You can still get your order in time for Christmas!

You can still get your order in time for Christmas! Just use our special delivery option and order before 12 am tomorrow!

Daddy's choice

The other day my friend found out that she is having a baby boy in February much to everyone’s excitement as she already has a little girl. And as she now knows the sex of the baby she naturally wants to start decorating the nursery. She told me that as the baby is a little boy, her husband would be choosing the art for his room. I looked at her with my mouth open and a look on my face as if to say ‘ARE YOU SURE....?!’.  Is it just me or is there anyone else out there who struggles to hand over the reins to your partner in decorating decisions? Or am I just a complete control freak?!
 

Anyway, it all turned out well for her because her husband decided on our super cool Pirate Ship design by Ian Cunliffe (which incidentally is my husband’s favourite design so perhaps I should have a little more faith!!).
 

X

Ps. You can buy Pirate Ship by Ian Cunliffe here.

Just Landed Our Solar System

Our Solar System by Laila Hills

It's official our latest artwork has just landed and it's fantastical!

It's full of beautifully bright planets, moons, asteroids and comets and if you look in the right place you may even find a little green man or two! Complete with planets, moons, and rockets galore ...spaceships, astronauts, aliens, a milky way and even shooting stars! It's sure to keep little imaginations wondering for hours and even teach mommy and daddy an interesting factoid or two. Super stylish and beautifully coloured - simply out of this world!

Our Solar system is now available to purchase from www.happyspaces.co.uk for £64.95.

Interview with Artist Ellen Giggenbach

Ever wanted to go back in time? Our latest interview with Happy Spaces artist Ellen Giggenbach reveals the eccentricity of her childhood home - a fascinating insight - read all about it below! For a limited time, purchase any of Ellen's prints for 30% less – exclusively at Happy Spaces.

How would you best describe your style of art?
To describe my art is to describe myself!  Colourful, happy, with a 50’s feel, folksy and a little quirky!     

What is your most loved childhood memory?
I spent many happy weekends with my mother and sister sewing German “Burda” patterns. When we first arrived in New Zealand, it was stylishly very backward and quite conservative (especially colour wise). My sister and I would turn up at primary school wearing our latest creations only to find that our class mates thought we must have arrived from another planet with our creative combinations such as lime green flares and bright orange blouses!

Who or what was your biggest influence in deciding to become an artist?
My sister and I loved to draw and craft so we where often sent beautiful paints and pencils from Germany, there was nothing more wonderful than opening a brand new box of Crayolla crayons, we used to divide them in half and always argued about who should get the gold one!

 My father was an eccentric geochemist and also a talented artist, he carved folksy motifs in our kitchen cupboards and my mother was a stylish, graphic artist and an amazing sewer. We lived in a very quirky, colourful house in the bush, with old signs as art work and the grooviest 60’s flowery curtains. I certainly didn’t inherit my father’s mathematical brain! Art was defiantly always my best subject.

Which artist do you admire the most?
Picasso! I love his shapes, colours and subjects,

It’s amazing to think he was the first artist to paint like this, I think his style influenced the 1950’s hugely.

 If you could recommend just one book for everyone to read what would it be?
I have never been a big reader, I am too fidgety and when I do take have a few moments to sit down, I enjoy treating myself to visual heaven by looking through my favourite interiors magazines such as "Elle Decoration" and “Inside Out” magazine.

Often just one colour combination or the shape of a piece of furniture can inspire me and have me diving into a new piece of art work.

If you could be a cartoon character for a day who would you be?
Sponge Bob of course! He has such a happy, positive and innocent outlook on life. I have to admit that it was one of the few cartoons that I looked forward to watching with my kids!

What is your HAPPY SPACE?
I have quite a few! Going for walks along the beach with my boys, they are growing fast and probably won’t want to soon, so every time is precious. Creating a new piece of work - it’s such a buzz when all the colours and shapes come together in perfect harmony and I can finally stick it down. Taking photographs up close of flowers, they are so amazing. My camera zooms right into the centres which are often absolutely stunning. Taking time out to enjoy one of my husband Paul’s deliciously brewed coffees, while he gives me an enthusiastic tour of what has sprung up in his beloved vegetable garden. Living in New Zealand!

View Ellen’s beautiful artwork here and save 30% on her whole collection!

The Happy Spaces Summer Sale is now on!

Save 20% on Everything! Come and take peak :0)

Win an Arty Momento for your little Sports Fan!

