Tag Archives: Dish and Spoon art

IF-Shiny

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Illustration Friday word of the week is shiny.  How about some big red shiny rubies?

Hmmm?  why yes, they are DIVINE DAHHHLING

I love this painting with all of its bright colors and bold brushstrokes. Pink, red and orange!

This was the inspiration for the piece-I googled “vintage diamond bracelets” & looked at oodles of gorgeous pieces.  I picked the one I would actually love wearing. But who wouldn’t?

And look-it gets even more shiny after Dish and Spoon Productions takes it & blings it out

Isn’t that cool?  I love the way they jazzed it up with Swarovski crystals!

Its one of a collection-all girly, all red & black & tan, all sophisticated, & so sweet.

©Jack and Jill Interiors

And –this is big news!!  Celebrity nursery designer Sherri Blum used 3 pieces from this collection in her recent design-and the room won reader favorite on Project Nursery!!!Yippee!

©Jack and Jill Interiors

2011–Year in Review

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It is a cold and windy day here today.  And I am a bit under the weather too.  What a perfect day to count my blessings–but isn’t every day a perfect day to do that, really?   (and I am not paying a bit of attention to you, winter,you’re  like a toddler throwing a tantrum, I am turning around and doing something else!! so there!)

SO–2011 –I love you.  you were so good.

Wanna know more?  I’ll just give you the highlights–but it was a good one.

We started off the year celebrating 18 years of marriage~gettin’ better all the time!

It was an honor–and a real pleasure– to also start the year volunteering in my community.  I did a very quick mural for the folks at Homefront in NJ–they are incredibly inspiring and the work they do is so very important.

I just painted a very simple outlined mural, and then residents and fellow volunteers filled in with color. Gotta get over there to see how it turned out!

I discovered that embroidery coupled with a gym membership can help with the winter blues.

I read, ingested, and reviewed Kelly Rae Robert’s e-book Flying Lessons.It was excellent. It lit a fire for me–and gave me a real push to take on all those big plans I had–and I did–and continue to do so. I’m all signed up for Hello Soul/Hello Business too!! I guess I am becoming quite the KRR guru~

I got my first licensing contract–and went on to create two lines for Dish and Spoon.  A real dream come true. I’m currently working on a few more pieces too! This work along with the work I did for Muralistick debuted at the ABC Expo–that’s 2 booths with my work.  So exciting and I even got to be there to see it all myself!

Received these in the mail! Art I created several years ago chosen to be included in a desktop and a journal calendar for physicians and health care professionals.

My work was featured in two show house!! The Bucks County Designer’ show house in May, and the Chestnut Hill show house in October.

I launched my website!!  This was HUGE–a colossal effort and well worth it. A big thank you to Eleanor Grosch-she did a magnificent job.

I had my photo made for my website–and a big thank you to Brae Howard for making that happen!! She is so talented.

We went to NYC for Mother’s day and saw the Alexander McQueen exhibit,  one word-INCREDIBLE! (started the day off with dim sum in Chinatown too)

13 year olds need food...and on a side note I got a gift card to Anthro so I don't have to wear the same thing all the time....thanks hon~

 

art, serious? nahhhh

 

several 20-30 mile bike rides with my girl friends–I consider this a bit of an indulgence as we take the better part of the day to do it–because we eat well on these trips–picnicking or eating out in New Hope or Lambertville or Frenchtown. Luxurious!!

Day trips to the beach with the girls and their friends–and my friends too!

Family vacation to Florida~

Met Holly Becker at Anthropologie event at the flagship store in Rittenhouse Square. Colleen and I also –through twitter–got ourselves invited to have drinks after and we were fortunate enough to meet Jaime Derringer from Design Milk, Jeanine Hays from Aphro Chic, and author Kayte Terry of This is Love Forever and the Anthro visual’s department.  What an absolute treat!! They were all very kind and gracious.

Colleen and I, on quite a roll, also attended an event at the Anthro headquarters where we met the delightful Grace Bonney from Design*Sponge. Wasn’t it nice she posed with us?

see what I mean-it IS a favorite vintage sweater though~

Colleen and I really got out and about this year!! We ALSO attended a social media immersion class with Alyson B Stanfield.  It was very informative and great to connect with artists in our area.

I went on my very first spiritual retreat. I slept, read, prayed, and meditated,  It was an eye opener for me-something I hope to do again.  No phone, no tv, just peace and quiet.

We threw a big bash for our daughter for her 13th bday! My parents were visiting for 2 months (no they weren’t staying with us the whole time) and helped out with the festivities. A house FULL of 13 year old girls, and a few boys, is a lot more fun than it might sound–

thank you Pinterest~

Made two homemade Halloween costumes–one a jellyfish and the other….Shirley Temple.

Thanksgiving HIKE–yes, it was pleasant enough to go out for a post turkey day hike! This might become a regular thing!

We put in wood floors & started redoing the bedroom–yipee!! still not done–just need some art…oh wait, that should be the easy part….

Topped off the Christmas break with a trip to the Italian Market in Philly and the Magic Gardens–truly, it IS a magical place.

The big events and happenings are wonderful, but its the little things that I don’t want to forget. Those special fleeting moments–I want to capture them and put them in a mason jar on my shelf so I can pull them out and– smell that smell of fresh baked bread made with dear friends, hear the sound of my 9 year old singing her heart out while she’s puttin’ away her laundry, the feel of my 13 yr old’s hand in mine, the smell of the sand and sea.  These are the true reflections of my year that I hang onto–they live on in my heart and mind. Its important to reflect on the past year and to prepare our minds for the coming year (even if we are little late!).

