Hi! Can you believe the year just flew like that? By the end of December I always like to reflect on what I accomplished and what are the goals for the future.
What are you most proud this year?
My illustration studio is a very small company that I started in 2021, introducing illustrated and embroidered products and making the lives of people more beautiful. I hope my creations brought a smile to your face, either by bringing warm memories to your walls, helping you carry your errands in a stylish way or surprising your special ones with the perfect gift.
2022 in review
So many new products were released this year! Here is a small sample of some of my most popular creations:
Picking a favorite is really hard but if I had to choose, I’m very happy with…
The embroidered tote bag
Not only did it have the best reviews and feedback, but I was also very proud to see my designs out in the world. If you haven’t checked them yet, I definitely recommend having a peep and keeping them in mind for your everyday errands.
I also need to mention how happy I’m for having launched two pattern collections. It’s amazing to see how some of you used my patterns this year as fabrics and wallpaper in your homes. I hope they added a bit of fun to your lives!
The Year Ahead
I’m very excited about what is coming for 2023. First up, I’m increasing my range of offered products, introducing coffee mugs and other new illustrated products, they will be available exclusively on my website. Also, new pattern collections are on the way!
Thank you for all your feedback, I appreciate it so much! I’ll continue sharing the behind-the-scenes and latest news.
Thank you so much for being part of my life in 2022. I’m so grateful for your support.
When I thought about Christmas and Winter I always remember happy moments from my childhood. One of those moments were watching Christmas movies. I grew up in Brazil, where Christmas happens during summer. I’ve never seen snow until I moved to Canada, so watching those kids playing in the ice and snow was fascinating for me!
One of my favorite movies when I was a kid was Home Alone. I love movies from the 80s and 90s and I thought that would be the perfect inspiration for my new winter collection.
Choosing the elements
I watched the movies again and did an analysis of some key elements, you can read about it below:
I wanted to design some people but I didn’t want to use the thieves or Kevin’s family. Instead, I focused on characters that barely have a screen time during the movie, like the ice skaters, choir singers and shoppers. I also got inspired by some of the house wallpapers, overall colour palette and ornaments.
Characters: Ice Skaters, Shoppers, Choir Singers, Kevin and Santa Claus
Elements: Wallpapers designs and Santa House
Miscellaneous: Toys, Presents and Christmas ornaments
I designed the elements in my own style and then digitalized using Adobe Illustrator. My goal was not to recreate the movie most famous scenes, instead I tried to illustrate the fun atmosphere of Christmas and winter in the 80s and 90s. I really enjoyed dressing the characters in vintage clothes and vibrant colours.
Slide the picture below to see my original drawings and the digitalized version
Slide and watch the magic!
Creating the Patterns
For this collection I decided to create 5 hero prints,5 secondary prints and 5 blenders.
Hero Prints: the statement ones! Patterns with characters, lots of elements and colours.
Secondary Prints: patterns with smaller elements and medium complexity
Blender Prints: abstract patterns with limited colours
I tried to create patterns that could be used not only for Christmas but also for the whole winter, so colours include not only the basics red, green and golden but also some whites and blues to add a bit of ice and snow to the mix.
Mock-ups
I always like to visualise how the patterns are going to work in products, here are some tests
Printing Fabrics and Licensing
This collection available for purchase in my Spoonflower shop – that means you can shop fabric by the yard and create your own projects.
I ordered a small quilt to make sure colours will look all right, that’s how it’s going to look like:
Producing Embroidered Products
As usual I’m offering some of the designs in an embroidered version. The winter tote bag is a must have, and the hoops are a great idea for decorating your house or for giving as gifts. Visit my Etsy Shop to see what is available.
What did you think about this project? Did you like it? Let me know in the comments!
We already visited the iconic Home Alone house in my previous post (if you missed, check it here), and we had a great time analysing some very festive interior décor. Although there is so much to get inspired by the McCallister’s house, today I invite you to get a quick peak at Kevin’s surroundings.
