Artabella Collective Headed for Blueprint in NYC!

Here at Make it in Design, we are passionate about supporting and nurturing the creativity of our amazing community. Our acclaimed online surface pattern courses have helped over 10,000 people get that much closer (and in many instances achieve) their design dreams and see success. Today we are thrilled to be bringing you an exciting and inspiring story from some of our passionate alumni who are now part of a fantastic design group called Artabella Collective. This year, Artabella Collective will set off to NYC to take part in Blueprint, a wonderfully exciting trade show for exhibiting designers.

All About

Artabella Collective are a group of seven international designers: Claire Elsworth and Michelle Grace from the UK, Deane Christiansen from Canada, and Amber Shaw, Diana Kelley, Erica Ilene and Shelley Seguinot from the USA. Although their artistic styles are diverse, all members of Artabella Collective share a common passion for surface pattern design.

Initially making connections through the amazing online community of Surface Pattern Designers, these talented women formed friendships through various courses including the Make It In Design modules, MATS Bootcamp, and Roost Tribe. They quickly discovered that they shared ambitions and an incredible drive to succeed in the industry.

We were thrilled to hear that Artabella Collective will be making their trade show debut at Blueprint Show #2 New York this May! They are excited to make contacts and forge lasting professional relationships at this fantastic show, and are happy to have the opportunity to promote their amazing artwork to clients on a global scale.

Could you tell us a little bit about the name ‘Artabella’ and what it mean to you as a group?

‘Artabella’ means ‘beautiful art’. We wanted a name that was timeless and really spoke about what we all do collectively, which is create beautiful art. – Amber Shaw

Artabella Collective is a collaboration of like-minded artists who share and support each others passion of immersing themselves into the world of surface pattern design. – Michelle Grace

What are your future plans and goals as a collective?

As a collective, our goal at Blueprint is to make a great first impression, show our designs and make many connections with buyers, art directors and potential clients in the surface pattern design industry and of course to enjoy the show! We hope to continue exhibiting together after this first show.

And individually?

For me a dream goal is wallpaper / wall coverings plus anything in home decor. I always envisage wallpaper, bedding sets, upholstery and homewares when I design. That said, my first sale was to a fashion brand when I saw that design as wallpaper, you never know what someone else’s vision will be for your designs – so although I have my favourites, I’m open to all markets & business opportunities. – Claire Elsworth

My goal is to be a successful and profitable surface pattern designer creating pretty things that I am proud of. I myself like many different markets and I’m open to all, although gift bags / wrap, cards, and of course fabric would be super cool! – Amber Shaw

Right now for me, the fact that its happening, is a big deal. Last year I saw the fanfare of everyone getting ready for Surtex and Blueprint and if you asked me last year at this time, I would never have dreamed of it happening to me. – Erica Ilene

I would love to be in the children’s market. If one of my characters ever came to life as a stuffed animal I would die! – Shelley Seguinot

I dream of seeing my designs in the home decor market, stationary, gift bags, wrapping paper and especially rugs! – Deane Christiansen

I am especially excited about designing for interiors, homewares and apparel and I love to design for kids. – Diana Kelley

What are some of the advantages to being in a collective?

It’s amazing what you achieve working together with a common goal and a ton of enthusiasm The number one advantage of being in a collective is sharing the cost. We are quite a large collective of seven people, so sharing costs for us has been extremely beneficial. Design Collectives are a tried and tested route for getting your work into the bigger marketplace and if you are on a budget when you are starting out this is a great solution.

Secondly, sharing the workload. Never underestimate just how much work is involved with planning a trade show especially, when liaising with seven members in different time zones! Pooling your resources, sharing your knowledge and taking the initiative to find out how to do new things (and there have been many on our Blueprint journey) is key.

Everyone of our lovely Artabella ladies has played a major role in some form, from arranging printing, building the website, social media, handing marketing, designing flyers, sorting pricing, creating templates etc. The support & motivation that you can offer each other in a collective is priceless and it really helps to create a great dynamic in a group. If your designs focus on just a few categories then pooling your work in a collective can help fill in any portfolio gaps. – Claire Elsworth

As for advantages of being in a collective, that’s easy, it’s a kick in the butt to get things done. Sharing of the workload, leaning on each other for support, advice and knowledge. Tackling the uphill battle of making new art is easier with a common goal shared. – Deane Christiansen

Could you share and words of advice or encouragement to those looking to start their own collective?

Take the leap if you want to take your career in the Surface Pattern world seriously and to the next level. The accountability and encouragement alone in group of ladies with one goal, is worth its weight in gold. – Amber Shaw

I think finding the right people for a collective is key. Being open to the idea of a collective and having honest conversations about ideas and goals is also a huge part. – Deane Christiansen

Being in a collective is the best. I’ve done the one-woman show before and I always found an added benefit of being in a collective, as the support is amazing and by having a larger variety to offer clients there was always an added financial benefit. – Erica Ilene

Start early, create a plan, get organised, share your resources and knowledge, be open and honest with each other in discussions, use a private fb group and Skype to communicate, and treat everyone equally. – Claire Elsworth

What Make it in Design courses have you taken to help get where you are today?

