In Love with the Sea

Hi everyone. I came across this beautiful Jules Verne quote only a few weeks ago and had to make my own version of it.
It really captures the powerful & spiritual hold the sea has over us. It’s hard to believe this quote is almost 150 years old. But it’s so relevant today to have a connection to nature in an increasingly disconnected world.

“The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides. The sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence. It is nothing but love and emotion; it is the Living Infinite.”

Jules Verne. Print by Dreaming on a Star

Read more…

NEW Dreaming on a Star Etsy Print Shop!

Hi everyone. Dreaming on a Star has a new Etsy Print Shop! I opened this shop last month and have been slowly adding items to it. I am delighted to say I have made 3 sales so far. This shop is a labour of love for me. I put my heart and soul into every piece I design for it.

Dreaming on a Star’s Etsy Print Shop

So far there are super cute magnets, pretty mirrors, quirky badges, inspirational wall art and lovely greeting cards. I plan on adding professionally printed notebooks soon.

Sea Fever – John Masefield – Art Print by Dreaming on a Star

Lovely Pocket Mirrors by Dreaming on a Star

I hope you like my Etsy Print Shop. Keep checking back as I will be adding lots of new items in the future!

EDIT – Dreaming on a Star also has her own Online Shop – Click here ♡

The Creative Life – Listen to your Spirit!

Hi everyone! The last few months, I’ve been feeling disillusioned creatively and today I think I’ve made a breakthrough.

Listen to your Spirit – Words by Fleetwood Mac, Design by Dreaming on a Star by Tina Devins 2016

I got up at 7.30am on my day off to finish this illustration. I know in my heart and soul this is what I want to do. You can have the wildest dreams but life can be harsh and put you in your place.

A creative life is a bittersweet life – the highs are ecstatic but the lows are deep and dark. I’ve wanted to give up so many times but something keeps calling me back.

To borrow another’s words, ‘I’d rather fail at something I love than succeed at something I hate.’

Listen to your spirit – what is it telling you?

This post is dedicated to other creatives – I feel your pain but I share your joy! ♡

(The illustration was inspired by Fleetwood Mac and the boundless sea & sky and is available for sale in my Etsy Print shop. Thank you ♡)

Greetings Cards

Hi everyone, I have been busy designing new Greeting Cards for all occasions – Birthday, New Baby, Wedding, Love, Thank You & Christmas.

Greeting Cards by Dreaming on a Star 2015

I really enjoyed making these. I love designing typography and drawing quirky doodles. Read more…

Illustrating Words

Hi everyone. Dreaming on a Star has been illustrating lots of words! Song lyrics, lines from poems, phrases, etc. I’m a big fan of song lyrics and poetry. My favourite subject in school was English, so I’ve always had a love for the written word. And I adore typography, so it’s something I enjoy doing.

Illustration by Dreaming on a Star, 2015. Words by Emily Dickinson

Song lyrics are a personal thing. For me, a particular line/phrase seems to burst out of a song and into my brain. I become obsessed with it. The words themselves are musical even without the melody. That’s how I see poetry – like song lyrics without melody, or maybe it should be the other way around – Song lyrics are poetry set to music!

Anyway, the above illustration is a quote from poet Emily Dickinson – “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.” The concept of Hope is such a beautiful thing, especially if you’re going through a difficult time. The metaphor of the bird captures these aspirational qualities perfectly. That’s why I drew the word ‘Hope’ in a joyful way and gave it precedence on the page. (Just for fun I gave the birdie a name – Jeremiah Flaphinch!)

Illustration by Dreaming on a Star, 2015. Words by Van Morrison

The above illustration happened after spending time in the sea and overdosing on Van Morrison! This is a line that jumped out at me from the song “Into the Mystic” – ‘Smell the sea and feel the sky, let your soul and spirit fly!’ How it captures the freedom and healing qualities of nature!

I love doodling and somehow these abstract doodles seemed to take on more familiar things – the white doodles look like exotic fishes and the top purple doodle looks like a surfboard! Maybe my subconscious mind is actually less abstract than I think!

