Who is Almond Tree Designs?
Well, we have a cast of what seems thousands (but is really only 5!) at Almond Tree Designs, with Angeline O’Day and Nicole Pawley being the two that do the design part of the business, coming up with new concepts and making the products, while the others are a bit more behind the scenes, making the frames, and doing all the hard work!
What do you make? We make a range of paper cut artwork, and more recently homewares. We have been paper cutting for years and years but set up Almond Tree Designs a couple of years ago. At the time, we were largely selling our paper cut butterflies.
It always makes us laugh that our original range was paper butterflies, and Angeline’s biggest fear in life is moths, so we are constantly amazed that she could sit there for hours with a scapel and hand-cut the butterflies, but should a real one come into the room there was always a quick exit by Angeline…
Since that time, we have introduced our paper forests, and anatomica ranges to the collection, and more recently our vintage children range, and our typography posters, its been a busy couple of years!
It always makes us laugh that our original range was paper butterflies, and Angeline’s biggest fear in life is moths, so we are constantly amazed that she could sit there for hours with a scapel and hand-cut the butterflies, but should a real one come into the room there was always a quick exit by Angeline…
Since that time, we have introduced our paper forests, and anatomica ranges to the collection, and more recently our vintage children range, and our typography posters, its been a busy couple of years!
What’s special about your goodies?
Each piece is made by our own little hands and creative spirits with a great deal of love and care.
Each piece is made by our own little hands and creative spirits with a great deal of love and care.
A lot of our pieces are one-offs and custom-made which makes them unique, and also makes our job interesting as we are always doing new things!
We like things with depth and shadows, neutral colours, things that remind us to be positive and whimsical.
What’s your favourite design?
Angeline: Whenever we do a new one that 's always my favourite... till the next one. I love the linen Christmas tea towel as it solves all my hard-to-buy-for problems - and the specimen bugs because I love my garden but couldn't bear a real bug!
Angeline: Whenever we do a new one that 's always my favourite... till the next one. I love the linen Christmas tea towel as it solves all my hard-to-buy-for problems - and the specimen bugs because I love my garden but couldn't bear a real bug!
Nicole: My favourite in the range would have to be the new vintage children's range. I just love that they are so simple, and whenever I look at the images I can see myself having done that as a child. I hope for my kids in the future, that they can have the same carefree childhood that I did, and take pleasure from all the simple things in life, and I think that is what the new ranges captures.
What inspires your designs?Angeline: Nature, the sunshine and shadows and the three little ankle biters who always give me a new angle on life. We have a big creative workshop and family so the ideas just keep coming left right and centre!
Nicole: Everyday life. Our poster ranges came from things that I try to make part of my daily life with my husband. I don’t always achieve it, but I think they are the things that if we work at, will make life even sweeter. Also Angeline’s kids inspire a lot of work, watching them play helped come up with ideas for the new ranges, and they also work as great critics!
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Angeline: I went through that Lisa Simpson "I’m going to save the world stage then thought architecture might be fun.
Nicole: It’s scary but my entire life I wanted to be an accountant, now I know that is something most people would never admit, but after going with my parents to visit their accountant when I was seven, I knew that was what I was going to do, and it is my day job. Had you told me at the time (or even five years ago) I would be a part owner of a company that creates artwork, and I would be coming up with new design products, I would have thought you were nuts!
Angeline: I went through that Lisa Simpson "I’m going to save the world stage then thought architecture might be fun.
Nicole: It’s scary but my entire life I wanted to be an accountant, now I know that is something most people would never admit, but after going with my parents to visit their accountant when I was seven, I knew that was what I was going to do, and it is my day job. Had you told me at the time (or even five years ago) I would be a part owner of a company that creates artwork, and I would be coming up with new design products, I would have thought you were nuts!
If you would be anywhere right now, where would it be and why?Angeline: At home in bed with the three kids snuggled up soundly asleep. Come to think of it, the bed part sounds good but perhaps it could be in Paris or in Africa.
Nicole: Italy - it is my most favourite place in the world. We were lucky enough to visit in spring, and sipping wines on a piazza and watching street performers was magical. There seems to be something that just sparkles about Rome. The gorgeous architecture and culture was something that I don’t think I would ever tire of.
What’s your biggest designer dream?
To be successful enough to take days off when the sun shines…
almondtreeframes.com.au
1 comments:
Oh my they are all gorgeous. I should have built a house with more walls and less windows!
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