Readers' Studios is a regular peek into people's workspaces and studios. It's a chance to see how other creatives work. From inspiring garden sheds and cosy home offices to stunning huge warehouses and converted chapels, I love taking a look at them all.

Today, I'm looking at the home of Boomerang and Design By Day, two agencies sharing some new office space in the heart of Manchester's creative Northern Quarter. If you didn't know already, Boomerang is in fact my own marketing firm which I run with hubby Tom. And Design By Day is an established design studio, headed up by Angela Roche. We've become such great pals over the past 12 months that we've decided to move in together.

Based on the third floor of a former textile warehouse on Lever Street, it's a light and airy space, filled with all kinds of quirky, strange, stuff. It's a meeting of minds, skills and personalities. But basically Design By Day have all the cool sh*t - and Boomerang? Well, Boomerang... I'm not saying we aren't cool. We just don't have enough quirky stuff that designers tend to collect. We don't have any fishermen, bowling pins or bowler hats. And we don't have any old cola bottles or little Lego figures. Clearly, we have to catch up!

It's a space that we've literally just moved in to last weekend when we missed the epic Wimbledon Final of which Andy Murray made history. And if you're reading this and reside in the Northern Quarter, or in fact the same building, please pop in and say hello! We're very friendly and - be warned - a little daft... Hence, the 'daft face' posed by our lovely Jonathan.

Find out more about Design By Day

Website: Designbyday.co.uk | Email: hello@designbyday.co.uk | Twitter: @DesignByDay

Find out more about Boomerang

Website: Weareboomerang.com | Email: hello@weareboomerang.com | Twitter: @TeamBoomerang

Think my readers might dig your creative space? Drop me a line with a minimum of six high resolution photos and blurb about why your studio rocks your creative world at studios@creativeboom.co.uk.

We've just moved to new office space here in Manchester and we've had a very warm welcome from local freelancers, agencies and collaborations alike. People have happily popped their heads around our door and said hello. We've had nice cards and even presents. It's been overwhelming to see how much Manchester creatives support one another.

And this warm sentiment is carried through to the events, exhibitions, graduate shows, launches and creative pop-ups that I love to attend around my beloved city. I've met so many friendly and passionate people that I often wonder whether the creative industries is the most supportive sector of all.

But on sharing this feeling with a friend last night, it became apparent he felt the opposite. He didn't think creatives were supportive of one another at all. He felt that the 'scene' was often bitchy and pretentious. Yes - I can't deny that I've had my fair share of bad experiences and run into a few unsavoury characters, but that's the exception rather than the rule.

So I want to prove my friend wrong. Because I've had countless, helpful exchanges with local creatives in Manchester. And they're often from what you'd definitely call the 'competition'. People here are so keen to help one another, recommend each other and bend over backwards to encourage the whole local scene - that it becomes unbelievable to think anyone could have a different perception.

And on researching and writing for my Creative Cities series, this positive feeling is reinforced as people can't get enough of recommending one another or putting me in touch with other freelancers or agencies who might like to take part in my features.

Personally, I think people in the creative industries are wonderfully supportive of one another. And it puts a smile on my face to know that. I've had Matt Smith of Daylight be a good friend since I decided to move to Manchester last year. My pal Graeme Golden of Warrington networking group WACreative has been a rock and a true friend - as has his girlfriend Natalie Mellin. Mia Bennett of Turned On Digital has provided lots of referrals, recommendations, giggles and expertise. Content Director (and very good friend) Paul Smith at leading PR agency Citypress has helped myself and hubby Tom countless times. Doug and Shaun over at TechHub can't do enough to encourage or support us. And then we have Design By Day - our new office companions, who are great company and becoming great friends.

I hope someone out there feels the same way about Boomerang - or even Creative Boom. But now I'd love to hear about your own positive experiences. Who has helped you? Who would you love to mention? Who deserves some attention? Who helped you win a new client? What's great about your city, town or village and how does your creative community pull together? Please comment below...

