'Patchwork with Pick Up Sticks by Su_G': My entry in Spoonflower's 'Patchwork' Design Challenge, which challenges us to "take a contemporary approach to patchwork".

Original: Hand-drawn with pattern (also hand-drawn) infills.

© Su Schaefer 2021

See more 'pick up sticks' designs by Su_G.

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=584 - open for one week only. So far there are 1114 entries (I had thought there would be less!), but voting could be fun for those who like modern patchwork as there are many stunning designs!

[Patchwork with Pick Up Sticks by Su_G_©SuSchaefer2021]

‘Violet Bats + Sonar by Su_G’: My entry in Spoonflower's 'Pastel Halloween' Design Challenge.

Original: Ink pen on paper + line art

(mockup c/o Spoonflower)

© Su Schaefer 2021

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=609 - open for one week only. Tons of fabulous Halloween-themed designs among the 949 entries so get yourself comfortable before you look &/or vote...

The real challenge with this one was doing a spooky theme (Halloween) in non-threatening pastels.

[Violet Bats + Sonar by Su_G_Pillow sham_mockup]

Design Challenge entry: 'Towel Surfing in East Fork colors + patterns by Su_G': on an off-white ground (#f8f5ec); my entry in Spoonflower's'Boardsports' Design Challenge. (wallpaper mockup c/o Spoonflower)

Original: Line art + multimedia.

© Su Schaefer 2021

Towel surfing being like couch surfing, only better, as once the surfboard's arranged on the towel, it's all LOLling from there on!

See more ‘East Fork’ designs by Su_G.

The link for voting will be/ was www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=589 - open for one week only. So far there are 582 entries (fewer than many recent contests!). Voting could be awash with surf & surfboards, but there are some other boardsports represented!

[Towel Surfing in East Fork colors + patterns by Su_G_wallpaper_mockup]

‘Agents of Phantasmagoria: Psilocybin Mycelium by Su_G’: My entry in Spoonflower's 'Phantasmagoria' Design Challenge. Original: Watercolour on paper.

(mockup c/o Spoonflower)

© Su Schaefer 2021

My inspiration was the film 'Fantastic Fungi' which as well as being full of very beautiful images, carries an inspirational message of hope and connection - just as transformational fungi connect in underground networks that look much like our neural networks. Surely there's a message in this!

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=610 - open for one week only. Tons of fabulous Phantasmagoria-themed designs among the 515 entries so get yourself comfortable before you look &/or vote...

[Agents of Phantasmagoria-Psilocybin Mycelium_wallpaper_mockup]

'Lizards under the hex by Su_G': detail of the design (part-design only - approx. equivalent to an 8 x 8 inch swatch @ 228 ppi) for clearer viewing. My entry in the Spoonflower Hexagons Design Challenge.

Line art & lizards (they just would keep popping in & out)

© Su Schaefer 2017

These lizards first featured in my 'Lizards of the Caribbean by Su_G' - from which clearly several of them have escaped...

See 'Lizards under the hex by Su_G' as fabric

[Lizards under the hex by Su_G_design-detail@228ppi]

’Gray Oxen by Su_G': some decorated, some textured, a gray ox fantasy, and my entry in Spoonflower's 'Year of the Ox' Design Challenge. (mockup c/o Spoonflower)

Original: Poster pen + line art textures

© Su Schaefer 2021

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=583 - open for one week only. So far there are 671 entries, and voting could be fun for those who like Oxen (and perhaps Chinese culture as some designs give a nod to this aspect) - and there are many terrific entries.

[Gray Oxen by Su_G_table runner_mockup]

’It's a jungle in here (wall hanging/ tea towel) by Su_G' (www.spoonflower.com/fabric/12274598): My entry in Spoonflower's 'Indoor Garden Wall Hangings' Design Challenge.

(mockup c/o Spoonflower)

Original: Metallic oil on canvas + Photoshop manipulations.

Relates to ( 'It’s a jungle in there by Su_G'): My entry in the 'Tropical Surrealism' Design Challenge.

© Su Schaefer 2021

Designed for Linen Cotton Canvas wall hanging or fat quarter tea towel/s. Includes cutting lines to make it easier to cut four wall hangings or tea towels from one yard of Linen Cotton Canvas (54 inches wide). Cut-and-sew: to complete the project: wash, iron, cut, and hem (or zigzag). Give as garden gifts - with or without plants!

The link for voting was www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=621 - open for one week only. Many fabulous designs among the 685 or so entries!

[It's a jungle in here (wall hanging or tea towel) by Su_G_wall hanging_mockup]

’Lull to Sleep - hand-painted impasto swirls by Su_G': Soothing deep dark midnight blues in hand-painted swirly oil paint impasto. My entry in Spoonflower's 'Sweet Dreams Bedding' Design Challenge. © Su Schaefer 2023

Shown as duvet and pillow covers in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower). I personally would love to sleep in this design.

