Christmassy Wallpaper Competition! Win a new feature wall in time for Christmas!

I don't know about you but I'm just starting to feel a little Christmassy!  A warm fire, the tree glistening with baubles, sipping a nice red, the house all cosy and presses under the tree...ahh.  

Christmas is a time for giving so it's.....Competition Time!  And it's so easy, all you have to do to win two rolls (enough for a generous feature wall) of either design, is send me a message on either Facebook, Twitter or here on the blog, saying which design you would prefer (Champignon or Coriolacae) and leaving a contact email address.  Closing date is Monday 2 December, giving the lucky winner just enough time to get the decorators in (so to speak!) before Christmas!  Go on, have a go, it might be your lucky day!

My inspirational New Yorkian Christmas.

It's not just nature that inspires me, I love to mooch around urban areas too, experience the hustle-bustle of city life, the noise, dirt and people-watching.  It's coming up to Christmas (it's just got colder here), and I've been reminiscing about my festive New Yorkian family trip nearly two years ago.  We stayed in a friend's apartment in the East Village for almost 2 weeks, had our Christmas eve meal in Schiller's Bar nearby, and enjoyed the quietest Christmas Day ever (everyone else had either gone home or wasn't celebrating xmas so the city was deserted).  This visit inspired me, woke me up, shook me around and got me designing patterns as soon as I got home.  I haven't stopped since!  Here are some pics to take you there...

The amazing pattern on the wall of the New Contemporary Art Gallery on the Bowery.

Gorgeous xmas windows.

Yes, empty (and creepy!) subway on xmas eve.

Central Park.

You just have to see It's A Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve.

Strand Books.

Christmas lunch mmmmmm...

Bowieball!!!

Breakfast just around the corner at Katz's deli.

Great 'Kiss' wall.  Husband loved this!

Skating on Central Park (don't try this with 4 year-olds!).  Bowie and Bing were singing along.

Clockwork toys from FAO Schwartz.

Late afternoon winter sun in Washington Square.

Christmas Day park on E Houston St.

Inspire and create. Explore and make.

Now, there are some days you have as a designer when you need to step back and take a good long look at your work, go out for some fresh air and take a nice stroll out with your camera.  This is what I've been doing for years, looking at all the little details in the world around me, spotting gorgeous colours, amazing light and elegant forms.  Here are just a few of my favourite things...

After the rain.

Growth.

Mushroom hunting through the woods.

Flaking.

Layers of time.

Creeper.

Reflections.

Peonies.

Close your eyes and take a deep breath - can you smell it? 

Beanz don't just mean Heinz!

Autumn walk.

Reflections on the loch.

Sutherland.

Summer days...

The view from my studio at sunset...ahhh!