How to Create a Stunning Example of Beautiful Designs

Over my 12 years of graphic design I came to discover in my creative process that whimsy, irony, satire and edginess are not my strong suits.

I have learned, however, that I can create full on, no excuses beauty. So that's where I went with my next in a series of videos featuring my designs. I used the prettiest colors, pleasing dimensions and lovely music.

If it's in my power to put forth beauty in the world, I'm gonna do it!

How to Present Floral Designs in an Innovative Way

I first found Animoto when wanting to make book trailers for Loveweaver and The Maiden Seer.

It occurred to me early on, though, that I could make a video using large images of my designs set to music. I plan to make several, each showcasing a different genre of my designs.

I love the results!

Dynamic Auto Painter

I'm not one for specialty software for creating art. I use CS6 Illustrator, the master program that allows me to design vector patterns with mathematical precision. And I use Photoshop for a few subtle effects, but mostly for formatting raster files.

It's highly unlikely that I'll ever learn to paint, though. So, I was intrigued from the start with Dynamic Auto Painter for $99 - on sale for $50. After thinking about it 6 months, I bought it.

Gosh, it's fun! There are a lot of painting styles to choose from and countless custom options for tweaking the process. But I just like to pick a style, click play, sit there and watch it paint whatever image I've opened!  Be assured this is not like Photoshop filter.

For $50, I got more than my money's worth. Only time will tell if it will be useful to me professionally. (Click on my images to enlarge them.)

Here is a photo of the lake I see from my back door:

Here's what it looks like after I used the Van Gogh Starry style:

Here's a closeup. I started with a high res image and ended up with fantastic detail:

Book Trailer for The Maiden Seer

It's not my usual line of work, being a writer. I learned early on I probably wouldn't make a living from it.

That didn't stop me from writing 5 books, however. Two of them are available at Amazon right now.

Loveweaver and The Maiden Seer

I came across a book trailer and decided it was something I had to try. So I did!

Here's the book trailer for The Maiden Seer:  https://youtu.be/tTtyAYpmX7o

Another in a Series of Tracy Miller Design Ads

Based on a floor wax ad, I'll let the image speak for itself:

New Cover for Loveweaver

My first Loveweaver cover achieved my purpose, but over time, especially after I created the cover for my upcoming book, The Maiden Seer, I felt the need to make a new one.

I wanted the two covers to have the same style.

Without further ado, here it is:

Needlepoint Flasks and Wallets

Graphic designers who create repeating patterns dream of seeing those patterns on products. I've been lucky enough to see my designs on Kleenex boxes, rugs, fabric, paper, sheets and blankets.

I'm certain, though, for every 500 pattern designers, there's one client looking to buy. This means the odds are not great in making a sale. Do you give up being a graphic designer in the surface art arena?

Heck, no.

I took on freelance jobs that were a bit outside of what I normally did, and learned a ton of new skills that I now put to use for a list of great clients.

One of those clients is Seth at Needlepaint.  I've blogged about Needlepaint before when I did a series of Christmas stockings.

My recent contribution is the wallets and flasks which turned out to be some of the most fun I've ever had designing professionally. There's just something about pixel art, which is basically what it is, that appeals to me. Elements in an image are pared down to the most essential, and the color palette is limited, too.

As of this posting, all the flask designs at Needlepaint are mine. I'm so proud of this work. And there's scarcely a repeating pattern in sight.

Loveweaver and Tablet Weaving

Finding out about tablet weaving was the genesis of my historical romance, Loveweaver. The more I read about it, the more interested I became.  My heroine, Llyrica, a tablet weaver, was conceived and my book began to take shape.

Here's a great 5-minute video that gives you a great idea of tablet weaving.  Gosh, he's good!

At the time of my research (15 years ago) internet research was not what it is today, much less You Tube tutorials, so I learned to tablet weave via this book, Card Weaving. It taught me all I needed to know about building my little loom, how to make my "tablets",  how to read a pattern, and even how to create my own designs.

The design you see on the images of my loom is the design that Llyrica wove for Slayde, the hero of Loveweaver. It is a design that goes quickly since the tablets turn forward 4 times and backward 4 times to form one motif. There are designs where tablets are turned in groups in opposing directions and you really need to pay attention or things can go wrong pretty quickly.

My favorite historical romance novels have heroines who have strong talents and can use them to shape their lives. I know what I'm talking about: I was a dressmaker for 35 years, raising my two children as a single mother.

Fab Florals - Vector Repeats

Last time I showed the softer side of my florals.

Here is now a bolder assortment.

The Softer Side of Tracy Miller Designs

Like most repeating patterns designer, I have SO MANY florals!

I've pulled 18 of them together in my current favorite format, which is sample swatches accompanied by a vectorized vintage image. In this case, the two ladies were from the cover of a 1935 issue of Home Notes Magazine.

Santa Approved Christmas Design Collection

I've done a mix of vintage and new patterns here, and gone with a bluer green than usual.

These larger collections are kinda my thing right now, with more in the works.

Like many repeating pattern designers, I have hundreds and hundreds of designs that just don't see the light of day. This will be my way of putting them out there en mass. 

World's Largest Collection of Re-Imagined Feedsack Patterns - 28 Vector Repeats for Sale

I'm just putting that statement out there because I can't believe anyone else would do it!

TracyMillerDesigns

Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine - My Designs in March Issue

Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine have purchased and featured four of my designs in their March Issue. The designs are a part of my Hedgerow Collection, also available at Modern Yardage in 4 colorways, and at Custom Quilt Tops, also in 4 colorways. At Custom Quilt Tops you need to keep scrolling down until you find me!

My four designs are available at Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine's website as a download, and double-sided printed in their actual magazine. They're also included some sweet projects with which to use my papers!

Valentine's Day - Vintage Reimagined

This time I expressed my passion for vectorizing vintage images on an old Valentine.

I may have over-designed my version, seen in the lower of the two images below, but I wanted something bright and bold.

 Mission accomplished.

Custom Quilt Tops - Make a Cheater Quilt

I'm so pleased to now be a part of PatternJam, a super fun and easy-to-use website for designing your own quilt top.

All of my fabrics from Modern Yardage are there, and I've got new, special pattern collections arriving there soon. Search under Fabric Shop by Designer to find me.

"In Orbit" will be there soon, a collection for space lovers of all ages.

Go to Pattern Jam and just have fun. It's as easy as filling in a coloring book page!

Scented Drawer Liners for Baby - Elodie Essentials

I've had the great luck of being a part of several startup companies by developing the repeat patterns that go on their products.

One such company is Elodie Essentials, which features my designs. So far, the line includes two versions of drawer liners for baby, but Lisa, the owner, and I have been hard at work getting the next designs ready for production.

Next time you need a unique gift for a baby or baby shower, remember these scented drawer liners!

Antique Seed Catalog Cover

From my archives of collected images, I chose a Burpee's Seed Catalog cover to "vectorize."

Working on this is how I spent many hours of my Christmas time off.

Happy Thanksgiving to All of You With ...

... plant-based diets!

We're having the vegan works:

Stuffing and gravy with seitan roast, green bean casserole with French fried onions topping, sweet potatoes,  mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and Mom's famous refrigerator potato rolls.

AND MORE,  depending on what everyone else brings.

Fresh

This was another super fun ad to replicate.

Vintage Dress Patterns

My Mom was a seamstress who sewed all my clothes until I was a teenager, and then I started sewing them myself.

Shopping for dress patterns and fabric, then, is practically in my DNA. Combine that with my love of designs, and for turning vintage images into vector, and VIOLA! You have what you see below.