Sorry that the new voting system still has bugs... www.spoonflower.com/design-challenge/sweet-dreams-bedding... is the link for voting - generally open for one week only.

BUT be warned! There may be about 1,700 entries, many of which will have little to no relationship to the brief (Sweet Dreams Bedding) & we're still playing spot the AI-generated entries (they're the ones with strange numbers of fingers and toes & other body part mistakes that humans don't do).

If you do feel reckless and decide for the "new and exciting" voting experience please let me have some quotable quotes re what worked and what didn't so I can pass them on to Spoonflower. Thank you! :-)

But I understand if that's too much.

[Lull to Sleep by Su_g - bed linen mockup]

Design Challenge entry: 'Two Blue Cats: Dotty by Su_G' in a tea towel mockup (c/o Spoonflower + Roostery). This became my entry as what I wanted to enter looked terrible with a gray filter applied needlessly to the whole of it... So I made my husband choose, and this was it.

I quite like it (it grew on me overnight) but it's a different aesthetic to the previous which was more 'high drama'. (or too... too... too red... as husband said).

Still, you cannot have too many Blue Cats, especially if one is dotty. :-)

Original: Watercolor & line art.

© Su Schaefer 2019

See ‘Two Blue Cats: Dotty, by Su_G’: as fabric @ Spoonflower.

THIS LINK MAY NOT WORK: See ‘Two Blue Cats: Dotty, by Su_G’: as that special edition tea towel @ Roostery.

[Two Blue Cats-Dotty by Su_G_tea towel_mockup]

’Walk those dots, cats! by Su_G': a dot cat fantasy, my entry in the 'Yellow and Gray' Design Challenge. (mockup c/o Spoonflower)

Original: Line art

© Su Schaefer 2021

See more 'cat' designs by Su_G.

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=582 - open for one week only. So far there are >1,000 entries(!), and voting should be fun for those who are in tune with this colour scheme - many terrific entries already.

[Walk those dots, cats! by Su G_bedding_mockup]

‘Skeletal trees in Prussian Blue + variations on white by Su_G': continuing the tree theme of the 'Modern Farmhouse' Collection by Su_G, and my entry in the 'Monochrome Moments' Design Challenge.

© Su Schaefer 2022

Because I'm walking yet another new neighborhood (moved house again) and there are all sorts of new trees to admire, many of which are in their bare winter splendour. Once again, a neighbor has a gingko tree (are they following me?) with a good form for shade and those wonderfully shaped leaves. In Spring I may do another design for the sequence...

Shown as curtain panels in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower).

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=655 - open for one week only. A wide-open contest based around the use of monochromes with around 1300+ entries.

[Skeletal trees in Prussian Blue + variations on white by Su_G_curtain panels mockup]

'Andy's Blue Pandas Ultra-Steady Steady State by Su_G': my entry in Spoonflower's 'Pantone Ultra-Steady Wallpaper' Design Challenge. Hand drawn in ink pen + line art. © Su Schaefer 2023

Only colors from the Pantone-curated Ultra-Steady palette and suggested color harmonies complementing the palette were used.

My inspirations included a recent Andy Warhol exhibition which features his giant red panda, and real life pandas at Adelaide Zoo. If you want to know more about Giant Panda Bears this is a nice page with lots of information from Adelaide zoo, where I first saw them in the flesh. At that time, one fell asleep half-way through a doorway. They might have simply been exhausted by so many visitors, but it looked like an ultra-steady state to me. :-)

Shown as wallpaper in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower).

New voting system still has bugs still being ironed out. The link for voting may be www.spoonflower.com/design-challenge/pantone-ultra-steady... - open for one week only. BUT be warned! There will be about 1,700 entries, many of which will have little to no relationship to the brief (using the Pantone steady-state restricted palette) & we're still playing spot the AI-generated entries (they're the ones with strange numbers of fingers and toes & other body part mistakes that humans don't do).

If you do feel reckless and decide for the "new and exciting" voting experience please let me have some quotable quotes re what worked and what didn't so I can pass them on to Spoonflower. Thank you! :-)

[Andy's Blue Pandas Ultra-Steady Steady State by Su_G_wallpaper_mockup]

'Italian Villa Gardens Wallpaper by Su_G'. Original: Hand drawn line art. © Su Schaefer 2023

My entry in Spoonflower's 'Italian Villa Wallpaper' Design Challenge. Contemporary gardens for modern people.

Shown as wallpaper in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower).

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=689 - open for one week only. Expect a wide open field: my guess is for about 1500 entries as there are already 1317 (down from 1361) entries in this contest (could reduce).

