stuff about artstuff.

Spring Flies By...

Usually this time of year I can be found under my pre-SURTEX rock.  Busy designing booth displays, creating new art, organizing travel and exhibiting logistics, worrying about details, and in general, freaking out and way too busy.

And with or without me, spring comes and goes.

I've been trying harder to make this happen with me, to be present and enjoy the season, although the underside of that rock always manages to beckon me back.

But there's magic to spring, the scents and sounds that stir emotions that have been lying dormant through the cold, dark winter like seeds - sprouting unexpected and uncontrollable smiles.

I've been soaking this stuff in every chance I get, and trying to document little bits and pieces of happy-making moments with my iPhone.

Walking the dog through the cherry blossom lined streets in my neighborhood

The perfect camelia bloom in an otherwise dark alley

Time with loved ones

Even that one morning when I finally mastered the new espresso machine and had a perfect latte.

The best so far - two warm, sunny days in a row where I was able to take my studio outside and work in the backyard.  Birds singing, spring scents wafting on the breeze, birds of all sizes fluttering so closely around my head I felt like a Disney princess.

Days where I actually get to draw all day are pretty rare, considering I supposedly draw pictures for a living.  That's the price I pay for being too stubborn for an agent, but then that's another subject for another day.  Days like this remind me that I am the luckiest girl in the world, with the best job in the world, and I couldn't be more grateful for that.  Even a couple weeks before SURTEX.

It may be cloudy again today, and I am here inside, organizing, worrying, and in general, freaking out and way too busy, but it's spring.  Yesterday I smelled my first lilac bloom, and we ate our first salad from the garden.  Spring is magic, and it just gets better every day.

I Love You S'more and S'more.

My bears are back!

This time on another cute and clever card by my friends at Leanin Tree.

Love this.

Beautifully printed inside and out, on recycled stock.  You know I love that.  Everything about this makes me smile.  Inside it says, "With each year that goes by, I love you s'more and s'more.  Happy Birthday!"  Hee hee hee.  S'more and s'more.

You can find it here, and you can even personalize it here.  How cool is that?

I Made Stuff!

When I was a little girl, I fantasized about living off the land like a pioneer woman; making everything by hand, growing, cooking, and creating every waking moment. My older brother, whom I idolized pretty much from birth, lived in a hippie commune on Washington's Olympic Peninsula for a while in the early 70s.  I was not allowed to visit that strange and magical place so the mystique surrounding the lifestyle was overwhelmingly romantic to my innocent, little-girl senses.  I adored the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, my favorite, of course, was On the Banks of Plum Creek - who wouldn't want to live in a dugout cave in a creek bank?  It's practically a Hobbit house inside a tree!

Even as an adult, the romanticism of that off-grid fantasy still lives somewhere deep inside me, but my reality is juggling running a demanding business with managing our little household here in a city neighborhood where literally everything I could ever need or want is conveniently available "just down the street".  More often than not, I suppose much like I did when I was little, I feed that pioneer fantasy vicariously - through blogs and websites of creative and clever folks who have a lot more time and energy to devote to cool DIY projects than I seem to manage.

One such project caught my eye on Pinterest last month.  It was this delicious looking exfoliating sugar scrub.  I thought, "oh that looks neat, but who has time to make their own beauty products?"  Then I saw that you basically stir 2 ingredients together and add a scent if you like.  "Well, maybe for a special occasion..."

The special occasion came soon after that: a vacation with a girlfriend where we would be in the sun a lot, and pampering ourselves a bit.  I made a little tub to take with us.  For the first batch, I avoided the fresh lemon juice from the original tutorial because I wasn't sure how fast we would go through it (I didn't want rotting lemons in my sugar scrub) but we used it fast!  This stuff makes my skin feel amazing!  I'm hooked.  Husband Guy was intrigued, and when I mentioned that I would be adding lavender essential oil to the next batch, sheepishly requested that I make some that was not so girly - maybe orange would be nice.  By this time I had actually forgotten the lemon juice option, but I think I will try a small batch of that one next time to keep next to the kitchen sink.

So here it is!  This couldn't be simpler:

The basic recipe is 1 part coconut oil to 2 parts sugar.  First I melted some coconut oil in the microwave - this only takes a few seconds, don't cook it, just start to melt it!  Take it out when it looks half-n-half (liquid vs. white chunks) and the rest will soften and melt, like butter does.

I don't measure the coconut oil before I melt it, and I only really measure the sugar by doubling whatever the amount of melted oil is in the cup.  I just pour in sugar until the total volume seems to be about 3 times the original amount of oil. 

For you eagle-eye photo-measurements noticers, part of the melted oil from the previous picture was poured back out before adding the sugar, when I realized I had less sugar than I thought!

And stir it up.

It's that easy. 

It's at this point that you can add essential oils until you like the smell.  I was afraid of adding too much, but all 3 batches so far have been very subtle (with several drops of oil in each).

Pack it into the container of your choice, keeping in mind that it hardens quite a bit once it cools back down again.  I will probably buy some regular old white sugar for future batches - the only reason that I used this more expensive organic unbleached sugar was that it was what I had in the house.

But it's pretty, isn't it?

And one final detail, if you were dumb like me and made this mess on your stove of all places, avoid that mysterious burning sugar smell next time you get ready to cook...

Ok, all better now.

If you're still asking, "who has time to make their own beauty products?" in this case, my answer is everyone!  Even with the extra stove-top cleanup this took me about 10 minutes.  I've since seen a different recipe on Pinterest that has dried lavender flowers in it, that looks cool.  The possibilities here are endless. 

The hardly-any-time aspect of this project has me a little extra intrigued with other neato DIYs from One Good Thing: homemade makeup wipes, homemade "Clorox" wipes . . . underground dugout on Plum Creek, here I come!

Unexpected Gifts from the Garden.

That is, a terribly neglected garden.

I suppose before going any further I have to admit that somehow I never got around to the fall cleanup of my garden beds.  The typical stuff that respectable gardeners do automatically after their last satisfying harvest.  Cut down spent plants, mulch, tuck everything away for a neat and tidy winter so it will be composted, fresh and ready again in the springtime.

All I can say is that I was in denial when fall came.  We never really got summer around here. I was like a little kid who can't keep my eyes open or my head up but fights to the bloody end to avoid going to bed.  No, I'm not tired!  I'm not finished yet!  My 11 tomato plants are taller than me and I've only harvested 3 ripe fruits! 3!  It's not over, it's not!  It's not! Noooooooo!

