Accidental Vix

It’s Diabetes Week this week and as my blood sugars are misbehaving again I thought I’d pick something bright and cheerful to share this week, and it comes in the form of Caroline Rose Art. I have been a fan of Caroline’s gorgeous collages for some time, and if/when we have kids I will be adorning our walls with most of Caroline’s Etsy shop, but in the meantime there’s always my little niece/nephew on the way in October, not that I need an excuse to shop handmade:

1. Paper cutting seems to be on trend at the moment, but I have not seen anyone else combine colours, detail and shapes so well to bring collage to life in such a fun and colourful way

2. There is a huge range of skill shown by Caroline, but the level of detail is just awe inspiring, I couldn’t even draw such intricate details of some of her designs, let alone cut this small

3. I am very passionate about supporting handmade items by local and talented independent designers as I believe that we are all individual and should be stepping away from the cloning of the high street. Caroline’s work is a prime example of this as her combination of collage, bright colours and simple patterns are unique to her and I instantly recognise her style.

I’m always happy to see a glimpse of new designs and work in progress on Caroline’s facebook page so why not join me and see new designs as they progress.

Happy Tuesday

xx

I had a stressful hospital appointment this morning so the afternoon is dedicated to creative things, and I think I’ll have a break from sewing today to get some screenprints done. This leads me onto today’s talent that I feel I have to share and these adorable prints by Sass and Peril:

1. Shannon’s prints are so playful and perfect as children’s illustrations but also a cute addition to any home and adults who are young at heart

2. I screenprint on my desk in our spare bedroom, also known as my studio, so it’s great to see that such great prints can emerge from Shannon printing in her garage studio

3. Any regular readers of my blog will know that I love Scandinavian design, animal illustrations and all things cute so this is a perfect combination!

Off to print some new designs now so have a good afternoon, hope it’s a sunny one.

Xx

I recently started getting into drawing architecture and scenes of my fave places, and I’m surprised I’ve never done it before given that I have and interior architecture and design degree, but I think my sketching has been an escape and tended to lead me away from my day job. That said, I absolutely love looking at architectural drawings and illustrations so when I stumbled upon these custom house portraits by Mary Frances Smith on Etsy I just had to share them:

1. It’s great to find fellow interior designers who have followed a path into illustration like myself, even if I only do it as a sideline

2. I am in a comfort zone with my biro and sketchbook but struggle to translate my ideas into different media, and cannot master watercolours so it’s great to see Mary creating a different atmosphere with a variety of materials

3. Our homes are so personal to us and to see Mary capture a sense of place, and give each scene a personality is great, after all that’s what architecture and design is about

I found it very difficult to pick my favourite 3 pieces of artwork, so I urge you to check out Mary’s website for lots more goodness.

Xx

After a bit of a crisis of confidence at the weekend, my sketching hand seemed to come back to life yesterday when I decided to pick an old and battered sketchbook off the shelf, change my pen and sit in the glorious bank holiday sunshine. This means that today was a sketching day to continue the momentum and to make the most of the sun whilst it lasts, with some new Molly and Charlie ideas I want to work on for a gocco print, so I thought these cute illustrations by Simply Me and Her  were perfect for sharing today:

1. The colour combinations are sophisticated and understated for children’s illustrations and I love the fact that they’re not too bright

2. How can these cute characters not make you smile, even their names are adorable!

3. The simple block colour with the detailed line work to create detail and texture is a great combination

So, if you haven’t already then why not check out the cute and quirky illustrations of Nichola on Etsy.

Xx

I’m surrounded by strong colours and fabrics at the moment as I prepare my stock for a new shop, Just Makers, opening up in Harrogate soon but the gorgeously bright and quirky designs of Twenty Fingers is enough to distract me from my studio and make me smile:

1. I love the vast range of designs from intricate patterns to bright honey jars that sit under a collective style unique to Yurly and Katerina

2. There is a childlike innocence to a majority of Yurly and Katerina‘s style and bold colour

3. I am a big fan of wooden jewellery, but these have a whole new level of cuteness!

So take a moment to brighten your day and browse Twenty Fingers Etsy shop.