[Italian Villa Gardens Wallper by Su_G_wallpaper_mockup]

’On the Sunny Side of the Waves by Su_G': sunny-side optimism for better times ahead, and my entry in Spoonflower's 'Petal Solids Coordinates: Optimism' Design Challenge. Original: Ink pen + paper. © Su Schaefer 2022

As per the design brief, I used 'Lemon Lime' (#EBDD1F) and 'Watermelon' (#DF737B), together with black and white, imagining my design in this "bright and warm palette" being used for fun bedding and pillows.

Shown as bedding (sheets & pillow cases) in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower).

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=649 - open for one week only. A wide-open contest based around the use of a few set colours plus, and *only* (tongue very much in cheek) 1200+ entries!

[On the Sunny Side of the Waves by Su_G_bedding_mockup]

‘Wolf spider eyes at night by Su_G’: My entry in Spoonflower's 'Nocturnal Animals' Design Challenge.

Line art.

(mockup c/o Spoonflower)

© Su Schaefer 2021

Most spiders have eight eyes (but they can have up to twelve). Most wolf spiders (Lycosidae) hunt in dusk and moonlight. Their four large posterior eyes have well-developed tapeta (light reflecting crystals) which help them spot prey movement in low light. At night, they can be easily seen as the tapeta in their large eyes shine bright in torchlight.

Source: Australian Museum.

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=611 - open for one week only. Lots of gorgeous nocturnal animal-themed designs (look out for the spiders & slugs!) among the 776 entries so get yourself comfortable before you look &/or vote...

[Wolf spider eyes at night by Su_G_cushion_mockup]

'The Murderous Side of Ice by Su_G': my entry in the 'Ice Crystals' Design Challenge (inspired by murderous tales of ice crystals and picks used as weapons, of which there are a surprisingly large number; and Opera Balilla posters of the 1930s, most in much neater ranks than this).

(mockup c/o Spoonflower)

Original: Felt pen on paper.

© Su Schaefer 2021

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=614 - open for one week only. There will be many gorgeous snowflake designs among the 840 entries so get comfortable before you start...

[The Murderous side of ice by Su_G_throw rug_mockup]

'60s floral reimagined by Su_G': combining three loves: flower power in bright colors and dots, with a Mary Quant vibe from the sixties. My entry in Spoonflower's 'Retro Floral Curtains' Design Challenge. © Su Schaefer 2022

Shown as curtain panels in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower).

Florals usually attract LOTS of entries.The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=660 - open for one week only. My guess is for about 1500 entries. Close! It's 1436 entries as I write this!

[60s floral reimagined by Su_G_curtain panels_mockup]

’Our fair blue Earth + Moon (Worlds within Worlds) by Su_G': entry in Spoonflower + Peppermint Magazine's 'What a Wonderful World' Design Challenge. © Su Schaefer 2023

The brief says “the sky’s the limit” as we draw inspiration from the natural world to create a design for use in apparel fabric - and who wouldn't want to wear ‘our fair blue earth + moon’? Coming soon: Mars!

"Trust in your process... what you intend will make sense in the end."

– SHUH LEE, ISSUE 57

Shown in a kimono coat in the mockup.

Sorry that the new voting system remains slow & buggy, really hoping that improves soon... www.spoonflower.com/design-challenge/what-a-wonderful-world-2023-06/vote may be the link for voting - open for a week only. Expect ~2,000 entries.

[Our fair blue Earth + Moon by Su_G_kimono mockup]

‘Doodle with bugs by Su_G’: my entry in Spoonflower’s ‘Doodlebugs’ Design Challenge. You may have to use the 'fabric' link and peer hard to see these doodle bugs. Hand- painted using digital oil paint + finished with felt pen. © Su Schaefer 2023

I loved using paint to do my doodles. Doodling my bugs taught me that a dot of white works twice as hard as any other colour. For the doodle without the bugs see ‘Doodle without bugs by Su_G’.

Shown as a cushion in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower) with a close up beside so you can see (seek) the bugs...

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=693 - open for one week only. BUT be warned! There are about 1,700 entries, as we speak, and (much as I hate to say this) if previous contests are anything to go by, many entries will have little to no relationship to the brief (doodle bugs). There is a new game in town though: spot the AI-generated entries (contrary to rules, but hey, rules, shmools, rules are for fools, and other sayings of our times).

[Doodle with bugs by Su_G_cushion mockup + CU]

’Ickle pickle, faint + fickle by Su_G': olive, gray and teal circles encased in white and teal circles marked out with textured gray on white linen-look slices. Entry in Spoonflower's 'Reworked Classics' Design Challenge. The original designs - of which this is a rework that introduces new colors as well as arrangements - were built around the concept of pickles, which I can't seem to get away from... Must try harder!

