blog spotlight: Sandra Juto

How was your holiday? Hopefully you got some time to relax in between the ciaos. Well, life has been hectic for my sweetie and I. I don't think we have slept more than two nights in the same bed. It has been exhausting and good visiting with family and friends. I do have a ton of work to do for the Printsource show in January and trying to find the time and motivation to sit in front of a computer and do work is very difficult!

Moving on....keeping with my promise of "Monday's blog spotlight" I am posting another inspiring person. Today is photographer, illustrator and knitter Sandra Juto. What I like about her photography is her simplicity. Her photos are clear and honest, giving me a glimpse into her life in Sweden. She makes me look at color and shapes of ordinary objects in a way I never have before. I find her photos so calming. What do you think?

To see more of Sandra's work click on any of the links below:

www.sandrajuto.com/blog/
www.sandrajuto.bigcartel.com
www.sandrajuto.com/

from me to you.

May your holiday is filled with peace, laughter & good memories.

blog spotlight: Anahata Katkin

Hello! Can you believe this week is Christmas! There is so much going on and my head is spinning with ideas and inspiration. Of course, there is no time to create as we have been spending so much time driving from one house to the next to visit with family and catch up with friends. Fortunately, my jet lag is allowing me a few hours every morning to get some drawing in before everyone gets up. The bad thing-by 8pm I am passed out on the couch.

I have been thinking about resolutions and what lies ahead in 2010. So much has happened in the past year that I can only imagine what the next year will bring. In an attempt to start early with my resolutions....I have decided try to structure my blog a bit better. Monday's will be the day when I spotlight blogs and websites. I spend so much time being inspired by things I find on the Internet that I thought I would share with you some of the interesting people that inspire me.

So, lets get started. I thought it would be great to start with my favorite...Anahata Katkin. What I love about her work is her use of color and collage. Her paintings as well as digital work are interesting with layer built upon layer of handwork and photos.

One of the first things I blogged about was fear and creativity. I posted Anahata's "THE CREATIVE PROCESS: Working with the 5 stages to overcome Creative Resistance". Click HERE to read. She offers workshops that sounds so interesting. Someday I will go. For now I will explore her websites and blogs...

http://anahataart.com
http://anahata.typepad.com

http://www.papayablog.com

What do you think? Do you like her work? Who is your favorite artist? I am always looking for interesting websites and blogs. Please send me your favorites!

fire and blueberry tea.

Let me begin by apologizing for not being so good about blogging. It has been a tiring, exciting and successful two weeks. 6 Bazaars and I am finally finished! My notebooks were well received and the Christmas cards sold like hotcakes...although I still have a few left. So, thank you for all your suggestions and pats on the back. It is much appreciated and it was very needed!!

Since the shows are over I can finally sit and think about everything else going on in my life...like...I leave for the USA on Thursday! It has been 15 months since we have seen our families. At times it feels like we just saw them yesterday and at other times it feels like years. I am excited and nervous. What will it feel like to be back home...and what will it feel like to leave again. Will my new home in Budapest that I have grown to love so much still feel like home when I return?

I will be home (Ohio) for three weeks and then I head to New York for a week! There is a big print show that I will be attending. I will tell you more about that later.

You can count on no more posts for this week. There is too much packing and getting ready. And on top of it, I am sick. So, for now I am going to enjoy my cup of tea and the great fire I built and start my list of things I need to work on.

Until next week cheers and stay warm!

my awesome fire-I am so proud of myself!

last of the holiday fairs

The final round of shows are this week...and I am exhausted! I leave for the United States next week and definitely need a day off.

If you are around town and need to buy a last minute stocking stuffer or Christmas card swing by and say hello!

Friday

• American School Holiday Fair (time: 9:00-13:00)

Sunday

• WAMP at Godor (time: 10:00-18:00)

FOR SALE: Christmas cards, greeting cards, magnets, notebooks and silk pillows. ( Please note there will be no pillows for sale at WAMP)

landprint

How cool is this!

Click on the photo below to read more!

The aim of the Landprint project is to reproduce subtle patterns and photos by combining various species of plants with programmed robotics.

this weekends schedule of shows and fairs

It just occurred to me that in the midst of being Santa and working on projects I forgot to update you on the shows this weekend! If you are in Budapest you can find me or my work at any of these events:

Today (Saturday):

• French School Holiday Fair (time: 10:00-14:00)Look for my work at the Once Upon a Tutu table. And while your there take a look at the cute tutus (great for the holidays!) and their packaging:)

• British International School Holiday Bazaar (time: 12:30-16:00)

Tomorrow (Sunday)

• WAMP at Godor (time: 10:00-18:00)

FOR SALE: Christmas cards, greeting cards, magnets, notebooks and silk pillows. ( Please note there will be no pillows for sale at WAMP)

finding the spirit of Christmas in a smile

A short post that has nothing to do about design, art or creativity. All about the gift of a smile.

