Artist Spotlight: Hotchocbunni

In our Artist Spotlight posts, we chat to some of our amazing artists about their work, what inspires them and whether they have any top tips to share with us! In our last post, we spoke to the lovely Amanda Summers of Half Pint Print. Today, we have the pleasure of hearing from Amanda Lincoln, the creative mind behind Hotchocbunni.

Who are you and what do you do?

Hi, I’m Amanda the designer/illustrator behind Hotchocbunni. I work from my studio at home in the garden surrounded by my 6 bunnies and my black Labrador Poppy when I feel up to it – I suffer with M.E & Fibromyalgia so can’t work full time I just like to keep my hand in and designing cards for Wuzci is such fun, I also sell other products via a few other sites Society6 and Zazzle.

Where did your creative journey start? Did you always want to do this?

I have always been creative – as is my mum, so she encouraged me to try so many different creative hobbies when I was young. I never intended to go for a creative career as I was to work for the family business (Tyres & Exhausts!) in an office doing book keeping and reception work but that really wasn’t for me. I was there around 2 years after I left school and used to love painting wildlife in my spare time. I used to take my paintings to a copy shop nearby and they offered me a job as a graphic designer because they liked my work. However, I didn’t have the confidence to take the job, but it drove me to apply for art college and that’s how my journey began. Since college my career history spans from designing licensed product for companies such as Disney, Warner Bros etc, to running my own handmade wedding stationery business.  I have always preferred working in design for kids or pretty girlie stuff and I think my style today portrays my love for both. 

Do you think greetings cards are important in the world today?

Yes definitely! I have worked (in one way or another) in the greetings card & stationery industry for over 20 years and haven’t seen any decline in demand. I think every one loves to receive ‘happy mail’ in the post especially around special occasions, after all, who doesn’t like to know that they are being thought about at those times. 

What inspires you to keep creating? How do you get past drawing block or boredom with your work?

One of my good friends Tina is a constant inspiration to me, she is so talented and as much as I know I will never be as good as her. We often meet up and she encourages me in a way that no one else does. I also love to look on Pinterest at kawaii products, Sanrio in particular have been a love of mine since I was a teenager.

Who are your favourite artists/creators at the moment?

I follow a lot of artists on insta and am currently loving the work of aidazamorailustacion and hope to be as good as Crafter of cute one day.

Can you tell us a little bit about your process? How do you create your work?

I keep a digital scrapbook of past work, other artists work and general images from the world around me which always gets me inspired. I work digitally, drawing in Adobe Illustrator and occasionally adding textures in Procreate or Photoshop. I find this is the best medium for me because my physical difficulties sometimes mean that I cannot sit at a desk for long so instead I can sit with my laptop on the sofa and keep going. 

If there was one piece of advice you could give to a creator at the beginning of their journey, what would it be?

Practice, practice, practice! I’d suggest looking up ‘Draw this in your style’ challenges on Insta where other artists illustrate something and ask you to draw it in your style, that way you build up your skills, gain confidence and make friends with other creatives. Also enter competitions, for example Spoonflower have ongoing surface pattern competitions that anyone can enter, however be warned that there are usually A LOT of entries so don’t be down hearted if you don’t win, it is just a bit of fun and great for building your portfolio and becoming a more accomplished artist.  Also always make sure that you check the T’s & C’s as some comps require you to hand over your copyright which is totally not acceptable. Over all I’d say ‘Have fun’, ‘work hard’, ‘have confidence in your work’ and ‘don’t give up’.

Finally, do you have any projects in the works or exciting things you would like to plug?

I have in the past licensed my own children’s wallpaper, scrap-booking and sticker ranges (amongst others) through large companies which I’d love to do again, but my health limitations currently mean that I can’t guarantee meeting strict deadlines etc so for now I am concentrating on my Wuzci shop and those mentioned above and hope to sell fabric via Spoonflower in the future.

