UK Public Transport Sorry For The Inconvenience

With many different transport providers in Britain our public commute can get disruptive. Thanks to website “Sorry For The Inconvenience” , it keeps us up to date with transport disruptions and apologies by aggregating all the apologies broadcasted by different transport providers across the UK in one website. After all, the British is well known for apologising.

The website has a landing page designed to look like a British train ticket (cute!), and all the different transport provider represented in their respective brand colours. From pink for Hammersmith and City line on the London Underground, likewise yellow for the Circle line, to orange for Easy Jet, blue and yellow for Eurostar.

Santa Claus is Real in London

Just like where’s wally, Santa spotting has just gotten real in London, especially via instagram account @SantaClausLondon. Follow to see Mr. Santa Claus, for real.

Marrs Green

Marrs Green - a green, turquoise, teal colour from G.F Smith, is voted as the world's favourite colour, named after Annie Marrs, inspired by the landscape surrounding Scotland. G.F Smith showspace in London, currently has an exhibition on Marrs Green and a small scale rendition of "Paper City".

Marrs green goodies and stationery including T Shirt from Sunspel, Satchel from Cambridge Satchel 

Max Lamb - "Furniture" -  35,000 gsm standard stock paper size of GF Smith Paper colourful paper furniture

Made Thought - "The Fabric of Hull"

Jacqueline Poncelet - "Island Life"

P.S. Check out the video from G.F Smith on how the Marrs Green Colorplan paper is made - definitely makes our landing on Marrs extra special. 

Address of the GF Smith Showspace :

27-28 Eastcastle St, Fitzrovia, London W1W 8DH

DOT LONDON - DOT LONDONER OF THE YEAR

Hurrah! Yay! We have been shortlisted for an award!

Our website has a dot london domain - iama.london . At the end of 2015, Dot London, London's very own domain has launched the inaugural Dot London Small Business Awards. We are extemely happy, over the moon, completely in awe and ecstatic to be shortlisted as the finalist for the category of "Dot Londoner of the Year".

The award's judges include head judge, BBC's Dragons' Den, entrepreneur Sarah Willingham, along with a judging team which include some of London's most prominent brands, including Meantime Brewery, Oliver Bonas, Brompton Bikes, Made.com and LEON Restaurants.

We Need Your Help 

Till 8th Janaury 2016, we'll require everyone's help to cast a vote for us to nominate us to be Dot Londoner of the Year. 

To vote for us  ( many thanks in advance ) : 

1. Click on the following link,  http://awards.london/dot-londoner-of-the-year.php 
2.  "Click to Vote" for IAMA.LONDON
3. Enter your email address to submit the vote  

Awards ceremony will be on the 21st January, 2016 and the results will be announced then.

The Secret Life of The Pencil

Photo courtesy of PaulSmith.co.uk for "The Secret Life of The Pencil" by Alex Hammond . Mike Tinney

This is an open secret that must be shared. From May 20th to June 3rd, the Paul Smith store at 9 Albermarle Street, Mayfair, London, will be hosting an exhibition called "The Secret Life of the Pencil".

"The Secret Life of The Pencil" is a photography exhibition putting a spotlight on the continued use of the humble pencil in an increasingly digital world. 

Stunning (exceedingly detailed photographs) shot by photographer Mike Tinney and creative director Alex Hammond on pencils owned by leading writers, artists, designers such as Sir Paul Smith, Tom Dixon, Stephen Fry will be on display.

Here are snapshots of some of our favourites (photo courtesy of "The Secret Life of the Pencil" http://secretpencils.co.uk). 

Posy Simmonds' Faber Castell Pencil

Sir Paul Smith's mechanical pencil was a gift from Apple Design Chief Sir Jonathan Ive

Tom Dixon's Rexel Blackedge Pencil

During the running of the exhibition, there will be an online auction of some of the photographic prints and some of the pencils in aid of the charity "Children in Crisis".

We absolutely can't wait for the exhibition to open and to see the pictures of different types of pencils in detail, as well as to learn more about the background of the owners of the pencils. 

Details of the exhibition to be penciled in your calendar are as follows :

• "The Secret Life of The Pencil" 
• Date: 20 May - 3 June
• Address: Paul Smith, No. 9 Albermarle Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 4HH

P.S. A selection of our pencils will be stocked at the exhibition in Paul Smith. Yay! 

