Whilst most of the fashion and retail sectors around the world are frantically getting ready for Black Friday, we are going about our business as usual. You see, here at Digital Fabrics we are reminded daily of the resources that go into textile and garment production and sadly a lot of it goes to waste not long after it has been purchased.
Black Friday, a once purely American notion for post-Thanksgiving sales has now become an international sensation with shoppers going mad for savings of up to 75%. Last year, Australians spent $8 billion snapping up bargains and 2022 is shaping up to be even bigger. Where for many families participation in sales is a necessity, most of the Black Friday buyers buy out of frenzy and without knowledge of the environmental harm it causes.
Now, we know what you may think. With cost-of-living rising across the board, what’s the harm in saving some of your hard-earned dollars on a new wardrobe or some Christmas shopping? The eco-damage caused by Black Friday is growing year-on-year, but there is also a growing number of people who are working to put a stop to this.
The Slow Fashion Movement
We believe in the Slow Fashion Movement – an international community challenging apparel companies to do better when it comes to their production and marketing of their products.
Put simply, ‘fast-fashion’ is the use of unsustainable practices when it comes to apparel production. We’ve all snapped up a cheap pair of jeans, a sundress or pair of sheets. The reality is – we are unintentionally contributing to the destruction of the planet and the exploitation of vulnerable women and children in third-world countries.
Fast-fashion is actively contributing to climate change, the wastage of water and the pollution of rivers and oceans. And that’s before the clothes have even left the factory for distribution.
The Slow Fashion Movement estimates that only 10% of clothes are recycled. That means only one-tenth of every piece of apparel bought in markets like Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada or Europe is either handed-down or sold in second hand stores. Leaving 90% of clothing being thrown out, contributing to carbon emissions and landfills all over the world.
Then there’s the human side of the issue. The World Bank Group has estimated the $3.5 trillion fast-fashion industry employs over 60 million workers internationally. Whilst over 97% of fashion and retail brands have codes of conduct and corporate social responsibility policies, the reality is they often don’t prevent forced labor or horrendous working conditions.
The good news is, together we can change things and make a difference. We love sharing our passion for Slow Fashion, so here are some small actions you, your friends and family can take instead of shopping online this Black Friday.
‘Thanks, It’s Vintage’
With vintage and thrifting always in fashion, our city and suburban second-hand shops are jam packed full of amazing, affordable apparel just ready to be snapped up. This ensures perfectly good items have a second or a third life.
Design your own fabrics!
An amazing way to express yourself both creatively and sustainably. At Digital Fabrics we can bring your vision to life using water-based inks which are more environmentally friendly than oil-based or solvent-based alternatives.
Needle and thread.
Consider yourself a beginner sewer? Don’t be afraid to try making your own clothes! No sewing experience? Read our blog post with our best projects for sewing beginners!
No-Buy Friday.
You can make a difference this Black Friday by making a conscious decision to ditch the shopping spree.
Do it for the ‘Gram.
Share the love and your creativity on social media via the #slowfashion tag which has over 14.5 million posts. Created something with us? You can show off your new Digital Fabrics creation via our handle @digitalfabrics
Fashion is all about expressing yourself and your values. Together, we can challenge the status-quo and wear our clothes with pride, knowing we are making a difference.
On of our passion here at Digital Fabrics is sustainability and making it accessible in the fabrics industry. And it’s Christmas, so in the spirit of giving we love to share some clever ways to spread sustainability in a festive way.
Christmas Wrapping with Fabric (Furoshiki)
Image via Pintrest
In Australia alone we use more than 150,000km of wrapping paper over Christmas. That’s enough paper to wrap the planet nearly four times, which is far too much only to be discarded immediately after opening gifts! We’ve been adoring the art of Furoshiki that has been practiced in Japan for 1200 years with its distinctive style of fabric-wrapping. Furoshiki is a beautiful way to display thoughtfulness, as well as being eco-friendly. Here’s a great guide on Furoshiki wrapping. Or you might like to follow our DIY Beeswax Wrap tutorial, which is perfect for wrapping smaller presents. The terrific part about this is that the wrap can then be used to cover leftover food after Christmas lunch!