Creative Boom is almost four years old and I can't believe I've only showcased 800+ creatives and their work within this Inspiration section. It feels like I've been running this website for much longer and that I should've shared 5,000+ by now. But I guess it's mainly just me - and that means I've got some way to go before I hit those high figures. In the meantime, Pu Ziyang aka joebasara is a multidisciplinary artist based in Singapore. Although being a film major from the School of Art, Design & Media at Nanyang Technological University, illustration is his forte and he likes to explore various styles of character drawing. After graduation, he taught art in secondary school for three years, but recently left education to become a freelance illustrator. We wish him lots of luck in his new chapter. Find out more: Joebasara.com.

I'm really in love with the work that's coming out of Mash Creative lately. Particularly these cool posters using photography by Tom Solo and screen printed by Daniel Mather. They are strictly limited edition with just 25 copies each. Of A2 size, Pantone 411u + 805/806 overprint on 175gsm GF Smith Mist Colorplan. Hey... I know these details are important to you designers! They're also hand numbered and signed by the designer Mark Bloom. The poster uses a halftoned photo taken at the world's largest Heavy Metal Rock Festival 'Wacken' by Tom Solo. The fluro orange and pink quotes are by none other than Bob Dylan and Kurt Cobain. They're available to buy at www.thisisourshop.com.

'Pine' is a finely crafted typeface meant to embody the strength and elegance of nature. Laser cut from wood, each character has rich physicality while maintaining graphic sophistication. Well, that's what designer Cody Petts says about this stunning typeface. Made with love, each letter is beautifully crafted to evoke that feeling of the outdoors. It's got an old world charm about it, but it's somehow very current and fitting for our time. To find out more about Cody's work visit Codypetts.com/. He's a multimedia design student at UW-Stout in the US and already has an impressive portfolio of work.

Workabout is a regular review of cafes, restaurants, coffee shops and co-working spaces where freelancers and creatives can enjoy a change of scenery or meet clients.

Today, I'm having a peek inside Society Cafe - a wonderful, independent coffee shop in beautiful, historic Bath. Known as an 'urban living space', it's designed with all of us in mind. You can park your bike, buggy or dog. You can visit with friends, maybe make new ones or come alone for some solitude and people-watching. You can drink some perfectly prepared coffee, exquisite tea or hot chocolate made from chunks of the real thing. You can eat delicious cake, homemade granola with yoghurt and compote, fresh sandwiches and healthy treats for children.

As well as filling your tummy, it's a perfect place for creatives with art house books and magazines, exhibitions, 'artists in residence' events and for children there is a creative space designed to get ideas going (giving Mum and Dad a chance to collapse into a sofa and relax!). These stunning photographs were taken by Adrian Campbell-Howard, a local talented photographer who you must check out! And be sure to visit Society Cafe, located on Kingsmead in Bath.

Got a cafe, coffee shop, space, corner or area that you'd like me to review? Email workabout@creativeboom.co.uk and send me a few details on why your venue deserves a mention.

Now I never liked Barbie. It wasn't something my parents bought me because they knew better. It was a present from a family friend. As my parents probably expected, I'd simply tie my doll to train tracks or my road map and find painful ways for her to die. I was a girl that preferred toy cars and trucks instead of anything 'pink'. One day, I decided to give my Barbie a bob... Another, black lipstick. You might say I was a tad disturbed - a little girl aged seven, destroying rather than playing with her Barbie. But have you ever seen one up close? They're pretty scary. And I think - even back then - I resented having this symbol of 'female perfection' thrusted upon me.

So I was pretty amused to discover the ironic work of Dina Goldstein. She's a conceptual artist with a background in documentary photography. 'In the Dollhouse' is a series that plays out as a narrative, peeking into the home and marriage of the world’s most iconic dolls, Barbie, and her partner Ken. It offers a profound commentary on the transient nature of beauty, the difficulty of marriage and the importance of authenticity. Love it!

When French photographers Pauline Darley and Maxime Stange recently paired up for a fashion assignment, the results were worthy of a royal audience. This beautiful set of images, which showcases A de la Roche clothing, was taken in and around the grounds of a stunning palace with model Solweig Lizlow. Great fashion photography such as this always whisks us to another world - a world in which we can imagine being a princess, wandering around our home and gardens, looking demure and worthy of our official title.

