I was in Chicago last week to attend the Craft and Hobby Show, the trade show for anything related to crafts (a consumer show followed the trade show). It was exciting to see the show floor filled with people who also seemed excited as well.
While there, my friend Brenda Pinnick and I took some time off to catch the El and go into Chicago to visit the museum at the Art Institute of Chicago. Its a fabulous museum and had expanded with a new modern wing that has been open a year.
The weather was fabulous, much cooler and less humid than here at home so Brenda and I spend some time walking through the city as well. Chicago is so clean and beautiful and there were flowers everywhere along the streets. Large planters divided the street on Michigan Avenue as we walked toward the museum. And there were plenty of sidewalk cafes with vibrant flowers.
Huge planters also lined the street. I just happen to be in front of this one.
I am a huge fan of Art Nouveau and in Chicago, you don’t need to go to a museum to see a lot of this style as its prevalent throughout the City on buildings and other items of interest.
These 2 pictures shows some of the art nouveau designs on buildings.
And here is the famous Chicago Theater landmark on State Street, probably the most photographed building in Chicago.
One final shot - the Chicago River. Didn’t I tell you Chicago was beautiful!
We enjoyed our day and it rejuvenating to have a break. The next day, it was back to the CHA show for meetings and to walk the show as well as visit with friends.
It was a hot time in Atlanta as crowds arrived to attend the Atlanta Gift Market. Mix in some humidity and it was sweltering, but it didn’t dampen our spirits while at the show. I wish I knew how many miles I walked while there. My poor feet wished I had not covered as much ground.
After days filled with meetings, it was fun to meet up with friends. A highlight of my trip was a party held at the studio of Paula Joerling and Tom Haney. Both Paula and Tom are so talented and have the most fabulous studio walking distance from market. Please check out their delightful blogs.
Tom is a master of creating kinetic sculpture art. Here are 2 photos (which doesn’t do them justice since you can’t see the kinetic aspects. Tom’s studio was filled with these wonderful pieces as well as tons of components.
While walking market, I saw one of the products that I designed, a garden flag for Evergreen Enterprises, Chick Power. More products will be out soon based on Chick Power.
Meanwhile, back to more gathering of friends. A bunch of us met at the Westin to get together and basically talk and talk along with a few hugs. Pictured are Jane Maday, Terri Conrad, Martha Collins, Joyce Shelton, myself, Sue Zipkin and seated in front, BJ Lantz, and Carol Eldridge.
And, I was walking by the C.R. Gibson showroom while Jim Shore was there for a personal appearance and signing.
I have finally recouperated and am in the middle of getting work out. Just in time to attend the CHA show in Chicago next week. I’m looking forward to seeing several of you there!
Its always fun to meet someone who you really admire. At the Atlanta Gift Market last month, I had the good fortune to meet Mary Engelbreit in the showroom of Katherine’s Collections. Mary was there for a personal appearance. I have always been a fan of Mary’s as well as appreciate her as a trail-blazer for art licensing.
The past couple of months have been the most hectic of all. Preparing for two major trade show events in January required hours and hours of work. Attending the shows, Atlanta Gift Market and CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) were almost like vacations because while they were technically work, I could lay down my paint brush and ignore my computer for a few days. Plus, its always such fun to meet up with friends.
The day before the CHA show in Anaheim, Brenda Pinnick and I went to Laguna Beach for some much deserved R&R. We shopped and had a great lunch while watching the Laguna Beach surf (which was very high due to the recent rains).
Although the shows are over, work continues with work from the shows as well as the work that was still in progress before the shows.
And, I am happy to say that I just finished a new fabric collection and am really excited about it.
I hope you are all staying warm in all this cold and snowy weather.
Welcome to my turn in a Holiday Blog hop. I’m delighted to be part of this blog hop put together by talented artists. We are taking turns sharing a fun holiday project or craft and hope that you are inspired to make some using our free patterns and instructions. And leave a comment on each of the artists blog and you may win a random drawing for a prize by each artist.
I love to entertain over the holidays and often need more festive dishes or bowls. I painted this terra cotta flower pot to give an extra bowl to hold holiday treats (or even a plant). Since stripes and dots are very popular design elements and which I also happen to love, I used these to decorate it. It’s easy to do and you can make one and use it that night.