Let’s go around the lovely neighborhood where Kevin and his family lived in the 90s.
Going around
I love the shoppers style in the 90s, ladies in long wool coats and guys in bomber jackets and mullet haircuts, so iconic! Take a look at the teenagers ice skating, I love the colours here, mostly reds and blues, some headbands and cozy sweaters. Really nice vintage vibes! I also like how there are brick facades everywhere in this suburban neighborhood.
A very traditional church
The church is very traditional and the choral scene is one of my favorites, the kids are singing some lovely hymns and Kevin finally discovers that Marvin (the old man) is not the bad guy. I also like the stone façade and real size Nativity Scene, what a huge setup for a neighbourhood church!
Santa Claus House
And isn’t this Santa House a total dream? Such a cute design with a million colourful lights! I also really like the very cool teenager giving Kevin directions, she looks so cute with the leather jacket.
It seems like a dream to live in a mansion located in such a cute neighborhood! Kevin was a very lucky boy!
I’m designing a collection of Christmas patterns and one thing that always come to my mind when I think about Christmas is the movie Home Alone. It was a funny story, there was some strong 90’s vibe and it was on the TV every year, so I watched many times. I remember especially the McCallister’s house, it was so gorgeous and it was it’s own character. In my mind, that was the ultimate Christmas house, so I decided to take a look and get some inspiration for my next illustration project. Let’s visit it together!
The house in it’s full glory
When I was a kid I dreamed about living in a mansion just like this. Georgian style, no fences, a beautiful garden and lots of charming windows. Just amazing! Lets take a look inside!
The entry hall
Above you see the entry hall with an overwhelming red and green wallpaper. The walls are decorated with family pictures and some botanical illustrations. There are some white poinsettias at the door and other red and green details like the rugs and chairs. A fun fact: on the first picture you can see a large window above the stairs, but in the last picture you see a green wall with doors. This happened because the scenes on the main floor were recorded in the real house, and the upstairs scenes were recorded in a studio. Do you see the difference? I never noticed that before!
The Living Room
The house has a very traditional floorplan with a rooms for everything, completely different from the open floor current obsession.
The living room layout is a bit weird for a family with 5 children, I feel there is not enough places to seat if they want to gather everybody in this room. And what if they have visitors? No wonder they seem so stressed! And what is this living room wall paper? Christmas wreaths? How about the velvet green sofa and the jacquard curtains? It looks like it’s permanently Christmas at the McCallister’s!
The Dining Room
I love houses with a separate dining room, it’s just so nice! The choice of furniture, table cloth, art frames and light fixture are all so traditional, it reminds me of some old grandma houses, I feel nostalgic about it.
The Kitchen
The kitchen is a 90’s dream! I absolutely adore the huge kitchen island and the tiled countertop, it’s been so many years I haven’t seen one of those! When I was a kid, one of my rich neighbours had a dark green tiled countertop and I thought that was the maximum luxury someone could ever have! How naïve!
The collection of red cookware hanging is just amazing and what do you think about those stairs in the eating area? The wallpaper? The huge table? The ruffled curtains? The porcelain swan? This kitchen is a nostalgic dream, I would love to have breakfast there before going for some ice skating.
The Main Suite
Here we can take a look at the master suite. The wallpaper and the red bed sheets are so overwhelming it’s hard to focus on anything else. But once I did, I got a bit disappointed! What’s up with the tacky wall art? Those are just cheap prints and badly framed. How about the objects on the shelves? Nothing beautiful or memorable. At least the chest and the vintage sewing machine are cool. I wonder if Kate McCallister worked with fashion, because you can see a lot of mannequins and sewing supplies around the house.
The Washrooms
How about the white swan wallpaper for the main washroom? I guess swans were trending in the 90s! I also found many swans in my You’ve Got Mail analysis.
