Daisy Janie

doodle to design | Flourish from the Tilly Collection.

On previous occasions, I've likened my design process to my method of cooking: I keep a lot of good, simple ingredients on-hand that, when put together in whatever manner strikes me, end up becoming a pretty tasty & original meal.

And so it is with my fabric design. I doodle my heart out alllll the time, which leaves me with a lot of fun motifs that I can pull together into 1 cohesive design as I wish. Sometimes they are immediately delicious, and sometimes they are not fit for public consumption... in which case I pull them apart and let my brain stew on them a bit longer.

The elements of the Flourish design (from my Tilly organic fabric collection) were just random doodles I created in summer 2008 and winter 2009 (shown above). I played with them here & there, creating other designs (below) and other artwork with them. Although I liked this design, I was never completely sold on it. It was going in a direction I wasn't really interested in exploring... so I just held onto it.

(c) Copyright Daisy Janie.

I revisited it when I was thinking about what I wanted the main print for Tilly to look like - I knew there was an essence to these motifs that I could use. I added flowers and moved away from the vertical directionality, and slowly, the Flourish design started coming together. Editing, experimenting & persistence are the name of the design game for me!

(c) Copyright Daisy Janie.

idea for simple Advent calendar.

If you need a last minute Advent calendar idea, this might help. I'm not going to give a detailed step-by-step b/c the pics do a decent job of providing the general idea, which is: loop string through treat bags, hang treat bags from dowels, hang dowels on strings on nails, done.

Treat bags are gently tugged to remove each day. My son had already pulled off today's, bottom row on the right. The little circle tag is left behind, which can be reused to wrap gifts or for next year!

Except for the treats in the bags, I used only supplies I had on-hand or that I could create.

Supplies on-hand:
- 2 dowel rods (you could also use cardboard tubes)
- ribbon
- butcher's twine
- Scotch tape
- double-sided tape
- hole punch
- scissors

Supplies I created:
- 2-inch circle tags (doctored-up clip art from MS Word - downloadable below!)
- treat bags with my own festive design (use wrapping paper or tissue if you like)

Helpful - 2-inch tag punch (but you can cut the tags with scissors, too!)

half-moons design above is (c) Jan DiCintio.

Above:
The pieces of paper I used to make the treat bags were approximately 9"long and 4.25"wide. I folded them in half lengthwise, folded & taped the sides, and folded the top as shown. I cut all my treat bag strings about 17" long.

Below:
I added double-sided tape to the edges of the dowels and to about 8" lengths of ribbon. I wrapped the ribbon around the ends of the rods to give them a finished look as well as to keep the strings from sliding off the ends.

Click here to download the 2-inch circle tags below. These are clip-art motifs from MS Word that I altered, put into a 2-inch circle and re-colored. I do not claim any sort of copyright on these, but they should be used for your personal use only nonetheless.

doodle on the floor.

Inked up a doodle on the backside of one of my pricelists during the last couple hours of Quilt Market - ran that pen dry!! Not a whole lot is going on at that time except the sneaky scurrying of booth packing. The din gets a bit louder ... and a bit louder ... and a bit louder as exhibitors are chomping at the bit to cash-out for the show (and for about the next month once they get home). I am no different. I'm still having a rough go reintegreting into a regular work routine. My inbox has become my unofficial to-do list lately.

As I began the unpacking and the piling of things to go back from whence they came, this doodle made it to a stack of miscellany on the floor of my office. And there it sat and sat, not knowing if it was going to make the cut of things to keep or things to toss.

Then, I read a great post yesterday by Allisa Jacobs about "someday" items, and how getting rid of them makes more room for today. What an interesting twist on decluttering our lives! Decision to toss this bugger was pretty easy after reading Allisa's perspective. Boom. Done.

a simple leaf motif.

Yesterday, we attended a wedding in an old, preserved mansion. In all the years we've lived in this area, we never even knew it existed. The funny part is that the bride & groom are from Barcelona (my husband's aunt), and they more or less found this charming location when they were looking for just such a place to tie the knot.

Of all the magnificent details in the mansion, I found myself drawn to these sheers. The winding leaf motif reminds me of my go-to leaf doodle, and the one that I used to create both my Boxwood fabric (from my Urbana collection) and my Vinery fabric (in the upcoming Tilly collection - sneak peek from yesterday).

It's a versatile little, teardrop leaf shape and is well-traveled through time and pattern design. I see it as much when I go to antique shops as I do in current products. I have no idea why I'm so attracted to it - just kinda feels good and very natural coming out of my pen onto paper.

What's your favorite motif to doodle? Do you see it frequently in old as well as new designs?

sometimes, the answers are there if you look.

