Beautiful Yellow Inspiration

I'm really loving the colour yellow at the moment, it just makes you feel instantly happy and cheerful, so it's certainly brightened my day getting all these beautiful goodies together for you!

I also love how yellow works so unusually but beautifully with other colours such as red and grey, it's such a versatile colour and looks gorgeous no matter what other colours it's combined with! I made a treasury list yesterday on Etsy featuring red, grey and yellow finds - I love the colour combination, it's smart, stylish, pretty and cute all in one go - you can view it here.

So here's a few yellow goodies that have inspired a new yellow paper pack in the Patchwork Printerie shop!

1. 1950s Party Dress - Wear Are They Now 2. Assorted Yellow Buttons - Miss Pink Robin 3. Be Happy Cushion Cover - Sweet Nature Designs 4. Cushion - Ikea 5. Abstract Yellow Acrylic Painting - Sage Mountain Studio 6. Origami Paper Shade - Nellianna/Studio Snowpuppe 7. Elephant Print - Popitay 8. Herrang Candle Holder - Ikea 9. Vintage Style Paper Party Cupes - Dotcomgiftshop 10. Mustard Yellow Suede Leather Hex Nut Bracelet - The Pink Ruffle 11. Kindle Touch Book Style Cover - Covercraft 12. Yellow Butterfly Watercolour Print - Carol Sapp 13. Let's Go On An Adventure Art Print - Bubby and Bean 14. Vintage Farmhouse Dresser - Mint Home 15.  Yellow Porch Swing Fine Art Photograph - John Harmon Gallery 16. Yellow Plush Fox Pillow - Laura Frisk

I love all the goodies in this post, and I've got a real soft spot for the Abstract Yellow Acrylic Painting by Sage Mountain Studio, what a beautiful piece. 

Looking at all these beautiful yellow items of course inspired me to create some new designs for the Patchwork Printerie shop, so here's the new Lovely Yellows collection! 

You can find out more about this new collection here.

This beautiful bright collection is perfect for all paper crafts, scrapbooking, card making, bunting, gift tags, paper chains, notebooks, collages, art projects, as always the possibilities that digital paper packs give you are endless.

There's also been two new love heart-themed items in the Patchwork Printerie shop in the last few days, including a digital collage sheet packed with gorgeous shabby chic hearts that you can cut out and add as embellishments to your paper crafts! You can view them here. 

Thanks for reading! Which colours do you love teamed up with yellow? Yellow & purple are also another favourite of mine - match made in heaven!!

Have a lovely day!

Chloe xxx

Sweet Birds Inspiration

The last few days I've been doodling and drawing for a new set of bird-inspired designs that I'm working on. I must admit that I've really been drawn to the whole owl craze lately, I never quite (somehow) realized how cute they were before, but I'm especially in love with the gorgeous glittery owl in this inspiration board.

Come to think of it though, I loved owls when I was a little girl, and I was obsessed with this book:

The illustrations are also beautiful in this book, which leads me to my other love of mine, children's illustration. I absolutely love books (I have 499 books on my amazon wish list) - yes really - and I'm a little bit obsessed with children's books for both the stories and the illustrations in equal measure. I love how charming & magical children's books are.. I think everyone has a favourite children's book or character that they remember and have vivid memories of reading and enjoying the stories and pictures - I think that's such a powerful & beautiful thing. I also love collecting vintage children's books - these are a few Enid Blyton books I picked up a few weeks ago for pennies at a charity shop (sorry about the poor quality image - blame my blackberry!):

ANYWAY! I think I've diverted a little from the sweet birds, so here's my current inspiration for my new designs!!

1. Little Birdy Gift Tags, Dotcomgiftshop 2. Bird Bunting, John Lewis 3. Glitter Owl, Laura Ashley 4. Paper Teaplates, Dotcomgiftshop 5. Birds Greeting Card, John Lewis 6. Cute Bird Candle, Dotcomgiftshop 7. Birdhouse Keyholder, Laura Ashley 8. Birds Girl's Dress, Laura Ashley 9. Bird Cardholder, Dotcomgiftshop 10. Bird Baby Mobile, Dotcomgiftshop 11. IPhone Bird Case, Cath Kidston 12. Birds Ribbon, Dotcomgiftshop 13. Bird Scarf, Laura Ashley 14. Duck Egg Fabric, Laura Ashley

I'm also creating some cute printable collage sheets that will be perfect for scrapbooking!! 

Thanks for reading, I'd love to hear your suggestions for bird designs and I'd love to hear what your favourite books were as a child! Mine were Beatrix Potter, Wind in the Willows and the Tiger who came to tea! (I used to get so excited when going to my Nana's house for the simple reason I knew I could read it over and over again) I still love it now.

Do stop by again soon as I'll soon be sharing the AMAZING vintage goodies I bought at the weekend!!

Lots of love,

Chloe xxx

Colour Crush: 28/07/2012

Wonderful World Print by The Wheatfield, available at The Wheatfield Etsy shop.

