Nancy and Betty Designer Feature:

About Nancy and Betty:

Nancy & Betty is run by designer-maker, Hannah Bidmead. I graduated in Fine Art from KIAD in Canterbury. I now work from my studio in Canterbury. I have always been obsessed with stationery, so N&B doesn’t seem like a job! N&B sell handmade stationery and paper goods, including cards, postcards, gift tags, wrap, envelopes and writing sets. N&B also supplies to Liberty in London.

Inspirations:

N&B inspirations come from the simple and the quirky things that we see everyday, especially things that remind us of being English. We live near the seaside, so that’s always a constant source of inspiration (like our seaside postcards). Other things that take our fancy are Polaroid cameras, typewriters, caravans and retro phones (functional, well designed objects).

Best Sellers:

We think we might have an obsession with typewriters, but we don’t think we’re the only ones, as our best sellers are the ‘you’re just my type’ card and the ‘thank you typewriter’ card. Typewriters are beautiful functional items, especially the 1950s+ colour ones. The ‘hope your new home is rockin’’ card, which features the popular Eames Rocker chair is a firm favourite.

We Make Summer Fair:

N&B are always designing and making new stationery. We hope to have our new range of badges, some one off curiosities and some new postcards, including the large size. We have also just launched our new caravan card (with tips for caravanning), which we think will be very popular!

Website:

Visit the website and online shop at

www.nancyandbetty.com

Follow Nancy & Betty on twitter

www.twitter.com/nancya

ndbetty

BagatellesandCo Designer Feature:

About Bagatelles&co:

I grew up in sunny Tunisia, by the beach, in a house full of plants, paintings and beautiful fabrics, spending my childhood drawing, reading, or dressing up in my mum’s clothes with my sister…
I then moved to Paris to study Textile and Fashion design. After a while, longing for new adventures, I decided to move to London and after a degree at Central Saint Martins College, I worked several years as a freelance Designer/Tailor.

Bagatelles&co started last summer when I was desperately looking for a nice evening bag for a wedding I was attending. I couldn’t find anything beautiful yet affordable so I ended up making my own…! I haven’t stopped making bags since then!
Trying to make my products the most eco friendly possible, I source mostly from vintage silks, remnants and end of rolls of tie silk, brocade, furnishing textiles and Liberty cotton, thus avoiding waste.

Inspirations:

I combine my experience as a Pattern cutter and textile Designer to create purses and clutches with unique shapes associated to vibrant colours and beautiful fabrics. My designs are created for a playful and feminine girl who enjoys life, daydreaming, and breathes a kind of sweet elegance.

Best Sellers:



Spring garden Gigi purse. It has been my best seller so far. It represents very well bagatelles&co with its cute and voluptuous shape associated to bright and feminine colours, sweet and elegant at the same time.

We Make Summer Fair:

Visitors will find change purses, clutches and satchel bags as well as some brooches, earrings and hair accessories…

Websites:

Etsy shop: www.bagatellesandco.etsy.com
Blog: www.bagatellesandco.blogspot.com

Katie Viggers Designer Feature:

About Katie Viggers:

I'm a children's book illustrator and mono print obsessive. All my work starts off a black and white mono print, sometimes it stays like this and some times I play around with it on the computer. I only really draw animals and generally get obsessed with one animal at a time.

Inspirations:

I love to create prints that make me laugh or tell a story. I'm a big fan of Hockney, Sara Fanelli, Judith Kerr and bears. I like to create child friendly illustrations that have a certain amount of sophistication and humour.

Best Sellers:




My bears work seem to be the most popular, particularly this one which is the opening spread to a new picture book I'm working on about bears. It's available as a card, a big print or a mug

We Make Summer Fair:




At We Make Summer I will be selling, original mono prints, limited edition prints, cards, bear mugs (maybe some others too) and my new alphabet prints



Websites:

I have a website www.katieviggers.com and my work is available to buy on etsy www.katieviggers.etsy.com

Just Noey Designer Feature:

About Just Noey:

2008 saw two things happening in my life… First I reached complete saturation after working for 10 years as a digital designer and realised that I was really missing the physical connection with objects while designing and the second was my introduction to Lo-fi film cameras. This started a journey of self-discovery that led me to create JustNoey where I now create and design things using various mediums like ceramics, paper, print and photography.

Inspirations:

I'm a self confessed geek and my inspiration comes from many places… Looking through my camera's view-finder I'm always surprised at what I find. Taking a walk around London and discovering it's well kept secrets, finding beautiful vintage stamps in Postcard fairs, collecting endless treasures from flea markets.

Best Sellers:

My Monster in Manhattan "My Cuppa" Mug was a huge hit last Christmas. The Pink monster was created for my "My Cuppa" line.

We Make Summer Fair:

I'm currently developing two new lines of hand-illustrated ceramics for We Make London. The whole range of products will include mugs, dinner plates, sushi plates and coasters. Here is sneak peak at one of the lines, The Alphabet plates that I've created using food theme doodles.