I've been deep in pattern creation for my first duvet cover design, and it's going well but is bugging me out at times b/c there's soooo much to consider to make sure it's accurate. *So much respect for pattern creators and writers!!

I took a break this morning and was messing aroung with the swirly leaf motif above. Truly, just messin' - this is not a completed design...but we're not talking about process here, right? Kay.

So I was pretty annoyed with it, and I thought, "What leaf in nature has a freakin' ball at the end of it? How dumb is that?" You know, b/c the leaf is so realistic-looking otherwise that the ball really stands out... [that's sarcasm there people].

Then my break needed a break from this goofy motif. Bleh. I took my camera outside to peek at the lilies with their fresh coat of raindrops.

I continued on to the front yard, and what to my wondering eyes should appear: a tiny leaf with a ball at the end of it! Thank you, Mother Nature for your response to my huffy-n-heated question! I should know better than to second guess you.

how to | boxy-to-foxy handstamped t-shirt reconstruction.

About 6 mos ago, I bought this organic cotton t-shirt (from Alternative Apparel) for my husband, but the sizing wasn't quite right. I've since had it floating around my studio, waiting for a reconstruction. In the meantime, I scouted various ideas for making changes to it - from loose tank tops to shirred halter tops - there are so many incredible ideas out there.

I'm kinda embarrassed to admit that I went all Safe Sally on this reconstruct, and basically just tapered the arms and sides like I usually do for shirts that are too big on me. Once I had it stamped, I was too afraid I'd ruin it by gettin' crazy. Next time, right?!

Note: Um, I don't go around calling myself foxy. Cuz that would be weird. Just needed a word to go with boxy. But, hey, if YOU want to be called foxy, lemme know. I'm all for giving ladies their props! I'll even sing it Jimi Hendrix style for you....

polymer clay necklace by Liz Smith of Made in Lowell

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Here are the basic steps I followed to complete this t-shirt reconstruction:

You'll need a plain old t-shirt, and something with which to create a stamp. I used an economy, pseudo lino-block purchased at my craft store. Made by Speedball. (Consider using a potato if you don't want to buy a block to carve.)

I cut the block into smaller pieces. I traced the 2 blocks I would be using onto a piece of paper. I drew my designs inside those frames.

I pressed very hard with my pencil to make the design as dark as I could. Then, I flipped the design onto the stamp and rubbed the backside of the paper with the side of pencil, using a lot of pressure.

I then carved, carved, carved. This was a very fun and soothing task! I didn't know how the linework would translate once printed - so this was all experimental fun. I didn't get to worried about it.

I used soft-drying fabric paint and 2 little sponge tools* to apply the paint. I daubed paint onto the stamp with the round one. When I placed my stamp on the t-shirt, I pressed gently on the backside with the rectangular one to get even pressure all over - not necessary I'm sure. Maybe just fingertip pressure or the heel of your hand would be sufficient.

Stamp randomly all over or stamp in a pattern. Stamp one design or stamp 100!

*Not knowing how this was going to go, I wasn't willing to make an investment in an ink brayer - and I knew a brush application (sponge or otherwise) would get too mucky in the tiny crevices in the design.

(Sorry to my BFF Jeanie who is cringing at the word crevice right now! Whoops - I said it again! Good times! Mwa hahahahahaha.)

(I have a lot to learn in the way of block printing - again, just want to emphasize the fun in doing this or a project like it. I was not after perfection b/c that leads to paralysis for me. Even if my 10th time block printing looks like this, I really won't care. But I will be happy that I tried.)

Once you have your design stamped, let it dry. Take a t-shirt you already have with a foxy fit you like, and lay it over your stamped t-shirt. Both t-shirts should be inside out. Use the 2nd t-shirt to trace a pattern for cutting the stamped t-shirt.

My pattern lines were basically like those in yellow above. Cut and restitch.

polymer clay necklace by Liz Smith of Made in Lowell

On the neckline, I did 2 stitchlines with elastic thread. The effect gets lost in this application b/c it stretches too far when it's on, but I like the look of the finish regardless. I will give this thread a try again - it is way too much fun to use!

I'll be experimenting with more stamps and t-shirts, too! I love the look of an artsy-fartsy handmade (and foxy) shirt! :)

laptop lock-up doodles.

© 2011 Daisy Janie. All Rights Reserved.

I had a revelation yesterday: now that I have a new computer and the lock-ups are nowhere in sight, I have much less time to doodle! (And run to the kitchen for snacks.) Seriously. I am much more productive in every computerly way, but my doodling has dropped significantly (sounds like relief from a gnarly medical condition).