A great day being spent with my friends from NAWA, dressing up like Santa delivering gifts and singing Christmas carols to Hungarian seniors.

breaking through (my) "bah-humbug"

the cutest ladies sharing the spirit of ChristmasSanta and NAWA friendsThank you NAWA friends for letting me be Santa.

Printa Akadémia

Since the day I arrived in Budapest, I have been researching and asking about what printing capabilities are available..."none" is the answer I receive. The country use to have many printers but with Asia producing products at such a cheap cost, Hungary can not compete.

I would love to create a small production run of fabric-say 50 meters. Small and affordable-this is almost impossible! (FYI: to print fabric with most printers you need to print a minimum of 1000 meters (1093 yards!). I know digital printing is possible but it is still very $expensive$. I am currently selling pillows that were digitally printed on Etsy and the pillows actually cost me more than what I am selling them for! I digress...

I received an email from a friend last week announcing a store opening she heard about. I just stopped by the opening not really knowing what to expect. I knew I found the place when I saw this from down the street.

Printa Akadémia

1075 Budapest, Rumbach Sebestyén utca 1ö.
www.printa.hu

Printa Akadémia is multifunctional ‘concept store’, a combo of a gallery, a workshop academy, a store and a café. They aim to promote print and paper-based art to popularize eco-friendly design.

Their workshops provide an ideal forum for designers and artists to cooperate and share novel ideas in the field of environmentally-friendly, socially-aware art.

Could this be the possible small run production set up I have been looking for? I don't think they can print yards of fabric but maybe they have future plans? maybe I can plant a seed in somone's head:)

When I walked inside to the opening I was so happy to see familiar equipment. I was hoping to talk to someone but it was so crowded! I have a gut feeling that this place is going to do well!

I plan to pop back into the gallery in the new year and hopefully learn more about what they offer. When I do I will let you know what I find out.

4 color print press-great for t-shirts and paper!

I have no idea what this is but I really want to learn!

If you have any information on possible small run printers in Eastern Europe please contact me!

Vienna and the Christmas Markets

We went to Vienna twice in the past two weeks. We stumbled upon a Christmas market the first time. The second time we went with the intention of exploring in much more detail. These photos are when we stumbled upon the market the first time. I think this must have been the first weekend it opened. Look at the amount of people!

You need an ornament? There is no shortage in Vienna!The best part of the Christmas markets...Glühwein

the ateliers of Chanel

You may not this, my major in college was actually fashion design. I was in a program where we were encouraged to think creatively and then figure out how to make what we imagined. I learned to draft flat patterns and drape fabric. For 5 years I sketched, drafted and draped and then cut and sewed, manipulated and fitted. I learned so much! I think maybe my love for learning the process on how things were made developed in college. I loved watching the transition of a drawing of an idea and then seeing it on a model walking down the runway. It was a very magical experience.

I discovered today that Chanel is releasing 13 short videos on the talents of their ateliers. Karl Lagerfeld founded Métiers d’Arts in 2002 because he wanted the talents of Chanel’s specialist ateliers, of which there are seven, to be showcased. These videos are fantastic! Especially Episode 6!

Watching these ladies work makes my heart skip a beat. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Click here to watch Episode 6.

let the shows begin

Beginning this Wednesday (November 25) the holiday fairs and bazaars begin! Between now and Dec 13 you can find me at seven different fairs.

The first is the IWC (Interntional Women's Association) Holiday Bazaar at the Marriott! From 10:00 - 2:00 you can find a variety of vendors offering great items for gift giving!

I will be there launching my new Christmas card collection! Come by and say hello!

Click on the image below to enlarge the photo and read the details.

Széchenyi Philanthropic Society

I took on a project recently to design a logo for a charity in Hungary. Charitable giving is not customary in Hungary. The goal was to design a logo that was sophisticated and appealed to Hungarians.

I was inspired by the traditional fleur-de-lis and a Hungarian folk flowers. The red and green are colors from the Hungarian flag.

What do you think?

book review: Illusive: Contemporary Illustration and its Context:2

I bought the most fantastic book - "Illusive: Contemporary Illustration and its Context:2". I spent a number of hours already being inspired by the pages and pages of amazing illustrators represented in this book. You can count on a few blog posts about some of the illustrators I am learning about. For now check out the photos below as a teaser! Click on the names and it will take you to their websites.

Anja Kröncke

Forever Young, Ella Tjader, Lapin, Silja Goetz

Julie West

mother nature's color palette

I have been buried in work and haven't had much time to post. Not to mention I bought a new book on illustration that I just can't seem to get my head out of. Pictures and more about the book soon.....

