Pretty.Simple.Blog

A New Year, A New Way Be Inspired...

2012-01-11T09:37:00.000-08:00

(quote originally from http://www.momdot.com/inspirational-quotes)

As a new year begins, I feel the need to explain the lack of new work and updates in the world of Pretty.Simple.Things. I've tried to keep the personal side of my life separate from Pretty.Simple.Things, but I've come to realize, that one's art is intrinsically tied to ones place in life. In 2011 I lost a mother, and gained a daughter, all in the span of 4 months. My husband, my eldest daughter and I spent much of last year in flux while we cared for my sweet Mother-In-Law and took over her businesses in California. Her illness came on fast and furious and losing the woman who was such a nurturing, and grounding, fixture in our lives effected us and our day-to-day life greatly. We had only been back home in Savannah for 2 months when our second daughter was born. We were still feeling immense grief in our loss, and the surreal experience of feeling that grief, while welcoming one of the greatest joys into our life (seriously, our now 7 month old is the happiest, most joyful little being you've ever met) had us all a bit mixed up.

I'm sharing all of this with you because the last year has been so much about just getting through each day, that all feelings of creativity and momentum with Pretty.Simple.Things was lost to me. Up until recently I was simply trying to be a good mom, enjoy my children, and find my way back into a normal routine for our family. I was not able to find inspiration in the day-to-day, and had no motivation to find the time to get into my studio and create new work. I am happy to say, that the last 2 weeks I've turned a corner. I feel as if a fog has lifted, and I'm finding my way back into my right brain, back into wanting to create. And even though I haven't been able to get into the studio and print (having a 4 year old and a 7 month old has left me with not much time in the everyday scheme of things) but I have been sketching out new card ideas, and trying to carve a space each week where I will eventually have time to bring these new ideas into life!

One of the things that has helped me find and organize inspiration, in Pinterest! I absolutely love Pinterest, and if you haven't started Pinning - get to it! Creating your boards on Pinterest reminds me of being in Art School when I made mood boards for whatever project I was working on, only you can make them for all realms of your life, and it's totally addictive! I'm including a link if you want to "follow me" on pinterest and see what's inspiring me right now.

Jess Brown for Bottega Veneta!

2011-09-23T12:18:00.001-07:00

If you've seen Jess's dolls before, you are sure to appreciate the whimsy and detail that go into each one. Jess is an amazing creator, who's dolls have been featured in almost every chic magazine featuring children's wares, and are coveted around the globe. My daughter loves her Jess Brown doll and I can't wait to get a second one for my newest addition (when she gets just a little bit older). Besides making her lovely ladies, Jess, along with my sweet friend Stacy, own one of my all-time favorite shops for women and kids called Maude in Petaluma, Ca. When we were recently in California for a visit, I stopped in to Maude to visit and do a little shopping, and Stacy told me all about Jess's latest project for Bottega Veneta. Life Size Dolls for there Store windows. The dolls started out in Beverly Hills and New York, and will then travel to Paris, Milan, and London.... So exciting! Below are some pictures of these amazing (and soon to be well traveled) ladies created by Jess!

Photos courtesy of jessbrowndesign.com

New Additions...

2011-08-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

I've been on a long hiatus here at Pretty.Simple.Things, and here is one of the main reasons! We welcomed our second daughter on May 27th. Her name is Greta Suzanne, we call her Gigi...

Hearts and Crafts

2011-02-02T06:50:00.000-08:00

For all of you in the Bay Area, you can find a small collection of Pretty.Simple.Things cards and notebooks for purchase at the Hearts and Crafts pop-up gallery/craft faire on Sunday February 13th, from 2-8, at Local 123 in Berkeley!

I won't be there in person, but my lovely friend, and fellow CCA alumni, Riki Henderson who is curating the show will be there. Go have a cup of coffee and check out the amazing work of artists (and some of my old friends) like Alika Cooper, Marci Washington, Kelly Brown, and Riki Henderson.

Visit the blog for more info on Hearts and Crafts

February 13th, from 2-8 pm
Local 123

2049 San Pablo Ave

Berkeley, CA

Winter happiness...

2011-01-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

During this exceptionally cold winter in Savannah (where we usually have 75-80 degree days interspersed with a short cold spells here and there in winter, but this year have had several long freezing spells and even snow in the middle of the day) I have been using the time indoors to perfect my bread baking skills and organize and decorate my home in preparation for this baby (our second girl) I'm due to have in May. Maybe it's the nesting instinct from pregnancy, maybe it's simply enjoying this time inside to play, bake, cook, and craft with my 3 year old, but my creative focuses have shifted from paper goods to home. I'm sure my inspiration will shift again, but right now I'm really enjoying being creative in the kitchen! So I thought I would share with you The Kitchen's 10 Food Tips to Keep You Happy Through Winter

10 Food Tips To Keep You Happy During Winter

• 1. Citrus - I like to explore the vast array of different citrus fruits carried by my local co-op. Sure they aren't the most local food this time of year, but I indulge. The flavors are so bright and fresh, perfect to cut through richer dishes I crave this time of year. A Sicilian salad of sliced grapefruit, orange, red onion and flat leaf parsley is a great starter to any meal.

