A new collection of printed apparel!! Bert & George Bear make it to the big times on some fancy shirties, tank tops, dresses, kids tops, baby onsies and tote bags. All available soon on Etsy.

Also, new job #1:  John Ward Fine Coffee offers delicious traditional Italian style coffees, organic chai, fresh pastries and sandwiches. The coffee is organic, roasted by Origins, from Granville Island.It’s my new fav hangout too.

And, my new Portfolio page! I streamlined a few pages here and created one main place to check out what I’ve been up to, besides making chai lattes.

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thanks for visiting!

So, it was a Saturday night (April 2nd), and I launched my new drawn by printed textiles at Bijou Hair Salon, in Nelson. I’d had several of my illustrations printed up this Janaury, and I’ve been creating and making a collection ever since. I LOVE sewing again and I haven’t been involved in this type of product design for years – so putting together a collection of home decor pieces have been very rewarding for me.

It was a incredibly fun evening – having so many friends together there too meant so much – and the majority of the splashy photographs seen in this post were taken by Colin Payne Photography, he really captured the event so well.

Erin Murphy, Bijou Owner – wearing a stunning little black dress by Tracy Fillion (dear pony).

Colin Payne Photography

*I recently found a neon pink frame whilst out thrift store shopping a few weeks ago, and low and behold it was just the splash of colour my new collection needed. The new textile collection ranges in mustard and golden yellows and cream to taupey pink – so the injection of neon pink livened up the walls immediately. New White Rabbit print framed up inside.

Robin and Vadim took home a wall hanging of Oliver Elephant.

Bradley and Kalika chose a Leon Lion print for the baby’s alcove!

Meanwhile, behind the scenes -  very good friend Jesse Phillips catered the event and the spread was scrumptious…

Rabbit with pistachio and apricot terrine + quail egg topper.

cucumber with fig tapanade open-face sandwiches.

Beetroot and watercress salad bites. Colin Payne Photography.

Above is my photo of the walls looking a bit empty at the end of the evening!

Thanks to everyone who helped with the event and came to help me launch new stuff, celebrate and eat good food with me. I tip me hat to you all! xox

Chocolate cupcakes topped with bacon (care of Lauren) yum yum!!

THANKS AGAIN to Colin Payne Photography

..and goodnight!

Fresh off the press!

New happy birthday cards, Easter cards, business cards …and drawn by illustrations in print format now available. The prints come in two sizes 8×10″ and 16×20″. All these new paper goods will be purchasable soon on etsy, in my big cartel shop and at retailers in Nelson, Kelowna, Vancouver and Toronto – plus find ‘em at Bijou for the opening night party, Saturday April 2nd!

hello business cards.

art prints:

Basil, the Polar bear 2011. 8×10″ print

Gunvar, white rabbit 2011. 8×10″print.

Oliver Elephant, 2011. 8×10″ print.

greeting cards:

Art cards retail for $4.95.

mini tags:

these are my favourite!

“If I were looking for a white rabbit, I’d ask the Mad Hatter.”
- Christian Lacroix Haute Couture dress.

This week I am launching my new collection of illustrated textiles and soft furnishings – SO, I’m throwing a party at the art show venue, Saturday night to celebrate – it’s all very exciting! Also, as it’s the year of the rabbit, Easter and me, being a huge fan of Lewis Carol‘s Alice in Wonderland story I couldn’t help introducing a tea party/ white rabbit/ Easter/ Alice theme… starting in the window. “Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it’s getting!”

First, I started with the window on Wednesday afternoon (the rest of my textile pieces are going up on Friday night); and way back when I was first planning the window display for the show – my immediate thought was a collaborative one – between me and friend, fellow designer Lara Blackman of Jayne. She makes divine dresses and I wanted one in my window! She currently has a pretty sweet project on the go over at  smalltownfrocks – she’s making one couture dress per month, the one featured at my show is the March dress, #6.

So, with ingredients for the window like blue floral tea party dresses and white rabbits a girl’s imagination really took off like a March Hare – and with the help of my sister Lauren and her fella Andrew we rigged up a plethora of luminous satin ribbons – litterally dozens of them drape from above and spill into porcelain teacups, over three tier cakes, rabbits and around Lara’s March Dress. A little ribbon madness for sure!

THE CAKE! now this ingredient was one of the last pieces to fall down the rabbit hole… err into place – and as it’s in the window for a whole month, of course it’s a pretend cake, but all the same it is very pretty and is made of fondant, which smells heavenly. This beauty of a cake was made by Melissa Owen-Long, of Epiphany Cakes. Apart from three tier cake wonderfulness she is also very famous for her lemon squares (true romancers and window display co-pilots Lauren and Andrew will atest!).

*below right – new Easter cards, available at Otter Books and Bijou.

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`Curiouser and curiouser!’ cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for
the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English)

Drink me dress from the Helmut Lang made-to-measure studio.
“It was much pleasanter at home, when one wasn’t always growing larger and smaller, and being ordered about by mice and rabbits.”

“Who are you? Said the Caterpillar – Hello Marc Jacob, hello Alice.