Pick Me Up London @ Somerset House

Pick Me Up - a yearly Graphics Arts Festival that is hosted in Somerset House is one of our most favoured yearly exhibition in London. 

It is not only an event that showcases a lot of wonderful graphics artists - where the artists create work through a number of different mediums, from Photographs, Watercolour, Print, Sculptures etc. The 12 day Graphics Art Festival at the Embankment Galleries at Somerset House also hosts a number of interactive workshops. This year, for example there are book binding workshop from Hato Press, Screen printing from Peckham Print Studio, Cats and Pugs Bunting Making with Gemma Correll with Ohh Deer.

Apart from interactive workshops, there is also a number of very interesting talks given from publishers and agencies that represents artists and illustrators. The link attached will allow you to download this year's Pick Me Up Schedule. 

We are very lucky (and super duper over the moon) to have our work both stocked at Rizzoli Bookshop at Somerset House, as well as this year's Pick Me Up Festival. We can't thank the team at Rizzoli Bookshop any much more especially to see our work nestled seamlessly amongst other artists.

Our English Biscuit Pencils, Cockney Rhyming Slang Pencils along with Wrap Magazine's wrapping paper and notebooks

Our English Biscuit Pencils and Happy Thoughts Notebooks along with Magma Books and The School of Life.

Our Have a Lucky One Badge Message Card along with Leather notebooks from Undercover, The Psychology of Colour Colouring Pencils Set and Aphorisms Cards from The School of Life

Pick Me Up 2015 Event Details :

Date : 23 April 2015 - 4 May 2015

Time : 10am - 6pm (Wednesday and Thursdays Late until 10pm)

Location : Somerset House, Embankment Galleries, South Wing

P.S. We suggest getting a Festival Pass for Pick Me Up so you can drop in any time during the 12 day event.

Hurrah! We've Won A Design Award!

Hip hip hooray! We are so happy to be awarded a Bronze Award for our Themed Pencil Set designs by A'Design Award for the category of "Art Materials, Stationery Supplies and Gift Items Design". 

Yay! We are ever so honoured - a huge thank you to A' Design Award team. 

Presented in Italy, A'Design Award is the world's largest design award. The jury panel includes a cross section of design professionals from academics to practitioners internationally including Italy, Spain, France, UK, USA, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Turkey, Australia and many more other countries.

Our themed pencil sets that were chosen for nomination gift pencil sets that have cohesive themes e.g. London Underground, Cockney Rhyming Slangs, English Biscuits pencils etc. To bind the pencils we have chosen to use a neon acrylic ring that matches the theme. This ring is both used as packaging to bind the pencils, or can be used as a necklace / key ring pendant. 

We are simply over the moon!

Secret 7

If like us, you like a bit of rock and roll and design. This may be a design submission for you. 

Secret 7 is an annual event where artists / designers submit their designs for a 7 inch vinyl record cover based on a list of chosen music. For this year, the music includes :

• "Let Forever Be" - Chemical Brothers
• "Reflections" - Diana Ross & the Supremes
• "GO" - The Maccabees
• "Sledge Hammer" - Peter Gabriel
• "Dead Flowers" - The Rolling Stones
• "Digital Witness" - St. Vincent
• "Born Slippy (Nuxx)" - Underworld

On the Secret 7 website http://www.secret-7,com , a list of submission guidelines will be provided and all you need to do is to set up your art template to match what is required. 

Yay! We have our vinyl cover, designed and submitted. 

Unfortunately, this is a secret mission. We have sworn in secrecy to not reveal our design and which music we have designed for.  Hush hush. However, we have created an animated gif to celebrate this fun design event, and especially the good cause for Nordoff Robbins.

The exhibition for the Secret 7 will be held at Somerset House on the 10th April - 3rd May 2015 exhibiting the chosen 700 covers. Sale day of the covers will be on 4th May 2015. Can't wait.

Submit your creations now as deadline for is on the 4th March 2015.  May the lucky 7 power be with you. Have a lucky one!

Oh and FYI, hashtag for Secret 7 is #Secret7s