Cute Paper Bunting: How To!

I'm so pleased to announce the arrival of the first Digital Bunting set in the Patchwork Printerie Etsy shop!


I absolutely love this bunting - it's so so cute, easy, fun and affordable!! It's perfect for when you need an afforable but attractive party decor solution. The colours in this first set are lovely and bright and would be perfect for children's parties. The set also allows you to pick n' mix the colours you want - perhaps you or the birthday girl/boy's favourite colours are yellow & red or green & purple - no problem! Make your own personalized paper bunting in no time. 


Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use your digital paper bunting set: 

Just one thing to let you know before we start - I've designed the bunting so that it can be hung in two different ways - it's up to you which way you do it. You can either cut the triangles out and hole punch the top corners and then thread through your chosen ribbon, wool or twine, or you can cut the bunting out as a diamond shape, including the grey foldable area at the top. If you choose this option, just simply fold down the grey area once you've cut out one of your diamond shapes and then glue it down once it's hanging on your wool, ribbon or twine. It's completely your choice and whatever works best for you!

DIY Paper Polka Dot Bunting

You will need

~ Scissors

~ Wool, twine or ribbon

~ Hole punch (if you're hole punching the top corners)

~ Printer

~ Your computer with your digital bunting files

~ Glue (if you're folding down the grey flaps)

1. Ok, so first you need to decide which colours you would like your bunting to be. You can mix and match which colours you use. Once you've done this, roughly decide how long you want your bunting to be, and decide how many pages you will need to print for your bunting. If your bunting isn't long enough, you can always print out more until it's perfect!

2. Once you've done this, double click on the bunting files you want to use, press the print button and type in the number of pages you want to print. Then go ahead and print your files!

3. After your files have finished printing, cut out the bunting triangles from each page. Cut out just the triangle shapes and exclude the grey area if you want to hole punch your bunting - or cut out a diamond shape including the grey area if you want to fold and glue it down. 

4. Now arrange your bunting in front of you to get a rough idea of how long you need your wool, twine or ribbon to be. Once you've done this, cut the required amount and then either thread it through your hole punched bunting or hang the bunting on the wool/ribbon/twine using the flaps. If you're using the latter method, you'll need to lie the bunting carefully face down and then glue the flaps down securely.

5. You've now created your paper bunting, congratulations! It's quick, easy and fun. Now for the fun part - hanging it! 

So there we go - cute paper bunting in just five very easy steps! 

Here are some extra ideas for using your paper bunting!

• Have fun printing, cutting and gluing some paper bunting on a rainy day with your little ones. This bunting is perfect as a children's craft because not only is it easy, fun and colourful but the bunting can be printed out time and time again! They'll love seeing their creations and it will be an affordable activity that you can all do to enjoy precious time together. Children will love hanging the bunting and putting something they've created on display! They can also hang it on their secret dens which will they will love!
• Why not add some cute bows to your bunting or customize it? Just because it's paper bunting doesn't mean you can't add your own personal touches - you could add glitter, ribbons, bows, sequins, the possibilities are endless. Children will also love giving the bunting their own personal touch. As you can see, you can get super messy with your little ones while creating the paper bunting or keep it easy, tidy (ish!) and fun. 
• Why not print just three bunting triangles out and hang them above a picture in a frame to make it pop and give it a new lease of life? Add ribbons at each end to add extra cuteness. 
• This bunting is perfect not only for bigger celebrations, but it's great as a last minute decoration. Perhaps you're having a sleepover, having a move night, inviting your best friend over for tea & cake or dinner and you want to add that special touch. This bunting can be made in under ten minutes and really gives that special touch to any occasion. 

Bunting is cute, but bunting you've made yourself is even sweeter, and it will make you smile even more knowing that you or your little ones have created it. What's more - you can enjoy it time and time again, forever in fact! 

I do hope you enjoy making and hanging your bunting.

To purchase the Patchwork Printerie digital polka dot Bunting set, click here! 

Lots of love, 

Chloe xx

Colour Crush: 26/07/2012

Abstract landscape Acylic Painting by Heart On Canvas, available at the Heart On Canvas Etsy Shop.

Colour Crush: 25/07/2012

Snow Owl Print by Yellow Button Studio, available at the Yellow Button Studio Etsy shop.

Colour Crush: 24/07/2012

Silk Sarape Print Scarf in Melon - Pretty Penny Designs, available at the Pretty Penny Designs Etsy store.

Beautiful Blues Collection

Today I've been designing a new paper collection inspired by shabby & vintage textures and blue hues. I know blue can be seen as a cold colour, but I actually think it's perfect for summer - it reminds me of rustic, shabby beach huts and blue skies.

It's been wonderful designing this collection - and it's been a rather funny day too! This morning our rabbit escaped and I spent half an hour chasing her round the garden, then later I got a really funny look from a neighbour when I was in the kitchen and "Silent Night" came on from my laptop whilst my media player was on shuffle! Serves me right for having my music on loud ;).

