Being a HUGE fan I have been dying to have design studio Darling Clementine feature in a Day With for a long, long time, and today that day has come! The girls were very busy these last few months so I’m really appreciative that they took some time out to give us a peek at their day and their amazing new studio! How gorgeous are the black and white tiled floors? Thanks ladies!

Hello!

We are Tonje and Ingrid, and we are Darling Clementine.

We specialize in making stationary products, and we love to design and have fun at work!

We have just moved into our new office, in the Old Town of Oslo, Norway.

It has everything we dreamed of; shopfront with old beautiful windows, chess patterned floor and a huge storage space in the basement. We have re-decorated the entire space, and we are thrilled to finally have our own place! We would have loved to show you more images of it, but as predicted it always takes a long time to get everything in place.

Therefore we are still working on top of boxes, wondering where we put this and that during the move, and smelling of paint when we get home. We are going to have an opening party Friday the 11th of June so that’s our deadline…

We love it here though! Here is what our day today looks like:

We always start the week with a Monday meeting. This is sometimes hard to keep strict as we are so close friends and usually have so many things to talk about from our weekend! We always make a cup of lovely coffee to accompany our long list of what to do this week.

Today has been especially sunny and warm here in Oslo so we snuck out after our meeting for a small break in the sun outside our office. (image; tonje front)

When we have divided our list of things to do we usually have a few hours answering e-mails and getting our Etsy and shop orders ready for the postman.

We usually get so wrapped up in what we are doing that we forget that lunchtime is way overdue, so around 2 o´clock we finally sit down for some lovely food. This is our favourite time of day, and we always make sure to have fresh veg and nice norwegian bread. We are so lucky to have a backyard at our new place so we eat our lunch under the trees listening to the birds and the bees.

We are usually working on either self-initiated design projects or on free-lance work for others. Lately we have been working on a new line of designs for Nineteenseventythree, as well as marketing our brand new series- Woodland. It is great to be able to decide so many of your own projects, this means we are never bored and we always have something to do. In July for instance, which is the slowest month usually, we are always busy making designs for Christmas!

We are also busy planning some exciting new products coming soon! We love the fact that our designs can be used for other type of products, so wait and see

After another great day at work we lock up our turquoise door and say our farewells. But it´s not for long. Tomorrow is another day with more lovely conversations, ideas and sunshine.

Thank you for having us!

Related posts:

1. My Inside Life… Darling Clementine Part 2
2. My Inside Life… Darling Clementine Part 1
3. Oh my! Darling Clementine…

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Hello! We are Sally and Dave and we own ToDryFor.com

Our days are generally a bit of a whirlwind of activity and eating. It’s just the two of us [to quote Bill Withers] and we currently work from home, but are on the lookout for some new business premises. Working and living in the same space has its advantages [a short commute down one flight of stairs and easy access to home comforts] and some disadvantages [we are permanently surrounded by boxes and often work until midnight, not really having a proper ‘going home’  time].

At the start of each day we eat breakfast, chain-drink a couple of cups of good, strong Yorkshire tea, and discuss what we are both going to do. I [Sally] am a bit bossy, so this generally consists of me telling Dave what he needs to do through a mouthful of cornflakes.

We then crack on with emails, potter about on the Internet ‘researching’ new designs [aka looking at facebook / twitter / blogs etc] and catch up with any admin tasks. It’s surprising how much time is taken up by really dull jobs, like filling in spreadsheets, paying invoices and keeping things ship-shape, but it’s a necessary evil.

We generally have a break at around 11ish, with another cup of tea. We then package all the orders and take them to the post office, sending tea towels out to the far corners of the earth. It’s always fun to think that we might have helped make drying up dishes that little bit cheerier for somebody on the other side of the world.

Throughout the day we take deliveries of parcels, either tea towel stock for ToDryFor or exciting products for the new websites that we are launching later in the year. And then it’s lunchtime!

Our afternoons are spent doing our own separate work. Dave is currently adding additional payment methods to ToDryFor and is also building the two new websites, whilst I’m working on our May e-newsletter and writing copy for some additional tea towels we’re adding to our existing range.

We love listening to music whilst we work, including everything from Dolly Parton and the Steve Miller Band to Au Revoir Simone, Blitzen Trapper and Miley Cyrus [we know this isn’t cool, but we do actually know and sing along to all the lyrics to Party in the USA].

Today we’re doing a photo shoot for a couple of new tea towels that are due to go live on the website in the next week. Photographing the towels always takes a long time and is thirsty work; time for another cup of tea and a slice of Battenburg!

