The Heneries - Its the wrap!

Maps Illustrated and Lagom are thrilled to announce that we have made it through to the finals of the Henries Awards in the category for best Gift Wrap. The Henries are the Greetings Card trade awards - the "Oscars" of the Greetings card industry and this year over 15,000 cards were entered. The winners will be announced at the Henries Ball on 13th October at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

Fashion's Night Out Maps

The worldwide shopping extravaganza Fashion's Night Out event organised by Vogue/Conde Nast is back again on September 8th 2011. Helping to plan your shopping trips Maps Illustrated has produced three maps to show the major locations in three areas of Mexico City. Have wander round and imagine what you might buy!

Classic, with an equine twist.

The party organisers Kasimira commissioned a map for the wedding of a member of the Waley-Cohen family. Simple and classic, this map directs guests to the rural location close to the family home. My map for the Royal Wedding had added pelicans and this one has added horses because of the family connection with racing.

www.kasimira.com

Five Funerals and a Wedding (Map)

Not strictly a map for a funeral, but for a group of family funeral directors, Thomas Greatorex & Sons . The company has five branches across the beautiful Derbyshire landscape, from Buxton in the north to Belper in the south. The main watercolour map on the home page of their website allows visitors to click on each company and be taken to their pages. On the individual pages there is another simple map to show their location. I was cheating about the Wedding map - it's in the next blog entry.

http://greatorexfunerals.co.uk/

Michael A Hill at Maps Illustrated is new CSI

Maybe not as well-known as Grissom, Haratio or Stokes, Michael A Hill is the new CSI(Crime Scene Illustrator) on the block, with a colour map for the new book by Wife and Husband crime writers Nicci French. Blue Monday soon to be published by Penguin/Michael Joseph is the first in a new series with crimes stories based around the lost rivers of London. The first story follows the River Fleet from its source on Hampstead Heath until it meets the River Thames at Blackfriars Bridge. With the hand-drawn map on the front and end papers you will find yourself flicking back and forth to try and identify the Crime Scene illustrated by London's latest CSI ( Crime Scene Illustrator) Michael A Hill.

Official Royal Wedding Programme Map

Michael A. Hill and Maps Illustrated is proud and honoured to have been commissioned to produce an illustrated map by The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry for the Official Royal Wedding Programme and Order of Service. It is a wonderful feeing to have been involved in the Royal wedding if only in a small way and my wishes go out to the happy couple.

The complete official booklet can be downloaded from http://cde.cerosmedia.com/1G4db6de7f30814652.cde or itunes.

Lucky Is As Lucky Does

Leading US magazine publisher Conde Nast's title Lucky Magazine commissioned shopping maps of Dallas, Las Vegas, Seattle,Chicago and most recently Las Vegas . I can only manage virtual visits for my research, but even these are interesting. Discovering new places I can imagine visiting and I sometimes wonder if one day I’ll find myself in downtown Seattle/Kuala Lumpur/Milan and spookily be able to find my way around without using a map….
Thanks to Jennifer Grant for taking time to send me the photos.

Map wraps Museum of Modern Art

If you find yourself in New York, drop into MOMA and see some of my work, displayed alongside Jasper Johns and Chris Ofili. OK, my Map Wraps are in the museum store, not on the walls, but look at this way – you could own a Maps Illustrated design for a few dollars. More cities are available now including Sydney and Berlin(see above)

ITS A WRAP

I’m delighted to say I’m in the final for Gift Wrap of the Year Award (part of the Gift Show of the Year at the NEC). I’ve been shortlisted for my “Map Wraps” (featuring three of my favourite cities, London, Paris and New York) which I designed last year for Lagom Design www.lagomdesign.co.uk. The winner will be announced on the 6^th of February.

In the later months of 2010 I had been producing a series of informational illustrations for Diplomat Magazine based in London. The articles have been very interesting but still very dry and needed to be some informational graphics to help explain or highlight some of the fact-based copy. Piracy off the coast of Somalia, The funding of British Overseas territories, the financial crisis in the Developing Nations and the Danube Basin Economic Region. Maybe not your first choice of reading matter but the pictures look good

Waddler and Maps Illustrated link over South America

New Children's clothes company 'Waddler' have approached Michael A Hill to produce wrapping paper for there online business. Having seen the map wraps produced by Lagom Designs they asked for something similar. The map wrap shows South America with a retro children's feel. Hopeful this will be the beginning of an exciting partnership between the two companies.

"Waddler is an exciting new childrens clothing boutique and its first collection is now available online. The clothes combine European styling in subtle tones with South American textiles and traditional skills The collection includes a full body wolf suit, bombacho trousers and delicate cardigans all knitted in 100% baby alpaca wool. The designs were inspired by the three years the owners spent living in South America with their little boy"

http://www.waddler.co.uk