Happy New Year!

Here we are in 2010 and I can’t imagine a better way to spend the day than back in my studio. I was able to begin my new series of watercolors on birds. Today’s painting is of a Black Capped Chickadee and a Tufted Titmouse in a fun spirited interaction. The piece is titled Synergy. I hope you enjoy it. Prints are available on Etsy.
I was so happy to complete this painting in time for our friend Pete’s wedding, which is tomorrow! I hope they will enjoy this lively print as a wedding gift. We were able to join in the celebration with them of their upcoming nuptials for New Years Eve! Here are some fun shots of the happy couple!

Monkey Mania!

It's a Boy! I'd like you to meet Mikey Monkey. I made him for our friend's future son who was born the night before New Year's Eve! I hope little William Christopher enjoys his new friend Mikey.

I actually made Mikey before this pattern was available so I had to come up with my own pattern based on the available photos.

I love his little Newsboy hat and tie.

I also have made 2 Molly Monkey's using this free Molly Monkey Pattern. One was for my niece and the other was for a friend's granddaughter, both used the same material. I highly recommend taking this pattern for a spin. Just make sure to follow the add on instructions to not stuff the arms and legs until you have sewn the body together, otherwise you may pull your hair out trying to sew the body up with stuffed arms and legs sticking out every which way.

I couldn't find plain brown corduroy at Jo-Ann's, but I did find a brown corduroy with green polka-dots which ended up being absolutely perfect for these fashion forward little girl monkeys.

I just love her little beret!

And her lovely little Mary Janes!

Fun with Fabric Scraps!

I had great fun playing with fabric scraps for my final Christmas gifts. I used my new large format printer to print out my niece's name onto posterboard. (Watch out-> if you print ink jet on the glossy side of poster board, it will never dry! I learned this the hard way.)
Once you have your font selected and printed simply cut out the letters from the poster board using an Exacto-blade. Then mount fabric swatches behind each letter. I used artist tape, since it is archival. Mount in a frame and you are done! You are left with a perfect custom made name plate.

You can also give someone a lasting flower arrangement made from Fabric scraps. I gave this bouquet to my grandmother with a coupon good for one day of gardening attached. I used this simple tutorial.

Finally, I made a small cosmetic bag for my step-niece. This requires less than a half of a fat quarter. I improvised my own lining, since the pattern doesn't include one. Due to time constraints I simply ironed interfacing between my exterior and lining fabric and followed the instructions. Then I zig-zag stitched the seams. This worked with my fabric to give it a punk rock type look. If you are working with more delicate looking fabric, I suggest making a separate lining. My husband loved that it looked like I made origami using fabric. This cosmetic bag is fairly small, but is perfect to carry the basics: lipstick, a compact, eyeshadow, and mascara.

Purse Party!

This year for Christmas gifts I made all the women in my immediate family new purses using this free pattern. I love this pattern, because the purses are a good size to carry more than just a wallet. This makes them the perfect size for moms, lovers of electronic devices, or just your average woman who likes to always be prepared. Oddly enough my entire family falls into these categories. It has a large interior pocket, sturdy strap, and a magnetic snap to keep everything in place.

I included a back shot of this purse since this fabric had so much variation to it. This bag was made for my sister in-law. I really loved this print. It has a graphic feel to it to make it seem modern, yet the black and white give it a simple elegance. This should be a bag that can go with your staple black dress or a Northface fleece. Perfect for a hardworking Mom on the go.

This bag I actually made for myself. I fell in love with the fabrics and couldn't resist.

This one was made for my brother-in-law's girlfriend. The colors and pattern really compliment her spunky personality.

This one was made for my sister. She loves purple. So I think these fabrics were a perfect fit. I also liked how the fabric pattern reminded me of henna tattoos. My sister and her husband love tattoos so I felt it gave the bag an edge while keeping it fairly elegant.

This one was made for my mother. I love the white berries/ buds on the branches.

This last one was made for my mother-in-law. The cranberry red is her favorite color so it should go with most of her wardrobe.

You can't replicate the joy of a homemade gift. Here I am with my mother-in-law. She is sporting her new Phoebe bag, while I model my hand knitted satchel and hat that she made for me. We had a Purse Party for Christmas!

Super Monkey!

Introducing Super Monkey!

I made Super Monkey as a gift for my nearly 3 year old nephew this year for Christmas.

For this monkey I used this fantastic pattern and added my own pattern for a cape and mask.
The cape and mask are detachable so he can conceal his super powers by day.

The cape design was inspired by these special order handmade capes.
I loved how she chose to layer felt for the emblem on the back and how she uses a colorful lining. I used interfacing to give the cape a ridged (in flight) feel. The cape easily goes on with Velcro. The mask is made of sparkly felt and goes on easily with black elastic.

My favorite item is the Converse style shoes from the original pattern, vital to any superhero ensemble.

Orders Up!

It has been another productive night! 20 greeting cards and a Bee Balm print ready to go!

Order your own on Etsy!

Magic and Faith? What Christians can Learn from Santa.

I was asked to write an article for Women's Spiritual Dynamics. It is now posted on their website!

I designed the image above for the article posting. Greeting Cards of the image are available on Etsy.

I hope you enjoy the article and pass it around to share with others the TRUE magic of this Christmas season. I'd like to share a personal note regarding the article publication. Today marks 1 year and 2 days since my Grandpa went to be with the Lord. He was a writer. Not the published type, but the journaling type. When I graduated high school he gave me a simple composition note book. He wrote in the front a lovely little note encouraging me to pour all my thoughts onto the following pages. Now, I am the type of snobbish "writer" who likes to pour out my soul in a smoothly bound leather journal preferably purchased in Italy with thick handmade paper pages, so though the implement was never utilized, the sentiment was. I journaled all through college almost daily. I would share excerpts with him and he would share excerpts from his composition note book written when he was 19 years old. I still have a hard time considering myself a writer, but when I was asked to write a few articles for Women's Spiritual dynamics as their "resident" Art and Faith specialist, the words somehow just flowed. I can't think of a greater way to honor my Grandfather then to have this article published today.