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"Tell the chef, the beer is on me."
Unique Valentines Day cards are booming everywhere! Give something fun to a secret crush, your grade schoolers classmates or your life-long love. There is something for everyone from easy DIYs, quick printables and a few fabulous Etsy card inspirations.
Finish off your Valentine's Day Cards with a matching sticker printing order to seal up the envelopes. Find great deals at Next Day Flyers.
source: Fortune Teller
Activity cards can be fun for all ages. Present your valentine with a fun fortune telling card. This DIY card could get really creative! The fortunes on the inside could go as far as presenting fun things to do with your day/evening when you give it over... if you have made mystery plans for your crush or loved one, you could let them choose their fortune of events such as dinner, dancing, drinks, foot rub, shots, wine, make-out... you get the picture. ;)
What a fun candy-pouch card! Don't get me started on the fact that you get to use patterned paper! This handmade perforated jagged opening made with the sewing machine (minus thread). Makes me think of a broken heart, sort of the opposite of what you want for V-day but cute nonetheless.
I love how this card will take a little bit of thought from the giver and a little bit of time to go through from the receiver. A great way to use a variety of patterned paper and palette.
Font based cards with a lot of white space are quite trendy and really fun. Minimal and direct.
sources: Love Note | Bomb | Tiny Punched Hearts | 3D Hearts
I can think of so many varied ways to expand on some of these ideas. Rounded corners and paper lace, sewing machine stitching, patterned paper. Cute, spunky and elegant sums up this group. Super quick to DIY yourself with a bit of inspiration!
Fun and funky is always a hit for a crush or lover. What I love most about this card is the inspiration to create a word-pattern in Seamless Studio with many fonts and simple graphics.
When I break out the patterned paper to make just one card, I find myself torn between what to settle on. This is a great way to use a fun mix of patterns, shapes and fonts. Originally used for a Mothers Day gift/card, it could be used for anything really, especially a Valentine.
source: Love Bugs | Pencil Arrows | Wheelie | Crayon Heart
What kid wouldn't want a bug, pencil, car, or crayon valentine? A much better idea than a box of candy - their parents will appreciate it, trust me!
Stamp pad, pencils (with erasers) and paper - DONE! What an awesome and simply quick DIY idea for a valentines day card and any other card or art project.
source (printable source: hellolucky.com)
Vintage inspired valentine printables - need I say more?
sources: Colorful Pinwheel | Pyramid Boxes | Tiny Envelopes
Of course envelopes of all shapes and sizes are useful for dressing up a simple sweet note. A few nifty and unique ways to present a valentine.
Whatever you decide to give your pals, lover or secret crush this year, make it colorful and creative! You still have time to pull together some of these ideas this weekend. What have you done or are you doing?
Wallpaper of today is definitely not what it used to be with the installation process and the choice of patterns or images available. Ghastly florals and patterns of the past are replaced by reinvented, contemporary florals, patterns and palettes of the present.
This article is presented by InkShuffle.com offering you beautiful Easy Off Wallpaper – perfect for renters. Millions of designs in categories like vintage, cityscapes, and room openers.
We recently published a post about wall stenciling, also a booming trend and a more budget-worthy route than wallpapering, but could also be more work, depending on what you chose to paint. Wallpapering can also almost ensure a very clean, accurate and even more elaborate finished wall as well. At the end of the day, both have their pros and cons like anything else, it's just a matter of budget and preference.
I'm falling fast in love with Kreme wallpaper patterns. Very Moroccan-inspired design work with fabulous palettes. The example above is one of their more minimalist designs called, Painted Gate.
"Painted finishes, although great in some spaces, don't equate to the luxury and opulence a few rolls of wallpaper can provide." - Cadee Wilder of Kreme
Sourced from slideshow in Kreme Wallpaper California Collection 2012
Contemporary wallpapers are sometimes so graphically reinforced with such dramatic design work. This type of pattern design is so intricate that paint just couldn't replicate (or could, but with a lot of effort).
Template: Antique Spanish by alfarroba
I often come across patterns on COLOURlovers that could be made in to wallpaper, fabric, wrapping paper, you name it. In fact, most of the patterns at Kreme in their collections remind me of some of the high quality pattern work members are creating more recently. It is cool to see how the trends work their way around the block.
Sourced from slideshow in Kreme Wallpaper California Collection 2012
Black and gray are becoming a nice wall and room element in a not so dark-and-ominous sort of way.
Let's talk Chevron shall we? A screaming trend right now and how can you not like it? With such a simple design and shape, there are an awful lot of variations that just keep on coming.
Sourced from slideshow in Kreme Wallpaper Muse Collection 2012
These large chevrons would definitely be something you could tackle with paint!
