Holiday Gift Tags!

Holiday Gift Tags are now available in my Etsy Shop!

SPC, What I wear wk 2

To post about what I wear is kind of silly. Especially this week, when mostly what I will be wearing is t-shirts and sweat pants covered in paint and glue. I am in the midst of crazy Felt Club preps, and leaving the house is no longer an option! So here is my outfit, fit for the studio. Old hanes t-shirt, and gap sweats, circa 2002. And to top if all off, look at the crazy mess of that studio! I am constantly amazed not to have been crushed by a falling stack of paper!

Photo taken with Photobooth. Not too shabby, and a little too convenient really! I had to jump to get in the pants! LOL looks like I am about to take flight! Happy Tuesday!!

Sunrise . . . wish I was in bed!

I am up way too early for a Sunday! Our f-ing cats woke me up at 4 and going back to sleep was impossible. I just lay there thinking about all of the things I need to get done and realize that with every thought, I am further and further away from actual rest. But with so much coming up this week, I don't see how I could sleep! I feel like I have a totally one track mind! MUST GLUE PAPER! MUST PLAN BOOTH! It is like I am possessed!

This image is pretty much what I can see out of the high window in my studio. Generally, it is a very blue cloudless sky framed by my neighbors roof and those 3 Palm trees. Sometimes though, there is a little magic, and everything changes. The sky lights up like a painting, and the clouds to mysterious things!

Now is the final crunch time for tomorrows Craft Republic! We got sneak previews of the swag bags last night, and ooh baby, they are fabulous! The show is being sponsored in part by Craft:, Adorn, and Metalsmith magazines, so you know that there is some fun to be had there!

I always find myself in a mad frenzy the day before, trying to make sure all the piece have hardware on them and are ready to go! It is a lot of fun doing this, but the fear of forgetting something often makes me mental! I am not really happy until I have done everything and set up the table. Then I can relax. And this show is especially great because it is inside and will be really well stocked with major talent!

I will be there with the lovely like of some of my favorite designers including Random Nicole, HannahMade, Mielle Design Studio and Amanda Lockrow, just to name a very few! I am also really excited to get to see Katy J perform. I mentioned her about a year ago, wether here or on Creative Swoon, I cant remember, but she has this awesome raspy voice that I really enjoyed. Yes indeed, tomorrow will rock! (Literally ;)

If you are around and come come check us out, here is the info:

Craft Republic Fair 2007
11am-7pm
Millard Sheets Center for the Arts - Pomona Fairplex
1101 W. McKinley ave - Gate 1
Pomona, CA 91768

Admission- $2 Adults * Kids under 11 are free

Advanced Tix for Felt Club!

So much info is coming out about the November 18 Felt Club XL Holiday event, that I can hardly contain my excitement! There is going to be so much to see and do this year that I just cant believe it! Now that the event is taking place at on the LACC campus, and all of the vendors will be in their own tents, and FC has teamed up with Craft: Mag to create a Maker Square . . . well, it is going to be BIG day! Lots to do!

As there will be tix required for this seasons event, I wanted to make sure and tell you where you can pick up them up in advance for only $2.50! (Kids under 12 are free) Starting tomorrow, November 9th, here is the list:

The Little Knittery (Atwater Village)
Reform School (Silver Lake)
Secret Headquarters (Silver Lake)
Handmade Galleries LA (Sherman Oaks)
Munky King (Melrose Location)
Family (Fairfax)
The Silent Movie Theater (Fairfax)

When you arrive at Felt Club, you'll receive a door prize ticket, meaning you could win an amazing gift from a variety of cool folks, including Chronicle Books, Reform School, Sublime Stitching and more! Tickets will be available at the door for $5.00.

Make sure you keep an eye on the FC blog for all the latest and greatest info leading up to the event!! Hope to see you there!

Et Voila!

Brig rocks my world! Here is a before (below) and after (above). You have to check her out if you are in LA and you need a good cut!! Go ahead, call her!

It is kind of sad how excited a haircut can make me! There is a point in my hairs growth were it can go from totally managaeble one day, to desperately needing some scissor love the next! Today, I get to go visit Brig and I am REALLY looking forward to it!

You might remember that in September I had a little mini show up at p!ay. Well, for the Holidays they are bringing back all of the Artists that have had months this year for a great little shopping boutique right there in the salon! If you are in Simi Valley, or near it, you should def. check it out! I am going to be adding my stuff today, and I believe the rest will be up by late Nov.

Thank you p!ay for supporting artists and handmade shopping for the holidays!!!

Yay Patchwork!