Original: Line art. © Su Schaefer 2022

See more pickle designs by Su_G.

Shown as non-pasted traditional pebble wallpaper (quite an interesting texture) in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower).

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=647 - open for one week only. A wide-open contest with the theme of 'Reworked Classics' and *only* (tongue very much in cheek) 1200+ entries!

'Textured Flecked Frankl by Su_G': my entry in the 'Neutral Geometric Wallpaper' Design Challenge, in cream, grays and dun, with a dash of bright yellow (inspired by Paul T Frankl's man's cabinet, c. 1938).

(mockup c/o Spoonflower)

Original: Oil incl. metallic oil, on canvas.

© Su Schaefer 2021

Related designs are 'Masculine Frankl' and 'Flecked Frankl by Su_G' (with black + white flecks on one of the half moons).

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=612 - open for one week only. There will be many gorgeous wallpaper designs among the 1198 entries so get comfortable before you start...

[Textured Flecked Frankl by Su_G_wallpaper_mockup]

'Eye of Horus by Su_G': in simulated gold, lapis lazuli and anthracite; my entry in Spoonflower's 'Talismans' Design Challenge. (throw rug mockup c/o Spoonflower)

Original: hand-drawn in metallic oils (tube, roller) on paper.

© Su Schaefer 2021

The Eye of Horus is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, power, and good health – things we all need!

See more ‘Egyptian’ themed designs by Su_G.

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=585 - open for one week only. So far there are about 800 entries (a popular theme!). Voting could be fun as the talismans are very diverse!

[Eye of Horus by Su_G_throw rug_mockup]

Design Challenge entry: 'The break up of the ice by Su_G': cushions (mockup c/o Roostery)

My entry in the Spoonflower Bird’s eye view Design Challenge.

Line art

© Su Schaefer 2019

Apart from our theoretical bird, with its eye view, notice the strange absence of any wildlife... ice no longer thick enough for calving seals... or polar bears... insufficient plankton to feed whales...

See ‘The break up of the ice by Su_G’ as fabric @ Spoonflower

See more ‘statement art’ designs by Su_G.

[The break up of the ice by Su_G_cushions_mockup]

'Whimsical Watercolors Toms by Su_G': detail of the design for clearer viewing (part-design only - approx. equivalent to an 8" x 8" @ 270 ppi; somewhat smaller scale than currently set for voter viewing).

My entry in the Spoonflower and Skillshare Whimsical Watercolor Fruit Design Challenge.

Watercolor on canvas

© Su Schaefer 2017

I learnt a lot about tomatoes deconstructing them to paint. For instance, the inside is always darker than the outside. Seeds are essential. Internal structure can vary enormously. I feel I never really looked at a tomato properly up until now.

See 'Whimsical Watercolors Toms by Su_G' as fabric at Spoonflower

[Whimsical Watercolors Toms by Su_G_design detail@270ppi]

’Rosie the Footballer by Su_G': Celebrating the achievement of USA women's football in reaching a landmark equal pay settlement with US Soccer. My entry in Spoonflower's 'International Women’s Day Wall Hangings' Design Challenge. Truly, every day from now on, on the football field, as well as in Spoonflower, "may as well be International Women’s Day!" as the design brief says. Ink pen on paper, referencing that well known icon of women's work from the war years: 'Rosie the Riveter'. It could be Rosie's great-grand-daughters playing football (soccer) and getting paid properly for it in the future.

Shown upright as a wall hanging in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower). © Su Schaefer 2022

For a nice summary of the ins and outs of the settlement, see 'USA women's football team reaches landmark $33m equal pay settlement with US Soccer' as reported by the ABC, Australia's national broadcaster.

Designed for Linen Cotton Canvas wall hanging or fat quarter tea towel/s.

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=636 - open for one week only. Many fabulous designs among the 444 entries!

[Rosie the Footballer by Su_G_©SuSchaefer2022_wallhanging_mockup]

’Disco Dance A Lot by Su_G': My entry in Spoonflower's 'Disco Revival' Design Challenge. Original: Metallic oil on canvas. © Su Schaefer 2022

Shown as cocktail napkins (small napkins, ~ 10" x 10") in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower).

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=651 - open for one week only. Lots of fun designs channeling the best of disco retro and revival and *only* 791 entries!

[Disco Dance A Lot by Su_G_cocktail napkins_mockup]

'Lightning-struck White hat, Black hat, by Su_G'. My entry in Spoonflower's 'Eclectic Witch' Design Challenge. Original: vector line art. © Su Schaefer 2022

Shown as wallpaper in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower).

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=661 - open for one week only. My guess is for about 1200 entries. Not even close! It's 970 entries as I write this!