Modern chevron patterns don't always mean sharp angles. More and more organic chevron patterns are emerging in so many variations.
This handmade wallpaper is simply amazing! A unique take on the chevron pattern, but still kept simple and fairly clean with a little rough edge to it, giving it a bit more personality with curved instead of sharp edges.
From the same handmade wallpaper source, this artist has outdone themselves with this very detailed piece. My favorite being the magenta and orange overlay. Another image from the source has a gold and coral overlay. I wish there was more information about each wallpaper piece and artist links.
source: Dandelion Clocks by Sanderson
I love the simplicity of most contemporary florals right now. This popular dandelion shape has been floating around for some time now, being used as a design element from wallpaper to fabric and beyond. The muted grayish palette is also a trendy combination.
source: Alice by Marcel Wanders
We are seeing lot of two-hue palettes and nice combinations of lines and shapes to tone down a busy design. This palette of orange over red or coral, a "fire on fire" combination, is super hot right now as well.
octagon | Soprano Teal | Marenka (red squares) | dimensional squares
Geometric shapes can be loud or subtle, dimensional or flat. Many collections exist and the pattern opportunities endless.
skulls | Ripple PaperForms Wallpaper
There is so much that is being done with wallpaper from dimensional effects to literal 3D effects like this Ripple PaperForms contemporary wallpaper by MIO (above, right).
There are simply too many wonderful designs and styles of wallpaper patterns to showcase here, but we will continue to pin them in our PATTERNlovers board on Pinterest.
Have you come across patterns on COLOURlovers that you would definitely put up on your wall?
creations used in this post:
So many great things have happened on COLOURlovers in 2011, but one major, behind the scenes project that only a very small portion of members have been aware of was a quilt project straight from the heart of the Group: COLOURlovers on Spoonflower.
Group administrator, leader and very involved COLOURlover, Penina, wanted her group to be something more than just a group of people who loved the idea of fabric. So one fine day back in July 2011, after coordinating ideas to make a digital quilt from the group member creations, she had the thought, “What’s stopping us from making a real quilt?!”
Penina wanted this quilt project to have purpose and to involve as many group members as possible. This also meant that the final piece would need to have a good home at a single location; so who would get the quilt?
Before designing began, group members had to decide on a theme. Unknown to one another, a handful of COLOURlovers independently suggested the same idea, a Cancer Healing Quilt. Many offered the idea with a particularly beloved COLOURlover in mind, o2bqueen, (a.k.a. Linda) who had shared her personal cancer journey (which she is still going through) on her COLOURlovers profile. With that in mind, the secret project started...
Official Spoonflower color test swatch created by Penina
And so began the first COLOURlovers on Spoonflower cooperative project: a queen-sized quilt made from colors, palettes and original templates submitted by members of the COLOURlovers community.
This turned in to much of a learning experience for many COLOURlovers (see the postpartum "what I learned thread in the group here) including Penina as the project coordinator and group leader. Under her very involved leadership, the project began when members voted on a seven color palette.
#F26F97#4D3C5F#9A8FC8#8DBDEB#FFFAD3#D6DD90#7DB8A2
Project Colors Links by ycc2106
Next, each contributor combined the chosen palette colors in the variation they thought best featured their submitted template. This is where some COLOURlovers learned exactly how the protection of works literally works on COLOURlovers. After learning the in and out of the COLOURlovers rules, some participants were unable to be involved since it required the submitting of your own template.
During the last days of pattern submission, a couple of colors seemed to become the most prominent choice as the background for many of the patterns. At this point, additional COLOURlovers were invited to participate and their submissions helped reestablish the balance of colors which provided enough squares for the quilt to be queen-sized.
Completed submissions were printed via Spoonflower. There was some discussion on how how this was to work as a collaborative project. Between COLOURlovers copyright restrictions and needing to order from a single Spoonflower account, each participant had to email their SVG of the colored Template to Penina who put them in to a group run, not for sale status, account on Spoonflower called, COLOURlovers on Spoonflower.
This solution actually turned out to be beneficial to the group on COLOURlovers because it has since turned in to a feature group on Spoonflower where Penina can utilize it in a number of ways as it showcases the group and member designs on Spoonflower.com. Also, she has provided a link to each pattern (on COLOURlovers) and put the username of the designer in the details. Lastly, this established group can also be used in the future for more collaborative Spoonflower projects.
pictured, Dannielle (aka sundancer)
The swatches were sent to a talented charter member of the group, Dannielle (a.k.a. sundancer), who enthusiastically volunteered to sew it.
