Finished work: Days of Gold - Day Care in the Woods - Logo Design

Rainbows & Sprinkles has been one of our long term clients. We created hundreds of prints for Lucy’s sportswear brand. Last year we created a logo for her basic line of sports pieces before she decided to change course and sell her business. While creating designs we discussed our mutual love for animals and her biggest dream was to be surrounded by animals all day. In the summer of 2023 she found a large plot of land with stables, horses, right up the hills and surrounded with woods. She decided to change everything and start a Day Care. A place to grow up and play surrounded by nature and animals. 

We were so sad to see her leave Rainbows and Sprinkles, but she’s such an inspiration. She turned her life around and has worked on opening up her day care for months. For her new business we created a brand new logo design reflecting the surroundings of her new Nature day care: Days of Gold. We created some really crisp clean cut designs, freehand logo’s and some designs with badges reminding us of the scouts. Did you join them when you were a kid?

As a kid I grew up in the country side with lots of space to play. Take care of animals, build bridges over streams and little huts. So this logo was a fun piece to create. Something I could personally relate to. Here we’ll explain the logo designing process, so you can have a little insight on how we work. In case you need something for your branding swell.

Step 1: The Business Before we start we want to know everything about the business. Is it already ‘out there’ as an established brand? What are the core values. Some insight about the philosophy is key to create something that really connects. A logo should reflect your brand in a flash. What makes you different than others in your branch. We ask all the questions before even making a quote. For Days of Gold it was a smooth process since we know Lucy personally. This step was quickly taken. But most people we create logo’s for need some time figuring this out first. And we are happy to guide and assist when you still need to find out your business identity. It’s all part of the branding.

Step 2: Who’s your customer For Days of Gold we knew it would not be attracting the usual parent. Playing outside in the mud all day is a little different than your usual day care. Knowing your customer is really important. You have to understand what it is they’re looking for and what connects them to your brand.

Step 3: The Quote We have several packages for logo design and branding. Some of our customers just look for a catchy visual that sticks. Some want the whole shebang with a website and all the graphic elements attached to branding. This particular job was reduced to a logo design only to start with.

Step 4: The Design process When we have a clear agreement and laid down the basics above we start the design process. Usually this starts with a brainstorm and a free sketch routine in which shapes, notes and illustrations are put down on paper. For some designs we create everything by hand on paper. So did we for the first drafts. From there we translate those sketched onto the computed and create new vector sketches in Adorable Illustrator. For every logo design process we create a minimum of 3 design options, and branding directions, to choose from.

Step 5: The first presentation In our first presentation we put all sketches we made and create a story on how the design was developed. And how it involved during the process. Resulting into three proposals that are ready to use. We create some mock-ups and color versions for each proposal and explain why we made certain design decisions. Because it’s not all drawing. A logo design has an entire philosophy attached that will lift up your business. And normally you can’t see that in a blink. So we create a little guidance so a design makes sense for everyone.

Step 6: An hour of tweaks In our pricing we include an hour of changes after the first presentation. Usually it only takes some small tweaks. For Lucy, it was almost an immediate go on the first draft. She chose the circular logo. Easy to use as a badge on clothing and versatile. the premises also has a glamping on it, so with this shape we could also expand to logo versions per business. For this project we didn’t even need that extra hours but for some projects we need some more time to tweak and adjust.

Step 7: Payment In case you haven’t worked with us before. We never send out any finished artwork before we get paid. After we receive our payment in full we wrap things up.

Step 8: Finishing Up The last step is creating files that are workable for our clients. We have clients that need different types of files and versions. We all include those. Logo files for web. Logo files in high resolution for print. And Pantone colors. If you work on an entire branding project with us this is the moment we can go further and talk website & graphic items.

Need a logo for your new start-up or project? Or does your business need a re-vamp? We would love to take on your branding. Check our website for more info & rates. You can contact us there directly by filling out the contact form.

About being a Designer: A Creative Business Decade in review

So as we’re wrapping up for the holidays and getting close to the end of a busy and productive year we are reflecting on all projects we’ve worked on. All new collabs we started and things we created. And with the end of the year coming close, so is a decade coming to an end. A great reason to take a moment and look back of ten years of being a creative professional.

It was in 2011 when I started Little Smilemakers Studio. So you can imagine a lot has happened business-wise these past ten years. Ten years ago I was still working for a design agency in my hometown, which has a lot of prestigious design agencies by the way. My city is famous for its graphic design Academy, which I also attended, and prize-winning designers. (yeah I did win a grant once) But I was still working for a boss back then and the graphic design industry was stresses with the bad economy print production was nothing like it used to be. I worked at design agencies before but 10 years back I worked for a company that specialized in back-to-school products, which is an annual thing here in The Netherlands: kids picking out their new school gear: backpacks, notebooks, pencils and everything needed for a new school year. It was during the job I started making print designs for these products. Budgets were tight, but I didn’t want to buy off stock and miss out on the creative part. So I created illustrations and prints at night and started my own stock library.

The step towards being a girlboss
Setting up my stock portfolio was the foundation of my next step towards being an independent designer. I already had a base-income. And making surface pattern designs for stock was a big blue ocean back then. There was no apple print: so I made an apple print. There was no elephant design, so I made an elephant design. These old print designs are still selling to businesses all over the world today. They became the first stock-available surface pattern designs.
But my creations were vulnerable too. The original vectors were easy to download just for a few bucks and there was little protection for the designs available on stock. Many designs were used commercially but never payed for properly.



