This is a new commission I recently completed. 8"x10"

IF: Fortune

The theme this week for IF is fortune. I just finished this piece for my solo show that is opening at the end of the month in Long Beach, CA. It is titled "Never Let Go". The piece is all about passion and togetherness and they certainly do seem rich with love!

Dawbis Rocks!

In February Dawbis and I decided to do a trade with each other. I love, love, love her work! She is an incredibly nice woman, and so talented! I have always admired her Flickr and I am SO excited to have one of her works in my home! I have temporarily hung the piece on a wall across from my office, so that every time I leave, the room I get to see it! That is me in the tree, with my cat Charlie, and Tom with the wings, and evil cat Lewis hanging from his feet.

As inevitably happens with most commissions I do, Dawn captured elements about our lives that I didn't give her details about. All of the "happy coincidences" as I like to call them, are so bang on. I am so blown away, and cant wait to figure out the pieces final home!

Design on a Dime

Big day today! HUGE! I was recently contacted by the wonderful folks over at Design on a Dime, a cool design show over on HGTV. If you haven't seen it yet, you must check it out! They have asked me to participate in an upcoming episode, and I am so happy to announce that I will be filming with them on Tuesday of next week!! I will be taking lots of pictures, of course! So stay tuned!

I hope that every one had a happy and restful weekend! We certainly had fun dressing my niece Emma up and trying to get her to be the bunny we know she can be! The pic is way too cute not to share! She is just edible!

I am going to be deeply engrossed in preparation this week. It is an exciting time, and I am proud to semi-announce that my first solo show will be opening at the end of this month! The kind folks over a Open in Long Beach have chosen my work to be the very first to hang in their brand new space! Once I know exact details I will share, but right now we are all just trying to coordinate! I am working hard to have new pieces for the venue, and to come up with a name for the show. I am so excited for the whole experience, and just a little scared too! I am sure it is going to be fine! Just fine. . . . More news to be posted as I learn the details!

HAPPY EASTER!

Just a quick post to wish everyone a Happy Easter! May your eggs be golden, and your Cadury's Chocolate Mini Egg cup runneth over!

Threadbanger.com

This is such an awesome video! A colorful and fun explanation of Etsy and the new Labs!

Courtesy of ThreadBanger.com!

Illustration Friday: Green!

I was really excited this morning when I saw that the IF theme this week was green. Although it seemed to be a bit early this year on the West Coast, I love Spring! I get inspired to get out into the garden and give a little love to the plants that have been neglected all winter long. I get to fill empty and abandoned pots with beautiful blooms and turn the soil in our little veggie garden for this year attempt at home grown treats. It is always so satisfying to snap a tomato off the vine and enjoy it in a salad!

Once the sun starts to warm, my work also tends to get into the Springy groove. I gravitate toward more botanical and natural themes once I have a little dirt under my fingernails. This will seem slightly daft, but none of this really occurred to me until recently, although this is only my 3rd year as a full time artist. I will pretend like that is the reason. . . . LOL

The piece pictured above, Jocelyn, is one of my most recent pieces. She has quickly become one of my favorites!

Everyday I go out into the garden, and there is so much going on! I spotted this giant ladybug in the new daiseys! Actually, she was so big, it would have been hard to miss her!

Revlon Run/Walk, May 12th, 2007

I am really excited to announce that I will be participating in this years Revlon Run/Walk in Los Angeles on May 12th. I did the Run/Walk in NYC in 2001 and it was an amazing feeling walking in the crowd and seeing the number of women who are survivors, and the number of people who were there to support and honor the memories of someone they loved.

I am walking in the memory of a family friend who very recently lost her battle with Cervical Cancer. Anastasia was a young and beautiful wife and mother. She had a wonderful family and leaves behind a 2 year old son. I mention this, as it is especially poignant, because the Revlon event is being held Mothers Day weekend.

If you are in LA or NY, and would like to participate in the event, register on Revlon's site. The process is quick and easy! Even better, get a bunch of friends together! You'll have a blast and the 5k will fly by!

If you aren't in either city, and would like to make a donation, please click here.

As a Thank You to everyone who donates, I will be sending them a 10% off coupon to use on anything in my shop! After all, no good deed goes unrewarded . . . at least not on this blog!

Happy April Fools~!!

I had to just writ a quick post and wish everyone a happy April Fools Day!! I hope you haven't fallen for some crazy gag! You had better believe I have had my eyes peeled all day for tricksters! We have spent the whole weekend replacing flowers and plants that we lost in the crazy frost we had in So. Cal in Feb. Now there is lots of color and life in the yard!

We decided to go completely tomato this year in the veggie garden. We like them the best anyway! The herbs are also all ready for cooking!