The suite washroom is the one in the famous scene after the after shave. The space is basic but, why so many green and white towels everywhere? How about the red artificial flowers? They look just terrible. The gold accents on the shelves, fixtures and mirror frame reinforce the Christmas theme, and what colour is the marble? Dark green, of course.
Kids Bedrooms
We don’t get to see the girls bedrooms but here is a glimpse of Buzz and Jeff bedroom. Buzz is a big fan of sports, with lots of basketball posters and baseball memorabilia. He also loves board games and he is full in his teen years with all the bikini posters. The striped wallpaper reminds me of baseball uniforms. There is even a wallpaper border with some players. We can’t see the other bedroom but we quickly peak at the lovely dots wallpaper. Since most of the toys are boy’s toys, I assume this is Jeff’s bedroom, but maybe it’s Kevin’s… who knows?
Attic and Basement
The attic and basement are the clutters paradise, there is so much stuff! Basically everything from all members of the family are here: toys, clothes, maternity pillows, sewing machines, appliances, laundry baskets, tools… it’s insane! Kevin was afraid and I would be too if I lived there! Those mannequins are just so creepy!
And that was basically the whole house from inside. There is way more tacky décor and clutter than I remembered. I would love to visit for a weekend, but definitely wouldn’t like to live there, unless we could renovate a bit!
Now it’s time for me to draw and I’ll be back to tell you all about my process. I hope you enjoyed this tour and got some inspiration for your own Christmas décor. Would you live in the McCallister’s house? Tell me in the comments!
It’s been more than a year since the last time I drew a surface pattern design collection. Reading is one of my passions and drawing a book collection has always been in my plans. I’m also a big fan of the visuals in the movie You’ve Got Mail, since the main characters are owners of bookstores and there are books everywhere. I’m specifically attracted by the decoration with so many bookshelves and cozy objects, I find it simply brilliant. With a bit of inspiration and lots of imagination, here is a bit of my process creating The Book Lovers Collection.
The Book Lovers Collection
This collection is perfect for book enthusiasts, writers, students, all people who loves vintage vibes of old paper books, typewriters, lots of coffee and a cozy environment. Adding a hint of humor, warm elements and colours, it’s a perfect collection for back to school in the fall or to enjoy the whole year.
Deciding what to draw
I decided I wanted to get most of my inspiration from the movie You’ve Got Mail, so I watched it again. There are so many things to get inspired, like the Shop Around the Corner, or NY in the fall, or even the Fox Books store. But the place I would love to seat and read was actually Kathleen Kelly’s brownstone house. You can read my analysis of her living room here.
I wanted to have a mix of characters, objects and miscellaneous designs. Watching the movie, I tried to focus on the people who visited the house, on objects, patterns and colours that decorate the space. I divided those in 3 categories:
Characters: the people who frequent the house
Elements: The furniture and larger objects
Miscellaneous: Small objects that decorate the place
With that in mind I drew each element by hand in my own style, and later digitalized using Adobe Illustrator. Don’t be surprised if you don’t see a likeness to Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks or Greg Kinnear, that was intentional. I placed these characters in new situations and tried to focus in the book lovers theme. I want my drawings to appeal to all book lovers, not only fans of the movie.
Slide the picture below to see my original drawings and the digitalized version
Slide and watch the magic!
Creating a Pattern Collection
For this collection I decided to create 4 hero prints, 6 secondary prints and 6 blenders.
Hero Prints: the ones with more colours, more elements and higher complexity. All the characters are in the hero prints.
Secondary Prints: patterns with medium complexity, moderate use of colours, medium contrast and no characters
Blender Prints: simple patterns with limited colours and no complex elements, low contrast
When choosing colours I always try to imagine if the patterns were transmitting that cozy, cute and fun atmosphere. My goal was to create an attractive universe for book lovers, with patterns that work well in different applications.
Trying a few mock-ups
It’s always great to visualise how the patterns are going to work in products, so I always make a few mock ups to test.