Chapter 6: Pig and pepper… and Alice in Chanel Haute Couture embroidered satin jacket, satin skirt and cream leather boots. Karl Lagerfeld wears Chrome Hearts necklaces and belt.

“Once,” sighed the Mock Turtle, “ I was a real turtle.”
Alice, in Atelier Versace layered silk-tulle and chiffon-organza dress lined in lace. Donatella Versace, Rupert Everett in Versace.

Olivier Theyskens designed this Rochas iridescent blue-flower ruffle dress on Alice.

Mad Hatter: “Would you like a little more tea?:
Alice: “Well, I haven’t had any yet, so I can’t very well take more.”
March Hare: “Ah, you mean you can’t very well take less.”
Mad Hatter: “Yes. You can always take more than nothing.”

Vogue December issue 2003, did an Alice in Wonderland feature – these amazing fashion pages were photographed by Annie Leibovitz, modeled by Natalia Vodianova – and they’ve got me thinking about my party frock… and i am drawn to: lots of ruffles, ribbons and rabbits – and hopefully, a tophat or two!

* * *

Gosh, I should maybe mention something about the textiles I am producing! – the linen/cotton, organic cotton sateen, silk taffeta or the organic cotton knit jersey, are available by special order only for the time being. Prices per metre range from $58 – $78.  For me, ordering small batches of the various designs allowed me to create a assortment of patchwork and appliqued one-of-a-kind cushions and wall hangings. You’ll see the odd piece of vintage fabric alongside my textiles within the handmade goods. Swatch books of the new fabrics will be on show on site on Saturday.

“Don’t just do something, stand there…”

Dear friends, here’s what you need to know about the show opening on Saturday -

WHAT: drawn by illustration and design’s textiles launch party and art show opening!
WHEN: Saturday April 2nd, 6pm. - The show continues for April.
WHERE: Bijou 564 Ward Street, Nelson, BC, Canada
PRIZES to be won!

Last but not least, my very clever friend Jesse is catering the event.. more about all this in the next post of course!

best,
Marnie.

I’m presently setting up a new studio space in my home, for drawn by illustration and design to officially begin. The space I have to utilize is a mezzanine loft type open room, with lots of light streaming in from skylights (presently covered with snow mind you) and three north facing windows.

Here I’ve shared some studio spaces I really like, helpful ideas for me whilst I get organized.

*above – must have this artists smock dress thingy to start! c/o – TOAST by post – one of my favourite online shops out o f the U.K

below are images are from Roman & Williams, an Interior Design firm based in New York.. so lots of lovely industrial details. And I realize my studio (at the moment) looks nothing like these dark, metallic, richly hued work spaces… but one day maybe?

I’m in love with the repetition here with the angled metal floor lamps.

..and one of these please for my drawings and papers and this and that.

aged photographs + watercolours + faded white walls

.. and any excuse to write on the walls!

here’s me looking at a new printed fabric delivery and doing some work  (in my studio).

This is a really exciting project for me – I get to design three album covers for my brother’s band Kate & switch. The first design is for the single ‘Life Drain‘, just released on itunes yesterday (for 99 cents)! The next single to be released is called ‘Barefoot‘ – and I’ll be working on that design soon, as well as a general album cover – album title to be released at a later date.

Andrew and Kate started their band a couple of years ago and have been writing heaps of songs together since then. I really love Kate’s super melodious voice, and, my brother Andrew is the genius behind the simple electro-acoustic harmony… They might be performing at an open mic session soon, in Vancouver – hopefully when I’m there to be in the audience!

check out Kate & Switch‘s website

Lauren (or LooLoo as she’s also known) – Drawn December 2010. pen and ink on watercolour paper.

My sister and I are both celebrating the year of the rabbit – and I’m so lucky to have her near by. We live in Nelson, BC one of the most beautiful mountain towns around. She is a creative animal as well and designs clothing (her label is called LooLoo) – check out some of her work here. LooLoo is part of the TheSisCrew collective, her clothing collection recycles and re-makes vintage clothing into new modern, fun dresses and skirts and accessories… Lauren is working on her LooLoo Spring Look Book, and lucky me gets to design some fabric for her new collection!! Exciting or what?!

All you need is LOVE and maybe a bear or two to deliver a lovely message to your sweetheart! New illustrated cards are available on etsy soon – pre-order yours today, deliveries are here next week!

♥

~ click on the image below to see more designs ~

drawings and coffee! – what a brilliant combination… Visit the show from January 3rd to 31st, at Oso Negro, on Ward Street in Nelson, BC. Check out more in cafe photos of the show below – some of the pics were taken with my iphone so they’re a bit fuzzy.

I’ve sold FIVE pieces to date!

from left – Oliver (sold), Francis, Petunia, Agatha and Sasha (sold). Calendar polar bear in the middle.

Isabella (above) and William Squirrel. They obviously love acorns alot, and they kinda are devoted to one another too – so I hope they find a home together.

above is Sebastian the sleeping brown fox, and Anime CAT – who is not so sleepy.

greetings cards care of a polar bear

Basil left and Mikkel - hanging out at the water tower.

Xavier Owl. SOLD

Simon Says and Tomas SOLD and SOLD

this is Jens

and this is Petunia

and best wishes for a prosperous New Year!