Sing in the spring

26.04.12

Sing in the spring

After my partner in crime released her spring playlist recently. I bring you my 3 hours of sunshine & showers.

Tracks...

Message To Bears – Wake Me
Harrys Gym – Old Man
Chairlift – Ghost Tonight
Jenny Wilson – Anchor Made Of Gold
Primary 1 / The Shoes – People Movin'
Ben Browning – I Can't Stay
Geographer – Original Sin
Trailer Trash Tracys – You Wish You Were Red
Blackbird Blackbird – Montauk (Feat. Steffaloo)
CFCF – Cometrue
Crackazat – Loop de Loop - Reprise
Trickski – Beginning
Tom Trago – Being With You
New Look – So Real
NZCA/LINES – Compass Points
Primary 1 – Swimming Pools
Discopolis – Lofty Ambitions
Typesun – Last Home - Original
Nufrequency feat Ben Onono – Fallen Hero - Motor City Drum Ensemble Remix
Fritz Kalkbrenner – Right in the Dark - Henrik Schwarz Remix - Chopstick & Johnjon Edit
John Talabot – Destiny feat. Pional
Will Saul – Room In Your Heart - Wolf & Lamb & Slow Hands Remix
Parallel Dance Ensemble – Occupied - Salax Peep Show Remix
Behling – Last Chance - Original
Bicycle Corporation – Blkn - Kivi 'n Kava Remix
Todd Terje – Inspector Norse
Lo-Fi-Fnk – Want U
Tom Vek – Aroused
Twinsy – Water Bombs - Original
Toy Tigers – Golden
Grimes – Be a Body
Alpines – Ice & Arrows - Dark Sky Remix
Disclosure – Flow
Kollektiv Turmstrasse & Florian Schirmacher – Uneins - Original Mix
Airhead – Wait
James Blake – A Case Of You
2:54 – You're Early
Blaudzun – Flame On My Head
Conner Youngblood – Australia
Wise Blood – Darlin' You're Sweet
We Have Band – Tired Of Running
Eugene McGuinness – Shotgun
AWOLNATION – Guilty Filthy Soul
Therapies Son – Touching Down

Spotify link as per.

by Gav
Music

Cheltenham #1: Design festival

23.04.12

Cheltenham #1: Design festival

As a designer, people tell you life - at times - can bit a little lonely, confusing and frustrating. Design can be a real love hate relationship. Stuck between the ultimate in expressive problem solving, and the torment of having to perfect the impossible.



Lucky for me then, there are some little moments which give the daily grind real clarity. Friday in Cheltenham was one such day. And whilst I didn't have chance to see even half of the talks available across the weekend, those I did catch reminded me that I do not just design...I am armed with the potential to shape the world around me.

What I heard from the speakers is that everything is changing, the way business, politics, society is functioning is constantly moving and evolving. Cultural and technological shifts are dramatically changing the way people communicate and interact with brands, with business, with each other.



Inspirational stories of collaborations, communities and cultures provided ample juice to question my own role in the design world. The real inspiration however, is that design is only a small part of the creative process, one which we all have the potential to influence.

To me, what's most exciting and reassuring, is that only when we fearlessly throw ourselves fully into the unknown, can we truly uncover our promise to create and innovate.

by Gav
Travel, Design

Designer cities

19.04.2012

Designer cities

I've been meaning to post about the You Are Here issue of the Eight:48 publication for a while. In fact, I didn't realise how long until I saw the news their new issue is out. Oops. Anyway, the issue I wanted to blog about focusses on designers and their relationship with the cities they live in. I'm a city gal through and through, truly motivated by my cultural surroundings and creative ground. I'm enthralled with travelling, I need my quarterly fix to keep me stimulated (next up Edinburgh!) and I've had the opportunity to visit some unquestionably inspiring cities over the past few years - Copenhagen, New York, Barcelona and Istanbul to name a few. 