[Lightning-struck White hat Black hat by Su_G_wallpaper_mockup]

'Happy Birthday Spoonflower Birthday Party Table Linens by Su_G': my entry in Spoonflower's 'Birthday Party Table Linens' Design Challenge - to celebrate Spoonflower turning fifteen in May. Happy birthday Spoonflower! Hand drawn line art. © Su Schaefer 2023

'Birthday Party Table Linens by Su_G' is a simpler version.

Shown as a table runner & napkins in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower).

New voting system has bugs still being ironed out. The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=694 - open for one week only. BUT be warned! There will be about 1,700 entries, many of which will have little to no relationship to the brief (reusable birthday table linen) & we're still playing spot the AI-generated entries (they're the ones with strange numbers of fingers and toes & other body part mistakes that humans don't do).

[Happy Birthday Spoonflower! Birthday Party Linens by Su_G_table runner_mockup]

'Emany by Su_G': design detail & close up (part-design only).

My entry in Spoonflower's African Art Memphis Brooks Museum of Art design challenge. Line art.

© Su Schaefer 2017

THANKS to everyone who voted &/or faved this design: so happy to report that it placed 38th out of 325 total entries (with 210 validated votes) in a great contest with many many fabulous entries. :-)

See 'Emany by Su_G' as fabric at Spoonflower

See more 'African inspired' designs by Su_G.

[Emany by Su_G_detail_part-design]

'Canadian Winter Wildlife by Su_G' in a fabric mockup (c/o Spoonflower, part design only)

'Canadian Winter Willdlife by Su_G': a one yard cheater quilt and my entry in the Canadian Wildlife Design Challenge, featuring wintry weather and cold-loving creatures: Arctic hare, beaver, moose, polar bear, seal, whale, walrus. © Su Schaefer 2020

Creating this design reminded me of being fooled by the lifesize - or was it more than lifesize? - moose on the outskirts of Moose Jaw when driving in from Vancouver in the middle of winter in a distant year... It was the first time I ever saw snow, which I thought was the suds from an out-of-control washing machine in the traffic ahead, approaching Seattle... (the stories we tell ourselves!). I loved the sound of snow chains, clinking on the road; another memory that returns. I hated having cold feet: it took a while to outfit appropriately for cross-country travels in Canada in winter, the like of which cold I had never experienced in my warm country.

I'll try & remember to add a link for voting when it opens if anyone's interested!

[Note to self: scale needs to be larger scale for the cheater quilt purpose after voting closes.]

[Canadian Winter Wildlife by Su_G_©SuSchaefer] 38/6

‘What’s up, Buttercup? by Su_G' (www.spoonflower.com/designs/15180181): entry in Spoonflower's 'Buttercups Home Decor' Design Challenge. © Su Schaefer 2023

I imagine this design used for pillows or cushions. Thanks to Lotte, one of my Life Drawing group’s models. Two phrases ran through my head as I created this design: I used one for the title (apparently it *is* an actual saying), and the other was the title of a chart-topping song by The Foundations in 1968: ‘Build me up Buttercup’, guaranteed to cheer you up and this link uses a flower (guess which one) for the songster: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSofzQURQDk

Mockup c/o Spoonflower

Sorry that the new voting system still (sigh) has bugs... www.spoonflower.com/design-challenge/Buttercups is the link for voting - patience needed as can take a long time to get past the gray boxes stage - generally open for one week only.

BUT be warned! There will probably be around 1500 entries, and in previous contests they have been hard to see.

If you do feel reckless and decide for the "new and exciting" voting experience please let me have some quotable quotes re what worked and what didn't so I can pass them on to Spoonflower. Thank you! :-)

But I understand if that's too much.

[What's Up, Buttercup by Su_G_pillow_mockup]

‘Skeletal trees in Prussian Blue + variations on white by Su_G': continuing the tree theme of the 'Modern Farmhouse' Collection by Su_G, and my entry in the 'Monochrome Moments' Design Challenge.

© Su Schaefer 2022

Because I'm walking yet another new neighborhood (moved house again) and there are all sorts of new trees to admire, many of which are in their bare winter splendour. Once again, a neighbor has a gingko tree (are they following me?) with a good form for shade and those wonderfully shaped leaves. In Spring I may do another design for the sequence...

Shown as bedding (pillow sham & sheets) in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower).

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=655 - open for one week only. A wide-open contest based around the use of monochromes with around 1300+ entries.

[Skeletal trees in Prussian Blue + variations on white by Su_G_pillow sham + sheet mockup]

'60s floral reimagined by Su_G': combining three loves: flower power in bright colors and dots, with a Mary Quant vibe from the sixties. My entry in Spoonflower's 'Retro Floral Curtains' Design Challenge. © Su Schaefer 2022

Shown as a table runner in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower). I like the way the mockup software has centered the design perfectly (it isn't always so smart).