• 2. Tea - I just spent 34 dollars on four different loose-leaf teas (vanilla roiboos, jasmin, creme de la Earl Gray, Assam and Nilgiri). This will last us a few months and just brings such comfort throughout the day that the cost breakdown is actually not that crazy. About 50 cents a day for about three to four cups of tea — not bad considering how much pleasure it creates. Having several different varieties is key to my enjoyment, as is cutting off the caffeinated types at about 3 o'clock. Other than that, get your sip on.

• 3. Grains - I like to take time to try a few new grains during the winter. Having done this the past few years, I've added a multitude of fabulous and nutritious grains to my repertoire. Things like wheat berries, farro, buckwheat groats are all staples for breakfast porridge or savory salads at lunch and dinner time. They are a superb source for complex carbohydrates, so they really keep me going and keep me happy. Happy + grains = beating the winter blues!

• 4. Chocolate - In the same vein as the tea and grain exploration, I enjoy splurging on a fancy chocolate bar or truffle about once per week. It keeps my sweet tooth in check, while exploring new combinations, varieties and flavor profiles. Smoked sea salt and toasted almond, extra dark and dotted with cacao nibs have all excited my palate and inspired me. Having one (or two) small chunks broken off a bar each winter day or popping one perfect truffle into my mouth sends me straight to my happy place. No talking, checking email, TV, reading or doing anything else while savoring the chocolate. I also never chew — just let that puppy melt. Amazing. I'm excited as I type this for what chocolate I'll try today!

• 5. Create a Ritual Meal - This weekly (almost sacred) meal is crucial for me and my husband during the winter months. We like to get bagels and coffee with family on Sunday mornings. We check in with each other, read the paper, attempt the crossword, laugh a lot. There's never a line (we save trendy restaurants for other times), it's inexpensive and we part ways after this touchstone event. Friends sometimes join us, sometimes not.

• 6. Leafy Greens - Eat a lot of them. I love to massage thinly–sliced raw kale with a little salt, vinegar and oil, throw and avocado on top and dig in. I feel like superwoman whenever I eat greens, cooked or raw. Find a recipe or method of preparing one leafy green vegetable, and then substitute a different type — they're all pretty interchangeable — the next time you're in the kitchen.

• 7. Vegetarian Phở Soup - Whether you make this traditional Vietnamese noodle soup at home or have your favorite phở restaurant's phone number on speed dial, it always fills me up with flavor and healthful ingredients. It's so fresh and clean, yet surprisingly filling and robust. It will soothe your winter aches as only a huge bowl of delicious soup can do.

• 8. Develop a Quest - Last year, I scoured my city for the perfect veggie burger during the winter months. I found it, then the restaurant closed (tragedy), but it was fun to think about which veggie burger we would share at our weekly dinner out. This year, I'm focused on biscuits and so far, I've found some delicious contenders. The quest is just beginning in earnest!

• 9. Sweet Potatoes - Roast them, bake them, make them into fries, throw them into pancakes . . . There's really nothing that this magical, brightly–colored, vitamin–filled tuber can't do. For me, they are so nourishing and delicious, decadent without being heavy. In dreary weather, they really hit the spot dolled up with a sprinkling of brown sugar, cinnamon, flake salt, dried cranberries and candied walnuts.

• 10. Eat something beloved from your childhood on a weekly basis - For me, this is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich — with lots of homemade jelly and salty, crunchy peanut butter. There's something so comforting about this meal; it brings me straight back to my days of tag and swings on the playground. I like to vary it up with different jams and breads, but the core elements remain the same. And while I'm at work, eating my sandwich, I think about being a little younger, from the intriguing gully beyond my elementary school to the Craft poster on my wall during adolescence . . . Another winter, another year older, jeez!

Follow Me: the Making of Bergdorf Goodman's 2010 Holiday Windows

2010-12-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

A dream job of mine, of course... Amazing to see how these amazing little worlds are created...

and a couple of the finished creations as seen from the street...

See the full article about the Bergdorf Goodmans window creations in the Holiday Issue of Lonny Magazine

Pretty.Simple.Things at Sacred Art Gallery-Boutique in Chicago!