The signature collection
When I started the studio in 2011, it was time to focus more on my business to business approach. My business started to grow rapidly. Since I was filling up that blue ocean with my print designs everyone knew how to find me and I never had to look for work. Since then it’s been such a fun ride. I’ve been collaborating with new business owners, guiding them through the process of finding their visual voice with logo design, branding and print designs. We’ve created trend reports; there are so many businesses we work with that just don’t know what’s going on on the market trend-wise. We love being guidance for our clients that have no idea where to start when it comes to design & their company.
For the past ten years we've worked for some amazing clients. One of my fave must be a collection I created for one of my favorite retailers on the market in Belgium. Did I mention I studied in Belgium? This was THE place for accessorizing: and I was approached to create a new fall collection of women’s accessories, home wear, textiles and sewing supplies. I loved how this collection turned out.

A little behind the scenes
I also got to attend lots of fair trade shows, and talks. Did a bunch of interviews and videos. Some were fun. Some totally embarrassing, since I am not much of a public speaker. In one of the interviews, I was asked what inspired creating a new collection. I talked about seed. A lot. For a long time. Not good! FYI seed in Dutch means ‘sperm’. So yeah. I talked about sperm. So that was a nope.

Maturing the business
But having a laugh is part of being a designer. Most work turns into ‘could have done better than that!’ after 5 years, into ‘how did I ever make that?’ after 10 years. New skills, trends, and inner work (the biggest reason) are all influencing creation. For me the past 10 years have been an ongoing path to growth both professionally and personally. This has also led me to take things to the next level with the business. Finding a new space, taking on clients that match our vision and values. I can proudly say our studio has matured. I have some amazing colleagues who help me with the not so creative stuff, so I can focus on designing more instead of sending out mailings and doing numbers.
So I am so happy and humble and love where we are now. These 10 years have been such a blessing. So many steps closer to what feels good. So many opportunities. Awesome collabs and lovely people. And I am so looking forward to what is to come.

What is to come
As of next year, I’ll be moving to another city. That means moving the studio. First I’ll be settling into a new place and then take the next step towards finding a new space for the studio. Exciting things to come! Now it’s back to work. Make some cute print designs for nursery textiles. Thank you so much for your time supporting me and my company! And we wish you Happy Holidays.

Creative Business & Infringement // About design ethics and copy cats // How to protect your designs

Something needs to get off my chest, that is why I decided to write this piece. As an artist I have been working in the creative industry for over 12 years now and I have seen things change and shift over time. I love using social media such as Instagram to show what I am creating, new designs I launched and to give my followers a little insight about what I am doing. Get feedback and discuss work. A lot of it is very helpful to running a creative business. But the downside is that my business is a very visual one. I need to show my designs in order to sell them and over the years it has gotten more and more common to see ‘Little Smilemakers Inspired’ designs pop up. So with it is not about creating only, it's about being clever and work smarter. I have grown to tackle quite some problems over the years, maybe this could also help you a little.

Your designs are my inspiration
“Who inspires you” is a question that is often asked to artists during interviews. And to me too. Inspiration to me is something that itches. Something that triggers an emotion, something that creates a response. Shows things in a different light. Confronts, stirs up. It can be a walk on the beach. The perspective of a child. Joy, grief, pain, it is all converted into creation. And therefore very personal. But the interviewee usually refers to another artist, style or brand. And this is why they are so wrong. Inspiration is not something you can copy, it is a trigger, a mood, an energy that gives you power and drive to create. If you are an artist and have your own handwriting you are not highly influenced by other styles. Somehow being inspired has turned into copying that style and handwriting. And it is not ok.

The people I approach that copy my designs usually think it is okay to copy that handwriting instead of contributing to the world, finding their own ‘voice’ in their own unique way. They forget all about staying close to their own strength and choose to disrespect the artist by making a rip off version of a product or in my case a print. I find copied work almost every day. And it saddens me. Today I run across another ‘interpretation of a little Smilemakers concept’ and usually I just feel bad for a second, eat chocolate and get on with it. But some days it is just too much and I reach a point of thinking “shall i just stop doing this” a couple of times. I make things but what people don’t seem to realize is that it is my livelihood. My bread. I spend over 60 hours a week working my ass off. Things don’t just happen. Most importantly I create from the heart, designing is a very personal process and I can see the difference between ‘inspired by’ and copied, I know why I make a certain shape, toss elements a certain way, because the design is me. I am the designer, I know.

Everyone’s a designer
When I started working as a graphic designer 12 years ago, creating things on a computer was done by a selected, talented, few. But more and more software was made, printed media was turned into mostly digital pieces and more recently it became a lot easier to get your hands on cheap software and apps to create your own ‘whatever’. So I changed my graphic ways and started to create illustrations and patterns. Serving another niche of clients. But the past year this business has gotten more and more saturated. Not because of an increase awesome new artists that entered the business. Unfortunately it is the copy cats that seem to thrive nowadays.