Here's some of the wonderful items that inspired the Beautiful Blues collection:

1. Patterned bowl, Dotcomgiftshop 2. Blue Love Cushion, Dotcomgiftshop 3. Breakfast Hen Tablecloth, Dotcomgiftshop 4. Blue Stripe Tape, Dotcomgiftshop 5. Blue Glass, Anthropologie 6. Menagerie Whale Glass, Anthropologie 7. Blue Paper Straws, Dotcomgiftshop 8. Navy Patterned Bowl, Anthropologie

I am in love with the blue paper straws, they are SO adorable! I love how items like this can spark other ideas, it's really exciting to see the end result. 

Here's the finished Beautiful Blues paper collection! 

I really wanted to give the prints that beachy, shabby feel without them all being too similar, so I designed some new patterns: I'm particularly happy with the Sweet Blue Bird paper - (bottom left hand corner). When I was designing the word "Bluebird" just popped into my head and I just had to create a cute birdie print! I'm thinking of doing a whole collection of bird-inspired papers soon :)

Some of the papers are more textured than others - for example I tried to keep the striped and dotty papers less textured for a more classic feel, so that they can be used in many projects and not just with the other papers. 

I'm thinking of doing making some bunting from the Blue Heart Paper soon. That's why I love digital papers, they're SO versatile. You can just print them off again and again and use them for covering notebooks, making bunting, invites, thank you notes, and of course in all your scrapbooking projects.

I'd love to hear what your favourite type of papers are to use in your scrapbooking, do you prefer simple, crisp papers or ones with more texture? 

You can view the Beautiful Blues paper collection in my Etsy shop here.

Thanks for reading and I'd really love to hear your thoughts!  

Chloe xx

Colour Crush: 23/07/2012

Hand Printed Socks, Paris Sunset Print - Strathcona Stockings, available at the Strathcona Stockings Etsy store.

HELLO!

Welcome to the Patchwork Printerie blog! I'm unbelievably excited about this new blog and the Patchwork Printerie!

I love finding inspiration from the smallest places - from an unexpected texture or pattern, the colour of a fruit or the colours in a handful of scrap fabrics! It's these little things that spark off some of the most exciting designs and patterns.

I think my love for fabrics, patterns and textures borders on obsession! When I see a certain pattern or fabric I like, I really am, 'scuse the cliche, like a child in a sweet shop. I HAVE to have it or photograph it, I can't let it slip away!

So here at the Patchwork Printerie blog I'll be sharing all the things I'm currently inspired by that create endless inspiration for my paper designs!

I'm still developing lots of creative ideas for this blog such as daily inspirations, tutorials and more! But for now I'm going to share with you what I'm inspired by in the hope that it inspires you too. I love those blogs where you can just keep scrolling down for ages and your eyes are treated to an absolute feast of inspiration. That's what I aspire to achieve here. That may be a long way off, but hey, you've gotta start somewhere. 

The designs currently in this post are paper sets I have designed recently - as you can tell I love shabby/vintage fabrics and styles and try to incorporate this into my designs! 

There are many more designs and paper sets in the Patchwork Printerie shop that you can visit by clicking here. I'm currently working on a number of designs that I'm really excited about - Autumn is coming which means woodland creatures and leafy textures! Eek. Then of course followed by my favourite holiday Halloween! Which shamelessly I have already starting designing for :)

At the moment I'm inspired by so many things, so I'll finish this Hello post by leaving you with a few here. Sorry this first post has been a little hodgepodge, but I hope you'll stick around for the Patchwork Printerie journey :)

1. Mollie Makes magazine 2. Vintage crayola crayons 3. Woodland Doll Lapin and Me 4. Vintage Leaf Wipeable table cloth, Dotcomgiftshop 5. Tea Party Game Dotcomgiftshop 6. China Bowls Cox&Cox 7. Slate Heart Dotcomgiftshop 8. Paper Tape Selection Dotcomgiftshop 9. Cloudless Firmament Cardigan, Anthropologie 10. Character Bear, Sian Zeng 11. Heart Cutters Dotcomgiftshop 12. Chalkboard Clips, Cox&Cox 13. Frosted Bud Votices, Cox&Cox 14. Dinner Plate, Anthropologie 15. Vintage Diner, Dotcomgiftshop 16. Friendship Birds, Cox&Cox

I absolutely ADORE all these items. Mollie Makes is by far my favourite magazine, it's stunning every month, if you love anything crafty you HAVE to buy it, it's magical. How cute is the Woodland Doll by Lapin and Me? Also fallen head over heels in love with the print on the Anthropologie cardigan. I'm thinking some new peach, blue and yellow paper designs.. watch this space!

Thank you so much for reading my first blog post. I'm constantly developing new ideas for the blog at the moment so I do hope you'll check back soon!

Lots of love, 

Chloe 

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