2010-11-29T12:42:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to announce that my paper goods are now carried at an amazing gallery-boutique called Sacred Art, in Chicago, Il! This lovely shop in Lincoln Square is a space where folks can buy art from emerging artists without the pretense or mark-up of a gallery. The shop's emphasis is on local Chicago artists, but they have recently branched out to include artists from other areas who's work fit's the shops aesthetic and vibe. I'm so excited to be one of those artists! Check out the Sacred Art website to see pics of the store, and images of some of the other work they carry...

Handy for the holidays...

2010-11-22T19:03:00.000-08:00

These casserole carriers by Vonny are exactly what I would buy for all of the wonderful cooks in my life who I share meals with potluck style through the Holidays. As we are hosting the second annual Potluck-Thanksgiving in our home for some of our friends who have become like family to us, the burden of transporting hot casserole dishes (so as not to have a traffic-jam at the oven right before we sit down to eat) would be all but solved if I had discovered these nifty carriers a few weeks ago. I will definitely be buying one for myself for all the Christmas holiday parties I will be schlepping hot dishes to! They retail for $46.00 at vonny.com

The Perfect Holiday Dazzler...

2010-11-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

I love this dress by London based designer Anna Popovich... It is oh-so-perfect for holiday parties!

Find it at her Etsy shop!

Holiday Dinner Party Invites...

2010-11-08T10:35:00.000-08:00

It's been so long since I've posted any pics of the custom orders I've been working on, and this is due mostly to the fact that my camera has taken a bit of a knock and is taking less than clear pictures. I'm so frustrated that I can't share photos of the designs that have kept me so busy for the last 4 months, so I decided to post some pics of a little job I had worked on a few months ago that entailed a customization of one of my existing designs, ordered on Etsy.

For a holiday dinner party these "Dinner With Friends" cards were screened in Red and Green ink, doing half the order with red text/green imagery, and half the order with green text/red imagery. The cards held vellum invitation inserts, that I printed in red or green to coordinate with the text color on the front of the card. The finished product was super sweet, and full of holiday whimsy!

PetitPlat Food Art by Stephanie Kilgast

2010-11-06T06:36:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across the art of Stephanie Kilgast a couple weeks ago, and keep going back to her blog to see what she's up to. She is a french sculptor, working in the form of miniature foods for dollhouse and jewelry. Her website PetitPlat is full of beautiful imagery, tutorials, information, and a link to her etsy shop. Her work is hyper-realistic, mouth-watering, incredibly detailed and oh-so-tiny! But what I love the most about Stephanie's work is that even though it may not be in one of the traditionally recognized mediums of art, it is most definitely art! I love the fact that etsy and the movement supporting handmade crafts has helped the world to recognize that art comes in many non-traditional forms, and no matter the size or medium, all handmade art is of great value and should be recognized as so! Enjoy the pics, courtesy of Stephanie's Blog...

Yellow Elm Felted-Wool Accessories

2010-10-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

It's been so hard for me to find the time to post to the blog lately as I've been (happily) swamped with tons of custom work, busy with lots of family holiday's, and in general exhausted due to the little one I'm due to have in May. That being said, I've been dying to share one of my new favorite makers, Elizabeth Blanton of Yellow Elm, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the Indie Craft Parade.

Elizabeth crafts beautiful (and incredibly unique) hair accessories, hat adornments, and brooches by hand, through the process of felting wool, which she describes as layering wool, pouring soap and boiling water over it, and scrubbing until the fibers interlock to make felt. She then adds embellishments, decorative stitching, and artful details to each piece by hand, creating little works of wearable art. She also has a wonderful blog, which puts my very-bad-at-blogging-self to shame! Check it out http://yellowelm.com/blog/

Photos courtesy of Yellow Elm

The Indie Craft Parade!

2010-09-17T10:23:00.001-07:00

The first annual Indie Craft Parade in Greenville, SC, was a huge success, with 4000 attendees, and 77 amazing artists showing work, it was inspiring and overwhelming! I had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful artists, and getting feedback on my work from thousands of shoppers! I came home to lots of orders that were generated from the faire, and have been so busy trying to keep up with all the work I haven't yet gotten a chance to share on the blog about the experience. I plan on featuring some of the amazing artist that I got to meet while there, so check back in a couple of weeks (when hopefully I will have emerged from my studio having successfully completed all these orders while still staying in one piece)!

Below are some pics of me at my booth, and some of the many items I have yet to get up on the Etsy site that I debuted at the show.

photos courtesy of Yellow Elm and the Flickr page for the ICP

Pretty.Simple.Things in Babiekins Magazine!