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=660 - open for one week only. Florals usually attract LOTS of entries: my guess is for about 1500 entries.

[60s floral reimagined by Su_G_table runner_mockup]

’Reading transports us by Su_G': My entry in Spoonflower's 'Cozy Reading' Design Challenge. (Wallpaper mockup c/o Spoonflower).

Ink pen + paper, after Lucienne Day.

© Su Schaefer 2020

I was struck by some of the really interesting things that people - often authors themselves - have said about 'reading'. A sample of those I was thinking about as I worked my design:

-- Reading transports us - to other lives, times, places. [—my version but pretty sure lots of others have also said this]

-- If there was more reading there would be less war. [—if Yoko Ono didn't say this I must have been channeling someone else]

-- Reading—the best state yet to keep absolute loneliness at bay. —William Styron

-- Reading makes immigrants of us all. It takes us away from home, but more important, it finds homes for us everywhere. —Jean Rhys [my personal favourite]

and the rather more flippant:

-- People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading. —Logan Pearsall Smith

The link for voting is www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=572 - open for one week only. There are 517 entries so far. Voting could be fun; even tea towel fanciers may be glad to have a rest from tea towel designs!

[Reading transports us by Su_G_wallpaper_mockup]

Design Challenge entry: 'See the Trees by Su_G': my entry in Spoonflower's 'From My Window' Design Challenge.

(cushions mockup c/o Spoonflower)

Original: Hand-drawn in ink pen on paper.

© Su Schaefer 2021

Relates to 'See the Wood for the Trees (Pelican Gold) by Su_G', which is a color variation of 'See the Wood for the Trees (Green) by Su_G': my entry in Spoonflower's 'Continuous Line Contour' Design Challenge (placed 74th out of a field of 750 entries - thanks to everyone who voted!).

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=591 - open for one week only. So far there are 730 entries (fewer than many recent contests!). Voting could be fun as designers have seen many different things from their windows!

[See the Trees by Su_G_cushions_mockup]

’Melba's Cheeky Peaches by Su_G': a cheeky take on Peach Melba - the dessert created by French chef Auguste Escoffier in 1893 to honour Nellie Melba, the Australian soprano - and my entry in Spoonflower's 'Stone Fruit' Design Challenge.

(mockup c/o Spoonflower)

Original: Chalk-drawn peaches on a linen-weave background.

© Su Schaefer 2021

And while we're here, let's have a shout out to SF's challenge partner LokoKitchen's pies - works of art, one and all - see them @ www.lokokitchen.com/

To me this proves that art can be everywhere that creative people are!

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=606 - open for one week only. So far there are (only) 930 entries - so we might need to sit down with a piece of pie to keep our energy up while voting...

[Melba's Cheeky Peaches by Su_G_Tea Towel_Mockup]

'Dolphins swimming in bioluminescence by Su_G' in a tablecloth mockup (c/o Spoonflower & Roostery).

Midnight blue background sea. My entry in Spoonflower's Bioluminescence Design Challenge.

Original: Airbrush on paper

© Su Schaefer 2020,

with thanks to photographer Patrick Coyne, whose footage of dolphins swimming through bioluminescent waters, creating luminous wakes (footage shot at Newport Beach, California) was my inspiration. The following includes a link to the YouTube footage which is fabulous, ~59 secs; as well as some discussion on how he did it and just how hard it was: petapixel.com/2020/04/25/photographer-captures-dolphins-s....

Apparently the "bioluminescence has sweet spots to where it shows up and then fades away so while on the water it’s impossible to just find it" and “Not only that but actually finding any type of animal in pitch black is just so ridiculously hard. Conditions have to be absolutely perfect [for] the bioluminescence to show up and to have an animal swim through it so we can film it." He shared more details on cameras, apertures, etc. used as well. Thank you Patrick Coyne!

[Dolpins swimming in bioluminescence by Su_G_tablecloth_mockup]

'Mix It Ditsy Mixers by Su_G': My entry in the Kitchen Wisdom Design Challenge, continuing my love affair with the mixmaster, and adding alphabet characters for good measure. (Mockup c/o Spoonflower)

Watercolor on canvas (mixmasters), and digital hand-drawn letters.

© Su Schaefer 2020

A yard of Linen Cotton Canvas (54 inches wide) includes cutting lines to cut four (4) tea towels. Cut-and-sew: to complete the project: wash, iron, cut, and hem (or zigzag) to give as gifts!

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=569 - open for one week only. There are 341, no, make that 327 entries so far. Voting could be fun, especially for tea towel fanciers (I have found & given as gifts some real beauties over the years - and there are many in this set that could make food preparation easier).