My work has been copied by Etsy selling housewives and big multinational businesses. When I confront people that copy my work that are individuals, mostly housewives with Etsy stores claiming to be artists, it is a different story than approaching businesses. They have no idea how copyright works, since they usually never attended any creative business classes, they don’t have any legal insight. Neither do they have any ethical thoughts about copying creations. I started to realize these woman really have no idea how disrespectful it is and how wrong they are. Today I confronted someone I noticed putting up a new design via Spoonflower, the same person already added another design similar to mine a few months earlier. I was stunned. If you have several designs similar to another artist up for sale on the same website it is not dumb luck they seem similar. It is not ‘inspired by’. It is called fraud. Design infringement. When you pick the same shapes, same composition, same theme in the same colors it is not an ‘interpretation of a concept’. Unfortunately somehow I can not get my point across to these people. There is not an easy way to prevent this. Trust me I have tried. We all have to think global and the problem is every country has it's own regulations about copyright. And I am curious how other designers deal with this.

If you are a true artist no one can take away your own uniqueness.

Everyone’s a designer so it seems. But there is a difference to a skilled professional and a copy cat. A professional approach will lead and not follow. If you are also dealing with this kind of nonsense know that a true creative heart always ticks, always creates. Rely on your own creativity, find your own voice, your own style, your own handwriting and don’t focus on others. Do not focus on the negativity and try to let go of the heaviness in your heart when you bump into copy cats and copied work. If you are a true artist no one can take away your own uniqueness. Trust yourself.

Business to business
With all visual exposure from social media it is getting harder and harder to earn a living with my designs. And every few months I work on exclusive designs behind the scenes. Within a few days copies pop up when I put something on Instagram I am working on, or add new designs to my Spoonflower shop, so I choose to keep these exclusive prints private until they are send out to a selected few. When I present my exclusive designs business to business, it’s a given one of them will add the same themes and colors to their collection next season while turning my originals down. This is of course a problem. With my thorough market research, experience and skills it is not only the design I send out. It is weeks of researching the market and target group, scaping upcoming themes, color schemes and trends into new designs. It is not just the print but a whole lot of other information too they are handed before pay out. It took me a long time to resolve this matter but when last year’s batch of spring designs became worthless I knew I had to do things differently.

Last year I made a presentation that was send out to a select few customers. One of them, I had worked for before, shared my work to a company that has stolen my designs before. The customer I send the designs to asked me to prepare a license for three designs that were part of a collection containing 10 other designs with the same theme, concept, colors and elements. However, that same customer did not get back to me to confirm these licenses. After turning down several other companies interested in the prints, I finally got in contact with them and they told me they did not want to buy the designs any more. A few weeks later, the same theme, same colors, same elements…. copies of my designs popped up in their shop. I was curious where they came from: Nooteboom, they said. Which had copied my work before. My entire collection became worthless and I could not sell any of the designs I put weeks of work in. I knew, this was the last time this was ever going to happen.

Working in the fabric industry is shady business. When I visit fabric fairs it only takes me a few seconds to find copied work. It is crazy. So yeah, I learned a lot from my 6 years of making designs for the fabric industry but it still surprises me, the lengths people will go to not pay the artist. To resolve the business to business exclusive design issue I now make customers sign a binding agreement of not adding same themes and elements to their new collection for at least a year after receiving my collection of new designs to choose from. Invest in some legal assistance every now and then. This way your ideas and heard work are at least a little more protected.

It is not much and I am sure there will be another person or company trying out something new here. But do protect your work, add a little business mindset to running a creative business and I hope this piece can prevent you from making the same mistakes I have made so far. I haven't by far figured everything out yet, being an entrepreneur means setting new goals, make mistakes and learn from them. I am working on a top 10 of mistakes, things to think about as an artist while doing business. Things to consider to protect your artwork. So stay tuned!

Made with Little Smilemakers Studio Fabric // Top 5 June 2019

It is so exciting to see a finished project after working hard on a new collection of designs, or a series of illustrations for our clients. But with finished fabric designs it is even a bigger surprise to see what customers create. To see how final products evolve when people put their own creative energy in there is amazing.

If you browse around on Etsy or if you check Instagram for some kids fashion you are very likely to stumble upon some Little Smilemakers prints. Most creatives that use our fabrics have small home-based businesses and sell their projects online and tag us via Instagram. But there are also some bigger fish out they're using our Spoonflower designs for their business. So we see some amazing things pop up in our feed every month. We love how Little Smilemakers creations are the foundation for other creatives all around the world to work with. So here is our monthly blog post that features some creative results from Spain, the United States, UK, and Canada. This month we selected a whole bunch of favorite fabrics turned into the most gorgeous items. Kids fashion, nursery accessories and home and interior decoration, so much to choose from! We have selected some cool nursery textiles, kids swimwear and socks, we selected some new bags and purses you’re going to love! Take a look and see if there is something for you too. Have a look and enjoy our June selection.





1 // Wally + Ollie Clothing
We were tagged in some amazing cute swim pieces by Walton who runs a small business from her home in Jacksonville Florida. We love what she created with our copper rainbow design. This print is perfect for neutral creations and she turned them into girly bikinis and swim shorts for boys too. The bananas have been our surface pattern summer hot seller over at Spoonflower this year. They make a cute contrast with the darker western inspired designs she has in her shop. We love the images for these new pieces and couldn’t resist sharing them for this blog post. Take a look in their shop if you’d like to see more of what she creates.


2 // Bertie Rose
This little shop was founded by Helen who’s based in Manchester who makes eco-friendly and on-trend lifestyle products. She mixes retro, Nordic and abstract designs and we love her fun pouches, planters, and make-up bags so we wanted to spotlight her small business in our monthly Made-with post. Our zigzag print was used for these gorgeous items, but there are many more fun prints to choose from. So take a look in her shop to browse all home decor and fashion accessories.