2010-08-04T05:33:00.000-07:00

The current issue of Babiekins Magazine just came out, and I'm happy to share the pictures of my work is from the magazine. My Alice in Wonderland Party Invite (fully customizable and for sale in my Etsy site) is in the first shot of the Wonderland themed story, and the paper butterflies used throughout the shoot for styling are also my creations! Check Babiekins out!

Linus's Birth Announcement

2010-07-27T17:05:00.001-07:00

Printed on 100% recycled paper, featuring my "Animal Parade Pennants" Design and an original graphite drawing of lovely Linus by his mother, and my talented friend Marisa, this little announcement was a fun project. In fact, we were so happy with the results (and I am just such a fan of Marisa's art) that we are thinking of teaming up and offering this collaborative announcement design on Etsy. She would create an original graphite drawing of your little one from a picture, and I would do the announcement design and printing. You would be getting not only a beautiful keepsake announcement, but also an original work of art featuring your little one!

Find me at the Indie Craft Parade in September!

2010-06-28T11:49:00.001-07:00

The Indie Craft Parade is a juried craft faire held September 10th and 11th in Greenville, SC. I am so ecstatic that I was selected to show there, I can't stop smiling! If you live in the Southeast, it will be a great show with tons of artisans and crafters, and would be well worth the drive to come peruse (and visit me of course). Please visit the Indie Craft Parade official site for all the info...

Sweet Paul Magazine

2010-05-07T05:34:00.001-07:00

Maybe it's because I still miss Domino Magazine everyday

(not to mention Cookie Magazine, and Blueprint Magazine)

but I am so excited by all the new online magazines

that have been springing up.

I've loved Sweet Paul the blog for sometime, and was

thrilled to learn about the new Sweet Paul online magazine.

It's filled with amazing recipes, and some of the most

gorgeous food styling and photography I've seen in a

magazine thus far.

I may have found my mother's day breakfast recipe in the

page below!

Click Here to view the whole magazine.

	Look inside >

Spring 2010

Off the grid living...

2010-04-29T15:02:00.001-07:00

I came across these amazing photographs by Keliy Anderson-Staley today on Apartment Therapy, originally from Ahorn Magazine. Anderson-Staley grew up off-the-grid, without electricity, plumbing, or phones, in the woods of Maine. She started this project of documenting life "off the grid" before she moved away from the community. She returned to finish the project, and the pictures are not only beautiful, but her musing on life as it was, and is, off the grid is lovely.

Both my parents (separately) live off the grid, but with solar power, well-water, septic, and they both as of the last few months have cell phone service reaching them. My dad has a log cabin, my mom a submerged adobe, they both live within 1 hour of a large town or city. Although they do have creature comforts like electricity and water, there is still a huge decompression that happens when you travel down a long, very bumpy, 4-wheel drive necessary, unmaintained road, to reach there green-homes, and there is something satisfying about watching your consumption out of necessity rather than choice. You have to monitor usage and waste of all kinds to live this way. I find it so refreshing to unplug, and focus on simple pleasures and pastimes, the beautiful, quiet landscape surrounding, and all that sky!

New Work on Etsy!

2010-04-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have been overwhelmed lately with all the projects I've been working on, and have intended on getting more of the new work I've done up on the blog and the Etsy shop, but haven't had the time. In part this is because I have undertaken remodeling our upstairs (a finished attic that we have been using as a guest bedroom and bathroom) to turn into my studio. I have outgrown the sunroom I have been using as my studio, and decided to redo the upstairs with a rustic-glam look, where I can get away and focus on creating. The project is taking much more time than I had imagined, as we are putting in new flooring, new wall colors (and let me tell you - painting bead-board is not a quick process), new lighting, and new furniture. Will post the before and after when it's all done, but in the mean-time, head over to the Etsy shop to see some of the new notebooks and cards I have been working on...

Also, if you want to win one of the "Always Something To Do Notebooks" head over to the amazing site Just One Week to enter the awesome give-away that Erin has going on for the next 10 days!

A good week for Pretty.Simple.Things...

2010-04-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week for me here, I was busy working on several new designs (that I will be adding to the shop tomorrow), finishing up some projects for different events, and getting lots of love from some talented bloggers, Etsians, and online magazine creators. I am very excited about the projects that have come up because of the Pretty.Simple.Things features that popped up on the web this week.

First of all, I was contacted by Priscila Barros about featuring Pretty.Simple.Things in an upcoming issue of her online magazine. Priscila (a very busy mommy herself) is the owner of the amazing online shop called Little Miss Heirlooms, and the blogger behind littlemissheirlooms.blogspot.com, the gorgeous blog attached to the store (think Odeedoh with a more vintage vibe),

who is also the creator of Babiekins (an awesome online magazine for trendsetting kids).

