Hope Chest Fabric Giveaway at Pink Castle Fabrics!

{Hope Chest photo from Blend Fabrics}

Hi Everyone! Pink Castle Fabrics is having a Hope Chest give away!! They are giving away 2 fat quarter bundles, each containing 10 prints, of Hope Chest! All you need to do is head on over to the Pink Castle Fabrics blog and leave a comment about which is your favorite print from the collection or sign-up on their Widget to Win it List. Good luck everyone!!

Speaking of Hope Chest, I'm SO excited for this collection to hit, and to see what you do with it. I'm hearing here and there that it's already available at some shops - so be on the look-out! AND, I don't know if you've had a chance to feel the fabric that Blend uses, but it is like butter - seriously. Smooth & delicious...I can't even feel the fabric warp and weft threads when I run my hand across the top - it's THAT kind of awesome. I think you will enjoy it!

I'm planning away for my upcoming inspirational Hope Chest photo shoot that I can't wait to share with you in July - stay tuned!

Surtex 2012 & NYC Recap

{Laura and I at Surtex 2012, Day 1}

I thought I'd post about some of the fab restaurants we dined at while in NYC, after the Surtex show each night. I had the pleasure of rooming with Morgan & Carrie from Ampersand Design Studio and Laura from Laura Parke // A Girl Who Makes, so most nights we hung out together in the city which was really wonderful.

I'm super thankful that the girls were 'foodies' because I would be just as happy ordering room service after a long day! BUT I had a blast and absolutely loved each place we went so I'm SO thankful those girls drug me out!

We went to A.O.C. which has a fabulous patio in the back which we stayed at for hours. We could barely see ourselves or the menu but thankfully our orders went in without a hitch and came out super tasty! Morgan took us to Extra Virgin which was the most wonderful, tasty place ever! I think we even ordered appetizers, dinner AND dessert it was that good. We did some shopping in Soho (Topshop being my absolute FAVE!) and stopped into a Herman Miller shop where I found and bought a pillow with a pattern on it that I had seen about 10 years ago, and have been searching for it ever since!

Before heading home, we all met at The Park and dined in their garden area which was just to die for! It was like we were in a green house with really high ceilings, trees growing through the brick floor and birds fluttering about (cute ones...not the seagulls we have in Seattle). The Park is right across the street from The High Line park which was so unique to climb up some stairs and find this pretty park and walkway right above the city streets. And lastly, I was able to hit-up Uniqlo for their Orla Kiely launch where I snagged a few T-shirts in her famous prints!

I had an absolute BLAST hanging out with and catching up with these girls! What a fun trip!! Till next year...

Surtex 2012: Year 2

 As I'm continuing with Surtex follow-up and chatting with companies about exciting possibilities, I thought I'd take a moment to fill you in on the show! First off, I must say that in trying to get my 3 suitcases under weight for airline baggage fees, I accidentally sent my camera with my husband to take home in his suitcase, so all I was left with was my iPhone for pictures. Sadness...

So, after flying in from Kansas City, MO on Friday night, it was time to wake up early and head to the Javits center for the last day of set-up. With 2 suitcases, a huge box, a tube full of banners and Starbucks in hand, we took any cab who would take us and headed to the Javits center to set-up my booth. My good friend Laura (Laura Parke // A girl who makes, from here) came to help me with the show and we were able to get everything set-up with a few hours to spare.



This year I was in a smashing new booth location #325 which was a 10'x10' booth, which means, more space to cover and decorate. With my booth design, I wanted to do something a little different and build upon what I did last year. I kept banners on the side walls, and also rented some shelves to put current and up and coming licensed products on. On my back wall, I created a layered and overlapping effect of my work, where I printed my artwork and photography showcasing my artwork over-sized onto large foam core boards and then created a few paper pinwheels to give the wall more dimension.

 {Hope Chest stationery & fabric}

{Hip Holiday stationery}

It was really fun to see all the products together on the shelves! I picked up my up and coming new stationery with Blend, the licensing division of Anna Griffin, Inc. which was absolutely delightful to see! My Hope Chest fabric collection which is coming out in July is also made into this beautiful high-end stationery complete with glitter, foil, die cuts...the works! In addition to Hope Chest stationery items is my Hip Holiday collection, which will also be coming out in my first ever Holiday fabric collection! I just LOVE this holiday collection and all the items it comes in!

{My awesome Wellspring licensed products!}

Also added to the shelves are a handful of the gorgeous metal products from Wellspring! I absolutely love these pieces and the colors they are in! My husband spray painted these 3-tier holders to take them from drab to fab.
 

 {Some of my NEW Stationery product coming out! Stay tuned...}

My new iPop magnets were sprinkled about, holding up the stationery on the magnet boards. There's a lot of new designs that just came out, that I'm excited to show you in the near future!

{Hope Chest display outside of the Anna Griffin booth at the National Stationery Show}

Another little treat for me was seeing this Hope Chest display with my designer bio on the outside wall of the Anna Griffin booth, to promote Blend's stationery items. What a treat! I love the butterflies and the kite they made! 

