Saturday, November 28, 2015

Drawing, sketching and doodling!

For quite some time I have not had a great amount of time to create patterns (or dedicate myself to my terribly neglected blog!). This makes me a little frustrated and sometimes sad. However, I continue to commit what little time I have to drawing, sketching and doodling. This has had a very positive outcome as I now have a wealth of original motifs to use when I feel like designing.
Here are a few pages from my sketchbook.

©Dawn Clarkson


© Dawn Clarkson

© Dawn Clarkson 2015

© Dawn Clarkson

So with all the motifs I have drawn, sketched and doodled here are some 'snippets' of the patterns that I have created, and there are many MANY more. All this means that very slowly I am building my portfolio, I am taking time to develop my style and I have a multitude of patterns to fill my new website which is still being tweaked and tweaked again :) So all is not lost, it just goes to show that everything has value and can be used to a positive end!

© Dawn Clarkson

© Dawn Clarkson 2015

© Dawn Clarkson 2015

© Dawn Clarkson 2015

P.S. My sketchbook was given to me by a dear friend and my idea is to fill it to the brim with motifs and then give it back to her. I hope she doesn't read this post, but even if she does there are many more beautiful designs to be revealed. x
 

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Collecting Butterflies

The days have flown-by since my 'Butterfly Collecting' ended in a mad MAD MAD rush to post and Pin in time for World Lupus Day 2015. My idea is to increase awareness and raise funds by collecting butterfly designs from around the world. This year 97 beautiful butterflies arrived, the participants came from 8 different countries and were aged from 5 to 75. I managed to donate 115 euros to LUPUS UK so I am very pleased with the result. You can see the whole collection on these two Pinterest boards, Children, Adults and Designers.


Obviously I couldn't have done anything at all without some help from all of you. In particular a few people who did some serious 'collecting' need a mention. So here's my THANK YOU list.
Thomas Fummo, who always manages to collect some pretty stuff from his young and creative 'English' students.
Simona Donadonibus, who did the same but with her Italian class.
Don Masse who has a fabulous blog (shine brite zamorano to which I am totally addicted) and who found five minutes to create something for me.
My Mom, who still insists on embroidering her entry.
Friends who just go for it.
Fellow designers who may have a very busy schedule but find time for me.
And finally but most importantly to Maike Thoma, Chiara Diack and Holly Helgeson for their generous donations which were greatly appreciated.
Towards the end of my crazy collecting marathon I got all emotional about the whole thing. Maybe because I was invited to talk a little about the project at the National Lupus Conference on 9th May, which was held in Turin. My idea was embraced with great enthusiasm, just a pity that everything was finished and in place so no extra butterflies or donations! 

niceandfancy.blogspot.com

Compared to the 99 butterflies of last year, 97 is much the same thing. I believe that in the present format and taking account of my time and the effort needed to put the whole thing together it is probably the best I can do. Next year, my idea would be to make the project bigger and I am not sure how to go about it, but at least I have a few months to come up with something!


Enough butterfly talk for now, lets get back down to real work. My butterfly design is being developed into a collection already...I hope you like it?
 

Sunday, May 10, 2015

World Lupus Day 2015 - Butterfly showcase 4

And now to our last showcase. This year I have saved my entry until the very last so you will find it at the bottom of the page. Every butterfly design we have seen today has been unique. Butterflies made into patterns, painted, crayoned, sketched, in abstract or representational styles, and last but not least made from origami and embroidered. It has been fun to see all the creations and for me extremely moving to think that all these people have taken time to make these designs for me!



http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Lucia Duclos
http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Gisella Guglielminotti

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Teresa Hollins

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Lindsay Buck

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Annette Kirstine Designs

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Julia Grifol Designs

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Miranda Mol

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Jan Shepherd. Patternmuse

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
MaryJane Mitchel

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Bethania Lima

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Don Masse

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Elizabeth McGarrigle

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Holly Helgeson

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Ruby Helgeson. Age 6

Little Ruby earned her place in the Adults showcase because she worked on her design with her Mom. It is so sweet to see the two designs together. However Ruby, I would watch out if I were you as I think Mommy might have been copying you a bit.

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Martina Capone

Ciana Bodini - Print on Paper

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Piia Podersalu

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Nicky Ovitt
http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Victoria Johnson

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Ellie Fidler

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Dawn Clarkson
I am pleased to say that the third edition of the Butterflies for Lupus initiative has been a great success. At the last count, 97 designs and some generous donations from a few of the participants make all this hard work worthwhile. World Lupus Day comes round once a year and for me is a chance to talk about the disease and try to raise awareness. I hope you have enjoyed the designs by adults and designers from all over the world. Below you will find links to both Pinterest Boards where it is possible to see all the designs together. 
Children's Designs.
Adults and Designers.
Next week there will be a post with thanks and news of my donation to LUPUS UK, until then, Dawn x

World Lupus Day 2015 - Butterfly Showcase 3

Now we can begin to view the designs created by 'Adults and Designers' to celebrate World Lupus Day 2015 and to increase awareness for the disease. This is the first of two showcases where you will find some quite beautiful creations to help make this day a happy one and full of inspiration. Please enjoy.

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Christine Heyworth

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Joni Barriere. Studio LuLu

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Gillian Lees

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Esther Bley

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Gabriella Buckingham

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Sergio Sbicego

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Claudia Ghezzi

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Salvina Lo Monaco

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Ally Bryan

http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Frances Boyd
 
http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Mimi Hammill


http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Thomas Fummo.
http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Carla Jennings
http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Isabella Schirripa
http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Maike Thoma. Pattern Jots.
http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Chiara Diack
http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Ann Clarkson
http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Dawn Marino
http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Sonal Nathwani
http://niceandfancy.blogspot.it/
Jessica Wilde.
If you like what you have seen up until now, you will not be let down with my last and final showcase which will be online soon. I hope you are having an enjoyable and inspiring World Lupus Day, I am! If you have missed any of the showcases, just scroll down to view the earlier posts. See you in a while for the last and final batch of fabulous butterfly designs and the links to Pinterest boards where the designs will remain.