Rude popped up just around the corner from my house on Church Street the other day and I walked…read morepast as they were adding the finishing touches to the store. Hungover and grumpy after a rainy trek down to the cash point on the high street I peered in to see exactly what was going on, muttering "Oh great another trendy stuff shop. Why doesn't someone just put a bloody cash machine here!" then I took a proper look at the brightly adorned interior and realised it was actually really cool, so I stopped talking to myself and went in. I am a sucker for simple, bold design, quirky lettering and lots of colour. The screen printed soft furnishings, clothes, cards and bags here do just that, they are simple yet effective. I don't know about anyone else but im a bit bored of the "I heart Hackney" shoppers, bearing in mind they're generally worn by people who moved in a couple of months ago and are probably a bit scared to walk around after dark. A less done and done alternative could be the Rude 'London Life' bag, white canvas with a playful illustration of London's architectural highlights (including my fave, the gherkin) against a backdrop of childlike clowds. I will also be purchasing my Christmas cards from here, as they are the 'credit crunch line' with cheery seasonal messages like "4 mince pies for the price of eight." Poverty in style, while discretely hinting to everyone that they won't be receiving any presents this year. Rude is design studio and the store a temporary 'pop up boutique' so get in quick before the Smug Newington's case the joint.

Initially I thought this looked like it sold stupidly trendy 'stuff' that you'd maybe look at and…read morethink was a bit funny and quirky for a minute and never buy - stuff with slogans all over it or cute line drawings. In actual fact, Rude sells some quite cool and actually useful stuff that would be good for Christmas presents, especially for those moving house or heading to university. One particulary useful thing was a sort of Russian doll of kitchen appliances that fit about six things snugly into a large mixing bowl, all in rainbow bright plastic. Genius.

I have some mixed feelings about this place. On the positive it's all very bright and attractive,…read morewith interactive displays and lots of leaflets and posters. On the negative side, I guess I'm missing the 'community' and 'low tech' feel you'd get in an old green centre. The little community cafes you got with a notice board with all sorts of weird and wonderful events and services advertised, along with swaps etc This is very much a council office. Complete with a reception and tables to have a meeting with an 'advisor'. I think they do a fair amount of talking to people planning building work as far as I can make out. I wonder how much power the interactive displays are using! Some advisors I talked to didn't know that a year ago (that I know about), Islington didn't collect recycling direct from people living on it's estates. Which suggests they are maybe new to the whole green thing Anyway, it is a great resource, and top marks to Islington for trying. I still say it would be much improved by a madly chaotic public notice board for anything vaguely green. Yep, they do advertise a web based swapping service and some events. But it seems to be those able to print posh posters and flyers. Another plus is that they have got some fun events over Christmas, though I have a feeling that Green Santa will only be giving presents to the kids

GQ Creative Design and Marketing have now opened an office in London which is much more convenient…read morefor me. The specialise in print and web design and property marketing.

Camberwell is known for the creativity that it houses although it is sometimes difficult to see…read more That is why I have such an appreciation for its studios and workshops, which are usually hidden but on occasion you are free to look around. My particular favourite is the Clockwork Studio. There are many textile, ceramics, jewellery designers and artists working within the Studio. Several times a year they open their doors for the public to walk around browsing and buying, snooping and shopping. It is fascinating and inspiring to be able to see the creative talents working right your doorstep, plus they often provided nibbles and drinks if you needed any persuasion.

I was fortunate to have been introduced to one of the partners at Halogen Digital several years…read moreago, continents apart. I was not only given extraordinary service and brilliant analytics for naming my business, creation of the perfect logo and even now: flawlessly creating gorgeous marketing and media materials, in multiple languages! Next project with Halogen is a new website, which I can only imagine will make me even happier with the end result. Because that's just how it goes with Halogen. Complete satisfaction. Every time.

Inca Creative is a well established and extremely professional creative business just outside of…read moreLondon which is run by two exceptional ladies - Jo and Jackie. Always helpful and inspiring and very reasonably priced services which range from business cards to designing complete web packages and more. Nothing is too small or too big for these ladies to handle and they helped me immensely when I wanted business advice. Working around the clock if needed and able to deliver efficiently and with a smile. Hugely recommended for all your creative requirements and I will use them again and again.

Let's just put it out there: The British need to make up their minds on the "U" factor. Is it color…read moreor colour? 'Cause either way, it seems like I'm always wrong here. (Or would that be wroung?) "Without or Without U..." as Bono would say. Anyway, once you get over the lack of U in The Color Company, you'll find yourself in a nice little printing shop. It's listed in Google as FedEx/Kinkos, which seems to either be their partner, model, or recent acquisition. Whatever the case, it was super-Bieber-awesome to find everything from printing and faxing to passport photos and overnight FedExing. ...Especially that overnight FedExing. Clutch.

Two things: (1)…read moreExcellent service - you can tell that the people working there make it a priority to help customers and to do whatever it takes to delight them / reassure them, and their responsiveness to both email and calls is excellent (2) It's one of the very few 24h print shops I know of in central London (their Green Park branch at 1 Curzon St), and they also have 7 other convenient locations, most open by 8am (check their website). Last night I had a small but rush job due to an unexpectedly molasses-slow printer, and the Curzon St branch in Green Park gave me a couple of quotes very promptly. I ended up not confirming till this morning. About 30 mins after I put in the order, a very sensible person suggested that I should try to do this at Fenchurch St instead, much closer to my final destination on Bishopsgate. When I contacted Curzon St to say I wouldn't need the docs anymore but I'd of course pay, they said "Don't worry about it at all and here is the name of the staffer at Fenchurch St who comes in before 8am, just email her and it'll be fine." And indeed it was - and when I was at Fenchurch St to pick up my print job, the woman also paying said to the staffer, "Great job, thanks as always." Thanks Phil, Marcin and Anna for your help last night and this morning. Looking forward to using The Color Company again for our future printing needs.

If you have a lot of dosh to spend and are into ceramics, then here is a shop for you. The crockery…read moreproduct line is elegant in simplicity and the craftsmanship is beautiful. I'm sure eating off these plates would make the food taste better. Not to sure about the wood inspired ceramic mirrors - the two materials don't work well for me personally. There never seem to be any people on the second floor of the OXO tower, which is a shame as there are some great shops. The Bodo Sperlein shop is a bit intimidating with its clean minimalism and high prices. Still, it's worth dreaming.

Minimalist to the core, Bodo Sperlein as a brand sells fine bone china ware that is designed and…read moreconstructed personally. He caters to an exclusive range of tableware companies, and also indulges his skills in the interior light fittings, and a few accessories. I agree the mirrors are a bit off his brand philosophy and the extremeties of the two materials doen't marry off well. Visit his very busy(layout) store in the famous Oxo Tower. For the size of shop space, he sure does have a lot going on in there and it kinda contradicts the minimalism effect. Truely fine detailing and finishes to the products of this German designer.