Look at these little memo pads by Singapore designer Ella Zheng. Each has a different 'out of the comfort zone' task to be accomplished for designers to use as helpful reminders. You can stick them on the wall and never forget what task you have to experiment or try next time. And then, to keep you on track, The Never Stop Learning poster acts in the same way, but it also allows you to see what you have learnt so far, and reminds you to keep learning new skills. Simple, colourful and fun. I love!

Readers' Studios is a regular peek into people's workspaces and studios. It's a chance to see how other creatives work. From inspiring garden sheds and cosy home offices to stunning huge warehouses and converted chapels, I love taking a look at them all.

Today, I'm looking at the shared loft studio of design agency Designliga and web firm Form & Code. Called Halle A, the space is based in Munich, Germany and was a former metalworks shop for local utilities company Stadtwerke München. When the building was being refurbished, both firms wanted to preserve its industrial character and heritage and therefore created a design theme and colour palette based on the materials and textures around the space. Despite the size of the building, it is divided into different zones and functional areas which helps to create a feeling of intimacy. They even designed the building to suit the needs of their staff, asking them specifically what they would like. The result is an attractive studio, workplace and living space for the people that work there and for their visitors.

Think my readers might dig your creative space? Drop me a line with a minimum of six high resolution photos and blurb about why your studio rocks your creative world at studios@creativeboom.co.uk.

Yasser Alaa Mobarak is a young photographer from Egypt who caught my attention today. Based in Alexandria, he is just 20 years old and has already won numerous awards from a range of prestigious competitions, including Sony World Photography Awards, National Geographic, Photographic Society of America and Youth Journalism International. He's had exhibitions all over the globe, in Egypt, the United States and Australia. Even better? He believes that he can make a real difference in the world using the art of photography. Find out more by visiting Flickr.

Readers' Studios is a lot like Readers' Wives, except we're talking about photos of some of the most stimulating creative workspaces instead of... well, you know.

Today we're taking a peek at the studio of Material Lab, a design resource for architects and designers in London. The studio is a space where specifiers can go to explore and be inspired by a huge range of materials for their projects. It was created purely to answer the needs of the architectural and design community. They directly asked specifiers what sort of ‘experience’ they wanted in a design studio. Their answer: 'A vibrant, exciting place where we can explore the potential of different materials. A place where we can find out about the latest trends and innovations. A relaxed environment to meet and discuss projects. Somewhere where we can get expert advice and assistance – without any hard sell.' Their solution was Material Lab, which opened its doors in January 2006.

Find out more about Material Lab and their work

Website: Material-lab.co.uk | Facebook: Facebook.com/TheMaterialLab | Twitter: twitter.com/Material_Lab

Think our readers might dig your creative space? Drop us a line with some high resolution photos at features@creativeboom.co.uk.

Favourite Things is a regular exploration of creative people's top five favourite things. It could be a book, a piece of artwork, a much-loved city, an ornament or a favourite hobby. If you'd like to share your Favourite Things, email things@creativeboom.co.uk. Today we welcome Stevyn Colgan, a British writer, artist and speaker. And here are his Favourite Things...

1. Viewmasters

I was born in 1961. I saw the Moon Landings. I saw Star Wars in its opening week. My childhood was during an age of boundless imagination and pride in achievement, unrivalled by any other time except maybe the Victorian Era. Everything we read, everything we saw, told us that the future would be brilliant with flying cars, holidays on the Moon, Bacofoil onesies and food in pill form. And the Viewmaster was one of those toys that gave us a glimpse of the treats to come. Before computers, mobile phones and sitting in cinemas wearing Elvis Costello’s cast-off sunglasses, the Viewmaster showed us glorious, technicolour 3D images like we’d never seen before. I fell in love with them and have collected them ever since. I even have one of the original models from the 1930s. This is just a small part of my collection. I am at least four times more sad than the photo suggests.

