An Abstract Based on Freehand Black Circles with Purples, Blues and Grays: An Early Wacom Experiment

When I created this design last October, I called it "On Good Authority." Today, I have no idea why I called it that, and I suppose it doesn't matter so much, either. Regardless of what it's called, looking at it still pleases me: I often carry a tote bag printed by Zazzle with the pattern that gives me lots of smiles, and compliments from strangers, too.

Hundreds of circles (I've never counted but it took forever and a day,) were drawn by the stylus on the surface of my Wacom tablet. It had been a brand new gift from my sweetie, and I wanted to do something with it that didn't give me monumental amounts of pressure. Or remind me of the truly mind-boggling drawings other "real artist" can render when they use them. Yes. It's an inner critique that happens off and on, and perhaps it always will be. For whatever reason, that night I was able to let go of the criticisms and really have fun with it. I drew all these circles and then I added color in Photoshop. After that came the textures.

The end result always reminds me a little of what might happen if a starry constellation and a bed of river rocks had a baby. Impossible, but then again, what isn't possible in the world of the creative mind? We just go with it and find joy.

This pattern was placed on more than 75 items available for purchase so far and I suspect I'll create even more, over time. As I get better at figuring out how this print on demand business even works. Nearly 4 months into my Zazzle exploration, I'm still learning new things daily. This creation seems to pop up from time to time when I want to try something new. And? I enjoy the colors and textures so much that for the time being, I've been using it as the banner art in my Printed Muserie Zazzle Store. Huh; apparently I do like it. Perhaps you will, also! Check it out...

Modern, Colorful Graduation Announcements with Abstract Confetti

It's fun to tell you about this next design in a growing series of fun, whimsical digital art designs.

As of today, this collection includes items largely focused on the needs of the graduate. My original artwork, around which the suite was created, is so very colorful, highly textured, and completely different from what anyone used back when I sent out graduation announcements for my own celebratory milestones.

I like this graphic so much I left the door open to creating other types of invitations and accessories with it, too. There are also non-event-related designs. We'll come back to those other items.

Among the items I've designed for this set are:

  • Graduation Announcements,

  • Party Invitations

  • Announcements AND Invitations (one on one side, one on the other,)

  • Stickers,

  • Lined Envelopes,

  • Save the Date Cards,

  • Thank You Cards,

  • Napkins,

  • Paper Plates,

  • Several Styles of US Postage Stamps,

  • And "Advice for the Graduate" Cards

Several of the above are available with multiple variants. (There are so many ways you can present information over top of a static image. Especially when the image is a fun, colorful piece of abstract art that has a whimsical, celebratory feel. For items needing a space holder photo which can be replaced with your graduation portrait (or, let's face it: these days you may love one of your fun casual snaps as much as a professionally-shot image,) I chose an open-source image by Larisa Birta, a Romanian photographer who creates stunning imagery. You should check her out here.

Buy This Pattern On More Than Invitations

Now. About the confetti design. Remember I told you I enjoyed it so much that I've also set up Zazzle designs so you can get this colorful confetti artwork printed on many other things? Well how about these items:leggings, hip flasks, phone cases in several styles, mugs, clocks, bluetooth speakers, note cards, post cards, luggage tags, water bottles - in more than one style - and business cards, too! Not to mention a cool zipper clutch pouch, bottle openers, bandanas and a mouse pad!

Whatever your preference, if you're looking for unique invitations and gifts that feature a colorful abstract pattern, this is a set I invite you to check out because it just may be the one you want.

Customization Available

It's been mentioned elsewhere on this site but I want to reiterate here: if you like this pattern but know of a different kind of offering from Zazzle and you don't see it in this collection: do not hesitate to ask me. Likewise if you see a product - say one of the phone cases - but you'd really like to have a personalized option and don't want to do the work yourself, I'm more than happy to set you up a new version with a field in place for you to type your name or message.  Want to get this design for a birthday party invitation before I get some of those designed? Say the word. The versatility and options are unparalleled and I would be thrilled and honored to help you achieve the look you are seeking.

Colorful, Abstract, Unique: Artsy Phone Cases

I've been designing unique phone cases (not the cases but the surface patterns; I like to think that goes without saying but maybe not,) nearly as long as I have been dabbling in print on demand designing. Nonetheless, I'm just getting around to gathering some of these newer designs into a single collection to share here. Some of them already have the spaces set up for you to personalize them and some of them are just covered in the colorful digital artwork that was a big part of getting me started off down this path in the first place.

I only started designing them through Zazzle at the beginning of this year, and it seems I go in waves, with my attention span and interest level on any given day driving my creativity.

The thing about buying a custom artsy phone case is that you want more and more. Every time I design a new one, it's my favorite and I force myself not to buy more. It's good I don't have a tattoo. And this is why: I love trying new things and changing it up. I'm still carrying one around that I'm pretty tired of by now. Which makes me think that for us short-attention-span types it's probably a good idea to get a few then switch them out regularly. I just forget.