As the final day of the 2012 Olympic Games has dawned on London Town, we at Happy Spaces HQ are enormously proud of what has been an inspiring, tense, and mostly electrifying performance by the Olympic teams. Olympic fever has kept us glued to our screens and for a lucky few our 'Olympic stadium seats' :0). To celebrate this star studded event we are giving our Happy Spaces followers a chance to win a canvas of their choice from our latest range of 7 Olympic spirited prints. To enter all you have to do is 'like' us on Facebook here (if you are not already a fan) and vote for your favourite print from the 7 designs in our Olympic Spirit Collection by leaving your comment under your favourite design on our Facebook page .The winner will be announced at the end of the month. Entries are accepted from anywhere in the world.

Celebrate the Olympics with Happy Spaces

Who watched the Olympic Opening Ceremony on Friday - wasn't it amazing?! We have serious Olympic fever here at Happy Spaces HQ; absolutely loving it!

A great way to inspire your little ones to get into the Olympic spirit is with our brand new range of sports inspired prints - all in stock and available to buy now here. Go on, treat them to a momento of the greatest show on Earth.

We received a fab write up for our Olympic spirit range on the popular website myfamilyhome.co.uk. You can read it here.

Enjoy watching and getting inspired!

In the Press Again!

Take a look at our latest press in the May 2012 issue of the lovely Baby&Me magazine:

The featured artwork is our very popular London Town Canvas Print which can be purchased from www.happyspaces.co.uk for £49.95.

Deal of the Week!

With so much rain about, the wettest April since records began and more rain to come, we are convinced that there is a second version of Noah's Ark being built somewhere that we haven't been told about! With all this greyness and wetness around you could be forgiven for feeling a little flat, however, we are of the opinion that 'if you can't beat it then celebrate it'! So we are hoping to brighten your week with a very special offer on our very popular Noah's Ark canvas print and fine art print. We are offering a whopping 20% off both at £43.96 and £15.96 respectively for one week only - absolutely perfect for any special Christenings coming up.

Happy Easter Freebie!

I was super excited the other day when I discovered a GORGEOUS free printable created by one of our fabulous artists, Belinda Strong.

These will definitely provide the perfect finishing touch to any Easter celebration!

You can download Bee's free printable cupcake wraps here.

Excuse me....... I'm off to get started on my baking!

Happy Easter everyone and hope you have a very special weekend! x

Happy Spaces Spring Competition

We're celebrating this gorgeous time of year with our new Spring competition where you could win £50 to spend on anything in our collection at www.happyspaces.co.uk. It's really easy - all you have to do is head on over to our Facebook page and 'like' us if you're not already a fan and then vote for your favourite Spring design from our 10 favourites in the album, shown below.

The competition is open to anyone in the world and the winner will be selected randomly on the 30th of April.

Happy voting!

The Reading Bee by Alison Jay

Sunny Bunny by Caroline Jayne Church

Miss Bird Visits the Country by Ellen Giggenbach

Turquoise Bunny by Ian Cunliffe

Gardener Girl by Jennifer Ziliotto

Insects and Flowers by Laila Hills

Spot by Amy Underhill

Bambi by Rachel Taylor

Rabbit by Maria Maddocks

Butterfly Fairy by Tea-Time Tots

Interview with an artist...Ingela P. Arrhenius

This week we dart over the North Sea to the town of Stockholm to interview the artist Ingela P. Arrhenius! Ingela is an Illustrator whose work is heavily inspired by the 50’s and 60’s. Take a look at her popular collection exclusive to Happy Spaces and save 15% on all her art as part of our special feature.

How would you best describe your style of art?
I am and have always been inspired by the 50´s and 60´s, both in my work and interior decoration. It is naive and graphic.

What is your most loved childhood memory?
I can’t think of a specific one, but I LOVED my hamsters. I also loved it when I took my bike out and it was spring time again.

Who or what was your biggest influence in deciding to become an artist?

I can’t really say, it just happened. When I was a child I used to draw a lot. As an adult I worked at an advertising agency as an assistant and attended art school. After that I thought I would become an art director or graphic designer. Then I realized that all my work at art school became illustrations so I started to work with that. And the rest is history.

Which artist do you admire the most?
Two Swedish ones (no longer alive): Olle Eksell and Stig Lindberg

If you could recommend just one book for everyone to read what would it be?
“Guess How Much I Love You” by Sam McBratney. A good reminder for everyone how important it is to say nice things to one another. I cry EVERY TIME I read that book to my kids. Yesterday we were selling some things at a flea market where I live and suddenly I saw it among all the other books we were about to sell, I don’t know how it got there I took it away just in time!