Originally, meant to feature the finished quilt on the blog in October for Breast Cancer Awareness month, Dannielle’s timeline for sewing up a queen size quilt was insanely short as swatches were arriving in the first weeks of October.
left: Dannielle / sundancer: All the swatches cut to size and ready to sew! right: Special Thread
She began cutting the fabric as soon as the package arrived. Shopped for additional materials for the quilt’s back, border, binding and batting at her local fabric store. With her own unique thread, she sewed by hand and with her sewing machine. Although she has made many quilts for others, she admits “I’ve never made a quilt that fast!”
During the four weeks it took to finish the quilt, Dannielle joyfully continued, even when her personal responsibilities intensified unexpectedly. Group members posted encouraging comments for her and she posted photos of the quilt as it progressed. Excitement really began to build as fellow COLOURlovers saw Dannielle’s loving heart and high standard of excellence reflected in the quilt’s construction.
As her deadline neared, Dannielle says she gave up a little sleep and postponed some housework to get the job done. She also had numerous fights with her sewing machine that threatened a delay. Ultimately, these arguments were settled by her seam ripper, which Dannielle calls “a quilter’s best friend.” Finally ready, the quilt was sent off to ketisse for a special lunch-date delivery to o2bqueen / Linda.
left: ketisse, right: Linda / o2bqueen - having lunch!
After all the months of work that was put in to this top secret project, not to mention, keeping it a secret, the tension started surpassing the excitement, what if Linda / o2bqueen did not want us to surprise her with a quilt centered around her cancer? What would we do with it then?
left: ketisse, right: o2bqueen / Linda
This was clamped as quickly as the hesitation came when Linda excitedly and warmly responded to our reaching out to her and she welcomed the gift, overjoyed:
" I love, love, love it. It's gorgeous, ingenious, inspiring, and joyful, and every time I see it, I will feel loved. How can I ever thank you enough for such a gift?"
"Not till I read your note did I realize how many people were involved in the project. I teared up big time. And I thought to myself, "However did they all keep this secret from me?" I do hope the experience was fun and rewarding for all of you." - Linda / o2bqueen (provided by sundancer / Dannielle)
It so happened, the very week ketisse was due to try to meet with and deliver the quilt, Linda was having yet, another recovery surgery and this meant so much to her to have something positive from the community she so loved and it was delivered in time, right before her 6th surgery.
o2bqueen / Linda holding the folded quilt to take home
Best wishes to Linda (o2bqueen) on the road to healing on behalf of the entire COLOURlovers on Spoonflower members. Many members were still a part of the process even when they were unable to submit a custom template.
Finished quilt
Printing a collection on Spoonflower as a Swatch Sampler will save you money when assembling a project like a quilt.
You can order a batch of swatches for all the designs in a collection in a single 'swatch sampler'. A sampler for a collection of 1-5 designs is $12, 6-15 designs is $20, and 16-30 designs is $35. At as little as ~$1.20 per swatch, this is the most cost effective way to order swatches at Spoonflower. Swatches are the same quality fabric as ordering a fuller selection of fabric.
Be sure you are familiar with the color changes (Spoonflower Color Guide), before printing an entire collection. Creating a color palette for an entire collection and then printing a proof swatch is the smartest way to avoid a major mistake and waste of money.
Templates used for this project and laid out in a digital quilt which links to the Spoonflower version of each template, which in turn links back to COLOURlovers (kindly assembled by ycc2106):
Much of this story and content of this article was written by Ketisse. Posted as a collaboration with my editing and a few portions written by me (mollybermea).
Can you remember a time when people used to write letters—by hand! Or, read books made of paper, glue and ink? As our increasingly digital world seems to be moving farther and farther away from traditional print media, companies like Paperlux step in to remind us that nothing can replace the touch, smell, weight, and color of a real hold-it-in-your-hands magazine.
Today's article is presented by the leading magazine and glossy booklet printing company, Next Day Flyers. Check them out for fast turnarounds and amazing prices.
When the graphic design magazine Novum commissioned Paperlux to come up with an innovative magazine cover, the creative juices kicked into overdrive and the result is truly something spectacular to see and feel.
Paperlux, a design studio based in Hamburg, Germany, was seeking a way to focus on the palpable nature of paper. The result was a very tactile approach as a way to draw people to a colorful product sporting a geometric design that makes you ache to just reach out and feel it for yourself.
Geodesic sphere at Epcot Center in Walt Disney World (left - source)
The design was fashioned after what is called a geodesic dome (source). Although the magazine represents a much flatter version of the dome, it still has the texture and look of the real thing.
The magazine’s unique and colorful design incorporates 140 die cuts that permit the user to bend it in any direction.