I've always wanted to relocate to the big smoke, indulge in the melting pot and hang out in hip places. I still do, but for now I'm pretty happy with Brum - I've got a small little flat in an Edwardian property 2 miles south of the city, my close friends are moving central and there's a really approachable 'scene' here. We have a medium sized network with familiar names and faces popping up, everybody seems to directly or indirectly be connected and there's some really cool happenings of late too. I think I always thought i'd have to move to London to find all that, when in fact - I've found (the majority of) it right here and met some lovely chums in the meantime. It's on a smaller scale, don't get me wrong, but on reading Eight:48 it's definitely confirmed a few things...

"The cities we live in inspire us beyond our control", so they do. But how important is that presence? For instance, I see a tweet from a NY-based friend about a new cafe - I click through, admire, share and suddenly i'm scrolling through a San Fran - based designer's website to see what other branding projects they accomplished. I'm inspired, a thousand miles away from Birmingham.

What did interest me, is that many of the interviewed designers haven't always lived in their current city. "Designers associated with Paris, are not always French and French designers are not always represented in Paris". Some grew up in another country, studied abroad or have worked in multiple continents. It makes me think it's as much about the places you've been and the countries you've visited to that of the city you live in. Inspiration comes from a vast range of sources and with the inter webs I guess it crosses us all over that little bit more…

by Claire
Design

Billboards & bikerides

15.04.2012

Billboards & bikerides

If you're a Birmingham based creative you'd have heard of the new large scale project, donning miles of road and pathway landscapes across the city - 48sheet. The urban gallery, run by EC Arts has transformed the city into one giant canvas for 29 artists (local, national and global) who have taken up to one hundred 10ft x 20ft 48 sheet billboards with their designs.

I'd spotted several on the ring road on my drives to work but was super keen to scout the rest. The sun was shining on Saturday morning so we took our bikes out, following the Eliot's Loop cycle route from the website. 11.58 miles through Digbeth, along the canals, stopping for lunch in the JQ, down through the city centre and up through Highgate. We didn't actually count how many we saw (doh!) but we snapped some of our favourites to share with you…

If you're in Brum, you're bound to have spotted one on your travels - but either way do go out and support this awesome project! There's cycle and walking routes online if you're less familiar with the area and there's a pop-up space for the project in the Mailbox which will host a variety of events from 19th April. Great stuff Birmingham!

by Claire
Design

Spring Cleaning

13.04.2012

Spring cleaning

Music for your ears, especially if you're cleaning.

Cheeky Spotify playlist including: Toro Y Moi, Alpines, Boo Williams, Trickski & Honom.
If you like electronic music you'll like it... if you don't - you won't.

by Claire
Music

Letterpress loves

02.04.2012

Letterpress loves

Back in 2010 I received a delightful letterpress promo pack from Glasgow Press, a beautiful cassette sized card box with 6 cards on different duplex boards with a range of die cutting, metallic and holo-graphic foiling. The finish was - well, quite impressive and it sparked ideas for some recent projects of mine, including the rebrand of copywriter Euston Do You Copy where we chose a green and white duplex Colorplan with black and cream letterpress. I've also been quite inspired to sort myself out with some too!

So, yeh I was pretty excited to hear that following their last promo, Glasgow Press were to collaborate with Scottish designer Kerr Vernon for a follow up! For a small charitable donation you can get your tangible loving paws on the set of five letterpress postcards featuring songs by some of Glasgows favourite bands, all tucked tightly together with a belly band and hand-made wax seal. Sexy.

by Claire

Design 

Pointe Blank meets FAKE Magazine

27.03.2012

Pointe Blank meets FAKE magazine

Following the successful launch of Pointe Blank #2 back in February we were keen to prolong the venture. Collaboration talks with FAKE magazine kept the excitement going. FAKE magazine are an originally Birmingham based (now Oxford and Leeds) magazine focusing on independent fashion and visual arts. They produce beautiful A5 publications with full page photography and specially commissioned illustration, all for a steal at four of your English pounds.

Coincidentally, in the run up to Pointe Blank whilst collating a list of artists to invite for the new collection, Kerry Leslie (FAKE) was on my radar whilst in the meantime she dropped me an email inviting me to take part in their latest issue, 4. Having never met, we were both excited over each others projects and took part in a creative swap! She designed a graphic poster for the Hobson's Choice collection and I created an illustration for the magazine for an article by Sarah Seaton. Talks of a collaboration event were exciting!