Thanks to Amanda for sharing her words of wisdom and giving us a lovely bit of insight into her brand. If you’d like to see more of her collection on Wuzci, then check out the below button!

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Artist Spotlight: Half Pint Print

Last week you might have seen our Artist Spotlight with Beverley Hopwood, where we talked to Bev about her creative process and her amazing work.

This week we’re featuring Amanda Summers, the wonderful creator behind the brand Half Pint Print. Amanda’s work is bright and often features adorable characters and fun word play. So if you’re interested in finding out how she creates her designs, keep on reading!

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Amanda, and I run an online illustrated stationery shop called Half Pint Print. I design wedding stationery, wall art and greetings cards.

What medium do you like to work with the most? Has this changed since you began your creative journey?

I love watercolours and an inky brush pen. I also like using collage. My bumble bee designs are made up with bits of textured papers and colouring pencils for the detail. I’ve pretty much been using these materials since the beginning of my illustration career. The watercolours are just so simple and easy to use. I can get designs produced pretty efficiently with this medium. Collage is great too. I like the interesting textures that it creates. It is something unique to other designs.

What or who inspires your work? Do you ever suffer with creative block?

I really love children’s picture books. I specialised in children’s book illustration at university. I love the appealing characters that you find in them, the simple stories and the bold striking designs of each page. These books were really what initially started my interest for a career in illustration.
It’s surprising, but I suffer from creative block every single day. Some days it takes me a while to get in the zone but I just look through my children’s book collection and get some inspiration. I don’t panic when I get creative block, it’s just part of the process and I always seem to produce work that I am really pleased with in the end.

Do you think greetings cards are important in the world today?

Yes, definitely! Even in a world that is turning into some sort of ‘digital era’, we all still love a bit of snail mail arriving on our doorstep!

If there was one piece of advice you could give to a creator at the beginning of their journey, what would it be?

Just keep drawing, and have fun with it. Whether it is for your career or even just for fun, it really is a lovely industry to be a part of.

Finally, do you have any exciting projects in the works that you’d like to talk about or anything that you’d like to plug?

I have just launched my first ever wholesale greetings card catalogue! I’ve been furloughed most of the Coronavirus pandemic and I really worked hard on designing over 140 new cards. I’m really looking forward to taking this next step in the greetings card industry.
I have also worked hard on my illustrated wedding stationery range. I now have a ‘Rustic Woodland’, ‘Tropical Caribbean’ and ‘Country Lavender’ themed wedding stationery in my online shop. Now that the wedding industry is finally emerging again from the pandemic, I’m beginning to see these designs in particular getting really popular.

Thankyou Amanda for sharing your words of wisdom!

If you’d like to check out Amanda’s full collection of cards on Wuzci then click the button below.

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Artist Spotlight: Beverley Hopwood

In our last Artist Spotlight, we spoke to Diana Birkett about her work and design process. If missed it, you can catch up here!

Today we’re talking to Beverley Hopwood, a designer and illustrator with over 25 years of industry experience. This is a good one – so grab a cuppa and enjoy!

Who are you and what do you do?

I am Beverley Hopwood, or Bev. Also known as beverleyhopwoodillustration. I’m a freelance illustrator and designer and have been very lucky to have been able to sustain this throughout my working career. I illustrate for various markets including homeware, gift, greeting cards and fashion. I love pattern, colour, typography and I love drawing characters. I don’t like to pin myself down to a particular style which allows me to work for such diverse clients. I find myself swapping from watercolour botanical drawings, to fun slogans, to cats in diving suits! (one of which is a card I designed for Wuzci!) Check out this card here.


What medium do you like to work with the most? Has this changed since you began your creative journey?


I tend to mix it up from hand-drawn or painted, to digital. It totally depends on the brief and how I want the end product to look. I will either draw directly onto the Mac or hand draw or paint in a sketchbook, then scan it in and manipulate it. I also use both Photoshop and Illustrator, again depending on the end feel of the design. My medium has most definitely changed from my early days at Uni to the present. Seen as there was only one computer in the whole course department; paint, paper and pens were the only option! Which in hindsight, I think it allowed far more room for creativity and mistakes, the latter being crucial! As computers became more accessible, in one of my first in-house design positions, I was given the opportunity to learn to draw digitally which, as a result, enables me to now have multiple choices to create.