3 // Raw Sox
We always wanted to make socks and we’re still looking for a sock partner in crime to collab with. But we can finally add some socks to our portfolio, even though it’s not a licensed design, this is the next best thing right? We love what Raw Sox created with our ziggy zag monochrome print design. This Spanish brand, based in Madrid creates socks that are a mix of illustrations, patterns, and photography and they’re truly unique. We just wanted to share these summer pieces to you guys. Our design mixed with some tropical vibes. Curious to see more? Check their webshop for more one-of-a-kind socks.


4 // Peaks and Valleys Baby
Shaele is a mom of four and was looking for unique blankets and sheets for her baby which she had a hard time with finding. So she made them herself. She decided to offer her skills to friends, looking for a cute nursery gift and so her shop was born. Now here shop has matured into a beautiful place to shop newborn textiles, all eco-friendly and certified. Her style is fresh, clean, with a touch of boho. For this months post, we selected her monochrome fitted sheets and blankets. Perfect for the neutral nursery. Curious to see more? Check her shop for all nursery textiles.


5 // Burst Into Bloom
Leah, who’s based in Michigan, is the founder of this hand waxes canvas bags and accessories shop. For this month we selected our galaxy design she created some wonderful items with. Most of her designs are flower & botanical-themed designs so we are very happy to see she found one of our designs, which is very different from the rest of her collection, to be suitable for her fun creations. We love her florals and lush botanical collection and are honored to see our designs in her newest collection too. Take a look in their shop for all boho prints and accessories.

Kalamati // New Rainbow Magic Kids Bedding

We are swooning over these new Kalamati rainbows! We’ve been licensing to Kalamati right from the start. It was the first kids home textile company carrying our designs and Wioletta has been a loyal customer of ours ever since. She has a great eye for on-trend minimal prints and it’s always a treat when she shows us the result.

Kalamati is an online shop based in Poland, focussing on high-quality kids bedding, sheets, blankets, pillows and everything soft for your little one's bedroom. With different sizes and products, these minimal designs are fun for your baby nursery but also cool for somewhat older kids. We love Wioletta’s minimal style, and she has a lot of Little Smilemakers Studio prints to choose from in her shop.



For the spring/summer season we have licensed three new print designs. And the first one to launch are these beautiful rainbow textiles. Rainbows are one of our hot selling designs at the moment and that’s no coincidence. The rainbow is one of the biggest trends in print design this season and we couldn’t be more excited to see this one used by one of our fave customers. This print sure makes perfect nursery bedding and we love the images Wioletta provided us with, of this super stylish kids room. Stylish, with a little touch of magic. The Rainbow print is available in two color palettes, one as featured here, perfect for your gender neutral nursery or boys room, and one that's a little more girly. Girls can't resist a hint of pink! Hopefully, you’re loving the result as much as we do here in the studio. If you’d like to get your hands on one of these items, check the Kalamati webshop. If you are looking for gender neutral items for your new nursery, this is definitely the place to shop.

If you are interested in licensing our designs for your business and wanna find out what we can do for you? Please, send us a message and let’s chat! We’ve also written a short step by step guide for you if you are a little shy and new in the business.

Little Smilemakers Studio wishes you happy holidays!

It's that time of the year again. Prepping for the long winter gettaway, trying to keep sane in all the seasonal madness. As every year, I'll be closing up the studio for the last two weeks of the year. It is time to look back and reflect on all the new projects we've worked on. All new collabs coming our way this year. And I'd love to say 'thank you' to all our loyal customers supporting our Little Smilemakers Studio for the long haul.

2018 has been a rough ride. It's been a year of picking up the pieces and setting new goals. It feels like everything that has happened over the past two years has made me and my company even stronger. 2018 was a year to reflect, take things easy, digest and build a strong foundation for what is to come. And 2019 will be a new era, the start of new things. I will always keep on trying to create more, do more of what I love most and turn this into a living. 2019 will be filled with firsts and I am super excited. We'll be back in the studio the second week of January, with a bunch of new idea's, all fueled up and ready to take the studio to another level.


Featured fabric available in our Spoonflower shop.

How I started my creative business // Reflecting on 7 years of being a creative entrepreneur // The first steps

Times have changed, instead of doing interviews about my designs I get asked to talk about running my business and how I started as a creative entrepreneur more and more often. Instead of replying to all those individual messages I thought it was about time to sit down and write a little something about the start of Little Smilemakers Studio.


My E-mail, Instagram and Facebook inboxes are filled with questions like; how did you start your business? What tips do you have for a starting creative like me? And you know, the questions seem so straight forward but the answer’s not that simple. So here you can ready a little something about my own experience as a designer.


The first steps
In 2011 I registered Little Smilemakers Studio as a new business. But things started way before that. When I was in design school I had so many ideas and projects I wanted to work on, and by the time I started out as a graphic designer here in The Netherlands (2004) I was working on all those projects at night after I got home from my job, which was less fulfilling then I had hoped it would be.

After two years of working full time I decided I wanted to specialize in Graphic design and Typography and went back to school. With a full time design job and classes 4 nights a week I still had this itch to create my own thing. I always felt I needed to find a way of expressing myself, pushing my boss and teachers boundaries time and time again. Because I didn’t have much time in between work, classes and school homework, I did not have much time to create my own stuff. I always needed to create, so carrying a camera along was the way to keep creative and true to myself. I always carried along a camera. First an analog Minolta, then my Lomo and after that the digital camera’s came. I captured everything in images.


