Customer Spotlight: Bear & Moo - Designs for Cloth Diapers

Ever since I started the business in 2011 Little Smilemakers Studio has been working for cloth nappy brands all over the globe. This industry has been growing and more parents are choosing a more sustainable way of diapering. And a big plus: they are a lot cuter than disposable ones! The first brand we worked for was Milovia, for which we also did some branding. After Milovia we worked on a completely new print identity for Bambino Mio. And after all these years we are still creating designs for cloth diapers.  

For 6 years we've been making designs for Bear & Moo. We started working with Hannah back in early 2019. And as the global market got greener and more conscious. Bear & Moo became the award-winning nappy brand and every won the business of the year award. They became trailblazers creating baby products for the concious parent. How cool is that? We are so grateful to work together with many talented ladies who are truly making a difference. And as you can imagine we are beyond excited to have them on our list of clients.

This spring Hannah selected another bunch of our designs. Our green puppies & neutral hearts are now launched and part of they nappy & baby accessory collection. You can find these prints on cute bibs, wet bags and even re-usable sanitary pads I wish they sold on our Dutch market! We proudly present you the new products here on our blog.

Hannah licensed our designs non-eclusively but she does have an extended license with exclusivity to her branch. With the Premium license you can use our ready-made designs and keep them unique to your company without breaking the bank. Need some prints for your products too? You can find more info about using our designs and our licensing options on our website.

Finished Work: Knapsnoet - Logo Design & Branding

As a kid, I always picked the butterfly. I loved having my face painted. You can imagine how I enjoyed those colorful illustrations on my face! As I later turned out to be illustrating myself, I was excited to start this new branding project. Creating a visual ‘face’ for Snapsnoet. (translated: Pretty Face)

Knapsnoet was created by Mandy. Her passion in life has always been makeup. And she decided to turn her hobby into a business this year. With workshops for women who want to get skilled. And you can also hire her for theater grime, birthday parties. belly paint and business workshops.

Mandy wanted to create something she could see herself in. She had a clear understanding of what she wanted to say. Her brand should reflect her feminine self, soft and joyful. But her branding also needed show professionalism, she wanted it to reflect her skills and also attract other professionals, not only moms throwing Disney themed birthday parties. Nothing too cutesy. But cute enough. Something catchy. But also detailed. Creating a branding is about converting these contrasts into a coherent balance. Find that unique tone that makes a brand professional & personal. A lovely design problem to solve.

For her logo, we decided to create something neutral with a soft pink base. A minimalist catchy smiley is incorporated, reflecting the face painting, and a swoosh in the background as a shape to tie both the visual and typography together.

For her branding we also created some graphic designs. Flyers, business cards and for those we created a series of abstract painted illustrations. With all this, we set the base for future branding. With these designs, she can tell her story and attract her ideal clients. What do you think about this project?

Need a logo for your business too?
A logo is a visual symbol or graphic that represents a brand. It is the first point of contact between a business and its audience and serves as the foundation for the overall brand identity. If you are also looking for a logo designer who can create a strong visual identity? Reach out and send us a message. Let's get to know each other!

Carriage House printery: Sweet pastels and quirky prints for this year's Easter Fabric Collection by Little Smilemakers Studio

Next up is Easter! We love making prints for Holidays but quite frankly we don't sell too much of 'm business to business. But we do sell a ton of fabrics with every holiday. Come have a look at our Easter fabrics. We just added some last-minute prints for Easter to our carriage House Printery collection.


These designs are available for licensing. These designs are available on fabric & wallpaper through our partners at Carriage House Printery & Spoonflower.

Mixing Surface Patterns with Wall Art & Fashion Prints

For almost 14 years we've been creating prints designs. The past few years we've also created a lot of other graphic artworks. Last month we sent out our new Fruit Punch collection and next to our usual print designs we also created some wall art and fashion prints that immediately sold out.

For the warmer season we created a range or joyful summer visuals. These were all sold within a few days. One of our clients loved these series so much she wanted to create a range of visuals to use for her product rage next to the licensed surface designs she uses. Since we have a lot of illustrations ready-made in stock we'll be creating some more matching designs combining illustrations, print design, and cute typography quotes and funny sayings.

