'HEJSAN!' means 'Hello!'

Hello! Welcome to the little world of HEJSAN GOODS. (In case you were wondering, 'hejsan!' is the Swedish word for hello. So cheerful, isn't it? You pronounce it HAY-SAN and, in my experience, it is always accompanied with an exclamation mark and a smile.)

This super-cute illustration is the work of Yasmeen Ismail. She is a children's book writer/illustrator, based in London. One of my favourite books to read at bedtime is Time For Bed, Fred! about a naughty dog who refuses to settle down at night. Sound familiar to anyone else? The watercolour illustrations are so colourful, full of life and humour. I totally recommend it.
Whenever I thought about a look for HEJSAN GOODS, Yasmeen's pictures kept popping in to my head. So, I asked her if she would consider creating a bespoke label for my baskets and I was immensely excited when she said yes! ( I basically bribed her with chocolate. Chocolate has never failed me yet.)

The design brief was 'Yasmeen, just do your thing. But this time, with baskets.' The final image is one-part collaboration and nine-parts watercolour genius. Thanks Yasmeen; it's PERFECT.

Yasmeen's work for HEJSAN GOODS will soon be appearing on postcard, labels, stickers and business cards. If you would like a postcard or a sticker, just holler and I'll pop some in the post once they're back from the printers.

(Phew! That was my first blog post. I think it went well. Did it go well? Hmmm, I think I need some carrot cake...)