I’ve mentioned before on my blog that I’m a huge supporter of independent creatives, and that I love to feature local businesses based here in Bristol. When I saw that a friend of mine recently commissioned a beautiful print from the fabulous Sarah at ‘It Was Made For Me‘ I just knew I wanted a piece of the bespoke action!
It Was Made For Me was founded by Portishead-based Sarah Richards Gill and is a contemporary graphic design studio specialising in beautiful bespoke. What sets Sarah’s ever-growing catalogue of illustrations apart is that they can be completely tailored to include yourself, your pets, your home and your favourite Bristol scenes. I loved the vintage, architectural style to her prints coupled with the iconic Bristol landmarks such as the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Portishead Marina and the Hotwells Harbourside. Each of her prints are bold, colourful and modern and they capture the contemporary yet unique spirit of this vibrant city and I knew they would fit perfectly within our home.
Bringing the vision of our bespoke print to life was as simple as a few emails back and forth between Sarah and myself. Choosing this classic view of Clifton (complete with hot air balloons!) was an easy decision – The Canadian and I just love living a stones throw from Brunel’s masterpiece. The foreground of Sarah’s illustrations are then fully customisable so you’re able to choose familiar footwear, include a beloved four-legged friend or two, and add the littlest family members in pushchairs – all those little details that will make your print unique. Of course I opted for a striking pair of leopard print shoes for myself (always thinking of the practical walking shoe!) whilst the Canadian opted for a comfortable Chelsea boot. All that was left was to add our own strapline (clearly I was hoping for Spring sunshine to appear!) and await our proof design.
Our beautiful print arrived just a few days later (framed or unframed, the choice is yours), carefully packaged and ready for display. We were both so pleased with the finished result – it captured our weekend strolls around Clifton Village and along the harbourside so well and the attention to detail was stunning. The quirky additions such as the mid-flight concord and lovebird pigeons added to it’s unique charm! I know that whether the future for us means staying in Bristol or moving on to pastures new, each time we look at our print it will bring back cherished memories of our time spent in Clifton and our first home together.
If you would love to bring a little of the spirit of Bristol into your home Sarah offers a range of existing off-the-shelf illustrations that are available to purchase immediately online. Alternatively, create your own personalised artwork with her expanding collection of bespoke designs – Sarah has recently added house portraits to her portfolio too. Head over to the It Was Made For Me Instagram page to browse through some of her recent work or pop her an email at sarah@itwasmadeforme.com to commission your own personalised print and put yourself in the picture!
The Blonde x
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