2. Signed Books

I’m not really a collector – except for Viewmasters – and I’m definitely not a completist. So I don’t collect signed books per se, but I do happen to have a lot of them because I’m lucky enough to meet, or to have met, lots of amazing people as part of my job. On my shelves here I have signed tomes from Douglas Adams, Eric Sykes, Willie Rushton, Kenneth Williams, Ray Harryhausen, Ronnie Barker, Norman Wisdom, Patrick Moore, Tom Sharpe and many others no longer with us. They're all pretty worthless to a collector as most of them are personally dedicated to me but they mean the world to me. I didn't get them as an investment; they're little happy moments from my life forever preserved in paper and ink. And they're much more personal than a photograph of me mugging it with them. The photo shows one of my favourites: When I was invited to the 30th birthday party of Viz magazine, I took along my copy of Co-creator Chris Donald's biography, Rude Kids, and asked the contributors for their signatures. They all went one step further and did cartoons of some of their best-known creations. Glorious.

3. Bone 37

Like many kids, I was obsessed with dinosaurs. Okay, I still am. So when a good friend of mine, the sculptor and special effects wizard John Coppinger, was asked to reconstruct the tail of the world’s most famous dinosaur, I had to get involved. Dippy the Diplodocus has stood in the central hall of London’s Natural History Museum since 1905. She's not actually a fossil; she’s a plaster and coal dust cast made from moulds of a real fossil Diplodocus held in the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Anyway, for most of her afterlife, Dippy had been displayed with her tail dragging on the floor. But in 1993, the NHM decided that the tail should be lifted as new evidence suggested that this was more correct. John got the job of moulding and casting every one of the 80+ tail bones in lightweight fibreglass and carbon fibre. It was such a big job that he was happy to accept help from me and other friends. Many of the original plaster ‘bones’ didn’t survive the process but some did and the NHM kindly let us keep one of the originals each. Mine is the 37th bone from the tip. Visiting London and seeing Dippy when I was 10 years old was one of the most profoundly inspiring moments of my life. To actually own one of the bones I saw that day is beyond awesome. It’s awelots.

4. Arthur Andrews’ Horn

I grew up in Cornwall, a land where there are more artists than earwigs, and I was fortunate enough to have three of the most fantastic art teachers anyone could wish for. Phil Howells, Jim Tinley and Arthur Andrews were never less than wonderful; supportive, trusting and informative. They even opened up the school after hours and at weekends to let us pursue our passions. I’m pleased to say that two of them are still with us: Phil is in his 80s but still a magnificent watercolourist; Jim is a potter and oil painter still working in the village of Porthleven. Sadly, we lost Arthur in the 1980s. He was a dapper little chap, full of nervous energy and enthusiasm. He once saw me admiring a beautiful Kudu (a kind of antelope) horn he kept in his classroom for students to draw. I was fascinated by its shape and the fact that it had grown that way naturally and organically. It looked like fine sculpture. ‘Take it home, dear boy’, he said. ‘I picked it up in Africa in the 1950s. It’s been drawn by every child I’ve ever taught but none of them ever found it as fascinating as you do. Take it home and keep finding everything fascinating.’ I did. It’s a thing of absolute beauty and hangs in my studio to remind me of him. I still find the world endlessly fascinating. Arthur is one of the reasons why.

5. My First Payment

Cornwall is the poorest county in the UK and, while it’s a lovely place for a holiday, it can be tough to live there. There are few industries and most jobs are seasonal. Winter can be a bleak time for many families. No wonder then that my careers teacher’s advice was, ‘Get out of Cornwall’. And so, in 1979, I did just that. Realising that my chances of getting a job as a creative were next to zero, I swallowed my artistic ambitions and became a police officer. And, over the next few years, I lost confidence in my abilities and knuckled down to doing my job as best I could and raising a young family. But then, in 1985, I met a man called James Murphy who was a hugely talented but undiscovered comics artist.

We had so many ideas between us that it was inevitable that we would end up trying to do something artistic together. It culminated in a small press comics imprint called Bigger Betty, specifically set up by us to discover new British talent. And we did just that. We found Sarwat Chadda, now a very successful youth fiction author, Dan Schaffer who now writes film screenplays for films and Jez Elford, a respected games designer. The business collapsed after a few years but I framed the very first cheque from the sale of our very first comic; it was testament to the fact that I could make money doing what I loved best. It’s up there, on the wall with Arthur’s horn and Bone 37 – a constant reminder of what I can achieve if I put my heart and soul into a project.

