Folksy Friday: Carnival

For those of you lucky enough to get away for the bank holiday weekend, I will try my best not to be jealous. For those of us stuck in rainy London this weekend, the Notting Hill Carnival is here. So will you be getting your carnival on in London Town? For this week's Folksy Friday post, I chose these beautiful carnival inspired, nostalgic and dreamy images from some of Folksy's most talented photographers. Happy Bank Holiday weekend!

Carousel De Paris - 10x8 inch photograph by Tim Irving at Folksy

Run 8x8 inch print by Lola's Room

Good, Clean Fun! Fine Art Lomo Pring by Emma in Wonderland Photography at Folksy

Big Wheel 8x8 inch print by Cassia Beck at Folksy

Colour of the day: Fire Engine Red

Definitely one of my favourite colours. Just in love with all of these items. Maybe I can ride the Electra Amsterdam classic, while wearing the vintage 80's pumps and sunglasses? Or maybe draw at the desk (I know it's a kiddie one - dammit), in the light of the AJ table lamp? Too much red? Never!

Vintage school desk and chair by Rhapsody Attic at Etsy

Fire Engine Red Hot vintage 80s Pumps from VintageDress Flickr stream

Electra Amsterdam Classic 3i Madonna Ladies bicycle. Dutch style bicycle inspired by the designs of Alexander Girard, one of the most infuential folk artists.

AJ table lamp in red designed by Arne Jacobson and manufactured by Louis Poulsen. Celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the iconic AJ lamp.

80s Vintage Red and Gold Wayfarer Sunglasses from The Honey Room

Percolater pendant light Part Deux

Oh my goodness! I've just been informed by a kind reader of the Mengsel blog that the Percolater pendant light that I raved about previously in my post on Thatcher's Coffee is actually available to purchase at none other than ETSY. Designed by Jennifer Jako for Fix Studio. This porcelain beauty is definitly going on my Christmas wish list...

Percolater Pendant light by Fixstudio at Etsy

Percolater Pendant light by Fixstudio at Etsy

Percolater Pendant light by Fixstudio at Etsy

Giveaway time!

After celebrating a milestone of 100 sales on Etsy in May, I had a giveaway competition of one of my A3 sized prints. Well, Mengsel is creeping up to 200 sales now, so it is giveway time again. Yay! The winner will receive a tea towel set of Mengsel's "Retro Roosters" design  (one apple green and one delft blue). To enter the competition, please follow the following steps:

1. You need to follow Mengsel on twitter or facebook or the Mengsel blog.
2. You need to tweet, blog about it or share the facebook link about the competition
3. You need to leave a comment here, telling us which Mengsel product/design is your favourite and why.

The competition will end as soon as Mengsel reaches sale no. 200 on Etsy. The competition is open to followers worldwide and the prize can be posted to any destination.

This is what the winner will receive: "Retro Roosters" tea towel set to brighten up your kitchen. This design takes inspiration from my love of Scandinavian design and the beauty of pattern. 100% cotton and washing machine safe. Available from the Mengsel Shop.

"Retro Roosters" tea towel set in apple green and delft blue

"Retro Roosters" tea towel set in apple green and delft blue

Shimmery, buttery metallic gold

Mengsel's hand printed "i heart robot" pillowcase sets are now available in a very pretty gold colour with a subtle metallic shimmer. Maybe silver will be next? What do you think? View more colours (turquoise, neon pink, green, black, grey, bright red, orange, navy blue) in the Mengsel shop.

Drink, Shop & Do

Mengsel's limited edition silkscreen prints are now available to purchase at the freshly opened Drink, Shop & Do, just a stone's throw from King's Cross St Pancras Station (No 9 Caledonian Road, London, N1 9DX).

Drink, Shop & Do is a new design shop and cafe bar selling products from emerging designers alongside vintage furniture and home wares. Just love the colours and vintage furniture in this bright beautiful shop. A great home for Mengsel prints.

Interior of Drink, Shop & Do with "Retro Roosters" print

Interior of Drink, Shop & Do

"Retro Roosters" limited edition silkscreen print from Mengsel

Interior: Thatcher's Coffee, Vancouver

Just freaked out about this photo from the interior of Thatcher's Coffee in Vancouver. Amazing Moka Express pendant lights! I want them... Don't you think Mengsel's Moka Express tea towels will look right at home in this beautiful coffee shop?

