PRODUCT

2 weeks ago I was invited by York St Johns University to help out with curating their very own Pop-Up Design Shop(PRODUCT) hosted by Bar Lane Studio's in York. The project is running up until September 2012 and I have been tasked with getting in local and national designers to spotlight. (get in touch if your interested).
We thought it would be great to get the shop open for Christmas, so I quickly asked around a few freinds and local designers in York to test how the shop would run over the period, see some images below:

if you look close enough you may see a sneak peak of a couple of new John Green products.

THE STUDIO

So, i've been quite on here for a while I know. Things have been extrememly busy and i have been working on lots of new things. But amongst all of this I have finally moved out of the tiny temporary studio Angus had kindly made for me in snowhome, to share a nice big (COLD) building with 3 other York based designers:

Phil Procter (www.philprocter.com)
Will Vincent (www.mrwillvincent.co.uk)
Turner & Harper (www.turnerhaprer.com)

Over the past year, the above guys have already been using half of this building as their studio, while the other half was used a Tennis shop, but this month the whole building has become vacant as Tennis man has left. The space at snowhome was great for me and I will still use it from time to time, but it does not lend to storing stock and prototyping ideas, so when this whole building became vacant I couldn;t really say no. We are calling the place, 'the studio' and in the New Year, I'll be trying my best to spruce it up a bit, as you can see from the images it needs a bit of it, I might even take down the tennis sign from outside.....but for now it's just a nice big space to get creative in, with some safe storage for all those embrace tables.

Although I have moved out of my snowhome based studio, I will still be working with Angus at snowhome on new products, and even more so now that I have a nice big studio space that I can stretch my legs out in....I even took the fixie for a ride around some embrace stock the other day. Have a look at some pics (the only things I can find on my computer at the moment, I'll try to create a virtual tour when I get time).

EMBRACE OWNERS CLUB

A great picture of embrace in situ here. Thanks to: www.great-british-designs.co.uk for sharing your happy customers picture.

LDF 2011

This year I have taken a break from my usual routine of launching new products at 100% design and instead I have chosen to get my head down and actually take some time over designing some new products for launch in 2012. That being said, I could not let a LDF go by without being present. So if you are in and around the London Design Festival over the next few weeks be sure to check out: Design Junction. Here i will part of a Pop-Up Shop with various other designers (listed above), at the Pop-Up Shop you will be able to buy Embrace, Pantone Wallstore and Standard (for the very first time since it's launch at 100% design last year).

The event is located at:
Victoria House/Basement
37—63
Southampton Row
WC1V 4DA

Opening times: 22—25 September 2011 / 10—19.00pm daily.

Check out: www.thedesignjunction.co.uk for more details.

BUSY BUSY

I just wanted to put a quick post out to say that I have been busy...lately i've been working on loads of new stuff that (frustratingly) I can't say too much about, simply because nothing I've worked on lately has been for my own brand. Above is a sneak peak of a brand new light shade :) I'm sure in the next few months I will be posting some detailed post about new products.

DAVID MELLOR DESIGNS

Since the opening of my exhibition in Barnsley earlier this year when I met Corin Mellor I have been meaning to visit the David Mellor factory. In NYC when I agreed to help breakdown their stand I spent a good half hour in amazement as I flicked through the David Mellor portfolio and learnt more about what he had designed. Being a bit naive I only knew of his cutlery. And to think i never knew who designed the Traffic Light makes me feel a bit of a clown shoe. So as I broke down the David Mellor stand in NYC I stuffed a few of my products into their pallets knowing it would get me down to their factory to collect them.

Last week I finally got the chance to get myself out to the peak district for a visit and wasn't let down! That place is just amazing and whether you are a designer or not I recommend it. It was the CLEANEST factory floor I had ever seen, you seriously could eat your dinner from it. Visiting has made me realise that this is exactly what I want for my brand. Maybe in a few years time though ;).

Thanks James for the coffee, the factory tour and most importantly bringing home the things from New York. Cheers

EMBRACE OWNERS CLUB

A couple more shots of embrace in situ. First one again looking well used in donkey mode.

MOLESKINE - ICFF

For every trade show/exhibition I do I have a fresh Moleskine. This is used to keep business cards and write down notes from orders and contacts etc... There's always the odd inspired sketch in there too. When arriving in New York there was no need for my own Moleskine as greeting me on my stand was brand new ICFF limited edition notebook...well worthy of blogging. Even if it is a few months late. Check out the debossed ICFF logo, wrap and the note inside.

NEW DESIGNERS 2011

I've just returned from a week in London for the New Designers. This year I was helping out York St John University, working with them on the stand design and build. It was a big stand to build in a day but we managed it...just.

There are some promising graduates this year. I particularly enjoy the concrete stool 'dainty' and jigamals.

EMBRACE OWNERS CLUB

A nice email from another happy customer. Thanks Adam for taking the time to take the picture and send it in. Looks great below your limited edition cl O ck.

GRAND DESIGNS AWARDS

Just stumbled upon this picture of my receiving the Grand Designs award from Kevin....Think he looks scared....You've gotta love that ginger beard.

EMBRACE OWNERS CLUB

Great pic for the Embrace owners club album. This is a walnut embrace in "donkey" mode. Performing well I'd say. Cheers for the pic sid.....& kerry & slinky G.

TV

I forgot about this. Over a year ago now I was down at the habitat HQ being filmed for an episode of Britains Next Big Thing. It was aired on BBC 2 last month and with everything being so hectic with exhibitions I never had the chance to watch it properly. I did however see episode 3 right before I headed off for Grand Designs to see that after a whole day of filming I starred on it for about 2.5 seconds...ha..what you see in the screen grab above is about all you can see. Me walking through the habitat carpark with my mate si and a couple of embraces.

ICFF

Well...it's been an eventful few days, but I have to say some of my most relaxing of this month. Everything has just slotted into place quite nicely! For the first time I havn't been rushing about like mad. I like American trade shows.

A few pics of the stand above. Not very good...I need to get better at this!

NYC by foot.

Decided not to take the subway whilst out in NYC so that we could walk about and take in as much of the city as possible. Took a pic of my feet each day and wasn't sure what to do with them, so here it is, mine and Jess's feet out and about in NYC.