It's been at least several days since I showcased anything from Japan, so I thought it was about time I added something. Orel Kichigai is a photographer based in Paris who loves street photography and capturing people in their natural, city surroundings. Here's a collection from a recent trip to Tokyo. I love how she's been able to pick out interesting individuals amongst the crowds of people. Something that's very difficult to achieve in such a crowded, thriving city. The world's largest in fact. To find out more about her work, visit her website.

How can you ignore an email with dramatic, enticing images such as these? These are from the lovely people at VICE who have released a new Guide to Travel film called Blood Sacrifice in Indonesia. This fascinating documentary covers a bloody spear-throwing on horseback festival called the Pasola, which takes place on a remote Indonesian Island inhabited by headhunters. These photographs give you a flavour of the film but to see the actual video click here. Presented by VICE correspondent, Milène Larsson, the film follows the lead up to the Pasola, the event itself, and its aftermath. The people of Sumba have long held the belief that both animal and human blood needs to be spilled on the earth to ensure a good harvest.

Workabout is a regular review of cafes, restaurants, coffee shops and co-working spaces where freelancers and creatives can enjoy a change of scenery or meet clients.

Today I'm taking a peek at Warner Yard, a co-working space for tech founders and entrepreneurs in London. The stunning interior is designed by Alex Lewis Kendrick. Warner Yard, which is based in Clerkenwell, has been set up by Federico Pirzio-Biroli, the founder of Playfair Capital. It aims to target both funded companies as well as early-stage investors, including angel investors and seed funds. It can house up to 30 startups. What an amazing and inspiring work environment! Enjoy!

Got a cafe, coffee shop, space, corner or area that you'd like me to review? Email workabout@creativeboom.co.uk and send me a few details on why your venue deserves a mention.

Personally, I think everyone should have a decent deck of cards. It's one of life's greatest pleasures. Shuffling through a pack and dealing out various hands to family or friends. Cards are those things that come out on a hotel balcony on holiday, late at night when the sunburn kicks in and you're swatting at your own legs once the mozzies start to bite. They're also great for lazy Christmas Day afternoons when the whole family comes together for some good times over a nice bottle of port and some Quality Streets. Which is why I found these nautical cards by graphic design student Lisa Nemetz so interesting. Originally from Germany but currently living in Argentina, Lisa is crazy about typography, calligraphy and lettering. And guess what - she's available to freelance. To find out more, visit www.lisanemetz.com.

You're an intelligent bunch and you'll know that we all have a hole right through our bodies, right? We put food in at one end and get poo out the other. Somewhere in the middle the treats turn into smelly faeces. With this book you will learn how it happens. Designed by Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielińscy - a couple of designers from Poland who specialise in creating books for children and creating online, interactive fun projects - and published by Wydawnictwo Znak. It was these kinds of books that I loved to pore over as a child. I found it absolutely fascinating to discover what happened inside our bodies. And it's still fascinating today. To find out more about visit Hipopotamstudio.pl.

Am I the only one on city breaks who likes to stop in the middle of a busy road (obviously when it's safe to cross) and take snaps of people and street scenes? Obviously not. Because Erik Witsoe - a photographer from Poland - loves to do the same. And probably with much more skill and expertise than I could ever muster. These beautiful moments were captured in the streets of Poznan. The symmetry of the middle of the road and its motion paints a fascinating picture of this beautiful city and its inhabitants. To find out more, check out Erik's portfolio.

God, how I love to travel. The sights. The sounds. The people. The smells. The colours. I love how I can immerse myself into a different culture and just enjoy living in the moment. And when you love photography and insist on carrying your beloved camera around on your travels, there is nothing more wonderful than capturing snippets that inspire you. That's whether you see an interesting character, sitting in the afternoon sun... or are simply blown away by a colourful doorway set against an contrasting wall. This is why I'm honoured to showcase this beautiful work by photographer Julien Coquentin. Based in France, this particular series is from Julien wandering around Phnom Penh in Cambodia. A place that has long been on my growing 'wish list' of travel. I love how he doesn't just capture the people or street scenes, but how he picks out little details that the rest of us might overlook. Just beautiful. Oh, and Julien has his own book coming soon, so watch this space!