Tangerine tango, anyone?

Have you heard the Pantone Color of the Year is Tangerine Tango? I have always appreciated a splash of orange. Do you like a little, a lot or none at all? Check out this set on Polyvore then take a peek at a few of my orange crushes ...

• Xtreme Sports Inspired

• Farmhouse Chic

• Small Space, Big Hit

Y knot!

Y knot pattern designed by Yvonne Blacker
available exclusively at Alluminare.com

A while back I mentioned wanting to try my hand at creating patterns for fabrics, etc. What designer hasn’t searched for the perfect pattern in just the right color combination and wished they could just design what they were looking for?

With a background in illustration, graphic design, and print production, creating a pattern for fabrics (or other surface designs) seemed like a fun extension of the same creative process to me. After day dreaming about it for some time, I have finally given it a shot!

Y knot in White/Chocolate Milk, Small Scale
on an Alluminare 20 inch drum pendant light

This week my pattern “Y knot” was introduced exclusively on Alluminare.com! Now anyone can order a throw pillow, lamp shade, fabric or wallpaper in this modern-geometric typography inspired pattern (see the chain of capital letter Ys?)

What I love about Alluminare is that each pattern they offer can be custom designed with a variety of colors and pattern sizes. See how easy it is to transform Y knot into completely different looks from subtle to bold ...

Y knot in White/Silver, Tiny Scale

Y knot in White/Spring Grass, Large Scale

Y knot in Black/Cantaloupe, Largest Scale

This last pattern, when blown up to its largest scale, reminds me of a monarch butterfly! This was not intentional, just a pleasant surprise as butterflies happen to be one of my favorite graphic design icons.

Look for them in the following design show spaces:

North Shore Design Show, 2010
(can you find 3 in this post?)

North Shore Design Show, 2009
(can you see 5 in one photo?)

Danvers Historical Society Design Show, 2010
(can you find one?)

I plan on creating more patterns and hopefully a collection or two in the future. Thanks to the creative minds at Alluminare.com, custom pattern design is now a dream come true for me : )

Click here to see how you, too, can utilize the custom design features available at Alluminare.com!

Fabric event this weekend

50% off these pillows at New England Fine Living!

I have been collecting fabric for a long time. If I see something that I like, I usually pick it up and save it for future design projects. The collection above was created by combining a water-resistant seashell print with a couple of remnants from what used to be one of my favorite places to go to get my “fabric fix,” the now long-gone Fabric Place.




This weekend at the retail location for New England Fine Living, I will be having a 50% off sale on all the pillows from the design collections that have resulted from my fabric addiction! Prices have already been reduced on each tagged item. Just look for the price tag with a key on it.

If you are a fellow fabric collector, I have also brought in a selection of fabrics that you can take home for your own home decor projects for just $10 per piece. Some of the designer fabrics are well over a yard, and many are in even more generous amounts. Below is a sample of what you will find (lots more colors and patterns are now available in the store). Come early for best selection!

New England Fine Living
106 South Main Street, Middleton, MA
Phone 978-539-8270

Open Wed. – Fri. 11am to 5pm
Saturday 11am to 4pm

Giving away the good stuff ...

SATURDAY: RAFFLE

Enter to win one birth announcement (designed by yours truly) printed on canvas and designed to match a chosen nursery theme plus a matching “tummy time” blanket (see samples above) at this Saturday’s Open House held at New England Fine Living in Middleton. Many more raffle items and vendor discounts will be offered so be sure to visit on Saturday between 10am and 4pm or 7pm to 9pm for your chance to win (click here for event details.) I will be there in the morning and definitely will be back for the evening festivities which will include a NEFLtini cocktail (while they last) ...

Introducing my new line of icon-graphic note cards
available exclusively at New England Fine Living

SUNDAY: AUCTION

Modern Smiley Face Note Cards (set of 10)
and Hugs & Kisses Note Cards (set of 10)

One set of each will be auctioned off along with a custom designed butterfly accent pillow, apple green cork board and a few other items in my donated “Girl’s Room Gift Basket” to benefit the Lynnfield Educational Trust at Sunday night’s Taste of Lynnfield event at the Peabody Marriott. This almost-yearly fund-raising event is a great night out and offers a taste of many fine food establishments in our local area plus a chance to take home some great donated items by way of silent auction. All proceeds go towards educational enrichment programs and a soon-to-be established scholarship fund. Tickets are still available. Click here for details ...

And if you are interested in having any of these items designed for yourself or someone on your holiday shopping list, email me at yblacker@verizon.net

Have a great weekend,
xoxo yvonne

Beach Bag Giveaway!

With summer days right around the corner, I
have decided that it is time for another giveaway!
This beach bag and towel gift set (both in the
Pantone color of the year, Turquoise) are the
perfect pair to give or keep for yourself.

(vintage animal print scarf not included)

Fine details combined with indoor/outdoor fabrics
that can stand up to sea and sun make this
beach bag pretty, durable and unique.

Inside it is fully lined in a sea foam green stripe,
has a built in zippered pocket along with
divided pockets to securely hold cell phone,
keys, summer reading, sunglasses, etc.

I am enclosing one really pretty super size beach towel (that I picked up while shopping last night for stylish props for my space at the North Shore Design Show) so that our lucky winner is completely coordinated
(a swim suit to match is up to the winner!)

All you have to do to be entered to win is:

1. Be/become a follower on my blog
(simply hit the “follow” link at the top of the blogger tool bar) and leave a comment on this post telling me the color of your favorite swimsuit or the name
of your favorite beach (or just say something
nice about my blog : )

2. For a second chance to win, post a link
to this giveaway on your own blog
(send me the link) and/or through Twitter
(follow me on Twitter by clicking here).

