A 2016 Success - Tea Towels

Hi there. How are you?

It's the week between Christmas and New Years and I'm in a contemplative mood. I'm thinking about my progress in 2016 and what I can do better in 2017.

After doing my year end accounting, I was feeling pretty blue, pretty defeated. Monetarily, 2016 was pretty pathetic for my art biz.

Then, I started thinking back at all of the new things I made this year. The new connections I've made, the wholesale accounts I've gained and the successes I've had. I DID make some progress.

Over the next few posts, I'm going to celebrate my successes in 2016 and look back at what I've made. Sound good?

First up: Tea Towels

This year, I introduced 2 new tea towel designs, both of which started as drawings in my sketchbook. Let me show you the process.

Veggies are a hit!

I introduced my veggie print tea towel at a holiday craft sale I did earlier this month. I'm happy to report that it sold like gangbusters! They went over big as gifts for mom and grandma. I've just got a handful of these left.

The origin story

In January of 2016, I took part in a 31 day drawing challenge with Creative Bug. (See all of my drawings here.)  Each day, participants were given something to draw. The Day 17 prompt was root vegetables and man did I have fun with that.

My Day 17 drawings turned into a pattern for a tea towel.

The magic

I scanned in my drawings, and with some Photoshop and Illustrator magic, I turned them into a pattern. Then, my friends at Merchop screen printed them for me. This is my favorite tea towel design to date!

The detail

I'm so impressed with the detail in this print. Merchop has got this tea towel printing down!

My tea towels have sold so well in 2016 that I am excited to make add a few more designs to the collection in 2017.

Have a tea towel design idea for me?

I'd love to hear from you.

Leave a comment or send me an email. 

Until next time. Ciao!

New Things!

Hi there. How are you?

How has it been a month since I last wrote a blog post??? Oh yeah, I was busting my butt to get my coloring book done! I'm happy to report that it's now at the printer, and I should be able to pick them up sometime this week. I'm so excited for you to see them friends!

A sneak peek of my coloring book cover.

Mailing list members get first dibs

If you want to get your hands on my first ever coloring book, do sign up for my mailing list. I will open up sales to list members first. I have had so much interest in these, that I expect they will go fast!

OK. Now onto new things!

Did you know that In recent years, August and September are the top months for births in the United States? It sure seems right to me....Not only did I celebrate a birthday earlier this month, but I know someone with a birthday almost every day of September!

My original sketchbook drawing.

Now available! Click to shop.

With a slew of people to send birthday cards to this month, I decided to make one! It was a good excuse to utilize one of the patterns I drew in my sketchbook this summer.  Every time I scan one of these patterns in and work with it digitally, I get a little better and more confident in the process. I remember telling someone in college that I never wanted to use the computer as an art tool...My have times changed!

A sweet way to say thank you. Click to shop!

I also made this sweet little thank you card to send to a friend. I just love this one! The aqua and red is a fave color combo. It's a little different for me to use a cursive type font, but I think it fits the pattern and sentiment perfectly.

My new cards are now available for purchase. Click HERE to shop!

That's all for now friends. I hope you are having a great week. Ta-Ta!

30 Days of Pattern

Hi there. How are you?

I've always liked to follow the rules. Just ask my parents! I'd flip on my Dad if he drove over the speed limit. When I was 12, I called my parents to pick me up from a sleepover because they were watching an "R" rated movie. There's no way you'd catch my 11 year old self ordering off of the 10 and under kid's menu. Same with movies. I would not let my parents buy me a ticket at the children's price if I was too old. I could go on and on...As an adult, I still like rules, but I know when it's OK to break them.

Drawing patterns makes perfect sense for my rule-following sensibility. To make a pattern, you come up with a line or shape and then create rules on how you will arrange them in a space. In pattern-making, there are limits. There is repeat. I like that. I usually find pattern drawing very relaxing and I often work on these at night when we're watching TV.

Sketchbook Pattern Drawings: Day 1-6

30 Days of Pattern

I didn't set out to draw a pattern a day. I just sort of fell into the "pattern". (Ha!) I didn't want to come out and make it a "thing" either....What if I didn't stick with it? Just earlier this year I challenged myself to do an Every Other Day Sketch, and lost steam after day 45. I just decided to draw in my sketchbook every day, and post it online. I'm excited about all the things I've made.

You'll notice that some of the earliest daily drawings are really more just doodles than patterns. (Maybe I should I allow myself to do that again when I have no-idea days or when patterns just aren't flowing for me?) I was just interested in the process and it was less about the finished product. And as I keep realizing, my drawing/making/creating flows best when I am relaxed and don't put too much pressure on myself.

Sketchbook Pattern Drawings - Day 7-18

Positive Feedback

After posting the first few drawings of this series on Instagram and Facebook, I got lots of positive feedback. Those kind words encouraged me to keep going. I quickly blew through a sketchbook and the Pilot pens I had on hand and had to buy more.

Sketchbook Pattern Drawings Day 19-24

Coloring Book in the Works

I've had so many people request that I turn these drawings into a coloring book. Well friends, you spoke and I finally listened! I am in the process of vectorizing the most "colorable" of these pattern drawings. 

Sketchbook Pattern Drawings Day 25-30

What do You Want to Color?

Well friends, that's all for now. Is there one of these drawings I've posted that you'd particularly like to see in my coloring book? Leave a comment and let me know! Ta-Ta for now.

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