have this necklace & I heart it a lot) 

HomeSlice Design

I had the pleasure of selling next to the amazing Illustrator/Printmaker Dorota Janecka & her technical assistant beau Nick for the day. Not only is her work amazing but they are a jolly lovely couple & were rather funny too! 

Dorota Janecka

Phew! What a weekend. Looking forward to the next Bank Holiday though. 

Southbank Arts Trail

Having just about recovered from last weekends’ Arts Trail in Southville, I thought it about time I shared some of the photos from what was a ruddy brilliant weekend!

I moved to Bristol about 6 months ago and moved into a gorgeous house with some even more gorgeous(er) ladies and cat. As a house of artists and creative folks, we decided to open up our home for the SouthBank Arts Trail held every year in May. It was a great opportunity to give a little bit of tlc to the old bird and finally tackle the garden and show the slugs the other side of the fence (although not the neighbours of course). 

Inspired by the trail’s theme of myths and legends, Our laser cutter extraordinaire (& fellow housemate) Sarah Barnes decided to base her work on Pegasus and so a giant free standing Pegasus is what greeted our trail blazers on their way into No 3 Raleigh Rd.

Sarah also designed some pretty awesome laser cut jewellery with the marvelous Georgie Shire.

No 3’s Resident printmaker and illustrator Marjorie Dumortier  graced the front room with her beautiful prints and new range of ceramics. 

We were lucky enough to have illustrator and all round maker marvel Jenny Mackendrick  exhibit with us. (Her gluten free chocolate brownie being a firm favourite of the weekend).

Katie Wallis  filled our living room with her beautiful hand screen printed textiles of birds, bees and wonderful things. ( I couldn’t quite believe it but one of her bee cushions now sits on my chair!)

We met so many lovely people this weekend. So a huge thank you to all who helped baked cakes, serve the cakes, throw things in cupboards ready to open the doors at 11; to friends and strangers who sat in our garden; to the lovely Ruth who sang so beautifully (and to her boyfriend who attached parsley to our clothes line).

We hope to see you all again next year!