Kicking and screaming and refusing to accept it, fall and winter happened anyway.  They always do.  I normally enjoy working in the yard in the wintertime, even in the cold rain I'll be out there planting bulbs or doing whatever needs to be done, muddy and soggy and happy.  But not this winter.  The disappointment that was The Summer That Never Camewas still too fresh.  I really seemed to take it personally and I simply couldn't deal with it.  So I put on my clutter-blinders and vowed to get out and do some early spring cleanup when I was feeling a smidge less bitter about big, dumb winter.

Alright, the beds are still quite sad looking.  I know, it's March.  And my first early plant sale is in a couple weeks.  But I returned home a few days ago after a week and a half away, and saw something interesting.

I had been noticing something leafing out the last month or so, maybe an old cabbage or something, I hadn't really focused on it before.  But as I hurried past to get back into the warm house the other day, there it was, practically glowing.

The Romanesco broccoli I never got last year.

I'd planted a couple varieties of cauliflower and broccoli early last year and was pretty excited about them.  Nothing seemed to be happening until tiny buds appeared the week before I went to New York for Surtex.  By the time I returned from the show, they had all bolted and gone to seed (must have been that one day of sunshine we had in May) along with all my other early-season greens.  Sad, tall, weird Seussian flowers, all of them.

I'm not sure when this one decided to sprout back up again.  I wasn't paying attention.  But it was a smart one, growing so vigorously while all the slugs and bugs and little green worms are asleep under their rocks.  The flawless, perfectly-intact leaves span a couple feet wide.  Even after a long warm saltwater soak, not a single tiny critter floated out of this.

And it was delicious.  Crunchy-tender, and so sweet it made my mouth water.

This funny little flower the size of my fist fills me with that pre-season hope that this will be the year.  The year that the sun shines, that things grow and thrive.  I will sprout, plant, and nurture - relying on faith and hard work.  Spring is coming soon, the season of new growth, rebirth, and hope.

Nice to be reminded that even in a neglected garden, we can find unexpected gifts.

Someone Cares.

No, really, they do.

And that's the category these cards go in.  These 2 cute designs are some of the most recent offerings from my pals at Marian Heath Greeting Cards, and they are gorgeously made.  I really love what they've done with my art.    

Do I even need to mention the sparkles?

No, I didn't think so.

    

And this one has a super-neato-but-hard-to-photograph varnish/emboss effect on the daisies.  Subtle and pretty, I really love the added texture.

Both designs feature an uplifting scripture and inspirational thought on the back.

Now, if you haven't had enough of reading about me yet this week (seriously!) you should hop over to Marian Heath's Facebook page and show a little Facebook-"Like" love!  Today they are featuring an Artist Profile on - drum roll, wait for it - ok that's dumb, you don't have to wait for it and you probably already guessed anyway.  It's about me.  You might say I'm having a pretty good week so far!

So if you're not already up to here with your helping of Beth Logan for the week, head on over to Marian Heath for a little more.

Thanks, you guys!  And thanks to my friends at Marian Heath for the fun interview and over a decade of beautiful cards!

"Meet the Designer" Interview

Hey everyone!

Have you checked out the Henry Glass blog yet?  It's a fun place for everything fabric-related, featuring neato projects and quilts and goodies and giveaways.  If you haven't, today would be a great day to hop on over to see for yourself.

Why today?

Well, today there is a "Meet the Designer" interview with me!  That's pretty cool, right?  And while you're enjoying all the fun stuff on their blog, go on back a page or two where you'll also see a "Meet the Designer" interview from January with my good friend Shelly!

In addition to the blog, be sure to check out Henry Glass on Facebook, where you'll find even more goodies, giveaways, and fun stuff. 

And finally - I have been waiting to share this with you but will give you a super double top-secret uber-sneaky sneak peek of my new softie flannel fabric coming out later this month, called "Buttercup Babies". . . I can't wait to show you the rest of it!

Stay tuned for more details, here and on the Henry Glass blog, website, and Facebook Page!

Double Carroty Goodness.

The other day I saw this beautiful juice on Pinterest and it reminded me once again how, pretty much every week or so, I talk about digging out the old juicer from it's dusty grave in the back corner of the bottom kitchen cupboard, and trying to think a little bit healthier.  I vowed that this time, I would actually do it.

Then instead we at mac and cheese for dinner two nights in a row (true story).

But I had bought myself a ton of organic carrots and the most gorgeous giant knob of ginger (love this time of year, the ginger is so fat and pretty) and was not going to let this stuff go to waste.  I didn't follow her recipe as much as I was inspired by her ingredients (I'm sort of that way in the kitchen, careless and haphazard with no rules).

This is so refreshing and invigorating I can't stand it.  A real burst of sunshine on a cold, grey winter day.  After making it for myself a couple times, I adjusted amounts of each item and came up with my perfect combination:

This is about a pound of carrots, one sweet meyer lemon (peeled), one small orange (peeled), and 2-3 fat 1" knobs of fresh ginger.  I really love ginger - but when I gave Husband Guy a sip he sort of made shot-of-whiskey face so if you decide to try this, you might want less ginger in yours.

When I told Husband Guy I was going to make this juice, he said, "and you can make muffins with the pulp."  Oh yeah, I used to do that.  Back when I used to make juice.  Back when I used to bake.  And make stuff.  Wow, I used to be practical.  And nice.  Hmmm.  What happened to her?

The thing I've always loved about baking muffins is that unlike other baked goods, it's not an exact science.  Again with the careless, haphazard kitchen style.  Crumbs at the bottom of cereal boxes, random fruit, jam, sauces, seemingly unsalvagable items from the pantry and refrigerator can make the yummiest muffins - as long as I include those few key ingredients (I suppose this is where a real baker would remind me that proves there is actually science to muffins) and as long as it's a "muffin-batter-like" consistency and I don't overbake them, they are almost never icky.

I don't know about you, but I'd say "almost never icky" are pretty good odds.

And these turned out way better than icky.

They are gingery and sweet and moist.

And like most things, even better with a dab of melting butter.

They taste like a ginger snap and have crunchy edges and soft insides, with fresh tart little bursts of blueberries all throughout.  My mouth is very happy right now.

If you care, this is what I did, sort of:

Carrot, Ginger, Citrus, and Blueberry Muffin un-recipe:

Aside from the dry ingredients, these measurements are guesstimates, and I cannot be held responsible if your muffins are weird.  Just being honest.

In one bowl, I mixed up most of the fluorescent orange pulp from the juicer (looked like a little over a cup) picking out large or hard chunks of peel and citrus seeds with 2 small beaten eggs, about 1/2 to 3/4-c honey, and about 1/2-c fat free plain yogurt.

