Modern Farmhouse

Spoonflower comes up with the most unusual design challenges. The latest for voting on is Modern Farmhouse. In the brief we're told to use either creams and naturals or bright contemporary colours. I've gone neutral this week.
The way I see it is that every farmhouse, regardless of how modern it is, always has a woodpile :>D

Hope you like it and VOTE for it. Time is running out.

Close-up of some logs. Click on this to see the whole design.

Close-up of some logs. Click on this to see the whole design.

Some more detail. Click here to see the design on Spoonflower.

Close-up to show detail. Click to see the main design.

See the detail? The bark took ages to get the visual effect right.

The contest voting time ends really soon ..

• 04/10/2018: Public voting ends at 3pm EDT to determine top 25 entries

SO please pop in and vote. You don't have to sign in at all!

HINT: If you're using windows, you can page down to the end of all the entries, press Control f and in the box, search for House_of_Heasman , my design will pop up, click select, then submit, then type the word you see and click submit and you;re done! 

Thank you :>D

Monochrome Designing

The joy of designing for this contest was trying to keep within the tones of the base colour I had chosen.
I spent about 15 or 16 hours creating this design.. I had a vision of a field of wildflowers and it turned out pretty close to what I was thinking of.... So here you are.. have a peek.

A section of the design

A close-up of some flowers

A close-up of the Daisy

Another close-up

Off to The Races!

Horse Racing! I wouldn't mind going to one, all dressed up with a beautiful hat. It must be loads of fun.  LOL
The spoonflower contest got me thinking, however, and I wondered if I could have a Bit Of Fun at the races this way. :>D  Have a look at what I did.  Click on the caption to see the full design.

This one came First

This one came Second

This one came Third

I hope I made you smile :>D

Zentangle designs

Well they are exciting to me and so I thought I'd better share them as you may also like them :-)

I have entered one into the latest Spoonflower Contest. The Theme is ditsy lizards so I decided I wanted to do a zentangle design and came up with these:

This one is the one I've entered into the Contest.

http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/4583790

These are colourways I did. 

http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/4583792

http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/4583794

http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/4583796

http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/4583795

If you like the design but the colours are wrong for you.. It's no problem.. I can change them quite easily :-) So just ask and it will be done!

I have in mind to do one with Dragonflies and also one with Butterflies and would welcome any suggestions of others that you might like to see, done in this style. 

21st Place out of 214! Yippie :-)

I decided that I just couldn't do it. There was no inspiration at all and I was feeling depressed anyway, so what did it matter if I did one or not.
The contest was themed Math. There were no ideas popping into my head.. Until I thought of school days.. LOL then there it was, I could see it in my head.

So I sat down and drew it.... and this is what I ended up with.

http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/3815363

I was quite chuffed with it. When I saw it came 21st I was rather pleased. 

Thanks for visiting :-)

Colours Inspired by Another Artist!

My Entry into the Wellies and Galoshes Design Contest on Spoonflower this week. 25/03.2014

I wanted to give you all a sneak preview of what this Collection is going to grow into.
It started with a design I saw on Spoonflower. It's gorgeous and I fell in love with it. So What I did was asked the owner of the design, Joan Mclemore, if I could use the colours in her design.. and she said sure! whoohoo...
So the first one is Joan's design and the rest are mine: 

An InLinkz Link-up

There are 2 more designs in the works for this collection, but I'm holding them back for now. I have a great reason for this. I'm working on a 3rd that I'll post up soon. Whoohoo what fun!!

What's Happening?

I have a bit of a brag for you :-) I try to enter as many of the Challenge / Contests that Spoonflower has and over the past year I have had some great results and some not so great, but that's par for the course. Anyway the last three contest I entered, Great Barrier Reef, History of Jazz, Geodes and Gemstones, have all been good for me.

My designs have all been voted onto the TOP 50. You might say, hey that's not that good, but consider that there are several thousand designers on Spoonflower and in those there are around 500 who enter the contests. Some regularly and some only occasionally, then you realise that being in the TOP 50 is quite an achievement. :-)

A Little bit of Reef. 37 out of 228.
http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/2734800 The design on Spoonflower
http://society6.com/SylvieHeasman/The-Great-Barrier-Reef_Print#1=45  on Pillows and
laptop skins / covers, tote bags etc on Society 6

All That's Jazz. 37 out of 133.
http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/2812126 On Fabric on Spoonflower.
http://society6.com/SylvieHeasman/All-That-Jazz-GWJ_Print#1=45 On Society 6.

Geodes a Sparkling. 41 out of 296.
http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/2852571 On Fabric on Spoonflower.
http://society6.com/SylvieHeasman/Geode-Delight_Print#1=45 On Society 6 on all sorts of products.

There are at least 12 different fabric types to be found on Spoonflower as well as Wallpaper and Stick 'n Peel Decals and a really great luxurious quality Gift Wrap in Shiny and Satin.