A passive income
I worked at a design firm in The Netherlands where I had the chance to create the most amazing things, but sometimes, budget and time was restricted and we had to fall back on stock images. I started selling my first photographs on iStock. Images of Rotterdam and The Hague. Typical Dutch street scenes but also raw textures and details, rust, paint, decay. My photography finally had a purpose and it’s the balance between creating from the heart and making a living that challenges me, keeps me energized up until this day.

During my studies on the art academy I started freelancing. One of the first jobs I took on was creating Back-to-school items. Working on school accessories for kids was the start of my career in print designs. I started creating illustrations and surface pattern designs. All sketches and left over creations that didn’t make the final cut were added to my stock portfolio. This created a passive income for me. The foundation on which I could later on built my company.


The leap
After working for another design company for a few years I realized working for a boss was not for me. I missed the freedom to put my all into the job. I started as a graphic designer when things were all peachy but in 2010 the industry was one big mess and the graphic business pretty much collapsed. The design agency struggled with anxious clients and budget cuts. And the job got so stressful my fibromyalgia got so bad I couldn’t sit, stand, sleep, I was in pain 24/7. I knew it was time to leave and take the leap. I had gathered enough experience to know how I did not want to work so I though, what the hell, let’s do this.

You have to be a little naive to start your own business. At least you need to have the courage to think you can figure out, even though you’ve never come across so many challenges you’ll have to believe you can do it all. And so I did. And yes, I did have a lot of experience to take with me. But there was also so much I had yet to learn. And I was not healthy. I was struggling with my joints. But the decision to start my own business was such a relief. I never had to cross that line of physical exhaustion again. So I thought.


Taking on the first projects
Looking back I believe I was a pretty clever one starting out. I had a plan A, B and C. A passive income stream that was growing and now was enough to cover my basic expenses: mortgage, utilities and such. And the stock websites turned out to be a pretty handy tool to show businesses all over the world what I had to offer. I didn’t have to spend too much time on my own website because all my work was already out there to see. The first year I started working with companies from 18 different countries. I has to hire help every now and then. Pretty amazing when I look back on it. I worked with companies in home decor, textiles, kids fashion brands. The first year was definitely exciting! But it hasn’t been all easy.

The first year I was definitely high on the excitement of doing everything for the first time. New jobs coming in. new collabs. New finished work. But with 18 different countries comes 18 different cultures. 18 different ways in which to approach my clients. Working in the creative field is fun, but it’s also being your own accountant, design strategist, trend watcher, you have to become a writer, content manager, communication specialist. It’s a job allright. The creative field is not one to become rich over night. And that was never the goal anyway. I am not a big spender and want to know everything I need to run my business. I am very reluctant to hire help. I want to know what it’s about, and try to teach myself whatever is needed to resolve the problems that I come across.


The ultimate tip
Over the years I have done writing courses, online marketing classes, sales and business coaching sessions, I spend hours and hours on researching copy cats to fight giant corporations using my work without paying. An ongoing investment for my business. It’s been fun but mostly it has been hard work. With determination and time you can do it! The only quick tip I can give you here; if you’re not up for the task, don’t start. If this seems like a hassle to you; keep working for your boss and let him take care of it all. Sometimes the rough and the rude gets to me. But one thing I know for sure: I will always keep creating. And if you have this all consuming itch for creation like I do. You’ll be fine. Trust in your skill and create from the hearts and there will be no one like you. And that’s exactly what the world needs.

How to set new goals when you’re forced to redirect your attention and energy // spoiler alert: haven’t got the answer yet

It has been a while since I posted something a little more behind the scenes of the studio. The past year has been pretty much a deep pit and it’s pretty hard to find something positive and uplifting to share about business when yours just went down the drain. But I think there have been so many 'after' and 'reflection' stories, it's time to speak up when things are in fact still dark and fuzzy.

In 2016, I signed the papers for the new business: opening a shop and starting my own fabric production has been a long time goal, and I was working my way up to this moment for a couple of years when I decided I had to share the energy and workload to build a strong foundation for this new venture. And so I did. I sat around the table with my new business partner for over a year until it felt like we had talked over and tackled most bumps in the road. We signed contracts, looked for a place to rent with an office space, storage and storefront. And we set everything in motion to get things going. I invested all my savings for renovations, production, decorating the new space. And it was a good energy, things were moving, things got checked from our list. The website was ready to be filled with new products and our store was finished. Then my colleague flaked. After giving a go on our first fabric collection to our producer, a day later she told me she wanted to step away from the business, and she already started to put everything in my name.

The first cracks
During the renovation of our new space already noticed the fair of making decisions for my partner. We had written down our thoughts and expectations before the start but I noticed she did not keep her end of the deal. There had been some discrepancies. Trust was broken. Eventually, I found out numbers were a mess too, and I was glad my gut instinct told me to pull the plug right away. I could not run a store, creative studio and keep busy with productions all by myself, so after our shop finished in February, we only stayed open for two months until things came to an end. We hadn’t even sent out our grand opening invites yet.

