Inspired Patterns - Day Thirty One - The Last One!!!

Yes today is the last day of the challenge. For lots of people, this is also Stoptober. 31 days to give up something. Mostly it's smoking. I know a few people have used the idea to stop other bad habits too. I gave up smoking many years ago now and well I have so few bad habits, I'm clinging on to the ones remaining.

So what I did instead was join The Nesting Place's 31 Days 2013 challenge. And you'll find me as link number 124.

It's been fun, definitely. Challenging, certainly. There's been ups for sure. And downs, inevitably. I've learnt to persevere. To be determined to find the time. To tackle my inner perfectionist. To button my lip when all I want to do is moan and whinge and complain. And I've had to listen to and do my best to ignore, that inner critic. I know it only too well. It's presence doesn't surprise me one jot these days. But I'm still taken aback by how harsh it is.

And by the end of this post, I'll have been inspired to create thirty one patterns.

So let's not delay any longer. Today is Halloween. Means nothing to me. I'm sure it's fun if you live in America. But it's not really caught on the same in the UK. We try but we don't have their flair for it. I'll join in with the spirit though...

This Tim Burton style pumpkin head caught my eye and I roughly drew something similar...

Which looks heaps better once it's coloured in...

Thank you for following along this month. And a big thank you to all who have left kind comments too. Thanks, as always, for dropping by. Normal service shall resume shortly and good ol' paper crafting will commence soon.

Inspired Patterns - Day Thirty

I have to say, I love this one! It wasn't planned. I did as usual. I went onto Pinterest and flipped through lots of photos until something catches my eye.

And this time it was...

This could be perfect for making a colour palette to play with. All those lovely neutral shades. In fact, I could draw a whole lot of bars and fill them in with these colours to make todays pattern. But instead, I took the inspiration from somewhere else...

The cheeky side will always out. Makes a great design too...

I prefer the richer, luxuriant purple colours but I'll also share my first design, where I used colours similar to that in the photo...

I can mop my fevered brow. Only one more day to go.

Thank you if you've stuck with me so far. Hope to see you tomorrow.

Inspired Patterns - Day Twenty Nine

Just the last few days to go. I can take a breather and then start making cards again. However, for now, it's on with the patterns.

Here's the photo...

A saucy mix but I've stayed with just one item...

Which makes a simple, graphic design...

Which is not a bad thing. Although I do love patterns that have a lot going on in them, sometimes (especially when doing a daily challenge) it's nice to have a design that is bold and graphic.

Just two more to go. Thanks for popping by

Inspired Patterns - Day Twenty Eight

I'm beginning to enjoy the project again. It's a new day, I've obviously woken up in a more positive frame of mind and having fun with patterns today.

So in looking for a photo to inspire me, I came across this...

Which gave me the excuse to play around with the 3D effect on illustrator and come up with...

Which I turned into...

And I could have left it at that but I thought I'd see what it would be like if I went bright and wild with colour too...

I could see this making great gift wrap paper.

Thanks for popping by.

Inspired Patterns - Day Twenty Seven

Bet you knew disco would make an appearance somewhere this month. And no, today has nothing to do with Madonna or Kylie.  But it's just as iconic

See what I mean...

What object says it better than a glitter ball? Even better, it's not too difficult to create in illustrator

And it makes a groovy pattern

Yup, it's back to my op-art style again. I hadn't realised so many of my designs this month would be in this fashion.

Thanks for dropping by.

Inspired Patterns - Day Twenty Six

It's a splotchier, messier day today. Up until now, all the patterns have been created completely on computer. Ahh, lovely, clean computer. However, today has been a bit more hands on, messy and inky.

Here's the photo which inspired me today...

I could have gone with any design on these rather magnificent pumpkins. But it was the animal print which caught my eye. So I took out some white sheets of paper, some black ink and created some splatty shapes. I scanned them into the computer and came up with this...

Which became this...

And best of all. I walked away without a single black stain on my hands.

Thanks as always, for dropping by. Hope you liked today's pattern. I'll be back again tomorrow with yet another design.

Inspired Patterns - Day Twenty Five

Okay, I'm on the home stretch, just a week left to go. I wonder if next year, as October rolls around, I'll remember that as well as being fun, these monthly challenges also need plenty of time management skills and focus. Something that, ahem, aren't talents that come naturally to me. And that it's guaranteed that half way through, work will suddenly become extra busy, a family member will be ill, I will be ill, and so on. Oh yes, and I will begin to whinge a lot on the blog lol.

Anyway, enough griping from me. I shall slap my wrist and continue on to today's photo...

Isn't that embossed lettering a perfect finishing touch? Anyway, it lead me to try this...

Rather than a letter, I went with the trendy Ampersand symbol which I merged with a pattern similar to the one in the photo.