Kerry and I teamed up with our favourite local independent 6/8 Kafe (where the Pointe Blank collection was to move to) and organised an event for Saturday 10th March. We invited friends, local designers and other creative folk to come on down for some live illustration, the launch of FAKE issue 4, drink good coffee, eat good cake and even take part in a spot of doodling.

From 2pm, the sun was shining and we had Pointe Blank's Jimmy Rogers and FAKE's Pippa Stewart illustrating on some large boards out the front with their Posca's! Inside we had takeaway cups filled with Sharpies and Rob had bought some beer/cup mats down so customers could take part in the Inkygoodness beer mat challenge.

Overall, a super fun day and massive thanks to 6/8 for their support of ace stuff. More stuff in Birmingham like this please! 
Thanks to Katy for the photos.

by Claire
Design

Chickens in Hackney?

18.03.2012

Chickens in Hackney?

I learnt not so long ago, that Hackney (yep, that's right - the hub of East London's hipster generation) has a FARM.
Look at this chicken!

That is all...

by Claire
Travel

JQ Brew

12.03.2012

JQ brew

On the hunt for second hand furniture shops (decorating on a budget!), we left Moseley and ventured out to the Jewellery Quarter. Nestled under the arches of Birmingham Snow Hill rail sits independent tea specialists Brewsmiths.

Tea served the proper way, in a pot with a strainer, with a cake! We really liked the laid back vibes in there - cushions galore, bunting and a nice array of coffee table books including London's new-age 'good' food restaurant Leon.

Rumour has it that Birmingham based Quoteskine doodler Lee Crutchley will be exhibiting there in April. Go check it out!

by Claire
Food & Drink

Tea with 10 Collective

09.03.2012

Tea with 10 Collective

'10 girls doing it' the single colour Pantone posters stated.


I like female designers, we're a bit outnumbered in this male dominated industry as you can imagine. I quite liked the sound of 10 Collective, an all female award winning graphic design collective. Originating from Brazil, Russia, Turkey and beyond, currently residing in London. I had the opportunity to speak to a couple of them during the 'Graphic Birdwatching' walk as part of London Design Festival back in September. They were based at the event HQ in Space studios, Hackney, alongside some of the industry's finest female talent including Penguin book designer Coralie Bickford-Smith.

Graduating from the London College of Communication, the 10 Collective's goal was to bring together their different influences to offer a truly diverse approach. It was really interesting to informally chat about  our design ambitions, both individually and collectively. They love a good cuppa, the key seemed to be in their communication and each of their personalities shining through. It was great to see how close they are as a friendship group too. Quite inspiring to say the least...

by Claire
Design

Pointe Blank

01.03.2012 

Pointe Blank

Last year a convo over a cuppa led to the exciting collaboration between myself and Birmingham Royal Ballet. Pointe Blank was born in May last year with a collection of works based on BRB's production of Coppelia, inviting 27 artists and designers to produce a piece of artwork to be exhibited.

With the success of the project I was pretty chuffed when Rob (my partner in crime at BRB) approached me back in December, inviting me to work on another Pointe Blank project with thorough support from all the company. It gave us an opportunity to really think about what the collaboration was about and what we were trying to do. The majority of the contributors had never been to the ballet before (me included) so we were really keen to tap into a new audience, the brief encouraging the designers to see the productions as a story, rather than a ballet. We felt that opportunities to collaborate were few and far between in Birmingham and with the use of a certain 140 character social media network we didn't have to search too far for talent!

This years production is Hobson's Choice. We were keen to keep the brief as unprescriptive as possible, allowing participants to be as creative as wanted to be. We filled the 27 spaces within a few hours with designers from Birmingham, London and Berlin!

We launched the collection on Monday 20th February at Birmingham Royal Ballet studios and it'll be exhibiting at 6/8 Kafe on Temple Row from 5th March. There's talks of a collaborative event with FAKE too, watch this space...

(thanks to Katy for the pics in this post!)


by Claire 
Design

Little Dragon Vs Sbtrkt

01.03.12

Little Dragon Vs Sbtrkt

5 days + 2 gigs = good times (- chic).

