Fabulous Stationery Contest: Cards as Inspiration

Remember my recent post on matching cakes to rooms? Creative types find inspiration in nearly everything so let's flex our creative muscles and have a little fun with a creative contest focused on matching cards (instead of cakes) to rooms. :)


Fabulous Stationery will award 4 winners each with a $50 gift certificate and a huge tote bag designed by Trish Demasi, who designs all of their cards. This tote (see mine below) sold out after only a few months and is no longer offered on their website, so I'm holding the last 4 and saving them just for you (retail value: $40). It is constructed of sturdy 100% cotton canvas, double-handled, flat-bottom 14-1/2 x 12-1/2 x 5″carry-all is roomy enough for folders, a newspaper, a spare pair of shoes or even a laptop. It features a velcro closure and a zippered inside pocket.


To enter:
1) Use one card from Fabulous Stationery as inspiration and locate 3 rooms that relate to the card design somehow. Something along these lines. If you can't find anything, create your own room using accessories (chairs, art, rugs, etc.) that you like from your favorite websites. The possibilities are endless. Many of the cards at Fabulous Stationery are available in at least 3 colorways, so click on the image you like to see the other colors you have to work with. If you need help finding rooms, refer to *rooms i heart* and feel free to use any of those. The card that inspired you needs to be part of the final image you pull together. I suggest grouping them all together, much like the image displayed above showing the cake.

2) When your image is prepared, please upload it to your flickr account (if you do not have one, please create one for free), and email your entry to me (decor8blog AT yahoo.com) which should include all of the following:
a. Your name.
b. Your blog/website url.
c. Why you selected the card and the name of the card design.
d. A few comments about the overall design and anything additional you'd like to add.
e. A link to it on flickr (no email attachments please).
f. Your state + country.

Note: Not all entries will be selected as finalists (I will select 10), I will upload them to a folder so decor8 readers can view them all. Each image in the folder will hyperlink to your blog or website (if you wish).



Unlike the mood board contest, I will only post 10 finalists together in a single post, and when I have selected the winners, I will post the images of the 4 winning entries along with a link to the folder showing all of the images in one final post.

Entry Deadline: Wednesday, August 8th. Midnight EST.

Have fun! Be creative! And if you have any questions, please ask them below.

New Designers Online

I stumbled upon a most informative UK-based website called New Designers Online, a comprehensive guide showcasing new design talent mostly from Europe, much along the same lines as Trunkt here in America. It's a site you'll want to browse because the talent featured is phenomenal - so fresh! And talk about inspired design... I'd like to share with you a few of my favorites, all of whom I've written to requesting more information and imagery, with hopes that they will write back and I can feature them again in the future. I'm especially smitten by the work of Heidi Turner and Matt Smith. Wow. Impressive.

Heidi Turner - "Contemporary, embroidered and embellished designs with a bright folkloric feel, inspired by nature and environment on natural fabric." - New Designers Online.

Loretta Harmer - "Loretta's distinct style is inspired by her dual love of nature and textures, evident in her creations which include silver seed pendants, poetry bangles and pine cone table sculptures." -New Designers Online. Loretta also has a website called Natural Impression.

Katja Behre - "Katja creates distinctive neo-romantic designs with consideration given to colour, shape and theme, manifesting itself as wall coverings and textiles for furniture, drapes and fashion." - New Designers Online.

Matt Smith - "Matt juxtaposes the permanence of clay with the fleeting coincidenses of day dreams to produce charming and whimsical vessels and wall pieces." - New Designers Online.

Helen Gallogly - "Helen produces highly decorative, hand drawn and embroidered textiles, inspired by 17th/18th century wallpapers and botanical illustrations. Products include, furniture throws and bespoke chair coverings." - New Designers Online.

(images from new designers online)

Camilla Meijer Design at Roost

Camilla Meijer was trained as a graphic designer and produces vivid digitally printed floral fabrics. Just last year (2006), she launched her collection of pillows and wall hangings and will soon roll out lampshades as well. They have this 60's vibe to them that's fun and free. Plus, it's fun to look at her many patterns because a single pillow can inspire the color palette of an entire room. Shop Roost online for her pillows right here.


Can't you imagine these in either the home or shop of Emily Chalmers, also the author of Flea Market Style, one of my favorite books? Totally.


(images from camilla meijer, roost, amazon)

Turtle Papers

I think it's important for creative types, especially those who work on their own as independent artists, to continue pushing the envelope and design from the heart, let go of fears, not design based solely on what will sell or according to what trend setters forecast to be the next big thing, but show your true colors and what you stand for in your work. Isn't that what indie artists set out to do in the first place, rebel a little and have ultimate creative freedom?


And while I'm completely open to trends and enjoy shopping for something trendy now and then, I set a rule for myself as a consumer that I'll only buy something that's a so-called trend if I truly like it. No peer pressure, in other words. For example, I'm not about to hop on the skull-as-a-motif bandwagon simply because it's a trend. I don't like skulls and no matter how hard I'm being told that I should, I don't and that's the end of it. I'm also not a fan of chintz. Call it my southern upbringing, but I think being around it for years has left me a bit uninspired by it. (Sorry, Domino.)

As consumers, we have the choice to shop for what we like. As indie designers, you have the right to explore the possibilities and dive into whatever it is that you're passionate about. Jump!

This is precisely why I like