Saturday, March 12, 2011

Inspired by Handmade - Pattern People

"The other day I was at work...and someone complimented my outfit and said... "WOW! I just LOVE the combination you've done"... great mix of pattern and texture. As an artist...I see a necessary balance between texture, pattern and color.

So this week... let's get inspired by Pattern & Texture!

PATTERN:
As a background or the center of your design...pattern can turn an ordinary pillow into a work of art! Notice how all of these Etsy items have LOTS of character, just in the pattern the artist chose to use!



1.) Striped: notice how the simplicity of this Thank You Card by HelloCupcakeLLC makes a huge statement...the addition of the simple button also gives this set of cards something very unique!

2.) PLAID!: Plaid can be "boring" but mixed with other patterns and texture...you can really make this standard pattern really have some new personality. This clock by 1byliz is a great example of the balance between texture and pattern with TWO patterns!

3.) SWIRLS! How do you add instant whimsy to a project? Use swirls - You'll see your project go from serious to playful right before your eyes. This wonderful piece of art by devikasart is a great example of how lots of freedom in your line work can create a pattern that is beautiful and playful.

TEXTURE:
Smooth, rough or soft...texture is the core of any piece you do...it gives your product personality!



1.) Stitching!: Embroidery on a smaller object always amazes me...this brooch by creativebeadz is a great example of how a small item stitched with lots of texture can really POP!

2.) Natural Texture: What I love about the Salt Bars made by asliceofdelight...is that the salt adds a visual texture to the soaps that is just stunning. My favorite is the beautiful Spiced Cranberry Salt Bar Soap. The blend of Salt and Cranberry colors makes this functional soap a stunning bathroom addition!

3.) FACETS!: These beautiful earrings by BellaBeadsOriginals have a great balance of textures. The facets on the ruby Red Garnets are the perfect texture to balance the pink pearls. Surely, these earrings will really catch the eye of many people when you wear them thanks to the textures they feature.

Explorations in texture and pattern will for SURE bump up your sales and inspire your work in a whole new way. If your work tends to be very clean in it's texture and design...try adding an element to your work that is the direct opposite! It will make your work POP and the interest in your work will increase... I promise!

I'd love to hear any stories where you also explored texture and pattern within your own designs. Did you find that it was hard to find a balance?


If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

10 comments:

Hilary said...

Thanks for including my salt bar soap. I get my inspiration about colors sometimes from patterend paper I have or see at the scrabpook store. Sometimes I think - how awesome some colors are together I could never have imagined if I thought it up myself.

Hello Cupcake said...

Such a fun post! Thanks for including my striped thank you cards!

Bella said...

Wow, what a great surprise! Thanks for the honor of including my earrings! Great post!

aubepine said...

Great feature! I love those earrings-- so beautiful!

Nancy Trujillo said...

Wonderful feature.

L. Carol Christopher said...

I love finding new shops in blogs. This was a great post -- and I love all the patterns!

Devika said...

Lovely feature! Truly texture and pattern are such valuable components of any design.
Thanks for inluding my "Jade brocade" painting, my inspiration for this one came when i was looking at a rich brocade sari in a crowded marketplace in India. I absolutely had to put it on canvas. And so I did:-)
-devika

creativebeadz said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
creativebeadz said...

What a great post! Thanks for including my brooch. I am inspired to resume blogging!

Great topic and thrilled to be in such interesting company!

Lisa said...

Fabulous Feature! Just Love Bella's earrings =D

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