In another, I sifted together 1 cup unbleached white flour, 1-t baking powder, 1-t baking soda, and 1/2-t salt.

I mixed the wet and dry ingredients together with a spoon.  Using juicer-pulp makes a stiffer-than-most muffin batter, but the pulp releases the rest of its moisture while baking so it all seems to work out. 

Then I added about 3/4-c frozen blueberries (left from the 6# I picked one warm afternoon last August, yum!) and filled 12 muffin cups.  Squirted a drizzle of honey on the top of each before baking.  Baked them at 375 until the house smelled like muffins and they had a nice crust on top.  I have no idea how long that was, I was playing around on Pinterest again while they were baking.

I know, I could never be a food blogger.  I'm even worse at saving and sharing recipes than I am at following them.  But that's ok with me, I am going to go devour another of those muffins right now.

And I'll be making more of that yummy juice tomorrow.

Sparkles.

Sparkles sparkles sparkles sparkles sparkles.

Just in case I wasn't clear the first time.  I said sparkles.  Sometimes I wonder if my licensing partners put sparkles on every single thing they produced with my art, if my head would simply explode from sheer joy.  I do love me some sparkles.  Someday when I'm queen I may just have to demand that.  A royal proclamation.  Sparkles on everything.

Anyway, followers of my Facebook page may remember I shared the link to this card by Leanin Tree last month.  But today I received the actual samples on my doorstep, and I swooned.

Because of the sparkles.

And the other details that make this an awfully nice Easter card.

You can buy it here.  Did I mention it had sparkles?

So Lucky.

Sometimes the extra bonus goodness I get to experience from this crazy job I have is just too much, I really am constantly blessed in spite of myself! 

Art Licensing can create a very distant and removed lifestyle for artists.  Most of us who do this work alone in our studios, often quite isolated from the real world.  On one hand, that's something I enjoy about it - I tend to be happy with what may seem to most folks like an unnatural volume of peace, quiet, and privacy.  On the other hand, we are so far removed from the end consumer that it's difficult sometimes to grasp the big picture - departments and focus groups and agencies and committees, manufacturers and distributors and sales reps and retailers; the list of entities separating a licensing artist from the person who buys and lives with our products is pretty vast.  But that's just how the machine works; I could never make and sell my stuff like they do.

You don't go into this field expecting to make friends or share warm fuzzy moments.  But it happens.  The mentors, muses, and dear friends I've been blessed with make my life full and happy. 

One such unexpected friendship began a couple months ago.  A nice woman in Kentucky wanted to make a rag-quilt for a Christmas present for her grandson who loves camping.  She was searching the web for flannel with squirrels on it (!) and stumbled on my Etsy shop where I still had yardage from my At The Lake collection.  Who knew I was about to make a friend?   

We chatted online, one thing led to another, and when she had finished that one, made 2 others with more of my flannel - then offered to make me one for me.  I almost tear up just telling you about this (talk amongst yourselves) how sweet and generous is that?!

It arrived when I was in Atlanta attending AmericasMart last month.  I could hardly wait to open the package, but I didn't share it with you right away because as you can see, the blanket and I had some very important work to catch up with that first day home.

If you don't believe that this holds a prominent and beloved place in our household, take a closer look at all the pet hairs that have embedded, literally woven themselves into the fabric.  Curling up on the couch on chilly winter evenings here means there is at least one furry family member on top of you, usually two.

But in spite of the hairs, isn't that cool?  I love it, and it fits perfectly into our decor and lifestyle!

And finally, this amazing gift:

The happy recipient of the original quilt drew me a picture (look at that awesome tent and camp fire -  I love this!).

And like a true Southern Gentleman, charmed me to death with sweet compliments.

New friends, and physical, tangible reminders right here to treasure; I have so much to be thankful for, to fill my heart and make me smile - next time you catch me being a grouch or curmudgeon, you have my permission to just slap me.  I mean it.

Aaaaahhhh.

Smell that.

On a cold, damp February day here in the Pacific Northwest, that sweet, heady scent could pretty much only mean one thing. The Northwest Flower and Garden Show.  I hopped a bus downtown on Saturday and met my sister (who had hopped a ferry) for an absolutely perfect day of smelling, staring, soaking in, sharing, and all-in-all being inspired and rejuvenated.

As usual I came away with so many more ideas than I will realistically be able to incorporate into my own yard, but as usual I will try.

Each year it seems the display gardens feature more and more funky, repurposed, and recycled items - my own Granddad's quirky style has become mainstream - I often wonder what he would think of that.  He'd probably just shake his head and chuckle with that light, airy little contagious giggle he had - just imagining it makes me smile.

My very favorite thing I saw this year were these amazing fountains crafted of musical instruments and random objects.

They appeared in a booth in the marketplace and featured in display gardens.

It seems this guy shares a common artistic vision with my Granddad, shown here with his own amazing "Commotion Machine" back in the 1970s.

Another favorite funky feature I saw in multiple locations throughout the show were these little friends of mine.

I visit them (or rather, their friends and cousins?) on regular strolls through my favorite store in Seattle

and have vowed to bring home a carload of them someday to join the many other goodies that have followed me home from that place.

Found-objects-turned-art popped up over and over again, inspiring my hoarding side a little too easily.

I'm not sure if this entire "beneficial insect hotel" by Innovative Landscape Technologieswill someday appear as a stand-alone sculpture in my backyard but some of these cute little niches tucked away into fenceposts and corners do seem like a neat idea.

Other cool ideas from their garden included this neato musical deck and old picture frames used to highlight a specimen or provide support for plants.  Oh boy do I have a lot of raggedy old picture frames I could do this with...
Their garden also included a practical "rain garden" surrounding a ground drain that would sure be nicer than the old hose that currently drains my rainbarrel runoff down to the gravel alley.

I'm not sure if it this moves by wind or some kind of motor, but this "kinetic sculpture" in the WALP garden was particularly mesmerising and I have the sudden and unrealistic urge to try and build one myself

(she's right, you know - he would have).

Also in their garden: this fabulous giant rusty guitar and some nice stonework.

Cool, industrial metal parts decorated all corners, nooks and crannies

including this beautiful shape which I am guessing had been a scrap; just what was left between some real parts of some sort.

I end up with pieces of paper and cardboard all the time that suddenly become more interesting to me than the piece I had meant to cut out, and it makes me happy that someone else shares a similar appreciation for their own scraps.