Little Dragon have been around for years. I could pretend I'm cool enough to know this...sadly this would be a big fat lie. Instead then, I'll tell you how much I like the recent album and how not knowing any earlier work or indeed that much about the band left me blissfully unaware of what to expect from the gig.

The unknown in this case was mesmerisingly brilliant, mostly in the form of front lady Yukimi Nagano (who also happens to feature on a certain London duo's debut album...read on). I dare you not to fall in love with her a little bit. Nagano's seduction was emphasised further by the relentlessly moody and unpredictable electronic melodies from the band's past & present.



-&-

I've been loving Sbtrkt on my stereo for what seems like a long time. So them being on at the HMV Institute seemed like a good reason to party on a school night. I'd seen them at Field Day last summer so they had plenty to live up to cos that was a sweet gig.

Efficiency be the theme of the night, they rocked up, rocked the place (the speakers were struggling) and rocked out. Don't misunderstand me though... efficiency was fine by me. Great electronic music being played the way only Sbstrkt can. Although the crowd swung slightly the wrong side of adolescence in parts, there was a wicked atmosphere in this grand old venue.

by Gav
Music

Valentines et al

14.02.2012

Valentines et al.

I drew you a heart. Have a good day x

by Claire
Design

Fit for a Frame, tea & moustaches

03.02.2012

Fit for a Frame, tea & moustaches

Fit for a Frame is the brainchild of Birmingham based designer Ryan DC. The site releases runs of 3 limited edition screen print designs every 2-3 months, inviting more artists on board each series (and, you guessed it – they perfectly fit in IKEA frames!)

I was lucky enough to be asked to take part in the first run, very exciting! I wanted to produce something typographic, but incorporating my playful illustrative style so I explored English Proverbs on the search for something that represented me, as a designer. The result was a quirky phrase complemented with cool greys, black font and accent tangerines. You like tea and you like moustaches. Man optional.

All three designs can be found on the Fit for a Frame site, with a short description and detail shots of the finished prints. Beautifully screen printed on GF Smith Mowhawk 270gsm and sized at 50 x 70cm.

by Claire
Design

Don't think. Just shoot

02.02.2012

Don't think. Just shoot.

Last Thursday we dropped in at Selfridges for the launch of the Lomography Pop Up Shop. Surrounded by budding photographers we sipped Bucks Fizz, bottled lager and got lost in a world of analogue. It was great to see some familiar Brummy faces and the set up was pretty cool (mint green stacked crates and a floor donned with vivid snapshots) whilst we spent the evening snapping away on some old-skool cameras.

I must admit, I couldn’t quite distinguish the Lomo pro’s from the over eager hipsters but yeh – check it out for your creative inspirational snip snap needs! 

by Claire
Design

Jazz, tea & ale

30.01.2012

Jazz, tea & ale 

LIVE JAZZ, and we’re sold.  A few Saturdays back we crossed the Moseley border and strolled down to Balsall Heath to check out Ort Café. I’d heard bits and pieces about this community art café located within the Old Print Works and during the new Pointe Blank research I was keen to check out the space and see what it had to offer.

I hear the phrase ‘hidden treasure’ relatively often but this truly was. Feels kind of crazy that I drive past it every day on route to work but had never given it a second glance. They sold bottles of locally brewed Ale and cups of tea in mismatch chinaware, what more would you want? It was cozy, the white brick walls donning a portrait photography exhibition, fairy lights and retro furniture. 

It was busy, a good vibe of creative folk and laid back characters. The corner was set up for a jazz band, we missed their name but they were a young collective comprising of a saxophonist, drummer, double bass player and a guitarist. They’d volunteered their talent for free; so we were keen to throw a few coins in during the collection for a fab night of music and watching people do what they love to do!

Ort was set up by three artists in November. Aimed at the local community it functions as a café in the day and bar at night, it provides free space for meetings, exhibitions and hosts a number of cultural sessions in the shape of language, literature and philosophy. I hear their free jazz nights are a frequent occurrence too…

by Claire
Music, Food & Drink,

Escape to Llandudno

19.01.2012

Escape to Llandudno

I probably spend a bit too much of my week drooling over the boutique hotels on Mr & Mrs Smith. Every now and again, when I've been a good girl, I get to play sleepover! A few weeks back we drove cross border to the Welsh town of Llandudno and spent a night at the Escape B&B. It had character, charm and each room was individually designed, we choose room one - Contemporary Eclectic.