If you could be a cartoon character for a day who would you be?
Superman ofcourse. So that I can fly!

What was your favourite toy as a child?
A cuddly toy called Lafayette, named after one of the dogs in the movie “The Aristocats”.

What is your HAPPY SPACE?

On the sofa with my family, at a big flea market or out running (I did the Stockholm half marathon recently and I am proud over it :-)

View Ingela’s designs and save 15% on her whole collection!

Happy Spaces Press

What a fantastic month it’s been! Another one of Happy Spaces popular artworks was selected for a feature in the February issue of Mother & Baby Magazine. Take a peek at the colourful insert below. Circus by Eliza Sheehan (the featured artwork) is one of a series of 3 gorgeous prints featuring the adventures of the lovable baby owl Quinn, representing the wondrous, carefree and creative aspirations and adventures of children. This gorgeous design can be purchased individually at £29.95 or as part of a set of 3 prints for £80.87.

Happy News!

We wanted to say a very big congratulations to our lovely and very talented artist, Elisa Sheehan whose beautiful baby daughter, Nola, arrived on the 27th of January. Thank you so much Elisa for sharing her photo with us and we wish you and your family lots of love and happiness.

Elisa's eldest little girl, Quinn, was the inspiration behind her gorgeous collection of prints starring the very loveable owl by the same name. Elisa told us she has been working on new art for Nola's room......watch this space!

Happy Spaces in the Press

It's always rewarding to be recognised.

We are very happy to announce that two of our beautiful artworks are featured in the February issue of the very popular “Junior” magazine. Rainbow Girls by Belinda Strong and Baltazar, Olanna and Cornelius by Sandra Isaksson.

Here are some snaps we wanted to share

February Competition Time

As you know, here at Happy Spaces we love nothing more than a gorgeous smile so we want to fill the rest of February with beautiful, happy smiles and give you the chance to win a fantastic prize.

Upload a photo of your little one with their biggest, happiest, goofiest smile to our Facebook page for your chance to win £50 to spend at www.happyspaces.co.uk on anything you like.

Don't forget to 'LIKE' our Facebook page first if you are not already a fan, upload your photo and include your little one's name and age. The competition is open to anyone in the world and closes on the 29th of February.

Here are some examples to get you started:

Jake, aged 4, smiling his big goofy smile while eating the snowman's nose!


Gabriel, 6 months, smiling his most beautiful smile while getting kisses from mummy!


Neve, nearly 2, giving her biggest, happiest smile while loving being out on her new sledge!

The Happy Spaces February Sale - just to make you smile

We love smiles at Happy Spaces so we wanted to make YOU smile - we're giving you 15% off everything* in our collection for the rest of February. Enter FEB12 on checkout for your discount to be applied. Big smiles!!

(*offer excludes special offers)

Make a statement with children's art

We talk a lot about getting crafty with the kids, creating wonderful masterpieces together - wonderful quality time. However, we've never talked about what to do next. Between projects we do at home and creations they bring home from school and nursery I am inundated with their artwork so much so that there is a pile on my dining table that I'm watching grow bigger everyday and secretly challenging myself to see how big this pile can get!

I would love to display their artwork around the house in a way that doesn't make my house look like a nursery school so I'm on a mission to find beautiful, stylish ways to display the kid's artwork in your home.

Here is something that made me swoon (as seen here)! More to come soon. Feel free to send any of your own ideas to info@happyspaces.co.uk

Decorate your child's room - top tips for creating happy spaces (part 3)

In our final instalment of our 'New Year, new home' decorating series we cover 2 more tips that will hopefully provide the finishing touches to your little ones' rooms.

Tip #5 Make school cool

Introduce educational decoration into your child's room in a subtle way. Find pieces that are fun, engaging and teach your child about the world around them so they will enjoy themselves while becoming a little boffin without even realising it. With so much to look at to keep their attention, these 2 pictures below are absolutely perfect (both by artist Laila Hills).



Tip #6 Think safety

Safety in a little one's room is always a top priority. Give the room a thorough check to ensure it is safe from harm. Give special attention to plug points and electrical cords to ensure they are out of reach. Check windows have childproof latches and that window areas are clear of furniture so that children are not able to climb onto them to reach the windows.

That's it! Enjoy the fun of creating happy spaces!