So that's my Brag, here's hoping I'll have more even better brags in the future :-)

Spoonflower is giving away 3 yards of Modern Jersey!!

This time you have until the 25th Feb 2014 to enter this free give away contest. :-)
Click HERE

You'll get taken to a page that will explain everything. It's really simple and easy.. you don't have to become a member of Spoonflower to do this and if you win please use one of my designs :-)
This is the link to my shop on Spoonflower Art On Fabric

Some of the designs you may like to choose from: I have a very wide variety of designs.. take a look at them at the above link. :-)

http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/2852571

http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/2812126

http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/2815764

http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/2734800

http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/2749569

http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/2688044

Moonlight Sonata with Freddie Croaker and the Clockworks!

You might be asking yourself what on earth is this woman on about now. Surely she's finally gone off the edge... and it may be so this time. You tell me!

Spoonflower is having another contest. This is the Theme:

Frogs

Where we live, spring nights tend to turn into joyous and noisy frog parties. To celebrate our amorous little friends, this week's theme is fabric designs featuring frogs. Previews will be show at a swatch size (8" x 8"). Deadline for entry is Tuesday, May 28, 2013.

http://www.spoonflower.com/contests/191  will be the link for this contest when it's in action.. after the 30th May.

My eyes saw 'Noisy Frog Parties' and my mind went back in time to my childhood and the very sound of frog parties that used to lull me to sleep at night. I know now that you can build a pond and frogs will not come and live there, unless you put some tadpoles into the water. A frog will live around and near the pond he or she was born in and will only go back there to spawn.. so if you destroy a pond or a source of water, you can destroy a species of frog.. WOW!
Anyway I digress.. really badly, sorry... Frog Parties, Spring Nights and Joy... these are the keys to my design.
I created a tree frog, ( they're my favourite frog ever), except I didn't want him to be ordinary so I made him a steam punk frog. 

Introducing Freddie Croaker!

I decided that I would have to go all the way and get more involved in the steam punk idea, so I designed nautilus shells and put the hours of the day in them.

Another tree frog hugging a Nautilus Clock.

Next I wanted to create another type of frog that sits on a lily pad ... These chaps would be serenading and backing up Freddie in the Moonlight Sonata. Of course the night sky and rising moon would also have to be created just right to set the mood.....

The clockworks, frogs on watch lily pads,
 back-up singers to Freddie Croaker.

I put it all together and this is what it finally looks like.

Freddie Croaker and the Clockworks, getting ready to sing the Moonlight Sonata to You ,
 should you wish to come on down and join in the FUN!

The night sky, for some reason changes with those fat dark stripes whenever I reduce the picture.. but in actual fact the real deal is the same all the way up. The design can be seen here http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/2072125 if you want to see it in yardage etc. 

Feel free to leave comments either here or on the design on Spoonflower... You don't have to be a designer to have an account on Spoonflower, and that's the only way to see the comments written under the designs...some of them are really fun reading.. LOL

The Aftermath and Painted Eggs

In my last post;

I told you all about my talk at the KeriKeri Quilters monthly meeting and the wonderful day I had with them. Quite a few of them had asked me if I'd please turn one of my paintings into a fabric design. So I did and here is is: Guinea Fowl. 

http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/1887266 

Since then I've had the pleasure of visiting the Whangarei Quilt Group at their monthly meeting. Yet Again I was openly and warmly accepted. I listened to the speaker of the day who was a supplier of threads. Wow, she had an amazing selection to choose from and some really helpful tips about bobbin winding, and other things I didn't know. I couldn't help myself . I bought a reel of orange variegated cotton thread to use on my Turtle Quilt. 

The bobbin info... okay, I'll pass it on... when you're putting thread onto your bobbin it's apparently VERY important that it isn't done too fast and that the thread is wound on evenly. If it's not done properly you'll have no end of trouble with the thread misbehaving under the fabric. So there you go.. I didn't know that and I've had no end of trouble with my bobbin thread... so next time I wind a bobbin, I'll be taking a heck of a lot more care. :^D 

I've been designing since my last post here and thought I'd show you some results. 

This design is called African Easter Eggs.

http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/1886525

I've submitted it into the latest Spoonflower Contest 'Painted Eggs'. Click here if you'd like to check out the contest. When you get there, click on the words 'Painted Eggs' to see all the submissions. I cannot tell you which page my design is on, because each time someone clicks on the contest, the design order changes. 

I also did another that I called Ostrich and Eggs : 

http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/1894734

Admittedly it was a hard choice to make. which one to submit to the contest :^D 

Back to the great folks of Whangarei. I have here the link to their Quilting Blog if you'd like to see what went on that day.

http://www.quiltwhangarei.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/show-n-tell-march-2013.html 

Leeann, who runs the blog, was really kind to include me in her latest posting. I did a bit of a 'show and tell' there, with some of my quilts that are made from fabrics I designed and had printed, or that I dyed and painted. 

Thanks for visiting.. see you again soon.

Sylvie.

