XL-news & thank you's

I am excited to share my news with you:

- I have designed 2 new XL-angels - A3 size
- I have a new website (.com ánd .nl)
- and a real JM-logo!

Little Angels Grow Bigger!

Following the success of her ‘children’ (the little Sing angels), mother XL-Angel herself has now come down to make us smile! With her large shape and her pop-out dress – you can open up the berries on her dress – she is a striking presence. She loves to take centre stage at your dinner table, but will also smile cheerfully at you all year round from your sideboard or window ledge.  The XL-Angel is a striking, unique and affordable gift.

The easy pop-out XL-Angel is set in an A3 format card and comes in a bag with ‘handles’. The two colour themes available, blue-red and turquoise-ochre, are sold separately.

Recommended retail price per set: EUR 7.95
 

Thank you Amorim Design for the great job you have done with my new website! It took some time, but with your patience, perseverence, web-craftmanship and your sense of  beauty we reached our goal!

Thank you Peter (my husband), for 'filling' the website with web-photo's, texts, salespoint links etc. You have a precision I envy, sweetheart...thanks!

Thank you Tessa Kwee, for the wonderful logo! It was a kind of a quest and a rocky path to follow, but I have to say I am really, really happy with my JM. Thanks!

Not to forget: thanks Luc Biersteker (my partner in printwork) for coming up with the gorgeous idea of packaging the XL-angels in bags with a large 'handle'. It looks so cute!

my print on Engel-bags

Last Saturday I received a lovely package: 2 wonderful bags, a gift from Engel. Some years ago I designed this elephant-pattern for Engel-tablecloths.
Engel has used the pattern on bags now, and I love it!
By the way - as you can expect from Engel - the bags are real practical and made in a high quality. I am really happy with them!
Although neon has been banned from my personal color palette for a while now, the small neon one (which is much brighter in real than you can see here) is my favorite...
Thanks for the gift dear Sabien!

final launch

Here's my Fleet!

These little paper ships can
- transport your wishes to the other end of the world
- carry treats on a birthday
- invite your guests to your party 
- and decorate your home, your plants or your gifts!

For this new Fleet I designed 4 tiny ships and I think they are so cute! So now there's 11 boats in the pack: three A4-size, four A5 size and four of those new A6 size little boats. A real Fleet!
Although there are 11 boats in the Fleet pack (in the first series it is 8 pcs) the price is the same as serie 1, only € 9,95.

Dear fellow bloggers... Of course I would be so happy if you would spread my good Fleet-news over the planet. I have taken many more photo's than I show you here, and you are very welcome to download them below for use on your blog. Don't forget to send me a link (email), so I can thank you...
Thanks big time!

High res images
Low res images

we showedUP last weekend!

left: photo taken from the showUP website

A couple of meters from my stand: the Stork restaurant for a healthy lunch!

The new ShowUP trade fair was beyond expectations! Good vibes, great collegues, lovely location, fantastic styling, enthusiastic visitors and even some orders (thanks guys!). This is what the professional home/gift world in the Netherlands needed.  
Enough reason to sign up for the second edtion in August!

showUP Amsterdam

Photo: Vivian Dony - Graphics Sabien Engelenburg

This is Engel's invitation for the trade fair we are going to attend in a few days. On ShowUP I'll share a stand again with my friends from Snor Publishers and Sabien from Engel will be my next door neighbour!
There are 25 great wholesale companies presenting their latest designs on ShowUP. The trade fair will be held next Sunday the 3d and Monday the 4th of February in a beautiful old industrial building alongside the water in the upcoming neighbourhood of Amsterdam Noord. We are expecting a lot of customers, collegues, bloggers and press. You are most welcome to come and visit us as well. Book a FREE ticket at ShowUP and ShowUP!

sketches of a new fleet

Two weeks ago I planned to design something new to be launched on the Amsterdam ShowUP tradefair on the 3d of February.
I felt I had outgrown the style of my very first product, the 'little wishboats' (2008) a little, but I'm still in love with the concept, so I chose to restyle them (don't worry: the first fleet will keep on sailing!).

