Making the Old New

Some of you may have started following me several years ago when I focused on paper cutting and assemblages. I miss those days. It was so satisfying to enter into my zen flow and create something with my own two hands. Bonus if I then sold it! It’s been a long time since I’ve put my blades to paper and I really miss it.

When I’d work on those pieces, it would always start with the most simple idea, but a story would always unfold as I worked and that is when the real fun started.

Since I’ve been working digitally, I’ve been feeling a little less enthusiastic about creating much of anything. It’s been a little over 2 years and with the exception of the Hounds collection I just finished, there hasn’t been a moment when I felt a story emerge or even felt like I was having fun. It’s a bit of a bummer. But, I keep plugging along. I think part of the problem is I spend so much time learning new things, I forget to make time to revisit the old familiar things. At the end of the day, I’m tired of sitting, tired of looking at a screen, and though I feel excited about everything I am learning and all the possibilities, I feel rather blah about the creation process.

I want to get back to the storytelling. I want to feel that sense of wonder, I want to feel excited about the journey I’m being taken on.

My intention in learning digital art was to translate the assemblages into art prints. But somehow, I got off track. I felt in my heart that an art print just wouldn’t have the same impact as the actual 3-dimensional piece, and I gave up on that idea, which left me feeling just a little lost. But as I revisited a few of these pieces this past week, I realized there are stories in each and every one of them, so why not explore those again and translate those ideas into prints and patterns that can further tell the story?

How many stories would a haunted house have to tell?

The early stages of my haunted house – It evolved quite a bit from this photo and there was a scary, sometimes sad story around every corner.

I’m feeling a little more excited about this journey.

Happy National Scarf Day!

Happy National Scarf Day!

I love scarves, as someone who runs hot and cold from moment to moment, they are a staple accessory for me. In the summer a lightweight scarf is perfect to ward off the chill from air-conditioned spaces. In the fall and winter, they add an extra layer that can be quickly removed in those overheated spaces. They are easy to stash in a bag or tie to the strap, making for a very essential and functional accessory for any ensemble. And of course, they are a simple, inexpensive way to show off your personal style.

(Not everyone enjoys scarves though and as a kid, I thought they were a little old-fashioned. But now that I am old, I have a better appreciation for them. Does that make me old-fashioned?)

And did I mention they make gift wrap too?

Monday Mood Board

Today is National Bamboo Day!

If I could live in a bamboo forest I 100% would. There is something so simple and magical about this strong, flexible, whispering grass that induces such a feeling of calm; I just want to be surrounded by it for all my days.

Mini Collection Reveal

OMGOSH. I know this is a lot. I was pretty excited when I received the Fill a Yard sample of my Geometric Bats mini collection from Spoonflower yesterday. I am so happy with the way these came out, even the tone-on-tone dark print. I have a thing for monochrome prints where the pattern is so very subtle and I think this one came out pretty nice.

Initially, I thought I’d be most excited about the quatrefoil bat pattern as that’s the one I imagined and designed first (almost 2 years ago!) It took me much longer than I thought it would or should. I fiddled around with it so much in Illustrator to get the proportions of the bat so it would perfectly fit in the center of the quatrefoil shape and I definitely did a little happy dance when it finally repeated perfectly. But, by then I was distracted with doing something different and I forgot all about it.

Recently, I decided to revisit the quatrefoil. I really wanted a better idea of what it would look like on products so I uploaded it to my Redbubble shop and was quite happy with the mockups. I haven’t ordered anything yet, as I’m currently waiting on another order to arrive.

I wasn’t really thinking in terms of a collection when I revisited this design, but I got an idea to see how it would look when used with other elements. I think I actually LOVE the spider webs more than the bat. So much so that I am seriously considering dragging my sewing machine out of storage to make some new curtains for my studio. And perhaps a few pillows as well. I’d love it on a duvet, but I’m not so sure the hubs would appreciate it. Spiders aren’t really his thing.

I also took another go at a bat-inspired dark garden theme I started at about the same time. I had in mind a Nordic design, similar to something you might find in a ski lodge. I thought it would be humorous to have a design that wasn’t fully recognizable as bat motifs at a distance, but on closer inspection, bat-winged floral blooms would reveal themselves. I first did this pattern in black and white and then wondered how it would look as a two-tone dark print. I really like it! I can imagine it as wallpaper with the darkest parts being flocked and maybe even rhinestone embellishments where the white flower centers are. Yes Please! I’ve been wanting to do the inside of my closet with wallpaper for so long, this might be the pattern that gets me going on that project.

The mockups in the above photo collage are from Spoonflower. If you aren’t familiar with Spoonflower, it’s a print-on-demand site where you can purchase fabric from thousands of super talented designers for your DIY needs in a wide variety of fabrics, from cotton to velvet to satin, and more. But, if sewing isn’t your thing, Spoonflower also offers many premade items made with the design of your choice, including on wallpaper in a variety of finishes.

Something in the Garden table decor (society6)

I started reworking these designs back in June, not really planning on seeing them through to a collection. But as I started reworking them, I realized I was in need of a few things (wallpaper, pillows, a table cloth) and thought it would be a perfect excuse to make a Halloween collection. Though I may be a little late on that. Although, I tend to have a bit of a Halloween theme going on in my house already and find this time of year to be the best time to hunt for cool home decor items. I’m looking forward to getting the table runner from Society 6 at some point. However, as much as I like a table runner, they aren’t exactly cat frinedly.

Thank you so much for reading. If you happen to be starting your own journey into the world of surface and pattern design, I’d really love to hear from you about your experiences or challenges. Or, if you have a suggestion on some themes and patterns you’d like to see me try let me know in the comments! It would help me when I feel a little stumped on what to try next.

Have a great week!

Monday Mood Board

I’ve been trying to come up with a colorway for my hounds collection that hints towards a pinky pastel sunset.

I applied a pink opacity to this photo and also applied an opacity to the photo and placed an opaque pink under it.

The original pattern has a lot of green, so I thought I would use the blend tool to see what would happen if I blend green into pink. I think it has potential.

I’m pretty sure it will be a while before I will work on recoloring the pattern. I’m ok with that. I’ve started to become ok with a lot of things. There are only so many hours in a day and as long as I’m making forward movement daily, well, that is all I can do.

Wednesday Work in Progress

Just working on some little icons and brushes.

When I draw in Illustrator, I tend to do it the hard way. I’d much rather use my pencil tool and draw with my mouse. I have a long desk mat, that’s essentially a giant mouse pad. This allows me to continue with a long steady line without running out of room on a tiny mouse pad. I’ve gotten used to it and feel more comfortable drawing this way. What’s your drawing process with Illustrator? Do you start with pencil and paper or do you jump right in and start drawing in Illustrator?