This week the Spoonflower design challenge is pets on vacation and I am sure the entries will be stuffed full of cats and dogs. But I went the pet hedgehog route and imagined them camping and sitting beside a camp fire!
Pets on Vacation
Moss
I really love moss … it is probably because I grew up in wales where it rains quite a lot and as a result there is a lot of moss everywhere! It is the prompt for the Spoonflower challenge this week.
It is actually quite tricky to draw and capture it’s true loveliness but I battled on and took inspiration from planters… but gave it a whimsical twist.
Room Specific Wallpaper
I think I may have had too much time on my hands because I have designed quite a few designs for the Spoonflower design prompt this week, Room specific wallpaper.
I thought this would be cool for a home office
And this would be fun for a library or reading nook
and I went to town on designs for laundry rooms which build nicely on my Laundry Day collection
At the moment I am leaning towards the Library Book bloom design but maybe there will be a last minute switcharoo to the home office city.
Time Machine Pattern
Gosh, of all the design prompts I have worked to for the Spoonflower challenges, Time machine has to have been one of the hardest.
I came up with a design or past and future vignettes with buttons to fast forward or rewind.
Also did a version with words and then another version without words or buttons
It would make fun bedding for a kids room!
Earth Tone Throw Pillows
I really love color, so designing in earth tones is always quite a challenge for me, particularly when they are all brown based.
However the color palette specified for this week’s Spoonflower challenge “Earth Tone Throw Pillows” spoke to me in a weird way and before I knew it a design I am really happy with popped right out!
Hilda the Highland Cow!
I also did a few other designs and also added some color to my original Hilda. All are now for sale in my Spoonflower shop in The Highland Cow Collection
Year of the Rabbit
2023 is the Year of the rabbit, and the prompt for this week’s Spoonflower challenge.
I took a Bauhaus approach with my design, riffing off what I created for my Year of the Tiger design last year, and went with a spring like color palette…Easter Bunnies!
and of course I messed around with a few more design in my usual excess self!
Poisonous Plants Pattern
I had such fun researching plants for this week’s Spoonflower challenge prompt – Poisonous plants. What amazed me was that I already have so many of them growing in my garden! Who knew bleeding heart was toxic!
Toxic Garden
Cross Stitch Pattern Prompt
Gosh the patience to cross stitch is immense. I have only done a little one and it took me forever!
My design for the Cross Stitch prompt this week for the Spoonflower challenge, riffs on my sausage dogs or doxies or weiner dogs. Whatever you call them they are fun little pooches!
2022 Spoonflower Challenge Results
As 2022 draws to a close, I am pleased to say I have again achieved my goal of entering every single Spoonflower challenge. Whew, it marks my third year of doing so!
Can I improve on my previous years results?
2020
1 Win!
6 top ten placements
23 free proof placement
2021
2 Wins!
11 top ten placements
23 free proof placement
…drum roll please …
Challenge Results for 2022
3 WINS!
12 TOP TEN placements
25 free proof placement.
3 Wins, including the licensing competition with LainSnow!
12 additional top ten placements
and a whopping 25 designs placed for free proofing
I am thrilled to bits with these results … but almost feel this is impossible to beat in 2023. Spoonflower challenges attract so much talent these days and is is not uncommon to have 1200+ entries per competition.
However my mission continues to enter every single challenge in 2023!
Viva Magenta Pantone color of year 2023
It has been a tradition that Spoonflower has a challenge that features the Pantone color of the year, so it come as no surprise that it is indeed the prompt for a new challenge. What is different this year is that Spoonflower has really “jumped into bed” with Pantone and the challenge design has to feature not only the Pantone color of the Year “Viva Magenta” but also include the Ignite palette which was developed to coordinate with Viva magenta.
As much as I love the gorgeously vibrant “Viva Magenta” the color palette we wee asked to work with literally sucked the life out of it. But that is the challenge right!
I dilly and dallied and came up with two designs and am entering the Vineyard one.
Viva Magenta Vineyard
Ying Yang Viva Magenta Floral
