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I just got back from an absolutely FANTASTIC (can I say it again, FANTASTIC) trip to the UK, spending time in London, the Isle of Wight and along the Cornish Coast where we stayed in the small fishing village of Polperro and hiked the gorgeous amazing Coastal Path! I really loved staying in small old hotels full of character, and came to love starting the day with a Full English Breakfast served on an outdoor terrace. Very civilized! So here's my ode to the "Full English Breakfast" which usually includes: eggs, toast, sausages (in my case, veggie), mushrooms, tomatoes and baked beans, with tea, of course. I must go back! . AND I've just entered this brand new "Full English Breakfast" food-themed pattern design in this week's Spoonflower "Yes, Chef!" Design Challenge! Public voting for this Challenge opens Thursday August 1 and you can link to the Voting Page HERE. . And a SHOUT-OUT to @claremontpolperro in the coastal village of Polperro, Cornwall. It was mostly your breakfasts I had in mind when I designed this pattern! Thank you for our recent stay and your hospitality, we loved your hotel and Polperro! Click HERE to SHOP this new pattern design in my Spoonflower Shop on Fabrics, Wallpaper and Home Decor (it comes in several scales too)! 
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I’ve entered my new “Garden Beauties” floral print in the Spoonflower “Vintage Glam Metallic Wallpaper” Design Challenge! This Challenge was a bit, well, challenging because it required envisioning how the gold metallic of the wallpaper would change the overall look of the design (FYI: white parts of a design will print as gold metallic). I stuck with just Black & White or, I guess, Black & Gold. If you’d like to see how this floral looks in its “original” Black & White colours (available on non-metallic wallpapers) scroll down to the last image! . If you would like to vote in this Challenge, SO SORRY! Voting closed Tuesday June 4 (WHAT? June already?!), but you can still vote in the next Spoonflower Design Challenge: "Cottagecore Halloween"...See my next Blog Post! . If you'd like to see my "Garden Beauties" Gold Metallic wallpaper in my Spoonflower Shop, just click the images below!  
See below for my new "Garden Beauties" floral print in its original Black & White colourway (pssst, it also comes in a lot of other colours too in my Spoonflower Shop!)  Recently I’ve posted print designs with CRABS and SHRIMPS, so when I saw that the current Spoonflower Design Challenge is “Crustacean Core”, I thought, hmm, time for LOBSTERS! Public voting for this Challenge closes next Tuesday May 21, and I’d love your vote for my new “Lobster Dinner” design! You can link to the Voting Page HERE! . FUN FACT: The claws of mature lobsters are different, one is the larger “crusher” claw (this dominant claw can be either left or right) that moves slowly and is used to break up hard food; the other is a smaller “pincher/cutter” claw that moves faster and is used to tear up soft food (they can even catch small fish with it!) I wish I had known this fact before I finished my new “Lobster Dinner” print design because then I would have had fun exaggerating that difference...But I see that the claws did end up being different anyway!  And it just so happened that Uppercase Magazine and the website They Draw announced a joint illustration comp (entries closed May 10 2024), so I couldn't resist adapting this repeat pattern into an illustration in the required square format! Have a look at my "Lobster Dinner" entry below and on the They Draw website!  And now for something COMPLETELY different... Every once in awhile, I really like to “experiment” a bit with my print designs, and this time I was inspired by the Spoonflower Design Challenge theme: “Party Walls”! For this theme, I immediately thought about BALLOONS...This Challenge was for Wallpaper, but I really think my new “Party Balloons” print design also makes for some REALLY FUN bedding and home decor too! What kid (or adult!) wouldn’t want this pillow or sheet set (see below)?! What do you think?! Sorry for the late post, but public voting for the "Party Walls" Challenge closed May 7, but you can vote in the current Challenge HERE! And you can still shop this design in my Spoonflower Shop HERE. This links to the Large-Scale version, but it is also available in a Small-Scale and Medium-Scale version too! 
