Wabi-sabi Print And Forest Fabric

Hi folks, another wordy week for me... let me know what you think of these!

Wabi-sabi Japanese Translation Print

I decided to change things up a little this week and pick some treasures from the wealth of non-English words out there.

I'm fascinated by the Japanese concept of Wabi-sabi - such a different aesthetic from the perfection and symmetry we in the west are used to aspiring to in all things.

Of course that's not the whole truth, in the property market for example 'character' features which indicate the history of a building are much sought after and then there's the rise of the vintage and handmade movement... hooray for that!

I drew some irregular handmade pottery as the background image, its one of those things that i think illustrates the loveliness of Wabi-sabi beautifully, the texture alone is so delightful - in the Japanese tea ceremony, the handmade ceramic pots and cups are highly regarded for this reason.

I hope the Wabi-sabi philosophy of imperfect beauty continues to be more widely adopted in western society, perhaps it will help us all to stop groaning when we see ourselves in the mirror first thing in the morning! :)

This print is available to download now from my Print and Paper shop on Etsy priced £4 in choice of twenty colours and sizes from 5x7 inches to A3.

Gazelligheid Dutch Translation

The other word i've picked to translate this week is the Dutch word Gazelligheid.

The Dutch are rightly proud of this charming term and i thought it would make a nice, homely addition to any social area like a kitchen or dining room or even a public space like a bar or cafe.

As with all my digital prints is is priced £4 and available in a wide choice of colours and sizes from from Etsy.

'Into The Woods' Forest Fabric

Do you remember last week's definition with a woodland theme? I decided to take the design further this week and created a fabric design which i've called 'Into The Woods'

Its available now from my Spoonflower shop.

And last but not least, for those of you who enjoyed last week's wild garlic photograph, here's another :)

What have you been up to this week? I look forward to finding out over at Handmade Monday - see you there! x

Forest Lover Definition Print And Earth Friendly Fabric Design

It was lovely to get such a positive response to my idea of doing word definition prints - thank you very much to all who left comments last week, its good to know there are lots of fellow language lovers out there!

Nemophilist Definition Print

This week's definition is inspired by the loveliness of walking through our local woodland which is currently carpeted in wild garlic flowers, along with many other beautiful spring blooms.

 Nemophilist. I am definitely one :)

It comes in a choice of rustic colours (although i'd be happy to create the print in other colours if someone wished it). 

As with all my printable posters there are also a selection of sizes to choose from. Its available now from my Print and Paper shop on Etsy, priced £4.

Holding Hands Around The Earth Fabric

Remember the 'holding hands around the earth' symbol i created as a background for last week's definition? It occurred to me that it could work as part of a fabric design so i coloured it in,

and created a pattern - now available as fabric, gift wrap or even wallpaper from my Spoonflower shop.

I thought it might work nicely for eco-friendly makes like re-useable shopping bags or storage baskets for recycling - in fact i might get around to using it to make some myself one of these days.

What have you been up to this week? I'm looking forward to my weekly trip over to Handmade Harbour to find out :) see you there! x

Dictionary Style Definition Prints

I love discovering new words and i feel sad that some of the most exquisite are little used in modern parlance. Its just so easy in these days of frequent communication to use words that are the most widely understood and provide the most efficient and direct way to get a message across, whilst sacrificing the delight of taking the time to be creative with language.

I've had in mind for a while that it would be fun to create prints that celebrate some unusual words that although little known, have relevance to the modern world. I don't think i'm alone in the wish to express myself in a more thoughtful and colourful way once in a while so i'm hoping people will enjoy these little wordy celebrations. Searching them out has already taken me on a most enjoyable journey of discovery and this week i've listed the first of what may turn out to be quite a large collection of printable definitions... as always i look forward to hearing what you think!

Meliorism Definition Print

All of the definitions will be in my own words and i'm also accompanying them with my original art work. Here is a closer look at the drawing of people linking hands around the world that i've created to go with the meliorism definition.

Its just visible behind the words with the intention of subtly adding another dimension to the print. I'm aware that some people might not like the effect and find it distracting though... what do you think?

As with all my prints there are twenty colours to choose from. I've slightly updated the selection since i last posted it - the 'baby blue' and 'baby pink' have been replaced with 'forest green' and 'dusty rose', although i might revert to the baby colours for prints aimed at little people :)

As with all my digital typography prints, its priced £4 and available in a choice of sizes from my Print and Paper shop on Etsy.

This Is Where The Magic Happens Print

I've also listed another print for sale this week, quite a different style to the quotes and definitions and intended as something fun to display in an active environment - workplace/craft room/music studio/kitchen etc.

Its available for instant download in from Etsy, priced £4. I hope it makes you smile :)

That's all from me for this week. As always i look forward to finding out what's been getting your creative juices flowing over at Handmade Monday, see you there! x