Graphic design

A Q&A with Oates & Co.

| beth

I’ve spoken about Oates & Co. before, and it’s a company I keep returning to again and again. This independent homewares and home decor company champions local and British designer/makers as well as scouring the country for the best vintage finds. Each item is hand selected by founder Sylvia Oates, who happens to have impeccable taste when it comes to knowing how to decorate a home. I have bought several things from Oates & Co. already and as we inch towards (dare I say it)….Christmas (sorry)…it’s on my list to pay a visit. Personally, it’s great to know that I’m choosing pieces for my home that have a story and support innovate, independent crafters and retailers.

I was thrilled when Sylvia agreed to be part of my Q&A series – I couldn’t wait to find out the story behind this beautiful homewares business. Plus, I picked up some tips on home decor – never a bad thing!

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Top 10 Instagram accounts to follow

| beth

 

Shortrounds Instagram

I love Instagram. It’s so useful to me. It’s where I share my blog posts. I keep my days documented in a little photo diary thanks to this app. Instagram is such a positive, enlightening social media platform, much like Pinterest – with subscribers seeming to perpetually circulate positive messages and images. It’s where I go for a pick-me-up.

I follow A LOT of Instagrammers, but here are my Top 10 Instagram accounts, that help to keep my feed filled with inspiring and uplifting photos all day long! Continue reading →

Knitting Nottingham exhibition

| beth

This month, Nottingham’s Bonington Gallery (part of the Nottingham Trent University School of Art and Design campus in the centre of our beautiful city) played host to a celebration of textile technology and history. Nottingham was built on textile design and production (predominantly lace) and although our once thriving textile sector fell into decline following World War II, you don’t have to  go very far to see the influence this foundation of industry and design has had on our little city.

Nottingham Bonington gallery knitting exhibition - Shortrounds Knitwear Continue reading →

Decorative homewares – Oates & Co.

| beth

Every once in a while you discover a website that you just know will frequent your browsing history for years to come. I probably look at hundreds of websites in any given month but I have just a handful that I keep coming back to. These little gems are discovered very infrequently but when they come along they can be a heady mixture of impactful, thought-provoking and inspiring!

So when I heard that my friend Sylvia was embarking on her own decorative homewares business venture earlier this year, I was a little more than excited! Today there are more start up businesses than ever before and more and more people are finding interesting and creative ways to turn their passion in a viable, thriving business. You hear of this happening almost everywhere, and I was so pleased and proud to see that someone I knew personally was taking the plunge.

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Just words…

| beth

In the world of stencils and illustrative typography Dana Tanamachi reigns supreme for me! In my job I’m confronted with endless variations of typography, stencilling and illustrations, I must confess most of the time they all meld into one big blur. But this Brooklyn-based graphic designer/typographer is different. So I thought I’d share her lovely work with you this fine Friday, because sometimes it’s nice to look at beautiful things!

Dana Tanamachi typography - Shortrounds Knitwear Continue reading →