Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and see you in 2017! I'm looking forward to lots of new projects and good stuff for the shop; how about you, what are you looking forward to in the new year?

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The Moon

It feels like such a long time since I've written here but I've been busy all the same with future projects! I'll have to wait a while before I can post about those but here's something I've been working on last week:

Love, Luck & Happiness Decal Mural

I had a brilliant request from a lovely person through Spoonflower to adapt the Love, Luck & Happiness calendar for a mural. It was pretty tricky working out all the elements into this format but I love how it's turned out! The measurements left a space at the top of the three 30 inch decals which I filled with another design (of her choice) to cut off and use in another project:

Woodland Mural

This was also originally a calendar and I really enjoyed playing around with the elements to fit the space.

Patrice A. is hosting a drawing challenge over on her blog this week; subject: the moon, so I'm submitting the mural image above. I first came across her work on V's brilliant advent calendar and absolutely love her owl cushion - click through for the links to all contributed moon pictures!

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This year's Christmas.

These are the Christmas cards we sent out this year and I couldn't forget you, lovely blog (and all who read you of course!) I hope everyone has a really great festive season and that 2013 will be happy for you :)

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Snow Doves Gift Tags

Snow Doves with stars and mistletoe.

Zoom!

Snow Doves Gift Tags - details.

Hello! This is a new version of Snow Doves with brown paper, stars and mistletoe for Spoonflower's gift tags contest. To see some excellent gift tag designs and vote, click here!

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Twit-twoo!

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Is There Life On Mars?

Vector Illustration: Earth

Vector Illustration: Mars

It really doesn't feel like over eight months since I posted these two but the view from Curiosity right now is already more like the second picture than the first. The mobile laboratory, which is the size of a car, is scheduled for an ambitious landing in Gale Crater at 05:31 GMT, August the 6th and we'll definitely be watching. Happy weekend peeps!

August 6th:

New pictures of Mars, credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

The crazy sky crane worked! Such a great achievement - congrats everyone at NASA! I'm really looking forward to finding out more over the next few years.

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Starburst

I had a lot of fun designing the pattern for this week's Spoonflower contest. The brief was to design a mid-century print for the Carey Players' upcoming production of 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying', set in the early 50s.

Starburst

There are some subtle textures on this one - click to view larger details.

In one of the scenes, Rosemary is hoping to impress with her new 'Paris Original' cocktail dress, only to find that she's not the only one...

These mock-ups show the dress that will be used (a Butterick) with the Starburst pattern. I really enjoyed doing these; it was great seeing it come to life like that! I've already seen there are some amazing designs over there so vote for me if you have a minute. Whichever pattern you choose Carey Players, I hope you have a great production - wish I could be there!

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Distant Suns

A while back we were walking home from the cinema and it was a really clear and starry night with those high, translucent clouds you get in cold, dry weather. I've wanted to try them in a design since, so with the 4th of July coming up and a stars & stripes spoonflower theme, I've put the stars on an ombre striped sky:

1000 Distant Suns

I also tried it with a smooth gradient:

First Light

And finally, my original plan, with light clouds:

Summer Night Sky

If you have a mo' this week, head on over here to have a look at all the stars and stripes designs and vote for your favourites :)

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Illustration Friday: Round

This is the view round about now from Curiosity..

and this will be the view in around about 8 and a half months!

Amazing! 

I made these illustrations digitally with lots of good texture in them - click for a better look. You can also see some other round illustrations here!

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Beautiful

If you haven't yet seen Kina Grannis' amazing video, directed by Greg Jardin, have a look:

 I think the animation goes so brilliantly with the song - beautiful!

Winter Sleep

Winter Sleep

A screen print / Gocco style version of Winter Sleep. I've never used a Print Gocco but I liked vectorizing the squidgy ink edges of the elements.

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Illustration Friday - Hibernate

Winter Sleep

Click for larger view.

I think I'll feel like giving this a go when this amazing Indian Summer is over and the cold weather arrives.

While reading up for this illustration, I read that a bonfire pile is heaven to a hedgehog looking for a place to hibernate. If you're celebrating Bonfire Night at home next month there are some good tips to avoid a grisly end for them and the other wildlife in your garden here.

You can have a look at all the other Hibernate illustrations here!

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Northern Autumn, Southern Spring

Northern Autumn, Southern Spring

A limited palette (3-colour plus white) design for the Autumn contest. The background is grey - my 3rd colour - with a white pattern that's ended up looking quite warm and felty. If you have a sec, vote here!

Northern Autumn, Southern Spring Repeat.

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Summertime

This is an old sketch, one of the ones I hadn't got around to painting, but this week's Illustration Friday is Midsummer Night and so a great time to get this one finished :)

Riverbank

Riverbank Details - click for larger view.

The little beastie on the rock is an Alpine Newt. They live nocturnally in forested areas next to ponds or streams - perfect for this evening riverbank scene.

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Illustration Friday: Bottled and Journey

The first thing that crossed my mind when I read last week's subject was our summer holiday a few years ago in Alcúdia Bay. I would have loved to have bottled some of that Mediterranean Sea breeze to bring home with us; we had such a brilliant time that year.

I was too late to enter this painting for 'bottled' but I think it's just as good for this week's theme:

Badia d'Alcúdia

Click on details for larger image.

Have a great weekend!

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Recultivate

Take two of this entry for Illustration Friday.

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Illustration Friday: Cultivate

Fertile Crescent

According to Wikipedia (I know, I do not hold back when it comes to research :) ) people first began to cultivate plants for food around 10 000 years ago in the fertile crescent.

I included in my painting:
* some patterns from ancient pottery found in the region
* grains, chickpeas (or garbanzo beans to those of you over the pond), flax and papyrus, some of the first crops to be grown
* the pre-cuneiform pictograms for fish, pot, bird, ox and plough (in the sky)

I really enjoyed painting this one, I hope you like it! Head on over to the Illustration Friday website to see what all those talented peeps have been up to this week.

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