Desktop Wallpaper from Valerydesignwrks

Valéry Goulet is a Quebec born 

designer and illustrator.

Through her company

Valerydesignwrks

she has created clothing,

ceramic and wall application designs.

The doggies below

are illustrations which she

contributed to an

Alberta-based animal rescue organization -

SCARS

(Second Chance Animal Rescue Society)

For the record,

anyone who loves animals, 

and strives to make their lives better,

is great in my books !

Each month,

Valerydesignwrks 

adds a new downloadable wallpaper

to its website.

The images below

are available for non-commercial desktop wallpaper use only.

They cannot be altered in any way,

without the artist's permission,

or sold.

Hetty Rose Shoes

Picture from Company Magazine

Henrietta Rose Samuels 

loves shoes - 

and has been making stunningly beautiful footwear

under her brand

Hetty Rose

in the UK since 2007.

She hand selects vintage fabrics -

often using beautiful antique kimonos,

to create the upper

portion of her footwear.

The shoes are bespoke creations -

made to order

for each individual

client.

Hetty Rose

is a company with a clear 

brand philosophy-

"to make an environmental statement -

in an aesthetically pleasing way".

We think she is doing 

a lovely job achieving both !

What's next for this talented designer ?

A ready-to-wear collection -

also made in England - 

in the not too distant future,

we hope !

Shoes from the official Hetty Rose page

www.Snooshy.com

What on Earth - is a Snooshy ?

It's a quirky little creature

knit from 100% YAK hair (yes, really !)
 with a little 100% organic cotton thrown in.

Snooshies are eco-friendly and fashionable -

 they wear the latest beanies and leggings -made from 100% recycled clothing.

Snooshy was designed by Francis Horters,  

and created with the help of a wonderful company called Shokay.

There are approximately 13 million yaks in Western China. 

  Shokay sources yak fibers directly from Tibetan herders - enabling them to earn

 a sustainable long-term living - and to preserve their traditional lifestyle.

Snooshies are handknit

 by a group of ladies in ChongMing Island near Shanghai.

  The goal is "to build their skill-set in a safe and healthy work environment,

 rewarding them fairly for their beautiful knitting talents".

A great product

on so many levels.

I think Snooshy will find a place 

under more than a few trees

this holiday season.

Today's story is brought to you by the letter "Z"

Zeitraum

is a German firm which specializes in product design

 and furniture sales/distribution.

  Pieces are made in Germany, Austria, Italy and Spain from solid hardwood.

   Their wood is harvested from renewable forests, 

 with no chemicals other than beeswax (and elbow grease !)

 added to bring out the beauty in their products.

Swedish firm Zweed

was founded in early 2010 by  Håkan Johansson.

 Their intent is to produce quality hand-crafted pieces of furniture 

which are progressive in design, and timeless in style.

  Pieces are customizable to fit your decor.

 (via Hypebeast.com)

Claus Bellers

It's been a lovely week !

We'd like to leave you with some

beautiful pictures

from 

Copenhagen-based photographer

Claus Bellers -

Enjoy !

DIY - Downloadable Calendar

Are you are looking for a very cute

downloadable calendar ?

Well, this may be just what you are looking for !

P.S.

You may also 

be spending a LOT of time ( in the 

office supply store

buying ink cartridges )

and folding lots

of paper - if castles are your thing !

Downloads and instructions can be downloaded at the Canon Creative Site.

Images and other DIY projects available at Canon Creative Park.

Jessica Jones

What would you do if you were a very talented graphic designer,

and, if you loved Etsy, and the handmade movement in general....

Why you would probably open your very own Etsy shop -

and then, you would start your own BLOG to promote the Etsy shop.

You would probably even name that blog after your favourite colour - 

I'm thinking maybe ORANGE !

And, what if your blog became wildly popular - say 10,000 plus viewers per day ?

And if one of your followers asked you to design a line of fabrics for her collection  ?

Why, I guess you would say that your name was Jessica Jones.

Yes, that Jessica Jones - graphic designer extraordinaire from Evanston, Illinois.

So how does one balance life as a graphic designer - creating brand identities, logos, and marketing collateral,  with daily posts on a hugely successful blog?

I have no idea.

I do however have some ideas about why she has been so successful in establishing
 her own corporate identity - her brand -
Jessica Jones.

Talent is a given.
As is determination, and probably
 a good measure of luck.

According to Google,
Howaboutorange  is a blog
'brimming with craft tutorials, DIY projects, free downloads, decorating tips
and design inspiration'.

It is also a blog brimming with
personality.
Where else would you find a category dedicated to
'timewasters'
on a blog - or anywhere ?
It's fun and it's quirky.
It's also incredibly sincere - which I think probably
would be an apt description
of Jessica herself.

Jessica's fans already know this -
but she has a new
line of fabrics just waiting to burst onto
the scene
in early 2011.

Until then,
we'll have to occupy our time making
dollar bill origami, and
Mr. Picasso Head pictures.
Cool !

Pictures from www.simplyjessie.com

 I made this pillow using a fabric designed by Jessica.