Richard Buckminster (source | source)
The designers were inspired by Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller—a colorful character who loved a challenge and pushed the limits on every project he undertook.
The 15,000 covers that were produced had to be meticulously die-cut, a process which was supervised by the designers themselves to ensure accuracy.
Dubbing it their “passion project,” Paperlux took the extra cost upon themselves because they really felt like they could make a strong point. They wanted to remind people why the digital world can never totally replace real world print media. Print media has substance; it not only can be seen in all its colorful glory, but it can be felt with your hands and internalized in a more personal manner.
Print media still has its place in the publishing industry, because it does something that digital media fails to do—it has the potential to engage all five senses at the same time, thereby leaving a lasting impression. So, next time you are looking for a way to market yourself or your business, don’t underestimate the power of print media.
Hi everyone, I'm Sarai, sewing writer and pattern designer for Colette Patterns. In honor of the release of my brand new book, The Colette Sewing Handbook, I thought I'd share a few of my all-time favorite textile prints for making clothes.
In the chapter on fabric in my book, I go over a range of different types of prints and patterns, from florals to stripes. For me, there are a few types of prints that I always fall in love with at the fabric store.
1. Schumacher Sunara Ikat | 2. Amy Butler Lark Glamour Kasbah Persimmon Red | 3. Annette Tatum Bohemian Ikat Diamond Pink
Ikat is a style of fabric weaving used throughout the world. Traditional ikat fabrics can be found in diverse cultures, from Japan to Guatemala. The graphic patterns are often produced in rich colors, and the resulting designs work so beautifully for everything from clothing to decor.
1. Turquoise seersucker | 2. Premier Prints Canopy | 3. Seersucker stripe in hot pink
To me, stripes are the perfect print for layering. I love mixing stripes with dots, stripes with florals, stripes with more stripes! But the best thing about using stripes in sewing is the ability to make really interesting design changes, just by changing the direction of cutting. You can make a dress with a vertically striped bodice and horizontally striped skirt, for example. Or add a panel of diagonal stripes. They are so much fun to play with.
1. Thai Silks Large Dot Charmeuse | 2. Thai Silks Small Dot | 3. Thai Silks Multicolor spots
And speaking of dots, polka dots are another perennial favorite on my sewing table. Black on white dots have always been my favorite, but just about any dot is irresistible to me. They're just fun and playful.
1. Premier Prints ZigZag | 2. Richloom Antique Satin Trolley Stripe | 3. Remix Zig Zag
Printed chevron fabrics are fun to work with, like stripes but a little more eye-catching. I use them sparingly in clothing since they can be a bit dizzying, but when they work they really work.
1. Thai Silks Rose Garden | 2. Carolina Herrera Rose Brocade | 3. Thai Silks Midnight Rose
There's something so classic about a rose print. Being from the city of roses, I admit to being partial to this particular flower.
Halloween is approaching! What patterns, palettes and colors are you favoring as we get closer?
Ray, from The Vector Lab has made all COLOURlovers some Spooky SVGs to play with! You can download them for FREE until November 1st. SVGs can be used with Seamless Studio.
Use code: HALLOWEEN
SVG vector set by The Vector Lab
*You have to be logged in to The Vector Lab to be able to download the SVG files.
COLOURlovers spend countless hours creating amazing Patten Templates using Seamless Lite. Today, we are happy to announce some amazing new feature updates to the in-site seamless pattern design process.
Along with the new features, Seamless Lite has been given some big love and a smoother, speedier designing experience should be noticeable.
You can now save individual elements using the newly installed “Save as Shape” tool. This will allow you to keep those wonderfully complicated design elements you have been creating for a single Pattern Template. Only NOW, you can re-use those awesome pieces in any number of Pattern Template variation by using, “My Shapes” located in your Shapes Library on Seamless Lite (when you are logged in).
How To Use "Save as Shape"
In Seamless Lite, create a shape from multiple shapes using the preexisting shapes in the Shape Library. Select all layers that make up this custom shape. No need to group these either, when you save the shape as a single element it will automatically group it and give it the name you give your shape upon saving,
Select your shape layers and click, Save as Shape" in the layer tools area.
Preview your shape element, give it a title, description if you want, tags and then Save Shape.
That simple! At this point, shapes cannot be shared with one another (unless you do that privately - it's your choice).
A new gallery for all of your custom shapes, will be added to your profile page the moment you create and save your first shape with the "Save as Shape" tool.
Gallery element for your Shapes (above)
Gallery view of your shapes allows the same filter-view options as other creations on the site.