 The current Spoonflower Design Challenge is “Textured and Tonal Wallpaper”. When I saw “textured” I immediately started thinking about ikat weavings (maybe because I have several beautiful Indonesian ikat textiles hanging in my house, not to mention stacks of batik fabrics, woven silks, Indian block prints, call me obsessed...ANYWAY...). So I created my “Diamond Ikat” to enter in the Challenge. And then it got me motivated to re-fresh my “Spice Islands” Collection in these new Exotic Colours (Hot Pink, Purple, Red, Blue, Dark Teal, Blush Sand)! Now the whole "Spice Islands" Collection is available in my Spoonflower Shop on Fabrics, Wallpaper and Home Decor, and in my Sweden-based Happywall Shop on Wallpaper. Selected designs from this Collection are also available in my Society6 Shop on Bed & Bath, Tech Accessories, Apparel and much more! . Although I entered the first “Diamond Ikat” colourway in the Spoonflower Challenge, I ended up falling down the colour rabbit hole AGAIN, so you can see it now comes in a BUNCH of different colourways! Public voting for this Challenge closes Tuesday April 23. Sorry for the late notice, but if you're in time you can link to the Voting Page HERE!     My Entry for the Spoonflower "Treat Yourself" Design Challenge: "Tempura Udon" (Of Course!)4/3/2024 The current Spoonflower Design Challenge is “Treat Yourself” and here’s my idea of a special treat! Imagine staring into a big steaming bowl of “Tempura Udon”, especially if you’re sitting in a little noodle ya in Kyoto after a full day of sightseeing and wandering about, on holiday...but I digress... Public voting for the “Treat Yourself” Challenge opened Thursday March 28 and closes next Tuesday April 9. You can link to the Voting Page HERE! . Eye Roll Note: When I asked my husband what he thought of my new “Tempura Udon” pattern design (I really like it, so I thought he’d say “Cool!” or “Groovy!”), you know what he said? “It looks like it’s in a square bowl”. Yeeees, but it’s a repeat pattern, soooo....🙄 . SHOP This Design! This yummy design is now available in my Spoonflower Shop on Fabrics, Wallpaper and Home Decor in several scales. You can SHOP the Medium-Scale HERE, but there is also a Large-Scale and Small-Scale version in my Shop too! If you prefer, my "Tempura Udon" print is also available in my Happywall Shop on FUN Wallpaper too! Ships from Sweden!  I DID IT! I managed to finish a new design to enter in the current Spoonflower “A Trip To The Beach” Design Challenge! I spent WAY too long revising my popular “Coastal Stories” Collection with brand new Seaside Colours because I was inspired by this theme, thus I nearly ran out of time to create a NEW design to enter. But I think these little “Shrimps” make a very nice addition to my (now re-coloured and expanded) “Coastal Stories” Collection! Public voting for this Challenge opens today Thursday March 14 and closes on Tuesday March 26. You can link to the Voting Page HERE. I would love your vote for this one just because I love these cute guys, and I bet they’d be tasty too! . See below for more print designs from my "Coastal Stories" Collection and you can check them all out in my Spoonflower Shop HERE. All are available on Fabrics, Wallpaper and Home Decor in several scales!  See below for more pattern designs from my "Coastal Stories" Collection! 
The current Spoonflower Design Challenge is “Warm Minimalism”, but does anyone really know what “Warm Minimalism” is? I certainly didn’t, and whenever I searched the term I would get lots of prints with archways and abstract arch shapes. So I thought, hmm, I like archways! Which got me thinking about arched “vomitoria” (plural for “vomitorium”)... FUN FACT: Vomitoria were passages used in ancient Roman buildings, such as in the famed Coliseum, designed to provide rapid exit for lots of people in a very short amount of time, ie. so they could spew forth, thus comes our word for “vomit”. ...So here is my design for the current Spoonflower “Warm Minimalism” Design Challenge which features a series of arches looking out at a sunny sky with clouds. I was considering calling it “Vomitorium”, but thought maybe that created a bit of a distasteful image (at least for those of you who already knew the etymology), so I decided to call it “Ruins” instead! And it comes in two colourways (see below)! Click the images to see the Large-Scale versions in my Spoonflower Shop (they're also available in a Small- and Medium-Scale version too)! . Public voting for the “Warm Minimalism” Spoonflower Design Challenge closes Tuesday March 12. You can link to the Voting Page HERE.    BOING! BOING! BOING! HELLOOO! BOING! BOING! BOING! HELLOOO! BOING! BOING! BOING! HELLOOOO! BOING! BOING! BOING! SPLASHHH!... . Thanks to everyone who helped me decide which version of my “Froggy Says Hello” repeat print design to enter in the current Spoonflower “Leap Year Frogs” Design Challenge (the repeat version with the cream background in the first pic below)! Voting is now open until Tuesday February 27. I’d love your vote for this one! You can link to the Voting Page HERE! If you'd like to SHOP these cute little guys on Fabric, Wallpaper and Home Decor, click the images below to link to the Medium-Scale versions in my Spoonflower Shop! But NOTE: they are each also available in a Small- and Large-Scale version too!