What or who inspires your work? Do you ever suffer with creative block?


A cliché, but there’s inspiration everywhere! I am very visual and take in details all the time which affect my work. In a digital age, galleries, other artists work, what’s in stores, are all so accessible, especially during the past covid year, so Pinterest, blogs and creative art sites are all regularly visited for inspiration. Creative blocks of course happen but when you are working to continuous tight deadlines, there’s not much room for swanning off to a gallery for the day! 5 minutes away from my desk to grab a coffee normally sorts it! I find that just stepping away for even a short space of time allows your brain creatively to problem-solve.


Do you think greetings cards are important in the world today?


Most definitely!…..but as a greeting card designer, I would say that! Personally though, a handwritten or personalised card or letter means so much to me so I can only assume other people feel the same. Because we are all so entwined in digital worlds, in home and work life, receiving something physical that you can hold in your hands or place on a mantel holds far more weight to me than an email or text.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to a creator at the beginning of their journey, what would it be?


Sit up, sit straight and get a good chair! Ha ha! Apologies that it’s not creative advice but most of your working lives – especially in the creative sector, you will spend the rest of your life sat down and almost everyone I know in creative jobs suffer from some sort of back or neck problems, so take heed!
In relation to the actual career though, to survive as a freelancer you have to be willing to multi-task. You are the creative team first and foremost, but alongside that, the media manager, the accountant, photographer, admin, HR, editor and general dogs body!

Finally, do you have any exciting projects in the works that you’d like to talk about or anything that you’d like to plug?

I am very lucky to regularly work on such a lovely mix of end products, from greeting cards and childrenswear to homeware. Because they all launch at different times, in different stores and different continents throughout the year, it can be very hard to keep up with launch dates to plug anything!
In regards to new clients, I am working on some lovely children’s book concepts with one client and a new games project with another which are both new areas to me and very exciting. I’ll try and keep you posted on how it goes! Otherwise my instagram account @beverleyhopwoodillustration shows more day to day work and my website: beverleyhopwoodillustration.com showcases my portfolio.

Thank you Beverley for giving us such a great insight into what your creative journey looks like!

If you’d like to see more of Beverley’s card designs, check out her profile and socials via the button below.

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Artist Spotlight: Diana Birkett

You might already be familiar with our Artist Spotlight series, but just in case you’re new here, this is where we feature one of our amazing artists and talk to them a little bit about their work. So grab a brew and sit down for a catch up 🙂

Who are you and what do you do?

I am Diana Birkett, artist, designer and illustrator

What medium do you like to work with the most? Has this changed since you began your creative journey?

I love to work with gouache as its so versatile, but my current favourite medium is oil paint on canvas. This has changed a few times over the years and digital artwork has become a big part of what I do but I still love using a paintbrush, this has remained a constant throughout.

What or who inspires your work? Do you ever suffer with creative block?

Nature is my biggest inspiration, and when I get creative block I tend to go out for a walk, and being lucky enough to live in the countryside this generally helps!

Do you think greetings cards are important in the world today?

I do think greetings cards are important to show loved ones and friends that you care and are thinking about them.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to a creator at the beginning of their journey, what would it be?

Persevere! Its so important to love what you do.

Finally, do you have any exciting projects in the works that you’d like to talk about or anything that you’d like to plug?

Hoping to take part in the Knutsford Art Trail on 10th and 11th July in a pop up display.

Thank you Diana for answering our questions!

If you’d like to see more of Diana’s card designs, check out her profile and socials via the button below.