The goal
Some of you might know I struggle with fibromyalgia. For me finding another way to earn a living, without having to create every day (but not giving up on the drawing either) was my goal to start this venture. My fingers are not very reliable so I cannot count on my hands to keep drawing for another 10 years. Working on a more sufficient income stream was one of the reasons to get into the process of starting a Little Smilemakers fabric production. My designs are copied so quickly, this was a good way to keep new prints private and only expose them as a finished product. Stay afloat as a designer and keep making a creative living.

The shop was closed a year ago already and has left me empty. Only a giant pit filled with smelly leftover shit to deal with was left. This week my accountant closed the 2017 books. And I had to face it all over again. The financial loss, the financial insecurity that came with investing so much time and energy into the shop and not building the studio. Trusting someone who completely went Houdini on me was another thing to deal with. I felt like I lost my spirit. My little fighter mentality. My determination.

Recovering from scattered dreams
If you have your mind set on something, you take all steps necessary. It is a clear vision that drove me towards building a store for years. And if someone suddenly takes away that future, that vision, and that goal, pretty much everything is up for discussion. It was my own decision to stop, and I think it was the right one. But I felt forced. It is not what I pictured. I was thrown back to my bare foundation. Felt so lonely emptying out the shop, by myself, on a rainy afternoon. And I haven’t shaken off this feeling yet, not even after a full year has gone by. Yeah, sorry this story will not be a very inspiring one. But I receive so many comments from other aspiring designers. Questions about how to successfully build a business. Well, I have felt like a fraud. I don’t have a clue. If anything it is all hard work, determination, setting goals and stay focused, but that’s not all, clearly.

Getting up again
A year has passed, and I am still making up for the financial loss and probably have to keep on doing so for the upcoming two years. My health is getting worse, so long working days are pretty much impossible. That, and the fact that this entire thing has cost me so much energy I can come home completely exhausted after just doing some groceries. So this is not an inspiring story. Just a real one. And I still feel very much stuck in that pit. I have more ‘good’ days that a few months ago. (Breaking your heart is not a very awesome thing to deal with during all this either, minor detail) But I think writing down this story might help some of you that are also not quite ready yet. Stuck in some darkness, feeling lost. Lonely and defeated. Usually, you get out with some big eye-opening epiphany and you look back on it think I survived. There are so many stories they actually make me feel worse, I am simply not there yet. I am not even remotely gone processing this. And that’s OK.

The future
What’s up next is seeing something in my future again. Something that makes my heart tick. Creating a new goal. Going toward something meaningful. It’s times like these when you are thrown to the bare version of yourself. You have to trust your own foundation, and maybe that is what makes it harder, when your foundation isn’t all warm and steady, you have to get that light on all by yourself, it takes a while. I noticed some of the people I had been close with suddenly make me feel worse. They kept asking me why it would feel this mayor. Why I couldn’t just get over it and be happy with what I have. I heard so many things that just made me feel even worse, made me feel I had to apologize for feeling shitty. So at this point, I have stripped my circle to the bare minimum. I have to be OK with myself first before someone tells me they're not OK with where I am right now. If there is any advice I would give at this point is that you can do it alone. It is pretty awesome to get some ‘happy’ injected from others but don’t make other people make you feel even heavier when you’re down. I put some people on hold. Not because they are bad people. I just had to put my own needs first.

I hope with all this said; some of you might find the OK in not feeling OK. For every bad trip, you need time to recover. I am so not there yet. At all. But with the 2017 books closed this now finally feels like a new chapter. Slowly things are moving towards the right direction.

Sources of inspiration: Recharge // Getting back to nature

April has been a good month, travel wise. Just before moving the studio we decided to take a little break and travel. We visit Spain and Italy and came back recharged and full of inspiration.

As a designer I need to create my own bubble in order to make new work. But too much solitude also blocks creativity. Spring time is an amazing time of the year to get out more, see the leaves grow, trees turn green, flowers blossom. Such an inspirational time of the year. As you can imagine lot’s of nature inspired surface patterns will be in the making.

This year I booked two short trips to Spain, Siurana: a lush area, popular for climbing and hiking. I had a little peek into the world of rock climbing there. And I already signed up for a bouldering introduction course back home. Being outside all day, under the trees, watching the landscapes change, the dramatic mountains, the soft warm breeze. Living in a city is pretty challenging sometimes, the chaotic streets, so many people, cars, noise. So a 5 day all day green experience was an amazing way to recharge, absorb some sunlight to return home with some refreshed energy.



After Spain I travelled to the Amalfi coast. Nature has so much to offer. I love the dramatic rocks, the contrasting bright color of the water. The Amalfi coast is truly mesmerizing. But of course traveling to Italy means awesome food! I love being in the woods and enjoy being outside but I do love a little culture too. Italy will always be one of my fave European countries to visit.

Now we’re all back in the studio and also renovating the new studio space where we will be moving into within the next two weeks. Curious about the space and how we are turning it around into a new creative business office? Check @littlesmilemakers stories on Insta to get a little peek into what we are doing.

Made with Little Smilemakers Studio Fabric // Top 5 January 2018

It is so exciting to see a finished project after working hard on a new collection or a series of illustrations for our clients. But with finished fabric designs it is even a bigger surprise to see what customers create. To see how final products evolve when people put their own creative energy in there is amazing.