Old wooden pallets have been having a great year.  They have been popping up on Pinterest as anything from clever wine storage and flat-files to narrow tiered planters (a variation of which I plan on constructing in my own yard this spring).  I even saw one in the marketplace built to the same specs as the one I saw in Apartment Therapy.  But this one, by Artistic Garden Concepts, is my new favorite use for a pallet:

Isn't this table fabulous?  The legs make it, but the pallet is cool!

Their romantic moonlit garden sat nestled under a twinkling, star-like canopy of vines and mini-lights twining through a pergola - this idea I love, too.

It set a perfect tone for the vignettes below.

 I am a real sucker for blue glass,

and they had me at "bottle tree"

but looking beyond the blue into Susan Browne Landscape Design's garden, I heard angels singing in the form of

a shed.

A magnificent little garden shed.

Just look inside.

No, really look in there.
And if that wasn't enough, later a bluegrass band played gently along right in front of it.  Awesome.

More of these fabulous little structures by Bob Bowling Rustics appeared around the show, be-still my junk-loving heart.

I could just live inside one.

I also like to think I could live inside this giant root...

...I believe Elandan Gardens may have used this amazing specimen in previous show displays, because I feel like I have photographed it before.

I'm always drawn to this kind of stuff; I can't get enough when it comes to twisty

curly

tangly

textury stuff like this.

Oh, hellow.

Fancy Plants Gardens created a magical moving "stream" with dry ice which I could have stared at all day.

All show gardens label their plants with the latin names but this was my favorite, also in their display, cute!

I'm going to have to copy this cute idea for marking plants.  I've tried it before with a sharpie but eventually the rock gets too dirty and wet to read and I lose it completely.  It appears they used a waterproof sealer on theirs.

Guess what?

Chicken butt.

Sorry.

I suppose natural forest-scapes are probably something you don't find so much in the other garden shows, but here in the woodsy Pacific Northwest we go nuts for this stuff.

I love this.

But that's not to say that we aren't all about our colorful, cultivated, magnificent and splendiferous florabundance that makes a garden show what it is.

What a great day I had.  I can't wait until spring.

Rock, Paper, Scissors and Pins.

Pretty pictures make me happy.

That about sums it up.

We visually oriented folks do love our eye-candy. Inspiration. Stimulation. Comfort.

The other day, I finally gave in and joined several friends who all claim to be dangerously addicted to Pinterest.  That in itself frightened me, the fear of addiction.  But it looked so fun.  Aren't those always the last words before plunging into the abyss?

I realized, not very far into the process of pinning and organizing, that it all felt very familiar - and I suppose this may be the case, although maybe not to the extent it is for me, with many other creative friends.
I have always collected pretty pictures.  Books, magazines, catalogs.  From the latter two, I've cut out things I found useful, inspirational, or just pretty enough to want to look at another day. Recipes. Decorating ideas. Garden tips and inspiration. Things I might want to remember how to draw someday.
Before Google Image Search, there was the free magazine exchange in the lobby of my local public library branch. Every subject matter I could ever possibly need to know how to draw was covered in my neighbors' wildly varying collections of donated periodicals. I would entertain myself in the evenings happily cutting out and filing reference pictures and weird goodies.
These images fill the oversized file-drawer in my big, old oak desk.  There was a time, long ago and far away, when I intended for each and every clipped item to someday go into a beautifully organized scrapbook or cookbook, but there's also something satisfying about the hunt when flipping through a folder. I know, I'm weird that way.
Some might see this as an unnecessary conglomeration of paper clutter taking up space. Especially now that with Pinterest, I can do same thing, only better - because each picture links back to its original source, opening up worlds of information and the possibility of finding more of the same. 

I am trying to be more efficient and resource-thrifty in this digital age, and am already dealing with the emotional and practical push-and-tug surrounding the slow-but-sure transition from my Big Black Book (really, the thing that has kept me upright and able to function for decades now) to the many amazing scheduling and organizing apps integrating my iPad, iPhone, and real world. 

I'm sure I will not stop finding snip-worthy pictures and goodies in paper form, and I'm not about to send my file collection to the recycling bin.  But I can't help being a little bit excited about finally discovering this time-sucking plaything I mean valuable resource for visual inspiration and networking.

Join me, will you?

What a Difference a Day Makes.

Thanks so much for all the nice comments about my funny little studio!

This one's especially for those of you who thought the desk shot was maybe a little too clean.  The day after the blog hop post went up, I was back to work messing it up again - here's a sloppily pieced-together panorama showing the spoils of the day, complete with the remains of 9 or 10 hours worth of snacks and beverages, tossed aside like bony carcasses in my den...

Flossie doesn't mind the mess, though. 

It's actually been (mostly) cleaned back up again since then.  It was the only way I could force myself to stop drawing and start scanning and photoshopping and portfolio-updating in order to be ready for Atlanta later this week!

There's No Place Like Home.

Welcome!

I'm starting the year with something new and different (for me, that is!). I've been invited to join an uber-talented group of artist friends in a fun blog hop.  We're touring everybody's studios, how fun is that?!  It's a virtual Open-Studio tour!

You get a fun peek inside the creative spaces of 11 (yes count 'em, 11) designing friends of mine (plus me, of course).  Just click on the names at the end of this post to tour each of their studios and visit their blogs, or simply use the forward/backward arrows (also after my post) to continue along the hop!

A special thank-you shout-out to our charming (and did I mention talented?) host, The Mr. Aaron Christensen of Aaron Christensen's Embellishments, for organizing this crazy party, and for creating the fabulous graphics you see at the beginning and end of this post.  Sooo . . . without further ad0, let the tour commence!

As they say on those celebrity home tours, "and this is where the magic happens."

In this case, the magic happens in a teeny tiny room in my teeny tiny house.  It's not glamorous, spacious, airy, or usually even tidy - but it's home.  It's where I spend my days, and often my nights.  It's where I create.

I paint.

I draw. 

I'm at the computer. 

It all happens right here.

Usually with a cat on my lap

(or inside my shirt)

and a dog at my feet.

If she's not on me, Flossie is in one of her many beds or perched on the printer, watching birds in the trees and the rest of the backyard.

One of my favorite quotations is the William Morris golden rule: "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."  Beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder and my other golden rule is my Granddad's credo:

...and like my Granddad and Granny were, I'm happiest when I'm surrounded by my treasures.  In a space this tiny, though, storage is at a premium.

If it's not organized, it may as well not exist.  As cluttered as it gets (and it does get cluttered) there is always order to this chaos.