Homemade bon-bons
Image Jasmine Dowling for Etsy 2017
We love this stellar example of getting creative in a sustainable way. Christmas bon-bons are a staple at every festive lunch or dinner table. Often inside store-bought bon-bons are useless plastic toys that serve no real purpose further than a quick laugh and just create more waste each year. Jasmine Dowling crafted these adorable bon bon’s on her blog, which would work perfectly using our tea towels, doubling as a Christmas gift for everyone at the table! Alternatively, ordering 1-2m of your favourite festive fabric (hooray for small order quantities!) and carefully cut and hem to fit. Inside the paper roll you could include some essential oil rollers, home-made mini cookies or handwritten jokes to keep up with tradition. Much more thoughtful and memorable than mini dice or a nail file from typical bon-bons.
Festive Placemats with Digital Fabrics tea towels
Really elevate your Christmas table aesthetic by using our designer fabric tea towels as placemats, full of Christmas spirit and more ethical than your typical rubber placemats only to be brought out once per year. We love imagining how a classic Aussie coastal inspired Christmas table would come together with Cass Deller’s Summer Christmas fabric, paired with pretty pastel table decorations. You can find more Christmas fabric designs from Australian designers that suits your taste in our online Fabric Shop!
Or you can always go one better, ordering approximately 2.5 metres of fabric (for the average 6 seater dining table) and you’ve got a stunning tablecloth that will last for years to come. We recommend Cotton Linen fabric for the perfect billowy-ness, beautiful colour reproduction and is easy enough care.
It’s easy to feel the festive spirit this time of year and want to give extra for those you cherish. But we prompt you to consider how to translate giving ‘more’ into more thoughtfulness; for our environment, for our impact and creating lasting memories with loved ones.
Please share with us your Christmas creations on Instagram by tagging @digitalfabrics, we’d love to see them!
On of our passion here at Digital Fabrics is sustainability and making it accessible in the fabrics industry. And it’s Christmas, so in the spirit of giving we love to share some clever ways to spread sustainability in a festive way.
Christmas Wrapping with Fabric (Furoshiki)
Image via Pintrest
In Australia alone we use more than 150,000km of wrapping paper over Christmas. That’s enough paper to wrap the planet nearly four times, which is far too much only to be discarded immediately after opening gifts! We’ve been adoring the art of Furoshiki that has been practiced in Japan for 1200 years with its distinctive style of fabric-wrapping. Furoshiki is a beautiful way to display thoughtfulness, as well as being eco-friendly. Here’s a great guide on Furoshiki wrapping. Or you might like to follow our DIY Beeswax Wrap tutorial, which is perfect for wrapping smaller presents. The terrific part about this is that the wrap can then be used to cover leftover food after Christmas lunch!
Homemade bon-bons
Image Jasmine Dowling for Etsy 2017
We love this stellar example of getting creative in a sustainable way. Christmas bon-bons are a staple at every festive lunch or dinner table. Often inside store-bought bon-bons are useless plastic toys that serve no real purpose further than a quick laugh and just create more waste each year. Jasmine Dowling crafted these adorable bon bon’s on her blog, which would work perfectly using our tea towels, doubling as a Christmas gift for everyone at the table! Alternatively, ordering 1-2m of your favourite festive fabric (hooray for small order quantities!) and carefully cut and hem to fit. Inside the paper roll you could include some essential oil rollers, home-made mini cookies or handwritten jokes to keep up with tradition. Much more thoughtful and memorable than mini dice or a nail file from typical bon-bons.
Festive Placemats with Digital Fabrics tea towels
Really elevate your Christmas table aesthetic by using our designer fabric tea towels as placemats, full of Christmas spirit and more ethical than your typical rubber placemats only to be brought out once per year. We love imagining how a classic Aussie coastal inspired Christmas table would come together with Cass Deller’s Summer Christmas fabric, paired with pretty pastel table decorations. You can find more Christmas fabric designs from Australian designers that suits your taste in our online Fabric Shop!
Or you can always go one better, ordering approximately 2.5 metres of fabric (for the average 6 seater dining table) and you’ve got a stunning tablecloth that will last for years to come. We recommend Cotton Linen fabric for the perfect billowy-ness, beautiful colour reproduction and is easy enough care.