Below are some images from the current issue of the magazine, it's full of beautiful art, fun photography, interviews with artists and designers, fashion for kids, and to-die-for toys and home decor. I'm so excited about the exclusive work I will be doing for an upcoming

issue, I'll post the link and images of the magazine when all is said and done, but I will tell you that I'm ridiculously excited about it, and have been incredibly inspired by what we are working

on!

As if that weren't enough to make my week, my "Always Something To Do Notebook" was then featured on a wonderful, witty, site that I am so excited to have discovered as a result of the notebook being featured yesterday in her "If I Only Had" post. I had never come across a site or blog like Just one Week, it's a beautiful journal-esque site by a woman named Erin who's heartfelt writing about changing her day to day habits is full of humor, and hit's home in so many ways. Aside from perfectly examining the human psyche in her posts, Erin also has amazing taste, and features awesome products, blogs, and art, on the site. I'm excited to be part of her upcoming Giveaways, and will also post a link to that so you can enter to win as well.

Below is an excerpt from Erin's welcome message for the site, but the page that really sucked me in was her introduction page, I mean for me she hit the nail on the head.

I have a long, long list of habits I want to create and projects I want to complete (or start!). I feel guilty way too often about items stranded for years on my to-do list and about habits that never seem to stick. I am done feeling guilty. I need Just One Week.

And last, but not least, two of my items were featured in treasuries on Etsy today!

The black sewing machine notebook was included in this treasury

and my piggy card was included in this treasury!

It's been a great week, and it's week's like this which make it all worth it.

Obsessed with La Petite Magazine

2010-04-20T05:28:00.000-07:00

I love finding new magazines and websites from which to draw

inspiration (and dream about one day one contributing to).

I came home from my off-the-grid vacation (no computer for 2 weeks!)

to discover a new online magazine for (super-styling) kids.

It's full of beautiful photography, amazing clothing,

awesome DIY projects, lovely decor ideas,

and many of the contributors are from my favorite blogs, and websites.

Click below to take a look at La Petite!

Leaving you with flowers...

2010-04-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

I'm closing up shop for a couple weeks to take a little vacation... It won't be all play, but it is still almost 2 weeks of unadulterated time with my family and friends! I am leaving you with some images of Eloise Corr Danch's paper creations, which seem fitting right now for this beautiful time of year, and the festivities of this Easter weekend. Her botanical paper creations and nature scenes are a huge source of inspiration to me, I just can't get enough of them!

Check out her website for more images of her amazing work, http://eloisecorrdanch.com/

Kelly Correll Brown: The Journey To The Edge Of The Absenscape....

2010-03-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

I have always felt so lucky to have had so many talented, and successful, friends throughout my life. I have always found motivation through all of their stories and journey's towards success as artists in their different fields. I would love to interview all of them, as their footwork in the worlds of arts, crafts, fashion, baking, business, and even wine-making, would make an amazing manual for those of us trying to find our own ways in these arenas.

My first interview is with Kelly Correll Brown, an old friend (old in the sense that we went to art school together what feels like ages ago!) who started out in the Fashion Design program at CCA with me, but realized her calling as a painter and illustrator a couple of years into our time at school. Although she is incredibly talented in so many ways, including as a designer and seamstress, and now as a mommy, she has always been an incredible painter whose work I have always been intrigued by. In fact I have a painting of hers hanging in my kitchen that she did as a wedding present for me, before she had even entered into her journey as a painter! I wanted to find out more about her process, and how she manages to find motivation in her busy life as a working mom, because she seems to always be creating, and pumping out a plethora of beautiful new work for her Etsy shop, on top of her day job, and her all the time job as a mom.
Read on for our interview...

*Where do you draw your inspiration from? What's your process for focusing your inspiration to a specific body of work?
My inspiration comes from a large variety of special places. I like to describe myself as a pretty scattered person that gets extremely focused once I hone in on something that I want to make. Sort of like a messy obsessive compulsive or something. What usually tends to happen is that I am out somewhere driving, or lying in bed...and all of a sudden I get a vision of something that I have to make, whether that be a drawing, painting, or an object. It sort of just comes to me and then I obsess on it until the thing is done.

I am extremely interested in concepts. Currently I am working on a body of drawing/illustrations centered around natural elements. This came from months of research on the art of Alchemy and the archetypes and symbology that is associated with it. ALong with these drawings I am working on a group of 100 sewn creatures that relect the archetypes but are from a purely imagination based visual. I am hoping to do an installation with a sewn/patchwork landscape for these little guys to live in.

I don't like to make things too straight forward for myself in general. I am always exploring materials, nature, and technique and on the other end of the spectrum I hope that my work reflects magic, absence, whimsy, fear, and beauty.

Sometimes the way that I work and am inspired to work kind of creates problems for me because I become involved in too many projects at once and get even more scattered, but somehow it at the end of the process I find that my pieces start to all make sense together as a body of work.

