A new Boheemian!

Last month following (or overlapping with) Jane's departure, we were joined by Bec Plummer, our new studio manager. Bec has a background in marketing and brand management, and has also a little experience with web development. We're already enjoying having Bec around, and now that the studio manager's role has grown to be a full-time one, we know that Boheem's design team as well as suppliers and clients will be glad to have someone on hand to ensure projects are completed well and on time. And now with Chantel back from her adventures in Morocco (etc) we're a full house again... the studio's buzzing and we love it!

Taking it to the next level

I believe it's said that the key to change is found in letting go of fear. So we're all working away in the studio at the moment, trying our damnedest to let go of all things comfortable and familiar which was CS3, and move forward to embrace the latest and greatest, interactive, options-laiden new release of Adobe's 'Creative Suite'. So we're all a tad daunted by the changes to the software... makes us feel like we've been dressing ourselves with someone else's wardrobe so far – nothing is fitting right just yet (despite the hipness of the clothes). But give it time, and I do believe the perks will outweigh the awkwardness of change. A few great new tools for us and some which I feel sure our clients will hugely benefit from as well.

Papier Mache Magazine

Emerging from Motherhood for my maiden blog, I thought it was only fitting to share something from the wonderful world of little people which inspires and delights.

Papier Mache Magazine, a quarterly online children's magazine with page after page of beautiful things. The imaginative photography, playful typography and illustrations make it all the more lovely;

www.papier-mache.com.au

Worth a look... If only they came in grown up sizes.

Bag Out

These tote bags are just the perfect thing for lovers of typography like ourselves, and not so long ago we put a bulk order in. We love the simplicity of the designs, they just make us smile. Alphabet Bags are continually adding more designs to their collection, have a look at their latest ideas at www.alphabetbags.com .

Jane's Tree Change

As our clients and friends of Boheem know, Jane never does things by halves. After working with us for over two years as studio manager, she's moving on to a very different and possibly greater challenge: she's picking up and moving out of Sydney to live on 100 acres just inland from Port Maquarie... and is due to have her 2nd child in about 5 weeks – just as the boxes are unpacked. Big changes ahead... and we're all really excited for her.

Jane contributed so much to the studio in the time that she was here. She brought energy and wisdom to the workplace, and was always prepared to jump in to any project to make it work (and delivered on time). All of our clients and suppliers warmed to and enjoyed working with her: the constant stream of flowers and gifts coming through the door on her last day was testament to that. She'll be greatly missed.

Watch this space for an introduction to our new studio manager, Bec Plummer.

Welcome Katherine

We've had a little growth at Boheem. Katherine (aka 'Kat') Johnson joined us a couple of months ago, and we thought it was high time she got a proper introduction on our blog. Kat studied at Enmore TAFE and has just recently graduated. She was recommended to us by our friend Jacqueline Hill, a lecturer at the college (thank you Jacqueline!!). Kat has a good handle on all things concept development, and has a particular strength for hand-drawn design. Check out her portfolio at www.katherinejohnson.com.au.

Curiouser and Curiouser

What do you get when you combine charming children's stories, tasty tea (fair trade at that) and beautiful typography? Clipper Teas... of course. Here's a new little range our favourite tea company has just launched, and it's just one sample suite from a much bigger collection – all lovely and enchanting. See more at their website here: www.clipper-teas.com and keep an eye out on your local supermarket shelves.

James Gulliver Hancock

Was searching for some inspiration for some illustrations we're doing at the moment for an interior wall graphic and found these lovely drawings. Wish I'd done that...

More at www.jamesgulliverhancock.com

How much for that?

I went to the Design Museum the other day to take a look at the Brit Insurance Design of the Year Awards which showcased 99 of the most innovative designs (product, fashion and graphic) from around the world. It was amazing. I found this particular project by London based studio kennardphillips that I thought I'd share not only because of the impact it had on me, but because I saw a relevance in the work that we at Boheem do.