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Artist Spotlight: Amy Cole

You might have already seen out Artist Spotlight series, where we interview artists from our amazing community and see what inspires them and how they create their designs. Our last interview was with Jessica Gutteridge, which you can catch up on here. Today we’re interviewing Amy Cole, so grab a cuppa and sit down for a catch up!

Who are you and What do you do?

My name is Amy Cole also known as Amycoledesign. I am a freelance illustrator and pattern maker. I love drawing and creating  cute animals and pretty patterns is usually what you will find me designing. Colours are also a big part of my work as I love putting together new colour schemes for my designs.   

Where did your creative journey start?

From a very young age I loved to draw and make cards with my mum at the kitchen table.. It started with me taking every possible art subject in my GCSE’s to then going on to study Fine Art at The Northern School of Art where I strengthened my drawing skills. I then moved to Leeds where I studied Printed Textiles and Surface Pattern Design at Leeds Art University where I had the time of my life, I loved my course as it made me understand the background of becoming a designer and lead me on the right path for my design future.


Do you think greetings cards are important in the world today? 

100%! I think it is especially important now more than ever as the world is so digital. I think receiving a card through the post is so exciting and feels very special that someone saw a design on a card and thought of you and hold space for personal words inside. I love the personal touch greeting cards give and to see someones hand writing rather than a text message.


What inspires you to keep creating? How do you get past drawing block or boredom with your work?

Every designer has hit a creative block in there life and I find them tricky to get out of from time to time. When I hot a block I like to step away from my work for a bit and then go back to it with fresh eyes. I also find looking on Pinterest and Instagram always helps as i love seeing other peoples works and helps me get inspired for my own work.


Who are your favourite artists/creators at the moment?

This is a tough one, I love so many creators it would be to hard to choose.


Can you tell us a little bit about your process? How do you create your work?

I used to always draw by hand on paper but since getting my Ipad Pro I love drawing on that with my Apple pencil using Procreate. I love how you can use a number of textured brushes and have full control. To make my patterns and to make repeats I use Illustrator which I love and makes everything so easy.


If there was one piece of advice you could give to a creator at the beginning of their journey, what would it be?

To not compare yourself to other designers and with your work looked like theirs or wish you could draw like they do because all designers are unique and have their own way of working, when i started to focus on myself and how I work is when I finally got the confidence I needed to design. Also make sure to not give up, I had a few moments at the start when I wasn’t sure if I could do it or make a living from design but I loved it and didn’t want to stop and I am so glad I kept with it.


Finally, do you have any projects in the works or exciting things you would like to plug?

I am currently working on revamping my Etsy shop full of exciting new products and prints, it is a big job and I am getting there finally! My Etsy shop is AmyColestudio so keep your eyes peeled for new fun prints and products over there!

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Artist Spotlight: Jessica Gutteridge

A while ago, we launched our Artist Spotlight blog series, where we’ll be interviewing some of the artists in our wonderful community. If you missed the last one, we spoke to Chloe Evans about her design process and inspirations. Catch up here.

Today, we’re interviewing Jessica Gutteridge. She’s an illustrator & designer and proud owner of the online store Witch Crafts. Keep reading to find out a bit more about her and her work…

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Jessica and I’m currently a freelance Illustrator/graphic designer. I have an online art store called Witchcrafts where I make witchy goodness in all forms.

Where did your creative journey start? Did you always want to do this?

I’ve always been creative, but like any artist I had self doubt through the roof till I was about 20. I worked on my skills constantly and I think being at university finally gave me the final kick to make something for myself. I created my art store then with a few odd prints for sale and it really took off. I always wanted to do something creative but it’s only from leaving university that I realized I could work for myself.

Do you think greetings cards are important in the world today? 

I think they bring a little bit of joy to whoever is receiving them and that might just be what someone really needs.

What inspires you to keep creating? How do you get past drawing block or boredom with your work?

The internet is a great thing, whenever you feel your inspiration lowering or you want to stop, there’s an amazing community of people who can encourage you to keep going! If I’m feeling a block I tend to go through my old work, pick out what I love about creating those pieces and have a play around with new things.

