Young at Hart

We were both hoping to have 2 ranges of 12 before we go to Paris this week. It looks like to have them finished by Xmas may be more realistic. Simons are shaping up well. I am working on some new 'Splash' designs for Saj at Minty so I am trailing behind him. A sneak peak of what is starting to come out of Simons grotto (studio!)

Labels at Last

After a few attempts finally a little label that is acceptable. Everything takes so much longer than you expect!

Next week Simon will go to London for the British Design Awards hosted by Elle Decoration.
I get the short straw & stay home to look after the kids! It has just occurred to me that apart from the miniscule pics of the fabric in the Elle Deco spreads, you can not really have a good look.  So here we are. These were designs for Liberty printed on Tana Lawn for AW 2009 & now sold out.

Tomorrow we are on a road trip visiting the manufacturers who are creating some products for us from this fabric. It's a slow journey but we will get there.

So lucky.

Ok 3 posts 1 night, I really have to go  do something more exciting with my Saturday night.

I am on my last scan....

Had to take a few new pics this week for a rather fabulous new website we have been asked to appear on run by Simon & Andrew called 'Further Afield'. It is a very discerning website for gay travelers & their friends. Their own very well presented accommodation can be found at www.theperen.com. For anyone reading this who does not know we also run our holiday let business here in Dartmouth.

Alas all my pics are portrait & of course landscape is the better format for this one. Well any excuse to imagine I am an interior magazine photographer....Reminds me how lucky we are to live in this amazing place (Dartmouth!!) & eat our lunch in our peaceful summerhouse, ahhhhh. Just to think I used to get a thrill squeezing myself on the tube at Clapham North at 8.45am to get to work at Debenhams design studio on time (well always a few minutes late or it wouldn't be me)

Manged about 8 scans while tapping this out but for now it's over & out from me x

Sneek Peek...

Aghhh so nothing for a week & then twice in 1 day. Precious moments between scanning.

1/2 of me is saying don't post these half baked 1st attempts, but hey it's interesting to see the journey between where we start & the finished article. Perhaps this is one of the qualities of a blog...To observe the process. Here are a couple of a few 1st shots from both of us at laying down some ideas for the work based on the Tozers draws of letters...

Scarlett Hotel bliss..

Gorgeous sunshine reminding me of a wonderful weekend we  recently spent to celebrate 11 years of matrimonial bliss! at The amazing Eco Scarlett Hotel in Mawgan Porth Cornwall.
There was a fabulous artists work with pebbles & leaves combining mohair crochet. I have googled Susanne Bauer which is the name I wrote down but can not find her....To be continued...

Unfortunately I am not at The Scarlett hotel today but posting this in between scanning hundreds of prints made from our print letter find. In desperation at ever reaching the end of scanning I made a little start last night to get me more excited about finishing this mountain of scanning. Many ideas & we are both raring to go.....

Great Find !!!

Our local printers Tozers has relocated and clearing out their old premises has left these lovely printing letters in need of a home. How could we refuse!! Staggering down the steps to Simons studio we have finally got them all in. We both have a thousand ideas of how to start using them. Simon has been busily printing while my little scanner has steam coming out the back, scanning them all. 2 very different collections in progress. 1 childrens from Simon and mine much more typography orientated for grown ups....Both should sit well next to each other (just like Simon and I.... most of the time!)

anthropologie opening soon!

Always felt there was a gaping hole in Europe that anthropologie store needed to fill.

At last we don't have to dream about them so far across the Atlantic and if our pounds no longer stretch that far they have at last done the decent thing and come to us.

New Store opens this month on Regents Street http://www.anthropologie.co.uk/

Cue rapturous applause * ***!!! (Listen you can you hear it all the way from Devon?)

Simon Nominated for The British Design Awards

Here is hoping that next year will begin as well as this one is ending!

To top Simons lovely feature in Elle Decoration last month we are thrilled to

find out he has been nominated for The British Design Awards for his Liberty print 'Cool Coast'.

Simon nominated as 1 of 14 for the Surface Pattern Award section. Exciting news & the public online votes count by voting you automatically get a chance to win a prize.!

The competition which is featured in this months Elle Decoration magazine, has 2 categories, product design & surface pattern.

It is in the surface pattern category where Simon has a textile print selected. The print is one of 2 produced for Liberty last year and although sold in their current Autumn/ Winter

09 collection, has almost completely sold out.

As one of 14 nominees he faces extremely tough national competition in the form of major national brands such as Sanderson, Farrow & Ball & Harlequin amongst others leading brands & designers.

The vote is cast by the public in an online system and it takes just a few seconds by visiting www.thebritishdesignawards.com. It can be seen in both the September & October editions of Elle Decoration magazine. The award ceremony when winners will be announced will take place on November 10th at Aqua London.

& so to print....

I have taken far too long to get these to print. 2 ranges 24 cards. Very excited at last to take back final proofs to the printers tomorrow. Today we also have a web site homepage (well under construction anyway!) at www.lovehart.co.uk

Hello Lovehart, Goodbye Hartworks

After lengthy negotiations to try & use our previous company name 'hartworks' we have finally resigned ourselves that we are starting afresh with new name 'lovehart'

Experimenting with various looks for the name at the moment... So a few pics to say goodbye hartworks, you served us well, & hello to the lovely lovehart.

Just about to go to print with Fifi & Fido & Kittolina so have to get something buttoned down soon. Sneak preview on these cards tomorrow I think.

Simons prints for Liberty

2 prints:- Chicane & Cool Coast on Tana Lawn for Liberty. They are available in 4 colour ways each. How lovely to see it featured in September Elle Decoration! Well done my hubby!

And so we Begin!

At last it is time to try & master blogging & begin to chart the progress of our new adventure lovehart.co.uk

A combination of our work, ideas & observations of the big outside world as seen from our little corner of Devon.... More to come.