10 things to do before Christmas

With the Interior design course exam nearing I need a to do list for Christmas to make sure I get everything done. Here goes:

1. Buy or make and then send Christmas cards
This year I am printing out some cards with my illustrations on them. I love greetings cards, both hand made and bought. I really like these cards by 'Printstitchandpaste' on etsy. And it's always nice when people send a family photo with a festive message.

2. Make an advent calendar
I'm hoping to be able to make mine this year and have been looking for inspiration on Pinterest. (Hopefully I'll be able to update with a post about my diy!)

Casafacile via Pinterest

Norske Interior blogger via Pinterest

3. Make a traditional English Christmas cake
Do you have a trusted recipe passed down from your grandma? Or maybe you love searching the net for the perfect new twist to a classic cake. Why not do a bit of both. Last year we used this video by Tickly Mouth which is really easy to follow. Then we used my muickm's recipe book for the icing (click here for a similar recipe). It reached universal approval.
(for more recipes by Tickly Mouth see their youtube channel,or follow them on Facebook)

via Pinterest

4. Buy or make Christmas presents
Well, everyone has a different way of getting this job done. You can buy from the internet (Amazon for books and dvds, Etsy for handmade or custom gifts, for a start). Go down the high street and pop into your favourite shops. Make everyone something special like a painting, a woolly hat, biscuits or homemade jam (see these ideas on howtobuildit.org).
For children it's good to get one special present and a few stocking fillers, because then there are a lot more things to unwrap, and that's the best part. So add a new toothbrush, socks, pencils or crayons.

5. Buy or find a Christmas CD, or prepare a playlist on the tablet

I love Christmas Carols (here is a link if you need to spruce up your lyrics!) and christmassy rock songs (read this article on Rolling stone for some ideas!) that you can have on in the background while your decorating the tree...

6. Decorate the Christmas tree and style your home

Choose a day and set aside some time to decorate in style. Invite your family or friends round, put on some music and have a cup of tea and buscuits while they all join in. Everyone has a different way of decorating a Christmas tree. You can pick a colour scheme, or you can use all the decorations you have and have gathered over the years and make something colourful. You choose. The only rule is have fun!

Homedit via Pinterest

Camille Styles via Pinterest

7. Organize Christmas parties or dinners with friends and colleagues

Take time out of your busy schedule to plan a few gatherings with special friends and your colleagues. Even just a drink before dinner during the first few days of December can be a nice way to say Merry Christmas to people who are special to you.

8. Plan big Christmas lunch (who's bringing what, who's house this time)

This part takes major planning... but not on my part! I am spoiled since the senior ladies in my family do most of the work! My mother-in-law cooks an amazing feast, my mum adds wonderful trimmings (you can find her recipes in her blog 'Cappuccino and brioche'!) and my brother's mother-in-law makes wonderful Italian dolci. But if you are the one doing the planning this article on www.netmums.com seems pretty helful!.

9. Wrap the Christmas presents

I read in a magazine that a great place to wrap your presents is on your ironing board because it's the right height so you're not straining your back. Try it if you have a lot of parcels to wrap... Make sure you have enough wrapping paper and string and add a little tag for the name. You can make your own out of cardboard and a piece of string, buy pretty ones on the internet or shop, or even download printable tags.

pintable tags, image via Pinterest

10. Take some time to think about love
Christmas is a time to focus on joy and love and to be grateful for what we have, to fill our hearts with love towards our friends, family and neighbours. Whether you go to church, have a gathering with friends, go for a walk with your partner, sit quietly meditating, now is the time to let the light into our hearts and allow it to fill us with warmth.

note: credits to images and links are under each photo.

Interior design and my first renderings

Two years ago I started a masters program at a local school to specialise in designing interiors. Now I'm preparing my final project for the exam in December.
Each student has to redesign a fictitious appartment which needs renovating according to the needs of imaginary clients.
I have been given an imaginary couple as my clients. They are in their forties.
Our teacher spelled out their interests and hobbies. She's a university professor and loves cooking. He has a travel agency and collects artwork.

I have designed the appartment. The clients wanted a master bedroom with on suite bathroom and wellness area. A guest room/study/gym (!). A guest bathroom. A kitchen, dining area and lounge (which in my project are one open space). Lots of space for their books. Their art collection dotted around the house.

