Art Update: Pyrex Pretties & some magic.

Recently I got the always exciting email from Redbubble that a design of mine got featured on their frontpage again! This is my 3rd 'Found' feature and it's always great because it helps immensely with getting some more exposure for my little shop. Anyway, I've added some new designs since my last update and I thought I'd share them with you!

Pyrex Pretties by Prouddaydreamer

This is the work that got featured. I've been super inspired by Pyrex and other vintage homeware and decor lately. Cups, tables, chairs.. you name it! I've been pinning like crazy on Pinterest.

Accio Coffee and Accio Tea by Prouddaydreamer

My boyfriend and I have been rewatching Harry Potter again and it inspired my to make some potterhead artwork. They're available on a bunch of products, but I think they're the cutest on cups :)

Bobby Pins by Prouddaydreamer

I love Bobby Pins. They keep my hair in place AND make for a great pattern! This was just a quick design a threw together when I just bought a bunch of them after loosing yet again half of what I owned.

.Tea Shirt by Prouddaydreamer

I love puns and using them in my work and always looking for new ones to work with. When I thought of this one I knew right away it needed to happen! I bring you your new staple piece: the tea shirt!

Panda Snacks by Prouddaydreamer

And last but not least... Panda Snacks! This is kind of like stuff I used to make a few years ago. Lots of kawaii and cuteness. Sometimes it's nice to go back to that. I love pandas, I love food.. I made this more for myself than other people. I think the sushi panda's are my favourite!

In the next few weeks I have some freelance work coming up that I unfortunately probably won't be able to share, but either way I'm happy that I get to work together with other people and work on fun projects with them :) Sometimes I need projects like this to motivate me again and really focus on something and get inspired by other people's ideas and inspiration. 

Collectif Clothing Review: Winter Florals in Spring!

A little while ago I finally got my big order in from Collectif Clothing that my brother kindly brought with him while visiting. After winning the Collectif Shoe Design Competition they gave me store credit to spend and since they had a huge sale going on I immediately placed an order and got a bunch of new dresses. I'm going to review maybe one or two of them a month, so be ready for lots more retro fashion posts! Even though some of these styles won't be available anymore (I know BIG fashion blogger fail) by the time I post these reviews,  they are usually still available in other colours and prints which I will link to!

The moment I saw the print I was in love. Florals with red, purple and pink!? Yes please! I love how the pink is very subtle, but stands out more with my perfectly matching hair. There were various styles of this dress. The mini dolores (which is this one), a pencil skirt and a wiggle dress. Only the mini dolores was left in my size so the decision had been made for me already.

I got this dress in a uk size 8 and it fits perfectly! I was scared it would be too small since I like wearing their original dolores top in a uk size 10, but I'm so glad I sized down. The fabric has some good stretch to it so it's not restricting whatsoever. Really keep in mind that Collectif is measured in UK sizes. Their sizing chart is pretty accurate. I'm usually a size 6 US or small, but with Collectif I'm between an 8 (x-small) or 10 (small) depending on the amount of stretch the garment has. Collectif did advice to size down for fitted pinup fit and they were definitely right.

Since it's called 'mini dolores' I was scared it was going to be too short. I'm not a fan of the high street lengths that are around these days where I'm constantly worried if my butt is showing. I'm a tall lady (5"7 ish) and lots of clothes are always too short on me. But the length is perfect! It hits just above the knee which is my favourite length.The fabric is also heavy enough so the wind is hardly a problem.

A problem I have with the original Dolores top is that sometimes the elastic in the sleeves irritates my arms, but somehow I don't have that problem with this dress! You can wear the sleeves on the shoulder for a more conservative look, or off the shoulder for a flirtier and more playful look.

I am getting a petticoat I want to wear with this dress and some others I'll be reviewing soon, but it's really not necessary. The skirt is already quite full by itself and doesn't look limp when there's nothing underneath in my opinion. Another HUGE plus to me is the zip in the back. It goes very far down so you can step into it, which is amazing because you don't have to worry about messing up your hair or smearing your lipstick.

This style of dress is so versatile and flattering for every bodytype and I'm definitely keeping an eye out for other prints! You can dress it up or down, wear it during summer or winter and wear it with or without petticoat. There's still a small amount of these dresses left in Feral print for only £10.00 which is a steal!

For accesories I picked this hairflower I got from Collectif a little while back and these pretty sparkly earrings. I absolutely love Collectif's accessories and can't wait to add more to my collection. I paired it with my pink flats that are admittedly a little beat up, but I couldn't get over how well they matched!

I'm still learning when it comes to these outfit posts. I'm definitely going to have to invest in a tripod and possibly a camera remote so bear with me! It's definitely helping me with self confidence though. I don't mind taking pictures of my face, but full body shots? Still a little scary. Hopefully regularly doing posts like this will help me get over that. :)

A gratuitous cat picture because Zorro is a momma's boy and just wouldn't leave me alone.