Cafe of Equivalent$ was a food stall set up in the bustling financial district of London which sought to question how much diners should pay for their food by equating their salaries with the cost of lunch for a worker in the producing countries such as Mozambique and Indonesia. Backed by research that a worker in Mozambique spends 10% of their $2 daily wage on lunch, Cafe of Equivalent$ started charging $181 for a bowl of soup and bread -that is, 10% of the earnings of the average bonus-earning banker. Now that puts things into perspective!

A simple and brilliant idea supported by beautiful graphics makes this project hard to forget. It's so great to see how visual communication can be used in a powerful way to engage viewers, provoke thought and instill a strong message.

Coconut, Raspberry and Chocolate Slice

I did a spot of baking last weekend, and so to get the Boheem Kitchen tag started I thought I'd share this little gem. It's sooo tasty!

125 gms unsalted butter

150 gms white chocolate

3/4 cup caster sugar – superfine

1 cup self-raising flour

1 cup desiccated coconut

2 eggs – beaten

1 + 1/4 cups fresh raspberries

icing sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 180˚c . Grease and line a lamington tin. Melt the butter and white chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. Add the caster sugar and stir to combine. Pour into a large bowl and add the SR flour and coconut. Stir to combine, then add the eggs. Stir lightly to just combine, then fold in the raspberries. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes or until firm. Cool in the tin. Cut into 20 pieces and dust with icing sugar. Enjoy!

Something special

I came across these fabulous posters at an exhibition featuring the work of Warsaw based studio 'Homework'. They've won stacks of awards for their use of visual puns to create effective posters for cultural events. Love, love, love their work.

This week I clung tightly to my handbag and took to the neighbourhood of East London. Brick Lane, Old Street, Shoreditch and Spitalfields are the equivalent, some would say, to Sydney's Surry Hills and Newtown. This place oozes coolness. Design studios, awesome exhibition spaces and funky little cafes dot the streets of the East and I was left feeling incredibly refreshed.

Street art here is embraced so heartily. It's not harsh or threatening, but rather pleasant in its randomness. I would turn a corner and find a small sprig of mushrooms stenciled on a wall, or a little boy pointing to the sky. I love that the artists here are smart in how they use their environment and whilst I didn't find any of Banksy's work, I discovered ROA (pictured first), who is perfect for demonstrating my point.

"ROA started painting abandoned buildings and warehouses in the isolated industrial outskirts of his hometown, Ghent, in Belgium. Fixating on the animals he found there, the wildlife became the central subject matter of his work, inspired by their clever ability to adapt as scavengers in order to survive. He used the dilapidated, coarse interiors and exteriors of the unyielding landscape as a canvas to portray his large-scale creatures".

I'm in awe of this guy. His official exhibition begins next week and I can't wait to see more.

Life is a circus

Found these delightful little artworks whilst meandering around the world wide web this morning. Don't they just warm your heart? It's that simple, creative idea partnered with intriguing and beautiful imagery which just works and makes you think, "wish I'd thought of that!" Check out the rest of this guy's work at www.snarlik.se .

Even the Tube is inspiring

I found this poster at Chalk Farm Station. Pretty clever I thought.

Week 1 in London...

...what a joy. Who knew that under that looming dark grey sky stood a city full of typographic surprises that would blow me away. Everywhere I look I see a poster, a shopfront or a typeface that makes my heart skip a beat. It's obvious to me now why London has a strong reputation for cutting-edge, smart design. And something about the juxtaposition of huge block type faces against the old vintage buildings and cobblestone alleys works so wonderfully. It makes me smile.

I took these photos walking down Carnaby Street (near Oxford Circus) where I was exchanging a pair of boots. I admit that the shopping in this city gives me just as much joy as the design does! 'Sketch Book' is one of the few 'pop-up shops' I've come across in London –there's plenty of them. Shops that stand for a month or so to promote creativity or express a social/political voice. I love that places like this exist in between the clothes shops –that creative culture is embraced here and made a part of everyday life. It inspires me.

This coming week, I'm heading to the Eastern side of London for an edgier, more gritty view of London. Fingers crossed I come across some Bansky.