Ok, back to the show...Laura and I got in early opening morning (thank goodness!) and found my whole back wall to be on the floor! Gasp! Just when we thought we'd have time to eat our breakfast leisurely, we found ourselves in crisis mode repairing everything as fast as we could before the show opened. It was pretty stressful, but we were focused, amazingly calm, and just tackled it. I was completely overwhelmed by the kindness of so many of the other artists exhibiting who came over to see if they could help us, and bring us anything we needed. 
 
My booth was across from Kate Spain and she and her husband completely saved my life! They brought over tons of 3M Command Strips for me to use to patch my wall back together. Which is a huge lifesaver because I had taken almost all of my adhesives back to the hotel the night before and didn't have enough to use for a whole wall. Note to self: Bring LOTS of extra 3M Command Strips and keep them throughout the show. OH, and another Note to Self: NEVER buy non-3M duct tape! In my mad-dash through Lowe's I grabbed duct tape not even thinking that there were other brands or qualities out there. Now I know! Non-3M duct tape is not very sticky and with the overnight humidity in the Javits center, it was just a disaster.

After the stressful morning of the first day, things went really well. I had a blast seeing current clients in person after months of communicating over the phone and e-mail, as well as meeting new clients with fun, new possibilities! I'm still working on follow-up and communicating with new companies and will be able to gauge the awesomeness of the show more after a few more months. Overall, I had a blast and am really excited for the potential.

I roomed with 3 other girls, my friend Laura and Morgan & Carrie from Ampersand Design Studio. I heart every one of these girls! We had a blast going to fab restaurants and hitting up shops after the show ended each night. More about that in the next blog post...stay tuned!

Spring Quilt Market 2012: Kansas City, Missouri

{My Hope Chest section at the Anna Griffin & Blend Fabrics booth}

Wow! What a whirlwind of awesomeness I just came out of! Quilt Market in Kansas City, MO and then straight to NYC for Surtex! After a few days of sleeping in, unpacking suitcases and boxes (and a little weekend getaway at a local resort thanks to my husband), I am finally fully functioning. It's amazing how 2 weeks out of my element while doing things I really enjoy can be so exhausting.

This was the first time I'd ever attended Quilt Market. I've wanted to go for such a long time! I was extra excited to attend this year because I got to meet the fabulous Blend Fabrics team in person as well as because I spent 2 years at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City and have a lot of friends still there that I had the chance to catch-up with. So I added on a few days, brought my husband with me, and we made a little vacation out of it too! = BEST decision ever!

 {My Hope Chest section at the Anna Griffin & Blend Fabrics booth}

The Anna Griffin & Blend Fabrics booth was absolutely spectacular. The large columns, lights, clear designer chairs and soft color of the walls and carpet just made this booth glow! Completely gorgeous!

 {Esperer quilt in Hope Chest, Heirloom Combo by Metropolitan Quilt}

In addition to seeing my Hope Chest fabric collection draped across a ladder that stretched up the walls, I also got to see it made up in 2 fabulous and beautiful large quilts! Each quilt is made up of one colorway of Hope Chest and both of the quilts were made by Metropolitan Quilt. This 'Esperer' Quilt is made up in my 'Heirloom' color combo. I just love the hits of the rusty red in my Cross Stitch Roses fabric!

 {'Stripe Soiree' quilt in Hope Chest, Bliss Combo by Metropolitan Quilt}

The next quilt is called 'Stripe Soiree' which is based off my 'Stripe Soiree' fabric and created in my 'Bliss' color combo. You can download this quilt pattern for free on the Blend Fabrics website! Didn't Metropolitan Quilt do an amazing job!! WOW! LOVE!!

 {Anna Griffin and I at the Anna Griffin & Blend Fabrics booth at Quilt Market}

Thanks so much for all of you who stopped by to say 'hello' and to check out the beautiful fabric collections at Anna Griffin and Blend Fabrics! I had such a great time meeting each and every one of you as well as the fabulous team at Blend! And I must say I was extra-super excited to meet the fabulous Anna Griffin herself. What an amazing woman!

Next up, I'll be sewing away to prepare for my Hope Chest photo shoot! I'm SO EXCITED for this one and can't wait to have it and share it with you! There's some fun things cooking up...stay tuned!

Off to Quilt Market and Surtex!

After my home being transformed into a massive craft room, I'm gathering up the salvageable pieces from my whirlwind, packing them up and heading out!

I'm really excited about this trip because my first stop is in Kansas City, MO to attend Spring 2012 Quilt Market for the first time! I've been wanting to go for years so this is long overdue. I'll be at the Blend Fabrics booth on Friday, May 18th for the day. Please swing by and say hello and check out the debut of my new fabric line 'Hope Chest'! This is seriously my absolute favorite fabric collection to date. The colors are dripping with yummy-ness, the fabric quality is to die for, and the collection has some really fun and unique designs that I'm hoping you will just love. (And I'm currently planning an awesome photo shoot for this collection that I'll be sharing in July!...stay tuned!!)

My next stop is New York City for Surtex. I'm SO excited about this show this year! I'll be featuring my new work, have portfolios stocked full of delicious designs (for licensee's eyes only), as well as showcasing products from my current licensees. I'll be in booth #325 - swing by and say hello!