Thatcher's Coffee, Vancouver

Moka Express tea towels, Mengsel

Pick 5: Favourites from The Red Door Gallery, Edinburgh

What a lucky girl I am to have my work for sale in one of the coolest galleries in the UK? The Red Door Gallery supports the work of independent and emerging designers and are dedicated to presenting original, inspirational and affordable artwork. If you're in the Edinburgh area for the festival this month, be sure to check out Mengsel's limited edition silkscreen prints at The Red Door Gallery. I always have a look at the online shop to see what's new, so here are a few of my favourite things at the moment. Hope everybody's having a fantastic Sunday!

"Oh Deer" gocco print by Verity Keniger

Meg Plate by Donna Wilson

Skills Tote in pink by Dear Colleen

"Smile" giclee print by HelloMarine

"Some Things are Better Left Unsaid" screenprint by Alison Hardcastle

Folksy Friday: Noted

We all need a handy little notebook to scribble down those things that we know we will forget. Feast your eyes on these pretty and sweet notebooks found on Folksy. Happy Folksy Friday!

Plans for global domination screen printed moleskine cahier by Champinons

Hand printed pug notebooks in red and black by Sarah Waterhouse

Hand-stamped Notebook - bread slice by Asking For Trouble

Hoot Owl handprinted A6 notebook by Nell

Hand Bound screen printed Notebooks by Lovelittle

New Mengsel Stockist: Elsa + Sam (Portland, Oregon)

 
I am pleased to announce that Mengsel's tea towel range will now be stocked at the wonderful dishware boutique, Elsa + Sam. Located in the city of Portland, Oregon,  Elsa + Sam offers only the highest quality decorative and functional dishware direct from independent designers in North America and Europe.

I've known about this beautiful store for quite some time now and was very delighted when Elsa contacted me. Do have a look at the Elsa + Sam website. My favourite picks:

large kidney plate, white with magnolia

Large bicycle pitcher

Nokka vinegar bottles

Newton cream and sugar set

Lust Teapot

Style Crush: Gwyneth Paltrow in The Talented Mr Ripley

After I posted my Anthropologie picks yesterday, the green epadrilles kept reminding me of Gwyneth Paltrow's character Marge Sherwood in the brilliant film with Jude Law and Matt Damon, "The Talented Mr Ripley". Marge's effortlessly classic style against the backdrop of Italy's Amalfi Coast contributes a lot to this film's cinematic beauty.

(1) Ray-Ban Wayfarers from asos.com (2) Champion Canvas Originals from keds.com (3) Broderie Print Corset Dress from Topshop (4) Cooperative Plaid full Picnic skirt from Urban Outfitters (5) Leather vintage style wallet from Urban Outfitters (6) Rouge Allure lipstick from Chanel (7) Broderie Anglaise cropped shirt form Shadowplayvintage at Etsy (8) Nautical stripe tie bandau top from Accessorize

limited edition "Super 8* silkscreen print for Tenderflix

This limited edition silkscreen print featuring a pattern of hand drawn vintage "Super 8" video cameras were created especially for Tenderproduct. Tenderflix is an annual independent film festival that takes place in Covent Garden, central London. Mengsel was asked to design the DVD cover and create a limited edition silkscreen print for the event. They are now available to purchase in Mengsel's Etsy shop too, so get them while you can.

More info about Tenderflix HERE.

limited edition "Super 8" silkscreen print

limited edition "Super 8" silkscreen print

limited edition "Super 8" silkscreen prints drying in the studio

Tenderflix 2010 Experimental DVD cover designed by Mengsel

Pick 5: Anthropologie

I'm a bit of an Anthropologie obsessive and can spend hours just wandering around. There are very few items in this shop that I DON'T like, which is quite rare. Here's my 5 favourite picks from Anthropologie at the moment.

Two-Wheeler Shirtdress

Experimental Vases (I actually bought one of these for myself)

On The Wedge Espadrilles

Bird-On-A-Wire Dinner Plate

Clothbound Penguin Classics, Pride and Prejudice