  I’ve entered my "Forest Biome Mushrooms" in the current Spoonflower “Forest Biome Wallpaper” Design Challenge! I had thought I’d do it in more typical “mushroom-y” colours, but I guess you can see how that went! Public voting for this Challenge opened Thursday Feb 1 and closes Tuesday February 13. You can link to the Voting Page HERE! . AND if you'd like to see this fun print design on Fabrics, Wallpaper and Home Decor in my Spoonflower Shop, CLICK HERE (this is the Large-Scale version which I think is best for Wallpaper). It also comes in a Small-Scale and Medium-Scale version too! . AND of course I couldn't resist adding this design to Graphic Tees in my TeePublic Shop! Scroll down to see!   AND as I said, I couldn't resist...I had to adapt this design for Graphic Tees (and more) too! Now available in my TeePublic Shop!  Oh My Goodness! LOOK at the Amazing Project from Grace & Folk Using My "Sunrise" Wallpaper!1/24/2024 OH MY GOODNESS…LOOK! 😍😍 Here is a fantastic use of my "Sunrise" Wallpaper purchased from my Spoonflower Shop. So much thanks to the folks at Grace & Folk for choosing my design for this amazing drinks cabinet re-do project. Cocktails, anyone? . For all the details, please read on for all the info as posted by Grace & Folk in their Instagram Post about their project... . "A BEAUTIFUL BUREAU FOR A BEACHSIDE PROPERTY! 💗🌊🏝️🍦🍬💛 Oh my goodness gracious, we are OBSESSED with this babe!!!!! Its giving us 1920s Ice cream parlour vibes and we are HERE for it!!! 💗🌊🏝️🍦🍬💛 Our customer brought us her tired old bureau in need of a facelift and requested Colour, Art Deco and Seaside-y to become her holiday home drinks cabinet and we think we delivered!!!! 🤤👌🏼💗 Initially a challenge, since we’ve always associated Art Deco with Black and Gold…We then found this FABULOUS paper by @unblinkstudio and paired it with customs mix colours using @frenchicpaint‘s “Apple of My Eye” & “Raspberry” as bases! 🍏💗 Et Voila! It’s fresh! Its vibrant! And just what we need in this grim grey weather!!! 💗🌊🏝️🍦🍬💛"
All photos are courtesy of Grace & Folk.
Because Summer is almost here, right?...NOT! I’ve entered my brand new “Tennis Rackets” design in this week’s Spoonflower “Court Sports” Design Challenge in Summery Purple and Pink (first pic below). Public voting closes on Tuesday January 30 and you can link to the Voting Page HERE! And of course, I couldn't resist trying it out in a gorgeous Coral Orange colourway too, see below! Click the images below to link directly to these designs in my Spoonflower Shop! . BTW: starting 2024, Spoonflower Challenges will run every TWO weeks, rather than weekly.   Let's Think About Summer Gardens for This Week's Spoonflower "Welcoming Walls" Design Challenge!1/4/2024 I've just entered my new "Sunshine-y" floral pattern design in this week's Spoonflower "Welcoming Walls" Design Challenge because what could be more welcoming than a garden full of brightly-coloured flowers basking in warm sunshine...especially in Winter?! Public voting for this Challenge closes next Tuesday January 9 2024 (YES, 2024!) You can link to the Voting Page HERE (and I'd love your vote for this one!) AND you can check out all the colourways now available in my Spoonflower Shop HERE!
  My entry for the Spoonflower “Pantone Color Of The Year 2024: Peach Fuzz” Design Challenge is my new “Ravenna” geometric tiled pattern. I entered the first one below, but both versions are now available in my Spoonflower Shop on Fabrics, Wallpaper and Home Decor in 3 sizes. This design was inspired by Italian mosaics, thus the name! Public voting closed Tuesday Jan 2 2024 (yes, 2024!!) Sorry for the late notice...I was preoccupied with the holidays! . If you’ve been following lately, you probably know I now have a Collection of print designs featuring Peach Fuzz in my Spoonflower Shop (now 69 in total!) If you’d like to see them all in one place, you can link directly to my Peach Fuzz Collection HERE.   If you can’t go to the Tropics, let the Tropics come to you! I’ve entered my “Tiki Room” design in this week’s Spoonflower “Block Print-Inspired” Design Challenge! Link to the Voting Page HERE! Public voting closes next Tuesday Dec 19. . A bit about this design: my "Tiki Room" design isn't really new as I designed it several years ago but never knew what to do with it...until now! It was inspired by time spent living on the Big Island, Hawaii and by a made-in-Japan "funny face" tea set sourced at a thrift shop and given to me by my husband! I like giving my older designs that are just living on my hard-drive a new life with some "adjustments" and brand new colours! 
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AuthorJackie Tahara of UnBlink Studio Archives
July 2025
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All images on this website are Copyright © Jackie Tahara. All rights reserved.
If sharing, pinning or blogging my images, please always credit me and link back to my website. Supporting artists is a good thing to do! Thank you!
If sharing, pinning or blogging my images, please always credit me and link back to my website. Supporting artists is a good thing to do! Thank you!