Who are your favourite artists/creators at the moment?

I follow a hell of a lot of artists on Instagram, at the moment I’m in love with a lot of digital artists. Digitally painted, typography, etc. I’ve always been really inspired by tattoo artists and do try to follow artists who create those similar vibes on paper.

Can you tell us a little bit about your process? How do you create your work?

I haven’t jumped onto the Ipad hype yet (even though I’m practically pining for one) so my process is heavily pen and ink based. I scan things in and have a play digitally on photoshop! When I started my online store I invested in good printing materials like a printer, etc, so I create and sell everything from home.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to a creator at the beginning of their journey, what would it be?

Don’t give up! Everyone starts off a little crap. Don’t compare yourself to others and have fun just exploring all the different ways you can create art! You don’t need to stick to one field. If you want to draw in pen one day ace, if you want to try your hand at sewing the next, cool!

Finally, do you have any projects in the works or exciting things you would like to plug?

I’m now on Patreon! I’m giving away my new zine called Crystal Magic! with every pledge over $9. I’m so excited to be giving my supporters more personal work. You can check it out here www.patreon.com/witchcraftsx

You can check out Jess’ online store at:

www.witchcraftsart.com

and her instagram here:

www.instagram.com/witch.craftsx

View Jessica’s Cards

Artist Spotlight: Chloe Evans

Last month, we launched our new Artist Spotlight blog series where we speak to our wonderful creators in our Artist community. To kick off the series, we interviewed Abi Ruddock and found out what drives her creative process (catch up on her blog post here).

This month we are speaking with the amazingly talented Chloe Evans – a freelance illustrator and designer. Keep on reading to find out more about her creative process and what keeps her inspired

Hello Chloe! First of all, thank you for being a part of our Artist Community. Tell us a little bit about yourself…

My name is Chloe and I illustrate under the name Chloe Fae Designs. My full time job is an in-house designer for kids denim wear which is really fun and an exciting industry to be a part of. On the side I am a freelance illustrator specialising in illustrations for children’s books, greeting cards and surface pattern design. I also run my own Etsy shop where I sell greeting cards, prints and other paper goods.

Can you tell us a little bit about your creative journey so far? Have you always aspired to do what you do now?

I have always been into art since I was a little kid. My creative journey probably started in high school as I loved my art classes and I pretty much pursued art ever since – taking it for my A-Levels, going to art college and then onto a degree in illustration. There hasn’t really been another career path for me, I just always knew that to enjoy my job I would need to do something creative! 


What are your thoughts on Greetings Cards in our world today?

I think greeting cards are super important and are a great way to stay connected with friends and family. I think sending a card on a special occasion or even just to say hi and catch up is so much more meaningful than just a text. Buying the right card with a cute or funny message shows that you have really thought and made the time for that special person in your life.

What inspires you to keep creating? Do you ever get stuck with a creative block?

Seeing other illustrators work on in instagram or in stores (such as on cards, stationary etc) inspires me to keep creating. When I see a cute illustrated character or a positive illustrated message it makes me feel happy and I would love to spread that joy to people who may view my work. I still struggle with creative block from time to time. What helps me is usually starting a new project that I feel passionate about or experimenting with a different medium.

Who are some of your favourite creators at the moment?

This is such a hard question as their are so many great illustrators out there! A few of my favourite artists at the moment are Katie Abey, Holly Exley (if you are a creative I definitely recommend watching her Youtube videos!), Amy Lesko and Amber Davenport.


Can you tell us a little bit about your process?

All of my illustrations are pretty much created digitally on my iPad on the Procreate app. I like to sketch out initial ideas and compositions in my sketchbook. I also love adding different textures to my work so often my digital work is layered with pencil and paint markings from my sketchbook.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to a creator just starting out, what would it be?

Create what makes you happy and have confidence in yourself and your work! Being a creative is not easy but if you are passionate about creating, step out of your comfort zone and work really hard you will achieve amazing things! 

