Showing posts with label fabrics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fabrics. Show all posts

Saturday, April 20, 2024

Pride designs - Queer inspired designs / Free for Commercial usages


Did you know our pride designs are free to use commercially? We make new designs around pride month each year. And all designs are available for licensing, completely free for commercial and personal use. We believe in supporting the causes that matter.

I grew up with a brother that was 11 years older and he loved dressing his full size Barbie doll (yup, me!). So it didn’t come as a surprise when he brought home a boyfriend. Growing up in a small town being gay was just not very accepted. My brother already moved to a city where obviously there’s a lot more diversity. But I was stuck on a school that was not very accepting of my ‘family’s choices.’ I loved my brother and thought it was the strangest thing that people would come up to me and spit in my face because they heard my brother was living with a man. So I was a lesbian then right? Oh those ignorant people. I met a lot of them.

When I travel I also visit places where this kind of LGBTQ+ diversity is hidden. Or just completely criminalized. I do visit these places because I think it’s good to open a conversation. I actually discuss my brother often when we’re talking to strangers abroad. They first meet me, I’m pretty all right, so they enter the conversation with an open mind. An invitation to talk openly.

This month we licensed some Pride designs to our dear customer Angela who’s the force behind The Fashion for Kids. She’ll be offering our designs on fabric and if you’re EU based you can order a piece on her website. We believe in making the world more colorful and fun. More inclusive and kind. And that means everyone’s welcome. If you resonate with our story. Please get in touch. We love working together with the warm hearted and like-open-minded.

I believe those small nudges matter. Talking about it, anywhere, matters. You want to meet half-way right? In order to see things from another perspective, you have to step out of your own comfort zone. And my experience is it’s not that filled with hate as we try to teach people. It’s just the lack of diversity growing up in a society where this kind of freedom just isn’t common that causes an unsafe atmosphere. So that’s why I don’t ban certain places from my travel list. I might agree, disagree, but it’s about connection. And you can do that with anyone as long as you’re open to it.

We live in a country that puts individuality above everything. Which I think isn’t the holy grail at all. We can’t live without each other. So I can understand why one of my friends accepted himself fully, but chose to live as a cis man with a women and kids. His culture & tradition’s wired like that. You choose the greater good: family above everything. And so everyone has a story. Hopefully our prints will trigger those conversations. We don’t fight for what’s right, but just kill ‘m with kindness. Open your eyes for all that diversity.

Most of the designs shown her and on our socials too are available for licensing. That means you can pay a fee and in return we will send you the original files which you can use for your own production. This covers commercial usage too. Want some more info about licensing and costs involved? You can find more info about our rates on the website. We have a lot more queer inspired designs available. Just shoot us a message if you'd like to browse our full portfolio.

These designs are now available for licensing. And we also have some of these designs available on fabric & wallpaper through our partners at Carriage House Printery & Spoonflower.

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

The Lookbook - The Simple Patriot / Celebrating the 4th of July in modern minimalist style



Meet out new minimalist retro style Patriotic designs. Over the years we created many patriot prints. American inspired designs in red and blues, perfect for National Holidays like the 4th of July. These last months we made some more simplistic design versions around this theme.

Our Patriot designs always have been quite busy. With lots of detailing and different elements in one print design. This year we wanted to make two new collections. One that's a little more on the trend with groovy seventies flower power influences. And one more minimalist style. We noticed we have two types of customers. One that go for the all maximalist kind of design for wallpaper, dog accessories and kids clothing. And one that is looking for a more mature and neutral tone for their items.

Hopefully with these new minimalist designs we can cater to our customers who are looking for a more boho & simplistic aesthetic. The designs featured here are available for licensing. We have more color options from each design available and we have some more designs not shown here. Want to see them al? Just shoot us a message.

These designs are now available for licensing. And we also have some of these designs available on fabric & wallpaper through our partners at Carriage House Printery & Spoonflower.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Finished product // Bebè Casa new fabric collection



The past few months we have been working on a series of cool trendy new prints for Bebè Casa Fabrics. We have been working for this Polish company for over two years now and we love seeing their collection grow.

Always on trend with new pastels, gender neutrals and watercolor themes that are now available. Fun fresh and colorful fabrics suitable for your little ones wardrobe, create some cute dresses with those unicorns or fun home accessories or bedding for your kids bedroom or nursery. We licensed colorful mountains, vintage toys, retro owls, new feathers and sweet kawaii sky designs to Bebè Casa that are not for sale anywhere else.

