I’ve been on Spoonflower since pretty much the beginning, and just love participating in their design challenges. They are often themes I would never choose myself, so it’s a challenge to come up with some different ideas and stretch your creative muscles to the next level.
This month the themes are all very flowery, and flora and fauna, perfect for springtime.
Here are my entries, I worked on these all weekend and part of today, and got them finished and entered and proofs ordered, what can I say, I was inspired! They’ll be for sale soon!
For this week’s contest which starts tomorrow, theme of “Paper-Cut Florals”, I called this one “Paper Garden”. I scanned in some text about ordering flower seeds from an old Eatons Mail Order Catalogue from 1901 (70’s reprint!) and use it like “newsprint”. Then I added some painty brushstrokes , grungey textures, and some buzzy bumblebees for good measure! I’m really digging using limited palettes so chose some fresh, happy springy colours plus black/white/grey to balance them.
Next week, is a Limited Palette Succulents theme, where the colours that are allowed to be used were supplied. Have to say, not my usual palette but I figured out how to make them work. Sometimes those creative muscles get reallllly stretched, lol! I named this one “Spiked Tea is Succulent”. I used black and white for the teapots and saucers, and saved the colour for the (featured) succulents. Then I added some grungey textured shadows under them and white “woodcut/rain” around them for extra southwest-y texturey goodness.
And finally, for the following week, the theme is Birds and Blooms, so, seeing as I have thing for teapots and cups right now, I did bright birdies and flowers, with neutral flowery cups and pots. I named this one “Having The Birds Over For Tea”, I like to think they are all having a lovely springtime tea party with their birdie friends. I also used some scanned text all about the kinds of tea you could order in 1901, to add some extra texture and interest.
And finally, I recently joined Printed Village, and this is a new design I entered in the Butterfly theme contest.
Flowery butterfly kites and blooms, inspired by some Japanese printed dishes I spotted on Pinterest.
Phew!
With much love and gratitude as always!