1. Use a terra cotta flowerpot the size of your choice - you can make it as big or small as you like. Wash the flower pot and go over it with alcohol to disinfect it.
2. With a pencil, draw the lines for the stripes around the rim. I made the stripes on mine about an inch wide. Also, draw 1/2 inch circles randomly on the bottom of the pot.
3. Paint the red dots and the red stripes, alternating the stripes. Paint the background of the bottom pot white and the remaining stripes. It will take 2-3 coats of paint. Let it dry between coats. Paint the inside of the pot your choice of white or red.
4. When the paint has dried, add small white dots in a line on the red stripes.
5. After all has dried, use a clear satin acrylic to seal the paint.
6. Fill with your choice of snacks, chips, ornaments or whatever you desire.
Please leave a comment to be entered into a random drawing for a prize. Also please visit the other artist that are participating in this blog hop and leave comments for a chance at more prizes.
As part of this blog hop, we are supposed to answer these questions to give some information about ourselves. Mine are below.
5 things we might not know about you that you’d like to share.
1. I love to listen to music when I work and have music of every genre except rap. The type of music I play depends on what I’m working on.
2. I planted lettuce for the first time this fall and was delighted that it turned out so tasty. The only place I had to plant it was in the flowerbed by the mailbox, but the bright greens looked very pretty and my husband backed down from being horrified by veggies growing front and center of our yard.
3. I’m a color junkie and often buy stupid stuff just because I like the color, however anything with great color is not stupid! Like a purple cooler to carry to the beach when we have several in basic red and white.
4. I enjoy social gatherings with my girlfriends such as bunko, girl’s poker, pokeno and book club. And, I don’t have time to read the books so I go to listen, socialize and drink wine.
5. I feel guilty because I don’t get around to exercising as frequently as I want - almost non-existent at this point as I’m working hard on close deadlines.
5 things going on in my creative world.
1. In October, I signed with a fabulous agent, Jewel Branding & Licensing and am very excited about this partnership.
2. I’m working on several new art collections and am looking forward to seeing new products created with my art at the January markets.
3. I’m putting together a quilt e-book.
4. I’ve been creating Christmas crafts to share with my blog readers.
5 things that really inspire me.
1. Color, lots of it.
2. Humor
3. Nature, especially the greens
4. Flowers, even though this is technically part of nature.
5. People - family, friends, and other artists. I’m also really inspired by the paintings of Matisse - love all his work.
Be sure to leave a comment and be included in a drawing for a prize.
I’m inviting you to join our Blog Hop with the Artists. Each artist will post a Christmas project, craft, idea or fun project. Play, post and win - a prize will be given by each artist from the comments made on her blog!
How it works -
1. Between now and November 22, visit each artist blog below on the date listed to Play, Post and Win. Each artist will have some fun projects, free patterns or crafts or How-to’s for Christmas.
2. Just post a comment on each of our blogs when you visit, and you will be entered for a random drawing of a prize by each artist from the comments made on her blog.
So you can see, its fun and easy and you may win! Regardless, you will be a winner from the free projects offered by each artists.
This is my first blog hop and I’m excited to be a part it with such talented artists. Each artist licenses her art for products such as gift items, fabrics, table ware, stationery and much more. Check out their blogs for a chance to win and learn more about each very creative woman.
Today starts with Terri Conrad, so please visit her blog and be sure to leave a comment.
I have been trying to catch up all week from a whirlwind trip to Atlanta for the Gift Market. I always return home tired but inspired - tired from the constant walking because the market is so huge and inspired from meetings, visiting with friends and the excitement that just comes from market.
It was encouraging to see that the buyers there were buying, although more cautiously. A lot of the showrooms were really busy, especially for gifts over home decor items. Also, lower price items were selling better than the really high price items.
I had some great meetings with discussions on new products using my art to debut at the January show. Meanwhile I was thrilled to see some of my new products that I have been working on the past few months. Most of the products were still in sample form, but here is one, a “Chick Power” garden flag for Evergreen that is available in 2 sizes.
I can’t wait to show you my other products but will have to wait until they are completely finished and in catalogs.
Is always fun to catch up with friends, plus make some new ones. I had a fun evening with a dinner with several friends at Azio’s (one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta). From left to right - yours truly - me, Joyce Shelton, Barbara Barnett, Brenda Pinnick, BJ Lantz, and Carol Eldridge. I guess you can figure out what happens when 6 women get together - lot of talk and more talk, and most important - lots of laughing.
