Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap Update

Well I should have posted this on Saturday when I received this but I've found myself caught up in ABSPD module 1 - more on this another time.

So Saturday lunchtime this beautiful postcard arrived. It took 9 days and had come all the way from Australia.  Its amazing really when you think about it.  It now sits next to my computer to help inspire me on those days when creating is more difficult.  You know the ones where you compare your beginning to other peoples middles.

On the reverse it had this quote

“Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it.”

Rabindranath Tagore

Thank you Ramona 


This was my first time and I loved taking part in this and will be definitely doing it again

Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap

Well it must have been a quiet day or just the idea of sending something out to someone just for fun, but I signed up for this through the do what you love for life site.  This is the 7th year it has run but my first time and perfect way to combine two things I love sewing and design.  I will give you a hint that this one is destined for Australia.  I hadn't planned on it but it seems I was drawn to Australian colours of yellow and green so very appropriate.

So this is the process that was involved in making it.  On Monday my friend introduced me to print making - which I had never tried before.  I made a simple collage using this process, with one piece of yellow tissue paper and drew some fantastical flowers on the reverse allowing the black ink to create splodgy lines  - I guess spring is here -   I really was inspired by this very quick image.  I guess this is the bit where I was  innovative with paper within my postcard design.

 I scanned, traced and added texture gradient and transparency in illustrator and printed out on cream card.

I chose a font that looked like fingerpainting - fun and splodgy  I also added what create means to me - repeat being really important to me

I raided my stash of ribbons and buttons carefully selecting those that I thought added to the spring theme.  The crochet  was chosen to give it a celebratory bunting spring fair feel.  the silver to convey rain and dew.  the green reminds me of spring leaves on the trees and the purple/white is the crocus/snowdrop

Valentines Challenge Update

I had some exciting news this week, my design came 2nd place in the Valentines Challenge run by Majo and Faye through their Skillshare courses (Reign Repeats  and The Art of Typography) .  I really enjoyed working to a brief and trying out a giftwrap and greetings cards which I had not done before.  What I also liked was that they "loved the contemporary feel to my design!" Hopefully this is a sign of things to come this year. Feeling optomistic

Valentines Challenge

Last year I took part in a skillshare course on repeat patterns, by Majo, something i've been wanting to do for about 10 years but not sure how to go about it.  The course was brilliant and I learnt so much and I will be reviewing this course in a future post so will not go into details here.  Tiger print and Spoonflower both had typography challenges in January and so I searched out a typography course as a starting point. I chose Fayes course on skillshare.  This course is awesome and there will be an in depth review coming soon.
Well if this post is not a review of some brilliant and awesome courses what am I going on about?
Ok, both Majo and Faye teamed up and came up with a Valentines Challenge

The aim was to create a greeting card with a typographic element along with a matching gift wrap repeat pattern. I thought this sounded like fun and gave it a go.  There are some lovely projects entered and now there is a public vote for your favourite. The deadline is the 17th with the winners announced on the 18th.
Have a look at all 8 projects here and vote 

wow busy week so three posts

I didn't mention that this weeks spoonflower contest has an anti-Valentines day theme.  Not only was you asked to create that expresses some Anti-Valentine's Day sentiments but also a design styled after a traditional cross stitch .

I went for a traditional colour palette of pinks and purples with heart motifs.

I'm really happy with how this turned out - If you like it please vote for it here

Society6 promotion -

Society6 have a couple of my designs including this one below.  They are also doing free shipping which is great especially if you are not based in the USA.  click on the link and you‘ll get FREE Shipping and $5 Off Kid's Tees and Baby Onesies on everything in my shop! :)











LINK

Promotion expires February 9, 2014 at Midnight Pacific Time. *Offer excludes Framed Art Prints, Stretched Canvases and Throw Pillows with insert.

Design for Valentines Challenge

These are my designs for Valentines Challenge ran by Faye and Majo.  They both have really brilliant courses on Skillshare and I have learnt so much.  This challenge is fun because it was to design a card to match a gift wrap.

 Let me know what you think.  I'm really happy with how they came out and the card will be available through society6

and the giftwrap through spoonflower