Xx

At the moment I seem to have a fascination with pattern and surface design, and although I’m used to travelling everywhere with my sketchbook and pen I have found that recently I seem to be doodling patterns a lot more than just my ‘realistic’ and pre thought out compositions. I have been working on some patterns for a new Tigerprint competition which has taken me away from my usual sketches and I have been working on new designs with more intricate patterns and line work with repeating patterns. Then I discovered the intricate yet bold illustration style of Green Girl Canvas and thought I have to share it:

1. Michele‘s free flowing lines, swirls and rich detail are mesmerising

2. The ornate details are brought to life with vibrant colour that you can’t help but smile at

3. I love drawing ‘realistic’ animals but it’s great to see a different take on nature, and the giraffe in particular makes me smile every time

Off to the hospital now, so will be sat drawing in my sketchbook whilst I no doubt wait for the long delays but I’d love to hear about any new drawing styles that you have discovered or been working on.

Xx

What a fab idea that I’ve not seen before – accessories for your portfolio! Why not show off all your hard work, and if anything deserves a treat it’s your work so go on treat your portfolio to a great portfolio bag. I’ve just made a bag for my sketchbooks as my portfolio is digital and on my ipad so I take my sketchbooks along for a bit of an’insight into the workings of my creative brain’ – maybe I should print that onto the ipad cover I am in the process of sewing! Without getting too carried away with my excitement I will direct you to the Wobbly Jobbly Etsy shop:

1. They are bound to raise a few smiles even on the way to interviews which will put you in a good mood before you even get there

2. It’s all about how you present yourself and your portfolio is about you after all and you will definitely stand out and be noticed with these!

3. We all want our portfolios to be remembered so this added touch might just get you that job!

Off to work on my portfolio of sketchbooks now, why not start thinking about how you present yours.

Xx

I’ve had a busy start to the week so for a bit of downtime before bed I’ve decided to do a bit of sewing with my embroidery hoop and brightly coloured threads so when I stumbled upon Three Red Apples on Etsy I just had to share these fab and ready to hang gems of art:

1. I love the quirky subject matter from caravans to ‘the geezer’ and the somehow subtle yet striking colour combinations

2. There’s nothing I love more than ‘doodling’ with the sewing machine but I am a long way off being this accurate with my needle/pencil!

3. It’s great to see modern art which hasn’t been done on a computer and is hands on

Off to order some more hoops now, if you want something to do this eve then spend some time admiring Annabelle’s fab designs.

Xx

If you’re a regular reader or have looked at my Accidentalvix Etsy shop you will know by now that I love to sketch animals, so I had to share with you the whimsical animal illustrations from Corella Design for many reasons, but here are just a few:

1. Each animal is brought to life and given it’s own personality with the clothes/accessories they are wearing, which is a clever addition to the sketches and makes Donna’s work easily distinguishable 
2. The flat digital colours works well in contrast to the detailed linework of Donna’s pencil sketches
3. I love the descriptions of each illustration, it’s almost an insight into Donna’s thought process as she draws these lovely and quirky characters

Time for me to go back to my illustrations now, as I continue to aspire to be as successful, recognisable and inspirational as Corella Design.

Xx

As you may have gathered by now, my new passion is for screenprinting and aside from the gorgeous fabrics of Blueberry Park that I have become familiar with I have discovered a fab shop on Etsy called The Little House Martin, full of amazing hand printed fabrics from Leanne Fanny from right here in the UK:

1. The geometric details are mesmorising and range from the bold apple pattern to the intricate star pattern, I dare you to investigate further!

2. Although you can see Leanne’s infamous designs in her etsy shop she can print to any colour to suit your needs (I’d have every pattern in every colour if my budget allowed), and I took full advantage of that when I ordered some grey and yellow prints to compliment my studio colours and create my own lampshade, watch this space for more details…

3. Not only are her patterns beautiful but the colours bring them to life and have a retro feel about them

Oh, and if you haven’t found her blog yet then let me show you the way. I’d like to also say a big thanks to Leanne for all her help with my screen-printing questions and her encouragement for a novice like me.