What do we want to happen, what old habit are we willing to let go, what fears will we cast out, what joys we will find in each new day?  I hope to embrace each moment–as an opportunity for thankfulness & gratitude. Even the weather.

a few more pics of some of those fleeting moments.  Good-bye 2011!

we started off the summer limiting tv--so I said-make a list-ahhh summer

no tv in the summer meant the girls leaned how to use all kinds of photo apps--remember playing dress up? Add in fun iphone apps~

a new Thanksgiving tradition? I hope so~

 

a thought for Valentine's Day--don't we all just want to know that our opinion is important?

 

take time to skip the stones

 

(you know there’s an app for that-seriously, I’m not kidding! Grateful for 3 things a day? document it? I got the app, but you know its harder to keep up with then I thought–give it a try and let me know what you think.)

 

 

Surviving my first trade show

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My first big trade show and my first biz trip-so exciting!   Two different vendors debuted my work at the ABC Kids Expo–Dish and Spoon Productions and Muralistick.  What a TREAT!

Boy-trade shows are fun but they are a lot of hard work!  A few tips & tricks can help make it smooth as silk.  Thankfully I did not have to worry about logisitics-getting there, shipping art, etc. because I was assisting Heather from Muralisticks.  She made all the arrangements and I just showed with all my enthusiasm & energy.

see? no walls-we are selling wall art-so we kinda need the walls

 

It was supposed to look like this:  (and this pic was taken at 4:30 the following morning–yes you read that right, 4:30AM)

 

ta da! walls!!!

The guys had to build our walls and paint them that afternoon after we arrived, so they would be ready for us the next morning.  Thankfully all the art arrived~ and we proceeded. 

By 9AM the booth was readty to go:

But wait-where are those dang lights we ordered?  Tracking those down took a fair amount of time as well.  And just let me also say this: you will catch more flies with honey than vinegar, my friends.  You hearing me?

Do not yell at the union dudes who make the show happen, ok.

They will move you to the bottom of the to do list, I guarantee it.

BE NICE, say thank you. Repeatedly.

OK so the next thing-food. Trade show food sucks. There I said it.  It just does.  At least at this one–and this is the only one I know. So maybe I should just say the food at THIS trade show sucked.  Thankfully I planned ahead!!  I brought so much food in my luggage!  I eat, seriously, on an infants schedule. Its ridiculous.  I am at my best when I can eat at least every 2 hours.  How crazy is that?  I know.  ANYWAY, I brought healthy snacks like this and this.  I also made these homeade energy bars and packed them in my purse.

  We ate off of those the entire time!  I recently listened to an audio tape that had some great suggestions for eating healthy while traveling so check that out too.  Dried fruit, nuts, tuna.  Second lesson: BRING YOUR OWN FOOD.  BRING A WATER BOTTLE TOO.  I filled up my water bottle at the hotel in the morning. We got totally dehydrated the first day, and when we woke up the next morning we looked like 2 sad bassett hounds with bags under our eyes.  Hydrate or die, people.

Next off-look professional, but be comfortable.  WEAR GOOD SHOES.  (That was the third nugget of wisdom) I talked to lots of people about what to wear.  My eldest daughter reminded me “you only have one chance to make a first impression”–thanks hon.  I brought my best clothes and shoes, and I packed mole skin and a box of band aids just in case.  I think when I have my own booth maybe I will just set out a dish of band aids. I don’t think I’m the only one with sore feet….

Bring tissues and hand sanitizer too.  You’re shaking hands all day long you know…..

What else? Other tips? 

Yes, I guess I would say to really project every ounce of positive energy you have.  People will resond to that.  To be at the top of your game it helps to be well rested, fed, and have feet that are not crying out in pain. 

Now-ya’ll probably already know this, but people like to party at trade shows.  Hugh? I guess I am the last person on the planet to realize this–being tucked away in my little cozy studio, I had no idea.  So bring extra clothes, because you will likely run into your hotel room, change, brush your teeth, and run right back out.  (By the way, the one thing I forgot? my toothbrush! had to buy one at the hotel-zoinks!)

All in all I had a blast at the ABC Kids Expo.  I met so many wonderful people!! It was great fun to chat with people from all over the country.  Thank you Heather for bringing me along and putting my work out there. Thank you Joanne, at Dish and Spoon Productions for sharing my paintings with the world. I’m so glad we were able to meet!! That was a real highlight of the trip for me.

(And a big thanks to my family for supporting me)

It was an absolute joy.

Some pics of the event:

 

“yes, even the tree is a sticker”- I did say that a lot

 

 

he’s just so friendly

 

 

my work in the Dish and Spoon booth

 

check out the *BLING* they added to my painting!!

 

check it out–the can put your baby’s photo right on the wall hanging!

 

my favorite!!! I love the little perfume bottle

 

see the Swarovski crystals?

Oh and also-if you are in Louisville for any reason–you gotta go to Proof.  Its a restaurant in downtown, but its also an art gallery.  It is SO cool.  And the food–oh how to describe?…artisticly, thoughtfully prepared locavore, without being pretentious and snooty. Yea, that’s it.  AND if you do go there, take my advice and use the ladies room.  You MUST MUST see the restrooms. Just trust me on that one.

 large sparkly walrus

This was an installation art piece–looked like paper gently falling from the sky

outside the restaurant–art everywhere!!

OH and a big THANK YOU to the Nap Nanny crew–I really enjoyed meeting ya’ll!!