The rest of the afternoon is spent catching up with emails again, checking stock levels and pottering on with our various individual tasks. It’s good to be able to unwind from our hectic tea towel schedule, so we’re finishing off our working day by meeting our friend Fraser for a pint in The Rusty Bike – a great pub just around the corner from us. Cheers!

Related posts:

1. My Inside Life… To Dry For
2. Cherry picked
3. Where'd the time go?

Donna Wilson has been quoted as being ‘wonderful with wool’, a ‘material marvel’, a ‘textile designer extraordinaire’ and even an ‘All round textile legend’. As these descriptions suggest, her distinctive designs have won her an army of dedicated fans around the world and given her a reputation as one of Scotland’s brightest design stars. Characterised by a playful nature, tactile aesthetic and multicoloured palette Donna Wilson’s work ranges from colourful knitted creatures to striking upholstered furniture designs.

Here are a few things you may or may not know about Donna’s world!

Study
Donna has always loved making things, drawing and being creative, from an early age she wanted to be a designer.  Donna studied Textiles at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen before gaining an MA in Mixed Media and Constructed Textiles at The Royal College of Art in London. It was during her time at the Royal College of Art that Donna enjoyed some early success with her first collection of knitted creatures. Being an industrious sort of person, Donna took the creatures to a shop called Couverture who sold lots every month, which paid her rent while she was at college!

a little wall of things Donna likes, colour, patterns, and artwork inspiration…

After graduating in 2003 Donna set up her own studio which now produces designs for sale in over 15 countries across the globe, which is a lot. As well as her collection of lovable creatures, the past 7 years have seen Donna produce blankets and cushions, trays, wooden dolls, scarves and socks, tea towels, upholstered furniture and even stationery and books. In fact there isn’t much that Donna hasn’t turned her creative hand to!

finding a home for the creatures, cushions and doilies…

Inspiration
Although she has lived in London for ten years now, Donna still takes most of her inspiration from memories of her childhood growing up on a farm in Aberdeenshire in the North East Scotland. When she goes home to visit her family she likes to walk through the beautiful landscape and breathe in the fresh air, which makes her very happy. Her love of the Scottish countryside has influenced her to use texture and organic forms in her work that remind her of home. By using handcrafted techniques like felting, sewing, knitting and wrapping, Donna creates a closeness and familiarity that invites people to connect with her products.

making ‘make your own monster packs’ – work in progress…

Manufacture
Not only is Donna passionate about creating products that people can connect with she is also committed to making things that will last. From her creatures to her upholstery pretty much all of Donna’s designs are made in the UK from 100% natural fibres like Lambswool, which is both highly durable and environmentally friendly. Although achieving this is not always easy,  Donna likes to feel that she is doing her bit to keep the declining UK manufacturing industry alive.

the everlasting ironing pile…

By making all of her products in the UK, Donna knows all of her manufacturers personally and works with lots of people up and down the country.  For instance, there is Bob and Elizabeth who do all of the knitting in the borders of Scotland. They are a husband and wife team in their 60’s who were recently remarried in Las Vegas!

Monster packs ready for delivery…

Then there’s Elaine in Orkney and Abby in Bournemouth who make a lot of the creatures at home.  Donna sends Elaine and Abby a template and a sample along with the knitted fabric, which has been washed, dryed and ironed flat to get all of the greasy oils out. Elaine’s speciality is Cyril Squirrel Fox and Rill whilst Abby is fantastic at Ginge’s.

A week or two later, as if by magic, a box bursting with finished creatures arrives at Donna’s studio which is always a nice surprise!

As you may have gathered, Donna is a very busy person. To be good at being such a busy person she needs assistance, she couldn’t be as wonderfully busy as she is without her team of helpers at her London studio.  Firstly there’s Erin, who runs Donna’s studio. She was thrown in at the deep end when she arrived at the studio straight out of college in Dundee. She manages the orders and makes sure Donna’s customers have their wooly treats on time, she is fantastic. She also knits, and sews, which as you can imagine comes in very handy!

Erin cutting the fox cushions…

Donna also has Kate who comes in to offer her special sewing skills two days a week. She is a very good sewer, her record is sewing 25 round covers in an hour! If you don’t know what on earth that means then just trust us when we say she is really, really fast!

Cyril Squirrel Fox’s home in the studio…

And the latest addition to the team, is Laura, who keeps the website up to date and works on the catalogues and price lists.
Donna feels very lucky to work with such great people.

