Announcing...The Festive Christmas Holiday Robins and Berries Collection

My "Festive Christmas Holiday Robins and Berries
 Collection" available now on Spoonflower

Hello there

It's that time of year again. When I make a post that will delight some (who may be wondering what took me so long to get around to it) and annoy others (who may not wish to see this kind of thing until December 1st at the earliest).

There are good reasons for this

For those in the latter camp, please bear with me. But as this is, above all,  a collection of co-ordinating designs for on-demand printing onto fabric and wallpaper, I really do need to post this now, so that people who want to make things (or plan special festive decor) have a chance to do so before the actual main event.

"Festive Red Berries and Silver Grey Branches
 on Dark Green," Table Runner

Plus, as I type, Spoonflower says there's a discount of up to 30% on purchases made at the moment (discounts being applied at checkout, as far as I can see). If it's gone by the time you click this, it's not false urgency-obviously, I just have no control at all over Spoonflower's  sale schedule.

Festive grey on pink red botanical napkins,
available on Spoonflower.

Either way, I can say, hand on heart, that I put a *lot* of work into making this the best it could be. So whilst there are main showstopper type patterns, there are also less busy ones, very simple blender designs, and even solid colours like this pinky-red, so that if you're seeking a plain, exact match with other colours in the designs (eg for quilting) you should be able to find it.

There's fun, too...

If you're wondering how I designed the main picture for this post, no, I haven't suddenly become a quilt designer. It's just that Spoonflower's own tools for seeing how designs might look as a set of festive dinner napkins,

Napkin collection mock-up, created
using Spoonflower's "Fill a Yard Tool"

 or an infinity scarf,

Infinity Scarf Fabric Lengths mock-up, created
using Spoonflower's "Fill a Yard Tool"

 for example, are *really* easy to use, and massive fun.

Finally

If all this isn't your thing, thank you so much for bearing with me. And you never know, as Spoonflower does make items on demand as well as sell fabrics, you might yet know someone, later in the year, who'd love a robin tea towel, for example ;-).

Red Robins and Berries Tea Towel,
available on Spoonflower

Thank you

In any event, thank you so much for reading down this far, and I really appreciate your being here.

More soon, and on a totally different topic, I promise.

___________________________

A Watercolour Sketch: Glowing Autumn Berries

Hello there, and I hope all's well in your corner of the world.

Here, the very first kiss of autumn's oranges and gold have appeared. Amongst the still-very-green eaves, as if from nowhere... Berries are suddenly...everywhere...

And so, even though, I confess, have been spending a lot of time this week visiting places and just soaking them up, rather than drawing, there was chance to capture those first glowing berries, inspired by some I saw on our visit to Camley St Natural Park:

Glowing Autumn Berries: An Initial Sketch

Watch this space to see what they'll become. (Update on September 12th 2024: See them in action in this post)

And, as have deliberately gathered inspiration this year to keep things bright during the winter, expect some ongoing flowers this year, as well.

More soon.

___________________________

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Christmas Foliage Graphics...and a Quiz

Picture 1-Right-click, click or tap here to download if you wish.

Hello there

Hope you're well and thriving, and ready for some fun, as well as a not one, not two, but three freebies to download, as befits the approaching festive season.

You're welcome to use any of the set of three graphics in this post, in any way at all that matches my angel policy. Just right-click, tap or click (depending upon your device) on the graphic(s) you'd like to use, and the graphic should download.

And if you're not in need of freebies right now...as well as if you are, this post is also a quiz.

Picture 2: Right-click, tap or click here to download

Each of the pics in this post was created in a different way. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to decide which method (A, B or C) matches which Picture 1, Picture 2 and Picture 3.

Picture 3: Right-click, tap or click here to download.

Painting and Drawing Methods Used

Which of these methods do you think matches which picture? (You may have to scroll up  from here to see the pictures again).

Method A One of the pictures in this post was created using 100% digital watercolour painting and digital ink sketching,  in the wonderful Rebelle 5 app, (not an affiliate link, I just enjoy using it).

Method B One of the pictures was created by wetting hot-pressed, (ie smooth) 300g Bockingford Watercolour paper, splashing colours into wet areas, and then, when the areas were dry, inking in details with a black waterproof pen.

Method C One of the pictures in this post was created by sketching onto 300g cold-pressed Bockingford Watercolour Paper first, and then painting in details wet-on-dry (though white highlights were still added later).

Your answers

When you think you have your answers, check the PS at the bottom of this post, to see if you're right.

Please note, this quiz is just for fun, there are no prizes, and the answers are at the very bottom of this post, in the P.S. section.

Whilst I'm in the business of making sure that there's enough text here to obscure the answers, this is probably a great point to remind you that my Redbubble shop is still a great place to look for gifts (most still in time for Christmas, or of course, any other time of year), and that  the printable designs in my Craftsuprint shop can be downloaded 365 days a year.

With that said, I hope you had fun with this post today, and/or found something you wanted in one way or another. It's only left for me to wish you a happy week, and promise that there will be more from me soon as well as...

A P.S with the quiz answers...

And the answers are:

Picture 1 was painted using method B. The surface is smooth (ie hot pressed) and the end result has a pretty sploshy wet-in-wet look.

Picture 2 was painted using method A, and is therefore, 100% digitally painted, (even though the digital paper behind it has a really convincing rougher/"cold-pressed paper" look).

Which means that Picture 3 used method C, with its rougher paper and penwork that am feeling now might have been a little over-the-top :-) .

Whatever your answers, hope you had fun, and see you next week.

More soon.
___________________________

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At Last-The Christmas Foliage Pattern (Day 82/100)

 This Christmas "Leaves and Berries" foliage pattern has taken a while, and almost didn't happen, as you've seen. But am now loving the results. It's got the potential to give you Christmassy décor and items that are cute and fun, but still classy and restful enough actually to be part of your home during Christmas.

Take a look at this throw pillow...

Or the design on a shower curtain and bathmat...

It's lovely as a cute Christmas clock...

But also cosy on this comforter...

And finally, as ever, if you enjoy sewing and would rather make your own creations, it's also available as a fabric on Zazzle...

Christmas Leaves and Berries Pattern Fabric
by BoundingSquirrel

Thanks for dropping by, and more tomorrow!

Daily Illustration #90: Berry & Leaf Pattern

This started as an experiment in simpler and less focal pattern-making. (Sometimes I still need to learn that it's OK to whisper, sometimes ;-).

But once the leaf motifs started forming ogee-ish shapes, it morphed into an experiment in making a (geometic-ish) design with organic motifs.

Add in the red and the green, and suddenly, I'm up to my old tricks (ie making a seasonal design (in this case, something quite Christmassy, like napkins do you think?) at an entirely inapporopriate time of year.

But in any event, think I'll keep the pattern. What sort of items do you reckon it would suit? Please leave a comment and tell me. 

Winter Berries Digital Painting

Yes, it's another digital painting, "Winter Berries" this time.There are enough images for a calendar, now...

But in the meantime, it's also available on gifts and products like this one:

Red Winter Berries Phone Case & Laptop Skin Design by BoundingSquirrel
Browse other gift ideas designs on Zazzle.