OK-gotta get back out there and paint the garden closet before Tom catches me blogging! LOL It is Sunday after all!

Focus.de Interview

A few months ago I met with Janko Röttgers, a German journalist living in LA, to discuss how wonderful Etsy is! The piece was for a German online zine called Focus. The whole thing is in German, so I have no idea what it really says, but I translated it in Sherlock, and here is what I get:

"it is great. Fantastisch. Madly." Michelle Caplan can hardly seize
their enthusiasm into words, if she speaks about the on-line
commercial platform Etsy. Etsy is a market place for handmade. More
than 140,000 artists and other creative humans sell there decoration,
handgeschneiderte clothes, even sketched, non-standard arranged
greeting cards and so on. ABOUT interview: Renaissance of the handmade
Caplan uses the platform for approximately one year, in order to offer
her collages and printing consisting of old photos and newspaper
articles for the purchase. Etsy helped to make from its hobby an
occupation reports into of Los Angeles living artist. "I won thereby
even customers from the foreign country", so Caplan. "I do not know,
why it gave such a thing not already in former times."

Buy after colours

Etsy.com is part of a new generation of on-line supplies, which
connect a buying with new Web technologies and a InterNet-typical
community feeling - a combination, which is called also Social
Shopping. Etsy users can structure as with MySpace connections among
themselves. Over these connections then again dealer with similar
products lets itself be found.

Etsy sets besides on a whole number of innovative items, in order to
simplify consumers a discovering of new products. Thus the entire
catalog can be searched on the basis a color matrix. This displays
then for example handmade bookmarks, smell cushions and illustrations,
which possess all the same blue value.

Better than Ebay

Michelle Caplan believes that such spielerischen discovery
journeys are ideal for art and handmade. "you show things, which one
would not find otherwise", explains her. On traditional sales
platforms one would be neglectable as a niche provider against it much
too fast. "nobody clicks itself by 15 pages of full art articles" to
report white it from own experience as a former Ebay ebay-Haendlerin. . . .

As you can see, the translation is a bit funky, but I think you can get the idea. The article goes on to talk about ThisNext, and Threadless as well. You can see the German version here.

Tote Hell!

Lately I have been focusing on designing sewn items with my art on them. I have designed a few items that will all be one of a kind. I'll be sharing those soon. But today, I have to share my very first tote bag, because it almost made me give up sewing all together!

Nothing makes you feel like you've had a total brain fart more than doing one side perfectly and then doing the other just backwards! I feel like the coyote that has just been struck by the anvil! I am seeing stars! I am sure this will all get easier as I practice. I just cant wait for those days!

Funky Chicken?

A very well kept secret is that I am a big fan of educational TV. Last night I was engrossed in the new Discovery Channel Series Planet Earth. Did you see it?? Last night were the first 3 episodes, and there are 11 in total. They were just amazing! All I can say is that the footage is so rare and gorgeous, I wish I was in an IMAX theater! All of the unusual animals were breathtaking. My favorite vignette was a bit about Birds of Paradise in New Guinea. It was a segment in the "Poles to Poles" episode, and it showed the mating rituals of these ornate and colorful male birds. They danced around trying to impress the females. It was both hysterical and elegant at the same time. The above picture is of the Blue Bird of paradise (Yes, that black oval with the teal is a bird!) trying to woo that lady bird!

You can see a short clip of this segment if you click here, select the second tab (Planet Earth Highlights, like in the pic) and scroll down to close to the bottom to the birdie bit.

I wish I could link you right to it, or have it plugged in here, but Discovery Channel doesn't make it easy! Try to catch the episode on Discovery so you get to see the entire segment. It was inspiring!

Etsy induced hunger

Did anyone see the Etsy homepage this evening?? My stomach actually growled! Granted, it is 11:38 at night, and my eyes are half open, but still! These plushies are super cool!

IF: I Spy . . .

This weeks Illustration Friday theme is I Spy . . . , and I just happened to finish this piece this morning! She is spying over the top of her fan, and I am sure that she is looking into the eyes of her parent, or friend, and they are enjoying a Spring afternoon. So, I spy with my little eye family and fun.

I woke with a sore throat this morning, so forgive the Dayquil induced sillyness!

Tin Fairy Houses

My super talented friend Tyn taught a class this past weekend at Creative Courage in Woodland Hills. I was lucky enough to get a chance to take the class and play for a few hours. As an artist who works alone 99.9% of the time, it was really fun to get to hang out and laugh and share with other people. The process was fun to learn! I was impressed by how wonderful the final results were! Everyone made gorgeous pieces and spent a wonderful afternoon. Thank you Tyn!

