Spoonflower Dolls - Update

Well I did not make the top 10 of the contest, not for lack of support though.  I am grateful to everyone who went to Spoonflower and voted for my dolls.  I was up against some very good designs.  Perhaps the next contest I'll be luckier.

*The polls are open! Please vote for my entry. You can vote for one entry on each page, my entry is on page 4, the last page. Thank you in advance ;D

This week begins the doll-panel contest at Spoonflower. These 3 lovely ladies are my entry into this contest. Their bodies are made from other fabric designs that I've done. My last Spoonflower contest entry was done last minute and half-hearted. This entry is very much whole hearted. I want very much to reach the top ten.

Busy-ness

So what haven't I been working on since October 6th? It's amazing how when you've got things to do, the time just flies on by.

This angel is part of a digital Nativity Matroyshka set that I designed for Express Yourself Vinyl. I love the sort of job where someone has a good idea, and then it all just pops into your head. I may offer a smaller digital collage sheet of the whole set. Packed up and ready to go are two of my best drawings Minty Leafy and Tres Fabu. They are going to be shown this weekend at my Alma Mater WVWC as part of an alumni invitational art show at the Sleeth Art Gallery. They don't have any pictures of the alumni show up yet. I hope they do, I want to see who else submitted something!

This week I worked on a set of icons for Dream Press Online. Go over there and take a peek, they sell adorable stationary and Christmas is closer than we like to think ;) It is so cool to see what I've made adding personality to this business and website.

This is my weekend to put some time into Halloween costumes. This year Ryan is going as Mario. This is a set of blue flannel overalls in the works. I'm going to have to make a red hat too--but one thing at a time!

While I sewed, Katie came in and started a craft of her own. I love to see my kids being creative!

Katie's crafts are usually made with cheerful smiles both by her and put into her creations.She made this adorable kitty cat (wearing a witch hat with a feather) out of felt, buttons and pipe cleaners. I love it!

Inspiring Sights

Up the street from us is a small farm. Every year they plant something different, sometimes corn, sometimes hops or alfalfa. This year's crop was a true delight. As far as the eye could see were rows and rows of sunny faces. For the two weeks that the sunflowers were at their peak, everyone who saw them couldn't help but be cheerful. My kids would be squabbling in the back of the car and we'd come up the hill and they'd forget whatever petty dispute was going on at the sight of all that gorgeous yellow. They're droopy now as the seeds have become ripe and heavy but what a wonderful gift to everyone from that farmer. I hope he does it again!

My kids and I are so excited to have this many potential Jack o' Lanterns for Halloween this year. Note my assistant peeking through the lattice on our deck. Pumpkins are so fun to watch as the creepers take over the yard, little round greenies turning fat and orange. This year's crop was our most bountiful; below are only some of the pumpkins we grew. (At the time the pic was taken there were still about 5 on the vine!) We had about 15 total in all shapes and sizes: small, big, squatty, round and tall. Two of them went to the York Fair and won ribbons (4th & 8th place.) Our biggest one turned to mush (it could've been a contender!)

So what has inspired you lately?

Repeated Woes

For the past 2 days, Spoonflower and I have been having a fight. Above is my favorite design to date. I would love love love to have fabric that looks like this (wouldn't you?!) But it will NOT line up properly in the repeat when I upload it to Spoonflower. Those veins in the leaves, which I feel are necessary to the overall design, are always skewed. I want my Chocolate Raspberry Truffle fabric!

UPDATE:  I  learned how to make a seamless repeat ,wrote a tutorial about it and I decided it wasn't Spoonflower's fault after all.