Rugs Competition

I was invited to judge on this years Good Weave Student competition, with Katrina Burroughs known best for her 'How to Spend it' for the FT and Roger Oates, Paul Vowles from Woven Ground and Lucy and David from Jacaranda carpets. 

GoodWeave UK runs the annual Student Rug Design Competition to

encourage young designers to consider the importance of ethical

manufacture from the very start of their careers, highlighting GoodWeave’s work to end exploitative child labour in the rug industry. This year’s competition was co-sponsored by Jacaranda Carpets and WovenGround.

Paul and Roger deliberating.......

Working to a brief set by Roger Oates, students were asked to interpret fashion in order to design an elegant rug with a luxury feel. Charlotte took inspiration from the techniques used by Jonathan Saunders in his Ombré Collection and her research into colour blending, starling murmurations and reflections of sunlight on water led to her final design.

The  Competition has been won by Charlotte Wildsmith, a second year Textile Design student at De Montfort University, with her striking design below:

Charlotte’s design wooed us all!

I particularly was drawn to the colour range of Charlotte’s design as I found it striking, original and at the same time unusual. I can see it working in multiple settings with its eclectic colour and I’m very much looking forward to seeing how it translates into a rug!

Here are some other pieces which stood out for me from the student's work.....

I particularly loved this print below, which was in the student's back up material, and was not her final design. I loved this and would frame it and have it on my wall!  Sometimes it is about knowing when to stop with a design ... in this case less is more.

an example below of the type of boards and back up work that we received....

This was a strong contender - one can really imagine this as a completed  rug

Lucy and David checking the names of our shortlist.....

I loved this design which was again a lead up design to the final  piece, which in my view was stronger, I would love to see these subtle rainbow colours on grey, like oil on water....

Congratulations to all the entrants - and if you are a student reading this, be sure to check Good Weaves website for their next competition!

And the Winner is.........

Thank you everyone who took part in our Ella Doran competition, we put all your names in the pot

and...

the winner is ... Anja!

Congratulations!

Please email sales@elladoran.co.uk with your address so we can send you your Ella Doran Pinky umbrella!

Thank you everyone who took part and well done Emma for knowing so much about my first exhibition.

And best wishes to you all for a lovely week ... Spring has sprung!

Competition!

It is time for a new competition, and as I have been going through my career history, preparing for my workshop at the Country Living Spring Fair, I thought that I could share some of the very early days with you and this competition asks you to answer a question from when i first started out... read on to find out!

 

I was always making things as a child, which eventually took me to art college to carry on creating ....

I travelled alone to India for Christmas during my second year of college, I learnt so much from the people I met and stayed with; their kindness and hospitality and the colours they wore inspired my degree collection at college....

whilst travelling to kenya after my degree show, i started to document images to inspire my textile patterns - the varying palm trees were unique designs in themselves!

and the salt plains were just one of the many inspiring places I visited - the expanse of sky against the rugged salt mined earth had to be witnessed to be understood, this photograph did not do it any justice!

it was on returning from Africa that I realised I had images I could use 'as' my designs, not just 'for' my designs...

 

If you would like the chance to win a Pinky umbrella the first thing you have to do is answer this question:

What did I make and sell to kick start my career as a designer at Top Drawer?

Please write your answer down and post it to us here in our our comment space (below) and we will collect all the names with the correct answer and pick a winner out of a hat and then announce it on the blog on the 15th of April.

PS. make sure to come back and check when the winner has been announced so that we can get in contact and we can send you your prize!

Good Luck!

Introducing chopping boards

I have been having fun photographing our new chopping boards this week, here are a few of the pics, from top to bottom: Geo, Bike Wheel and PorTable chopping boards, all made in the UK and now available in my online shop. To view the full collection please click here 

Have a lovely weekend, and don't forget you have just under 3 more days until the competition winner is announced!

Ella Doran Umbrella Competition pt 2

We are receiving a lot of fantastic images of our umbrella's from the world that we wanted to share with you.

Geo umbrella visiting the Castle of Osbourne in the lsle of White

 Pinky umbrella in Paris

Geo umbrella for two

Pinky, Aqua, Sweets for my Sweet and Bugs and Butterflies umbrellas at the French Atlantic coast in Vendée, near La Tranche Sur Mer.

Large Sunlight through leaves umbrella from Harry, walking to the post.

Thanks to everyone who has sent their lovely images to us, we are looking forward to receiving even more!

Ella Doran's umbrella competition extended

I have extended the umbrella competition to the 27th of July as the rain continues to fall here in the UK. But, don't forget it is open to anyone to send in their picture of their Ella Doran umbrella. Here are a few pictures;

Joelle and her Aqua umbrella

Vashti Whitfield - Bristol

Ella Doran's 'sweets for my sweets' umbrella 

Chris Hawley - The New Forest emailed us this picture.

I have never seen so many of my umbrellas in one place at the same time.

Ella Doran Aqua umbrella

A happy couple getting married with an Ella Doran Pinky umbrella 

Here's Andrew Tullo's image of 12 soggy volunteers trying to keep dry under some leaves whilst building a Community Orchard in Oswestry.

Thank you all for all the lovely images! Keep them coming in and we will be announcing the winner on the 27th of July.To submit your images, please e-mail them to: asa@elladoran.co.uk

Ella Doran Umbrella's Around the World Competition

I have received a lot of lovely photos of my umbrellas lately which I really like and want to share with you, here are a couple of examples;

Sunlight Through Leaves umbrella in the garden by Ella Holliday

 

Sunlight Through Leaves umbrella at my dear friend Ros's wedding to Batch by Emily Piti-Swan.

Because of receiving these photos of my umbrellas I thought that it could be our next competition.... photographs from YOU of my umbrellas around the world in this crazy weather that many of us our experiencing!

On the 1st of July I will show the 10 best pictures here on the blog and pick a favourite that will get the prize, of an umbrella of choice!

If you would like to take part then please send your images to: asa@elladoran.co.uk before the 1st of July.

I am looking forward to seeing some lovely pictures!

And the winner is!

Today is the day to pick a winner in the Sunflower umbrella competition and we can tell you one thing, it was not easy! Thank you for all your comments, there was one that we especially fell for, which was Vanessa Hope, congratulations!

Please e-mail us at info[@]elladoran.co.uk so that we can get your address and send the umbrella your way.

We liked all the other answers so much that we have decided to give the rest of you who took part £7.50 off if you buy a Sunflower umbrella through our online shop, E-mail us so that we can give you the special discount code! Thanks for participating... There'll be more competitions in the not so distant future!

Competition Time!

Sunflower umbrella by Ella Doran

It is time for another competition and this time you can win a Sunflower umbrella!

All you have to do is to leave a comment where you explain to us why you should win this umbrella and in two weeks time the best reason to win an umbrella will be picked and the winner announced,

Sunflower umbrella by Ella DOran

Good Luck!

Competition Time!

Win an Ella Doran Calendar and Diary for 2012!

Answer the question below, and the first correct answer wins!

'In which British film, about a diary-writing woman's search for real love, can you spot Ella Doran's products in the kitchen?'

Leave your answer in the comment box with your email address and we will contact the winner before Christmas.

Good Luck!

Last Chance!

Last Chance! Place your orders today and catch our final Christmas UK post out! Go to our website or call 020 7613 0782 to place orders over the phone!