The room donned warm grey tones with accents of orange, retro swivel chairs, a big bowl of sweets and a beautiful view over the Victorian sea side town. The owner was a Brummie, we liked that, and rumour has it, they're opening up a cottage too!

Llandudno was a quaint place, eerie in mid November mind! I reminisced over childhood memories pushing my money through the 10p slots in the arcade (where were all the 2p machines?) and we strolled up the Victorian promenade with a bag of chips at dusk. Escape was perfectly positioned between mountain and beach, great location for a Sunday morning wander down the Welsh coast.

by Claire
Travel, Design

Polar Winter

15.01.12

Polar winter

With this cold snap threatening to make winter feel like, well...winter. I've sculpted a little Spotify playlist of new, old and lonely tunes I've been abusing recently.

Tracks
Nicolas Jaar - Specters of the future
Radiohead - Bloom (Jamie XX rework)
The Antlers - VCR
King Krule - The noose of jah city
Woodkid - Iron
Planningtorock - The one
Connan Mockasin - Megumi the milkyway above
Tom Vek - Close mic'ed
Tycho - Dive
Mudd - Mount pleasant lane
Bonobo & Andrea Triana - Eyesdown (instrumental)
Millionyoung - Cosmonaut
Lone - Endlessly
Canyons - Under a blue sky
Sasha/Emerson - Scorchio (Emerson's late nite dub edit)
Beat Connection - Space vacation
Beem - Automan
Jai Paul - BTSTU (Edit)
Mr Scruff - Feel it!
Art Department & Soul Clap - We call love
Ratatat - Lex
Sebastian - Embody
DJ Medhi - Pocket Piano
Little Dragon - Ritual Union (Maya Jane Coles remix)
Breakbot - Baby i'm yours (Aeroplane remix)
The Rapture - Miss you
Phoenix - Holding on together
Bombay Bicycle Club - Lights out, words gone
Metronomy - The bay
Drums of death - Voodoo lovers

Open it with your Spotify player...if you want...you don't have to.

by Gav
Music

Frames & Cakes

10.01.2012

Frames & cakes

It's fun to meet new people. On Saturday I met Kristian Jones, a Birmingham based illustrator currently exhibiting at one of our favourite independents, Six Eight Kafe.

Fast Food Dreams, explores the frailty of childhood in a modern world obsessed with fast food. Ironically, the collection is surrounded by fresh, home-made ciabatta's and cakes...not a deep fat fryer in sight. We like the drawings and the cake.

Big nod to Craig for utilising the space down at 6/8, who also run 'Birmingham Loves Photographers' if you're a bit keen with a lens, like me. 

by Claire
Design, Food & Drink

I do love an ale or 4

02.01.2012

I do love an ale or 4

So I popped down the Post Office Vaults (POV) which has seen a fair few carnations in recent years. Having fallen in and out of love with The Wellington, I was eager to see if I could get a decent pint, a seat and a game of darts. I'd heard mixed opinion from folk. Not expecting a swanky affair would be my recommended mindset.

Visually then, the place was slightly better than expected. Some (I use this loosely) effort has been put in to the concept and the decor, although don't over analyse the kerning on the logo and view the website as text-only if you're easily offended by naff design.

The name and ident connecting with the historics of the place give it some sense of identity and purpose.
With vintage and probably not so vintage beer signage in abudance I think I'll just summarise the interior as understated.

But this is by no means a bad look in my mind, in fact the less it is to do with appearance, given it's size (small) might keep the masses out...for a bit at least. This does however mean the emphasis is now on the beer and atmosphere and I rather liked the both.

When it comes to beer, the POV really sets the bar (see what I did there), they've got a good few ales on yes, but they now have a reported 108 bottled beers from all corners stocked and chilled!