Illustration by Dreaming on a Star, 2014. Words by The Beatles

I am a big fan of The Beatles and I own most of their back catalogue, but it’s funny how you might miss things. Although when it comes to song lyrics, I think particular lines might resonate with you more depending on your  circumstances or it could be you weren’t paying attention.

Anyway I was watching the TV show Mad Men, when ‘Tomorrow Never Knows‘ played at the closing credits. For such an iconic song, I’m surprised I missed this amazing line – ‘Listen to the Colour of Your Dreams’.  I love how it captures the trippy experience where your senses get mixed up! Also since my business is called Dreaming on a Star, I love anything related to dreams!
Thank you for reading ♡

March with Dreaming on a Star

Hi everyone. March has been a bit quiet at Dreaming on a Star. I had a horrible, stinky flu that lasted for two weeks, then I got a chest infection.

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Thankfully I’m all better now and ready to face April with gusto! I had some happy news in March that I would like to share with you all. One of my illustrations will feature in this fab book about Dogs! Read more…

Comparing Yourself to Others

Hi everyone. I’ve been comparing myself to other designers lately. Not even my work, but at the reaction their work is getting from others. I’ve been questioning whether I have what it takes to make it as a commercial designer.

This is a recurring theme with creative people. The dichotomy is we shouldn’t be comparing ourselves to others, but we need to in order to know what is marketable. If our stuff isn’t marketable, we won’t be able to pay the bills.

So I’ve been feeling a bit lost. I believe in my work but if others don’t, then I can’t really make a career out of it?

I’m not going to give up – I’m too stubborn for that. =) But lately I’ve found some inspiration that has let me see things in a different way.

Lilla Rogers, probably the most famous art agent in the world replied to someone on Facebook about exactly the same dilemma. She said, ‘It’s not a competition.’

Copyright Dreaming on a Star by Tina Devins

Read more…

Happy Birthday Dreaming on a Star!

Hi everyone. Today marks the 6 month birthday of Dreaming on a Star! I’d like to take this opportunity to see what I have achieved in those 6 months. I’d also like to reveal some news about Dreaming on a Star!

Happy Birthday!

♡ Dreaming on a Star founded on August 27th 2012 (Website, Facebook and Twitter set up).

♡ Designs professionally printed on homewares, kitchen-wares and greetings cards. 

♡ Interest from established giftware shop to stock Dreaming on a Star products. 

♡ Number of sales made of products.

♡ Website has had over 4600 visitors (over 3500 unique visitors) and almost 10,000 page views.

Visitors to Dreaming on a Star’s website

♡ Facebook page has 282 likes and Twitter has 282 likes. SNAP!

♡ Asked by Tigerprint to blog for their Youblog venture.

♡ NEWS: Asked by Decorque to guest blog for them. (Have a look here!)

♡ My work has been featured on several blogs and websites including Business Boom Collective, Card & Gift Blog and Artsy Fartsy Courier.

♡ NEWS: Dreaming on a Star was approached by a UK independent film to feature some of my products (apron, ovenglove, bags and Christmas cards) in their film (More news to follow).

♡ Finished Module 3 of the Art & Business of Surface Pattern Design.

♡ Part of an outstanding online group of Surface Pattern Designers.

♡ Started a Start Your Own Business course and hope to grow Dreaming on a Star as a brand.

So this is what I’ve achieved in my first 6 months. I have lots of plans for the next 6 months, namely to print my designs on fabric and look into manufacturing home and kitchenwares myself. At the moment, I am working on small gift items  that I hope to stock in my shop soon. I also want to get my work featured on more blogs. And my main priority is to get representation, freelance work and to secure licensing deals.

So I have a lot to work on and I will be busy in the next 6 months! I hope you join me in 6 months time to see what I’ve achieved! ♡

Typography

Hi everyone. I’ve been wanting to do some typography designs for ages and while I design my own typography for some of my cards, I’ve never done a complete design with just text. So here is one that was inspired by a tutorial in the new Moyo magazine (I will be talking more about Moyo next week). I hope you like it ♡

Typography