If you browse around on Etsy for some kids fashion you are very likely to stumble upon some Little Smilemakers prints. Most creatives with small home based businesses sell their projects via internet and tag us via Instagram. So we see some amazing things pop up in our feed every month. We love how Little Smilemakers creations are the foundation for other creatives all around the world to work with. So here is our monthly blog post that features some creative results from Australia, Slovenia, Ukraine, USA and The Netherlands. This month we selected a whole bunch of hot selling fabrics, turned into beautiful items. We have some cool hedgehogs, kawaii prints and trendy abstracts. Take a look and see if there is something for your little one too. This is our January top 5.

1 // Hiskarija Notebooks
Hiskarija is a Slovenian brand that creates hand-made notebooks for kids and colorful recipe paper goods. Each item is carefully chosen, functionally designed and manufactured with plenty of love in an eco-friendly manner. Wanna get your hands on one of these fun notebooks for your little ones new school year? Check out the website and select your fav prints for the new season. They have some cool Little Smilemakers penguins, hedgehogs and a few abstracts to choose from. Hope you like them as much as we do!
https://www.hiskarija.si/sl/



2 // Lucie June
This Australian based shop makes vibrant girls clothing, focusing on whimsical individuality, designed to be beautiful and practical for the start of life as a little lady. We love Lucie June and their handmade rompers. And wanted to give them a little extra attention with the summer season Down Under these are great additions to your little ones summer wardrobe. We love our watercolor cacti print and our monochrome geometric design on their handmade pieces. We call it stylish bohemian. Curious about the rest of their collection? Take a look on their website.

3 // Tiny Little Cactus
You might have seen the Tiny Little Cactus booties here on the blog. Krista has launched her new range of doll house items this month. Under the name of Dollhouse Bandits she created tiny furniture for your little ones dollhouse. She also made matching bedding and accessories for those tiny little rooms. Check her website for her fun kawaii and abstract collection of fashionable doll bedding.

4 // Ripka Store
Oksana is based in Kiev and creates adorable sleep suits and baby rompers she sells via her Etsy shop. Her eye for clean monochromes make this shop stylish and trendy. Perfect to browse around! For this months “Made With” post we selected one of her monochrome creations: our hot selling hedgehog fabric. This print has been turned into notebooks, baby nappies, bedding, socks, but this sleep suit, so adorable! We wish her all the best with her fun shop.

5 // Mila Mea Handmade
We were contacted by Debbie through Spoonflower where she send us some links of her new burb cloths creations. Deppie has been a loyal customer of our fabrics and offers tons of Little Smilemakers prints in her Etsy shop. Looking for a cute new born present? She has lot's of fun combo's. Colorful, abstract, monochromes, enough to find something suitable. Check our her online store.

Happy Holidays // Merry Christmas and an awesome 2018 // Warm wishes from our studio

It is that time of the year again. While the snow is falling, making the streets white and soft a quiteness falls over me. It is the time of the year to reflect on what has happened. And it has been a lot. Are you ready for a new year? While the media is making 'best of 2017' lists we are reminiscing over a fruitful year ourselves and closing up for a well deserved break.

The year started with a renovation. Decorating and opening a shop with Little Smilemakers fabrics and products was a dream come true. I never thought having a shop would be so much fun! People dropping in giving feedback, seeing those smiles on those customers faces. And I got to travel again, work on new exciting projects with clients from all over the world. New designs, new in depth researches and new trend reports. In September we found a new place and moved the studio, getting a bunch of new colleagues to work with. So much fun!

I have met some amazing new people this year while I was part of the creative hub of The Hague: Makerskwartier. Being part of a street full of creative entrepreneurs is so uplifting! All walking the same path, building a creative business from scratch. So much fun! So much has happened this year, business wise but also personally. Looking back 2017 has been a challenge but it hasn’t been half bad. It was a rollercoaster with unforeseen bumps in the road that only lead me to a clearer path and adventures to come.

There are a whole bunch of new plans for the future. We will be starting a search for a new account manager in January. And I will be exploring new ‘waters.’ But first it is time to celebrate and enjoy Christmas time with friends and family. Have a good toast to the new year and leave 2017 with a big bang. See you all in the new year!

Sources of inspiration // A playful mind in business

As you know Little Smilemakers Studio targets their designs on the children’s market mainly. Most of our designs are triggering those little ones fantasy and we love to see the joy on our tiny customers faces when they get to wear on of our designs or see our prints in their home and on daily products.

It is not a coincidence our prints are attracting those mini humans. Play is one of our biggest inspirational triggers. Whenever you are playing with your son or daughter or playing a board game with friends or dancing around the living room butt naked singing along with some terrible cheesy song; being playful is the fuel for creation. It opens up other possibilities, views and perspectives.

Choose a crazy color of lipstick instead of sticking with your regular tone. Commute on a skateboard instead of taking the bike. Try hanging upside down next to your kid on the playground. Try new things, new places, new food, and open up your senses to explore to the fullest.

Unfortunately most playful things are targeted on kids, but keeping an element of play present throughout your busy day will keep you energized and focused. At least that is what it does for me. It opens up new possibilities because my mind get’s distracted from my stressful studio life. Playing keeps you happy & healthy.

Play is getting more important. It is a way to reduce stress but also a way to engage. Customers choose to spend money on new experiences and making memories instead of spending their cash on stuff. It is another opportunity to reach customers and think out of the usual box. We see shops turn into concept stores with room for surprise and incorporating spaces to experience, grab a coffee and meet up, an mix of commerce and hospitality. The boundaries fade and the story behind a brand gets more important, it is not about quantity any longer. So we try to tell stories with our designs, trigger these creative souls in a playful manner. Curious to know more about how we can incorporate play into your brand? Just reach out and send us a message. We are also very curious to hear what you have to say about play. So let’s chat!