Printing Fabrics and Licensing
I decided to make this collection available for purchase at Spoonflower – that means you can shop fabric by the yard and create your own projects.
In order to sell on their website we need to print prof the designs and make sure all colours are fine. I ordered a sample of each fabric on a cheater’s quilt (an amazing option available on their website, you can make one for yourself!). Here is how mine is going to look like, in case you need some inspiration. (If you would like to shop these fabrics visit my shop ).
Producing Embroidered Products
And of course I wouldn’t miss the opportunity of offering some of these designs in an embroidered version. So hoops and tote bags are available featuring some of the icons from the collection. Visit my Etsy Shop to purchase them.
I hope you enjoyed learning more about my process. I find it amazing and surprising to see how much we are able to create with few pieces of inspiration. As the times passes I’ll have even more items to grow this collection so keep in touch! And please let me know what do you think in the comments!
After so many requests, I finally bring you an analysis of You’ve Got Mail. With Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, the movie dates from 1996 when internet romance was still something very new. Who would guess we would end up swiping forever on Tinder? No, no, things were way slower, romantic a mysterious on those times.
The characters of the movie are very interesting and fun, but for me the best part of the movie is the visual. Kathleen Kelly brownstone house in NY is the coziest home in the universe, it’s been more than 20 years and we are still talking about it! Her store, The Shop Around the Corner, is a paradise of books, cute toys and lovely sparkling decorations. The way NY in the end of the 90s is captured is so captivating, the city looks so lovely and full of life. The “Starbucks” aura and Joe Fox apartment are also very on point. Seriously, filmmaker Nancy Meyers is a genius for style.
If you never watched this film stop and go watch. My analysis has lots of spoilers and revels the plot – just a warning!
But now lets get to action. Today we are going to focus on Kathleen Kelly Living Room and a tiny bit of her other rooms. The movie starts with the camera flying from outside to the inside of her house showing an overview of the space.
Looking from the window to the inside of Kathleen’s place
From the first scene you can get a glimpse of how cozy is this place. The colours are warm and harmonic, the wide door moldings have a soft and pleasant texture and all objects feels purposely mismatched in a casual, effortless vibe. This scene is already a masterpiece of composition. Notice how many planes you can see at the same time:
The outdoor curtains
The home office corner on the left
The washroom on the right
The piano room and living room behind the office
The entry hall light coming from the washroom window
The building on the other side of the street (through the window)
Lovely introduction! Now let’s check some details
Bookshelves on the home office, in the back the piano and living room
On this side of the apartment you can see this lovely cube bookshelf, Kathleen’s desk , her piano and the living room. Notice how the books are not organized, there are piles in all directions and no shelf is perfectly tidy. Everything here is intentional and this “messiness” creates the feeling of a well lived place, specially close to the desk. You get the impression that Kathleen actually reads a lot and check those books all the time.
Kathleen writes an email in her cozy desk, surrounded by books everywhere.
Above, a better view of the home office . The wooden desk and wicked magazine stand add to the warmth of the space. Notice the frame with a round in the middle – that’s actually a framed crochet dolly! Other frames around the house have lots of vintage botanical illustration. All these small details helps build Kathleen Kelly character: she is a warm person who treasure family mementos and values her history.
This bookshelf is built around the washroom and faces the piano room.
Here is another floor to ceiling bookshelf! It’s probably normal for a bookstore owner, but seriously, that’s a lot of books! Here you can see more objects and the decoration team tried to reinforce a few messages:
Kathleen’s love for daisies: the vase and the frames feature her favorite flower
Her longing for romance, symbolized by objects in pairs. Here you can see this pair of frames but her whole apartment is full of objects in pairs: table lamps, frames, candlesticks and even a painting with a couple of swans. I find this just a genius idea coming from the filmmakers!