See you soon!

In the Press: Art & Design Licensing Sourcebook

 {My ad in the Art and Design Licensing Sourcebook}

Huge thanks to the Art and Design Licensing Sourcebook where they featured my work and latest happenings in their Summer 2012 issue! I was pleasantly surprised to find my work featured 4 times on pages 27, 77, 79 and 81!
 
You can view their new Summer 2012 digital edition here.

 

{Talking about my work having a fresh take on florals, my industry experience and Surtex showcases} 

{Talking about my 5 new licensing deals including my fabric and stationery lines with Blend! Coming out very soon...}

The Art and Design Licensing Sourcebook is an industry trade magazine that is your desktop guide to ‘who’s who’, keeping you updated with all the latest trends, new properties, retail analysis and a plethora of information on new developments.

 

{Featuring my tasty collaboration with Lucks}

 

{Showcasing Wellspring's product launch with my artwork}

 

SO exciting!!

Color Love: Melon + Mint

 

As I was organizing my studio this weekend, I discovered some magazine tears I stashed away - and was looking everywhere for! I had just died when I saw this gorgeous photo shoot from O Magazine's March 2012 issue with Jaime King! The focus on '20s styling along with the yummy use of melon with mint (and/or chartreuse) is to die for! And I love the parasols...reminds me of how pretty they turned out in my Glam Garden photo shoot.

Along with melon and mint, add a bit of lilac and rust for a spicy, feminine look!

 One of the few times I love black mixed in. These shoes are pretty fab too!

 

Just thought I'd send some yummy color inspiration your way! Enjoy!

Featured on Print & Pattern Blog and the Surtex Marketplace

Huge thanks to Bowie Style from the fabulous Print and Pattern Blog for posting about me, my work, and my upcoming Surtex attendance!

I'm SO excited to attend this year, and have been working away like crazy to prepare. As a reminder, I'll be in booth #325!

Speaking of Surtex, you can now see a snippet of one of my new collections, "Tea House' on the Surtex Marketplace of rotating images...so you need to wait a while for it to pop up.

I'm also working on some fresh, new things for all of you that I plan to introduce in the fall. Crazy, exciting things are happening and I can't wait to share with you!

Commissioned Project: Baby's First™ Dolls

In addition to my licensing business, I also take on commission work from companies and projects that I feel I would be a good fit for or a product category I'm passionate about. For the past few years I've had the pleasure of being commissioned by the Goldberger Toy company to revamp their line of Baby's First™ dolls, including a new logo, patterns for their new packaging and exclusive patterns for their doll's clothing! It's been a such fun project and I've been able to put my textile production skills to good use!

With this new product launch, we created a retro, design-focused line that will appeal to parents, grandparents, caregivers, and, of course, baby. Their new Baby's First™ website has recently launched. Look for the dolls in your local Target, Toys R Us, and the like to support a wonderful company while bringing cuddly goodness to your little one(s)!

 {A sampling of a few of the many new dolls from Baby's First™!

More about Goldberger: The Goldberger Company was founded in 1916 and is one of the oldest doll companies in America. For nearly 100 years, this family owned business has been making soft, snugly baby dolls and playthings for the youngest children, becoming the expert in creating baby dolls for children ages 0-3. By listening to its customers and responding to their needs and concerns, The Goldberger Co. continues to create dolls and accessories that are safe, well made, creative, and well-priced. Goldberger dolls are designed to delight children and those who shop for them.

What I love about these dolls is how each of them has a concept behind them and I especially love the fresh and modern colors that make them stand out from a sea of baby pink and baby blue!

New Licensed Products! Cake Decor!

 

A few weeks ago I received samples of my licensed products with Lucks, who provides the baking industry with quality products and services that enhance the decorator's creativity. These Edible Image® Designer Prints™ decorations, come in a variety of cake decor options such as cake sheets and top of cake designs. I thought I'd share some of the gorgeous photo's with you of a handful of my licensed designs with Lucks {more to come!}. Unfortunately these cake sheets are only sold wholesale to bakeries and such, and are not available to the public. 
 

After I opened everything, I immediately contacted my good friend Laura Parke // A Girl Who Makes to see if she and her photographer husband Eric Linebarger would be up for doing a photo shoot for me. And to my super-duper happiness, they were excited and up for it! {thanks guys!!}

 

Laura did the awesome job of decorating the fabulous cakes you see in the photo's and applying the edible cake decor to them, and her awesome husband Eric Linebarger did the awesome photography. Don't you agree?

I met Laura when I worked at Hallmark Cards, and we became immediate and great friends. I truly heart this girl. I am very familiar with her mad decorating skills from the cute cupcakes she would bring to work and the stories she shared about her cake decorating classes from the night before.

Her awesome blog, Laura Park // A Girl Who Makes is one I highly recommend you check out and follow! She's such a crafty girl with a ton of awesome ideas, and this blog is her outlet for sharing lots of unique craft project ideas and how-to's! She also contributes to Design for Mankind where she shares (even more) DIY ideas! She truly amazes me with her reservoir of ideas and the passion she has behind them.


Thanks Laura and Eric for sharing your mad skills with me!!