[Mix It Ditsy Mixer by Su_G tea towel_mockup]

‘Snails + Mail by Su_G’: My entry in Spoonflower's Snail Mail Design Challenge. (Mockup c/o Spoonflower - if you were planning to hold a vote counting party this could be a good start for the decor...)

Original: pen on paper.

© Su Schaefer 2020

In my city the mail often arrives pre-loved by snails. They're particularly fond of stamps. Maybe it's the glue.

The link for voting will be / was www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=573 - open for one week only. There are 530 entries so far. Voting could be fun as I expect lots of different takes on the snail mail theme!

[Snails + Mail by Su_G_tablerunner_mockup]

’Not Martini (Olive in a pickle) by Su_G': olive circles encased in irregular teal martini glass rims with odd lemon slices, on a lightly textured gray on white linen-look ground. Entry in Spoonflower's 'Home Hobbies' Design Challenge. This was a home hobby I did not take up - although I often considered it, especially when I read how many were spending how much at the relevant outlets... disinformation or truth? The next week an item would claim the opposite. A bit like the lemon wedges in my design, precariously balanced - as so much in life is... including home hobbies.

Original: Line art. © Su Schaefer 2022

Shown as wallpaper in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower).

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=645 - open for one week only. A narrowly focused contest (for a change!) with many fabulous 'home hobby' designs among the 800+ entries!

[Not martini-Olive in a pickle_wallpaper_mockup]

'Busby Beagles by Su_G': design detail & close up (part-only).

Busby Beagles in perfect synchrony, showing off for 2018, the Year of the Dog. My entry in Spoonflower's Year of the Dog Design Challenge.

Line art. © Su Schaefer 2017

See 'Busby Beagles by Su_G' as fabric at Spoonflower, and as cushions, bedding and various other soft furnishings @ Roostery 'Busby Beagles by Su_G' - on a cushion!

[Busby Beagles by Su_G_design detail_part-only]

'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary + Thyme by Su_G': my entry in Spoonflower's 'Vegetable & Herb Gardens' Design Challenge.

(mockup c/o Spoonflower)

Original: Scanned herbs + line art (process note below).

© Su Schaefer 2021

From the lyrics of the old English traditional:

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

Remember me to one who lives there

She once was a true love of mine"

My process was to collect a sample of each herb from my kitchen garden, then to scan, tidy and arrange them, warts and all. Hence you can see that I have plenty of leaf-eating caterpillars in my garden!

The link for voting - after June 15th - will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=602 - open for one week only. So far there are xxx entries - more than enough waterways for everyone...

[Parsley, Sage, Rosemary + Thyme by Su_G_bed linen_mockup]

’Damask unmasked by Su_G': hand-painted, reconstructed damask, my entry in Spoonflower's 'Reimagined Damask Wallpaper' Design Challenge.

(mockup c/o Spoonflower)

Original: Oil on paper.

© Su Schaefer 2021

Somewhat related to ’Victorian Error by Su_G': post-modern, deconstructed damask, and my entry in Spoonflower's 'Victorian Era' Design Challenge. © Su Schaefer 2018

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=581 - open for one week only. So far there are 1006 entries(!), and voting should be fun as the challenge of reimagining damask sets interesting boundaries while inviting creativity. I've seen many terrific entries already.

[Damask unmasked by Su_G_wallpaper_mockup]

’I realized that I could do anything, Wall hanging + Calendar by Su_G': My entry in Spoonflower's 'Modern Motivational Posters Wall Hangings Design Challenge.

(mockup c/o Spoonflower)

Original: Original: Hand-drawn + decorated. (Relates to 'Four sets of faces (for embroidery) by Su_G': embroidery for moderns; my entry in Spoonflower's 'Embroidery Template' Design Challenge.)

© Su Schaefer 2021

Inspired by the life and times of Vivienne Westwood, who said: ‘I realised after Pirates [her fashion collection] that I didn’t have to qualify my ideas. I could do anything I liked; it was only a question of how I did it that would make it original. I realised that I could go on for ever.’ Vivienne Westwood as cited in: Westwood, Vivienne and Kelly, Ian. Vivienne Westwood. Lon: Picador; 2014, p. 258.

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=620 - open for one week only. Many fabulous designs among the 580 or so entries!

Designed for Linen Cotton Canvas wall hanging or fat quarter tea towel/s. Includes cutting lines to make it easier to cut four tea towels from a yard of Linen Cotton Canvas (54 inches wide). Cut-and-sew: to complete the project: wash, iron, cut, and hem (or zigzag). Give as inspirational gifts!