Websites:

www.justnoey.com

www.justnoey.etsy.com

Cariad Cake Stands Designer Feature:

About Cariad Cake Stands:

Cariad Cake Stands are unique tiered stands made from a handpicked combination of vintage china and old wine and sherry glasses. Cariad (Welsh for “love”) started with some mismatch vintage china spotted in Paris and took off from there. Bringing a bit of glamour to afternoon tea or as a beautiful centerpiece to wedding tables, the stands are now sold at local markets in and around North London. I collect the china on my travels, from trips around London markets on Pierre (my beloved old French racing bike) or the flea markets in Paris.

Inspirations:

I’ve always been a big fan of cakes, baking and afternoon tea so Cariad combines this with my love of vintage china. I love the thought of them finding happy homes and providing someone with an excuse to bake some cakes. I began selling them as a way to put myself through university, which I start in September, but going to the independent craft markets and sourcing the materials has now become a huge part of my life which is a good creative outlet outside of my job and studies.

Best Sellers:



Every piece I make is individual, and depends on which plates and glasses find themselves in the big pile ready to be made into a pretty cake stand. However the stands that elicit the most attention are any of those with a gold or blue theme. See image below, which is a selection of some stands that all sold immediately.



We Make Summer Fair:

I have a trip to Paris scheduled for a month before the Summer Fair to ensure I can get the prettiest plates and will be selling a number of cake stands, from single tiered stands to the traditional three tiered . I will focus on the floral themed stands, as these always do well in the summer months. There will be free delivery for customers within zones 1 and 2.

Website:

http://cariadcakestands.wordpress.com or contact me via email on cariadcakestands@live.co.uk

Mengsel Design Designer Feature:

About Mengsel Design:

Mengsel design was created in 2009 by London based South African designer, Luzelle van der Westhuizen.

Luzelle studied jewellery design at Cape Town’s University of Technology, graduating with honours. After graduation, she set up a small jewellery studio in Cape Town, but after a couple of months, the travel bug bit and her bags were packed for London. After working for other designers, the time was right to go on a creative adventure again, and so Mengsel Design was born. Mengsel is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for mixture.

Using traditional silkscreen printing techniques, Luzelle’s bold, bright and sometimes whimsical illustrations are transferred onto paper and fabric.

Her work is inspired by geometric and hand-drawn patterns, as well as African and Scandinavian design. At the moment, the range consists of interior products such as tea towels, pillow cover sets and cushion covers. The Mengsel interior range is set to expand in 2010, adding new products based on Luzelle’s illustrations.

Inspirations:

I'm inspired by everyday objects that are beautifully crafted, as seen in my "Moka Express" prints. My designs are hand drawn and then scanned into Photoshop where it is "tweaked" and prepared for creating a photo stencil for traditional silkscreen printing. My art prints are all lovingly done by hand. I really enjoy working in the studio and zoning out on the details and the whole traditional process. Other inspirationsn include 60s and 70s style Scandinavian patterns and prints, bold happy colours and hand drawn patterns.

Best Sellers:

Moka Express prints. This intricately hand drawn pattern is available printed on 100% cotton tea towels and 50 x 70cm prints on 300g Snowdon paper. I think people find the design appealing, because this coffee maker is a really well designed and much loved item and people think of it fondly. My customers also loves the simple, bold style and bright colours.

We Make Summer Fair:

Buyers can expect to see a whole new range or art prints and other goodies such as pillow cover sets, notebooks and 100% cotton tea towels. There will definitely be a few surprises with new things that I'm working on at the moment and buyers will se a few new things at my stall.

Webstes:

site: www.mengsel.com

blog: mengseldesign.blogspot.com

twitter: twitter.com/mengseldesign

facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/mengsel

flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/mengseldesign/

Alice Gabb Designer Feature:

About Alice Gabb:

Alice is a graduate of Graphic Design at Bath School of Art and Design. Her work is inspired by her playful love of the English language, British regalia and vintage curiosities, drawing much influence from old typography and packaging design.

She particularly loves making things out of reclaimed textiles and antique papers, using things that already have a story, and giving things a new use, in a new context.

Her chosen medium is often monoprinting, preferring the unique, naive line and personal touch of hand printing. Her work has been exhibited at the Dray Walk Gallery, Brick Lane, the KK Outlet in Hoxton Square and Brighton Art Fair.

Inspirations:

Encouraging long lost habits such as the art of writing letters, and the challenge and beauty of reusing textiles instead of buying new. I am always inspired by vintage textiles and packaging…oh and my small obsession with royal memorabilia.

Best Sellers:

My Royal Creatures hand printed writing paper which is double sided so that it folds into its own envelope.

We Make Summer Fair:

Handprinted letters and envelopes and all manner of stationery to inspire you to pick up a pen. Also appearing will be my trusty range of tweed bears, made from the finest vintage textiles and hand embroidered.

Websites:

www.alicegabb.com - www.alicegabb.blogspot.com - www.etsy.com/shop/alicegabb