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Print designer Rachel Powell has launched her new collection ‘Happy Homeware’. Inspired by the playful nature of mid century design, Rachel’s best selling prints Woodstock, Yoko and Nelly combine to create a bright and bold capsule collection that can add a touch of retro style to any home. Products range from £10-£68, and include ceramics, tea towels and wallpaper which are all made in the UK.

Photowall have launched a new wall mural collection called 'Fabel' by Swedish illustrator and designer Ingela P Arrhenius. There are eight designs currently in the range including Ingela's personal favourite 'Town" (above & below) which reminds her of the picture books she enjoyed as a young girl. Other designs include Frames, Jungle, Forest, Space, Tivoli and Travelling - and all the designs

'Feathers' is the third wallpaper design in the Mini Moderns 'Hinterland' collection. This is a result of a repeat collaboration between Mini Moderns and artist, Matt Sewell. The design is based on Matt's feather watercolours, which feature in the design for the end papers of his book 'Our Songbirds'. The wallpaper design fits perfectly with the spirit of the 'Hinterland' collection, which

Ryan Deighton exhibited at New Designers in London at the end of June after graduating from Leeds College of Art where he studied Printed Textiles and Surface Pattern Design. Ryan's work is influenced by his love of mid-century design and the collection he created for his final major project is entitled "United States of Retro" which he designed with contemporary interiors in mind. You can see

Aimee Wilder, designer and maker of home and fashion textiles and accessories, recently launched her new Bungalow Collection. The range includes wallpaper and fabric designs with tropical themes including boats, jungle leaves, pineapples, ocean waves, wildflowers and more.  The new patterns were inspired by Aimee’s recent trip to Indonesia. See the full range of designs and colours online here.

Talking of wallpaper there are some very interesting designs going on over at All the Fruits a creative collaboration of Jessica Pinotti and Stephen Cheetham. Stephen has worked as a freelance illustrator , creating work for clients such as Google, Nike and Time Out. Jessica is an experienced interior designer having worked in both the domestic and retail sectors. For their wallpaper collection

Habitat recently launched a new paint and wallpaper collection with 16 new wallpaper designs and an extended palette of 30 paint options. Developed from original artworks and schemes created by Rebecca Hoyes, Head of Colour and Textiles for Habitat, the wallpapers include retro repeats and tactile-look textures, stylish stripes to climbers that creep  up walls - some for covering whole rooms

Its my final day of looking at John Lewis, one of the UK's most successful stores and websites. We start with the latest designs from British wallpaper company MissPrint as John Lewis stock their full range of designs and colourways. There are a variety of floral and geometric designs all with stylised motifs and a mid century flavour. See the full range for sale at John Lewis or you can visit

More fab designs today spotted on the lovely John Lewis website and in their stores. There have been some new spring arrivals in the shape of these fresh 'Scandi' cushion designs with stylised flowers and graphic leaves. I have also posted some colourful designs from renowned designer Louise Body at the end of the post with her 'Pots' and 'Plant Life' designs. All are available online at John

I love these beautiful new greetings cards from designer Jessica Hogarth which were spotted in her Etsy Shop. The designs feature a beautiful bright pastel colour palette with a hint of mid century style to the motifs. Jessica has been working as a freelance designer since 2011 and some of her designs, including her new wallpapers below, are inspired by her native North Yorkshire.

I have been out shopping for wallpaper recently and visited Brewers (who also have an amazing online store called Wallpaper Direct) and John Lewis. Whilst browsing the wallpaper books I couldn't resist taking the odd snap shot. The designs below are mainly from Harlequin and Designers Guild with a couple at the bottom from Scion.

