Hi, I'm Jocelyn

a surface pattern designer and maker.

I started this website back in 2009 with a passion for creating beautiful, custom items to personalize your nest. This has looked different over the years with one-of-a-kind sock and glove animals, personalized ornaments, art prints, custom invitations, baby rattles, and sewing patterns. It has been a joy to make items that become part of a family's traditions.

I have recently fallen in love with surface pattern design. It has taken over my thoughts and my days and I love that it's something I can pursue from anywhere in the world.

Five years ago I left Texas and have been adventuring in Scotland with my husband and 3 children. We aren't sure what's next but love this amazing country where I find so much inspiration for my art.

I love making artwork for companies and products. If you are a company that would be interested in licensing my work please get in touch.

thenestingspot

I ended up with a lot of striped patterns in this

I ended up with a lot of striped patterns in this collection but I just couldn’t help it as I love them so much. This one has bunnies and butterflies and even some hiding snails! 🐰🦋🐌

#surfacepatterndesign #printandpattern #patterndesign #patterndesigns #surfacedesign #patterndesigner #patternart #patternillustration #creativecommunity #licensingartist #textiledesign #textilepatterns #bunnies #rabbits #folkart #wallpaperdesigner #butterflies

Working on some simple motifs for future patterns

Working on some simple motifs for future patterns between distance learning assignments today. Next I’ll need to trace it on tracing paper with ink to get it clean and ready for scanning.

#surfacepatterndesign #surfacepattern #surfacedesign #motifs #surfacepatterndesigner #printandpattern #womenwhodraw #creativityeveryday #creativejourney #emergingartist #licensingartist #sketchtopattern #patternplay

Another happy folky pattern that could be used on

Another happy folky pattern that could be used on so many surfaces. I think it would be really fun as wallpaper.

#surfacepatterndesign #surfacepattern #patterndesign #surfacedesign #printandpattern #fabricdesigner #creativelife #artlicensing #creativehappylife #creativebusiness #wallpaperdesigner #folkart

Well, the year hasn’t gotten off to the speedy s

Well, the year hasn’t gotten off to the speedy start I was hoping for between customers still just now getting ornaments they ordered in NOVEMBER!? and lockdown and distance learning starting again but I have been teaching myself to make mockups with my patterns and it has been a lot of fun. The wallpaper, cushion, and blanket are all part of my Folktale collection. It’s so great seeing the patterns on items and I can envision them coming to life.

#surfacepatterndesigncommunity #surfacedesigntribe #surfacepatternlife #surfacepatterndesign #surfacepatterndesigner #folktale #wallpaperdesign #fabricdesigner #artlicensing #textiledesigner #emergingartists

Haven’t shared any more patterns since Folktale

Haven’t shared any more patterns since Folktale Week so think it’s time to put a new one up. I’ll start sharing some designs now from my Folktales collection. This one is called Wild Things and is full of playful dragons and unicorns.

#surfacepatterndesign #dragons #unicorns #printandpattern #patterndesign #patterndesigns #surfacedesign #patterndesigner #patternart #patternillustration #folktales #folkart

I always enjoy the chance to make a bunny because

I always enjoy the chance to make a bunny because they were the first ornaments I made for The Nesting Spot. The first two years they were made from fuzzy, warm socks because at the time I was making sock animals so I kept with the theme. But I could only get 3 bunnies from a sock and stores only stocked so many pairs. It wasn’t scaleable or sustainable. After I branched out and used fleece I could control the process a lot easier and also make other animals. The elephant came next which I think has always been my best seller. At first the ears were embroidered on and I did blue, pink, or white depending on what people ordered. It was rough on my fingers to embroider so much and I couldn’t finish them ahead of time not knowing what people would want. Once I learned how to sew on the ear flaps I did that and love them so much more. It’s fun to think back to how things started and how they’ve changed over the years. Thankful we all have the chance to change and grow.
#thenestingspot #bunnyornament #christmasdecoration #handmade #handmadegifts #customgift

Even though I’ve been posting illustrations the

Even though I’ve been posting illustrations the last week the ornament parade has still been happening behind the scenes. Every year at this time my hands are calloused and sore but I am so grateful for each and every order!