Licensing print designs
The designs featured have been licensed non-exclusively. That means it it still available for licensing for you if you want to use it for your production. If you like to license our prints for your business too please send us a message. We license print designs all over the world and we love to welcome new collabs.

Finished Work: Thea Fashion for Kids / Boys Summer collection

We have some beautiful new pieces for Thea Fashion to show you. We've been working with Angela for a couple of years. Before the pandamic she already licensed designs of ours. Every month she selects some designs of ours.

Over the years she has launched numerous designs for her fabric collection. Her customers make the most wonderful creations. This spring she picked one of our surf themes for her boys collection. We also stated making visuals to apply on t-shirts and accessories. Usually she's all about color but for this launch she used more neutral colors and earthy tones. Our shaka design was part of our Sea & Salt collection and we're so excited it has founds a home at Angela's fabric store. And look what customers already created with our seamless print design and visuals.

Angela Loves pairing up her prints with neutral tones and basic textures. Stripes and checkers are easy to mix and match. All of those prints sure form a cute boys collection. Contrasting or color blocking.

Licensing print designs
This design was licensed non-exclusively. That means it it still available for licensing for you if you want to use it for your production. If you like to license our prints for your business too please send us a message. We license print designs all over the world and we love to welcome new collabs.

The Lookbook: The Cozy Winter Collection - New Trends Fabric Collection & Surface Designs

Every summer we work on new Christmas & Seasonal designs. They’re always planned 6 months ahead of time so our customers have enough time to license designs and plan their production. This year we didn’t make just one collection but three Christmas collections. The Cozy Winter collection is created for our younger audience. It’s a mix of whimsical winter elements, animals, and botanicals. 

Typical Christmas & Winter themes are covered again this year and for this Cozy collection we selected a neutral palette with a pop of lilac and a hint of vintage. Lilac has been the trending color of the year. And it matches the red and greens of the more traditional palette very wel. The more orange and rust colors give the collection a touch of Seventies. Terracotta is here to stay a little longer too.

We’d love to see these prints being licensed. And can’t wait who’s first to license one of these prints. Pattern designs are now available for single use or, if you’d like to launch a consistent batch of products, you can also license the entire collection at once.

New in the licensing business?
If you own a company and need print designs for your products you can license our designs. Licensing will get you the rights to our artwork to produce your own products and use our print designs. Licensing starts at €124.

We’ve also put some more info about licensing on our blog earlier this year, so if you’d like to read more about that and check out if licensing could be something for you read the blog post. We made an easy step-by-step about what you need to keep in mind before licensing print designs. You can also visit our website for more info or send us an email and we’ll find an A to your Q. All prints shown here are available for licensing. And they are all available on fabric in our Spoonflower shop too!


Wanna be kept in the loop and get exclusive designs right into your mailbox? Sign up for our newsletter and stay up to date. You’ll get all new print designs right into your inbox. And of course, we’ll keep you informed about what we’re working on.

MEYADEY // This is the new Autumn/Winter Collection 2021 and we’re in love!

Every season we create a batch of exclusive surface pattern designs for Meyadey. The prints we make are made a year in advance and it’s always exciting to finally see the result. After each launch we get to see so many images of kids wearing our designs and we wanted to show you the new AW21 collection that was launched a couple of weeks ago.

This new collection contains some colorful whimsical kids designs. We try to create iconic prints that spark joy and trigger those little one’s imagination. We love bending the gender rules and thrive to create a collection that’s completely gender neutral. Selling cars on dresses and pinks for boys too. We had so much fun working on these! Hope you enjoy them too.

This AW collection is the last collection made with single designs. From now on we are working on releasing prints around a theme. Together with the Meyadey Marketing Team we sat down and created a new concept to launch new collections. We wanted to create a consistent style of designs, with elements that are connected in style and medium. We also adapted a limited color palette for this new range of designs and can’t wait to show you the new re-styled surface patterns we’re come up with. This new concept was finalized this spring so we’ll have to wait a little longer before we can show you those new designs. Stay tuned!

