Back to pattern making again...

Finally I started making new patterns again. First I made this baby boy one using old sketches and Adobe Illstrator..

At the end of last year I took an online course on skillshare from surface pattern designer Elizabeth Olwen called: Pattern Design: Creating Inspiring Repeats. I found it very fun, insightful and indeed: inspiring! I still seriously need to practice, practice, practice to try and master Illustrator though.

I made the other new feminine make-up pattern with much more ease using Adobe Photoshop. I'm quite happy with the warm and watercoloured look of this pattern...

All in all I hope to keep making more patterns of my sketches in the future... and to get more involved into Spoonflower. It's about time to join in some of their contests and open my shop!

Floris is born!

In 2012 I made the birth announcement card for Sjoerd and Elsbeths first born baby girl Iza. She's now nearly 3, and turned into a big sister this month! Her baby brother Floris is born on januari 19. All is well with him and his mother. And Iza is a happy and loving sister. It was a pleasure for me to make Floris' birth announcement as well. When Sjoerd and Elsbeth asked me, they already had an idea in mind. At the front of the card they pictured themselves a street with typical Dutch houses... and baby Floris in his buggy in front of his own home. On the inside I drew a queue of fancy old cars (boys will be boys, and will love cars after all) and big sister Iza walking up front proudly pushing the buggy. Baby Floris curiously peeking round a corner. ;-)

Congratulations and all the best wishes to this dear family!

A Merry Christmas portrait...

When browsing on Etsy I am always drawn to custom made portraits... I love the different and unique ways in which artists capture a person, couple, a beloved pet, or a whole family. If you like you can check out this portrait treasury I put together on Etsy of artists I admire. When also my favourite magazine Flow wrote a story about custom portraits this year, I began to think: "Why not just try to make one myself?".

With Christmas around the corner I planned on making a personalized Christmas card with a portrait of me and John... Also featuring our little owl Uiles (a soft toy that somehow came to life, speaks with a lisp and always travels along with us on holidays).
I must admit: it wasn't easy to draw us. But after a couple of tries and with a bit of help from Photoshop, this is how it turned out... 

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas & all the best for the New Year! Xx

A newborn tree

Niels and Anneliese asked me to illustrate the birth announcement of their son Thomas. They loved the custom tree cards I had made for baby Iza and Roderik, and they already knew exactly what kind of little personal elements they wanted to see in their tree... A tennis racket, a football (very sporty people, obviously!), a train, a little tricycle, a blue balloon and their cat (who's after the balloon of course ;-)) . It was great working with this kind and enthusiastic couple and making them this special card for their baby boy. Congratulations dear Niels and Anneliese!

A Miekes Makes Instagram Giveaway!

The last few weeks I've been lettering six TED quotes from favourite talks of mine. Four of which I posted on my blog earlier. These two are the newest:

Quote from Amy Cuddy's talk "Your body language shapes who you are".

Quote from Elizabeth Gilbert's talk "Your elusive creative genius"

Now I figured it is time for my first Miekes Makes Instagram Giveaway. Just because it's fun!
I kept my Giveaway simple. If you like to join in, here's how it works:

You can win a print (A5 size) of one of these six hand lettered TED quotes from Brene Brown, Sir Ken Robinson, Susan Cain, Alain de Botton, Amy Cuddy and Elizabeth Gilbert. To enter, log in on your Instagram account (I do hope you have one ;-)), tell me which quote you would like to receive and tag a friend who might want to join this giveaway too. Please check previously posted photos for a closer look at the other prints.

I'll announce the winner Wednesday next week (October 29th 2014). Good luck to all! :-)

For Fikes

Last weekend my friend Frederike turned 37. She's a very creative person... Works as a Drama Therapist, loves to write, enjoys snailmail, is super handy in the kitchen and makes awesomeness with needle and thread; like cute softies and pretty needlework samplers. As a gift I bought her red and blue embroidery thread, and I made her this little themed painting. Happy birthday dear Fikes!

How an autumn tree traveled to Ireland

As a teenager I used to have a lot of pen pals… from the USA, Canada, Australia, Great-Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Romania, China. To me having those contacts felt a little like exploring the world through the stories, pictures and cards my pen pals send me.

Nowadays it is Instagram that gives me the same kind of feeling. Besides the fact that it's a fun place to share my own photos and little arty projects, I love connecting with modern pen pals (more like: photo pals) from all over the world. I may not know them in person, still they can feel close to me, inspire and encourage me.

Ruth and I are Instagram friends for quite a while now. She's from Northern Ireland and makes lovely photos of the area where she lives… Beautiful landscapes, impressions of the North Down Coastal Path where she regularly walks Socks (the sweet, old, patient dog of her sister in law), magical nature shots of trees, flowers and pretty cobwebs in her backyard. Please do check her Instagram. She's also the proud and loving mother of 3 beautiful red-haired children, who she sometimes captures on camera too. At the start of September she asked me if I wanted to make her youngest daughter Laura an illustration for her 11^th birthday. What a lovely request! Ruth had a vision in mind of an autumn tree, and I painted it with Laura and her brother David sitting up in it, and her 15 year old sister Catherine sitting at the bottom reading a book (no, not her smart phone this time ;-)). And of course some cute animals join the scene...

As soon as the paint dried, I send the illustration over to Ireland, for it needed to be framed still. The parcel arrived in a weekend; curious Laura noticed the delivery, but Ruth ultimately managed to keep it a secret until her birthday a few days back. I was so happy to hear the birthday girl liked my painting! The photos Ruth send to me say it all, I think...

Being born in the 70's and grown up without the internet, it still strikes me how simple and wonderful it is to be able to share and connect with people from all over the world through online places like Instagram. Ruth and her family really do feel familiar & close to me. The world is a smaller place now.

P.S. In return Ruth send me these lovely prints illustrated by Lieke van der Vorst. A perfect art-swap!