Maternity Leave

I will be on maternity leave through the summer. I'll be blogging over on Chickpea's site, and burping and pacing, and burping and pacing. Be back in the Fall with some exciting new products!

Welcome Miss Lila Skye Burke

Lila (lil-a), Sanskrit word meaning “Divine Play.” Like Lila, art and play are a gift, coming from a place of joy, self-discovery, and inner knowing.
Skye, the endless expanse of the deep blue.
More pictures here: littlechickpea.blogspot.com

May Day

no winter lasts forever, no spring skips its turn. — hal borland
happy may day e.

Artful Nesting

We live in a one bedroom apartment, so I don't have a nursery to decorate. What I do have is a corner of our bedroom. So, as soon as our apartment is back to normal, I will get working on this project. In the meantime, I have been doing some artful nesting. I've been buying prints and cards that I will frame, and hang in Chickpea's corner. Now being that this is our bedroom, I wanted prints that would blend into our world. My idea is to get a group of prints together that represent where Chickpea came from, our story, things we love, and hope to share with him/her. Each one represents something special in our life, or simply something we love. The most important thing is that they are all sparks for stories.

'Found' by Belle & Boo.

'Love' by Aimee Sicuro from Weather Girl shop.

'Honeymoon Over Brooklyn' by Johanna Wright.

The next couple are unnamed greeting cards...

Jenny Kostecki-Shaw

Lorena Siminovich

I am still searching for a sun, beach and forest scene, and a representation of dance and music.

I've seen a lot of successful groupings of art prints on one wall, so I'm hoping this pulls together well. Made By Girl, has a step by step tutorial on how to pull an art wall together.

OK, back to my artful nesting.

37 Weeks

37 weeks marks the full term point. If Chickpea was born now (don't get any ideas Chickpea) his/her lungs should be fully mature and ready to breathe air. We're hoping to get to 40 weeks plus though. Mainly because it's best for baby, and because we'd like our apartment to be ready (with a ceiling). Also, we love this belly. The anticipation, the dreaming, the making of endless name lists (sorry John). We want to enjoy the last weeks of this phase without wishing them away.

35 Weeks

I was having a fashion emergency, and my dear friend Miss M came to my rescue. She has a 3 month old at home, so she was just in maternity clothes. She kindly outfitted me in super cute tops to get me through these last few weeks.

Macro View

Paint chips, plaster dust and plastic tarps are taking over our home.
It's not pretty.
But as I took practice shots with our new toy the other day, I realized that if I took a macro view of our home we were still there.
In the details.
Things will look good again, even better, once the dust settles.

Op zoek naar Maria - Dans in het Centraal Station van Antwerpen

I am convinced the world would be a better place if there was more spontaneous dancing going on. This video is so amazing, and so absolutely joyous.

Beauty Shots

These are the beauty shots that Raz Imports created for the Santa In The City line. I was so excited to see them on their site yesterday. So much glitz, glamour and ribbon.

Easter Bunny's Bake Shoppe

With Easter right around the corner, I wanted to show you a cute little giftbook we created last year with Running Press. It's a 32-page book full of the Easter Bunny's secret tips and tricks for his bake shoppe recipes. It comes complete with tiny carrot, egg, and bunny-shaped cookie cutters. Yum!

New Toy

Now this makes me happy. I can't wait for the sun to come out tomorrow.

Taxes & Water Damage

I think that headline says it all. We came home to water damage from the upstairs apartment on Friday. We were planning a nice dinner out because it's restaurant week in Brooklyn, but instead we were faced with buckets of yucky water pouring down from above. Our carpet was soaked through, and all I kept thinking about was mold. Then we spent Sunday getting our tax information together. So not fun, and so not what I wanted to be doing. We have 7 weeks until Chickpea is due to arrive, and I had wanted to clean and organize everything. Now I am faced with contractors, sheet rock, plaster, and a big mess. I wont say anymore because it's too depressing. I'll be back tomorrow with something fun hopefully.

