Life NI Style: designer

Tuesday, 29 September 2015

OHH DEER

As the title of this blog post suggests the words, 'oh dear' pop into my head. They may in fact pop into your head also. To be honest, oh dear may be putting it a little mildly. Replace the word 'dear' with a word that rhymes with 'duck' and you have more of a realistic idea of what phrase swirls through my brain roughly 10 times a day. But on this occasion I shall be putting my swear book down and 'oh dear' will have to suffice. But I'm actually not here to explain myself as to why I haven't blogged in three months (you may have noticed...oh dear), I am here to inform you lovely readers of an online illustration company called Ohh Deer.

I have been aware of this company for a few years now but only recently gave into temptation and purchased a few items from the website. All sorts of quirky and unique products can be found on this website. Some cheeky, some cute and some down-right honest illustrated gifts await for you to explore. One of my favourite illustrations is of a cat (surprise surprise) with the title 'Cats don't give a f**k' attached. In turn, you can get this illustration on a mug, cushion or greeting card!

The company itself was founded in 2011 by a guy called Jamie Mitchell and business partner Mark Callaby. The company employs 35 illustrators from all over the world and Ohh Deer just keeps on growing and growing. I have to admit some of the products are a little bit pricey, but you are helping independent illustrators and you are getting something that is a bit more different than what you might find on the high street. And who doesn't love getting stationary as gifts?!

Also, calling all students, you can benefit from 20% off all year round at ohhdeer.com. You have no excuse now!

Now, here's hoping I don't take another extended holiday from blogging any time soon. Remember you can keep yourself updated via my Instagram page if you fancy giving it a wee peek! Just click on the link in the side bar. Enjoy the rest of your week everyone! And my wee cat Lottie (as pictured above) would just like to remind you to CALM THE HELL DOWN!

x

Tuesday, 7 July 2015

Created in Belfast

Mmhm, it's been quite a while since I last typed a few words and uploaded a few photos on Life NI Style. But I'm not going to bore you with excuses and ramblings. Here's to a brand new month! I don't know about you but June was a pretty big yawn-fest for myself. Apart from my brother moving to America for a year to work at Disneyland, (thanks for the many Snapchats Conor, making me extremely jealous) the month of June was a bit of a drag.

But!

As always, the beginning of June brought the Belfast school of art degree show and I was raring to have a wee nosy at the exhibition! I have to say the show did not disappoint and it was great to see all the wonderful work from a range of disciplines. Animation, applied arts, fine art, graphic design and illustration, interaction design, photography and finally the most important one of all (just kidding), textile art, design and fashion. No wonder it took almost three hours to view everyone's work! Stepping back inside the building and the heart of creativity in Belfast brought back so many memories of my time studying at this university. It's been just over two years now since I graduated from the art college and it just feels like yesterday that I was hunched over a knitting machine, a sewing machine or computer. Looking back my final year consisted of many a late night, many crying sessions, many meal deals or McDonalds, many hours spent deciding on the right shade of cream (yes, there are so many), many 5 minute breaks and deep conversations on the right size and type of font and so much money spent on print-outs (while also cursing that damn feckin' printer when it didn't print out those 50 pages you needed). So yeah, despite all of this, seeing the end result and all that work you put in was all worth it. And I have to admit that I do miss it.

My absolute favourite part was viewing the textiles and fashion section of the exhibition. So much hard work and dedication by the students had been put into their projects over the past three or four years and finally they were able to have a platform to showcase their beautiful collections or final pieces. Below I have included the cream of the crop in regards to the work which stood out to me and which I admired the most. Also, just a small mention on the textile designer, Terri McStraw. Her woven fabric collection titled 'The Fíor Collection' was just utterly beautiful. The fabrics she created were so luxurious and cosy and woven to perfection. I think this lady will be one to watch out for in the future!