*How/when do you find time to work on your art, being a working mom of a 2 year old
Good question! I usually work when my husband is home to watch Ian or after he goes to bed at night. My husband and I have opposite schedule as he works at night in a restaurant and I work 3/4 time at an office during the day...it is pretty hard, but we work it out. Kevin is a musician as well, so we have a very full schedule between Ian, work, his band, me trying to be productive with my creative endeavors. I'm getting really used to be tired, but Ian has started entertaining himself more and he loves to color so we can start sharing the studio soon!

*Since we attended the same art school, I'm curious as to what you feel was the most important aspect of your education, be it in school or real life (ie: developing concepts, critiquing your work, technique)?
When I was in school I really thought like an art student. I was critical of everything through the eyes of someone who has been trained to look at art through the "Art World Establishment's" eyes. I value that experience, but now that I have been out on my own for 5 years I feel that in some ways art school can blind people to looking at work that they are told to shun. There are a lot of great artists out there that didn't spend 1 dollar learning how to be an artist, and don't get the respect of galleries and the rest of the establishment because they don't have a piece of paper to prove that they know how to be creative. Having said this though I loved being in school and it really helped me in my concept development process. I met a lot of amazing people with whom I am still friends with and see on the regular. My basic techniques and work practices have improved greatly since taking the 40 grand leap into dept for it too. I can't say for sure what the most important aspect of having this education is, it was the whole experience. I was involved in a lot of creative endeavors while attending CCAC, musically and visually...it was one of the greatest and worst times in my life really.

*(Because I love your work and always wonder what is the story behind each one) Can you take one of your new works and tell us what the concept, idea, story, meaning (to you) is?
Sure! My new drawing Lake of Blankets started out with my research project on alchemy. Drawing on the side of this practice that had to do with the 4 elements I started thinking about the concept of transformations of the ordinary into the extra-ordinary. That is where the concept for the piece originated. I am very conceptually driven and my thought process is very circular. the story with this piece would be a blanket which has been transformed into a lake. The foliage around the banks has been transformed back to look like a textile. Pretty simple I guess...--

Check Kelly's work out at:

http://www.absencescapes.blogspot.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/poppieseed

http://kelbrown.com/portraits/portraits201002_0003.php

A stunning idea...

2010-03-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

I have never quite fallen in love with a DIY idea, like I have with this one from Style Me Pretty.I love the simplicity of creating this amazing installation, and the surprise sentiment held inside each butterflies wings. I would love to do this for my daughter's next birthday, in the nursery at the celebration of a new baby's birth, for a baby shower, or at a housewarming party. The idea of a traditional guestbook has always been rather unappealing to me, however, I do love to read the notes written in our wedding guestbook, and I deeply cherish the album that was made by my co-workers and friends at the baby shower they threw me, which is filled with polaroids taken at the party, and sweet notes from each of them. What strikes me about this variation on the guestbook, is the collaborative effort of those closest to you to create such a stunning work of art, that you can look at every day to be reminded of the support and love you have in your life.

Forever Remembered, Always Loved....

2010-03-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

A customer contacted me on Etsy last month to customize one of my journal designs in honor of her beloved grandmother, who had recently passed and who adored butterflies. With the text reading "forever remembered, always loved", the journals were personalized with a photo of her Grandmother, and a personal inscription, and given as gifts to her family members. I thought it was a beautiful idea, and was honored to work on the project with her.

M & C, married at the Botanical Garden....

2010-03-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

A simple invite in a bouquet of paper colors, silk-screened in Antique-Mauve ink, for a spring wedding at the botanical garden....

The Wedding Under The Oaks....

2010-03-11T11:14:00.001-08:00

Last month I worked on an invite for a luncheon in honor of a bride and her bridesmaids, thrown by the brides Aunt. Although the luncheon was held at Savannah's Jepson Center For The Arts (our modern art museum that is actually fairly impressive) I was inspired more by the site of the wedding: the couple was to be married under the Oaks on an island not far from Savannah. We decided to go with the theme "Under The Oaks" as Savannah is known for our Oaks dripping in Spanish Moss, and most of the Bridal Party was flying in for the destination wedding. The invite served a double purpose as a keepsake for those invited, as the invite itself was printed on a vellum insert, tucked inside a deckle edged card silkscreened with a drawing I did of oaks overhead.

Making Paper Cherry Blossoms

2010-03-04T10:22:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited about this tutorial from BloesemKids on how to make flowering cherry blossom branches using paper and branches. I have been looking for affordable and realistic paper flowers on Etsy lately, after my valentine peonies only lasted for 3 days. I love the idea of making them myself, especially because the process is pretty simple! All the photos are from BKids:

The instructions for folding the flowers (below) can be found in animation or diagram here

Displaying Little People's Art....