It’s easy to feel the festive spirit this time of year and want to give extra for those you cherish. But we prompt you to consider how to translate giving ‘more’ into more thoughtfulness; for our environment, for our impact and creating lasting memories with loved ones.
Please share with us your Christmas creations on Instagram by tagging @digitalfabrics, we’d love to see them!
We have absolutely loved sharing these divine floral designs by Queensland-based designer Nicole Spencer and hope you’ve loved her designs as much as we have! To coincide with Nicole’s “Take Delight” collection being made available to all of our customers through our Fabric Shop online, the artist herself has put together a guest blog which further explains her one of a kind approach to creating surface patterns and what inspires her work.
Keep reading to find out more about Nicole Spencer and her stunning designs!
Hello! I’m Nicole, the face behind Ebb & Flow Surface Design. I am a wife to one, mum to 5, painter to some and emerging as a surface designer to many. My family I and live in Bundaberg, QLD, a town not far from the beach, which is our happy place. I love to paint, enjoy a hot morning coffee, have the sand between my toes and just be with my family. Being a stay home mum to 5, I realised a few years ago I had no hobbies and needed to do something for myself. I quickly fell in love with watercolour painting, and over time it’s grown from doing painting commissions, to digital prints, and now to wanting to see my work on all sorts of surfaces and textiles.
I’m constantly inspired by the seasons we face, the beauty of the world around us, and I love how I can incorporate story telling into my designs. Ebb & Flow not only creates designs, but captures elements from the beautiful world we’re in, and uses those to bring encouragement through the ebbs and flows we face in life. It finds beauty in the seasons of growth and in the seasons of change, and always aims to create joy in the simple things.
My process usually involves a few different elements, mostly watercolour painting, sketching, scanning random objects from the yard… weeds weirdly have the prettiest shaped leaves and always looking amazing in designs! Let me walk you through a design I put together this summer. “Take Delight”, is a collection I created, inspired by the reminders I had to embrace the pauses in life, (even the unexpected ones), and to choose to take delight in the simple things in front of us.
I had inspiration from both flowers in the garden and a gorgeous basket of florals I received over Christmas. I just loved the colours in this bouquet, and was able to use this to create a colour palette for the collection.
Like I mentioned my designs can include lots of different elements. For my one design in this collection – “Sunny Days”, I was able to pick some flowers out of the garden, pull apart some petals and create my own flowers on paper to scan in for design. This is the fun part where I love to play around with shades and textures. Remember how I said I love to incorporate random things. The centre of some of my florals in this design, was actually created by using a photo of the fabric on my bed head.
Watercolour painting has become a real love of mine, and a big part of my process. These paintings are often inspired by things found outside. I love when my daughter walks home from school and finds random flowers and leaves for me on the way home, it always brings a smile to my face, and gets the creative mind ticking over. The wattle in the picture was actually one of her treasures she found for me.
I think designing for me is a process of joy, discovery and creating beauty. I love using what’s around me to create designs, and I hope you find the joy in them too.
If you want to collaborate with us on The Designer Project and become part of this creative club, please apply! Send us an email with your portfolio and why you would like to be part of this initiative, and we will be in touch!
It’s come that time again to introduce our newest featured artist of The Designer Project for the month of November! Introducing the lovely and amazing Nicole Spencer from Ebb & Flow Design.
Ebb & Flow creates designs that are full of florals and nature, with colour palettes drawn from the beautiful outdoors. Nicole loves to create designs that flow across the page and as you can see, she kinda has a thing for flowers!
Each of Nicole’s beautiful designs can be printed onto any of our fabrics. Keep reading to find out more about Nicole Spencer and her ‘Take Delight’ Collection!
Fresh Pickings is a combination of both paintings and elements of things picked from the garden. We love how it dances across the page and is a sweet reminder that seasons change and beautiful things await us. The blue tones of this design work so well with the floral motifs.
Fresh Pickings could work for a variety of fashion and home projects, perhaps some lovely pillowcases and napkins? Or maybe a new beach kaftan!