Licensing print designs for your business too
If you’re in need of some print designs for your brand I am sure we can help you too. With over 20.000 ready-made print designs you can license non-exclusive designs to keep your costs low. If exclusive designs are important to your brand we can schedule in custom projects too. Just send us a message and we’ll tell you all about using our designs for your business too.

The Lookbook: Romantic Garden - New Trends Fabric Collection & Surface Designs

Oooooh how I love a daily walk and be surrounded by the seasons. With a change of season comes a new collection with botanicals of course. We finished up this new Garden Romance Lookbook just before fall kicks in. We have some flowers, leaves and a moody neutral palette based on the changing colors of nature. 

Every year we make a new nature inspired collection. We work with small businesses all over the world and we wanted to create a mix that was moody fall-ish. But with print designs that are also suitable for other seasons and locations all over the world. With warm neutrals and cool blues, reflecting the Scandinavian landscapes on September Indian Summer nights. All prints are now available for licensing. And they are all available on fabric in our Spoonflower shop now!

Wanna license print designs for your business? Please send us a message. We’ve also put some more info about licensing on our blog earlier this year, so if you’d like to read more about that and check out if licensing could be something for you read the blog post. We made an easy step-by-step about what you need to keep in mind before licensing print designs. Any questions? We’re happy to help. Just reach out!

Wanna be kept in the loop and get exclusive designs right into your mailbox? Sign up for our newsletter and stay up to date. You’ll get all new print designs right into your inbox. And of course, we’ll keep you informed about what we’re working on.

Made with Little Smilemakers Studio Fabric // Top 5 March 2020

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 you are very likely to stumble upon some Little Smilemakers prints. Most creatives that use our fabrics have small home-based businesses sell their projects via the internet 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 Latvia, Poland, the States, and France. 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 a cool cute abstract romper, some on-trend kids bedding and some other fashion items you’re going to love! Take a look and see if there is something for your little one too. Have a look and enjoy our April selection.

1 // Wuf Kids // Baby Teethers & Fashion Accessories
This Latvian shop has some cool things to offer. We love their range of leggings and we adore their fun little hedgehog fabric teethers. So clever! But they have lot’s more cute things to choose from. And lot’s of Little Smilemakers designs! Triangles, flamingo’s, teepees, ice cream cones, grizzly bears, and our minty feathers of course. I bet we forgot to mention some other designs but take a look at their Facebook page and see them all!



2 // Milutka // Bedding & outdoor accessories
Milutka is a company specialized in kids cottons. From soft winter hats to mommy hand warmers, pillows, soft toys and stroller gear, if you'd like to have one print for your entire nursery and kids outdoor gear go visit their online shop. They have our cute little raccoon cactus print in their collection but also our colorful pirates, elephants, squirrels, dachshund puppy, plus sign and owl prints. And last but not least: They have a great selection of kids bedding in all those prints mentioned above. Take a look!

3 // Woodbean // Baby Rompers
If you are looking for some unique snuggle wear for your little one this shop is the place to be. Lisa, who is based in Minnesota, creates the most wonderful soft pieces for your little one and we love her style of mixing and matching prints and uni’s. Her style is like no other and we wanted to share one of her custom made orders with you for which she has used our Abstract Bubble design. These soft little rompers are just to die for. We love how Lisa mixed the print with the contrasting earth tones. Check out her Etsy shop where you can see her wonderful collection in a series of beautiful, soft photography. Check out all her wonderful handmade creations.

4 // Pistol & Arrow // Leotards
We just adore the ice cream leotard made by Brittany Kleiss who runs her small Pistol & Arrow Etsy shop from Fair Oaks. The ice cream print has been around for a while but we found this adorable baby girl in her leo a few weeks ago. Since we have a little bit of a girly theme this month this webshop is def worth a visit. She has some adorable items for your little girl. So go take a look.

5 // Ty Mom Studio // Kids Fashion
Charlene is based in Paris and has a great eye for thinking in collections. Her fabric choices have a steady ‘feel.’ She has a fun collection of on-trend gender neutral fabrics and she is working on a big collection for her webshop launch. Even though her webshop is not quite open yet, we wanted to share some of her cute pineapple and cacti leggings and those gender neutral rompers with you. For now, you will have to try and have a little more patience until she opens up her shop you can follow her on Instagram. I already have my eye on these cool cacti leggings. Click here if you want to follow this brand new small business.