Crazy Critters Totes

The Crazy Critters are running amock on some new totes. I LOVE the googly eyes. They really bring out the character of these little guys. Also the craft-foam embellishments, buttons, and ribbon handle are darling little touches.

Surprise

My friends and family pulled off a surprise baby shower for me this weekend in PA. No one seems to believe I was surprised though. I'm teasing that they either think I'm brighter than I am, or they don't know how far I'll travel just to have brunch with them (I thought I was meeting my girls for brunch). I am not one for being the center of attention, but everything was so nice. All of the little touches, like John and my SIL scheming to decorate with one of my baby shower collections. The diaper wreathe and diaper cake designed by Miss S, our very own Martha. The time spent planning so I would be surprised, and all of the gifts were just wonderful. One particularily touching gift was a basket of favorite children's books, with a special note inscribed inside from each person. The notes mentioned why this particular book was a favorite, or held a special message for our new family to-be. Well, I am a sucker for books. I probably read one inscription before I started crying. I immediately thought about the 'one day sooness' of it. One day soon, I'll be reading these books to Chickpea. One day soon, he or she will smile at us while we read his or her favorite story. One day soon I'll be able to tell Chickpea about each person that gave each special book. As Miss A's inscription read "You are already so loved by so many," and well, that just melts my heart. Thank you everyone for planning such a special day for us.

Hand Quilting

My hand quilting class started last Thursday at Purl Soho. Firstly I want to say that if you're in New York, and you love fabric and yarn this is definitely a destination. It's actually two little stores, one knitting, and one quilting, and they are both gems. It's definitely a 'designers' store with white shelving, floor to ceiling, stacked with gorgeous yarn, and fabulous fabric. Gazing over it all, your head starts spinning with possibility and plans.

Ah, but the best laid plans...I wanted to have my Spoonflower fabric printed before the hand quilting class started. I had big plans. The test print came back with color issues, and it takes awhile to get the fabric back from Spoonflower, so the plans have been modified. It's probably for the best, since this will be my fist attempt at quilting.

So last Thursday, at my first class, my first impression was 'Wow, hand quilting is very precise work'. It's a lot more technical than knitting. In the first class we learned how to draft a template, cut template pieces, cut pieces out of fabric, and we stitched one block together. Our teacher, Cassandra, said we should decide on a project for the class. I knew I wanted to make something for Chickpea, but I wasn't sure what. I spent hours at Barnes & Nobel pouring over their quilting books, and my head was spinning. Not being a quilter, I was unaware of all of the possibilities. I decided to go with what I was attracted to, which is the more modern quilts, a la Denyse Schmidt. These quilts are bold and graphic, and use lots of solids.

So I have drafted a template, bought fabric, and have started sewing. The plan is to make a quilted playmat. It's very bright, and will be personalized with an initial. So far it's going well. I'll post the progress as soon as it starts looking like something.

Cover Girl

I am so happy to announce that one of our Reindivas (Joy) is officially a cover girl. It was an intense photo shoot, and she thought she got the shot, but you never know. After much deliberation, it was announced that she was the new cover girl for the RAZ Fall & Winter 2009 catalog. Joy will be doing an autograph tour at Christmas.

Baby Blanket

The Baby Blanket is finished, and a little friend decided it looked like a snuggly place to rest.

Knit One, Purl Two

This is the knitting project I mentioned in an earlier post. I am knitting a little baby blanket for Chickpea.

Last month, Miss A, Miss B and I took a knitting class for Festivus. What you ask? Yes, Festivus, the holiday for the rest of us. Miss A and I have been celebrating Festivus for years now. It's a low stress holiday because there is no exact date, you can fit it into your schedule when you want to, and you can do anything you want. Basically we use it as an excuse to try, do, or see something new. When I mentioned a knitting class, Miss A was very excited because like me, she is a perpetual student. Miss B is a crochet master so she was excited to join us as well. So off we went to knit. Miss A had asked me in passing if I had knit before, and I said yes, but it had been at least 15 years since I had. After picking out our yarn and needles, the teacher set about showing us the knit stitch. As it turns out, I did remember. I guess it's a muscle memory, like riding a bike. In my mind, I could have never done it, but once the teacher jogged my hands memory, I was knitting away. I also learned the purl stitch, and how to cast on. Later Youtube showed me how to cast off, and I was set.