Bolts of fabric, handmade items for Etsy, product samples, and a giant flat-file full of large originals and prints all live quietly and out of sight in in an ever so mysterious room at the bottom of the stairs. No one ever goes there but me (well, no one has ever lived to speak of it).

I used to dream of spreading my creative wings in a large, airy studio - the same as I longed for a large, airy kitchen.  But I've got to admit, there's something very comforting about having the things I need within my reach   
 

  

and the things I love within my sight.      

   
 
 

Because really, there's no place like home.

Ok, now I'll answer those burning questions I know you're asking yourself:

Q. Why the heck does she have a piece of carpet glued to her Wacom?

A. Because I'm one of those lefties who holds my hand all backwards and the left-side scrolly bars go bezerk when I draw if I don't keep them covered.

Q. Why would someone keep a framed photo of the Next Generation crew front-and-center in her workspace? Is she that huge of a geek?

A. Well, yes I probably am that huge of a geek, but that's actually a favorite photo of my dear old dad posing with cardboard cutouts at an air & space museum. He's the handsome one in the front, pointing and saying, "Make it so."

 

Thanks for visiting! Be sure to hop on over and visit my talented friends as they welcome in the New Year with their own Studio Tour:



Aaron Christensen

Barbara Johansen-Newman

Beth Logan (well, you're already here!)

Brenda Pinnick

J. Wecker-Frisch

Karen Embry

Paula Joerling

Phyllis Dobbs

Samantha Walker

Sharon Himes

Shelly Comiskey

Sue Zipkin

Magical.

When I was little, one of my favorite things was to draw under the Christmas tree.  I would lie on my belly for hours at a time all season long with a stack of paper, a pencil, and a sharpener, and just draw. Girls in fancy outfits with outrageously high platform heels, fairy tale characters, imaginary families who lived in extensive underground tunnels or inside trunks of giant trees.
I loved drawing by the warm glow of the tree lights, surrounded by the sparkle and the magic. I always loved to draw, but there was something extra special about this.

What is it that makes a Christmas tree so magical? It's illogical that such amazingly beautiful energy can come from a dead tree wrapped in electrical cords and covered in shiny stuff.  But there's no denying the magic.  I can even feel it taking our evening dog-walks through the neighborhood, soaking in the glow of others' trees from inside their homes.

Flossie, the ultimate love-sponge, will even forgo a comfortable lap to sit under it.

Part of it could be that rarely in life is there such a high concentration of things we love all in one small space - every single thing on there means something special.  It takes something pretty sturdy and powerful to carry that kind of energy on its branches.
Thanks, tree.

Wishing you all the best this holiday, with, of course, the highest concentration possible of things you love.  Merry Christmas everyone!

A New Way to Shop...

...for Beth Logan designs, that is.

I just launched the shiny new Artstuff Ltd. Store on Zazzle (insert fanfare music here, ta-dah)!

Many of you already know about Zazzle - for those who don't, you should definitely check it out.  This is a great way for me to offer products and designs that aren't already out there in the marketplace.  I'm really excited about this! 

The Artstuff Ltd. Store has gallery-wrapped canvas wall art, t-shirts, bags, mugs, and more.  I'm still just figuring the whole thing out but will be adding lots more throughout the holiday shopping season, including a special holiday-themed shop-within-a-shop.

I'm especially excited about these:

How cool is that?  Hard-shell covers for your devices with my art on them!

I hope you'll pop on over and see what's cooking; "like" the store (you'll see that familiar little thumbs-up button!) and please give me your feedback and thoughts on things you'd like to see me offer there or other suggestions. I'd appreciate it!

And I do hope your holiday season is off to a happy start, ho ho ho!

Good Day to Stay Inside.

It's just not very inviting out there.

 
I mean, look at it. Yuck.

 
I've been painting at my desk with a cat in my lap all day.  What have you been doing to stay warm and dry?

Art Imitates Cat.

So this one might fall under the "better late than never" category, and I suppose I ought to apologize for that.  But you know how sometimes you set little goals and to-do lists for yourself in a certain order of how you believe they need to happen, but one tiny detail holds you up for some silly reason and then the whole process falls apart and the entire thing hangs dangerously on the edge of never getting accomplished, ever? 

Oh.  No, it's just me? 

Ok then, never mind.

Anyhoo, as many of you already know (no thanks to me!) The Cat's Meow has been in quilt shops for months now . . . you can still find it here and there on the web, and even some cute quilt patterns here, here, and here.  And finally (fanfare, drumroll, ta dat dat dat da!) I have yardage available in my Etsy shop.

Those of you paying close attention will also recognize some of the kitties in this group from greeting cards you might have seen in everybody's favorite gourmet discount grocer, or here on my blog (or Flossie's!).

Most of you are already familiar with my constant studio companion and muse - but did you realize that every single kitty in the collection is modeled by Miss Flossie herself?  This isn't the first time Flossie has inspired a fabric group, so I suppose it's not surprising that when Harriet from Henry Glass came to me last year to brainstorm about a cat-themed group, I went straight to my "used pictures from Flossie's blog" file folder and started sketching (these are just a few of the inspiration-photos straight from Flossie's blog).

  

  

 

 

 
And all 10 of these kitty pictures are still available as prints in my Etsy shop!

Fitting, but not at all unsual, HRH herself is cuddled up in a blankie on my lap right now, overseeing the writing of this post.

Sparkly Halloween Greetings!

Happy Halloween Weekend everybody!

You know how excited and gushy I get over a few sparkles.  I just can't help myself.
Well my pals over at Leanin' Tree have done it again, they've made another super-cute card with my art and then they added sparkles, quite possibly, just to make me gush about them a little harder.
Or it could be because their design team just knows how to make a lovely product with attractive special touches.  Either way.
Really this card is even sparklier and cuter in person!  Oh, and did I mention?  You can purchase it right here!

Things That Make Me Smile: Vacation Edition

Dog walks every morning and afternoon are an every-day attitude adjustment around here, but on the beach, forgetaboutit.  It turns into an ear-to-ear grinning until my cheeks hurt thing.

At the beach, little things become fun events.

Some birds.
A boat.
A pattern.

The perfect latte in the morning is enough to bring a smile to my famously-grouchy-morning-lips (yes, we actually pack up the Breville and take it to the cabin) but it's even more fun when I pull a random mug from the cupboard and realize it's designed by my talented friend BJ Lantz!
Her cute beach design made me smile every morning (those who know me well will attest, this is a tall order).

And finally, 2 weeks of perfect sunsets, how can that not make someone smile?