A better view on the living room, with cube bookshelves and a floral comfy sofa
Here you have a better look on the living room and bit more of her bookshelf on this side. Again objects in pairs – notice the frames on the wall and candlesticks on the bookshelf. This sofa is an invitation to get cozy, isn’t it? I just adore this print and all the lovely cushions. The mismatched chairs give a lot of personality and bring contrast and value to the space. On the shelves some more amazing decisions from the filmmakers: here the books are more organized since they are a bit farther from the desk and you can notice a picture on the top left, that’s probably Kathleen’s enchanting mother.
When Joe Fox visits Kathleen you can get a quick glimpse of her living room
When you get to the last corner of her living room: Surprise! Another book shelf! This time it’s a smaller one, slightly less crowded and decorated with objects. Joe Fox brought some daisies for Kathleen and the green of the leaves stands out on this warm and blush frame.
So we crossed the whole living room, from window to window. Now lets get back and take a quick peak on the other corners.
Kathleen runs to check if Frank is really going away
Above, on the left you see the bookshelf that surrounds the washroom and behind it, a bit of her bedroom furniture. On the right you see her desk, the TV (she can watch it from her bed) and a bay window with another sofa. This window faces the street and is the one we “used” to get inside her house in the first scene. All spaces are integrated, except the washroom and the kitchen.
Don’t miss the details, like the pairs of pictures on the wall, or pair of objects on the shelves. I adore her desk chair and the curtains, so delicate! Also notice the lovely vintage furniture with green details, absolutely charming!
Kathleen falls in her bed after a disappointing date
Here a quick peak on her bedroom. Her bedsheets and bed cover changes throughout the movie, reflecting changes in her own life. The quilt adds to the Kathleen’s love of history and family mementos. You can see the pair of table lamps on the dresser and the painting above her bed is actually a pair of swans (you can see better in the next picture).
Kathleen and Frank watch an embarrassing TV interview
Above, the couple of swans in whole glory! Speaking about pairs, notice how her nightstand lamps are mismatched. This is to symbolize how Kathleen and Frank were not made for each other, her love life is not in perfect balance yet.
Kathleen’s love for daisies is in the first scene of the movie, before she even speaks
Should we talk about the bed linens? Throughout the movie they are are so inviting I could write another post just about her bedroom and linings, seriously! But not today! Our goal was just the living room, I’m already getting distracted!
Still we can get a very quick peak on the other spaces, above the dining room (taken with Frank’s electric typewriters), the lovely kitchen, a glimpse of the washroom and the entry hall with the amazing stained glass window. By the way, guess what is in the painting on the entry wall? Tip – it’s also a sculpture in the kitchen window. Yes you guessed right, a swan!
If you like this movie you might enjoy the products I designed based on this story. Click to visit!
So what do you think about all this? Would you like to live in a place like that? Do you like this aesthetics? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Mixing a lot of flowers in the traditional décor is the first step to achieve the Grandmillenial Style. A bit of nostalgia and a hint of modernity and voila! Here are some of my favourite ideas inspired by this trend:
1. Pink architecture
A pink façade creates that magical “dollhouse” vibe and bring the best childhood memories back
2. Exuberant fireplaces
Adding some dramatic bronze birds and a luxury framed mirror make the fireplace an undeniable focal point. Who wants a modern TV to be the center of the living room in a grandma house?
3. Tea and crochet corner
No grandmillenial home is complete without some cute crochet dollies, a delicious piece of pastry and an afternoon tea. The Queen would be proud!
4. A love for peacocks
The most exotic and luxurious bird marks its presence in objects, furniture and even on the walls. Here is a very creative pattern using peacocks with a modern and graphic twist.
5. Textured ceilings
No bare surfaces anywhere! A grandmillenial home embraces you from all angles and no bare ceilings can make it cozy. Place some beams and the magic hill happen!
6. Traditional Portraits
Realistic art is a must in a grandmillenial house, specially portraits and profile busts. Give preference for oil paintings and play with symmetrical compositions.
