Tools & Talismans #70 Marie Perkins
1. Digital Radio: This is an Orla Kiely digital radio that my family bought me as a birthday gift. I find working on a laptop all day, whether designing or blogging, you cannot watch anything as you can rarely look up from your work, so sound is essential instead. I listen to the radio a lot during the day to inform me of the news and of course for music. I listen to a mixture of BBC Radio 2, 6Music, and Five Live.
2. Digital Camera: I have around 4 of these particular cameras which I use for taking ‘Store snaps’ (a regular Print & Pattern feature where I photograph what is new in the shops). The camera is old but despite purchasing more modern cameras these Konica Minoltas never let me down. They are discreet and shoot in very low lighting without blurring.
3 and 4. Bowie Mug and Cadbury's Flake: Tea break is always a happy part of the day for me. The David Bowie mug is part of a series where I am collecting all my musical heroes from the personalised pottery range by Emma Bridgewater where you can have any name you like hand painted onto a mug. I was so lucky that through Print & Pattern I was able to tour the Bridgewater factory in Stoke-on-Trent with Emma herself. After being a fan for years this was a real treat. I use it for tea and never drink coffee. Cadbury's Flake is my chocolate bar of choice, and in 2013 I also found out it was one of the things my hero David Bowie missed most about England.
5. Notebook: I get through lots of notebooks and love to change them with the fashions. This current one is a favourite with it's neon pink triangles and was from Tesco.
6. List Pad: I am super forgetful so writing lists of tasks to achieve everyday is a must. This one if from Paperchase and was a little free gift given to all the journalists at their last press show.
7. Pencils and Pen: I always write and draw with a Paper Mate Flair (a sharp black felt tip) as I really dislike using ballpoints and biros. My current pencils were purchased at the theatre in London and are from the play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.
8. David Bowie postcard: I have this framed on my windowsill. It's a reproduction of a 1970's car bumper sticker and was purchased at the David Bowie is... Exhibition at the V&A in London in 2013. Bowie lived his life with a constant creative aesthetic and I have been inspired by him all my life to keep creating and changing style with the times. I also love a good pseudonym to hide behind and so did David.
— Marie Perkins aka Bowie Style • Author. Surface Pattern Designer. Print & Pattern Blogger.