#thenestingspot #customornaments #personalisedgifts #personalizedgifts #babysfirstchristmas #llamas

Day 7 Prompt: Dance Today’s the final day! For

Day 7 Prompt: Dance

Today’s the final day! For today’s story I made a fun pattern of the 12 Dancing Princesses from Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

I depicted the princesses dancing in their pretty dresses and shoes. Each night when they went off to dance they traveled through 3 groves of trees…the first one silver, the second gold, and the third diamonds. So the branches around them are colored to represent that. And they’re surrounded by little stars since their adventures were at night.

This was a fun one to make. It’s been a great challenge to participate in Folktale Week this year. It really pushed me outside my comfort zone and I’ve learned a lot.

#folktaleweek #folktaleweek2020 #dance #surfacepatterndesign #printandpattern #patterndesign #patterndesigns #surfacedesign #patterndesigner #patternart #patternillustration #creativecommunity #licensingartist #12dancingprincesses #textiledesign #textilepatterns

Day 6 Prompt: Harvest

Today’s story is called “The Flax”. It is also by Hans Christian Andersen in the same book as yesterday. I did another book cover illustration for this one. I wanted to show the progression of the story all in one drawing.

The story starts with a flax flower being so happy and grateful for its life. It enjoys the warm sun and rain on its delicate blossoms. Then one day people came and pulled it up by the roots, threw it into water and then in front of a fire. It said to itself, “people cannot always have what they like. We must suffer sometimes if we wish to learn anything.” It continued to be tortured with being bruised, broken, hacked and put on a wheel that went whirr. It thought, “one ought to be thankful for the happiness one has had in the past.” Then it was put in a loom and turned into a beautiful piece of linen. It realized that life wasn’t over but just beginning. It was happy to be so strong yet so soft, to be taken care of each day by the family. Then one day it was cut and torn and pierced with needles. It was finally made up into 12 beautiful garments. It was so happy to be useful. After years had passed the linen could be worn no longer. Then it was torn into pieces, beaten to a pulp, boiled, dried, and pressed. At the end of that torture it found itself fine white paper. It was delighted with this surprise that its life wasn’t over yet. It thought how it was now finer than ever and would be written upon. It did end up with the most beautiful poems and stories written on it and they were read aloud. It said, “certainly this is more than I could ever have dreamt of when I was a little blue flower of the field.” After the words were taken from that paper and made into many books, the paper was rolled up to rest. One day that paper was thrown in a stove to be burnt. As it burned, tiny invisible beings as many as there had been blossoms on the flax, danced about and said, “the song is never ended! That is the best of it! We know that, and therefore none so happy as we are!”

If only we could have the same gratefulness as the flax through the ups and downs of life.

Day 5 Prompt: Death When the prompts were reveale

Day 5 Prompt: Death

When the prompts were revealed I was reading a book called Popular Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen. It was recently given to us from a new, dear friend that we made due to the lockdown because our neighbor needed her dog walked for her. The second story in the book is called “Story of a Mother.” It’s about a mother who’s child who was terribly sick. One night a stranger knocked on the door. She let him come in because he was cold. The man was actually Death. The woman fell asleep because she’d been awake for days caring for the child and when she awoke the child and the man were gone. The story follows her journey and the lengths she went to as a mother to find them. She finally got to where Death lives and entered his hothouse. I loved the description of all the plants inside. Each plant corresponded with a human life. Some were huge trees and others were tiny herbs. “The mother bent down over all the tiniest plants. In each one she heard the pulse of human life, and out of a million others she distinguished the heart-throb of her child.” It was “a little blue crocus flower which was hanging down on one side, sickly and feeble.” Death was surprised when he got there and asked how she had found the way and gotten there faster than him. She replied “I am a mother!”. She then threatened to tear up 2 plants so Death would not uproot her child. He told her he was the Lord’s gardener and fulfilled His will. He asked if she would want to make another mother as unhappy as herself if she uprooted other plants. He went on to show her a look into the future of both children’s lives. One would be a life of great blessing to the world and the other a life of “sin and sorrow, misfortune and misery”. He then revealed that one of those lives was her child. Once she heard that she was mortified and wanted to know which was her child. She realised that God’s will was always best and prayed that God’s will be done. After that Death departed and took her child to the unknown land. It’s worth a read!

I love old book covers and wanted to make one for this story. I love how the greenhouse is an unexpected representation of Death.

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