Saturday, January 18, 2014

It's here... the Tropical Fusion Blog Hop

Welcome to the Tropical Fusion Blog Hop. For 4 days 45 surface pattern designers are linking their blogs together to create a feast of new and exclusive designs. All you have to do is click on the link at the bottom of each post to move on to the next blog. To start the blog hop from the very beginning just click on the logo over on the right and you will find yourself at Groovity Designs.
You have probably just come over from Anne M Bray's blog Pattern Recognition and taken in her fab patterns. Now it is time for me to reveal my designs which have been created especially for this blog hop. The theme is Tropical Fusion and incorporates the Pantone Color of the Year 2014 - Radiant Orchid. 


© Dawn Clarkson

I have taken my tropical inspiration from the luscious growth of vegetation - flowers, grass, roots, trees, leaves, fruits and seed pods. My original sketches were scanned and digitally elaborated to invent unique motifs to work with. 

© Dawn Clarkson

© Dawn Clarkson

With the wealth of icons I'd created I then began to put together my main design. I wanted it to be strong and really make the most of the Pantone Color of the Year 2014 - Radiant Orchid to give an important beginning to the collection. With a lot of movement in the design and a bed of dark leaves below… (you know how much I love my feathery leaves) the pattern began to emerge. It has rhythm and style, is rich and detailed, and above all, dark and luxurious. The 'Lush & flourish' collection is completed with complementary designs which all pull together to create a very tropical collection!

© Dawn Clarkson

For more tropical goodies just click on the link below to move on to the lovely Maike Thoma's blog Pattern jots where you will find more beautiful designs and inspiration. I do hope you have enjoyed your visit here at Nice and Fancy, please come back soon. You can follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Announcing the Tropical Fusion Blog Hop!

Next Saturday, yes it's almost here, the Tropical Fusion Blog Hop will begin. Over 50 surface pattern designers will link their blogs together to form an inspirational 'blog hop' with the theme Tropical Fusion featuring of course the beautiful Pantone Color of the Year 2014 Radiant Orchid. Nice and Fancy will be taking part and you must be sure to come and visit.


So please make a date from the 18th through to 21st of January 2014 you can run through our blogs and enjoy a taste of new, exciting and inspirational work. Make sure you have some time on your hands and a cup of tea handy, it's gonna be a load of fun. See you there... I mean here :)

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Radiant Resolutions

Hello my lovelies. I am here to wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2014, and of course, I hope all your dreams really do come true!
This year my New Year's Resolution was NOT to make New Year's Resolutions, so there you go, I got all that done and dusted pretty quickly. However, that doesn't mean I haven't got any plans, hopes or dreams for 2014 it's just that I am working on them and not writing about them.


When Pantone announced their Color of the Year I realised that for me 2014 was starting on a high. Such a fab colour! To design patterns using colour palettes which include a bit of Radiant Orchid will be a dream. I have begun a new project (and I will write about it pretty soon) which has this beautiful colour as part of the brief... so watch this space.

 
If you love Radiant Orchid like me you can read more about it on the Pantone Website or follow the Color of the Year on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. I also have a modest Color of the Year board on Pinterest which will I hope you will follow. Maybe it will inspire me to greater things pretty soon! 
P.S. Happy New Year to you all xx