New Collab: Bear & Moo // Cloth Diapers

We’ve worked for some awesome nappie brands since we’re licensing print design. Last year we started a new collab with a new Nappy brand that’s based in New Zealand. I think New Zealand must be the biggest distance to license to from our studio here in The Netherlands. We are so thankful businesses from all around the world approach us and use our designs.

Back in August Hannah we got in contact with Hannah, who runs Bear and Moo. She licensed a whole bunch of our kids designs for her nappy brand. Slowly the result of our new collab is starting to pop up in our feed, and we couldn’t wait to share you the new rainbow nappies that were released earlier this month. They are so cute! This design has been one of our hot sellers ever since we released it early 2017. You can’t go wrong with this one. And we are proud to see this design now on cloth diapers too.

For the new collection, Hannah has licensed 12 of our designs from our ready-made non-exclusive library. So there’s a lot more to come and of course we’ll be the first to share those results. So follow us on Insta to keep in the loop if you’re hungry for some cool nappies. Some cool kiwi birds are still to come! Hot air balloons, Palm leaves and Elephants...and a whole lot more!

Looking for some designs for your brand too? Please check our website for all rates and licensing options. If you’d like some more info just fill out the contact form on our website or click here to send us a quick email right now.

New work: Launching the new Meyadey brand Spring/Summer Collection

For months and months and some more months we’ve been waiting not so patiently to show you what we’ve been working on with the Maxomorra people. This week Meyadey was welcomed to the world. The new sustainable kids fashion sister brand from Maxomorra will contain only Little Smilemakers Studio prints.

We’ve create some print designs for Maxomorra in the past, but the Maxomorra style is something that outgrew us. Their customers were used to a certain style and there was little room for experimenting with new styles and trend. It was time for his very own sister brand. For this very first Spring/Summer launch we’ve create 12 designs. For boys, girls and each drop also has a gender neutral. The designs are not specific to the season because we wanted to create durable pieces that could be worn all year long. All pieces are made from the same certified cotton and high quality eco friendly inks like you’re used to from Maxomorra.

We’ll be posting some more news and images soon once they’ll be launched. So stay tuned and follow Meyadey on Insta to stay in the loop. Curious to see what we’re making for their next collections? You can follow us behind the scenes @littlesmilemakersstudio. And while we’re enjoying this launch we are working on the new collection that is planned a year from now. Meyadey is keeping us busy!

The Autumn Color palette // These are the new 2019 Autumn colors on surface pattern designs

We have to say goodbye to those warm summer nights soon and make room for the cool breeze and let it calm down our lives. Autumn is a time so slow things down a little, cuddle up inside and prepare for cold winter days to come. This palette was inspired by the calming energy. Natural forest greens and neutrals inspired by the 5 elements. The powerful energy of gemstones. And the transition from blossoms to winter Botanics. We just added our new Autumn colors to our collection. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do ourselves here in the studio.



Our Animal Print has been a hot seller all year. So we added some new autumn colors of this design in our Spoonflower shop which our now available on fabric and wallpaper. These Autumn versions a little more toned down, but still colorful enough to make them a little energizing. Nothing dull here! If you're looking for a piece of fabric of one of these, you can find them in our Animal Coat collection, where you can find a large selection of Animal skin inspired designs. We put them all together in this handy collection. With so many print designs we know it can be hard to navigate and find the right one. Don't be shy to reach out if you need any assistance with finding the right color or scale.

This Animal Print collection is one of the many designs we have available in our Autumn Palette. These are also available for licensing. If you are looking for any specific art to license from us you can find all info & rates on our website make sure to sign up to our newsletter! And if you have any further questions, please reach out and send us a message.

