Castle in the Sky: Animated Greetings Card & Magnet

I had a lot of fun creating my new range of products for the Owlstation Store! I’ve always been captivated by fantasy, folklore and magical worlds, so taking the time to experiment, craft and animate my Castle in the Sky design was a really lovely experience.

This magic portal greetings card will come to life in your hands when viewed through your mobile (okay, so it works by augmented reality, not actual magic, but still!) giving you or your friends a momentary escape into an enchanted world…or if you prefer a bit of daydreaming as you fetch your afternoon snack, this design is also available as a bright, vinyl magnet for your fridge.

Creating this design also gave me a chance to work on my traditional, frame by frame animation skills to create the soaring dragon. Something that is quite new to me but definitely very satisfying after all the hard work is done. So if you’re looking for a present for a fantasy loving pal, a birthday card for your Dungeon Master or simply need a bit more magic in your life, please do drop by the Owlstation Store on Etsy, your support of my small business is always appreciated!

Magic Portals, New in the Owlstation Store!

I’m very excited to announce that my new range of products are now available on the Owlstation Store…and to reveal that they are in fact Magic Portals! Giving you the power to open a door to a distant land and all from the comfort of your own home…

My new selection of animated magnets and greetings cards work with augmented reality, so when viewed through your smartphone, they will come to life in your hands! They feature two designs; an enchanted, fairytale castle and a cosy, forest cabin, perfect for the nature lovers and fantasy fans in your life.

After such a strange and challenging year of lockdowns, I really liked the idea that even if you’re stuck indoors, you’d be able to find a momentary escape into a magical world. Inspired by my love of Ghibli films (hello Laputa!) fantasy epics like Game of Thrones and also exploring in the countryside, I wanted the animations to be soothing. Billowing candy-floss clouds, soaring dragons, cosy fires and secret owls.

I was a bit behind getting the new range ready for Christmas (I think the emotions and weirdness of the year definitely played their part!) so it really means a lot to me to finally be able to share this with you and add these goodies to the Store – my own little secret hideaway and safe space to create the art that I want to make! I hope you enjoy them too!

For my full range of prints and illustrated goods visit the Owlstation Etsy Store.

Massive thanks to @alekadzie for his amazing product photography and filming skills!

Owlstation Store: Cabin Experiments

In between client projects (and trying to soak up us much of the Summer as possible) I’ve started work on the next range of products for the Owlstation Store. There’s still a lot to do, but I wanted to give you a little glimpse of some of the development work that’s been going on. Without giving too much away at this point…I’ve been practicing drawing lots of cabins!

Inspired in part by the awesome book Cabin Porn which features gorgeous, enchanting cabins from all over the world. But also by the idea of escaping somewhere secret, cosy and a little bit magical. My initial scribbled ideas, rough sketches and early thumbnails have started to come together and the new products are taking shape. I’ll be excited to share more soon, but for now here are a few more of those cabin experiments.

The Owlstation Store is OPEN!

The Owlstation Store is now…OPEN!!! You can now find a curated selection of my illustrated Prints and Cards at www.etsy.com/uk/shop/OwlstationStore with more to come soon!

It’s been a long old journey getting everything set up and ready, so I’m super chuffed to be able to share this with you all! I just want to say a big thank you to my friends and family that have helped and supported me this year in this adventure. Your advice, time and hugs made all the difference, you are excellent human beans 🦉! Extra special thanks to the talented @alekadzie for his epic photography skills!

Countdown to Launch on 10th of October!

I am indeed counting down the days to the 10th of October when I’ll be launching the Owlstation Store on Etsy! It feels really good to be at this point and to finally have a home where I can share my products and illustrations with you all, such as my ‘Save Progress?’ greetings card.

Having grown up with retro PlayStation games like Final Fantasy 7 and Tomb Raider 3, I got used to saving my game’s progress by seeking out ethereal Save Crystals…I thought it would be fun to make a card that lets you and your friends save your life progress whenever you need to! Be sure to pop back in 8 days time when I’ll be sharing my store link, hooray! 😀

Owlstation Store Update

I’m getting ever so close to opening the Owlstation Store…in fact, I’m pleased to announce that I have set a date! As of the 10th of October you’ll be able to visit my Etsy shop! To begin with, I’ll be selling a curated collection of illustrated prints and greetings cards, inspired by my love of retro PlayStation games and fantasy adventures (sneak peak above!). Moving forwards, i’m excited to grow my store and create new collections in between my freelance design projects. So…pop the 10th of October in your diary and please do check back here for more updates through September!

 

Spellbooke & Other Items

Here’s a little glimpse of some adventure items for a new A3 print I’m working up. A rune covered Spellbooke shown above…It should be noted that true adventurers keep their sandwiches in ancient, Spanish treasure chests…

…And for those stubborn cauldron stains, only the strongest, fungus-based cleaner will do! More progress on my illustrated prints and the Owlstation Store coming over the Summer :).

 

 

Owlstation Store, a peek behind the scenes!

This year I’ve set myself the goal of opening my online Owlstation Store. I’ve been wanting to do this for a little while now, to have my own space to create and sell my illustrations alongside my freelance projects.

I’m very inspired by nature, fantasy and adventure; so having the opportunity to explore these themes for my first range of greetings cards and prints has been a lot of fun…learning about shipping, pricing and SEO has been somewhat more challenging!

There’s still a lot to do before I open shop – but i’ll be sharing my progress here, and on Facebook and Instagram, so do check in for little sneak previews. And if you have any Etsy advice, I’d love to hear it!