Failed Already

I've failed my new year's resolution already, hahah oops.

Well I thought it would be best that I tried to regain some credibility by blogging one day late.

So here it is.

I thought just let you know that our SALE is still on and we still have a few awesome bargains! Everything in the Sale is up to 50% off! YAY!

You can check it out in full here.

Apparently you guys want style posts from me :S lets see if I can make that happen in a week!

ROAR!

NY

My New Year's Resolution is to blog once a week, every week. Without fail.

I CAN do this.

I am putting this here so that I can't pretend this isn't my resolution.

Well I now have until next Sunday to blog again, please remind me, I don't want to fail!

ROAR!

Dinosaurs and Dodo's Hang Out (Renegade Craft Fair)

Crafty Looking RCF (Renegade Craft Fair) for you slo-mos

Last weekend I was probably thee most tired I have ever been. Working all week preparing stock and then getting up at stupid o'clock to avoid rail replacement wasn't the beginning of a fresh faced and stress free weekend!

I looked a mess, so THANK YOU, to anybody that still approached our stall and bought from us, as we not only looked a mess, but I feel I was also talking delirious nonsense too!

However, now I've got that apology/rant out of the way...

Renegade is an AWESOME-TASTIC weekend for sellers and buyers alike.

Us having all the fun on our joint stall with the Epic-ly Amazing hello DODO

I am going to show you snapshots of my weekend, I'm not going to show you the layout of sellers' stalls because it's Thursday and I've already seen a million posts like that. Sorry if I have mentioned these people before, my taste hasn't changed...

Toby (i like CATS) struggling with all his luggage on the way to Renegade, he struggled on the way home too but no photos of that!

Bredan (i am acrylic) had the best badge. He's very very helpful. 

Jacques kept leaping into all of my photos...

Prawn Brooch by Magasin. I did the really annoying thing of trying to redesign somebody else's product. I really wanted a prawn-y necklace and was trying to work out if I could make this beautiful brooch into what I wanted. Sarah was EXTREMELY patient with me. She's lovely.

Cheska is super happy in front of her stall (mooshpie)

Our Crafty Crewdem leaving Renegade :( including Sally from Hand Over Your Fairy Cakes, and Amy her trusty Stall buddy! (all credit for this photo goes to Sally, except she's in it so ermm.)

So did you like my little wander around Renegade or would you prefer me to do a list of all the sellers I like and their products, because I have all the photos to do that blogpost too... let me know in the comments yeah?

ROAR!

PS I haven't edited my photos, there aren't enough hours in the day!

Florrie + Karli...

So last week we launched our new Florrie products which were styled and photographed by Florrie and her sister Rosie. They are beautiful photos with a dreamy vintage feel, which fits perfectly with Florrie's style.

I am as far from vintage, grown up and put together as you can get so I also took some photos with my sister, Amelia last week and wanted to show you how somebody who gets dressed in the dark would style the pieces. So if you also fail at dressing as a grown up and you want to have a bright and colourful winter with awesome statement jewellery, this is how I'd do it*...

Also Amelia bought a new top, and wanted to show it off so I have this photo too... 

Please excuse my photo taking/editing, I suck at this stuff...

*DISCLAIMER, I have not meant to offend anybody with this post

Renegade Craft Fair London

Next weekend we will be at Renegade Craft Fair London in the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane.

We are lucky enough that this is our second year at Renegade, but this year we are sharing a stall with the AWESOME hello DODO.

We will obviously have our new best mate George with us as well as all of our other new products.

Including our new Florrie x designosaur pieces!

We will also have some NEW! EXCITING! LIMITED EDITION! dinosaur pieces that will only be available at Craft Fairs this Christmas season. So come and see us next weekend!

ROAR!

Florrie x designosaur

I met Florrie whilst we were both interning in London. We made matching bracelets and I don't really know how we got to where we are now. This is our second collaboration with Florrie and she is going to tell you a little more about herself...

Florrie Ann Thomas

Florrie in her Bear Bib Necklace

Intricate hand cut paper illustrations inspired by antique lace, nature and print design. 

Since graduating from Loughborough University School of Art & Design in Multi-Media Textiles (2010) I have applied these skills and the love of Folk Art towards recreating lace through the humble material that is paper. Being a freelance designer I have had the opportunity to create window displays, commissions, collaborations and also work with other designers in this exciting medium. Being able to collaborate with designosaur has been a dream come true because of my big love of jewellery and quirky design. 

Flower ring

       

Florrie's sister Rosie modelled for all these shots, that's what sisters are for right?

I like to contrast textures and styles within my work, setting old against new; scouring vintage and antique fairs provides me with little treasures I might use for inspiration, collages or just add to my growing eclectic collection.

RAWRSOME Growling Bear Brooch

My love of nostalgia creeps in to most pieces of my work whether its Victorian embroidery, a children's book illustration or a pattern from a 1920s piece of china. To contrast against this I love modern and innovative design which brings a contemporary edge and helps my work evolve.

Cute flower earrings

Although I graduated with a degree in Textiles, illustration has always (and will always) be a major element of my work. My parents are a big influence and have always encouraged creativity due to their own talents. My dad Mark Thomas fed my appreciation with the history of illustration through being able to follow his varied career, portfolio and vast collection of reference books. 

Mini Growly Bear

The Journey from Paper to Acrylic

1. My original hand cut paper illustration of Hidden in Lace. This piece was from my degree show and easily one of my most time consuming and detailed paper cuts. I wanted to recreate antique lace through paper but bring a more contemporary element by placing unusual imagery within the pattern to catch people out. 

Florrie's original Paper Cut

2. I decided to choose this paper cut as I thought it would stand out and compliment Designosaurs unique image. After playing around with potential shapes and designs I decided on the collar style for this piece. I edited the lace in Photoshop to make it symmetrical and simplified elements.

Florrie's necklace design

3. The next stage was designosaur doing their magic! An important stage of the process is checking the file and making sure the intricate design would work as jewellery. Then the piece was laser cut in white acrylic.

BIG Statement Bear Necklace

4. The finished result! Check it out - Now available at www.designosaurYEAH.etsy.com 

ROAR!

Peace Out!

Karma Karma Karma Karma Karma Chameleon...

Hello DODO (www.hellododoshop.etsy.com) are our favourite crafty folk and since meeting them last year and loving each other's work this collaboration came naturally! They are clever, witty screenprinters who came up with the idea of  "The Necklace That Goes With Everything!" and so George was born.

Ali and George hanging out

George, is a grumpy chameleon. He is laser cut from very slightly green tinted acrylic, and is perched on a cherry wood laser cut branch before being hung from a 40cm long silver plated curb chain.

Ali and George are best mates

Our designosaur branded gift box has been pimped out by hello DODO with a two colour screenprint in peacock blue and metallic silver water-based, toxic-free ink handprinted on to 300gsm matt card.

Want to get your hands on your very own George? You can here: designosaur Etsy Shop

George hanging out in his tank... I mean box

PS Sorry for the silence. Hopefully this is the beginning of me blogging again!

ROAR!