Top 5 Best Selling Woman's Accessories // Daily Objects

When I first started my business I was looking for ways to earn a passive income, next to the custom designs I made, I had lot's of non-exclusive designs piling up on my computer. Back in the day when I was working as a graphic designer, making magazines publishers and flyers for medical organizations and seminars I missed being creative so much I started making illustrations I could sell through Shutterstock. For years this has been a great way to earn some passive income and monetize my creations.

5 years ago, when I just got back from a trip to India I was contacted by an Indian company, asking me if they could chat about collaborating with them. Back then Daily Objects was mainly focussed on creating tech accessories like mobile phone cases and laptop sleeves. I turned the memories of my travels to India into print designs and started selling my designs on their website.

Years later Daily Objects now is one of the most popular places to find tech accessories. But they have also extended their range of products. You can find not only tech-related products in their webshop, but also office supplies, (we loooove their notebooks!) woman's accessories like handbags and purses, and we love their range of leather items. Every season we send on new designs and we love to see those customer images pop up in our feed. We wanted to show you some of our fave items here on the blog.

Featured here you can find our top 5 fave items over at Daily Objects.
Movie Lovers // Big Shopper
Stay Rude // iPhone Case
Monochrome Pineapple // Laptop Sleeve
Love and Lovers // Clutch
Rickshaws // Shoulder Bag

Most of the designs used for these products are also available for licensing and available in our Spoonflower shop. On both wallpaper and fabric. So if you see something you like and want to start your own creative project take a look at our Spoonflower shop. For all items featured here please visit the Daily Objects shop. Daily Objects works directly with artists from all around the world. So every sale someone is doing a happy dance.

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.

New collab // Licensed work // Bedhead Hats summer collection

We all want to protect our little ones when they’re playing out in the sun. Wearing a cute half is half the work of getting your little ones get used to wearing something on their hats. I know those things can be a struggle to keep on!You have to admit these three look pretty adorable right? Getting your kids to wear a hat can be such a struggle! So Bedhead Hats created hats with the most adorable prints, with a great fit for all kids sizes and soft detailing.

Bedhead Hats is an Australian run family business that offers comfy and cute hats from the smallest new born baby sizes to outdoorsy and adventurous kids ready to go to school fashionably. We love their baby buckets and swim hats. Such a clever brand! For this fun kids hats brand we license some really cute designs. Unicorns, cacti and our fave: kangaroos. We adorable the little kangaroo hats. What about you? Curious what else this fun shop has to offer? Check out their website and browse around these cool kids pieces.

https://www.bedheadhats.com.au

Thinking design // making design strategy for your business a priority

In a highly saturated surface design market we see a decrease on non-exclusive and royalty free design sales. More and more companies begin to recognize the importance of design within the process of product development. With strong competition in the textile industry, adding similar designs to a new collection than your competitor is not a way to profile your business. It even makes your customer doubt your intentions. The climate is changing and design strategy is becoming a must.

Honest business
The first year I was working as an independent designer I already noticed the harsh games businesses play in the textile industry. At one point I made a series of exclusive designs for one customer and another one of my customers, only licensing non-exclusive designs, payed it’s producer to give him the information what was going through their printers, designs their competition was printing at the same factory. They bought the info about the exclusive range and then behind my back downloaded similar designs through royalty free partners of mine. Well, you can imagine, some businesses need a little lesson or two about how to work with other human beings. They actually had the nerve to ask me to work for them on an exclusive base. No thank you, I do not work with people that are dishonest. Be kind, and your customers will notice. Stealing others idea’s and designs is also something they will notice.

Customers are getting more critical each day, with todays technology and information present at any time it is easy to track and check businesses and their story. Are they selling the truth or is it just a story? Stories can be fictional so just coming up with a story is not the way to engage customers to your brand. You’ll have to earn trust, tell your story, and back it up in all you got, your traces, your production developments and process, your communications. This is essential for your trustworthiness.



Visual priority
With the need of more transparency and more customers asking questions about the products they spend their money on we can see there is more need to prioritize designs within companies. Their visual language should be one unified message carrying out the brands philosophy. When companies use print designs they need a more distinctive print language, that has a connection with their overall visual identity. The demand of non-exclusive designs in textile, fashion, home decor and other commercial market places is declining. And it is time to prioritize design. More and more companies choose to license our exclusive prints and choose quality over quantity. Something that is highly appreciated by their customers creating more engagement, a clear message and trust. The past two years we have been working with several companies, guiding them through this process.

