Taking a break - getting inspired

I'm having a little break from work. Well, not really because I'm getting patterns ready and working on some really nice briefs. But I'm having a little holiday from the shop, which is closed until Thursday.

I took the kids to their very first theme park, the Efteling in the Netherlands. Oh man, the excitement! It was a magnificent day with a few thrills and a lot of magic. My very favorite was the Carnival, it's a little bit dated but still so beautiful and it made me remember how much I loved it as a child and how it must have inspired me in some way as it matches my design style so well. You sit in a little cart and it takes you passed all these brightly coloured carnival displays. Each space you go through represents a different country. I could have gone again and again. But there were roller coasters and other rides to do...

When we sat down for a little picnic a neon pink pigeon landed right in front of us. We all felt a mixture of upset and excitement. Surely we shouldn't spray paint birds? But see how incredible it looks! A few white feathers blended in beautifully with the bright pink. It looked like it had come out of it's egg looking just like that, a lone pink pigeon surrounded by it's white brothers and sisters. It would make a great picture book. How it flew the nest and got teased by everyone until it found a home in a theme park that was just as brightly coloured. For now, I have added a bit of neon to my new pattern. I have been doing a lot of work in black and white lately. It was time for a pop of colour...