Bebè Casa uses certified cotton and inks and the colors are vivid. If you are looking for some good quality cottons look no further. They have released their super fun collection of kids prints the past few weeks and they are now also available in their online shop or for all Dutchies: check out Ansje handmade, we manage to have some fabrics for sale in The Netherlands! Yay! Of course we are curious what beautiful creations will pop up from this new collection of designs. Don’t forget to share your finished results and tag @littlesmilemakers via Instagram.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Top 5 travel inspired fabric // Hand drawn illustrated surface pattern designs // Spoonflower



It is time to talk about fabric. Sales are going very well this season and since there is so much to choose from I thought it would be a good idea to highlight some fabric themes, current trends or hot sellers now and then. Winter is around the corner and more and more people stay in and start their crafty projects. I notice I make more hand drawn based illustrations during the cold winter months when I have more time to stay in and have enough peace to sit down and experiment with materials; pencils, brushes, paint. So this is a great time to do a little piece about the hand drawn fabrics.

I love hand drawings. Whenever I travel I carry a little sketchbook in which I make visual notes and doodles. Back in the studio I collect all these moments and convert them into new designs. I love making surface patterns that are digital roots but I do enjoy sketching by hand too. Using pencils or paint. I love the diversity while constructing new designs. This time I would like to show some hand drawn hot sellers. And of course there is always a little story behind the image with mentioning.



1 // Creepy insects and beetles - Indonesia
I had never seen so many insects, bugs and little creatures before traveling to Indonesia, which is until this day the filthiest place I traveled so far. I love the diversity of nature, plants and animals. And I don't mind some creepy visitors in my bedroom now and then. I am cool with that but a cockroach in my bed and then in my face while sleeping, that was a creepy experience though. After my trip I made a series of designs with spiders, bugs, beetles and other little creatures cause they are simply beautiful. I love them. Not in my bed though.

2 // Old timers - Cuba
There is no other place like Cuba. It is simply breathtaking. Walking through the Havana streets it feels like having a little stroll through history. The architecture, cobblestone streets, music and the amazing amount of old timer cars will make you feel part of the 50's. I also made some other designs that were inspired by my trip to Cuba. All music and vintage objects themes.

3 // Peacock feathers - India
The Peacock feathers fabric is one of my Indian themed Hotsellers. I made this design with Indian ink and dry brushed to give it a little raw edge. The peacock is a symbol for beauty and integrity. And is also national symbol of India. I saw this gracious animal during my trip through one of India's national parks and it became one of my favorite animals ever since. They are simply breath taking. So gorgeous and elegant.

4 // Sweet pineapple picking - Costa Rica
Costa Rica made me fall in love with the amazing force of nature. The country has an great variety of species, plants, fruits. During a jungle walk I took a little break, sat down and ate a pineapple. Here in Holland you can get pineapples but I never ate one with such intense flavor. Oh dear! Pineapples please!

5 // Cactus garden - Spain
I am such a sucker for Botanical Garden's. Where ever I go I always try to visit a botanical garden, forest or park during my travels. I love to see the different plants and colors of nature but in those botanical gardens you can see a version of that. It was all planted and designed by people so these gardens can be really tacky or kitch. The Cacti garden design turned out to be a great hit in fabric. It was inspired by numerous trips to spain. I love the quirkiness of the shape. Happy to see this plant is making a comeback in interiors all around the world.



If you are curious about other Little Smilemakers fabrics, hand drawn or digital art or would like to buy one of the top 5 hot sellers from this list visit the Spoonflower shop and pick your fave.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

> A new year | New cool designs | New fun clients | And a brand new website



All right. The first week of 2014 has been a crazy one. I already have three new clients and even more new projects to start with. Next month the new Little Smilemakers fabric will be launched at Jo-Ann fabrics. I am very excited to see the my designs on fabric. Also I have been adding more and more patterns to my Spoonflower shop. So if you are a fan, keep checking that shop. New designs will be added once every 2 months.

Hopefully the hours of work I put in the Urban Outfitters design pool will pay off this month. I have been working on a collection of patterns and illustrations of men. It is nice for a change to make things for men after all there baby/kids and nursery projects.

And ofcourse before I forget. I have been working on my Little Smilemakers website. It is just some basic info to prepare clients into doing business. Hopefully in the next few months I will have enough time to expand the website with a webshop. Let me know what you think.