Welcome to our blog, a small insight into our creative world. Allies Design Studio website Tumblr (3.0; @alliesdesign)http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/2cb0d26f55106d752599498b897831e9/tumblr_mn3moy8GS71ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Lucy our lovely intern bought in some delicious treats for us today! Lucky us! Beetroot & chocolate brownies hidden beneath the gorgeous chocolate cookies.</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/50905302113http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/50905302113Mon, 20 May 2013 14:26:58 +0100<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/f422e4caa9d969cdacd55f0230af22a8/tumblr_mjno9hFHuk1ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Our latest newsletter.</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/45345467176http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/45345467176Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:59:10 +0000<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc4w9kLkcI1ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/33886456241http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/33886456241Fri, 19 Oct 2012 10:41:00 +0100<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_maywgrybha1ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_maywgrybha1ruii0yo2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_maywgrybha1ruii0yo3_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_maywgrybha1ruii0yo4_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_maywgrybha1ruii0yo5_r1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>A very inspiring studio trip to Holland, where beautiful sandwiches were eaten over the canal on tiny balconies, followed by the tiny sweet dutch treat <span class="st">poffertjes.</span></p> <p><span class="st">Nicely designed cook books, together with fantastic art & design in the newly opened </span><span class="st">Stedelijk gallery (part closed for 9 years!).</span></p> <p><span class="st"><br/>Seeing the sites of Amsterdam upon a bike, is truly the best way to get around, days go on for nice lengths of time there, as journeys are as enjoyable as your destination.<br/></span></p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/32336111577http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/32336111577Wed, 26 Sep 2012 18:26:00 +0100<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9h2f2uTj91ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9h2f2uTj91ruii0yo2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9h2f2uTj91ruii0yo3_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>Friday treats!</p> <p>Last Friday we stumbled into the Primrose Bakery in nearby Primrose Hill. After being tempted in by the incredible smell and super sweet decor, we couldn’t get enough of their delicious cupcakes and have resolved to go back soon to try more flavours. We thought the simple but very cute takeaway boxes were fantastic.<br/><br/>This time we had: Vanilla, Coffee, Lemon and their special Strawberry Daiquiri flavoured cupcakes - all were delicious!</p> <p>Definitely worth a visit, you’ll find their shops in Covent Garden and of course Primrose Hill.</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/30389637095http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/30389637095Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:45:00 +0100<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m99a07k9Rh1ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m99a07k9Rh1ruii0yo2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m99a07k9Rh1ruii0yo3_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m99a07k9Rh1ruii0yo4_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m99a07k9Rh1ruii0yo5_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>Update from the studio: We finally got around to setting up and experimenting with our new letterpress! We used Garamond and picked the phrase from a book about lost languages as it was short and ever so sweet. <br/><br/>What a lot of (messy) fun, very satisfying and tactile.</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/30096163417http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/30096163417Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:48:00 +0100letterpressallies designfuntypographyexperimentgaramondgraphic designAllies<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m86p76zdO61ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>The start of the studio herb garden…</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/28629535275http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/28629535275Fri, 03 Aug 2012 15:49:54 +0100<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7tl6t9Tev1ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7tl6t9Tev1ruii0yo2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7tl6t9Tev1ruii0yo3_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7tl6t9Tev1ruii0yo4_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7tl6t9Tev1ruii0yo5_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7tl6t9Tev1ruii0yo6_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7tl6t9Tev1ruii0yo7_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7tl6t9Tev1ruii0yo8_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7tl6t9Tev1ruii0yo9_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p><strong>Johnny & His Pigs<br/></strong></p> <p>My friend Paul and I recently purchased six Large Black piglets. They were anything but large when they arrived but are rapidly expanding into proportions that will justify the name of their breed. The live in a small, sloping field in the beautiful Toadsmoor Valley, near Stroud, and are rapidly turning their current enclosure into something resembling the no-man’s land of the First World War.<br/> <br/>Aside from the general pleasure of keeping these amusing, highly intelligent animals, our plan is to use them to develop the Cotswold equivalent of jamon iberico or prosciutto di Parma. Many people reckon the climate of these Isles is too damp for the production of such delicacies but we’re not so sure. As far as I can make out, the Spanish and Italians go out of their way to make the environments in which they mature their hams more British in terms of temperature and humidity than standard local conditions. In any case, they tend to use electronic climate controls nowadays, and we intend to do the same. But when the weather is right, we’ll open the shutters of our maturing shed and let in some good Gloucestershire air.<br/> <br/>So why Lage Blacks? Well for one thing, they’re as close to the famous pata negra pig as British breeds get, with the same tendency to put down delicious marblings of fat in their muscles. They come from Devon and Cornwall, and some believe their ancestors include pigs captured from the Spanish Armada. For another, they are delightful and relatively docile because their lop ears have a similar effect to blinkers on a horse. Plus my grandfather kept them in Africa (their black hair protects them from sunburn) and one of his sows famously farrowed a litter of 22 piglets. If ours are anywhere near as fecund, we’ll be quids in.