Pretty mistakes :)

My latest fabric pattern designed for the "Woodland Creature" contest. It was the first time I used Illustrator to lay out and color my base line work. It was tricky at first, especially fill/stroke option. Quite a change from Photoshop. While I know it is wrong, and even weird to render them the way I did, I kind of liked it. I got sort of a geometric/abstract monochromatic shapes that gave the woodland creatures a new modern edge. Here is the final result used with a mirror pattern:

Fat Quarter Preview

Full Yard Preview

Detail Preview

My sample kit has arrived

Finally, my sample kit that includes 12 of my designs has arrived! I still have to tweak a couple of colors and scales, but in general I am happy with the way they came out. Today I spent some time taking pictures for my future Etsy shop.

The course of life

Yesterday my grandfather passed away. I am now grandparents-less.
We had a funeral today, and it is just kind of a sad day all around. This was my first funeral ever, and I could not imagine a more depressing environment than a memorial home.
My grandfather was a tough cookie. Straightforward, responsible, honest to the bones and very disciplined. I remember living with him and grandma for almost a year, my family moved and switching schools in the middle of the school year was problematic. So I stayed with them to finish it. I was in a 2nd or 3rd grade, and at that time I remember him as a strong, powerful, tough man with sharp mind and memory. He helped me with my homework a lot, and disciplined me, taught me to be neat and organized - qualities that he possessed until his last days.They  immigrated to America when I was 12, and the next time I saw him was in 5 years. He looked aged, of course, but I immediately recognized that same steel spirit and sharpness.He seemed a lot more approachable and softer (?) , or maybe it was just me, all grown up, having an adult conversation with him. A few years after we settled in, it was me helping him with his paperwork, making phone calls and resolving issues with whatever. But not that much. He was totally independent, and refused to ask for help, unless it was really necessary. His mind and memory never left him, ( well over 80!) he never forgot anyone's birthday, names of our spouses, children, etc.
He was my grandpa, a root that started this family, that started me, in a sense.
I hope he is in a better place now, reunited with my grandma somewhere up there. We will miss you both.

Inspirational Typography

Great website to browse for some inspiration. I love clean lines and unique shapes of these letters!

Is everything new just well-forgotten old?

Let me tell you a little story.After Alinas Birthday back in august, I was left with a number of tissue paper pom-poms of various sizes. I knew I wanted to re-use them - they were large, colorful, 3-dimensional things that took a lot of effort to make. Now I've seen people use them anywhere from nurseries to front porches,  and I thought why not? Anyways, I wanted to hang them in random heights to create a nice vertical composition, but I had no tools at the time to attach them to the ceiling. But when I propped one on the wall vertically .... I kind of liked it! It looked fresh and creative, I've never seen them being used this way, and so I've decided to proceed with that. But for some reason, I couldn't come up with a good arrangement,  and colors were not exactly my favorites.  It's kind of like when you have a really good idea, but need time to work out all the details to make it really great. So up until this day, the tissue pom-poms are still up on the wall in some random unsatisfying order, and every time I look at them, I say to myself: "gotta do something here, I am not liking this, etc"
So today I am browsing a few new blogs, and I stumble upon ,what I thought was my great original invention, pom-poms up on the wall.
 First thing in my mind - "Damn it! I am not as creative as I thought I was".
Second thought in my mind - "Finally, Thank you, I know what I need to do now!"
And just like that I was hooked on this new blog, and decided to share with you this lovely way to add some 3-dimensionality to your walls. Enjoy!

These are done with paper napkins from IKEA, I love how wonderfully sophisticated these look! Hell with my plain pink and yellow pom-poms!!!  I got to get my hands on some IKEA napkins :)

P.S. Make sure to check out Dana Made It blog for TONS of great ideas on decorating, cooking, sewing and what-not! Seriously, do it! She has over 4500 followers, that should tell you something.

Custom wallpaper

Have you ever wanted to make your own wallpaper just because you couldn't find that perfect one?  Well, now you can! Alluminare - is a place where you can either choose from a wide selection of designs and adjust them to your liking OR you can upload your own. How great is that?? Price starts at just $8 per sq.ft. Here is an example I played around with this morning:

this is the original

These are my options with different colors and scale

The possibilities are endless!

It's Gourds Time!

So my obsession with Spoonflower is still going strong. As I said before, I really want to win one of the weekly challenges, and I haven't so far, but I like it, because it keeps me motivated and productive in fabric designs. Tons of ideas are flying in my head, if only I had the time to explore each one... But I'll tell you one thing- sooner or later I will open an Etsy shop where all my best ideas will come to life and will be up for sale ;) Soon.... soon... Meanwhile, I am in the top ten this week, the theme was "Gourds" - basically, a pumpkin ;) Here is my design that took home SECOND place, YEY!

Publish Post

Check out the winner and the top ten of this week, and go vote for me in the next contest " Vampires" ! Ohhhhh!

Modern and affordable rocking chair

My friend who is expecting a baby this November, has asked me to find some options for a modern looking, affordable rocking chair or a glider. Here is what I could dig up on a short notice, all around $300.

This rocker has sort of a childish quality to it. Imagine it with a cute fabric on it, or at least a colorful throw or a pillow. Great potential!

Classic Eames rocker will brighten up any nursery, a seating cushion will provide more comfort.

This glider from Walmart is a modern twist on a classic arm chair. Love the comfort, softness, clean lines, plus it comes in many colors, including PINK!

This glider from Walmart is surprisingly modern and edgy. Great for a modern nursery!

Just could not resist posting this great looking crib from Walmart. It looks just as good as similar cribs from Dwell, only this one cost less ( $300)


I almost forgot to include this unique find: a cradle and a rocker all-in-one! I had trouble locating the price, but I am sure it's UP there ;)