Hannah Nunn took the Art & Business of Surface Pattern Design course last year to help her turn her paper cut lamp motifs into patterns with the long term view of getting a collection of wallpaper printed. That project has now become a reality and Hannah says it has been a fantastic journey, which she has documented on her blog - from designing it, to watching it come off the printing presses

Isak are introducing two new wallpapers this autumn; Kaffe & Tulip. The Tulip design is big, bold and classic and was inspired by the large flowered vinyl wallpaper at Sandra Isaksson's grandma's house, but has been toned down with subdued colours. Kaffe is a kitchen design print and was inspired by "the Swedish 11 o'clock coffee tradition. remembering the wonderful smells of freshly ground

mini moderns have a new wallpaper collection launching next month called 'darjeeling'. described by mini moderns designers keith and mark as 'eastern chakras meet sunburst emblems, and glam rock' this design taps into a seventies retro vibe but has a distinctly modern edge. available in five colourways you can find it online here.

hemingway design in collaboration with surface view have added over forty new designs to their 2013 collection featuring geometric patterns with bright colour pops. the patterns are available as large scale wall murals, stretched canvases, wall hangings, and more. the prints were inspired by an eclectic range of sources, from the conran fabric archives to vintage finds in dusty attics. you can

when i was in john lewis picking up my free catalogue last week a stationery range called 'new japan' caught my eye. the main design has a hand drawn feel and is mixed with a mini geometric and secondary floral print. and also from john lewis a loose floral called 'tilda' on curtains and wallpaper. another of john lewis' spring summer 2013 trends is 'botanist

i picked up the new john lewis ineriors catalogue at the weekend which features their spring summer 2013 ranges. one of their new seasonal trends is 'pioneer' which they describe as inspired by 'sun-baked deserts and the landscapes of  the american south-west". the graphic prints are strong and geometric with a colour palette of mocha, grey, and steel mixed with pops of colour with ochre,

i dont normally cover paints here on print & pattern but i thought the colours were so good and the photographs so well styled i could not resist this new range from mini moderns. the mini moderns design duo of keith stephenson and mark hampshire have teamed up with newlife paints to release a collection twelve colours. the paints are also environmentally responsible as they're made from 90%

Tra la!  It’s May!  The lusty month of May!  The time that  . . . . what?

It’s March?

Seriously?  Forget it then.  I’m going back in my hidey-hole.  Call me when it’s May.  But before I go, here’s a swath of delicious Fusenews.  Good for what ails ye.

First off, a gem.  I got the following email from buddy and Top 100 Polls guru Eric Carpenter: “So this weekend while working on a project on Weston Woods for one of my school library media courses (yes, I’m getting a library degree!!!) I came across Gene Deitch’s blog/website. http://genedeitchcredits.com.  Not sure if you’d seen this but if not take a look, just understand it might be a long, long look.”

Eric couldn’t have been more right.  Gene’s a fascinating fellow and he’s quick to recount his Weston Woods days working with Maurice Sendak, with Morton Schindel, with Jules Feiffer, or with E.B. White!  And that’s not even counting all the good stuff you’ll find if you go here.   Eric, buddy, I owe you yet again.

• So I told myself that I wouldn’t read any reviews of my own book Giant Dance Party (due out 4/23).  I figured that was a pretty safe promise to keep.  I mean, I review books myself.  Why invite trouble by reading other folks?  And that noble intention lasted me all of *checks watch* 45 seconds before I caved.  Not much is out yet, but I can say with certainty that 8-year-old Jacob at City Book Review liked the book.  He is a man of fine and discriminating taste.  Well played, young Jacob.

• A special congrats to Mara Rockliff for winning the 2013 Golden Kite Award for her truly awesome Me and Momma and Big John for Picture Book Text.   Why I do so rightly believe I made that one of my 100 Magnificent Books of 2012, did I not?  Yup.  Surely did.

• In other Me Stuff, this past Saturday I hosted a Children’s Literary Salon in the main branch of NYPL.  The topic was Diversity and the State of the Children’s Book and featured panelists Zetta Elliott, Connie Hsu, and Sofia Quintero.  It was also, to put it precisely, a hit.  We’ll have the audio up soon, I hope, but in the meantime Lucine Kasbarian has reported over at We Love Children’s Books.  Thanks, Lucine!

• One of the many advantages of joining The Niblings (four numerical children’s literary blogs joined in bringing you only the best in children’s literary news and entertainment) is that I now have a way of actually keeping up with my fellow bloggers.  Trust me when I say that I’m ashamed of how rarely I read the best folks out there.  But now, thanks to the handy dandy Facebok page, I got to see the 100 Scope Notes Newbery Medal Infographic. I dare say I’m a better person for it too.