And I turned it into this...

A bit off the wall but it's perfect for those of a graphic design bent who go all funny inside for designs with a font theme.

Thank you, as always for dropping by.

Pattern Inspiration - Day Twenty Four

For today's pattern, I noticed this lovely photograph of some beautiful pieces of jewellery. Just love the clean lines and simple shapes...

So I came up with this...

Which becomes...

I tried it a few colourways but it didn't gel until I went with this darker, richer combo. Maybe I could leave a bit more space between the repeats but I wanted to try it out as a tight pattern.

Anyway, thank you as always for popping by

Inspired Patterns - Day Twenty Three

Hard to believe it took this long but at last, I'm inspired by chocolate...

Which gave me another opportunity to muck around with the 3D effect on Illustrator...

and create a caramel, chocolate paper...

Be great for wrapping around home made chocolates or to decorate a box of sweet treats.

Thanks for dropping by

Inspired Patterns - Day Twenty Two

I'm going a bit gaga today. Maybe that'll help explain why I've gone all hippy, trippy and colourful. It's been a long day and my eyes have had enough. Even with my reading glasses perched on my nose, they are screaming for some rest.

Anyway, today I'm drawn towards the happy colour combo found in this photo...

and I made a very simple circular, spiralling pattern...

which I turned into...

I know! Bright isn't it? And right now, with my poor, tired head and eyes, I'm loving that blast of rainbow colour.

Thanks for dropping by

Inspired Patterns - Day Twenty One

I've given in to my autumnal side today. Outside my window, the colours are turning and the weather is distinctly cooler and wetter.

So it's no surprise to me that my eye was attracted to this photo...

and okay the pattern wasn't quite what I anticipated but I like it regardless...

and using the colours from the photograph, I turned it into...

I know I say this about a lot of the designs but yes I look at this and see it needs a little more tinkering with. But within the constraints of the monthly challenge, it fits the bill. After 21 days, I'm beginning to embrace the limitations that come with this project.

Only ten more days to go.

Inspired Patterns - Day Twenty

As I type, I have iTunes in the background, playing one of those Nature Sounds tracks. I'm being lulled by the crash of ocean waves and rumbles of thunder. Love the ambience when I'm indoors. In a real thunderstorm, you won't see my butt for dust.

Anyway, that's just me rambling. On to today's photo...

I've taken this from one of my own boards on Pinterest. Quirky and beautiful.

And I'm not sure whether it works as a pattern or not but there's only one way to find out...

It's different I grant you that. Maybe it needs tinkering with more. Maybe it's fine just as it is. I think I'd need to sleep on it and come back with fresh eyes.

Anyway, thanks for dropping by once more. Not many to go now.

Inspired Patterns - Day Nineteen

I'm beginning to flag a bit with this challenge. I could do with taking a day out to design the rest of the patterns and schedule them in for the rest of the month. Maybe that's just the impatient side of me coming out. However I'm guessing this is good discipline, to do a bit everyday, even when I feel rough.

Anyway, today, don't ask me why, but I was inspired by this photo...

I just love the curves. With more time, I think I would love to play around with drawing these curves in a variety of ways, but for now, I came up with...

Which became...

I kinda lost the line of dots in the end result but decided to let that go rather than tweak. If I was going to refine, I could see several ideas of how I'd like to change the pattern around but as it stands, it's not a bad design. One to come back to when the challenge is over.

Hope you're all well and thank you once again for dropping by :)

Inspired Patterns - Day Eighteen

Another day, another pattern. Again, I've kept it simple for myself. Here's the photo...

and the pattern...

Which, when coloured in, makes this...

I'll keep it short and sweet today :)

Thanks for dropping by

Inspired Patterns - Day Seventeen

Nearly gave up today. I'm missing spending my free time actually creating cards and the like. I've so many ideas for crafts I want to make. i'lll just have to try and wait until November. Anyway, I haven't given in.

I found this photograph instead...

Which I turned into...

To make a pattern like this...

Well I'll have plenty of funky patterns to play with once the month is up. And hopefully, a cleaner, better organised craft room too (yet another project I have on the go, when I'm not doing this lol).

Thanks for dropping by

Inspired Patterns - Day Sixteen

I'm over half way! This is scheduled for Wednesday but I've actually designed this on Sunday. I did say I wouldn't be touching the computer but I couldn't help myself. Nick's home from hospital and watching the Formula 1 racing, so I thought I'd use the time to create another pattern.

I went easy on myself today and chose something nice and simple...

Just some overlapping circles...

Which creates a pattern like this

It may be simple to create but as is often the way. Simple is the most effective. Who can resist a bold geometric design?

Thanks for dropping by :)