stylish patterned cards now available to buy from studio element

Here we are in December - and what a year it has been! I spent some time during the most recent UK lockdown working on Christmas-themed patterns, which I am excited to offer as greeting cards.

These designs feature flat, abstracted winter wonderland motifs such as evergreen needles, twigs and pinecones, for a stylish modern take on Christmas. The cards are printed on high-quality textured matte cardstock and sold in packs of three, with matching kraft paper envelopes.

You can get three of the same design, or if you’re feeling indecisive, one of each - all for £10 (including delivery anywhere you wish!)

You may not be able to see everyone you want this Christmas but you can still send them a stylish greeting to let them know you’re thinking of them - pick up some cards today.

Stylish high quality patterned Christmas cards from Studio Element

posted on 2020 / 12 / 14

Autumn design inspiration - magic mushrooms

The changing of the seasons is in full swing now in the UK - with falling leaves and brilliant autumn colours everywhere you turn. While I can’t say I love the shorter days and cooler temperatures, it is a great season to search for design inspiration in the natural world.

Mushrooms have long been one of my favourite subjects to draw and create designs from - I just love the unusual, ambiguous shapes you can create from them, as well as the fact that there is so much variety in the different mushroom types you can find. I was thrilled to discover that this year, apparently I wasn’t the only one, as it seems like mushrooms are popping up left, right and centre on every print trend forecasting blog or website I look at. Great, now I had an excuse to make even more mushroom-inspired designs of my own!

On a weekend away in the countryside a few weeks ago, I spent some time in the woods searching for mushrooms and taking photos. I was really pleased with the results:

Design Inspiration - Photographs of Mushrooms

The photos provided inspiration for lots and lots of mushroom sketches…

Sketches of Mushrooms - Pattern Designs in Progress

I am currently working on turning these sketches into colourful, graphic patterns. Here is a sneak peek of some of the mushroom-inspired prints I have created so far. I could see these looking great on quirky stationery, gift or home accessories products - what do you think?

Colourful graphic pattern designs inpsired by mushrooms

I will be sharing more of the final designs on my Instagram as I finish them, so be sure to follow me to see more!

posted on 2020 / 10 / 25

september studio news round-up

September is traditionally a month of new beginnings, and even though this year has been strange, exciting things have been happening at this busy time of year. Read on for a round-up of all the latest news from Studio Element.

studio element pattern studio on patternbank

I have recently teamed up with Patternbank, a revolutionary global online marketplace for textile design, to offer a select collection of my pattern designs for sale on their website.

Click here to see my Patternbank page. I am adding new designs every week so keep your eyes peeled!

Studio Element Pattern Designs at Blue Print

My ‘Summer Meadow’ collection featuring playful bees, butterflies and wildflowers was chosen by Pattern Observer to be shown at the (now virtual) Surface Design & Print show Blueprint, from September 22-24, 2020. Visit their website to see more of the great art on show, which I am very pleased to be a part of.

Studio Element Featured on Print and Pattern Blog

I have been hard at work developing new designs in a range of styles over the past several months in lockdown, and am pleased to report that some of my my recent work has been featured on the renowned surface design blog Print + Pattern. Click here to read the feature.

posted on 2020 / 09 / 24

august 2020 collection of the month - escape to the tropics

Floral/leaf prints are always very popular, but it is precisely for this reason that I find them to be a bit of a tricky subject. It sometimes feels like most popular flower and leaf shapes have been done to death in the pattern design world, so it can be difficult to create designs that feel original and are true to your style. It is for this reason that I aim to steer clear of anything too detailed or literal when creating floral or leaf patterns - my style tends towards simplified, graphic motifs with an ambiguous quality to them.

Looking ahead to SS21 trends, this month I decided to try my hand at graphic, oversize floral and leaf patterns with a limited colour palette, focusing on detailed, repetitive line work which always works well with my flat, graphic style.

pattern collection escape to the tropics inspiration

I was lucky enough to visit Costa Rica last year, and was able to dig up some of the photographs of the unique tropical flowers and leaves I took in the rainforests there as inspiration. This was helpful in giving the collection a more original feel, rather than defaulting to common/popular flower and leaf shapes. I find that being able to use my own photography as inspiration rather than sourcing it generally leads to stronger designs - wonder if other designers feel the same?

The cool, sophisticated colour palette and versatile motifs create for a flexible print collection that would work in a wide range of applications, including fashion, interior accessories and even stationery. What do you think, where do you see these prints?

pattern collection escape to the tropics snapshot

If you are interested in purchasing any prints or would like to commission something in a similar style, please contact me at hello@studio-element.co.uk

posted on 2020 / 08 / 24

mid-year update and collection of the month

It may look like it has been a bit quiet over here, but I have been hard at work!

You may have noticed a slight re-brand several weeks back. Yes, I have now evolved to ’Studio Element’ rather than ‘Interiors by Element.’ I have been told time and time again that my bright, bold patterns are suitable for a wide variety of applications, so I thought, why keep limiting myself to interiors? This new angle also sees me spending more time on developing my design style and creating new patterns for sale on commission, and less on the nitty-gritty of product development, manufacture and delivery.

As much as I love my modern rug designs (and they are still available to order), I had started to find working on just rugs a bit limiting creatively. Since my 100 Day project last year, I have continued developing lots of new pattern designs and experimenting with many different styles, media and approaches, a lot of which I have documented on my Instagram account. The ongoing COVID situation, while obviously being difficult for many other reasons, has at least given me more time to spend on creating new work over the past little while. Unusual natural objects and processes continue to be one of the main inspirations for my patterns, but I have also evolved my style to include more geometric patterns as well as more recognisable floral/leafy shapes. A bold, graphic retro-inspired look and feel continues to be a common theme across all my designs.

I am now working on developing more polished pattern collections which I will be sharing with you here on the blog at regular intervals, starting with….

collection of the month: sketch

100 days of patterns design project top picks

With international travel only just starting to open up and still looking a little bit questionable I doubt I’ll get a beach break anytime soon, but one can still dream! This collection comprises of hot sunshine hues and bold, playful designs that incorporate doodles and mark-making. I think these would look perfect on a bold maxi dress or bikini - what do you think?

If you are interested in purchasing any prints or would like to commission something in a similar style, please contact me at hello@studio-element.co.uk

posted on 2020 / 07 / 24

newsletter sign-up

Be the first to hear about new design collections, any upcoming exhibitions and special offers.