Giveaway time!!

Meet the lovely and talented Sandra who is the genius behind

teaandceremony.co.uk

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and how you got into creating your wonderful creations!

I predominantly make paper goods as I have always loved stationery. I am always happy to receive a new notebook, unusual pencils or pens and am genuinely never tired of receiving these as presents which makes me very easy to buy for at Christmas!
I studied art and design throughout school, college and university. My technical background is quite varied and I have experienced everything from textiles and bookbinding to oil painting and screen printing. Although I may not have enjoyed some of these things as much as others, I think that it is very useful to have a range of skills as you never know what will come in handy.
Ever since my late teens, I have moved towards graphic design although I do not think that I would ever call myself a graphic designer. I do favour the term designer-maker as it gives you more flexibility in what you do.
I do have days where I decide that I want to print tote bags and then others where I just want to sit at my computer all day and design a set of greetings cards.
I’m a bit of a scatter brain and jump from one thing to another and I dislike the idea of creating things in one style. This can be a problem if people struggle to recognise your work but I think that versatility is an asset. You need to adapt and evolve to keep you on your toes. I can’t imagine churning out the same things over and over again. It may work for some people, but not me.


2. What/who inspires you and why?

Bright and bold designs are always an inspiration to me whether it is on fabric, ceramic or paper. I spend a lot of time looking at blogs and I come across a lot of pieces that I find truly wonderful. I also love buying vintage craft and home decoration books from second hand shops as you come across some amazing colour and pattern clashes. I think that I must have bought all of the Seventies craft books there are to buy in the UK because I only ever seem to come across ones I already own!
I like the work of Olle Eksell and Shinzi Katoh as their pieces are so vibrant, exciting and happy. I always try to create things that don’t take themselves too seriously.

3. How would you describe your wonderful style?

I would describe my style as a little bit of sunshine on paper. I know how excited I get when I buy a lovely piece of stationery and I hope that when somebody buys something of mine they get that same feeling.

4. How did you come up with your design name?

I came up with the name in a bit of a teenage moment. My favourite band is New Order and one of their songs is called Ceremony. I added the tea part to give it a sense of home. Tea & Ceremony also makes me think of how formal stationery used to be where as now it is something that can be quite fun. Also, I do drink a lot of tea!
5. When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?

I never imagined being something specific like a doctor or a solicitor or even a designer. I wouldn’t even introduce myself as a designer now despite my training and background. I’ve worked in a completely unrelated field for the last ten years in my day job and my creative side is something that I have always done for myself in my free time. I like the freedom of making something because it popped into my head and I feel like making it.

6. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

I’d have to say a hedgehog because they’re a little prickly on the outside, soft on the inside and also a little bit clumsy (that’s why they’re run over by cars a lot!)
7. How would you decorate a cupcake to represent your personality?

My cupcake would be covered in yellow butter cream icing, hundreds and thousands, purple sprinkles and a little sparkler.
8. As a designer, what are you most proud of that you have accomplished to date.

My recent success through selling on Not on the High Street. It was big gamble selling through them because there’s quite a substantial joining fee and I also paid for a slot in the current winter catalogue. It was a lot of money to pay up front when there’s no guarantee of a return. I’ve just recently made all of the money back and the exposure of selling through the site has given me some wholesale orders and one of my notepads is due to appear in a national magazine as it was seen on the website.

9. What makes you laugh??

Pretty much everything! I can think about a scene from a comedy film I watched six months ago and start chuckling to myself. I do watch an awful lot of comedy programmes including Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development and The IT Crowd and can always watch an episode of Blackadder no matter how many times I’ve seen it before.
10. Do you have a website/blog???
My website is www.teaandceremony.co.uk. I did have a blog on there but although I see lots of things I want to blog about, I’ve never become disciplined in keeping one up to date. I really admire anybody who has the stamina to maintain a blog!
Giveaway item!!!

Sandra is kindly giving away 3 manchester bus prints!!

Simply leave a comment on what your favorite drink is, good luck!!

Winner will be announced Friday November 26th!

Don't forget your contact email addy x