Each shape has its own information page just like the other creations on CLCOLOURlover.com. Everyone has the ability to LOVE, FAVE and SHARE this shape made by you! Additionally, you have the ability to download the .SVG file, located under the, made "with Seamless Lite" link and DELETE or EDIT the shape profile under the OPTIONS drop-down.
Shapes will also stream on to the homepage of COLOURlovers.com as they are being created. So let's see what you got?!
pais·ley: noun A distinctive intricate pattern of curved, feather-shaped figures based on a pine-cone design from India. For COLOURlovers, the Paisley is a lovely lace-like motif that can be produced in any measure of design and color scheme. Like fingerprints, not one is the same.
When I look at the Paisley, I see amoeba's, tadepoles and teardrops combined with floral genius.
How often do you see a Paisley? I think it's something we see so often, might pass it by in our every day lives. The history of the Paisley I found quite interesting! Where it came from, what the word Paisley actually means, or why they call it a Paisley at all...
It is said that Persia is credited as being the first country known to have created boteh designs, known today as Paisleys. It was called a boteh because it looks similar to a stylized floral spray and a Cypress tree cone. Boteh specifically refers to the shape itself.
The name "Paisley" came from a town in Scotland named Paisley. It was in Paisley that the Paisley was manufactured. Through the years, these stylistic shapes were reserved to decorate royalty, crowns, court garments, and textiles used by the general population. During the 1700s-1800s the Paisley was thought to be a protective charm, used to ward off evil demons. While others used the Paisley as a symbol of rebellion.
In more recent history, Paisleys made a comeback in the 1960's during the Summer of Love. John Lennon even had a Rolls Royce custom painted with Paisley motifs.
guitar
Fender guitars made a Pink Paisley version of their Telecaster guitar by sticking paisley wallpaper onto the guitar's body! In the 1990's Paisleys were utilized in wallpaper, ties, and other apparel.
Today you can find paisleys in several different forms, clothing, bandannas, paper crafts, tattoos, and home decor to name a few.
In my search of Paisleys through COLOURlovers creations, Paisley's seem to have become more and more popular. In fact, there have been more than 300 patterns published in the last year!
For the entire month of September (2011), Ray is giving COLOURlovers a freebie Paisley Sampler to use together or mix it up with your own artwork. Files come as .EPS & .SVG's. The SVG's are nice if you don't have illustration software, you can still use them in Seamless Studio by importing them directly (as they are already converted to SVG format).
Also, if you download the set, we'd love to see what you do with it, please post the badges here in the comments.
If you haven't caught wind already, 'Elements' by Lisa Clair (lisadale69) is our winner of the Color-A-Plaid Shirt Contest by Betabrand + COLOURlovers.
To be noted: I [mollybermea] am not responsible for Lisa's palette combination. I simply needed it in palette form for a badge in this post.
- A $100 Betabrand gift certificate.
- Recognition on our Web site.
- A Betabrand plaid flannel shirt based on her design — the very first of the batch that we're selling this Fall! Each shirt will have her name on the label (see below).
Betabrand wants to thank the COLOURlovers community for the more than 5,000 design submissions they received as well as a big thanks to everyone who voted - five (5) voters also won something special. Check out Betabrand's announcement here.
"We love collaborating in order to bring new expertise and fresh perspective to Betabrand's daily commitment to invention and this has been one of the most satisfying collaborations we've been involved with to date. We can't wait to see the finished flannel shirts this Fall and we're looking forward to keeping in touch with the COLOURlovers community." - Jared :: Head of Design at Betabrand
If you're just now tuning in, check out the initial contest post, plus here were our nine (9) finalists. That about covers it. Looking forward to the next one!
Introducing...PLYWERK, an eco-conscious photo mounting and art panel company based in Portland Oregon. They work with professional artists, photographers, interior designers, point and shoot photographers, parents, and everyone in between!
Art pieces are a made up of your print adhered to a Plywerk Panel to create a beautifully natural piece of wall art. Gorgeous bamboo or maple are offered for the wood options.
Plywerk Anatomy 101
Bamboo & Maple Plywerk Panels
COLOURlovers has recently become a Pro Partner of PLYWERK. Why is this super notable to mention? Because you're going to get the best, most amazing deals ever when you create an account (which is free). These deals are customized to COLOURlovers Members Only under the Prodeal membership (which is also free). Pretty sweet huh?
You can mount anything photography, graphic design pieces, etc. I'd personally like to see some fantastic patterns from the community mounted on these!
Make sure you check the box under, "Prodeal Signup?" which will unlock the Pro Partners selectors where you'll be able to enter your COLOURlovers information.
I'd love to see your COLOURlovers + Plywerk piece. Plywerk offers a layered PSD file for you to mask your creation. If you want to play around with it, the file link is located on the Prodeal page here (bottom - left).