Hubby and I had a great time at the Patchwork Show this past weekend in Santa Ana! We met awesome people got to check out a lot of new vendors who I hadn't met before. I am so impressed with how incredible the variety and quality of vendors. Everyone really had amazing spaces and fantastic goods! Many are doing one or more of the upcoming shows that I am participating in. I cant wait to do a little shopping!

Tom worked really hard to help me get set up, and in the breakdown. He doesnt often get to come to shows (mostly because Hannah and I couldn't fit him in the car;) and it was really nice to spend the day with him, and have him experience the scene. I think he had fun!

Patchwork Show!

I am starting off the month of November with the Patchwork Show on the 4th! This one is in Santa Ana and will include DIY bag and button designing and about 30 awesome local artisans! This show, put on by the amazing Random Nicole, is going to be really great!! There will be a BBQ, music, live demos and LOTS of shopping! A percentage of all proceeds from each vendor will be donated to the Keep A Breast Organization which works to raise awareness of breast cancers and the importance of self exams.

Here are the details:
Sunday, Nov. 4th, 10am -4pm
2202 1/2 N. Main Street
Santa Ana, CA 92706
I will be in Booth #10!

Here are directions. If you are in the OC, come on over!!

IF: Hats

This is a piece I finished last week and thought would be very appropriate for this weeks IF theme hats.

Hate to post and run, but lots to do!! I will be returning in a moment with info on this weekends event! It is going to ROCK!
Happy Friday!!

Where have I been???

Hi, hi! Sorry for the silence! I have been keeping very busy and trying hard to get myself ready for the numerous upcoming shows! I am getting lots of orders and inquiries and it is all so lovely and yet overwhelming! I am glad to be busy, but feel horrible for not blogging more!! Funny how when there is lots to talk about, there often isn't the time to blog! Catch 22 indeed!

I want to thank everyone who has emailed and posted to ask about the Design on a Dime airing. As it turns out HGTV had the wrong date listed, and so the episode hasn't aired yet! When it finally does they will contact me directly and we will have the right date! Thank you for tuning in to try to catch it though!! ;)

I so excited to share with you my newest acquisition! I stumbled across an awesome blog called Hyena in Petticoats not too long ago, and FELL IN LOVE with Leahs Nongs! She has created the most fun stuffed toys, some with hand knit sweaters! Couldn't you just die! They are amazing. Yesterday my Nong, #12, arrived, and I'll tell you, it was just like an early Christmas! The whole package was well though out and so much fun!

The envelope contained a lovely letter from Leah introducing #12, and a few pieces of ephemera I cant wait to use in a piece!

And here is a shot of me with the Nong for scale, because I know that when I first saw them I thought they were smaller than they are! Really, they are totally cuddlable! He is a big guy complete with a hand knit sweater and toggle buttons! I just love this piece! Thank you so much Leah!!!!! (By the way, Leah has an Etsy shop too! Now you can score a Nong!)

Also, on her blog there is also a tutorial for an EXQUISITE quilt Leah has made! I really want to make one in the new year! (Hint hint Tyn ;) It is called the Cathedral Quilt. Oh my is is gorgeous!!!

Village Venture!

Tomorrow Hannahmade and I will be participating in Claremonts Annual Village Venture Festival! I have never done this event before, but have heard amazing things! There will be over 450 vendors lined up through the streets of Claremont village, which is an insane number! I am looking forward to seeing all of the different vendors and to a lovely, cool day!

The show is from 9-5 and we are booth #306.

Hundreds of children come dressed in costume and march in a kids Halloween costume parade beginning at 9:30 am so if you have a little one with a penchant for waving to the crowd, come early!! (Parade starts at the corner of Bonita & Harvard Avenues.)

IF: Trick or Treat

The IF theme this week is trick or treat!! I cant believe Halloween is already right around the corner! Time, she is a flyin'! This is one of my favorite spooky photos! The piece is called Belles2.One of these girls is sure to take the treats, but you know the other just wants to play a trick! Watch out!

SPC: Food wk.3

A large part of my everyday life is tea. I was born in England and have always needed 2 or more cups a day to get me going. In the summer heat, I do enjoy iced coffee, but tea is my staple. It runs through my veins. And this pic made me laugh. It is very Halloween-y. A creepy reflection at the bottom of my mug! Oh wait . . . that's me!

See more SPC's here.

Ominous sky

It has been so incredibly windy here for the past 3 days. Yesterday a HUGE fire broke out in Malibu, as I am sure everyone has seen on the news, and the sky was insane! I snapped this shot as we packed up after Barnsdall and the sky was just unreal! I just cant believe all of the devastation going on all over LA. The winds at my house in the San Fernando Valley are still gusting up to about 45 mph. It is insane!!