Design strategy
With a large portfolio with non-exclusive designs and quarterly exclusive collections we try to serve both small start up companies and large textile and commercial retailers. What suits your business most? Is there a mission, a story to tell? What impact does a print design have for your product? Does it sell the product? Or is the design secondary to your product and are these print designs or illustrations only used as detailing only? What does the design reflect? Does it have a connection to the brands philosophy or story? Can we make a connection? Creating an overall visual language? The importance of the design needs to be determined. All these ingredients should reflect your design strategy. Most companies have prioritize their product strategy, developing and improving their product, but forget about the importance of the design. Designs should always support the product. We can help you with this process of prioritizing designs and create a strong unified message in print design reaching out to the more conscious customer. If you would like to get more information about design strategies and how they can built a strong visual identity for your business just reach out and send us a message.

Sources of inspiration: Munich // Amazing streetart // Late night Biergarten // Top 5 things to do in this Beautiful capital of Bavaria

Of course if you are visiting Europe from another continent other cities might pop in to your head first while planning your trip. But there are many hidden gems, smaller cities that have a little extra something. Munich is one of those places having it all. Great night life, parks, the Alps are around the corner and the city has an historic center and lot's of cultural sights to visit.

First of all I am a back fan of German cities. I haven't been in a city in Germany I didn't like yet. During summer people are outside and celebrate the warmer weather. There are lot's of things to do all around the city. here are a few of my favorites. Munich is a city located in the southern part of Germany and has a great cultural heritage. I am a big fan of German cities with their broad streets, rivers and amazing old architecture. We all know Munich is the center of the famous Oktoberfest but Munich also is a city with high class top notch museums and fun coffee places. I must say I love that combination! Here is a little top 5 of things to do and places to see spending a day in this Bayern city.

1 // University Rooftop Bar
Are you a fan of heights? I always love to visit one of the cities taller buildings and the first thing I do when I visit a city is go look for a rooftop bar. Munich has a student bar that is open for public. Cafe Vorhoelzer is located inside of the Architectural faculty of the University and from the bar you have a great view over the city. When the sky is clear you can even see the Alps. The bar itself is packed with students and usually a place on a location like this is crazy expensive but the prizes for drinks and food are very okay. Drink a coffee and have a fresh Panini or try out one of their very refreshing cocktails.

2 // Street art tour
All along the old train tracks, old industrial area's and outskirts you can find some amazing street art. Somehow there is always room for these forms of creativity in Germany. I am always amazed by the great works of art that turn all German cities into open air museums. And Munich actually promotes street art. They say Munich is the city where street art in Germany began in the eighties and it was the first city in the country where graffiti was legalized in some parts of the town. This way Munich street art became a true respectable form of art. There is so much to see when you hop on a bike and just cycle around town. You can also join an organized graffiti sightseeing tour. Be amazed!



3 // Long biergarten nights
If you talk about Munich of course there must be a little something about beer. Every year this city turns into madness: it is the Oktoberfest Walhalla. Every fall the city transforms in a festive beer drinking party, they even have created an entire park to celebrate all the craziness. If you don't visit Munich during Oktoberfest there are enough places to drink a beer like Bavarians do. Biergarten are the place people hang out during warm summer nights. Some have open air movie nights, other have a little playground for kids, or little food trucks where you can get traditional Bavarian snacks and finger food. It is not just a place to drink bier, it is part of the countries social tradition.

4 // The Isar River
On a hot summer day nothing is so refreshing that a little dip in the river. The Ivar river is east from the city center and a popular place for peeps to hang out. You can reach the river by metro or rent a bike and have a little ride along the green Ivar Trail. It is a great place to meet up with friends over a little BBQ or get a little tan, there is also a nudist area. It is green and lush and a great escape from the hot city center. So if you want to get out of the busy hot summer streets this place is a great afternoon gettaway.