Entries must be received by Tuesday, May 11th by 11:59pm EST. I will randomly choose one entry and then announce the winner on Wednesday, May 12th
at 9am EST. Prize will be shipped only to
an address in the United States or Canada
(to be provided by the chosen winner).

This seashell pillow from my last giveaway, now resides in an Ogunquit, Maine home. To see other items that coordinate with this collection,
please visit my etsy shop ...

Good luck!!
xoxo yvonne

Virtual design: girls room

I recently listened to the Feb. 19th Skirted Roundtable discussion featuring author/illustrator Jackie Von Tobel – designer of fabrics and interiors. She writes a blog titled Jackie Blue Home and has created a number of comprehensive design books on soft furnishings (I must add her directory of Window Treatments to my library!) The soft, delicate colorways and patterns combined in her new line of fabrics and pillows reminded me of this “Zebra with Florals” pillow listed in my Etsy shop.

I chose this floral fabric to back the
12 in x 16 in down-filled pillow.

I would love to see this decorative pillow used in a girl’s room (how lovely it would be on the small chair shown above listed recently on ebay), with walls painted in Benjamin Moore Elephant Gray 2109-50 and ceiling done in Raspberry Ice 2072-70.

I would order lots of Von Tobel’s Quatrefoil in Aubergine or Zebra in Jet to take care of fashionable window treatments (refer to her book for ideas!) and pick one of these painted pieces from Maine Cottage available at Circle Furniture (any of these colors would be quite nice!) to add colorful storage.

A sweet lamp like this one designed by Meghann O’Hara for Oopsy Daisy and available on Rosenberry Rooms would add a painterly touch.


Next virtual design:
pre-teen boys room


P.S. On the day after posting this, I was watching Modern Family on ABC. Guess what I saw in baby Lily’s well-dressed bedroom? That show has the best set decoration : ) I would so love that job!

Happy post-Valentine's Day to...

Paula Bakies


Your name was chosen (by my youngest, Ben) as the winner of my Valentine’s Day giveaway! I will get in touch with you to deliver this custom-made Seashell pillow from my design collection. As promised, I have posted the remaining items on my Etsy shop and will be adding other items from my design inventory throughout the week. Thanks to everyone who entered and who have been following my blog : )

xo Yvonne

Valentine's Day at the Stevens Estate

My Valentine’s Day gift to the Estate:
Newly designed side chairs with estate monogram
and a reversible coordinating table cloth.
(check out the before shot here)
Acorn Interiors: upholstery and table cloth
Threads Couture: embroidery
TaggArt Studio: painting

Last night I enjoyed a special Valentine’s Day reception at The Stevens Estate in North Andover (thanks for the invite goes to the lovely estate manager, Laura Gifford). There was a delicious meal catered by A Day to Remember (I wish I had taken some pictures of the elegant presentation of the food, but check out their website for some mouth-watering visuals ... yum!) and a local band, Music Street, played some jamming tunes. As one of the decorators at the estate, I decided to celebrate the evening by offering a special prize to one lucky guest ...

Many guests dropped their business card or a complimentary raffle ticket into this glass hurricane with the hopes of winning a chic and delicious Chocolate High Heel Shoe (filled with chocolate truffles!) that I picked up at The Chocolate Truffle in Lynnfield (other Massachusetts locations include Reading and Winchester).

And the winner is ...
R. Smedile!

*I will give you a call to arrange pick-up*


For those of you who did not win, pick up a shoe of your own (or a pair!) at The Chocolate Truffle. They have lots of great goodies for the Valentine in your life or when you are in need of a chocolate fix. Tell them you read about them here : )


For another chance to win a special prize, there is still time to enter my Valentine’s Day Giveaway. The contest ends February 14th at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be announced on February 15th. Good luck!


– Me with my Valentine –

Today’s post sponsored by ...

Beth Hylan Design Studio
“Love Letters” Trunk Show 2.13.10

A blogger's Valentine giveaway ...

Love is a canvas furnished by Nature
and embroidered by imagination.

– Voltaire

Dear Readers, I am giving away a small token of my affection in honor of Valentine’s Day 2010! On February 15th one lucky follower will be chosen to receive a decorative item that I personally designed (the sewing, however, was left to a professional!)

To enter this sweet giveaway there are three rules:

1. Be an official follower of my blog

2. Post a comment saying which of these items is your favorite and mention where you might use it

3. To receive the giveaway item, the winner (who will be chosen by a random drawing) must provide a shipping address in the United States. If the winner resides outside of the United States, there is a separate prize (but still feel free to comment on which item is your favorite).

Here are the choices ...

Choice Number One:
A pair of vintage tea towel pillows. Tea towel fabric on front with pink chenille on back. Down-filled, trimmed in red. Zipper at the bottom.

Choice Number Two:
“Monkey Love” Bundle

One banana-yellow down-filled bolster ...


wrapped in a snuggly child-size throw designed with a playful monkey flannel on one side and a brown faux fur fabric on the other. Bonus: one monkey mask.

Choice Number Three:
“Best Friend” Framed Fabric Art

Choice Number Four:
Seashell Pillow (Shells on front, blueish-green fabric on back). Made with indoor/outdoor quality fabric, zipper on bottom, welted in a vintage seafoam green and white striped fabric. Poly form pillow insert.

And if your name is chosen and you live outside of the U.S., you will receive three matted wallpaper prints (shown above in shadowbox frames – sorry, frames will not be included in prize shipment).

The deadline to post your comment is 11:59 pm EST on February 14, 2010. The winner will be announced on Monday, February 15, 2010. Winner must then provide shipping address to me via e-mail in order to receive chosen favorite. Items not chosen by the winner will be listed for sale on Etsy. Good luck and thanks so much for reading my blog!

xoxo
yvonne