What a struggle it was last week finding the right feel, but yesterday I suddenly knew I was on the right track. I wanted to go deeper and wiser and still keep my customers happy...
I am scared stiff that you might think: 'She's gone nuts! Where are the nice clean graphic patterns, the fresh nordic colours, where's the white base?'
I can understand, but these ragged shibori-style prints, the simple graphic lines and the deep warm colours...this style came straight from my heart yesterday. Just like that. I can only hope my blogreaders and my customers can see, feel and appreciate it.
Thank you, heart, I can allways count on you!

give away - Bloesem/Jurianne - Christmas box!

Bloesem Kids has organised the last pinterest give-away of this year, featuring 5 of my designs.
Just go to Bloesem's Give-away Pinterest board repin and react (question is: what's your favorite Christmas song?).
A random name will be drawn by Bloesem on December 21st and a box filled with the designs above - Sing Angels, Classic Lanterns, Shine Lanterns, Circles and Little Tree (ok, ánd some stars, handmade by me) - could be yours!

my magazine angel

Buitenleven is a lovely dutch magazine (one of the few I actually READ), a hip lifestyle & nature magazine. The editors and I have always been working great together and every time they publish one of my new designs it looks wonderful. Some months ago they asked me to design a Christmas give-away for all their readers, you can imagine how honoured I felt!
When I came home from London last Thursday, the Christmas issue with the angel fell on my doormat.
So here she is: my Buitenleven ("Bowtenlivven") angel!

ps. Sorry: available in Holland (maybe Belgium?) only!

dutch design freak

Next Thursday I'll be sticking a couple of hundred Circles to a huge wall in the Art Hotel in Eindhoven. I am going to attend an exhibition called Dutch Design Freak which is part of the Dutch Design Week.

The Dutch Design Week is my favorite time of the year (ok, apart from Christmas): in this week the industrial monuments in Eindhoven (Philips city) open their doors. Young, but also established, designers (mostly from the Design Academy) show their new designs and ideas.

If you are hungry for inspiration: plan a trip to Eindhoven!

off to Paris

this is the april/paris page from the lovely new 2013 calender by Rifle paper

Tomorrow morning I'll leave for Paris for a couple of days - Maison & Objet trade fair -  together with my collegue/friend Gemma Broekhuis from Milestone Babycards. Promoting my Circles (which means folding and talking at the same time - both of my 'talents' combined!!), looking at the latest trends, meeting business associates and hoping to find a distributor for the USA!
I am looking for a good (matching!) distributor that represents my work in the US, that attends fairs and takes care of the logistics etc. I would be so happy with that. There's a pile of US-orders waiting for them already...If you have any ideas/advice concerning this, please do contact me!

Planning to go to Paris too? I would love to meet you! I'll be mostly at the booth of  
&K Amsterdam - hal 6, L86, who is my distributor for Europe.
Au revoir!

Life's a Circle

Here they are: my new Circles! Hope you like them...

 

 

Round paper ornaments with geometric print designs in pastel colours and earth tints. The Circles are partly inspired by Indian motifs, but are also unmistakably Nordic.  

This new paper product falls under the category of ‘DIY-light’. In just a few minutes, you can turn the flat pack into your very own 3D work of art! Hang the Circles in the Christmas tree, thread them on long springtime bunting or use them to decorate gifts. With a couple of sets, you can make your own wall art by folding out the circles and affixing them flat to the wall in the arrangement of your choice.

One set of Circles contains 3 different cards each with 3 different pop-out circles (9 circles in total per set). The circles are different sizes (5-8 cm). A 60 cm-length cotton thread (eco quality) is attached to each card by a ‘dragonfly’. 

Are you in the Netherlands and would you like me to fold you a couple of Circles? Please visit me at the Autumn Trade Fair in Utrecht on booth C 341. Would love to see you!

report: New York

Back from a rollercoaster week in New York.
Irene (Bloesem) and I had an amazing week in many different regards.

Main goal was the New York International Gift Fair that I was attending.
Because of my work in the booth I didn't have time to see the city, walk around on the huge gift fair, or take any photo's.
The response on my work was overwhelming. The new Circles I launched in NYC caused a lot of American 'wooooows' which made me smile all day long!

Irene took this photo on our first day on the Show. I look exhausted and nervous

My neighbour on the booth Reineke Otten, with a very special customer

View from our apartment (skyscraper, 40st floor!) on Queensborough bridge

View from our apartment - this was such an everyday treat!

We had many visitors on the booth! Small boutiques, huge (museum)stores, press and collegues like...yes: Lotta Jansdotter! Want to know how she is in real life? She is just very S W E E T ! With capital letters.

