whoMi?

Sorry I haven't been around in over a week. I think I jinxed myself with the last post....it has been raining nonstop. Grrr....

On a brighter note...I thought I would let you see a little project that has been in the works. Madison Park Group (who owns Ipop-my magnets) now owns whoMi. WhoMi is a line of agendas, calenders and note pads. My friend Khristian Howell sent me these photos from the NY Stationery Show.

I had not seen the products yet but I knew they were in the works! How exciting is this! Thanks Khristian for being my eyes!

shadows of hope

We have had what feels like weeks of rain...hard thunder and lighting. Strong winds, horizontal rain and flooding. Wool sweater, leather boots and scarf kind of weather...in May!

Finally I see hope between the thunderstorms.

I am heading to a photo shoot in an hour. I am a bit nervous. I will be having some portraits done as well as pictures of me painting and drawing. Wish me luck. Hopefully I can look relaxed and casual. I will share the photos in a week or two.

This is it for this week. We are heading to a spa for 3 days! We are very excited to get out of town and relax. See you back here on Monday!

furniture painting

My friend Fiona paints beautiful boxes. They are "treasure" boxes. Small (sometimes larger) boxes with motifs that represent the person the box is made for. She claims she is no artist, but I disagree.

Her latest project is painting an old cabinet for herself. She wants a Transylvanian type design. She invited me over to join her in an evening of painting.

Transylvania painted furniture. (Ours won't look quite like this.)

our project: the cabinet

planning and sketching the design

top of the cabinet

one door finished

out come the paints

painting begins

We didn't get much farther than the above photo. I will update the blog when the cabinet is finished.

It was so fun to paint with someone. I love being self employed but it can get a little lonely. How refreshing to be able to collaborate and work on a fun project with a great friend! Thanks Fiona!

quick trip: vienna

Last week we made a trip to Vienna. My husband enjoyed a Kiss concert with a friend. Meanwhile, myself and a friend enjoyed a beer in a local pub. We were only there for one night and I wish I could have stayed longer. Vienna is not far from Budapest - about 2 hours by car. (Unless the highway has a large whole in it, then it is 4 hours. Yes, due to the rain and flooding in Hungary, the M1 had a huge sink whole.)

Oh yeah, while I was there I hit my favorite art store, Boesner, and stocked up on supplies!

a few photos...

How cute is this bike! I love the basket,
cute polka dot seat and that awesome bike bag.

The rain has encouraged the wild poppies to
bloom all along the side of the highway.

cute garden shop

big news part 2: folk life

Today I would like to introduce you to my favorite of the two collections..."folk life".

Why is it my favorite? The concept and rough sketches came to me when I was at Kis Alma back in March. A weekend spent in the Hungarian countryside living the folk life.

This was a fun collection to design and it came so quickly and naturally. Maybe because I also spent time thinking of my grandparents who live in the country. Grandpa the gardener and grandma the cook. Living the country life, the folk life.

Enjoy.

Warm breeze. Sun on my face. Fresh laundry hanging on the line. Flowers in bloom. Bees buzzing. The call of distance birds. Resting on a gingham blanket. Eating fresh strawberries and sipping sweet tea. The country calls and I crave the folk life.

colorway: sweet dreams

colorway: summer sunset

colorway: country picnic

A few details: The fabric will launch this Friday at the International Quilt Market. Buyers will be attending, placing orders for their fabric stores and online shops. If all goes well, I will be posting where you can buy these fabrics in the next few weeks. I will keep you posted!

big news part 1: sweet tooth

I am very excited to announce my first fabric collection to be launched this Friday at the Minneapolis International Quilting Market! I have been working very hard on this project and am very happy with the results. The company who is representing me is called Anthology Fabrics and are based out of LA. I believe their philosophy and mine are a good match.

"A fabric is first judged by visual appeal, catching your eye even at a distance. Then, by touch you assess its quality. These two characteristics - superb design and exceptional quality - are our foundation." -Anthology Fabrics

Let me introduce you to the first collection called "Sweet Tooth". (If you know me, you know I always have one! )

Raspberry tarts and tangerine oranges.
Pink cherry blossoms in bloom.
Gumdrops and taffy.
Milk shakes and long weekends.
Cool green grass under foot.
Laying in fields wondering at an aqua sky.
Lollipops and giggles.
A sweet tooth satisfied.

colorway: candy shop

colorway: milk shake

colorway: rock candy

What do you think? I really would like to have feedback.
Your feedback helps me in more ways than you know!

Did you see the blog title said part 1?
Well, tomorrow I will show you collection 2, Folk Life!

finding spring in wind and rain

What a weekend. The weather has a taken a serious turn...for the worst. It has been so windy that telephone poles and huge trees have toppled over. It has rained non stop for days and the temperature has dropped to the daily highs of 50 degrees f. Where did spring go?

With all the dreariness outside, I try to create a warm, bright atmosphere inside by lighting candles, listening to some Bob Marley and looking through spring magazines...I can pretend, right?

Saturday I sat around in my cozy clothes and worked on a new inspiration board. Can you see the spring influence mixed with "warming" colors. Not pure pastels but soft tones. There is no pure white, but a warming cream. Think vintage, antique and soft...like the fuzzy sweater I am wearing:)

A little Bob Marley always makes me feel good and warm. When I lived in Seattle and the rain would be too much, I put on some Bob Marley and let the music warm me from the inside out. Enjoy and be warm.

Come back tomorrow....I am going to share my BIG news!!!