Exhibitions + Achievements
Over the years Donna has done countless installations and shows as well as a few workshops. Recently she designed an exclusive pouffe for a show called ‘Made in Britain’ at the prestigious London department store, Liberty. In January 2009 Donna had her first solo show at The Lighthouse Gallery in Glasgow entitled ‘Escape to the Woods’. She filled the space with knitted trees and blankets to create her very own Donna World… some people got lost in the knitted world and haven’t been seen since!

Organised explosion of colour, pattern, and characters in the studio…

New Stuff
Most recently, Donna Wilson has produced a new range of beautiful ceramic Staffordshire dogs that were launched in January 2010. An icon of 19th century Britain, Staffordshire Dogs were traditionally sold as decorative ceramics for the mantelpiece before becoming the collectible items that they are today.

Donna’s new Staffordshire Dogs have been updated for the 21st century and are wearing their very own unique Fairisle sweaters which have been hand painted using a palette of bright colours and golden gilding.. Donna would love to re introduce people to the Staffordshire Dogs and make them popular once again.

Donna in studio space, East End London….

Related posts:

1. Donna Wilson for SCP
2. Playful
3. Winter Friends

My name is Melissa Launay. I am a painter and illustrator.

I do not remember this, but I was apparently born in the Westminster Hospital on the Thames Embankment in London and immediately whisked off to Spain to be with my mother’s family. I am half Spanish.

Found to be sufficiently acceptable, I remained there for the next 20 years or so and, as I showed a certain amount of talent drawing as a child, I finished my education at the Seville University of Fine Arts. London was still in my blood, however, and as soon as I could I moved back to the capital where I now live in a delightful Georgian house in  Stockwell which I share with four delightful people.

At present I work from home in my bedroom, the sitting room or beautiful conservatory [I painted the designs on the windows using removable paint]. I can do this, for everyone else leaves early in the morning for their offices and do not return till dusk.

I have considered renting a studio but now summer is approaching and there is a wonderful garden where I get so much inspiration from!!I like putting up my easel under the apple tree and working there. Though it gets very dangerous in september [apples are massive and can be painful if landing on you!!]

I paint 4 or 5 days a week but also work twice a week in Shepherds Bookbinding a paper shop, previously known as Falkiners and it is an Aladdin’s cave of art paper supplies. I love being there as it keeps me sane. I am a sociable person and spending lots of time on my own without interacting with others gets me a little low and makes me lose my motivation and self discipline. The job not only forces me out of the house into the city life  but gives me an opportunity to meet lots of lovely people!!

My days at home usually start at 7.30. After a shower I get into my comfortable working clothes,put the news on and after answered my e-mails while having breakfast [toast with butter and honey and a cup of tea] I get my gouaches or acrylics out and start painting around 10sh!

I stop for lunch about 1.30sh  I love cooking and have the habit of doing a mountain of food so usually I have lots of left overs to be eaten at lunch, If these have already been consumed, I will have a salad or soup, anything that is easy and quick.

I am back at my desk or easel by 2.30sh and carry on painting for the rest of the day [listening to music, what would I do without Spotify? I do not know!!! or if not music, I put on anything interesting I can get on BBC iPlayer] usually stopping for a cup of tea and probably a chat with someone on the phone.

If I am particularly inspired then I keep at it till 8 or 9 but prefer calling it a day around 6pm when my house mates are back from work or when I am ready to go out to meet with friends, longing to see people after a day on my own. Because of this, I  often double book my evenings and try to be in two places at once. This usually leads to problems when I happily go to the cinema or a gallery having forgotten that I have invited six friends to dinner.

Sometime’s I’ll have a private view of my work in the house, this is the conservatory one one of those days. I usually exhibit with my friend Hannah Battershell once every three to four months in the conservatory!

Another problem is my body clock which has failed to adjust from my years in Spain. I can seldom go to sleep before 2 in the morning and can stay up all night when others have fallen by the wayside. Luckily I do not need many hours of sleep!!

At present I am working on a number of commissioned paintings and have several large projects [ murals which will get me out of the house ] coming up. Last year I illustrated three books and a pack of tarot cards and find the changes refreshing.

You can see more of my work here and here and buy postcards here. I also have a blog which explains my work more thorughly. Contact me directly for any commissions or enquiries : )

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1. Melissa Launay
2. A Day With… Depeapa
3. A Day With… Famille Summerbelle.