2010-02-26T07:27:00.000-08:00

Having a very active two and a half year old girl means constantly coming up with activities to keep her little hands busy. The one easy go-to craft we tend to love doing together is painting with watercolors and finger paints. As of right now, we display her works of art clothes-pinned on a line that spans the wall of the playroom/office. It looked really great at first, but now it is overloaded with art that I can't bring myself to put away just yet.

In looking for other ways to display her art, I came across this post on Odeedoh about a really clever way to display your childs art. I love the idea of taking many pieces of art and making one large piece out of it, while still showing the individual works themselves. In this picture they used teeny copies of artwork and hand matted them in one large board, but I was thinking of scanning each piece of art (before storing them in an archival box) and creating a large poster in a program like Photoshop, that I would then have printed at a place like Kinko's and frame like the one below.

Another idea I had, but one that would be a bit more expensive, would be to buy 9 frames with mats that correlate to the size paper she usually paints on, and have a rotating wall of art. I love this idea and think it would be really stunning, but the initial investment is a bit high and I haven't found the right wall in my home for a large collection like this. Maybe when I redecorate my hubbie and I's bedroom. hmmm....

Wrapping Paper Fun...

2010-02-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

I tried to silkscreen wrapping paper for the holidays, and although I wasn't too happy with the results, I have been having fun using the first-attempts to wrap presents for all the toddler birthday parties we have been attending recently. Having a 2 year old means attending a birthday party at least once a month it seems!

Here are a couple of presents wrapped with the trial runs of my "chipboard animals" repeated on white paper. I love wrapping with recycled items such as newspaper, brown bags, and magazines, and hope to figure out a way to use recycled items with my prints to make wrapping paper for the shop.

Vignettes (In my home)

2010-02-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

I have decided to do a weekly post about a snapshot of a space in my home, and the art or pieces that fill that space. I'm calling them "Vignettes".

This week I am focusing on one of my most favorite art pieces, that I feel so lucky to have in my collection. The piece is called "Passionfruit" and it's by Sheila Metcalf Tobin. The work is mixed media collage on paper, that was custom framed by the artist. It came into my life when I was lucky enough to curate a show of Sheila's work for the Erica Tanov store in Berkeley. It hangs above the mantle of the white brick fireplace in my living room, with an ever changing array of items from my collection of random findings surrounding it. I have loosely centered the color scheme of my living room off of this painting, and was so in love with the orange in it that I used it as an accent color that is revisited throughout my decor.

Here are a few of Sheila's newer pieces, images are from her website sheilametcalftobin.com

Her work is ethereal and has such great visual depth. Her use of layering with different opacity's of paper and/or color to create her compositions enlivens each work with a sense of three-dimensionality.

The "Sketches of Spring" series of cards I'm working on is very inspired by Sheila's work, especially the one below which hangs in Bar Tartine in San Francisco (one of my favorite mission district spots for gourmet faire and excellent wine).

Because I'm obsessed!

2010-02-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

With the Mega-Doily by Ladies & Gentelman.

It's been featured by so many magazines and on many great design blogs, but I couldn't help featuring it here. I wish my decorating budget allowed for me to buy a custom made Mega-Doily for my sweet-toddler-girl ClaraBelle's room, which is a bit Boho, a bit Shabby-Chic, and a bit Modern Pop (I'm in the process of doing some wall paper art and finishing touches in it, which I plan to share with you here when all is said and done). Alas, it does not, but I have heard via one of my favorite blogs "Oh Joy" that this rug (and DIY instructions) will be part of a new book, Crafting a Meaningful Home by Meg Mateo Ilasco, coming out this fall and published by STC Craft.

I guess I better get moving on all my other in-the-works-but-moving-very-slowly house projects so I can start making my own Mega-Doily rug when the book comes out! Yay!!!

SpringBoard...

2010-02-02T11:24:00.000-08:00

I am working on a line of nature inspired cards so I'm trying to channel spring, and all it's loveliness (which in Savannah, is particularly lovely with perfect weather and colorful blossoms abounding). A rather hard task given the gloomy weather we've had for the last few weeks. I thought I would put together a mood board, a spring-board if you will, to gather the images and items that have been driving my creative process through these dark and cold winter days.

1&2)Megan Park's spring/summer 2010 collection for women and girls.

3)The lovely Oaks that line the streets and fill the parks in my neighborhood in Savannah, Ga.

4,5&6)The printed pieces by textile designer Virginia Johnson that I love to wear and fill my house with!

7&8) The imagery and homewares from Anthropologie's February catalogue.