Now all I have left to do are the 3D renderings (in Italian they call these 'i render'). These are the perspective drawings of the various rooms created using a 3D model to which you add materials, colours and lighting to create an image which resembles a photograph of what the house will look like.

Renderings take a long time to make and require a lot of expertise if they are to be of high quality. There are professionals who specialise solely in making renderings for other designers. However there are some special computer programs that enable you to make quick renderings, very useful to give your client several options and to make changes along the way. These type of 3d images are used especially in the retail business, for example in shops that sell furniture, kitchens and bathrooms.

A rendering is very useful to give your client a feel of a space. Together with plans, sketches and moodboards you should be able to imagine exactly what the designer is dreaming up.

Over the next few weeks I'll post a few renderings of the appartment. Here is the one I made last night of the 'bagno giorno', the guest bathroom. I use to make renderings when I did my internship in an architects studio, but they had often been set up by other designers and I just had to add bits and bobs, change the colours or materials. This is the first time I do one completely on my own, from the design itself to the 3d model, from the lighting to the materials, so I'm quite proud of myself!

il bagno giorno - rendering

Golden colours and autumn magic

Today the screensaver on my phone is a row of trees with golden leaves. And outside my window there are lots of beautiful colourful trees. Oh, and it's raining too!

When I was little Autumn was my favourite season because I like the crunching sound of leaves, the way trees show off their amazing variety of colours, and the feeling that winter is on its way, which to my childhood self, meant Christmas! Ok, it still does, of course! And I still love Autumn..

Last week, I was leafing through one of my interior design magazines when I came across an article about the colour of the year for 2016. Akzonobel, a Dutch paints and coatings company, have created Colour Futures to study trends in the use of colour for interior design. The colour 2016 will be Cherished GOLD.

Well that's just what I need to get me into that cosy Autumnal feel!

So I have set up a folder to fill with Gold inspiration on my Pinterest account.

some leaves I picked up on my way to work this morning

I'l leave you with this song by Mika....

Inktober and drawing for fun

Over the last few months I have started keeping a sketchbook on a regular basis. I have always had a sketchbook, but I used to use it very randomly, with very little method, just when I felt like it. Recently I have come across various books and blogs that have encouraged me to make sketching a daily habit.

As a result I started using my tumblr account almost daily. A few weeks ago, while looking at other artists' work, I came across the hashtag Inktober and wondered what it was. I looked it up and discovered it's a challenge started in 2009 by Jake Parker, which now takes place every October.

To take part all you have to do is make art using ink (add colour if you like) and post it on your social media with the hashtag #inktober, throughout the month of October You can do a daily sketch, weekly, anything that helps you get into a habit. (I know it's a bit late to start, but if you wanted to you could draw for 30 days in a row, and that's the same really).

So for the past three weeks I have been drawing in pen, occasionally adding water with a paint brush.

You can see my work here. It's rather random but fun!
ladybirdsketches.tumblr.com

If you want to see other artists' work just type #inktober or #inktober2015 and you'll come across lots of very interesting ink drawings.

If one wanted to they could set up their own personal challenge. What would yours be? You could pick any theme really and just go with the flow!

Design blogs that rock

You know those websites and blogs you fall in love with at first sight, and then keep going back to for inspiration? Well I have quite a few. I often get carried away browsing the net and admiring all the great photos and posts I find.

So here are some of my favourites:

design sponge: an amazing blog beautiful and inspiring

la tazzina blu: even if you don't read Italian, this blogger posts lovely home tours, wishlists and styling ideas

la volpe rossa: an Italian blog about Interior design by a young Student of design. This blog is super new and is really worth a visit!

Theydrawandcook: the website founded by a brother and sister illustrating duo, publishing illustrated recipes and now illustrated food as well.

Theydrawandtravel: their sister website that gathers illustrated maps by illustrators worldwide.

And my latest favourite:

Koosje Koene illustration - a blog written by a Dutch illustrator, who share her tips and pages of her sketchbook. If you like drawing you'll love her draw tip tuesday posts!


Plus I have recently started using my tumblelog (ladybirdskecthes.tumblr.com is my online sketchbook on tumblr) more regularly and keep dicovering really inspiring blogs by artist and designers!

There are so many beautiful blogs and websites on the internet, I am in awe of all the people running them and sharing their work. It's so inspiring and I feel priviledged to be able to see all these photos and images...

Do you have a favourite blog?