7. Botanic illustration
Realist and delicate plant drawings are essential! The warm colour of the old paper really brings that grandma feeling we are trying so hard to achieve.
8. Embroidery Flowers
Nothing is more cozy than a pile of embroidered cushions with lots of flowers. If they are in shades of pink, than we are all ready to jump!
9. Mix of patterns
Embrace the utmost maximalism by mixing prints of many kinds. The trick here is to stay within a colour palette and play with the scale of the patterns.
10. Floor to ceiling bookshelves
No grandma house exists without paper, lots of paper. Ditch your e-reader and bring back the real books. The lovely colours and texture of the books will inspire you to read more and scroll less.
Now if you got here, go make yourself a good tea, get cozy with some flower cushions and go read that good old paper book. Relax and let me know later what is your favorite grandmillenial idea!
Decorate in eclectic style can be challenging, but mixing rectangular frames with hoops can make your house show a witty, laid back personality.
To create this unique aesthetics in your walls follow these 5 tips:
1. Pick a theme
Artist and architect Carol Grillo mixed cats and coffee with contrasting frames and lots of humor
Instagram: @fofysfactory
2. Play with sizes and texture
Carlota Zorzáles mixed rustic and golden finishes in a charming asymmetrical gallery
Instagram: @criaturas_cardiacas
3. Pick a colour palette
Andrea used a pair of hoops and flowers in harmonic colours to create a transition between rectangular frames
Instagram: @eraseunavezandrea
4. Try a focal point
Haley focused on the cat and flower, tying together watercolours and technical prints
Instagram: @hoopsbyhaley
5. Go bold
Sarah Benning used pairs of hoops to strategically break the angles in this stunning stairway gallery with contrasting wall
Instagram: @sarahkbenning
I hope you got inspired by these ideas and decided to create your own embroidery gallery. If you make one, please let me know on the comments or send me a message! I would love to see how you display your embroidery hoops!
I’m obsessed with romantic style and lately I discovered they are popular again, thanks to grandmillenials. House Beautiful describes this as: “Ranging in age from mid‑20s to late‑30s, grandmillennials have an affinity for design trends considered by mainstream culture to be “stuffy” or “outdated”—Laura Ashley prints, ruffles, embroidered linens.”
Pink floral wallpapers give a dreamy vibe to my grandma chic style. Scroll through for a glimpse.
Morris and Co
By YvesTown
De Gournay
At Houghton Hall
Rifle Paper Co
With Loloi Rugs
Sanderson
By Yves Town
Sanderson
By The Green Eyed Girl
Bennison
By McGraph2
Bennison
By McGraph2
Vintage
By Minnette Jackson Interiors
Eijffinger
By Brewster Home
Laura Ashley
By Peonie Cole Cottage
Did you like my selection? Leave me a comment telling me what you think
This year started with great productivity for me. When we are happy at our work, everything flows better, isn’t right? Since I started creating illustrated embroidery designs I’ve been more relaxed and stable in my process as never before.
One part of me was able to lower my expectations and focus on simple things. I guess on the surface it might look like as I’m not pushing hard or not trying to do anything complex or new. But it’s really interesting how our mind works. As I create a lot of simple designs, I’m having a lot of ideas and I guess you will see some very original projects here if you keep in touch.
You can’t have new ideas if you are not creating. At least that’s how it works for me. I need to do constant research and produce tons of things to start merging all the ideas in my mind. I have way more concepts than I have time to explore them, but I’m not anxious. It’s such a pleasure to create and I’m glad I have a huge list of subjects, I can just pick one and go.
This week I’m launching some floral designs for Valentine’s day and they are inspired by Botanical Illustration. This is a subject I’ve been always thinking about exploring and it’s a constant presence in the interior decorations I’m attracted to. I’m going to add more designs to this first launch but if you enjoy them you can shop the hoops on my shop.
I hope you are having a great start of the year! Keep in touch! Cheers!