I'm more of pump man so settled for a Salopian Oracle, the house ale for my first venture and I really got into it. As for the company, there's a good mix of generally pleasant looking people, kinda going about their business in a mostly harmonious way.

The bar staff gave it a rather homely and genuine feel which made me want to go back in on a Sunday...on my own...and read the paper.

There is sadly no dart board.

by Gav
Design, Food & Drink

Ginger Snowman

01.01.2012

Ginger snowmen

Merry new year et cetera! As much as I loved the thought of a white Christmas I was secretly glad not to don my fleecy boots and long johns, brrrrr! Instead, we made our own snow…

I'm not going to lie, we stole the recipe from the BBC. Go on, treat yourself.

by Claire
Food & Drink

M6 Northbound

21.12.11

M6 northbound

We left the grey skies of Birmingham for the weekend and headed to a slightly greyer sky, in Manchester. He’s a northern boy so I presumed it was about time we ventured up the M6 for a mini voyage. Apparently voted the UK’s best neighbourhood we headed to Manc's creative streets, the Northern Quarter. An eclectic mix of second hand stores, street decor, independent bars and an abundance of trendy tea shops – I was sold!

There’s some top work coming out of Manchester's design agencies of late, it’s no wonder when you see the inspiration that surrounds them and the vivid community of laid back locals and cultural hangouts. Arrive hungry and indulge, a few of our faves were Sugar Junction and Cord. A short stroll down Thomas St and Oldham St and you'll catch our drift…

by Claire
Travel, Food & Drink

Watch this

12.12.11

Watch this

Some lovely girl I know got me a new watch recently. I really really really like it...look how lovely it is.

Now I've had it for a short while I've realised why I love it so. Because it's dull and simple...just like me.

by Gav
Design, Fashion

Hola Barcelona!

09.10.11

Hola Barcelona!

78 hours, 4 day metro pass, 2 creatives and one Le Cool travel guide. Barcelona had been on my top cities to visit list for a while now, boasting of culture, sunshine and al fresco dining our Easyjet flight awaited us…

It goes without saying we awed over the surreal spectacles by Gaudi, indulged in many patatas bravas and stumbled upon some of Europes finest street art but here’s a few things that caught our eye:

Brunch & art
Dostrece. El Raval is a bit of an odd neighbourhood, slightly seedy and run down in parts with some unsavoury characters but then bursting with street art, boutiques, vintage stores and of course home to the MACBA. On one of those corners is Dostrece, joint owned by an artist and run by some hip creative types it’s the perfect place for brunch, an English breakfast tea con leche and a mean bagel ;)

Sweet things
Cup & Cake. The name says it all. Beautifully branded and deliciously tasting!



Tapas, Venezuelan style
Get lost west of La Ramblas and you’ll find many hidden treasures. Unfortunately, Rita Rouge was overlooking a building site, but it was dark and the cosy atmosphere and dimmed lighting camouflaged the surroundings. Inside was a delight of exotic lounging, vibrant wall murals and accented zebra print, super inviting but we went Al Fresco baby! The menu is dubbed ‘Raval-mestizo’ and the garlic prawns were to die for, yummy.

Dinner
We’d read about Salero on one of those trendy travel blogs, it boasted an oriental and Mediterranean fused menu. It was snugly wedged on the edges of Barceloneta and the chic El Born district, the decor was classic white washed Balearic style, complimented by Morroccan wood furniture and candlelit floods. By 9pm it was buzzing with locals and trendy types of the area. It was the attention to detail that made everything work so well, the simplicity, complimented by the oriental and Mediterranean fused menu. The food was beautifully presented and the wine was gooood (even if they do serve it in tumblers)…



Cocktails
Gimlet was like stepping back to 1940s New York, it had a Sinatra feel with its wood panelled bar, ambient jazz and a bar tender that knew his drinks. Located in the El Born district it really was a hidden gem, understated and classic.

Design
Disseny Hub Barcelona! Just in time for Barcelona Design week we experienced The Sense of Machines exhibition, an exploration laboratory with interactive pieces controlled by our senses. Downstairs showcased work that inspired the Ulm School throughout the 1950s, exploring the implication of design in the world of industry and the shaping of our material culture.

by Claire
Travel, Food & Drink