I didn't realize how highly correlated my doodling and snacking were to those lock-ups! What a funny habit! I'll have to wedge in sketch time somewheres else.

Do you have any doodle habits or computer lock-up habits?

© 2011 Daisy Janie. All Rights Reserved.

I keep an assortment of sketchpads, graph paper, scrap paper, pens, pencils and erasers within reach on my desk. No matter how I arrange my office space, having these items nearby is non-negotiable. I know myself well enough to know that 'out of sight' would be 'out of mind' for me - and not having the benefit of formal art training or graphics training, I feel I owe it to myself and Daisy Janie to doodle and sketch regularly - whenever, however.

By far, the Prismacolor No. 05 pen is my go-to doodlemaker! We go together like rama lama lama ke ding a de dinga a dong! (Grease lyrics anyone?  -> see video here.)

customized polarity pendants with a few of my designs.

Above, l to r:
annika metro, boxwood avalon, annika parkside, hip squares, arches
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I'm not only a scarfoholic as I admitted last week - I've also got quite the 'oholic' to pendants and necklaces, too. Cat Ivins from Polarity makes these really unique magnetic necklaces, where she combines art with recycled steel auto parts to create 3-in-1 interchangeable lockets. As a sweet surprise, she sent a set to me a few years ago as a thank you for featuring her work on my old blog, Scoutie Girl. Such a cool concept for a pendant! It's in my cycle of about 5 necklaces that comprise my daily standbys.

Recently, I had Cat customize another set for me, using a couple of my surface designs (shown above): hip squares from my Geo Grand collection and arches from my Sketch collection (not fabric yet). They turned out great!!!

I asked her to choose the 3rd locket lid in my order b/c I wanted to be surprised. She sent along the antique sewing machine & the dress form - big smiles from me when I opened the package!!! Thanks Cat! Check out her shop, Polarity, to see what she has that might suit your style!

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The locket cover below was in my suprise package the first time around, and it's like wearing a little amulet with secret powers! (Is it redundant to suggest an amulet has secret powers?!)

LEAP!

free printable | crazy canes & maxie ornament pillow boxes.

Today, I greeted my 41st birthday with open arms & a snarky-but-genuine "good to see ya" smile. The festivities aren't over, but so far, the day has been filled with truly thoughtful gestures from my family & friends, including crumb topping pie for breakfast (no fruit...just the crumb topping in a shell w/ freshly whipped cream...yes please!), a crisp & chilly trail run, a sneaky afternoon Guinness & a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from my dearest friend on earth. I feel really, really, really lucky... I will be paying it forward when the time comes!

My 40th year/2010 was a wild & woolly rollercoaster ride, and while I invited & welcomed the joy & growth it brought, I am thrilled to be disembarking. Time to move onto the skyrail, where the ride is flatter, smoother & slower and provides a fabulous view!  I could use a more macro perspective & a snail's pace to put what I've learned & built this past year into a more effective & efficient system. Can't wait!

To thank you for the role you've played in making this such a great year, I've created these 2 pillow box printables for you to download and use for your personal packaging. They're very fun (and kinda of addictive) to make!

(c) 2010 Daisy Janie. All rights reserved.

Download these printable pillow boxes:
+ maxie ornament
+ crazy canes

I also have a snowflake pillow box from 2009 that you can download, if you like.
Details here.

color inspiration | bud light lime.

The color registration marks on boxes always catch my eye when I'm flattening them for recycling. I've been paying close attention to these e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. these days since I will have to create my own selvedge registration artwork for all future Daisy Janie fabric production. Don't know why I didn't realize this when I had Geo Grand printed (b/c I had to design or develop every other aspect of it), but I truly thought this was a fabric printing standard...and I didn't even think to ask my mill b/c I was so presumptive in my assumptions. Learning Curve 101.

So back to the color inspiration. Beer, Jan? Really? I'm not off my rocker, I promise. I'm not even tipsy - it's only lunchtime! In this case (pun pun), the beer itself wasn't my color inspiration; the colors of the box/six-pack inserts in which the bud light lime came were the real muse(s) at work. I have hard time resisting limey/chartreuse colors in almost any context! The proof is before you now.

Note:
The colors you see in these mock-ups of my original designs are not necessarily what I would print. They represent an exercise in experimentation. Trying out different values and densities is a great way for me to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone. Finding harmony & balance within a given set of parameters is key to growth - and life, yes?

flower fanfare | (c) Daisy Janie. All rights reserved.

flower fanfare | (c) Daisy Janie. All rights reserved.

flower fanfare | (c) Daisy Janie. All rights reserved.