Let's see what ya got!
Hello COLOURlovers!
Copyrights are well known topics that continually float around the community. So I've snagged someone in the business of creating and selling vector artwork to explain in laymen's terms the crazy in's and out's of copyright (with digital art). I'd like to introduce to the blog authorship, Ray Dombroski, founder of The Vector Lab (thevectorlab.com) and a COLOURlover himself.
Enjoy the post ~ Molly Bermea / Blog Editor
Whenever an artist creates a new original work in the United States as well as in many other countries, it is automatically covered under copyright protection. With the use of licensing, that artist can grant certain additional rights to others. A license can be written to give someone else the right to resell the art or create derivative works (remix or change the art), for example. These licenses are important when it comes to using stock art or clip art for your own designs.
Stock Art: Know Your Source
In a COLOURloving world where we are trying to keep our karma points high, it’s important to pay attention to what our fellow artists’ intentions were when they created the stock art we are using. The number one rule is to know your source. Whether you purchased the art from a reputable website, copied it off a friend’s CD, or scanned in some 18th century ornaments from the pages of a clip art book, it’s wise to read their usage license. If you don’t know who the artist is or the company that owns the copyright to the art, it’s best to move on and find another source.
Most stock art websites have mind-numbing license contracts that cover permitted uses and restricted uses of their licensed art. In addition, most have lengthy standard and extended licenses. Thankfully some stock art websites are nice enough to offer a quick reference guide for their permitted/restricted uses and standard/extended license options. As an example, iStock.com's quick reference guide is located here. Each company has a different contract, but below I’ve called out the most common provisions.
So can I sell my patterns if they contain stock art covered under this sort of license? What if I purchase an extended license that covers items for resale or electronic items for resale? What if I take multiple vector files such as a floral pack of flowers and swirls and recolor them and create my own combination?
If the re-sold pattern is a vector file (such as an SVG, EPS, AI, PDF) then the answer to these questions is generally a “no.” This is because the two prohibited uses (posting & distributing the vector file) mentioned above would be violated. The reason for this is that the vector line work in these kinds of files stays intact and the stock art can easily be extracted and re-used for a different purpose by the new purchaser.
But the answer can be "yes," if the re-sold pattern is a pixel image or another flattened format such as a JPG, PNG, GIF, PSD, or TIF. If you are reselling the pattern you may be required to purchase an extended license that covers “items for resale” or “electronic items for resale.” Also check to see if the licensing contract has a pixel or DPI resolution limit on the items you are reselling.
Some artists and designers offer their art under what is known as a Creative Commons License. Wikipedia has a really good breakdown of how this licensing system works – From that website I have called out the main points that are relevant to this article:
Selling Patterns made with Creative Commons Art
Back to our previous questions about reselling vector patterns that contain Creative Commons art, you are allowed to do so if the license is Attribution alone or Attribution + ShareAlike. If you are not reselling the pattern, but just giving it away, then you can also do this if it’s Attribution + Noncommercial + ShareAlike.
All Creative Commons Licenses require attribution of the original creator. So be sure to include the following:
For us COLOURlovers, the world of intellectual property is not always completely black and white. But I hope it brings some understanding and discussion to the subject. Let's get out there and create!
Ray was kind enough to give the community some artwork to make their own patterns in different variations. Use them together, mix 'em up with the COLOURlovers shapes or your own custom shapes! Since Seamless Studio came out, he opened up a section of his site literally to help COLOURlovers who may not have access to vector software. This is the Pattern Elements Section.
These coupons are available until Aug 31, 2011:
There is also an additional FREE SVG Pattern Download that has been available in the Pattern Elements section of TheVectorLab.com.
These vector pieces are not only super cool to grab up this month (for FREE), but they come as SVG's! This means that you don't have to have any vector editing software to use them. Simply download them and import the SVG files straight in to Seamless Studio. How cool is that?!
Imported SVG shapes will go straight to your My Shapes in the collections library in Seamless Studio.
The Vector Lab's, Pattern Elements are automatically offered at no complicated extra charge a, FULL EXTENDED LICENSE - which allows you to re-sell your patterns you create with them.
Demonstration / How-To Video:
Creating Seamless Vector Patterns from TheVectorLab on Vimeo.
Some of you may already know our own sec9586, some of you may have just heard of her as the designer of the Betabrand plaid pattern, "Betabrand2" in our contest, "Color a Plaid Shirt Contest by Betabrand + COLOURlovers". Either way, we're featuring her today so you can get to know her even better!