Sunny Days is full of wonderful summer florals, with a few hand painted elements. Inspired by summer days, fresh sunflower blooms, and the warm sunshine, it’s a fun print for the warmer days ahead.
We think Sunny Days would be such a fantastic print for homewares such as picnic rugs or tea towels, perhaps even some sweet, summer pants!
Hidden Beauty, a gorgeous print that features hand painted elements. With the florals peeking out from the foliage in this design, it reminds you not to miss the little moments of beauty hidden in the unexpected moments.
Hidden Beauty would be perfect for kids clothing such as dresses and pants or even a lovely matching pants and top for you!
Swept Away showcases soft pink leaves and petals, scattered across the design. Think the wind carrying all the freshly fallen leaves across the ground, reminding you that as one season ends, a new one begins.
Swept Away is such a versatile print! We think it would be amazing for homeware projects such as cushions, tea towels and throw blankets!
Sunshine Swirls, a sweet and simple print. It incorporates painted elements, scanned in florals as well as different textures. Full of warm, sunny colours to make you think of twirling around the yard, with a picked flower in hand.
We this Sunshine Swirls is such a wonderful design for fashion garments such as long flowing skirts and dresses.
Pick a Posy is a lovely design that incorporates small painted elements. It’s a sweet reminder of little posies, gathered rustically but little hands, small gestures of big love – joy in its simplest form.
Pick a Posy would be the perfect print for summer dresses for yourself and the kids, or even a sweet little baby swaddle!
All of our project ideas above are suggestions only as the sky’s truly the limit with Nicole’s sweet floral collection! Each of Nicole’s designs can be found in our Fabric Shop, so head on over to be inspired for your next DIY project!
Unique branding has always been a cornerstone to success for any business, and in 2022 it is no different. A game once stacked in favour of the bigger businesses with the resources to employ oodles of marketing and production staff, the age of the internet and social media has allowed non-for-profits, government agencies and small business to enter the playing field with corporate merchandise. The internet has allowed custom design agencies such as Digital Fabrics to jump onto the scene providing businesses with the branding of their dreams. Then, there are the new marketing opportunities that now present themselves with just the click of a phone camera. As of 2019, nearly every single Australian adult between 18 and 49 owns a smartphone, and that rate is only projected to increase with an ageing population. That means every potential customer on your radar has the ability to take a quick snap and upload an image to Facebook or Instagram – and show your branding to the world.Think photos in front of banners at events, tote bags shopping at local markets – there are literally thousands of opportunities to get your brand out there for free. And in the age of climate change and environmental awareness, customers are taking more and more educated decisions when it comes to spending their dollars ethically and sustainably. That’s why we are proud to offer a range of environmentally-friendly textiles for commercial clients, to take advantage of the digital environment and take their branding to the next level. The possibilities in this space are endless. Here are just some of the products we have brought to life for our clients in a corporate or marketing setting:
Corporate event branding – these tote bags were a hit for the 2022 NSW Training Awards. Everyone loves goodies to take home from conferences and events, and by using a reusable product that is also sustainable, their longevity means they become someone’s new beach or shopping bag – and your branding remains front and centre. These totes were made by recycling old banners. Don’t they look amazing!
In-store merchandising – these funky barrels are what pastel dreams are made of. We teamed up with the fantastic team over at Local Beverages to make these custom keg covers for one for an event. As you can see, the idea was to create giant versions of their delicious spiked iced tea drinks, they turned out so cute. These were printed on and made from our Eco Recycled Vesna Lycra so they stretched nicely over the kegs and had a snug fit, promoting their seltzers in a style that is unique to their business. The best of it all these covers can be washed and easily relocated to the next promotional event space. We love a creative way to promote new products without the need for basic blackboards or promotional posters.
External Promotions – Whilst we’re often completing print orders in less than a week, sometimes we assist with projects that take a little longer to bring to life (but are worth the wait). A great example of this is the artistic collaboration between two Australian artists; Clayton Blake & Courtney McCue. Check out these portable tentacles that hit the Gold Coast as a part of the Sand Safari Artist’s Festival in Surfers Paradise. They certainly caught a few curious people and their iPhone’s attention!