Musical Inspiration

I realize I am super-crazy-lucky to be able to have this job and I am grateful every single day that they let me draw pictures for a living, but the only downside is that I rarely create just for the fun of it.  My brain has become so conditioned to create on schedule and per the needs of my clients, that it can be a real challenge to step outside that box and do what comes naturally to my creative soul.

The last few years I have tried to more dilligently keep a just for fun sketchbook (one that doesn't focus on trends or what my clients will need next) and on rare occasions I play along with Illustration Friday, but too often I only create for fun when I'm officially "on vacation".

Since I usually create mostly in watercolor and colored pencil, it helps with the reminding-me-this-is-for-fun-and-not-work thing to try something different.  Those paying super-close attention might remember that last year I had a blast playing with Paperclay and acrylic paints on vacation.

This year I had all those amazing beads, and tried my hand at making my own jewelry for the first time in decades.  I sort of had no idea what I was doing; there was an awful lot of un-and-re-stringing and wire-breaking explosions of beads flying in every direction and enough swearing that at one point Husband Guy asked me if I was actually having fun.  I was.  I totally was. 

I call this one my Guarded by Monkeys necklace, the little monkey-charms hang around the whole thing.

I pulled out the acrylics and this time, painted a few pieces on paper.  Somehow, in all these years of making art, I've never put acrylics on paper before.  Don't ask, I have no idea why.  It was fun, too; the paper got real canvassy and soft - I liked it a lot.  An Elton John song came on while I was painting this one, and it naturally became part of the piece.
Where do you get your inspiration?

Vacation Inspiration

Finally going through my photos from last month's amazingly restful, absolutely-perfect-in-every-way vacation at the beach, I was struck by the colors and suddenly needed to play Brenda Pinnick's fun color-palette game again (ok, maybe it's not supposed to be a game, but those of you who dig colors like I do understand exactly why I think it is).

From the subtle foggy morning shades on through that crazy-dramatic changes-every-few-seconds sunset smorgasboard of color, I'm now finding even more inspiration in my simple little shots of the beach...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sunset Lodge Wedding Quilt

This one is a beauty, isn't it?  A lovely lady named Naida created this quilt with my Sunset Lodge flannel fabric for a wedding present for her grandson and his bride.

The folks at Henry Glass got us in touch when Naida was in a panic without the yardage necessary to finish her project - and it wasn't available elsewhere. Fortunately I had what she needed and the quilt was finished just in time to get it to her long-arm quilter with a couple weeks to spare (!) to get the binding finished before the wedding!

Naida was nice enough to share this picture of the top before the quilt was finished - this is a big one, folks; it took 2 people holding it over the edge of a second-story deck and another with the camera to get a shot of the whole thing (thanks to Naida's helpers for this!). 

What an amazing gift!  I'm sure this beautiful piece will be treasured for generations to come.  And if you'd like to see a larger picture, head over to my Facebook Page!

For All the Lodge-y Babies Out There...

It's always fun to see what creative people do with my fabrics, and here's one I might have never known about if it wasn't for my good friend Sue.  Last month while vacationing at the gorgeous Mohonk Mountain House she stumbled on these little beauties in the gift shop.
Tuthilltown Tots creates beautifully made little baby gift sets: cute bibs, little hooded towels, and "Boo-Boo Animals" (little washcloth guys!) and this set features some of my Lodge fabric from last year.
What a perfect match, don't you think?
Thanks so much Sue for sharing these pictures!

They Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Chocolate.

I recently discovered something wonderful.  Ok, I didn't actually discover it myself, I stumbled on a link on Pioneer Woman's cooking blog.  But I am in love with it.  A website that combines 2 of my favorite things in the world:

They Draw and Cook.

For decades I've been fantasizing about creating a fun illustrated cookbook.  Or four.  Or seven.  But, like many creative fantasies, they've never made it past the sketch-and-outline-and-take-lots-of-notes stage. 

Yet. 

Some of you might not know that in my life before Art Licensing, I cooked, managed kitchens, and catered; discovering and inventing new recipes has always been a favorite hobby.

Although, admittedly, these days my foodie-ism doesn't often go far beyond becoming distracted with a project here in the studio, subconsciously opening the Interwebs and trawling Tastespotting until I find myself mysteriously teleported to the open refrigerator, where I stare blankly into the steamy brightness searching for a single item I can douse with BaconSalt and shove into my piehole before returning to the project from which I was originally distracted.

I used to cook for a living and dream of drawing.  I now draw for a living and dream of cooking. Why not combine the two? Duh.

This website is just way too fun and I have developed a serious internet-crush on it.  And one of these days, I will have to force myself back beyond the single-item-with-BaconSalt creative rut and make some real food, and art, to submit myself.  Once again, I will keep you posted.

In the mean time, go check it out and enjoy the fun illustrations and cool recipes that are on there now!

Bon appetit!

When Divine Intervention is Necessary.

Sometimes, it's the only thing that's going to work.  You ever have weeks like that?

Beadaliciousness.

This weekend I got to spend a wonderful afternoon with my good friend Elizabeth, and explore an amazing place I'd never been before: Shipwreck Beads.  All I can say is wow.

Imagine the size of a sprawling suburban supermarket. Now imagine that every aisle and every wall in that supermarket are filled with beads.  Only beads.  Well, throw in a little chain and wire and fasten-y things and a few tools, but other than that, only beads.  My inner crow nearly exploded from the shimmery sparkliness.
Walls of beads.

No, really - stand back and look at the wall of beads.  Floor to ceiling.
Fancy stone beads, silly plastic beads, and everything in between.  From keep-in-a-locked-glass-case beads to throw-at-Mardi-Gras beads.  Oh my.
Hung in strands and organized into tiny drawers.
Everything you could ever dream of.  I mean, if you dreamed of beads.

You push around a large flat cart full of old-fashioned school-lunch trays to organize all your tiny pieces.  Oh, the tiny pieces.
You need a couple hours to deal with the mesmirising overwhelmity of it all.  We took that time, wandered, played, imagined, and did some serious shopping. 

I learned that you overhear some of the most amusing conversations in a giant bead store.  Cute things kids say, funny things creative partners discuss - really the audio entertainment almost rivals the visual feast at times.

A surprising number of those conversations included something to the effect of, "well, yes, Michaels does have those too, but they are cheaper here." which was sort of dangerous, because every time my brain processed the words "cheaper here" spoken by a stranger in my vicinity, my unconscious bargain reflex would cause my hand to spontaneously grab something off a shelf and throw it onto my cart.  The result was - um - maybe buying a tiny bit more than anticipated (she muttered sheepishly).
The afternoon with a good friend was way overdue, and the creative excitement from the sparkly goodness - it all left me smiling all the way through to my core.  Good stuff.
Um, guess what colors I like?