Lotta Jansdotter - photo Laura Fenon

Irene and I did some sample shopping - a usual phenomenon during the last hours of trade shows -  at my neighbours Fog Linen (trays) and at Rifle paper (gift tags). I have a serious weakness for gift tags...bought some nice ones from Darrell from Sukie, who's booth was a couple of meters away.

The temporary tattoos (on the Sukie box) were a present from Tina Roth Eisenberg, from the well known blog Swiss-Miss. She launched her cool and funny Tattly's on the Gift Fair.

Our last hours in NYC were a kind of a 'surprise icing on the NY-cake': we attended the US-bloggers event of the year called Alt Summit which was held in the offices of Martha Stewart on 26th street!

It was so fantastic to finally meet Sweet Paul in person and Rachel Faucett from Handmade Charlotte who has been on my little bloglist here since the very begining. Tina from Swiss Miss held an impressive and powerfull keynote about entrepreneurship, balancing familylife-work and living life to the fullest. She's an amazing speaker and I think her words truly can make a difference!

This passed week in NY has been very important to me, not only businesswise, but also personally.

And therefore I thank you, Irene. Thanks big time for assisting me on the booth, for keeping an eye on the clock, for the fun we had together, for opening my eyes on certain issues, for connecting the dots and for your friendship. XXX

T H A N K S!

sneak preview: product in progress

Working hard (in the weekends and at night) to get my new product to the printer's next week.
I am not fond of showing half-products and sketches, but I can't resist today. On my work table there is this 'carpet' full of printed and hand cut circles, it looks so lovely, I simply had to share it!

The photo is a bit vague on purpose because it is a product in process and I have to keep you in suspense a little longer.
The new product will be presented at the New York Gift Fair in August and in the meantime I'll keep you posted here of course.

New York!

Map by John Breznicky

It was an immediate YES, when Tuttobene asked me to join them in the Dutch Design stand on the International Gift Fair in New York next August.
It was a wish already for some years to set foot and grow on the US market with my designs. What better place is there to start than New York?
 
This is all so new to me, I've never crossed the endless ocean before and I must say I suddenly feel so small!

How will it be, all by myself in the big apple? Where can I stay for those six nights (not too expensive, but still clean, safe and quiet AND in Manhattan West side - talking about unrealistic whislists....)? In the few hours left next to promoting my work on the stand, where can or do I have to go?
So now I am hoping for some of your good idea's for sleeping, eating and spending time in New York, adresses, links....
I would really appreciate your email or your comment here on my blog.

 Thanks in advance!

Big Apple/La Mela by Enzo Mari

very pinteresting

 

Although first of all I am my own personal source, recently I was influenced more and more by images from other designers I collected on my Pinterest-boards. Pinterest makes getting inspired so easy!
To be honest, after a while my head starts spinning from all the Pinterest pictures. And to get myself working (in stead of collecting more and more inspirational images) I sometimes have to put myself on a Pinterest-diet.

In the process of designing the pop-up posters  for example, I think I was influenced by a lovely print designed by Andrew Holder, by a mascara package from Topshop and by the reflected inkblots on Isabelle Foirest's plates.

my new pop-up posters: WIN a set!

Today my new pop-up posters are ready and for sale. I am so happy that I can finally share them with you!

 It is an honour that both Irene from Bloesem and Sandra from BijzonderMOOI were willing to publish the very first photo's. They even organised a great GIVE-AWAY: Check out Bloesem Blogs to read all about it!

 Pop-up posters - Tree - Fish - Landscape

These graphic artworks appear understated……but see what happens when you take these few simple steps!

Open the fish and the leaves of the trees, open the landscape and the sunshine. Choose a background colour to suit the mood of the picture. You can use one of the colours provided or perhaps something completely different.

The posters are printed on traditional Rives paper (220 gsm) and then pre-cut. Each poster includes a double-sided background sheet printed in two plain colours.

The A4 posters are sold individually and packaged flat with a stiff cardboard liner in a transparent A4 bag, rrp € 11,95 per piece. The A3-size landscape comes in a sturdy, triangular white cardboard tube with a handle, rrp € 17,95.

All my products are eco-friendly.  The paper carries the FSC-logo, and is acid- and chlorine-free.  The Vega-Fast ink is a Dutch developed printing ink based on vegetable oils.  The plastic-looking bags are actually made from cornflour and are bio-degradable.