9&10) Photos by the great Deborah Mclinton for the Erica Tanov spring/summer 2006 catalogue, one of my favorite seasons for Erica's designs, and my favorite ET catalogue of all times - that I still look to for inspiration!

11) The Chie Mihara flat's I'm coveting for spring! oh they make me weak in the knees, and there never was a more comfortable shoe maker ever - in my past life (pre-baby when my career involved dressing well every day) I could wear there 3 inch heels all day long without any soreness (and my job was not one in which I got to sit often).

Below are a few of the sketches I've done with the help of my inspiration board. The scanned images of the drawings are always a bit lackluster to me, but the images come alive when I silkscreen the pigments on the paper - a reason I love my process, something about the way the pigment sits atop the paper and transforms a design into this brightly saturated image with a life of it's own. I will post images of the complete line when they are in there final form.

1)Savannah Oaks 2)Spring Flowers 3) Marsh Grasses

Valentine Finds for Him.... from Etsy.

2010-01-27T17:45:00.000-08:00

I have been perusing Etsy in search for a Valentine present for my ever-lovin-hubby, and have found quite a few goodies that I think would be great for many the manly man. Thought I'd share a few on my list....

Leat h er MacBook Case

(A handmade laptop case that is both rugged and artsy, I wouldn't be able to help but eye the beholder of such a handsome carrier at the coffee house)

Personalize d Etched Pint Glass

(Because we never have enough pint glasses to cheers our good health with; Because personalized glasses show that you put a true effort into embracing his pastimes; Because they are kitschy way to advertise your love without actually inking it onto your body permanently)

Printed C anvas Notebook

(Housing an XL Moleskine, this sturdy canvas notebook with pencil holder, is an attractive way to encourage him to actually write down the ideas he has, and remember all that stuff he seems to forget, )

Take it Off Coat Rack

(He may imbue more meaning in it, and yes being Valentines Day I think indulging him appropriate, but secretly it's really just meant to be a place for him to hang the sweatpants he throws by the side of the bed each night when he gets into bed in his skivvies.)

I Love You More Than Edward Cullen Card

(Because what hubby/boyfriend/partner isn't sick of his better half swooning over the Twillight men, well at least I know mine is)

Moving Correspondence...

2010-01-27T08:57:00.000-08:00

Recently I did a fun little job for a friend who moved to the south from New York City. They bought a house on a palm tree lined street, and wanted a way to let friends know where they were living while keeping the imagery simple and sentimental.

(I had to remove the personal information from the images, so forgive the choppy appearance of the text!)

A (self-inking) return address stamp featuring a drawing I did of the palm tree in front of there house:

A calling card featuring a teeny-tiny flock of birds, small enough to be slipped in with the outgoing Christmas and New Years cards:

Silhouette's made easy...

2010-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

I had to pass on this tutorial for making silhouette's in five simple steps. The original tutorial can be viewed here http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/2010/01/make-your-own-silhouette-picture.html
on The Anderson Family Crew blog.
I love silhouette's, and have tried to make my own for Clara Belle many times, and can't wait to try this easy method!

New Year, New Blog, Cool Contest!

2010-01-18T14:03:00.000-08:00

At last, a blog-post!
I have been procrastinating on starting the blog for Pretty.Simple.Things, because, honestly, I hadn't had any "aha" moments on how to start it! Enter inspiration in the form of a contest!

Hosted by Cool Mom Picks, in conjunction with Etsy, the contest is open to all artists, designers, and anyone with a love of Valentines! The challenge was to design a color-your-own valentine for children to embellish themselves, and give to their parents. Cool Mom Picks is choosing 9 designs, to promote and sell, and all the proceeds of the sales will be donated to the Childrens Heart Foundation. Such a fun idea, and for a great cause, so I figure I'll try my luck at it! Here's the link for the contest rules for all of you artists out there who would like to enter as well:
http://www.coolmompicks.com/valentines-design-contest/

I thought I'd kick off the Pretty.Simple.Blog by sharing my entries.

The first design is more modern and pop-arty. Everything in the card was designed so that it could be colored by the hand of the child: the images are made with outlines with space between them, rather than solid lines, so that the kiddies can color-in the lines themselves and make them there own. When colored in, the card will look very lovely, however, I wanted this one to be pretty enough that even my two-year-old (who has no concept of coloring in the lines) could scribble all over it, and the pretty background would still show through and be complemented by the loose blobs of color she tends to make (which I consider art in and of itself).

The second design is a bit of a throw back to the seventies, and my own spin on the giving tree. After all, I see the love shared between a child and their parents as continually growing and filling life with joy, even after the child is an adult and no longer sprouting up like a tree. The font is a fun hand-scripted outline that can be colored in as part of the design as well.