They are currently saying on the news that there are at least 14 wildfires burning from LA County down to San Diego. 236,000 people have been asked to evacuate in all. Our thoughts are with all those in windy and inflamed areas! Thank you to all of the fire fighters for all that you do!

IF: Grow

This weeks Illustration Friday theme is grow. There are so many new babies and little folks around me, that I cant help but immediately envision a child and its mother. The bond between parent and child has been something I have marveled at for a long time. From a tender touch, to knowing the subtleties of a gurgled sound, mothers have such a strong bond with their children. Fathers too. They both do all they can to ensure that their child grows to be as happy and healthy as possible. Those are my heroes!

Tooth Pillows!

I dont know if this is a British thing, or a European thing, or what, but when I was little, I had a tooth pillow. I would put the recently lost tooth in the tiny little pocket of the pillow, and in the morning, the "tooth fairy"(who am I to burst anyones bubble?) would have switched out the tooth for coins. I loved my little tooth pillow, and after deciding I was going to create some with my childrens artwork incorporated onto them, I asked my friends if they had had one, and they looked at me like I was insane.

Well, let me tell you, tooth pillows are awesome! I loved mine, always displaying it on my made bed! I have no idea what ever became of that pillow, but I am very proud of these ones! It was definitely a sewing victory in my studio to have designed them and made them a reality!

Now they are all on Etsy along with a couple of other regular pillows I made. Hope you like them! Now I am off to figure out what my next sewing project will be. . . .

SPC: Food

This months SPC theme is food. Fall has started to cool off the days and has slowly brought our tomato growing days to an end! We had a huge bounty this summer from our tiny tomato patch in the back, and I will miss it! There were 5 varieties, and each was delish! Till next year my juicy little friends!!

Pieces of Us on Etsy!

1. Stop Worrying, 2. Roots, 3. Momentum, 4. Solitude, 5. Anger and Fear, 6. Inner Workings, 7. Matter, 8. Loss, 9. Balance, 10. Ray of Light, 11. Pure Excitement, 12. Pins on the cards, all assembled!

Today I had a chance to upload all of the remaining artwork from my Pieces of Us show to Etsy. Each piece will ship with a pin set from the show. Click on over and check it all out!

My newest model!

Oh my goodness! Can you stand how cute this photo is! Jamey sent me this pic of Abby sporting her very first custom onesie and I am loving every inch of it! My brand new love! She is just too good to be true. Those folks of hers really delivered an angel!

NoHo was a blast!!

Last weekends NoHo Scene was awesome! There was a lot of great music and we were entertained all day long as we were positioned directly across from the stage! Also, there were a ton of great artists on hand, so there was a ton of eye candy! I dont generally spend much time in NoHo, but I really loved the area, and the art vibe going on there is just yummy!

This was an event that I dd solo, and so the thought of filing the tent on my own was daunting. I put my head down and plowed through everything, and all of the hard work certainly paid off. I am very proud of the pieces that made it to the show!

Because it was just me doing this show (without Hannah) I recruited my hubby to help me set up and hang out. He was taking candid pictures of me and the tent with his back turned and the camera under his arm. Sneaky little shit! He says that the pics would have been nice, if I didnt have poopy pants. Oh how I missed Hannah! But dont tell her . . . I dont want her to get a big head. LOL ;)

Thank you to everyone who came out and said hi! It really was an outstanding experience.

Bath Chick and her baby chick!! Welcome Abigail Jane Sussman! Our extended family's newest member! She is just divine, with her mommas trademark red hair!

(Movie via the proud papa)

NoHo Scene

Another week, another fair! This weekend is the NoHo Scene Arts Festival in North Hollywood, CA and I will have a booth in the Artists section along Lankershim Blvd @ Magnolia (booth #17). This fair is a city wide event with activities for everyone int he family!

NoHo’s theatres, arts groups and local businesses are opening their doors to Greater Los Angeles to experience this unique Arts District - An All Day . . . All NoHo celebration! Enjoy theatre, dance and music performances, art exhibits and film screenings, acting, art, music and dance workshops, and an array of discounts, samplings and promotions provided by local merchants. Relax at our wine and food garden enjoying great wine, cuisine and entertainment on our outdoor concert stage.

WHEN: Saturday, October 6, 2007: 11AM to 10PM
Artists section is open until 6. Hope to see you there!

Map & Directions

It is going to be a very busy week for me as I try to fill my inventory back in and prepare for Saturday. Blogging may be sparse!

Thank you!!

What an amazing day we had on Sunday! The Abbott Kinney Festival was just incredible!! There was music and dance and food galore!! I just cant thank everyone enough who came into our booth and showered us with kindness! This was one of the most amazing days Hannah and I have ever had in the booth! I was just so overwhelmed! Cant wait for next years AK fest!