Do What You Love

***PLEASE NOTE THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*** As the final giveaway of the week celebrating DWYL’s 2nd birthday, I am excited to offer a copy of Holly Becker’s fab new book ‘Decorate Workshop’. I am using this book myself to plan the redecoration of our house, and am already in love with it.

We are absolutely thrilled to launch the second Print & Pattern Scholarship for The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design, in collaboration with Marie Perkins of leading pattern blog Print & Pattern. The winner of this scholarship will win a full place on all three modules of The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design,read more >>

Issue 2 of MOYO is here! This bumper second issue of the world’s only online magazine dedicated to surface pattern design includes exclusive industry insight with Marie Perkins of leading blog Print & Pattern discussing the changing face of surface pattern design, and designer Khristian A. Howell talking colour and collections.

***PLEASE NOTE THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED*** Now you all know how much I absolutely adore chocolate, so it was with much fascination that I interviewed Lisa Reinhardt, founder of Wei of Chocolate, who spends her days surrounded by tons of it. But this entrepreneur’s chocolate is not just any old chocolate. It is virtually guilt-free, veryread more >>

***PLEASE NOTE THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED*** As the second giveaway this week in celebration of Do What You Love’s 2nd birthday, I have put together a bundle of creative inspiration from Japan where I recently spent six months having a fantastic adventure, learning traditional crafts and taking thousands of photos. The winner of thisread more >>

***PLEASE NOTE THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED*** We are kicking off our week of giveaways (in celebration of Do What You Love’s second birthday) with a free place on Bloom True the e-course with Flora Bowley.

Image: NavyBlur Two years ago, after a big a-ha moment in the mountains of California, I registered Do What You Love as a company  (in the middle of the global recession) and began the most fantastic adventure. Armed only with my laptop, blog and a clear idea of who I wanted to serve, I setread more >>

Today I am delighted to share an interview with Lesley Stevens, founder and Head Designer at Decorque. Lesley art is digitally printed onto cork and other unusual materials to make unique homewares and gifts.  Digital printing brings out the subtleties of colour, pattern and detail of each design whilst retaining the natural texture and qualities of the cork. Aread more >>

taken in the gorgeous flower shop ‘The Willow Garden’ in Hebden Bridge  I think November is a good time for… … slow cooker dinners … fairy lights … sparklers

Kyo (artist name for Kyoko Takahashi) is a Graphic Designer and Art Director based in Tokyo. Kyo was one of the fellow participants in the fantastic Awagami Papermaking Workshop I attended in Japan in the summer, and shares a deep love of paper and design. She is incredibly talented, and runs a busy studio, kyo.designworks, designing flyers for performingread more >>

Saturday was such a lovely day. It was wintry and clear, and perfect for a train ride to Hebden Bridge for the launch of Hannah Nunn’s new book. The launch party was held at her lovely lighting shop Radiance, which was buzzing with family, friends and shoppers cooing over the book and over all the delightsread more >>

*** Today’s *shared story* comes from Eileen Nishi, a photographer based in the USA, who has made some bold choices to allow her to do what she loves. Eileen was one of the first people to share their story, back in March 2011 soon after we launched the series. You can read her original postread more >>

Organic retro leaves tea towel by Rachael Taylor (image: NavyBlur) Module 1 ‘Designing your way’ begins today! The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design featuring Rachael Taylor is the definitive guide to becoming a surface pattern designer. We will not be running this course again until late April 2013, so if you want toread more >>

Wise words, found in Honen-in Temple, Kyoto

Quirky Stems bag by Rachael Taylor (Image: NavyBlur)  We were thrilled to have so many entries from people all over the world for our Module 1 giveaway. we had entries from as far afield as New Zealand, Slovenia, South Africa, Canada, Japan and the United Arab Emirates.  From all your comments it sounds like The Art andread more >>

For me ‘Bonfire Night’ conjours up images of dark chilly nights at the onset of Winter, smoky air and sparklers, mittened hands wrapped around hot wine. Yesterday dawned cold and clear, and when evening came the sky was pricked with a million stars.

  Cute umbrellas in ‘Lovely Weather For It’ by Jessica Wilde “There’s so much this course has helped me within the space of 5 weeks. Although I have a full time design job it’s been liberating designing for myself and finding my own direction and style. Really looking foward to developing this further in theread more >>

  Bold ‘Circles in Bloom’ by Briana Tomlin “Module 1 has been an amazing source of inspiration, challenges, and motivation. It has got me to just start doodling, make sketches, add colour and work with them. My drawings may not be perfect, but I’m loving the patterns they turn into.” Here is Part 3 of ourread more >>

  Delicate ‘Fluttering Forager’ by Charlotte Duffy “The most fantastic thing about the course for me has been the way it has encouraged and inspired me to return back into the roots of my passion for creating and rediscover my strengths, particularly of drawing delicately with fine detail. I feel it is a very valuable andread more >>

Pretty ‘Bird Ribbon’ by Carol Robinson “I have found the focus I needed to develop my designs. This course has given me the direction and information I was looking for.” As we get ready to run Module 1 of The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design (‘Designing your way’) and Module 2 (‘Creating yourread more >>