Finally, do you have any projects in the works or exciting things you would like to plug?

I have recently started a personal project over on my Instagram @chloefaedesigns where I am illustrating an A-Z endangered animal series. Make sure to check it out if you want to see some super cute animals! I might eventually turn this into a poster/print at the end of the project which you will be able to purchase from my Etsy store.

Thank you so much to Chloe for giving us some fantastic insight into the hard work and skill that goes into designing our cards. Check out her amazing collection of cards and be sure to sign up for your first month free! 

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Artist Spotlight: Abi Ruddock

At Wuzci it is our ambition to create a platform for Artists to showcase and sell their work. We love to uplift our creators and provide our customers with the very best designs.  To celebrate the fantastic creators we have in our network, we wanted to give them the opportunity to talk about their work in a little more detail and shed some light on the process behind each of our card designs.

So without further ado, our first Artist Spotlight is the hugely talented Abi Ruddock. There is a design for everyone in her card collection – from Gin Queens to those hitting those special milestone birthdays. Keep reading for some insight into her work and top tips for pushing your creative journey.

Hello Abi! Tell us (and our lovely readers) a little bit about yourself..

Hi I’m Abi, a textile and surface design graduate from Huddersfield University and a lover of all things patterned!

Looking on my website you would say that my print work is abstract and it is normally inspired by nature or naturally occurring patterns with minimal colour. My day job is quite different though: I am a senior designer at a company that designs doormats for high street and blue chip retailers across the country. My responsibility doesn’t just lie with designing the product; packaging and marketing the product to the customer also falls under my role. Photography is another one of my passions and I use that to help develop my design work.

Where did your creative journey start – did you always want to do this?

Textiles has always been part of my family and I remember my grandma trying to get us (my sister and I) to draw, cross stitch and knit from a young age! That developed through school and I completed my foundation degree in Art and Design and found my feet as a designer. When you spend all day doing what you love you just know that it’s what you want to continue to do in the future. 

 

 Do you think greetings cards are important in the world today?

 I think anything that can put a smile on someone’s face is very important. Cards and correspondence with loved ones is extremely valued by lots of people and the joy of a card dropping onto the doormat almost makes your friends and family feel closer than they may be! If they are responsibly produced and discarded they can’t damage our environment and can only add to a world that could always do with an extra smile.

 What inspires you to keep creating? Do you ever get stuck with drawing block?

I think having varied design products helps me to stay inspired. From womenswear to doormats, card design to branding and marketing. 

 Working in so many different areas means my research is always wide which helps with ideas. I tend to deal with blocks by either swapping to another project or taking some time away from designing – such as walking the dog with camera in hand!

 Who are your favourite artists/creators at the moment?

 I’m really inspired by ceramists at the moment, Hannah Tounsend has always been one of my favourites. I am also really inspired by processes. The naturally occurring patterns in Raku pottery is my absolute favourite, Old Brewery Pottery In Keighley always brings a smile to my face when I see them in person.

 Can you tell us a little bit about your process? How do you create your work?

When I’m designing I like to start with a trend, commercialise that  through research and then draw and design. If I was designing fashion prints i would have to create repeat designs but for cards and doormats these are normally placement prints! Repeat designs are formed using computer aided design tools such as Adobe and I work on producing collections.

 If there was one piece of advice you could give to a creator at the beginning of their journey, what would it be?

My once piece of advice would be to get as much commercial experience as possible, whether that is volunteer work or a job that enables you to develop your commercial awareness. My work has changed dramatically through learning in my full time design position.

 Finally, do you have any projects in the works or exciting things you would like to tell us about?

Not right now but I have lots of new ideas on the horizon that I can’t wait to get started on when time allows! I’d really love to grow my following on social media though so please give me a follow on Facebook and Instagram and let me know what you think of my work!

Thank you so much to Abi for being the first of our Artist features. Check out her amazing collection of cards and be sure to sign up for your first month free! 

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