Backdrop and Stall Merchandising – whilst innovation and ingenuity help keep business ahead of the game, you don’t always have to reinvent the wheel to get the most out of your marketing. Backdrops and banners have been the backbone of visual presentation for market stalls and small outlets for over a century.
Image courtesy of Finders Keepers Market
It’s no secret we are passionate about supporting the dreams of small business and those with the entrepreneurial spirit, so we have jumped on board as a sponsor for the upcoming Finders Keepers event in Sydney on Friday 9 to Sunday 11 December 2022.
The Finders Keepers are the brainchild of two friends, Sarah Thornton and Brooke Johnston. Kicking off in 2008, they have grown from a humble side-hustle to become Australia’s leading design marketplace.
Digital Fabrics are proud to sponsor such a wonderful initiative that shares our values of inspiring sustainable and conscious shopping whilst promoting the talent on our very own shores.
For stallholders looking to make the most out of their Sydney display or for your upcoming Christmas market stalls, now is the time to get your thinking caps on and order your brand new designs with Digital Fabrics in time for December. Think branded and bright backdrops, table cloths or get extra creative with one of our specialists, get in touch and we’ll be happy to discuss how we can help you and your brand.
We can’t wait to see what our creatively conscious community will dream up for their business and marketing needs.
The Australian spring hasn’t quite begun the way we are used to. The sunny beach trips have turned into rainy weather days at home, meaning it becomes all that more difficult to keep the kids entertained. With a gloomy couple of months ahead, we understand the need to reduce screen time and find some indoor activities to keep the young ones busy. So, get ready to swap their iPads for some creativity as we have put together a list of really easy and simple fabric craft projects for kids to keep those rainy-day blues away!
Reusable Sandwich Bags | by A Beautiful Mess
The average Australian household uses 170 zip-lock sandwich bags per year, so this project will not only bring a little flare to school lunches, but will also save you money and bring down your carbon footprint. These reusable lunch bags can be brought to life with some cotton fabric, some thread and velcro, making it an easy project to occupy an afternoon. With the money you will save from buying plastic zip-locks, you can further customise these bags with our designer fabric shop that will no doubt become a household hit. How about these cute fruity fabrics?
Reusable lunch bags. Image: A Beautiful Mess
No-Sew Capes | by Little Pink Monsters
Halloween is just around the corner so why not get ready for some trick-or-treating with this easy project that is totally needle free. All you need is 1.5 metres of fabric, 90cm of ribbon and a pair of scissors and you’re on your way to the unveiling of the next Superman or Wonder Woman. And, let’s be honest, Halloween is fun for adults too, so don’t be surprised if you need some longer fabric! Shop our Halloween inspired fabrics here.
DIY Little Red Riding Hood. Image: Little Pink Monsters
Trick or Treat Black Halloween fabric – Kathrin Legg
Making Memories
With Christmas around the corner, we know you’re always looking for ways to create memorable gifts that friends and family will cherish. We may be biased here but our custom product printing service is ideal for this time of year! Give the kids some colouring pens and task them with drawing the whole family, even down to the houses they live in, or drawing them with their favourite things and pets. Scan them into your computer then jump onto Digital Fabrics and choose some fabulous homeware items or gifts to print these designs onto. It could be our cushions, tea towels (a favourite for gifting!) scarf, pillow case or tote bag. Or order our Creatives Starter Pack with a little bit of everything! Our team will gladly help bring these designs to life.
Now, if the kids are no modern-day Picasso, there’s another thoughtful option to create memorable gifts. You can send us an image of your favourite holiday moment, family or pet portrait and we’ll print them onto a product option of your choice! Leave it with us and we will turn these masterpieces into a special gift to be adored for years to come. We’re in for a rainy summer ahead, so keeping some of these ideas in your pocket to help the kids unleash their creativity will sure come in handy! We can’t wait to see what they’ll create!
