designer ANTHONY BURRILL

There are some universal truths, there are also some universal words of advice "Keep Calm and Carry On" being on of them. But if you are tired of "Keep Calm...and fill in the blank" there's a new slogan in town. "I like it. What is it?".

It's simple, and for me it's how I see a lot of design. I can't help it, I am just shallow and a bit of a design spectator. I love fashion that I don't have the guts - or place - to wear. I love jewelry that's either too lethal or too delicate to wear around children who will (a) eat it (b) bury it or (c) add it to their spaceship/fort/strange creature.

Most of all - and I don't know why - I love a good old trip to the hardware store. There are bins upon bins of strange looking things that are metal, the weight of a small car and only cost 32c - to that I can only think "I like it. What is it?"

The "I like it. What is it?" poster by British designer, Anthony Burrill is a printed on 100% recycled paper using the traditional woodblock printing method. Each open edition print is hand signed in pencil by the artist.

"I like it. What is it?" and other work is available online through the Anthony Burrill website.

vote LITTLE BLACK DRESS

I started with over 150 little black dresses then chose 33 to feature INDEPENDENT DESIGN GUIDE // holiday 2009. Now you get to vote for your favorite Little Black Dress in the guide. The designer with the most votes will get a special feature on the blog.

Check out the GUIDE and then VOTE!

feature GOING STAG

There are some pieces that are just so perfect they stop you in your track. Granted, this often happens when I'm trying to avoid doing something else. Nonetheless this happened when I saw the Oh Deer sculpture by ArtMind which was modern, seasonal and just too cute.

Since I've been avoiding doing laundry for a week - it seemed obvious that I should take this opportunity to blog about stags. Sure deers have been popular for the past couple of seasons, but stags aren't cute cuddle Bambi-type creatures. Stags are powerful and primal and the sort of thing that accompanies a flask of Lagavulin, a deer stalker hat and a brisk walk in the Scottish highlands.

All of this sounds good, but still let's not forget this started out as a post about an adorable holiday decoration, so on that note....goodbye and have a good weekend!

FEATURING:
+ oh deer sculpture, $75, artmind
+ handcrafted deer cards with pressed flowers, $15 for 5, studio flower power
+ deer switchplate decal, $8, byrdie graphics
+ gocco printed reindeer cards, $4.50 for 5, tuesday afternoon tee
+ deer appliqued kids hoodie, $26, finley & oliver

sponsor spotlight SMASHING DARLING

Sure, Smashing Darling was a sponsor on the latest INDEPENDENT DESIGN GUIDE // holiday 2009 - but still the truth is that the Smashing Darling website is the first place that I go to find inspiring independent fashion designers. Many of the designers in the new Little Black Dress feature in the guide were first seen on Smashing Darling, including one of my favorites the Pin-tuck Ballerina Dress by Prizi Sebastian (above).

This love-fest doesn't end there. WHATdesigners is hosting the 2009 INDEPENDENT DESIGN BLOG OFF with $500 of prizes from Smashing Darling. We will be selecting our favorites blog posts and announcing the winners in the first week of January.

The Prizes:
One First place prize of a $250 Smashing Darling gift certificate
One Second place prize of a $100 Smashing Darling gift certificate
Three runner up prizes of $50 Smashing Darling gift certificates

The Rules:
1. Write a blog about independent design or an independent designer
2. Include a link to the 2009 INDEPENDENT DESIGN BLOG OFF in your post
3. Leave a comment here with a link to your post.

Deadline:
December 30th, 2009

slideshow DECEMBER PICKS

December 2009

Right on the heels of the launch of the INDEPENDENT DESIGN GUIDE // holiday 09 - I still can't get gifts and gift ideas out of my mind. Some are fall under the category of fun novelty gifts, like the Monopoly cufflinks. Other gifts are modern and classic, like the wood iPhone case. Some gift ideas are just things that I might just buy for myself, like the printed scarf by Alena Hennessey.
Well, whomever you are buying for - I hope you like these picks.

designer SUE SZABO

Jewelry designer, Sue Szabo's work is just fabulous - if not a little hard to categorize. All of it is good, but for entirely different reasons. The handmade silver stilletto shoe is so absolutely adorable and girly. Her bold resin work is fun, colorful and modern - and her enamel work has a modern wabi-sabi feel.

One of my favorite pieces is the Bauble ring (top left), which looks like a candy filled toy, but is actually 14 k and 18k gold, filled with faceted rubies and colored sapphires. Delicious, but not edible!

Check out more of jewelry designer, Sue Szabo's work at her website and Etsy store.

competition THE BEST AD WINS

WHATdesigners.com is offering 2 free ads in the upcoming INDEPENDENT DESIGN GUIDE // holiday 2009. One full page and one 1/2 page. The ad doesn't have to be from an independent designer, but does have to fit with the spirit of independent design.

If you haven't seen the guide, please check out the INDEPENDENT DESIGN GUIDE // fall 09

TO ENTER:
+ design an ad in either of the following dimensions
- 975px (w) x 525px (h) (full page)
- 475px (w) x 525px (h) (1/2 page)

+ leave a comment below with a link to your ad and a way of contacting you (you can upload it to flickr, blog, etc.)

+ Deadline: November 3, 2009

designer YANA COLLECTION

Sleek sillouettes and a tailored femininity make the Yana Collection the perfect modern power dressing line. Timeless and stylish.

Check out more at the Yana Collection website

designer MAGALI ANIDJAR

Inspired by an announcement via Stylehive, I just had to check out some rings on the MOCAshop website. I was immediately drawn to Argentinian designer, Magali Anidjar. Some pieces are clean and modern, and some - like the Fired ring - look like happy crafting accidents.

Check out more from jewelry designer, Magali Anidjar at her website: www.magalianidjar.com

in the spotlight : snowdon flood

I occasionally flirt with delicate and pretty, but my heart belongs to bold and graphic. This is why I love, love, love the work of Snowdon Flood. Her work has that "oh so British" wit and whimsy - topiary race horses, Liberty-type prints form the Union jack and a graphic rendering of the Battersea power plant.

Being British myself, and spending some time on and around the Thames growing up, I have a soft spot for the river series. Ah, Blighty!

Available online through the Snowdon Flood website

the art of wood

When Joe Futschik of JefDesigns emailed me about his new collection of silkscreen wood panels, I was amazed by the design and touched by the sentiment. One of the pieces, Fritillia, was dedicated to his mother who died from cancer early this year.

Each one is a signed limited edition print and feature a variety of sea creatures. What I love about JefDesigns, is that the work is undoubtedly modern, but the influence of nature boldly apparent.

Of course, any blogger worth their salt would have blogged about the new collection months ago. But, as usual, I felt compelled to find some other wonderful examples of art-on-wood pieces. I did throw in a cutting board, but go ahead, hang it on the wall anyway - it's lovely!

CLOCKWISE:
+ octopus art panel, $150, jefdesigns
+ branch with lichen, $90, groundwork
+ diver cutting board, $38, olze and wilkens (available through elsewares)
+ mylo, $75, melissa moss (available through WHAT designers)

spotlight on: beth pohlman

I see a lot of absolutely fabulous jewelry. I would wear every piece I feature with joy. Then there are those unusual pieces that when I wake in the middle of the night I think.....I really should buy that black necklace (top left).

All of Beth Pohlman's jewelry is beautiful and just a little unusual - and all available through her online etsy store.