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!

Abbott Kinney Festival 2007

I am really excited for this weekends Abbott Kinney Street Festival this weekend in Venice! The AK festival is huge and well known throughout LA, and I have never even been, let alone set up a booth!!!!! I know it is going to be an amazing day with lots to see and do. My partner in crime (Hannah) and I have been anticipating this show for weeks!

I am going to be offering a lot of "show only" prices on larger pieces to help make way for a ton of new work I have been creating. I am thinking some things may be up to 50% off, so be sure to find us if you can make it that day!

OK-our booth number is AK331, and it will be near Palms and Venice on Abbott Kinney (duh right!) not far from the awesome Vanessa De Vargas's Turquoise LA Showroom!

(About the poster artists)

Robin & Todd

This was a fun project! My friend Robin asked if I would do a portrait of her wedding as a gift for her husband Todd on their anniversary, which is today! Just got word that he loved it! It was easy because their story is fantastic, and the photos . . . OMG, gorgeous doesn't describe! I was honored to be asked! Happy Anniversary guys!

New work to share!

I have been working really hard to get every available canvas covered and ready for all of the upcoming shows! I am going in waves and will be uploading a new batch to Etsy later today, but in the meantime, new pieces can be seen on my Flickr.

SPC: bathroom-only one for this month!

This months SPC theme is "bathroom" which I am not so sure about. My bathrooms are hideous and the opposite of relaxing, and I have no desire to share them. However, last night I got to hang out with my niece and give her a bath. My sister snapped this shot, and it didn't occur to me until this morning while I was downloading from my camera that, Ah Ha! I do in fact have a bathroom picture that I can share. So here is my baby burrito! Little Emma, who is getting bigger and bigger everyday! I just want to eat her up!