Until then...I bought some flowers. You cannot tell from these pictures but the center is lime green and the petals are a dark red. I love the color combination nature comes up with. She never goes wrong.

"Exciting World of Pattern Design"

"Exciting World of Pattern Design" by Zeixs is finally out! !AND! I am so excited to announce that you can find me in the book! I submitted designs awhile ago and never heard back. I assumed I didn't make the cut...then I got an email with an advertisement for the book. As I was paging through the "preview pages" I let out a scream of shock when I saw my pillow and photo!

I ordered the book and am anxiously awaiting its arrival!

Click here to go to the website and order the book.

Diane Kappa :)

other designers that are in the book

I am unsure of the names and apologize for not being able to give credit.

Design 5 Seventy-One

My friend Shawna over at Design 5 Seventy-One just posted a great blog called "Goodnight Sweetheart". Tons of inspirational photos of bedding and pillows, not to mention a pillow by yours truly:) Check it out by clicking on the logo below.

charlotte mann

I read an article awhile ago about an artist named Charlotte Mann. Since then I keep seeing her work in design magazines. I really love the magic she creates with black markers and white wall! Check out her website by click here.

phot0 credit: Elle Decoration March 2009

a little piece of heaven

We headed to Csákberény for the weekend. I blogged about this little piece of heaven back in June. It is truly amazing how the weeks tension just dissolves as you ride further away from the city. Two days of relaxing, picking sloe's and visiting with friends is just what the soul needed. It was rainy and cold and the fireplace was warm and toasty...a great weekend!
Thank you Catherine for a great weekend!

Picking sloe's and rose-hips with Catherine and Meg

A beautiful view taking during a hike.
Gathering of leaves and discussing the colors of nature.
Hot soup to warm us up.

A surprise visit with Laci Bácsi
Laci = László
Bácsi = uncle
Laci Bácsi = "uncle László"
Tasting his homemade wine and enjoying his smile.
A reminder of why I have fallen in love with Hungary.

once upon a tutu

A few months ago while participating in a show, I meet two ladies who sold handmade tutus and hair bows for little girls. The name of their collection caught my eye "Once Upon a Tutu". They liked my colors and patterns, I liked their tutus and their brightly colored table. It was a perfect match.

Six months later, I created their logo and packaging, and we have become great friends.

We just picked everything up from the printer. I can not wait to see the packaging with the bows attached to the cards! I will be photographing everything soon. Until then here is a teaser...

focused and free

The past two days I have been gotten so much done! Why is it some days I can not focus and am so antsy. Other days I can work 12 hours and not feel tired at all at the end. Yesterday was one of those productive days. Even today-oversleeping a bit-I have gotten more done in the past 4 hours than I did all of last week! Maybe its the weather? It has been so cold and dark that lighting a few candles, making a hot post of tea and putting on some good tunes has really got me focused.

Wish me luck for a full week of productivity!

Is the cold dark weather helping you focus? Or do you just want to cuddle up with a warm blanket and take a nap?

Bazaars and Fairs

Cards printed...check.
Notebooks made...check.
Magnets stocked...check.
Pillows fluffed...check.
Display ready...check.
Booths reserved at shows...check.
Now I wait!

Show Schedule:

• November 25: IWC & NAWA Holiday Bazaar at the Marriott

• December 5: British School Christmas Bazaar

• Decmber 5: French School Christmas Fair (I will not be at this one but my cards, notebooks and magnets will be-check out the Once Upon A Tutu table! :)

• December 6: WAMP at Godor

• Decmber 13: WAMP at Godor

I picked up my new display and all the cards yesterday.
I am very happy with how it looks!

google banner

Do you have a Google homepage? Did you know you can have a theme run across the top? You can now upload one of my designs as a theme!

How to:

1. Click on the right hand side of your Google homepage where it says "change theme".
2. Next type in "Dahlia Garden". The below image will appear.
3. Click "Add it Now".

fall inspiration

Since we moved a year ago I have been so bad about exercise. I promised myself that starting yesterday I would walk or do yoga for one hour every day-it is necessary for my creative spirit! It is not much to ask but why is it so hard to stick to? Those of you who knew me in Seattle know that everyday at noon-you would see me in the elevator at work with my yoga mat under my arm. It was my religion! Why is it so hard then to keep it up now? Well, I have the good intentions to turn it into a daily habit again.

Yesterday was a perfect day to this new ritual! The weather was absolutely beautiful! Cool breeze, warm sun and the sound of leaves crunching as I walked to the park. I put my camera into my pocket and snapped a few photos along the way. Enjoy.