• To be frank, I probably would have also have missed the recent 2013 Ezra Jack Keats Award winners too!  Back in the day these awards were given in New York Public Library.  Now they’ve moved to south where the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at The University of Southern Mississippi makes the announcements.  And the winners?

The 2013 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award Winner Is:

Julie Fogliano for And Then It’s Spring

And Then It’s Spring is illustrated by Erin E. Stead.

The 2013 Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award Winner Is:

Hyewon Yum for Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten!

VERY excellent choices.

• And the Acme Powder Company strikes again.  This may be your favorite link of the day, I’ll wager.  Recently Robin Rosenthal of Pen & Oink took a trip to what may well be the world’s most adorable shared studio of children’s book illustrators.  Good looking too, if we’re going to be honest about it.  Hear them in their own words and get a glimpse into what an artist’s studio space ACTUALLY looks like.  Hint: Lots o’ creepy Victorian photographs.  Once you’ve finished with that you can then head on over to Sergio Ruzzier’s new and updated website.

• Aw, what the heck.  You know I don’t usually like to do anything with YA stuff, but a friend of mine asked me to mention this and I don’t see the harm.  There’s a rather sweet little Delirium Fandom offer going on right now.  Prove you’ve pre-ordered Lauren Oliver’s Requiem and you can get a nifty little signed bookplate.  Aww.

• Did you know that there was a conference out there dedicated SOLELY to children’s nonfiction?  Learn something new every day, eh?  Here’s the deets:

It’s a time of re-invention, re-education, and revolution in children’s publishing.  There are important developments that teachers, students, writers, and illustrators want to know about. A faculty of publishers, authors, illustrators, digital designers, and educators will inform and inspire at the 21^st Century Children’s Nonfiction Conference at the State University of New York at New Paltz on June 14-16.

Topics will range from “Nonfiction and the Common Core Standards” to “Creating E-books and Apps.” The weekend will offer intensives, workshops, one-to one consultations and critiques, an illustrators’ showcase, book fair, meals, and a reception at SUNY’s beautiful Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art. Full details are at www.childrensNFconference.com.

Daily Image:

And last but not least, utterly ridiculous bookshelf wallpaper!

Thanks to BB-Blog for the link.

todays posts all have the theme of home decor fabrics and wallpaper. the first features new designs from sanderson, which includes 'maple' (above and below) by fiona howard. fiona you may remember is the designer behind their phenomenoly successful clocks design. maple is from the options 11 collection and is available in four colourways and comes in both wallaper and fabric. also shown below

there is a summer mood taking hold over at michelle mason this season. michelle's new products include 'beach wallpaper' and a 'lowestoft' cushion. the designs are part of a travel theme from michelle's partnership with the national railway museum to create a collection inspired by their archive of british railways posters from the 1950s and 60's. also new is st malo a wash bag range inspired

talking of orla kiely did you know that orla kiely has joined forces with harlequin to produce her wallpaper designs. the collaboration was announced at decorex back in september and means there are now a lot more pattern choice and colourways to choose from. you can see all 14 designs online here at harlequin.

i have a few more shots from the laura ashley spring summer 2013 press show today. this collection called 'coastal' features the muted blues and natural creams and greys of the english seaside. the two main prints feature a geometric abstract remininiscent of pebbles and a bold painterly floral. there are also co-ordinating prints featuring stripes, checks and floral sprays. look out for the

after coastal came a much more feminine range from laura ashley for 2013 featuring lots of delicate pinks, silky textures, embroidery and flowers. the collection centres around the jacquard 'coco' bedlinen in amethyst.

laura ashley are well known for their classic english florals and next year they will be launching this beautiful rose design called 'chiswick' from their 'palace garden' collection. featuring fabulous bouquets of roses in fashionable pink, red and grey chiswick will be available on fabric, cushions, wallpaper, lampshades and more. at the laura ashley SS2013 press show last month it was