Dress - Winter Floral Mini Dolores Dress (still available in Feral print here)

Hairflower: Collectif Clothing

Shoes - H&M (a few years ago)

Earrings - Collectif Pearl & Diamante Drop Earrings

Art Update: Book Love and Retro Pretties

I made a new banner for my blog! I really like how it came out and I think it'll stay like this for a while. My previous one was a little too unpersonal for my taste and I feel like this one fits me a lot better! I figured with a new blog banner I might as well share some of my other latest artsy creations with you all. I feel like I`m starting to get better and better at incorporating things I love and that inspire me into my work.

Pin-Up Still Life by Prouddaydreamer

Atomic 50`s by Prouddaydreamer

Atomic 50`s Flamingo by Prouddaydreamer

The flamingo pattern is my personal favourite! It instantly puts me in a summery mood and makes me dream of sipping a strawberry milkshake in a polka dot bikini by the pool. Ever since the new year started I`ve felt a surge of new creative energy! Every day I look at blogs from other talented ladies and it just pushes me a bit more every day. Happy Monday!!

Art Process: Fat Unicorn

Hi everyone! I know it's been a while. I was just feeling really uninspired lately and didn't want to force myself into writing a post that then wasn't going to be interesting to read anyway. But today, the inspiration came back! I've been working on some designs and thought it might be fun to give you a look at my usual process. I personally always love to see how other artists work :) 

My ideas usually just come to me randomly. Usually when I'm showering, working out or lying in bed! This idea came to me after lunch, when I for some reason felt like drawing a fat unicorn. Preferably eating a rainbow. Because, WHY NOT!?

Even though I enjoy working digitally lately, I ALWAYS sketch with pencil on paper first. Nothing beats paper and pencil. It allows you to create organic lines and to just be rough and messy until you get the composition right. This sketch actually went quite smoothly and I sketched it all out in about 10 minutes with the help of some pictures of horses lying down.

I'm usually too lazy to hook up my laptop to the scanner, so I take a picture of it with my phone and send it to my computer and import it into illustrator! Then it's just a matter of tracing with the pen tool. First time I did this, about 3 years ago, I was terrible and hated using it. Now it's second nature. Practise makes (almost) perfect!

So this is what it looks like then. A line drawing with a bunch of lines that seem to be out of place. But no worries! This will all be solved when the colouring begins.

For colouring I usually pick a few basic colours that go well together and go from there with different shades etc. These are the colours I picked for this drawing.

Colouring is the most fun to me! It's when it really all starts coming together. I usually leave the background either a light yellow or grey colour and then see what looks best in the end..

The final touches are making the lines a little more fancy, adding detail likes lines in the tail and mane and then picking a background colour + lining it up so it's nice and centered.

And that's pretty much it! I'm quite pleased with how it turned out :) You can find this piece now in my Redbubble store! Hope you enjoyed this little sneak peak into my process!

Recent work: lots of tea, please!

All of you should know by now that I'm a huge tea lover, both drinking it and inspiration wise. I love to look at pretty tea sets and draw them.. or even 'paint' with tea! It should come as no surprise that my latest artworks are a complete tea overload.

Care for a cup of Cat Tea?

Sketch from my sketchbook

I kinda want one of those elephant tea pots...

As usual my designs are available on Redbubble on all kinds of products! I love the new hardcover note/sketchbooks they have. I've been feeling a little uninspired lately (hence the lack of new work) but I'm thinking of doing more fifties/retro themed things. It always helps me to stick to a theme when I'm stuck :)

Proud Daydreamer at Society6!

Just a little post to let you guys know I have just opened up a shop at Society6! Check it out right here! Even though I am planning on eventually opening up an Etsy or something of the like, Society6 seemed like a nice little place to get started! And it's neat you get to see your designs on pillows, phone cases, cards etc., really gives me a lot of ideas and inspiration for the future n.n

One new year's resolution is definitely going to be: work on my webshop! I think it's going to be a summer project, when I have lots of time to work on designs and also take my time for all the practical stuff. But for now, this is a nice little side thing :)

Omoi Zakka Shop

While browsing online shops for pretty stationary I stumbled across this shop that was simply too amazing not to share: Omoi Zakka Shop

"We stock thoughtful items for everyday life. Taking cues from our experiences in Japan, we are drawn to quality goods that refresh and delight, be it by texture, design, or function. We feel that the best objects are the ones that make you happy to use them."

They have a wide range of products (for the home, stationery, apparel..) that is all equally beautiful, cute and delicious eye candy! Below are some of my favorites, though I have to admit I basically just love everything.

MT Tape Wide Duo: Party Dot & Border Stripe - Shinzi Katoh Animal Head Tea for Two Sets
Midori Puzzle Point Marker Sticky Notes - Mark's Garden Notebooks

Gift Kittens Tote by Rootote - MT Tape 10m Wataboushi Yellow & Drop Lavender
Cafe Time Incense - Cats Don't Care Letter Set

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! 

It's sunny and breezy here so I'm off again reading magazines under the parasol.