<br/> <br/>Pigs will eat almost anything - I once had a pair who wolfed down the charger for their electric fence, batteries and all, with no apparent ill effects - but we plan to experiment with feeding them all kinds of local goodies to see which has the best effect on the meat.<br/>Beech mast, wild garlic, apples and whey from cheese production will all feature on the menu. And we’re going to make all sorts of charcuterie products aside from air dried hams.<br/> <br/>Should the people of Parma and Salamanca be quaking in their boots? Probably not but we’re quitely confident that we will come up with some very tasty items indeed. We’ll keep you abreast of developments on this site.</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/28123248763http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/28123248763Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:54:00 +0100Case Study<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7oh59nBaK1ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Europe’s 1st Nitro ice-cream parlour & our local - a perfect end of the day treat for today’s hot, hot weather!</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/27921867780http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/27921867780Tue, 24 Jul 2012 19:39:09 +0100<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7ggnlJPfb1ruii0yo1_250.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Korean Artist Choi Jeong-hwa’s outdoor installations Time After Time<br/> Choi has wrapped hundreds of bright green plastic colanders around the grey columns, instantly transforming them into exotic plants.</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/27620826867http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/27620826867Fri, 20 Jul 2012 11:47:45 +0100<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6wkk820te1ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Brindisa were looking fantastic at the Cheltenham Food Festival in June</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/26839082877http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/26839082877Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:00:00 +0100<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6jm8ffyOI1ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>What is on your Mantlepiece? A question asked 75 years ago for the Mass Obseravation survey. An insight into character/ identity and what Terrance Conran describes as ‘The blueprint of your soul’. Here is Allies’, what can you discover about us?!</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/26354381543http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/26354381543Mon, 02 Jul 2012 18:07:27 +0100<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6bveoluhh1ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6bveoluhh1ruii0yo2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>What an inspiration for all creatives at  New Designers last night. Sad to say though we weren’t one of the luck few to win one of the beautifully designed and executed trophies by talented Neil Conley. <a href="http://www.neilconley.co.uk/">http://www.neilconley.co.uk/</a></p> <p>Oh & I forgot to mention that the trophy actually dissembles so that you can proudly wear it as a medal, too clever.</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/26067552229http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/26067552229Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:44:00 +0100things we like<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/37253556" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0"></iframe><br/><br/><p>Juri Nish’s beautiful video, Inspired by Perfume. Created whilst researching for Tony Conigliaro’s first book, Drinks. She has filmed a sugar cube under a microscope and describes it as an ephemeral landscape of taste and alchemy.</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/25857546899http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/25857546899Mon, 25 Jun 2012 17:08:36 +0100<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5x0asWTPS1ruii0yo1_r1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Out Now! The new Brindisa Catalogue - can you guess this years product focus?!</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/25500265187http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/25500265187Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:06:00 +0100brindisa<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5gkzzm4vv1ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Glasgow School Of Arts Degree Show. A fantastic array of talent from Visual Communication to Fine Art. Here featured is Izzy Kertland from Visual Communication, with her Experience Design projects.</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/24885830396http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/24885830396Mon, 11 Jun 2012 16:14:00 +0100<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50em85ohH1ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Sum, Linbury Studio Theatre.<br/> Composer Max Richter; Director Wayne McGregor; Music Director Andy Massey; Designs Lorna Heavey; Lighting Design Lucy Carter<br/> Based on the book Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman.<br/> Thought provoking & a wonderful sensory experience.</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/24285862435http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/24285862435Sat, 02 Jun 2012 22:34:56 +0100<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50cfdDERG1ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Design Council</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/24283023463http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/24283023463Sat, 02 Jun 2012 21:47:37 +0100<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4y1lkyXKW1ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Happy Jubilee! We are starting our celebrations with a tea party and centre stage is a deliciously patriotic batterberg from Melrose and Morgan, oh yum!</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/24196252497http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/24196252497Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:58:32 +0100Things We Like<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4wdaim6DB1ruii0yo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>We love these Kellogg’s limited edition Jubilee designs! One of each please!</p>http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/24135659409http://alliesdesign.tumblr.com/post/24135659409Thu, 31 May 2012 18:15:54 +0100Things We Like