Made with Little Smilemakers Studio Fabric // Memphis Style // July 2017

It is so exciting to see a finished project after working hard on a new collection of design or a series of illustrations for our clients. But with finished fabric designs it is even a bigger surprise to see what customers create. To see how final products evolve when people put their own creative energy in there is amazing.

If you browse around on Etsy or Instagram for some kids fashion or home decoration you are very likely to stumble upon some Little Smilemakers prints. Most creatives with small home based businesses sell their projects via internet and tag us via Instagram. So we see some amazing things pop up in our feed every month. We love how Little Smilemakers creations are the foundation for other creatives all around the world to work with. So here is our monthly blog post that features some creative results from Russia, The Netherlands and the United States. This month we selected a our top 3 Memphis products, turned into the most gorgeous items. Kids fashion, nursery accessories and have you seen those baby booties? There was so much to choose from! We have selected some cute baby shoes, shirts, leotards. And we have a link to our Society6 shop, if you would like to add some Memphis to your home. This is our top 3 July selection.

1 // Tiny Little Cactus - Adorable Baby Booties
Krista visit our shop in The Hague to get her hands on some of our Memphis fabric. She became a fan of our designs and a week later she ordered a whole lot more of our fabric via Spoonflower. When we asked her to tag us in her social media posts, because we are curious what peeps make from our fabric, the most wonderful items popped up. We love anything cute and love this local webshop filled with crafty stuff and everything Kawaii. For this months “Made with” we selected her adorable little baby booties in our trending white Memphis print. Soft sole shoes, perfect for your little ones tiny feet. Seriously, things don’t get much cuter than this! We love these fresh colorful booties, but if you prefer our darker Memphis designs: She also has the black Memphis designs available in her shop. If you are looking for some baby shoes or if you are a big Kawaii fan like we are check our her website. Such a perfect new born or baby shower gift!



2 // Mami’s Little Muse - Baby & Toddler fashion
We haven been following this shop for a couple of years already. Isis is one of our regular customers and has made some cute fashion items for little ones over the years. For this month’s post we selected some of her newest rompers and leotards made with our Memphis fabric. We love how she mixes and matches colors and prints. Isis started her little shop after giving birth to her preemie daughter. She could not find any clothes to fit her tiny new born baby girl. Her little muse Kaili inspired her to start dreaming about sewing a whole wardrobe full of clothing for her. And her husband, sensing her determination, came home one day carrying a brand new sewing machine. With all it bells and whistles, it wasn’t long before Isis preemie was the most stylish kid in town with a dressed overflowing with handmade outfits in all the colors of the rainbow. Now she has expanded her collection by adding cool boy designs too. her shop is fresh, fun and colorful. And her items all have a little something special. if you are curious just take a look into her Etsy shop.

3 // LU Kids - Cool boys and girls
Our Memphis designs haven been travelling all over the globe and even in Russia you can find a cool range of kids wear. LU Kids offers trendy fashion items and accessories. This Moscow based shop offers shirts, pants, shoes, everything for your little ones wardrobe. But they have also reated some cool accessories. Shoes, hats, backpacks. An entire series of back to school Memphis prints is released this fall. For this new collection LU Kids has used organic cotton and eco-friendly printing, water-based inks on natural and synthetic fiber textiles. No additional chemicals are used in the printing or preparation process. That is something we just love to hear! Many of our customers are choosing a more conscious approach so we really wanted to list them in our top 3 this month.
Curious about their new stuff? Visit their webshop.

Home decoration & Accessories
We usually only feature handmade items and licensed products in our monthly Made With post. Because this month is a little different that our usual posts we also wanted to add a link to our Society6 shop. Where you can find fashion accessories, bedding, and als sorts of fun items to decorate your home with. If you want to add a little Memphis to your home. Go take a look. We have a whole bunch of other designs to choose from too.

3 Must-Reads for starting up your design business

This month it will be three years ago since I started Little Smilemakers Studio. I have studies and read numerous books and magazines to stay up to date about social media and making my living doing what I love. There are three books that have helped me with the little bugs and errors that come with setting up your own independent creative business. I was lucky to have had 7 years of experience before starting my company so I already had a clear view of what I wanted and especially what I didn't want. But there is no way to oversee it all. There three books have been a great addition.

1 // Mollie Makes Blogging
This is not a book but a magazine all about blogging, social media and how to deal with creative content online. The magazine has great tips for transforming your blog and website into a great visual experience for followers, simple tools to keep in mind while posting content and it has a great overview of all social media pro's and con's. Find out what works best for you and build your creative blog with a steady foundation.



2 // Handboek voor het opzetten van een ontwerp praktijk
I already bought this book before starting my own business. It is a good preparation for what is to come when you do not have a lot of experience in design practice. This book contains all practicalities you will have to worry about while setting up a new business. How to attract clients and how to deal with contracts and numbers. The guide to start your own design business. The book is only available in Dutch.

3 // Art Inc
A guide for building your career as an artist and was written by Lisa Congdon, created by her own experience as an artist. This book is all about turning your skills into a successful business. The book has some great tips about dealing with irregular income, protecting copyright and you can also learn about promoting your artwork, work with creative galleries and selling your art.