Extinct Animal Crackers

For the recent Extinct Animals contest at Spoonflower, I decided to create two collections. It was good that I did both ideas, as I changed my entry at the last minute. My original contest entry was a print inspired by the Bogota Sunangel hummingbird. I swapped out my pretty (but sad) hummingbird print for something a bit more fun.

Extinct Animal Crackers, fat quarter 21" x 18" view shown. Click image to see print in yardage.

I somehow got the idea to do a print of various extinct animals in animal cracker and cookie form. (It may have been due to my love for animal crackers, especially the chocolate ones). I did some research to figure out which animals I wanted for the print. Represented in cookie form are Tyrannosaurus Rex, Quagga (half zebra, half horse), Steller's Sea Cow, Irish Elk (one of the largest deer that ever lived), Dodo, Great Auk, Eurphinodelphis (dolphin with a swordfish like jaw), Archaeopteryx (feathered dinosaur), Saber-Tooted Cat, Plesiosaur (aquatic reptile), Hallucigenia (strange looking arthropod), and Woolly Mammoth.

I also did this same print in a smaller scale, better suited for clothing and smaller craft items.

Extinct Animal Crackers Ditsy, swatch 8" x 8" view shown. Click image to see print in yardage.

I wanted to do a sort of scene with the animal crackers, as if someone was playing with them and imagining them in their settings. The end result isn't exactly how I pictured it, but I think it's still fun.

Extinct Animal Crackers Scene, fat quarter 21" x 18" view shown. Click image to see print in yardage.

I also created coordinating fabrics of dots, stripes, and a sort of geometric print. I love the rainbow effect created in the Cookie Squares print below.

Cookie Squares, swatch 8" x 8" view shown. Click image to see print in yardage.

Sprinkle Dots, fat quarter 21" x 18" view shown. Click image to see print in yardage.

Sprinkle Stripe Pink, fat quarter 21" x 18" view shown. Click image to see print in yardage.

Sprinkle Stripe Cookie, fat quarter 21" x 18" view shown. Click image to see print in yardage.

Sprinkle Stripe Blue, fat quarter 21" x 18" view shown. Click image to see print in yardage.

I had fun learning about several extinct animals and creating this collection. The collection is available for sale, and fabric can be purchased of these prints by clicking on their image or by going here to see the entire collection.

My next post will be about my entry in the current Mid-Century Cocktail Dress contest. That entry is another fun one, as it was inspired by a board game.

Cake, Paper, Scissors!

I've been working on a couple collections and getting designs adjusted for Spoonflower's new color profile, and took an unexpected break from writing posts. The collections are done, though one is on the back burner until I can adjust the colors. The other collection will get its own post in a few days, and a design recap will be posted also. Now, it's time for cake.

This week's Fabric of the Week contest at Spoonflower is the theme of paper collage cakes. Designers had to create prints featuring cakes in some form, entirely out of paper. The entries cover a wide range of different cake varieties, but unsurprisingly, a large number are of cupcakes. The contest will definitely tempt your sweet tooth.

I decided to go a simple but fun route for my entry. I was partly inspired by several Cake Wrecks, but wanted to create a usable print. I created a windowpane plaid made up of rotated sheet cakes covered with sprinkles. I used paper in several colors, scrapbook scissors, glue, and a hole punch to create this print. Here is my entry, I Want Sprinkles Plaid Large.

I Want Sprinkles Plaid Large. Click image to see it in yardage. Fat quarter, 21"x18" view shown.

This version is a larger scale, both for the contest view and for projects needing a larger scale such as tote bags. I think it would also make a fun apron for a baker or cake decorator (a non Wrecky one, of course).

I have another version in a smaller scale, perfect for clothing. I think the smaller scale would make a fun straight or pencil skirt. I like how the plaid becomes the focus, and the sprinkles add a bit of fun to offset the pattern.

Click image to see I Want Sprinkles Plaid Small in yardage. Image is of swatch view, 8"x8".

Both fabrics are available for sale. I may make some more coordinating prints out of paper later if the inspiration strikes.

Voting for the Paper Collage Cakes contest ends Wednesday evening. You can vote here for your favorite entries.