Designing for Summer 2011

As the trade fair season looms so does the late night designing think tank. Leah and I have been working on Summer 2011 for a few months now and it is coming together very nicely, in fact there have been some great surprises, good ones, and as usual we have decided to create almost double the new products originally decided on.
This is all good news for you the consumer and our stockists.

This week I was asked by Natalie Walton - Deputy Editor of Real Living Magazine to write a short contribution for her very popular blog Daily Imprint
So my topic is 'my pantone book and how it continues to inspire me'.


What I love about designing for the new season ahead is that I get to look at my pantone book very regularly and of late Ive noticed that colours I wouldn't normally be drawn to have popped out at me. I suspect its what's called, 'growing on a inspirational level', maybe even developing the habits of the people I work closely with. Leah is probably laughing at this right now, because Ive been known to love a polka dot or two and pink and red in excess, but lately Im drawn to beige, pale blue and aqua and dare I say it... yellow.

So when I write my piece for  Daily Imprint I will keep in mind my social and creative development and demonstrate the profound effect a pantone book can have on ones life, and the people I spend so much time with socially and professionally.

A funny story from the bluebird & honey social pages is an incident that happened almost a year ago now. One night at Leah's house we all sat down to eat dinner. Leah was there with her husband and three children. Her daughter Charlotte had recieved her first ever savings account keycard from the bank. She was madly in love with the colour of it, it was a bright lime green. So - I said, 'well lets get the good book out - or what I like to call 'the bible' and see what its made of. Leah's Husband Jonathan (not at all in the design business) looked at Leah in horror. I whipped out my 'pantone book' and flicked it open to the pages and pages of gradient greens. Charlottes face lit up. Jonathan sighed with relief. He said, Dani - I thought you were actually going to get out 'the bible'.
phew!
My response - THIS IS MY BIBLE!