5 // Museum Brandhorst
Pop art and contemporary pieces. I love a good Art Museum. And thankfully every mayor European city has a place worth visiting. Of course you can visit the Pinakothek Museum but the Brandhorst Museum also has a great package of modern art, paintings and sculptures. The Brandhorst Museum was built in 2008 and even the building itself is worth a little peek. It has a colorful clean cut facade that looks amazing in sunlight! Sometimes a Museum can be an overwhelming place but Brandhorst is not too big. Spending two hours inside is enough to see it all that is why it is a great place to visit if you will only be in town for a day.

Back to school // typography designs // special designs for your little ones first day of school

Did you guys know that during my studies I also attended typography classes, where we studied fonts, typographers and got calligraphy lessons? I was studying graphic design & typography on the Royal Art Academy of The hague. Not that it was such a dread, I was a little typophile back in those days i loved smart typography and walking by a Comic Sans sign seriously gave me the chills. It still does! It is that irrational love for typography that get’s me personally offended.

I have written an entire essay about Saul Bass and his typographical movie intro’s, but also about Dutch typographers; about Wim Crouwel, founder of this countries largest graphic design firm. About Piet Zwart and his work for the national postal service. And of course Willem Sandberg, part of the Cobra movement, with his gorgeous print designs. But after my studies I only use all this for simple every day typography tasks we graphic designers do every day, spacing characters on business cards and maybe we get to draw a font for some branding every now and then but that’s about it for me.

So with all this I thought creating a typography inspired theme for our back to school post this year would be fun. Since I create surface patterns I have made several type prints. They never really are hot sellers but our most recent designs, our black and whites and hand drawn designs have been selling pretty well. So here you can see some of the black and whites themes that might be perfect for your back to school gear. Go check out the entire fabric collection on Spoonflower and make some cool back to school fashion for your little ones first day of school.



All designs featured in this post can be found in our Spoonflower online fabric shop where we offer our designs on 16 different textiles and wallpaper. If you have trouble choosing the right fabric for your project check out our Spoonflower frequently asked questions post. And reach out if you need another scale for your project, we are happy to add an extra scale to the shop for you. If you would like to license one of the designs for your business, please send us an email.

Announcement for our Shutterstock customers // Enhanced Commercial license only available directly

Almost 10 years ago I joined Shutterstock as a contributor. Starting out with a few abstract and urban photographs and textures but soon changed into uploading vectors: illustrations and pattern designs only. A lot has changed in print. Things have gotten more digital and the demand for designs for commercial purpose grew.

Our Shutterstock portfolio has been a great way to showcase our designs and we still upload some artwork every now and then. It has been a great way to built up a steady business, generate a base income and exposure.

The past year a lot of things have changed in the enhanced license agreement. Our designs are usually made from vector. So it is easy for customers to edit and change colors and adjust the prints to use them for their products. Which we love. But it also means it is easy to download the files without the right license and have a high quality file without paying the proper fee. Unfortunately that happened a lot.

Misuse of designs
As our business and also online vector portfolio has grown bigger we noticed an increase in misuse of our designs and since we have to protect our creations we decided that from April 1st we stop selling enhanced licenses over Shutterstock, at least for now. It does not mean our designs are no longer available, we just would like to do direct business when it comes to licensing our designs for commercial use, so we know every print we find out there is licensed in a legit way.

After some consideration we decided to opt out our enhanced license downloads via Shutterstock. But our entire portfolio is still available for commercial usage too. Just contact our studio directly and we will help you further.

Newbee in licensing?
If you are new in licensing designs we are also happy to give you more info about our standard and commercial licenses. We also have in-house expertise to guide your business through the process of production, can adjust colors, scales and detailing and of course with our 10 year experience we are on top of the trends. So don't hesitate and send us a message.

Behind the scenes: Top 10 pro's & con's // having a home office

When starting Little Smilemakers Studio I knew one thing: to make a living as a creative artist I had to keep my expenses as low as possible. So I started working from my home office instead of renting an expensive office downtown. I thought: "If the cash-flow will get steady, I can look around for another place to work outside of my own home" Almost 4 years later I am typing this post on my dinner table with classical music playing in the background and a washing machine reminding me to hang my wet clothes.

