100% DESIGN – Day Two with Dr Who!

printtuftfold — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 09:09:56 +0000

: PTF – 100% Futures – Stand X44

We are having a great show here at 100% Design, meeting lots of interesting people who are passionate about great British design!

Its our third year exhibiting at 100% Futures and so weve been reflecting on the years gone by and how weve progressed. We feel really proud of our first collaborative design project with The Science Museum which I think has really gelled us together as a brand. Some of our new products are below!

PTF for the Science Museum: CUSHIONS, LAMPSHADES & RUGS

Yesterday we received great interest from both the Natural History Museum and more surprisingly the BBC who want to work on a Doctor Who-themed collaboration! We sense a reoccurring theme here… Science and Science Fiction is in vogue!

Watch this space..!

Science Museum together with PTF!

printtuftfold — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:53:38 +0000

This year PTF have embarked on an exciting collaboration with The Science Museum, launching an array of vibrant products at 100% Design 2011!

Using imagery from the collections of the Science Museum, we have created a range of soft furnishings inspired by railway architecture and interiors, mathematical shapes, and micrographic photography. Science Museum Together PTF is the result.

The collection includes hand knotted rugs, funky lampshades and vibrantly coloured linen cushions in the signature styles of Print Tuft & Fold; sure to add a big splash of colour to any room!

We are all so excited about this collaboration… I remember when I (TUFT) first moved to London to study and totally falling in love with the Science Museum – where I bought my first toy kaleidoscope! …And the rest, they say, is history!

Its been such an inspirational project for all of us, and really hope you like the new products.

To preview the collection come visit us at stand x44, 100% Futures – 22nd – 25th September, Earls Court London.

Hope to see you there!

Love Zoe, Claire & Kim aka PTF x

Going Green!

printtuftfold — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 10:42:52 +0000

The St Patricks Day hangovers may be kicking in right about now, but you can keep the green dream alive with PRINT’S gorgeously graphic Dublin Cushions and lampshade! For more info or to purchase one of these beauties visit www.zoebeck.co.uk

Basso & Brooke: Kaleido-Wizardry!

printtuftfold — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:46:44 +0000

We have long been fans of those digital wizards Basso & Brooke, and just moments ago they added some new print pics to their fan site. One word – WOW! Absolutely stunning with mind boogling levels of detail. I love how you could look at their prints over and over and still see something different; a hidden motif or detail. Digital Print never looked so exciting. As the Kaleidoscope-enthusiast of the group I need not go on about how much their work inspires me… these pics speak for themselves! Tuft x x x

Zoe aka ‘Print’ featured in i newspaper

printtuftfold — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 20:01:42 +0000

A lovely piece on cityscape inspired interior products by Lena Corner for the Independant’s new consise newspaper i.

i newspaper

Big Trouble in Little China!

printtuftfold — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:56:59 +0000

Kung Hey Fatt Choi ! A recent work trip to San Francisco happened to be at the same time as Chinese New Year. Since San Francisco is the largest Chinatown and Chinese community outside Asia I decided to climb the steep hill past Union Square & the designer shops to sample Dim Sum US style.

Next to Eastern Bakery (the oldest Chinese bakery in the US) was The Wok Shop a kitchen utensils shop which stocked some crazy Asian cooking gadgets including the Japanese Egg Mould. As I was browsing the shop keeper was screaming down the phone to her supplier… Martha Stewart has started a craze and now I’m out of stock!

When she calmed down Mrs. shop keeper told me The Martha Stewart Show featured Chinese cookery to celebrate the New Year and she used a special gadget to slice spring onions, this in turn caused the demand for this gadget to rocket and supply to diminish…….sounds like I’ve been hanging out with lots of sales type people recently, doesn’t it? Well I did pick up some really neat sales & marketing tips, one of the most important tips is to present our ideas in context, just like Martha did and just like PTF will this year.

Gorgeous home owners please note…. PTF will be organising a photo shoot in April/May for our new collection so we can shout out to the world and all the great interior professionals, magazines and interiors lovers that our products are complimentary, desirable and the best of future British design! Thanks Martha!

A Whoopie or a Whoopsie?

printtuftfold — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:06:15 +0000

My Whoopie Pie book from Fold

When FOLD bought me (TUFT) a really pretty new Whoopie Pie bakery book for Christmas I couldn’t wait to get cracking!

Finally on Friday night I did my shopping, got the eggs and sugar in by the bucket load, pulled on my pinny, whipped out Grandma’s finest tea set and set to work.