Self-Portrait Challenge

Today was a good day. A day I have anticipated for months! My new computer is finally here! About 6 months ago my Powerbook screen stopped working when the hinge snapped. That was a bad day. But today, the skies have cleared! This is my first post typed from my brand new Macbook Pro. I am so grateful for the mobility, the speed, and the working screen! Love this thing! The huge jump in RAM and the disk space doesn't hurt either, though I am sure it will all be gone before I know it!

So, for this weeks SPC I give you my very first screen shot from the built in camera. That is pretty hi-tech if I do say so myself!

And in case you are wondering, I am feeling a lot less sick of myself this week! A haircut, a visit to the Paper Source for a fresh supply, and a brand spankin' new computer really help to inspire and lift ones spirits! I hope the week is treating you as kindly!

Felt Club Auctions!

All of the Felt Club Auctions end tomorrow! Lots of So.Cal crfters donated item to the auctions. This is a great opportunity to score some very cool swag, while helping out our very beloved craft fair! Go check it out!

Lot# 1

Lot# 2

Lot# 3
The 2007 schedule for this years Felt Club events is also now available! Be sure to check their website for all news and updates! Happy bidding!

(All images courtesy of Felt Club)

Illustration Friday: Total

This weeks IF theme is total. I just recently finished these pieces. The title is FlirtationA, because she is a total flirt!

Happy weekend!!

Self Portrait Challenge

This month the Self Portrait Challenge is to create a portrait using online tools to alter your images. I chose to try out a tool called Typedrawing. Lately I have been feeling very sick of myself. Not is a terrible way, but in a "get off your ass" and "dont eat that cookie" way. I know that the feeling will pass, that I am just frustrated, but today, this morning, right now, this is my perfect self portrait.

If you would like to see the full animation of my face self portrait come together, click here.

Molly & Kathy

A recently finished commission. 12"x16"

Illustration Friday-Wired

One of the things that I really love about all of these old photos that I collect and use in my work is how simple life was 80 years ago. I don't think that life was easier. I certainly wouldn't want to be rubbing my clothes on a washboard, but I do wonder about the peace and quiet. I feel like we are all so constantly inundated with technology and rushing cars and noise that sometimes I, at least, feel like I am way too overloaded. So, for this weeks Illustration Friday theme of wired, I offer a more unplugged version.

Happiness

12"x 16"
A recently finished commissioned piece.

Paper Quilt Project-A Day in My Life

I was exceptionally inspired when I started playing around with these pieces of paper and am surprised by how relevant these random scraps are to my life recently! It seems that lately everyone around me is talking about pregnancy, has just had a baby or asking me when we plan to get started. My niece recently turned 1, and watching her grow and start to walk and make major accomplishments in such a small amount of time has made blown my mind! We have connections through our family and friends who are all in various stages of parenthood. So the conversations have begun. We are looking to the future and making serious decisions about taking the step to becoming parents ourselves. (This is not an announcement by any means, just an explanation as to why these pages really struck a chord!)

There are 2 other parts of the collage, bits that seem like randomly places items, that mean a great deal to me personally, which is why I made sure that they were included in this composition. The capital "E" in the top right corner is representative of my great-grandmother Esther, from whom I get my middle name, Emma. My niece is also Emma, but not necessarily named after me.

There is also a "40" on the left hand side. My father was 40 when I was born, and I think about this quite often. I am not sure why. Maybe because I am a bit dyslexic and have a hard time with numbers. I can always calculate his age quickly when asked! (LOL, not really, I don't think!) Four is also one of our lucky numbers.

There is a Flickr acct. set up to share all of the finished pieces as they come in. Check it out here.

Paper Quilt Project

My supplies arrived today for the Paper Quilt Project!! This is such a fun idea! I cant wait to get started! The goal is to create a panel, using only the papers supplied, that represents me. I can draw on the top, paint, whatever. But no adding papers! Each month there are 12 artists who participate, and then those 12 panels are sewm together. The project is being run by Dawn, AKA Dawbis. This is such a wonderful idea!! At the end of the year, all of the participating artists will get a chance to help decide how all of the 12 quilts will be dispersed in order to help charities of our choosings. I love this! Now I am off to get to work!

Working hard!

My nephews, 7 and 9, where so excited when they found out they I could make them stuffed animals! The pig is yet another from the November Martha Stewart Living. He has a really cute tail that you cant really see. There is a wire in it to make it a curly-q! That article really helped me learn a lot, but as you can see, I need to practice a bit more! The elephant is my own design, my first not from a pattern, and the poor guy was a little, shall we say, disproportionate. Wont dissuade me though! I will keep trying!

I have spent this week working hard on a few commissions and a new series of pieces! I am a little behind after the fams visit, so I have been pushing and plowing through getting caught up!
I am so excited about the new series. I am trying to push myself out of my comfort zone and cant wait to have a couple done to share with you!