[I realized that I could do anything v2 by Su_G]

Black kite uses fire by Su_G': entry in Spoonflower's 'Birds of Prey Wallpaper' Design Challenge. © Su Schaefer 2023

My design features the Black Kite, a tool-using Australian bird that spreads fire to hunt prey. Aboriginal traditions, across multiple groups in different areas, portray birds of prey as animals which carry fire… and field research has now confirmed this for black kite, brown falcon. Some say people learned from birds. For more, see sevenages.org/environmental-issues/birds-of-prey-in-austr...

Shown as a wallpaper mockup c/o Spoonflower.

Sorry that the new voting system still (sigh) has bugs... www.spoonflower.com/design-challenge/Birds of Prey Wallpaper is the link for voting - generally open for one week only.

BUT be warned! There are about 950 entries, some of which are not very visible in the low quality rendered wallpaper mockups (those actual designs I checked are of much higher quality).

If you do feel reckless and decide for the "new and exciting" voting experience please let me have some quotable quotes re what worked and what didn't so I can pass them on to Spoonflower. Thank you! :-)

But I understand if that's too much.

[Black kite uses fire by Su_G_wallpaper_mockup]

'Sunshine cheerful check by Su_G': my entry in Spoonflower's 'Cheerful Checks' Design Challenge. © Su Schaefer 2022 ~ with thanks to Sean Conaty for his excellent plaidmaker software. Along the way I wondered: where does a check stop and a plaid start? Some definitions have plaids as subsets of checks (my source is sewguide.com/checkered-pattern/), I bet there are some good arguments to be had on this subject!

I reused the strong colors from 'Sitting on Sunshine, Garden Party Picnic Blanket Plaid by Su_G': my entry in Spoonflower's 'Garden Party' Design Challenge - which itself sampled colors from my 'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary + Thyme by Su_G' (entry in Spoonflower's 'Vegetable and Herb Gardens' Design Challenge). Again, just like working with plaids, it's a lot harder than it looks to get a good result. But also enjoyable. :-)

Shown as bedding (pillow shams & sheets) in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower).

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=656 - open for one week only. A wide-open contest on the theme of cheerful checks, & my guess is for about 1200 entries. Wrong! It's ~1310 entries as I write this!

[Sunshine cheerful check by Su_G_bedding_mockup]

'Dotty Doggy Memphis: Colored Dalmatian or Great Dane Dots on White by Su_G': My entry in Spoonflower's 'Abstract Animal Print Curtains' Design Challenge.

Line art. © Su Schaefer 2023

Relates to 'Great Dog Dots by Su_G'. Great Danes (Deutsche Doggen) can be every bit as dotty as Dalmatians…

See more 'animal print' designs by Su_G.

Shown as fabric in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower) - although voters will see it as curtains - in which mockup I think the humor of the design is lost.

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=691 - open for one week only. BUT be warned! There are about 1,635 entries, as we speak, and (much as I hate to say this) if previous contests are anything to go by, many entries will have little to no relationship to the brief (abstract animal print curtains).

[Dotty Doggy Memphis by Su_G_©SuSchaefer2023_fabric_mockup]

‘Micro-macro by Su_G’: My entry in the 'Microscopic Worlds' Design Challenge. (mockup c/o Spoonflower) Original: Ink pen and paper. © Su Schaefer 2020

Although I cannot remember the author, a science fiction story revolving around how a microcosm was actually someones else's macrocosm impressed me no end, and inspired my design for this contest.

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=575 - open for one week only. There are 344, no, make that 359, no, make that >600 entries so far. Voting could be fun - I've already seen lots of interesting designs!

[Micro-macro by Su_G_cushion_mockup]

‘Pick Up Sticks by Su_G’: My entry in Spoonflower's 'Game Night' Design Challenge. (mockup c/o Spoonflower)

Original: Line art.

© Su Schaefer 2020

A game of nerves and manual dexterity! The object is to pick up the most sticks from a bundle that's been dropped in a close and tangled pile: the more tangled, the more challenging. In the version I last played the black stick was a special stick: once extricated you could use it to pick up other sticks. Different colours scored different nos. of points.

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=574 - open for one week only. There are 518 entries so far. Voting could be fun - I've already seen tons of excellent designs!

[Pick Up Sticks by Su_G_doona+pillow_mockup]

‘Alien Flo Seeding by Su_G’: My entry in Spoonflower's 'Otherworldly Botanicals' Design Challenge. Original: Line art + Ink pen on paper. © Su Schaefer 2022

I was thinking about the sheer otherworldliness of mass coral spawning events when I created this – but of course they are less colourful.

Shown as bed linen in the mockup (c/o Spoonflower).

The link for voting will be www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=663 - open for one week only. My guess is for about 1200 entries. Close - it's 1181 entries in total...

[Alien Flo Seeding by Su_G_Bedding_Mockup]