Take a look! Maybe you'll enjoy some of the abstract digital art I've make the time to put on phone cases. Zazzle offers several different brands of phone cases so that layer gets tricky too. Here's a list of the ones I can remember right now:

  • Case Mate Barely There
  • Case Mate Tough
  • Case Mate Tough Extreme
  • Otterbox Symmetry
  • Otterbox Defender
  • Otterbox Commuter Series
  • Lifeproof FRĒ®
  • LifeproofNÜÜD®

And a whole lot more, too, it turns out. There are several kinds of wallets, some wooden ones, metallic ones, clear ones. It's a little mind-boggling really. So I've just shown you some of the ones that have my own designs on them. So enjoy those or just go peruse the market. Warning: it's a little overwhelming without wine. So so many options could make a head explode!

At any rate, these are some of the phone cases I've designed this year and there are always more on the way at some point.

Personalized Items with Photos of Purple and Orange Pansies

Every now and then I take the time to look through my photo archives. For an amateur photographer, the stash I've collected for myself is a little mind-boggling. It's one of the many reasons I decided to start putting my work on merchandise I can buy for myself or others, and you, too, can give as gifts when you like.

The first fun thing I did with a few of the shots featured here is put them on leggings. I realized one day that even though I've designed hundreds of pairs of leggings (print on demand makes it possible to design tons of things that only have to be made when someone is ready to buy them... whew!) almost none of them had photos on them. (And those that did were super-abstract and maybe a little weird for your average Jane. For example.) Back to my story. I'd been designing fairly abstract leggings for a little stretch there, so when I looked through the photos, I thought it would be good to find some that would create an abstract vibe when they were printed on leggings. I felt pretty good about what I came up with. There are 6 so far.

A few days ago I thought of those purple and orange pansies and all the shots I captured the day I took these pictures. I was leaving artist friend Phyllis Sharpe's house and she'd just bought these. Maybe she had planted some that day, if I remember correctly but I think several were still in flats. So I pulled out my camera and tried to capture them in different light. So in some ways they're just sort of ho-hum pictures of flowers. I mean. How many ways are there to shoot photos of flowers and make them really interesting? Well, some people can make those shots really sing but these are kinda nice too. I thought they would look good on cards, a water bottle, mousepad and phone case. I put the shot on a bunch of other things, too, but I've put just the things with template fields for personalization into a collection so far so that's what you'll see here.

As I mentioned, there are quite a few items printed with the photo featured in this second collection. If you're in my store and search "pansies" or even "purple and orange" or "purple and orange pansies" you'll see the other items too. What I'm learning while I work in Zazzle is that whenever possible, it seems to be recommended that you (you the Zazzle designer or, in this case, I) take things further and go ahead and add a template field with names or phrases all ready to go. I'm fascinated by this and have so very much to learn about what sells and what doesn't. There's been no rhyme or reason whatsoever to the things I've sold in the short time I've been at this, so I don't have enough personal data to go on yet. But I love the learning, and there's definitely plenty of that happening in this endeavor.

Why don't I post some of those individual item photos over here at the end, just for fun, then sign off and let you look. Enjoy!

Roundup of Favorites 001: A Random Smattering of My Designs that I Love Right Now

One of the ways I've decided to promote my print on demand designs with this new site is to start a thread of posts that features some of my favorite designs. A Roundup of Favorites, if you will. This set features my own designs. Down the line, I suspect other roundups will include designs of others. But I designed these and I'm pulling from a fairly recent set of things that please me. (Nearly everything is my favorite when I push that "publish" button, so this series shouldn't be any trouble to flesh out.)
So. The Favorites, Already?

Here they are. Things I kinda dig today and if I had a need to buy a custom gift for you or someone else just as cool as you are, these are the things I would consider putting on my shopping list! Yay you and that other cool person on my shopping list!

A Bit About the Items in This List

  1. This grungy, messy, abstract artsy luggage tag can be updated with your own name.
  2. This black phone case has 3 circular designs that can be positioned wherever you like, and you can add your name instead of the place holder text.
  3. Quirky black and white leggings.
  4. The pair beside the first ones features the same pattern, with an added bonus. It has a black ombre/gradient image over the top that fades away to reveal the pattern below. You can re-position the overlay to reveal or hide as much as you like.
  5. Also for your workouts, this shirt has a graphic on the front and back that reads "commence with the badassery" which is a phrase that first occurred to me years ago when I was designing a card for a friend about to run the Boston Marathon. Because Boston Marathon: Utter Badassery. But you don't have to run marathons to be worthy of this shirt. (Or all the other styles and colors you could order, printed with this same design.)
  6. I like to surround myself with inspiring, positive messages. I also find that having something to read nearby that reminds me to get up and move around, to drink more water, to pull out my yoga mat - all manner of things - will help me remember to do it! So I designed this mouse pad with the option of adding your own motivating words and phrases. It appears over one of my messy, bold, bright graphic images but you can add your own if you'd like something a bit calmer. :)
  7. This water bottle is printed with a different black and white pattern. This time, just different sizes of black wheels with spokes. Kinda quirky. I do love some black and white patterns. More on that over here.
  8. Similar to the artwork seen on the leggings, and from the same series. These are the cutest tiny little speakers. They're printed front and back with our artwork. For this one, I rotated the design a bit for added visual appeal.