Life finally back to normal!

I have been so busy for the last 10 days with family in town and home renovations! We spent most of our time close to home, but did take the nephews to Disneyland for their first time! (The pic above is of hubby and I in front of the enchanted castle!) It was a crazy day to say the least. I dropped my digital camera and destroyed the screen, and we almost witnessed a fist fight in Mickeys house, but all in all it was a fun and nostaligic day!

My brother-in-law is a whiz when it comes to construction so we squeezed every last bit of help out of him that we could! I am so excited about the new improvements that we made! Our little house is really coming along! Hubby and I have always done our own work in the places that we live. Being of a design orientation we have big dreams for our 1955 architechture, and slowly but surely we are now making progress. Although I have to say, I have had my fill for a while!


Here is a quick pic of our 1970s rock fireplace, before (above) and after (below). We have only gotten the chance to put up the first coat of primer, but what a difference already! Hopefully next weekend we will hopefully get that sucker painted!

Lamby

So, my sewing projects are getting a little bit more complex. This is another pattern from the November Martha Stewart Living. This one was pretty complicated, but I think it came out all right! I butchered the hand stitching on the back that finished him off. My nephews, 7 and 9 years old, are visiting, and want to know why I made a lamb that looks like a dog! Must work on my hand sewing techniques!

What the . . .

This pic is too funny not to share! Last Friday, on trash day, this poor guy got the boot! These cans are directly across the street from my bedroom window. Needless to say, it took me a moment to figure out why I had the strangest feeling I was being watched! LOL

Anniversary Commission

I finished this piece today! It is a commission from one of my clients to be given as an anniversary gift to her in-laws! It includes photos of their kids, best friends, and grandkids! So sweet!

Hanging out with Lisa Congdon!

As I posted last week, this past Saturday night was the opening reception of the fabulous Lisa Congdon's at ReForm School here in LA. I am a HUGE fan of Lisa's work and am so excited to have gotten to finally meet her. Every piece was was gorgeous! The one I had my eye on had already sold and we only arrived at 7:30! I have one of Lisa's pieces in my home that Tom surprised me with for my birthday! It hangs in my bedroom and I get to stare at it every night before falling asleep! I love it!!

I had a blast hanging out chatting with other crafty friends. I love these types of events! It is nice to get to put a face to the bloggers and artists whose words and work enter my everyday!

Valentines Mailed!

Happy Valentines Day!!!!

Today I finally mailed out most of my Valentines for the awesome Valentines swap arranged by Tyn! It is so much fun! I have gotten 4 in the mail so far, and they are so awesome! I decided to sew my Valentines to make this a learning opportunity for me. These were put together last week, and definitely gave me the confidence to even approach the chicken! I am excited by how they turned out. A little rough and raw, but each one has its own personality and composition. I hope everyone enjoys them!!

If you'd like to see photos of all of the valentines, check out the Flick group here.

PS: I am swamped preparing for a week with my Sister-in-Law and her family. They are coming tomorrow with my 2 nephews and will be staying with us for a week! Donna is 4 months Pregnant so it will probably be her last trip before preparing for baby! We have a lot of fun to pack in!!! I wont have a studio for a week so no crafty fun for me. (Except for knitting, because I can do that standing in a corner if I have to!) I promise to have my 3 remaining Valentines out ASAP! Sorry!!!!

The Last Knit

I totally get this . . . and know a few girls who will relate too! You know who you are! I feel like my snake project might do this to me!

(Found on Whip Up!)

J. Horsman

This is a commission I finished last week. I am so excited about the final piece!! It is 24" x 36". Thank you Jennifer!

IF: Crash

I really love the energy of this photo and the fact that these two people are so enamoured and having so much fun! There are other senses that are effected by the image other than sight. The emotion is almost tangilbe, if that makes any sense. I hear laughing and feel joy. It is as if these two people have crashed into eachother, and found there perfect match.

ReForm School

I am so excited to share that my work can now be found at ReForm School in Silverlake, CA. They carry many of my favorite artists and some very clever lines! This Saturday they are having an opening for a new show by Lisa Congdon whose work is AMAZING. I love everything she does! Tom got me one of her pieces for my birthday which I need to photograph and share! It is so cool.


If you are in LA, you should try to check out the opening, this Saturday night and get a chance to meet Lisa and see all of her new work!! Feb. 10th, 7-10pm at ReForm School, 4014 Santa Monica Blvd. (At Sunset Blvd. in SilverLake), Los Angeles, CA 90029, (323)906-8660.

Valentine pieces

I felt inspired over the last few days to do a few Valentines pieces. This one,Helen4 is now available in my shop. So sweet!