I’ve always known that crafting reduces stress. As I work on a quilt, sewing, needlework or other craft project, I can always feel the stress just float away But did you know that crafting is therapeutic for all types of health conditions?
In a new blog, Craft for Health , crafters and artists write about the therapeutic effects of crafting on their health issues or traumatic events in their lives. You can read my guest blog on how crafting helps me with Restless Leg Syndrome.
Craft for Health was founded by Kathy Peterson and Barb Dehn RN, NP. Kathy says, on her inspiration for creating this blog, “I always heard people telling me how much they enjoyed crafting and used it as therapy. I also saw a void in the market. So I approached Barb Dehn, a long time friend and business colleague about combining forces together (craft expertise with medical expertise) and we launched CFH. Together we are promoting health and wellness through crafting. Whether it’s quilting, scrap booking or using a hot glue gun, crafting can help everyone create hand made health.”
Kathy has a long career as a design expert, author and TV host and spokesperson and is currently co-hosting Lifetime TV’s The Balancing Act. Barb is a TV health expert (ABC, CNN, NBC) and spokesperson, visits with patients and publishes health brochures.
I invite you to read my post as well as all the other inspirational and sometimes heartbreaking posts.
Sandy Laipply, the editor of the Paper Crafts Site of the online magazine Bellaonline used Meow Meow cat fabrics from Quilting Treasures to make 2 adorable greeting cards. The photo is the inside one of the cards - a birthday card.. Sandy furnishes instructions for making both cards on the website so be sure to check it out.
Bellaonline is an online magazine for women and covers a huge variety of topics.
Some additional information about Sandy - her son, Judson Laipply, is the YouTube mega, mega hit, Evolution of Dance and Evolution of Dance 2.
Thanks a bunch, Sandy, for making such cute cards using Meow Meow!
I can’t believe it is already February. January was an extremely busy month with me in overdrive preparing for and exhibiting in two License and Design shows. The first was in Atlanta at the Gift Market where I had a combined booth with 5 other artists under the name of Atlanta Art Licensing. The second exhibit was in Anaheim at the CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) trade show where I shared a booth with my good friend, the talented Brenda Pinnick. At CHA, I also exhibited in the Designer Showcase which had a fantastic viewing by manufacturers, editors and publishers looking for new designs. Now both shows are behind me but I have tons of following up to do and am excited with the contacts I made.
The good news from both shows, while the attendance was down, the mood was pretty upbeat. While being cautious in buying, the buyers that were there were buying. The vendors that I heard about were pleased with their sales.
There was an abundance of new products at the shows so store shelves will have new items to entice you. Colors remain bright to reflect optimism, with yellow (Mimosa) being the hot new color. Think warmth and sunshine and to bright days ahead.
Deborah Norvillewas the Keynote Speaker at CHA and gave one of the best and most inspirational talks that I’ve heard. She has been a crafter her entire life and focused on knitting and sewing. It was a delight to hear that she sewed all her bridemaids’ dresses as well as her on-air clothes when she started in television.
Since I was exhibiting, I did not get a chance to get out of my booth much to walk the show and to check out new products. And I missed several seminars I had planned to attend. But I did get to catch up with a lot of friends, as well as meet face-to-face new twitter and facebook friends.
Now back to my desk and drawing table – which are piled high and a scary sight!
The weather was beautiful during the International Quilt Market in Houston so if felt good to walk through the new Discovery Green Park across the street from the George Brown Convention Center.
As I walked through the park on Sunday, I saw the funkiest golf cart. It has been created by a high school for an entry into a motorized parade and then donated to the park. Decorated with dragons, sequins and pearls, it was a crowd stopper!
After a invigorating trip to Quilt Market and then a couple other trips, I’m back home creating new art. My new fabrics, Its a Dog’s Life will be released soon. I am waiting some samples so that I can start sewing with it and give you a free pattern!
WELCOME! I invite you to visit with me in my studio. I create illustrations and designs for art licensing. I also design fabrics, quilts, needlework and textile products. I will share my latest news on illustration and designing as well as interesting tidbits on artist friends, books, traveling and anything else I run across. I would LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU and appreciate your visits.