I plan on spending some quality time with these goodies when I go on vacation in a few weeks.  I'll keep you posted!

Goodies and Snacks

Well, goodies of the greeting card variety.

Once again, you'll find a few of my card designs just around the corner from your Two Buck Chuck! This season I've got 4 in the mix:
There's a birthday card, a friendship card, a get-well card, and a blank one.  All printed with soy-based inks on a nice heavily-textured recycled stock.  It looks a lot like the watercolor paper I like to paint on, so it's a perfect fit! They really do sell nice quality cards for a great value, not unlike the rest of the yummy products the store is so famous for.
Like my favorite super-addictive crunchy salty snacky roasted seaweed, mmm.  Salty and crunchy has always been my weakness, and this stuff - wow.  Seriously just as satisfying as a big old fatty bag of greasy chips.  I would not lie to you about something as serious as salty snacks.  This funny looking green stuff satisfies.  Oh yeah.
Anyway, I strongly suggest you pick some up.  Oh, and some cards, too, while they last!

Show And Tell

One of my favorite things about getting to do this for a living is seeing where my art finally ends up - from a few coasters on an end-table or a picture on someone's wall to amazing creations that talented folks sew and craft with my fabrics and scrapbooking supplies.

Because it's always rewarding to get to see when your babies find good homes.

And each little product with my designs on it is just that - my babies.

Whenever I get a chance, I'll share them here on my blog, but too often I don't get around to blogging as often as I'd like, and pictures or links to neato stuff gets sort of buried in my "stuff to blog someday" folder.  So to simplify things a bit, now in addition to every-now-and-again blog posts where I share these fun things, I'm starting a new photo album on my Facebook Page for this specific purpose - just for show-and-tell.
2 very attractive models show off matching gardening aprons made from my April Showers panel by Henry Glass.

If you've sewn something with any of my fabrics, crafted with my scrapbook designs, or if you've just got a really cute corner of your home where you've incorporated my art in some way, I would love to see - and share - pictures of that.  Please feel free to drop me a line and share a photo or a link, I'd love to hear from you and see what you've been up to!

In the meantime, check out a few of the projects already in the album.  I'll be adding more as I dig up photos that nice people have sent me over the years (and find folks to make sure I have permission to share on The Interwebs!) so stay tuned!

Sorry About This, But...

...I apologize in advance.

It's an every-summer pet-peeve of mine, and usually starts about this time of year.  We're finally starting to enjoy a little bit of warm weather here in the Pacific Northwest, my Surtex follow-up projects are finally winding down, I can finally start to enjoy my now-in-full-bloom garden and possibly even look forward to a little vacation - and they start.

"Back To School!"

I cringe, every time.  And it just gets louder, and more persistent.  Sales and events and specials, all created for the sole purpose of reminding me how fleeting this warm and happy little season is.

Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of Fall.  And sweaters.  And pretty colored turning leaves.  And squash.  Stuff like that.  I can think of a gazillion reasons I love the season.  But for now, really, I'd rather not think about anything but cheerfully chirping birds and delicate fluttering butterflies and warm sun on my face.  Aaaahhhh, summer.

But (sigh) this is why I'm apologizing:

I can't wait to show you this, because by the time I'm ready to accept fall- and school-themed subject matter, they could be all gone.

 If you follow my Facebook page, you have already seen these.  But when I posted that link I hadn't seen the actual product in-person yet - and once again - oh my gosh - I couldn't be happier with the amazing quality and great design, thanks to the nice folks at Publications International (New Seasons).  Broken-record time: I loooohoove what they do with my art!
What a great product; it couldn't be simpler to save and document your child's memorable years at school to cherish forever and ever.  

From preschool to graduation, there's room for every proud and happy moment.
There are pages and pages of pockets for report cards, special papers and projects, and mementos.
Cutely-designed pages with templates for special pictures and for journaling and documenting memories.
Each year a new school photo is added into the little inserts in the front cover.
And you can find this great product at a Costco near you right now!  They might be in the office-supply aisle, but many stores are displaying them on their own pallet in the books section, or near the front of the store.  I hear they are going like hotcakes, that's why I wanted to let you know as soon as possible.

Even though it interrupted summer, just a little bit.

Now let's all return to our previously-scheduled not-thinking-about-fall-yet summertime activitites, already in progress.

'Nuff Said.

 
 
 

Hope you're all having a lovely holiday weekend.

It's Officially Summer!

And you know what that means in much of the Art Licensing world:

Christmas!

Those of you paying really, really close attention might even remember what I was working on last summer (bonus points duly awarded).  And now this summer I can finally share with you what that was all about.
Many of you already know about my genetic obsession with Christmas and decorating for the holidays.  My Granddad actually designed and built their family home with holiday decorating and enteraining large groups in mind.  The place was a wonderland from November to January, the hum of his little handmade motors buzzing quietly in the background as festive figurines danced, angels flew, snowflakes fell; whatever Granddad could imagine some crazy little decoration might do to make it more interesting, he figured out a way to wire and mechanize it somehow.  The whole place moved, glowed, blinked . . . it was truly magical in every way.
And there were elves.  Lots of elves.  Everywhere.  I suppose this, along with the fact that grownups like to tell little children that Santa's elves are "always watching" had a lot to do with my recurring childhood nightmare that creepy little beings were hiding in the tree outside my bedroom window watching me while I slept.  But that's another issue for another day.  Many of those elves live with me now, and we're all quite happy and peaceful about it.
One Crazy Christmas Eve is a super fun holiday collection full of sweet, friendly elves (not stalkerish at all, really) and oodles of retro style inspired by the decorations we grew up with.
If you follow my Facebook page you probably already know this, but the group is now available at The Fat Quarter Shop (and was featured on their own Facebook page last week).
I can't wait
to make something
with this...
But wait, it gets better: there's actually a storybook in this one.  No really, a for-real storybook!  Harriet, one of the amazingly creative designers I work with at Henry Glass, wrote the cleverest Christmas story especially for this (what fun this was to illustrate!) and there's a 1-yard panel with the book pages and instructions for sewing your own soft-book!  How cool is that?
Um, Flossie, I'm trying to show the people what the book panel looks like.
Please?
On the Henry Glass website there's even a neato quilt pattern - just click "New Free Projects" to download the PDF.
So, in the spirit of the season, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good summer!  Enjoy!