Unique branding has always been a cornerstone to success for any business, and in 2022 it is no different. A game once stacked in favour of the bigger businesses with the resources to employ oodles of marketing and production staff, the age of the internet and social media has allowed non-for-profits, government agencies and small business to enter the playing field with corporate merchandise. The internet has allowed custom design agencies such as Digital Fabrics to jump onto the scene providing businesses with the branding of their dreams. Then, there are the new marketing opportunities that now present themselves with just the click of a phone camera. As of 2019, nearly every single Australian adult between 18 and 49 owns a smartphone, and that rate is only projected to increase with an ageing population. That means every potential customer on your radar has the ability to take a quick snap and upload an image to Facebook or Instagram – and show your branding to the world.Think photos in front of banners at events, tote bags shopping at local markets – there are literally thousands of opportunities to get your brand out there for free. And in the age of climate change and environmental awareness, customers are taking more and more educated decisions when it comes to spending their dollars ethically and sustainably. That’s why we are proud to offer a range of environmentally-friendly textiles for commercial clients, to take advantage of the digital environment and take their branding to the next level. The possibilities in this space are endless. Here are just some of the products we have brought to life for our clients in a corporate or marketing setting:
Corporate event branding – these tote bags were a hit for the 2022 NSW Training Awards. Everyone loves goodies to take home from conferences and events, and by using a reusable product that is also sustainable, their longevity means they become someone’s new beach or shopping bag – and your branding remains front and centre. These totes were made by recycling old banners. Don’t they look amazing!
In-store merchandising – these funky barrels are what pastel dreams are made of. We teamed up with the fantastic team over at Local Beverages to make these custom keg covers for one for an event. As you can see, the idea was to create giant versions of their delicious spiked iced tea drinks, they turned out so cute. These were printed on and made from our Eco Recycled Vesna Lycra so they stretched nicely over the kegs and had a snug fit, promoting their seltzers in a style that is unique to their business. The best of it all these covers can be washed and easily relocated to the next promotional event space. We love a creative way to promote new products without the need for basic blackboards or promotional posters.
External Promotions – Whilst we’re often completing print orders in less than a week, sometimes we assist with projects that take a little longer to bring to life (but are worth the wait). A great example of this is the artistic collaboration between two Australian artists; Clayton Blake & Courtney McCue. Check out these portable tentacles that hit the Gold Coast as a part of the Sand Safari Artist’s Festival in Surfers Paradise. They certainly caught a few curious people and their iPhone’s attention!
Backdrop and Stall Merchandising – whilst innovation and ingenuity help keep business ahead of the game, you don’t always have to reinvent the wheel to get the most out of your marketing. Backdrops and banners have been the backbone of visual presentation for market stalls and small outlets for over a century.
Image courtesy of Finders Keepers Market
It’s no secret we are passionate about supporting the dreams of small business and those with the entrepreneurial spirit, so we have jumped on board as a sponsor for the upcoming Finders Keepers event in Sydney on Friday 9 to Sunday 11 December 2022.
The Finders Keepers are the brainchild of two friends, Sarah Thornton and Brooke Johnston. Kicking off in 2008, they have grown from a humble side-hustle to become Australia’s leading design marketplace.
Digital Fabrics are proud to sponsor such a wonderful initiative that shares our values of inspiring sustainable and conscious shopping whilst promoting the talent on our very own shores.
For stallholders looking to make the most out of their Sydney display or for your upcoming Christmas market stalls, now is the time to get your thinking caps on and order your brand new designs with Digital Fabrics in time for December. Think branded and bright backdrops, table cloths or get extra creative with one of our specialists, get in touch and we’ll be happy to discuss how we can help you and your brand.
We can’t wait to see what our creatively conscious community will dream up for their business and marketing needs.
The Australian spring hasn’t quite begun the way we are used to. The sunny beach trips have turned into rainy weather days at home, meaning it becomes all that more difficult to keep the kids entertained. With a gloomy couple of months ahead, we understand the need to reduce screen time and find some indoor activities to keep the young ones busy. So, get ready to swap their iPads for some creativity as we have put together a list of really easy and simple fabric craft projects for kids to keep those rainy-day blues away!