Claire Elsworth:

Modules 1-3 + UPB + Summer / Winter School I have done all the MIID courses (which is how I met Michelle and Diana) and loved them all, they are truly fantastic and worth every single penny. The sheer amount of industry information and insight from founders Rachael and Beth is just incredible and this has been instrumental in our Blueprint journey. I choose to do these courses over doing a degree because of the industry info offered plus I have a young family, therefore, my time can be limited. Coming to Module one I had zero experience of Ai, Ps (and of using a Mac) so I did have a vertical learning curve, however, the technical workshops are so good that I was able to make rapid progress. MIID have continuously supported me and given my designs a lot of exposure since 2016 for which I am very grateful. I’ve also made lifelong friends in MIID community.

Claire is also the winner of this year’s Make it in Design Trade Show competition! Read more about it here.

Michelle Grace:

Modules 1-3. I have worked as a successful Surface Pattern designer since 2005. Working through an agent I concentrated on my art as they did all the digital editing in-house. This was actually a disadvantage as it meant that I felt unable to freelance elsewhere. I did not have any training in the digital skills required to work Freelance although I had gained a degree in Textiles Design back in 1996.

At that time we painted our entire design including all repeats! I began my MIID journey back in 2015 with the Summer School course. I longed to acquire computer skills and began the course having no knowledge of Photoshop or Illustrator. My confidence improved and I found this opened up a world of support for me, not only from the MIID team but also from the SPD community which I now felt a part of. I continued with my MIID journey by taking Modules 1-3 as well as the Summer and Winter schools when possible. It opened my mind to learning and I’ve taken many other online courses including Skillshare, Creative Bug and Atly e-courses. It’s been amazing to see so many fellow MIID classmates become teachers on these platforms too. I have gained a wealth of knowledge that has equipped me with the confidence to pursue a professional career as a Designer. I met fellow Artabella Collective member Claire Elsworth in Module 2 and together we have shared ongoing experiences in our career paths.

Diana Kelly:

Modules 1-3 + UPB. I can’t say enough about how MIID classes changed the course of my design career. I had design background and was doing a lot of self-study in surface pattern design when I started Module 1, but I don’t think I would have learned nearly as much or grown as I have without the challenges, briefs, and inspiration provided by the MIID courses. The industry and business information provided by MIID were exactly what I needed to make the shift from thinking about surface pattern design in the abstract to seeing myself as a future professional with a path forward in the industry. I’m in a lot of Facebook groups for designers and the question comes up daily—“I have all these patterns, now how do I start selling them? What do I do next?”—and I think, that was me. That’s the big hurdle, knowing where to go with your work when you’re ready for the next step. That’s where I think MIID really shines and delivers such amazing value—it’s trends, it’s industry advice, it’s best practices—it’s the boost of confidence that comes from having the information you need to plan your next steps and go for it.

Deane Christiansen:

Module 3 + UPB. I have taken module 3 & UPB and loved them both!

Erica Ilene (AKA Urban Daisies)

MIID really helped me get my mind wrapped around how the industry works and possible scenarios with working with various types of clients!

Meet the Designers

Claire Elsworth’s trend based surface pattern designs are bursting with colour and impact. Her process always starts with detailed hand drawn motifs creating an intense, opulent style of maximalism aesthetically designed to appeal to the home decor, wallpaper, bolt fabric and apparel markets.

Follow Claire:

https://www.claireelsworthdesign.com
https://www.instagram.com/claire.elsworth/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/claireelsworthdesign/
https://twitter.com/CElsworthDesign
https://www.facebook.com/claireelsworthdesign/

Michelle Grace produces commercial designs with a fresh, innovative style incorporating unique hand-painting and intricate sketching processes as well as illustrative, digital motifs. She loves to give her eclectic patterns a playful and whimsical edge.

Follow Michelle:

https://www.michellegrace.co.uk
https://www.instagram.com/michellegracedesign/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellegracedesign/
https://twitter.com/michellegrace27
https://www.facebook.com/michellegracedesign/

Deane Christiansen likes to marry a modern vintage style with a fun quirky direction. Her strength and focus is in creating florals and illustrative motifs for everyday occasions and children patterns.

Follow Deane:

https://deanebeesley.com
https://www.facebook.com/deanebeesleydesigns/
https://www.instagram.com/deanebeesleydesigns/
www.linkedin.com/in/deane-christiansen/

Shelley Seguinot loves to create the cutest characters and bold patterns for children’s product and apparel markets, home decor and the stationery industry.

Follow Shelley:

http://shelleyseguinot.com
https://www.instagram.com/iminkpressed
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyseguinot
https://twitter.com/iminkpressed
https://www.pinterest.com/Iminkpressed
https://www.facebook.com/iminkpressed

Erica Ilene aka Urban Daisies designs vintage inspired florals which are complimented by mid century styled geometric co-ordinates. Her collections also include unique typography, whimsical patterns, and seasonal designs.

Follow Erica:

http://www.urbandaisies.com
https://www.instagram.com/urbandaisies_/
www.linkedin.com/in/erica-ilene

Diana Kelley‘s geometric, abstract and modern floral designs feature bold, confident colour, handcrafted textures and a fun design sensibility. Her work is especially well suited to homeware, interiors and apparel, both for adults and children’s markets.

Follow Diana:

http://www.dianakelleydesign.com
https://www.instagram.com/dianakelleydesign/
https://www.pinterest.com/raftersofcedars/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianakelleydesign/

Amber Shaw produces beautiful, feminine designs portraying sweet florals and motifs in wonderful colours combinations. Her patterns and placements include seasonal influences and adorable children’s character motifs.