First Day Home from NY

...and all is well.
The show was fabulous for me but oh my, I was glad to be home and have that part of my year behind me.  The first day back home again was, wow ... probably in the running for my favorite day of the year so far.  Most of it spent right here, starting what follow-up work I could accomplish on my lap, but mostly just petting furry animals and watching the grass grow (and grow, and grow...).
I did, however, forget that day what sun actually does and ended up with a strange little sunburn, only on one leg + the other ankle.  I was just so beside myself with warmth and fresh air, it had been so long since I enjoyed either.

Although the clouds rolled back in and I have been more than busy here inside, I have since pulled the dusty old bottle of sunblock out of storage for next time. 

Here's to a summer that requires lots of sunscreen...

New York Minute (Plus Extra Bonus Surtex Advice)

Hey there Blog Pals!  Look what I just found, a post I had written a month or so before Surtex. 

Normally I would say something shiny must have caught my eye to draw my attention from this and cause me to forget it, but in the month leading up to the show, it doesn't even take shiny objects.  Could have been anything.  Piece of dust, a hiccup, a loose eyelash, who knows. 

Anyway, here you go, a couple months later:

 

I've been traveling to New York for the Surtex show every May since 2000.  So long now that many of my family and friends have stopped calling it Zyrtec or Syntax or Snorkel or Merkin, and actually remember, and can say, its correct name.  Not all, but many.

As my annual pilgrimage Eastward looms nearer, I am reminded of some of my favorite little moments from past shows.  Not the kind I usually share with you here on my blog, but those odd little private moments that most likely, only I appreciate.

Just last year, this memory is still quite fresh: I found my Happy Place, for about 3 minutes until I was called back to my booth.
I cannot disclose the ultra-top-secret super-hidey don't-even-try-to-find-it location, but oh my word that was an amazing bagel. 

Or there was this pearl from 2006.  Next to my booth was an alcove left empty for the fire-extinguisher.  At some point during the show, a folding chair appeared.  This particular day was bustling and noisy, but this gentleman managed to sleep rather soundly in the hard little chair for about 45 minutes. 

Another favorite chair-related moment, this one walking back to the hotel after the last day of the show in 2007.  A priceless little still-life on West 34th Street.
God I love New York.

You get extra points for today if you remember my little friend Ibbs.  He is actually a useful and practical Bucky neck-pillow that I take with me on airplanes.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
But that face, gosh how it makes me smile when I get back to the room after a long flight, or even longer day at the show.  I just can't help it.

And speaking of long days, the following is still in the running as one of the longest in my entire life:

3 or 4 years ago, on set-up day. 

Sloshed through the streets with a hand-truck in some kind of crazy out-of-nowhere monsoon, after finding out the main Manhattan FedEx office where I'd shipped my displays had recently moved from its convenient location across the street from Javits Center to 11 blocks north.

Good times.

Crossing streets that were literally underwater.  Actual rivers with cars driving through them.

Soaked to the bone (you should have seen the looks on their faces when I splashed through the door of the FedEx office like a soggy dish-rag).

Dried off some during the long hours that followed, setting up my booth.

Exhausted and starving at the end of the day, I could not decide which desperate urge was stronger, so I multitasked.
I am not sure I have ever had a more satisfying slice or a more comforting, refreshing bath.

This time of year, the old Interwebs is bursting at the seams with Surtex advice: new exhibitors looking for it, and seasoned ones giving it.

Although he may not appreciate me sharing this here on my blog (but here I go anyway) I believe Husband-Guy has the all-time-best-bottom-line-Surtex-advice-ever.

A few years ago, it was that usual last-day-afternoon-lull after what had been a very busy show for us.  We finally had a moment to breathe, and he left the booth to walk around and take a peek at the rest of the hall for the first time.  When he came back, he said, "I have 2 pieces of important advice for anyone exhibiting at Surtex: 1. Always have a smile on your face, I don't care how miserable you feel, and 2. Never, ever sit in your booth like you're sitting on the toilet."

Since then, I have been too often reminded when walking the aisles exactly what he was talking about.  It's impossible to never be caught off-guard while "on-display" at a trade-show.  You can't get lipstick off your teeth without making a horrible face.  People yawn.  Heads itch.  Clothing scoots out-of-whack and requires adjustment.  All this happens under those bright lights in a 10' cube, we've all had that sheepish look on our face at one time or another when we realize it's happening.

On busy days with no time for an actual lunch-break, I've been approached more than once having just stolen a bite of something big, chewy, messy, or God-forbid all those things at once, from behind my booth-table.  Actually, doing so pretty much guarantees that the incredibly important person (or group of people) you've been dying to meet with will pop in at that exact moment. 

And many will falter, just for a second: you take a deep breath, lower your head, rest your elbows on your maybe-too-widely spread-apart knees, and forget where you are, even if just for a split-second.  You may not notice in your periphery that someone is passing your booth, and if you could see the look on their face you would be painfully aware that it says,"ew, that guy looks like he's sitting on a toilet." and you can be sure that they do not want to see what fabulous art you are showing on your now might-as-well-be bathroom walls, they are going to dart away quickly, trying their hardest to erase that image from their brain forever and ever.

The highs at Surtex, or any show, are supercrazyhigh.  The absolute exhileration of making deals, brainstorming projects and collections, compliments flying every which way - the excitement is amazing.  This is why we pay the big bucks, it's what we've been leading up to all year.  There's nothing like it.  But between those highs are moments that can feel endless and tortuous in comparison.  For those of you new to the show: be prepared with incredible endurance, patience, and thick skin that you never imagined necessary.  Really, you'll need it.  I don't care who you are, you will.

But don't forget to enjoy those moments, those odd little private moments that most likely, only you will appreciate.

Don't forget those during this busy preparation time, either.  Stop and breathe.  Take a walk.  Smell the flowers.  Listen to music you love.  Light a calming candle.  But if you do, never, ever, ever, EVER do this:

(yes, you're really seeing that).
And that, my friends, is the single best piece of advice I can ever give you: "don't set your art on fire" (unless, of course, you are a conceptual artist and fire is part of the piece itself and you have all safety issues under complete control - other than that, don't do it).

Still Here...

...sorry for the echo.

I actually do have lots I'd like to share, and will be catching up with all that soon.
Been busy as, well, this guy who I stalked long enough in the garden yesterday that he finally got fed up and rushed me (yes, I did my lovely and graceful there's-a-bee-after-me dance, ok even more impressive, my even lovelier there's-a-hornet-after-me dance with extra hopping and arm-waving).
Back soon!