Reusable Sandwich Bags | by A Beautiful Mess
The average Australian household uses 170 zip-lock sandwich bags per year, so this project will not only bring a little flare to school lunches, but will also save you money and bring down your carbon footprint. These reusable lunch bags can be brought to life with some cotton fabric, some thread and velcro, making it an easy project to occupy an afternoon. With the money you will save from buying plastic zip-locks, you can further customise these bags with our designer fabric shop that will no doubt become a household hit. How about these cute fruity fabrics?
Reusable lunch bags. Image: A Beautiful Mess
No-Sew Capes | by Little Pink Monsters
Halloween is just around the corner so why not get ready for some trick-or-treating with this easy project that is totally needle free. All you need is 1.5 metres of fabric, 90cm of ribbon and a pair of scissors and you’re on your way to the unveiling of the next Superman or Wonder Woman. And, let’s be honest, Halloween is fun for adults too, so don’t be surprised if you need some longer fabric! Shop our Halloween inspired fabrics here.
DIY Little Red Riding Hood. Image: Little Pink Monsters
Trick or Treat Black Halloween fabric – Kathrin Legg
Making Memories
With Christmas around the corner, we know you’re always looking for ways to create memorable gifts that friends and family will cherish. We may be biased here but our custom product printing service is ideal for this time of year! Give the kids some colouring pens and task them with drawing the whole family, even down to the houses they live in, or drawing them with their favourite things and pets. Scan them into your computer then jump onto Digital Fabrics and choose some fabulous homeware items or gifts to print these designs onto. It could be our cushions, tea towels (a favourite for gifting!) scarf, pillow case or tote bag. Or order our Creatives Starter Pack with a little bit of everything! Our team will gladly help bring these designs to life.
Now, if the kids are no modern-day Picasso, there’s another thoughtful option to create memorable gifts. You can send us an image of your favourite holiday moment, family or pet portrait and we’ll print them onto a product option of your choice! Leave it with us and we will turn these masterpieces into a special gift to be adored for years to come. We’re in for a rainy summer ahead, so keeping some of these ideas in your pocket to help the kids unleash their creativity will sure come in handy! We can’t wait to see what they’ll create!
It’s been such a treat having Meredith Simpson as our Featured Artist for the month of October! We have loved sharing her adorable animal prints and hope you’ve loved them just as much as we have!
To coincide with Meredith’s ‘Aussie Cuties’ collection being made available to all of our customers through our Fabric Shop online, the artist herself has put together a guest blog which further explains her one of a kind creative process and what inspires her work.
Keep reading to find out more about Meredith Simpson, her inspirations and design process!
Meredith Simpson
This collection was inspired by our beautifully unique Australian native animals. I feel we are so lucky to have such wonderful creatures that are native to our home, they are just so gorgeous that I had to draw them. It started off only going to be a collection of 3 or 4 animals but grew as people kept suggesting others that were their favourites.
Galah Bird Drawing
This design process has been a learning curve for me, as it is my first real experience using my artwork to create digital designs. I love drawing and painting and now also enjoy using my artwork digitally too – it has opened up so many more possibilities of how to share my artwork with others.
My designs all start off with hand drawn artwork. I enjoy working with both pastel pencils and watercolour paints, but find that for furry animals the soft texture I can achieve with pastel pencils is best.
Black Cockatoo Bird Drawing
To create my prints, I first used an editing program to remove the backgrounds from my pictures and to cut small details, such as leaves and gum nuts, from larger art works. I then used Publisher to experiment with various backgrounds and combinations, with the ever patient help and feedback from Ella.
Meredith and her daughter with her Animal Artworks
The Australian animals used in the ‘Aussie Cuties’ collection were created by me as part of me finding time to create art work for the enjoyment of it. I had been drawing lots of pet portraits and then drew some woodland animals for my sister in law’s nursery. I loved the freedom of drawing animals that weren’t for a particular person and wanted to draw our native animals because I feel they are just so beautiful and unique.
Titch the Tasmanian Devil Sketch
It was fun collaborating over email to create these designs and I am so thankful to the Design Project for their guidance and for this opportunity. I look forward to creating more from my artworks in the future.
If you want to collaborate with us on The Designer Project and become part of this creative club, please apply! Send us an email with your portfolio and why you would like to be part of this initiative, and we will be in touch!