Decorate your child's room - top tips for creating happy spaces (Part 2)

Carrying on our 'New Year, new home' decorating series, here are our next 2 top tips for decorating the kids' rooms.

Tip #3 Use space wisely

Create defined zones for sleep, work and play. If children are sharing a room divide the room by using different accessories such as lamps, shelves and pictures that complement each other but are different enough to define each child’s separate space. This adorable set by artist Alison Jay would make a lovely pair for instance.

Rugs are a great way to divide floor space without creating a physical barrier in a room. Giving each child their own special space gives them a sense of ownership and a place in which they can take pride.


Tip #4 Keep it clean

The secret to a tidy room is often in the amount of clever storage. Keep large colourful tubs (such as these available from www.gltc.co.uk), boxes or trunks that can be used to store toys, crafts and books easily. If there is a place for everything tidy-up-time will be a breeze and your happy space will stay a happy place!

Decorate your child's room - top tips for creating happy spaces (Part 1)

Once we have rung in the New Year and safely packed away the Christmas decorations for another year I always feel the need for a little bit of decorating to spruce up the house. I have been told that I am not alone in this need to revamp so we thought we would do a little series to help anyone else who loves a bit of 'New Year, new home' decorating with tips and ideas for decorating the kids' rooms which can sometimes feel a bit daunting. Over the next few days we will be giving you our top tips in the hope that this inspires you to dust off your paint brush and breathe some fun and creativity into your little one's spaces.


Tip #1 Getting started

Using a neutral backdrop for the bedroom walls and bedding is always a great way to get started. Then introduce bright colours and patterns with accessories, such as cushions, wall stickers or pictures. Try including images that are both friendly and educational to create a positive and stimulating atmosphere. Designs such as the one below (by artist Laila Hills) are filled with fun and offer a great way to engage a child by asking questions like, can you name all the animals?, where do you think they live? What colours are they? Let’s make up a story about them!


Tip #2 Let them put their own stamp on it

Allowing children to put their stamp on their bedroom can encourage them to spend more time in it and make it truly feel their own.
Make a special place for their treasured possessions; such as a favourite teddy, toy or blanket. Display it on a shelf where they can access it easily or give it a special place on the bed. Include photos of favourite memories with family and friends that make them feel comforted.
Display art and craft projects that have been completed by them at school or together with a loved one. Having a piece of their own art on the wall is sure to instil a sense of accomplishment when they see it each day. Why not use something like this handy wall art holder; it comes with loads of pockets, perfect for displaying more than one masterpiece! (Available from www.gltc.co.uk).

Interview with an Artist - Jennifer Ziliotto

Recently we caught up with our talented watercolour artist Jennifer Ziliotto! Read what she had to say in the second addition of our fabulous feature ‘Interview with an Artist’. Don’t forget that as part of our feature you can save a massive 30% on all Jennifer’s art now.

How would you best describe your style of art?
Fun, colourful and magical.

What is your most loved childhood memory?
One of my favourite childhood memories is when I first saw a sunflower in the back garden of a neighbour’s house. I couldn't believe that a flower could be bigger than me! I think that's why I am always painting sunflowers.

Which artist do you admire the most?
There are so many artists I admire. But to choose one I would say Van Gogh for his spirit and maybe the sunflowers?

If you could recommend just one book for everyone to read what would it be?
Hmmm another tough question …because there are so many but to narrow it down to one Paolo Coelho's The Alchemist. A great story about life.

If you could be a cartoon character for a day who would you be?
I would like to be Pippi Longstockings for a day.

What was your favourite toy as a child?
My favourite toy was my Raggedy Ann doll that my mum made for me.

What is your HAPPY SPACE?
My happy space is my garden I love it. No matter the weather it brings me joy, peace of mind and inspiration.

View Jennifer’s designs here and save 30% off her whole collection!

Proud Mummy Moment!

I just had to share this with you all, the latest work of art by my son who is only 4 years old. I know it's probably over the top to get excited about the colouring within the lines and the appropriate use of colour but I so am - completely and utterly excited and proud as only a mother could be! I think this is awesome.... and check his name *big proud grin*! Budding artist? Yeah, I think so!

New Art!

Have you seen our amazing new map that has recently been added to the site? Designed especially for us by the awesome Ian Cunliffe, it is bright, bold, educational and above all fun! We love it and want to join in and throw our own paper aeroplane! Available to buy now at www.happyspaces.co.uk for £64.95.