Drawing - let's keep it alive please!

I love my life as an artist and designer.  I get inspired by all sorts of weird and wonderful things and just want to go on exploring ideas forever!  After travelling, walking, talking and looking, my sketchbooks are the place where I deposit all those nuggets of ideas, and some will make their way into a new design or a painting, print or drawing.  I've put some of those pages together for you to see part of the journey from ideas to realisation.  Drawings first - hope you like them!

Sketchbook covers

Recognise this one?

original ink drawings

Springtime botanicals!

It's so lovely looking forward to spring, and the new snowdrops, crocus and even little lime green tips of daffodils that are peeping up outside my house are brightening up my days and inspiring new ideas.  I'm having to settle for tulips in vases for now but it won't be long before they are popping up too, like these from last year photographed at Sizergh Castle in the Lake District.

Botanic garden inspired designs bring a lovely, fresh and lively feel into the home, and birds, flora, fauna, insects and butterflies are my favourites!

Tulips in the rain

In the Wild design based on leaping pheasants, birds and grasses.

 I'm looking forward to getting my flight wallpaper up in my bathroom, and teaming it up with perhaps Little Greene Paint Company's Canton, which is a deep teal colour - bold I know!

Flight on a cool standard lamp.

Remember theses little lanterns I made at Christmas?  Well, they were very popular so I'm busy making some more!  Watch out for them soon on the website!

Hello New Year, Hello New Prices!

I'm very pleased to announce that my new prices are now up and running on the website, where you will find that you can buy my stuff at LOWER prices!  Yes, you read that right!  I've been working on ways to bring them down so that you can save a little more when you purchase that silk cushion or handmade lampshade from me.

Drum roll please...

Cushions were £90, NOW £80

Lampshades were £90, NOW £70

Flight Wallpaper was £130, NOW £99

Champignon and Coriolacae Wallpaper was £75, NOW £65

New Year New Plans New Horizons New Photos!

First of all, a belated Happy New Year!  I don't do resolutions in the New Year - too much pressure! But I have promised myself that I will live in the moment, enjoy life to the full, be kind to everyone, be inspired and create create create!  So what better way is there than to kick off January with a brand new, fabulous photo-shoot, courtesy of the super talented Bruce Fitzgerald of BFPix.

I'm working on some new products too, (top secret!!!) to be ready for the next Home Is In The North show coming to Manchester again on the 18th April, so keep that date free and come and join us. The homewares event, run by lovely Rachael Adams at the Social Butterfly, is getting bigger and stronger every year, so come and get some inspiration for your home!

Here are some of my favourite photos from my shoot with Bruce, but there will be more going up on the website very soon.  Enjoy!

Cosy cosy cosy!

A complete one-off, bespoke design.

Xmas makeover - limited offer!

With three weeks to go before Christmas, you have just enough time to perk up your living room or paper the downstairs toilet in time for your guests arriving.  I'm feeling rather smug today as my downstairs has just been painted by the brilliant (and quick!) Emma Osenton - I'll be posting once it's all back together and I have some decent photos to show you.

So, it got me thinking that I'd like to share my warm, decoratey feelings and offer a FREE roll of wallpaper to anyone making an order of 1 roll!  Yes, it's a buy one get one free!!!  The offer starts today and will end on Friday 19th December, so you only have two weeks!  Enough time to order a sample today, think it over and have it up on the wall before the guests arrive for their eggnog!  Order on the website at clairemurraydesigns.co.uk

Have a lovely xmas everyone!