Shawna Crouch, aka "sec9586", is the owner / operator of CrouchDesign. She attended Murray State University, where she graduated with a BS in Studio Art/Graphic Design in 2009, and specializes primarily in print design. Along with her designing day job, she runs a small shop on Zazzle as CrouchDesign, where she offers freelance design services. She also has an Etsy shop, AquaNetNightmare, set to reopen September 1st, 2011 which will offer jewelry, cards, invitations, stationary and drawings.
Shawna continually uses COLOURlovers in every which way for both work and fun. Let's take a peek at how she does it...
Shawna: The first thing I do is to ask them what type of look they are going for. In doing so, I sometimes ask them what their favorite restaurant or hotel is, which can sometimes help show me an example of the style they like. After a preliminary discussion of their style, I direct them to COLOURlovers.com and ask them to choose three color palettes they’d like me to work with. From that point, I can design a pattern in Seamless, work on the mock-up and work with them to get a design that they were imagining.
COLOURlovers: How exactly do you get clients to send you palettes to use?
Shawna: Usually I have clients email me links to the palettes, OR I have them download the AI or ASE swatch files (to email me) - depending on which is easier for them. Everytime that I have had them do this, it has gone very smoothly. Usually only issue being that they send more than three palettes because there are just so many wonderful color combinations to choose from. Then we get to play the elimination game, which can be a daunting task in itself!
COLOURlovers: What COLOURlovers tools do you use specifically, and how?
Shawna: When I use COLOURlovers.com, I almost always use COPASO to create my palettes. COPASO allows you to make palettes with custom widths, but I mainly use it for the simple fact that I can use photos to pick colors from and use a scratch area to keep all my ideas organized.
Since I've just gotten the COLOURlovers iPhone App, ColorSchemer, I'm really looking forward to utilizing it in every day work. Being able to access and creating palettes on the fly will be an amazing tool. I imagine having a client sitting right with me saying, “Hmm, I need to see some color options for our company’s new look”. All I'll have to do is pull up the app and create the palette on the spot! It will definitely speed up this part of the process.
COLOURlovers: I know you've also recently got a copy of Seamless Studio. Do you use patterns a lot in your work already? If so, how will having a copy of SS on your desktop help out?
Shawna: I do try to use patterns in my work, because they can add subtle qualities that make a design much more interesting. Using the website is awesome because I can tailor the pattern templates to my needs, and then color several very quickly. It’s also exciting to find hidden gems among other users that create amazing templates.
Seamless Studio expands the limitations of making the templates in so many new directions. I have a lot more control over what shapes are in the pattern and better yet, getting the colors exactly how I like them for the big picture.
Being able to create organic shapes makes it so much more fulfilling to use the software and website to my full potential as a designer.
Shawna's current Fav's
I find it fascinating to see how our community uses COLOURlovers for both work and play and We have so many unique freelancers and small business owners. I'll be on the lookout for more Lovers to showcase here on the blog.
Have you ever wanted to apply your color design abilities to a real-life product? Well here's your big opportunity! Rev up your color coordination skills and become the next palette designer for a plaid shirt offered through Betabrand! You'll get the unique opportunity to color a plaid pattern, see the design in action (applied to a template shirt) and the possibility of having your colors picked for print. How cool is that?!
Betabrand is an online-only clothing company based in San Francisco that produces unique designs in limited-edition batches every week. They make Cordarounds, Japants, DARPA hoodies, Farmer's Market backpacks, disco pants, and much, much more.
We've had our very own, sec9586 create a pattern template for a new plaid flannel shirt that Betabrand plans to release in two versions for the 2011 holiday season. Betabrand has already chosen the colors for one version - the other is up to you!
Easy, color the Betabrand plaid pattern template, Betabrand2.
Your colored pattern will automatically appear with the rest of the entries on the contest gallery page. You may color as many versions of the pattern template as you like.
The Betabrand design team will select one winner, who'll receive the following:
The contest runs August 2nd - 11th (2011). Anyone who submits an entry will receive a coupon code for 20% OFF any Betabrand product - offer only valid during the contest timeline.
Patterns are way easier to make than you may think, you just have to learn the tricks. That's where I come in. It seems like the pattern world is real hush hush about their techniques and the tools out there are nothing short of awful - besides the COLOURlovers Seamless Pattern Maker and my own resources at madpattern.com. In this Educational Series I'll be helping you understand the different types of patterns. Let's first start with getting you Lovers up to speed on some of the universal laws of patterns.
Pattern examples A, B, C, D (P1, P4, P6M, P3M1)
It is mathematically proven that there are only 17 different types of pattern symmetries. this is a surprisingly nice and natural way to organize the patterns you see around you.
Notice how pattern C has a naturally formed six-sided shape in it while pattern D has three naturally formed three-sided shapes.