A Chat with Quilters in KeriKeri

It was time. My belly filled with butterflies. Whew I hoped I'd not show how nervous I was. My bullet notes were on the table.. all my paraphernalia laid out in order. All I had to do was open my mouth and talk.
Talk about the thing I loved doing most. You can't put it under one umbrella. It has several titles and they are; Designing Fabric, Playing with Colours, Dyeing Fabric, Helping Quilters get the right colours in their chosen design so that it matches what they want to do...

If you see a design of mine that has fairly simple colours.. not too many half tones ( colours that fade from one to another ) and you like it, but, it's the wrong colours, you can drop me an email and I can look into changing the colours for you to suit you.

I spoke about my background and showed then examples of work from early 2001.

My African Quilt.

This is what it looks like today.
Each section here, except for the black, gold stripes and maroon stripes, was hand dyed and stencilled or painted. I've dragged it around the world with me, thrown it into washing machines with the wash. I wanted to see how well the dyes lasted.. and they have!

I showed them more hand dyed and painted quilt blocks... :

There are a wide range of them and they can only be seen if you visit me OR on www.SylviesArtOnFabric.etsy.com

I have, since May or June last year, begun to design fabric by the yard.. or fat quarter.. on a site called spoonflower, where I have my own studio. www.spoonflower.com/profiles/art_on_fabric
THIS is the place where I can change the colours in some of the designs... for example this design:

Various colourways of the crackle fabrics.

I have these on Spoonflower for sale, you can order them just as they are OR you can contact me and we can discuss colours.. I can change them to look like this:

 or this......

 or this.....

There is no limit to the colours you can get them at.
I can also change the repeat size on MOST of my designs.. either making the print bigger or smaller.. all you have to do is ask.. :^D

My talk went well I thought, The ladies laughed in all the right places and asked me some delightful questions. It was a lovely day. I think we all enjoyed it tremendously!.

These are the Quilters I went to talk to this week.   http://quiltkeri.blogspot.co.nz/

A New Idea

well I was looking at my designs for Cocktail napkins / serviettes and a thought struck me. Thwack! :^D
I can make them even more personal to each and every person who would like a yard or two. HOW?
Like this:

The Wedding / Anniversary Napkin

The collection of all the napkins I've designed can be seen in a previous post or click HERE to go to them on Spoonflower.

Each customer could request whatever they liked to be printed onto the napkins. I'd upload a revised design, they'd place the order and in a few days it arrives on their doorstep. I don't think you could ask for more! They would have to have a hem sewn around the edges or cut with crimping scissors, to stop them from fraying. 

There is also a product called Fray Check that can be bought from almost every sewing shop and some Wallmarts. What you'd do is with a ruler draw a line of Fray Check along the thin outline edge on the fabric, then with your roller cutter slice the napkins out. The Fray Check will hold through many washes. 

Another thing that can be done is a simple line of sewing, straight or decorative, along the dark edge of the napkin, then cut along the thin line and allow the edges of the napkin to fray... That would be rather pretty I think. 

Whatever you can think of, to have written on one of these, it can be done.. just let me know :^D.

Design Contest, Typewriters (Black and White)

I must admit that this Contest caused it to be rather difficult to create a design. :p I started with one idea in my head... a typewriter with pages spewing out of it but decided that I didn't have time to first paint it and then scan it and then set it up for repeat. The time span for this was only a week or so for me 'cos I'd seen it later rather than earlier. :p
Anyway this is what I eventually came up with:

Typewriter (Black and White) Spoonflower Contest

So if you feel inclined, I'd appreciate a vote   :D  http://www.spoonflower.com/contests/154  That's the link.. it shows the top winner and the other Nine Runners up of the Cheater contest, of which I am NOT one :( and the typewriter contest is on the right just click on the heading, Typewriters (Black and White)  and you'll go right to it.

Thanks everyone!

Fabric Design Contest on Spoonflower 'Zigzag Cheater'

Hello everyone! :) I have entered a quilt design into the latest spoonflower contest.

The Contest is called Zigzag Cheater Quilt.

When I first read this I thought that it had to be a design that was full of zigzags and Cheaters..you know the animal from Africa... How weird I thought... but then I read on.. and I learned something new :) 

A 'Cheater' Quilt design is actually a fully laid out design to work as a completed Quilt Top! Yeah, so if you're unsure about how to quilt you can go and buy one of these and put it together with batting and a backing fabric, quilt all over it and bind it and There You Are.. :) What a Cheat :) But that's the idea isn't it. ha ha.

This is what my design looks like. :-)

So now I need all of you to rush off and VOTE for me. I really need the exposure you know. I do a heck of a lot for the folks in the QQQ Team, and I'm hoping that they will want to do something for me in return :) AND to pass it onto all their friends and they to their friends etc. etc. 

This of course is not just for the QQQ Team.. it's for everyone and anyone who likes the design and would like my work to become recognised :-)

This is the LINK to my shop on Spoonflower.