Tea Time

I’ve never actually had a Whoopie before, and to be honest all this baking malarky is rather new to me. I’m not of the sweet tooth persuation either – just give me a bag of Kettle chips and I’m as happy as bee in honey – but there’s something I really enjoy about the art of baking. Its challenging (and I like getting competitive with myself). Its such a homely relaxing task. And I love to make something big out of nothing. (Just ask my boyfriend).

There is nothing finer in this world!

I loved the name ‘Whoopie’ too – I thought to myself, this sounds like a fun, good time treat. Like the jolly ole aunt of the cupcake family; you know, the one with the mischivious glint in her eye. In fact the name comes from Amish women who baked these desserts and put them in farmers’ lunchboxes. When farmers would find the treats in their lunch, they would shout “Whoopie”! Isn’t that great?!

Best of all I get to use my precious tea sets, collected from my dear grandparents, and found from travels to China and the Far East. Everything about the whole ceremony of eating cake and drinking tea is just so refined and unbelievably pretty.

Check out those wee little spoons! Lovely gift from Jay & Gemma

So heres out my first ever Whoopie Pies turned out… or should I say Whoopsie Pies… they resemble big burgers rather than the dinky macaroon sized treats I had anticipated! Delicious nonetheless, and couldn’t have been achieved without the seasoned hand of my good friend Anna who came to tea. What a pro!

Wowzahh!

If you garnish your baking heavily with strawberries it WILL look better

Ladies & Gentlemen: The Whoopie Burger!

Taking in some art in my PJ’s

printtuftfold — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:39:30 +0000

Tonights wednesday club was cancelled, Tuft and Fold couldn’t make it and I decided it wouldn’t quite be the same on my own. But I’ve become very attached to the culture and inspiring discussion every Wednesday evening seems to be bringing. Especially as my evenings at home just recently seem to consist of the boyfriend watching every kind of sport he can possible find on TV.

Sitting in front of the computer I decided to have a search for art exhibitions and the Saatchi Gallery popped up, I’ve been meaning to go for so long, since it reopened actually and I hate to find out how long that is!! Well I kind of did go tonight, they have some great virtual tours on the website. So I sat on the sofa in my PJ’s while I was whisked around the exhibition. You don’t get any information on what your seeing but it gives you a real taste and this gallery is definitely top of my list now! Print xx

When Tuft is away, Print and Fold go out to play!

printtuftfold — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 10:35:48 +0000

Tuft is out in Hong Kong for 2 weeks, leaving me and Fold to keep Wednesday club running. So last night off we went to another University of the Arts London alumni event. The preview of Sroop Sunar’s The Goldern Glassy exhibition, in The Arts Gallery new spanking space in High Holborn. Sunar looks back hundreds of years to present a pictorial history of England, using the traditional British pub sign to redraw our cultural and visual heritage. Influenced by the aesthetic of everyday Asian consumer goods, Sroop playfully explores her dual Indian and English ancestry and skilfully retells the visual history of her two cultures with idiosyncratic visual wit. As the printer of the family I especially loved the texture of the prints on the rough woodern signs. If you get the chance check it out do. Print x
20 January – 5 March 2011 Monday – Friday 11am – 6pm, Saturday 12 – 4pm.

Fold @ The Goldern Glassy

Mapping out the Future

printtuftfold — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 13:24:47 +0000

Tuft & Print at Future Map

Last night the PTF gang attended the brilliant preview night of Future Map, an exhibition dedicated to the rising stars of art & design. Orchestrated by the University of the Arts London, we delighted over a hand picked selection of performance art, photography, textiles, sculpture, installation pieces and fashion.

Admit it, we all love a free beverage at gallery event: Quaff-tastic!

Fold & Print admiring the work of photographer David Aldridge - Camberwell College graduate

Etheral sculpture by Dari Bae (my camera phone does not do this justice)!

Fabulous fur by Eliana Dimitrakopoulou, London College of Fashion

From the heights of the Zabludowicz Gallery

One of our favourite pieces was by fellow Chelsea Textiles alumni Maryrose Watson, whose intricately woven pieces were architectural masterpieces… but we aren’t biased or anything!

Maryrose Watson - BA (Hons) Textile Design - Chelsea College of Art & Design

When we weren’t quaffing we were gossiping as usual about our FABS (Fiancees and Boyfriends), but we did manage to talk some mean business and oh my gosh how excited are we about 2011?! The year of the Business Plan! Okay, that sounds much more terrifying than exciting but by calling our weekly meetings The Wednesday Club we’ve managed to make this venture sound much more appealing.

Being in a 'Club' is SO much fun!

As the most excitable of the group (Tuft) my mind is already racing with all the fabulous places we can meet around London while plotting world domination – so keep your eyes peeled for future Wednesday Club updates!

Cheers!

PTF x x x

*All images are copyright of Print Tuft & Fold and University of the Arts London