Each of the 17-different types of patterns has a noticeable quality to it that you can learn to recognize. It actually takes a while to get good at, but it's a pretty fun game you can play while walking around throughout your day. For more information about some of the mathematical background, I recommend you read this Wikipedia article on it called, Wallpaper Group.
We are going to focus on the type of symmetry in pattern A, called P1. P1 is the mother of pattern styles because it is the easiest to understand. Over the next few months, I will be continuing these educational posts to encompass all of the 17-different pattern types.
Every pattern has a square/parallelogram that becomes the repeating part (that's the tile that you would make your desktop or website background). From here forward, this tile will be referred to as the Cell.
The biggest difference you'll notice later in this Educational Series, is that P1 has only one cell, whereas other pattern types have a smaller unit that can be reflected/copied/rotated to generate the cell. P1 has the least amount of symmetry, which means that it distorts your original art the least. This makes it ideal for showing off your artwork clearly within a pattern repeat. It'll be good to note here that the COLOURlovers seamless patterns are a P1, using the Cell for pattern repeats as seen in the Seamless Studio shot (above).
Getting to Know P1: Donut World
P1 is a donut!
Situation: Imagine you're standing on top of a delicious gigantic frosted donut. You hear there are sprinkles on the other side and decide to walk around (this donut has gravity, so you wont fall off). Once you've gotten to the sprinkles you keep walking and you end up back where you started at frosting, yay! Weird though, to be stuck on this giant donut, it seems like as far as we walk in that direction, we will keep just seeing frosting, then sprinkles, then frosting again, etc. We're trapped!
Here's yet another situation you can walk yourself through: You're standing on a vanilla frosted donut. Your buddy told you that the other half of the donut is chocolate glazed. Cool, lets go investigate. You walk around the top part of the donut and sure enough you find the chocolate frosting. Ok, so we head back around the donut, and now we are back at the vanilla side again. If we keep walking, we will continuously see vanilla, chocolate, vanilla, etc...
Ok, but what is the point? The point is that we have experienced a space that has this funny quality that no matter how far you walk in any direction, you'll just keep seeing the same things over and over. Not a terrible situation considering we’re on a donut. The world of your donut, is the world of P1, and actually, when you look at normal p1 patterns printed out, what you're really looking at is your donut world unfolded onto a plane.
donut world unfolded onto a plane
Notice if you're standing on the chocolate glazed area and you walk vertically, you will pass into the vanilla frosted section, and then the chocolate section again and on and on. Same as the donut, but it looks very different, not as delicious.
The point of this exercise is to help you see that patterns are not just things you see on fabric and around the world, they are abstract spaces that have been unfolded onto a plane. So remember, when you look at patterns, you are really looking at an infinite world of wonder.
So ok, we've learned a little. Next time we will focus on understanding and creating a plaid. I'm going to show you how you can break down a pattern, and build it back up again from scratch. Stay tuned...
With the release of Seamless Studio BETA, there have been some fantastic creations submitted. We're pretty excited to see designs become more and more intriguing with the new features this enhancement of the original seamless pattern maker allows.
An opportunity popped up for us to showcase how you can use Seamless Studio as an amazing design tool for things outside of COLOURlovers.com. I'll be using a real-world design contest for some Nine West totes - hosted by talenthouse.
The idea is pretty basic, which is perfect for this tutorial. We are going to apply a pattern from Seamless Studio (BETA) to the Nine West Tote Template PDF.
Make sure you read the contest Guidelines - the design should reflect a theme of 'Spring Summer'.
Now let's apply this to the template file. Open the PDF you downloaded if it isn't open already. Here's where you can get completely technical or keep it simple. I like simple.
I chose to simply use the Wand Tool, make selections of each area I wanted different, and use the Paint Bucket to drop in my pattern or color on to a NEW LAYER for each section.
Wallah! My finished product ready to save as a JPG and upload to the contest.
Your Seamless Studio canvas will default at 200 x 200 pixels, which allows you to upload to COLOURlovers.com. You have the capability of changing the size to suite your needs on a project like this.
For example, I didn't like how small the pattern was when I originally used it at the 200 x 200 size, so I enlarged my canvas to 600 x 600 - which then meant I needed to enlarge the graphic I originally laid out.
Here are three swatches on one tote to compare sizes between: 200x200, 600x600 and 1,000x1,000:
"Tell the chef, the beer is on me."
"Basically the price of a night on the town!"
"I'd love to help kickstart continued development! And 0 EUR/month really does make fiscal sense too... maybe I'll even get a shirt?" (there will be limited edition shirts for two and other goodies for each supporter as soon as we sold the 200)