Sometimes I wonder why not rent a place and keep my work a little more distant from home. But at the same time working at home makes me more creative, gives me more freedom and of course, I travel quite a lot, so why pay rent for a workspace that is empty four months a year? So yes, four years later I am still working from my home and I love it, wouldn't change it for the world. But then again I am single, don't have kids, so I have the place all by myself.

I always advise young start-ups to not spend money on rent if possible. Cut costs as much as you can. Start small. First and foremost you will have to earn a steady income to provide a living for yourself and maybe also for your family. I do not have the responsability for a kid, or have to be a girlfriend when my spouse is home, have food on the table at some certain time... Does it work for everyone? I am not sure, but I have made a little top 10 of things I love and things I do not love about working from my home. Here are my personal pro's & con's having a home office:

1 // It is cheap
Face it, starting your own business can be a huge struggle. Make end meet is hard being creative so cutting costs starting out is a must. I started working from my own dinner table simply because i could not afford a decent place somewhere else. After three years I turned one of the rooms into a proper office. Not worrying about paying the rent, that is a great luxury.

2 // Never stuck in morning traffic
The best thing about working from your own home office must be the fact that you have so many extra hours to spend on whatever you want to do. You won't have to worry about being stuck in traffic every morning and every night. You don't need to spend any money on a car or gas, cutting costs is a big must if you start your own business.

3 // The Healthy lunch
I remember working in a 9 to 5 business structure where my lunch time got planned by projects and deadlines. I had a very unhealthy diet since I did not have time to eat a proper lunch, sometimes I forgot all about it or the pile of work forced me to skip lunch all together. I love that I can make whatever I want, my kitchen and fridge are only a few steps away. I eat more frequently and a lot more healthy since I run my home studio because I have time to prepare something decent. It takes a little longer but it is also a nice break from work too.

4 // It is all yours
I thought about sharing a creative space but the thing I got attached to during the years i am working from my home is the fact that everything feels like me. To feel comfortable is so important for my creative process. Putting me in a clean cubicle or office space where I can not decorate my walls, add a personal touch or rearrange furniture will kill my creative flow. I need to be surrounded by good energy and my studio if filled with things I love. Inspiring artwork, little personal memorabilia, reminders of loved ones and travels.

5 // Flexibility
Oh I love the freedom. I can pack my laptop and work anywhere. Lot's of lunchrooms and coffee places have free wifi and working from a free spot like that will change your perspective a little and triggers creativity. I can do errands during the day and don't have to get into shops on rush hours. I can go to the beach on a hot summer day and work nights if I want to. Freedom is very dear to me. I love it.



6 // The daily mess
There are always things to do at home. Clean dishes, scrub the floor. A home can be a place of distraction. My home is always clean and tidy. If not, when I have a deadline and finish up work I find myself in the kitchen, cleaning. A messy home is a messy head so I can only focus when there is no random stuff laying around the house. These house chores can be a real distraction!

7 // Smelly food & meetings
Before meeting a client i made this amazing salmon, broccoli pie. Not a very good idea when you invite professional people over to have a chat.

8 // You never leave work
That is probably the hardest thing about working from your own home. Your work will never leave the building. It is there, so I work late hours and during winter nights I can be stuck at my desk round the clock. Closing the door to my home office doesn't seem to do the trick. Separating work and quality time can be hard. I love my work so it always draws me back in.

9 // My house is always clean and organized
I can not work in a mess. It will distract me from my deadlines and it really bothers me up until the point that I will do my dishes before finishing my deadlines. So my home is always tidy and clean. I can do my laundry while working and take little breaks to vacuum or clean the windows. Even though is is a distraction is a bad way, it is also quite healthy to stand up from your desk and move around a little.

10 // Unlimited Space
I have a studio in a separate room so I don't have to work on my dinner table. But I do have enough space to expand to my living room when I have meetings or I can use a few friends to pick their brain about a project or concept I am working on. I can use my entire house when needed or limit myself to one room. Usually I shift my work into different rooms. My home office is used for serious labour: Designing, e-mailing clients. And my living room I use for writing my blog, painting, drawing and doing research.