I'm halfway through the blanket pattern, and it has been very meditative. It's definitely not perfect. I dropped a stitch, and picked up an extra one, but I was not about to let perfect be the enemy of good. Chickpea will like it because it's warm and soft, and one day know that there was a lot of love stitched into every row.

Imprintable

I wanted to share a few new imprintables that have just come out.

At The Alter for all those summer brides.

Crazy Critters for the Birthday tots.

Precious Love for all the chic Mom-to-Be's.

Spring Fever

For one brief shining moment on Saturday, we had a glimmer of Spring in Brooklyn. The sky was a glorious Brooklyn blue, and everyone was out; the stroller brigade, the dog walkers, the love birds holding hands, and the runners in their shorts and T-shirts. You could feel the spring fever. John and I got way too excited and headed to the beach. Of course by the time we got there it was no longer as sunny and getting cold. Still, we took a nice long walk on the beach and boardwalk, and stopped to feed the seagulls. We also took some 30 Week belly pictures, introducing Chickpea to the ocean. We can only hope that he or she will love the beach as much as we do.

Artful Words from Eric Carle

image © Eric Carle. Join in celebrating

"When I start a book it's a lot of fun. After a while it is work, then it becomes labor. Towards the end it feels like slavery! After I have delivered the finished illustrations to the publisher, I become sad. But when I see the printed book, I am happy again!"

Step Away

image © Lion Brand Yarn. learn to knit.

In the Ted talk that I posted on Wednesday, Elizabeth Gilbert talks about taking creativity out of ourselves. Basically unburdening ourselves with the responsibility that it is part of us. She calls on you to think about creativity as a muse that sits in the corner of your studio, or maybe within its walls. I love this idea. If you are working like a professional, you are showing up at your desk everyday. Undoubtedly there will be days when the ideas don't flow, when no matter how hard you try, it just. wont. gel. These are the days, Gilbert says, you can turn to your muse and say (and I'm paraphrasing) "I'm showing up. I'm doing the work. If you want this to be good, I'm going to need some extra stardust." And if your muse happens to be busy at that moment, well then you have to step away. This is what happened to me yesterday, my project was just. not. working. I thought I had a good concept, but it was falling apart in the execution. I was going to a bad place in my mind, so I decided to step away. I walked over to the yarn store, and bought a pound of sunny yellow yarn for another project. I was so excited about it, that I started knitting as soon as I got home, and magically, I was no longer in that bad place. My mind was still working on the solution to that original project, and hopefully my muse was as well, because I'll be sitting down on Monday to solve it, and I'll need the extra stardust.
PS - I just started knitting. It's a story for another post. I'll photograph my project next week.

A different way to think about creative genius

Bridal Party

With Spring right around the corner (yipee) Bridal Showers will be in full swing soon. This little card is available to shower all those brides with well wishes.

Artful Words from Janeen Koconis (KOCO)

KOCO NY Journal, available here

Don't underestimate the big message a small card can contain, she says.

"Really, what's happening at its most profound level is that (a) folded piece of paper is allowing for a link or a bridge or a connection between the person sending and the person receiving it," Koconis says.

"So I think that what's possible with a greeting card is really incredibly profound," she says, "because it's going to that core place, that core part of our humanity."

Spoonflower - The Test Print

I uploaded this print to Spoonflower this weekend. This is one of two designs I'm considering for my handmade quilt. The test print is a fat quarter, that will fit beautifully into a white Ikea Ribba frame if it turns out well. I was a little nervous about Spoonflower's user agreement, but Amy at Red Fish Circle cleared it up for me. Also, I've only heard great things about the folks at Spoonflower. They are more than happy to answer any and all questions.

Birthday Blowout

New continuous roll wrap with foil accents designed for Design Design Inc. Perfect to wrap up a Birthday prezzie for that special someone.

Love Day Getaway

John had been trying to book a long weekend getaway, last minute, for two weeks. Finally, at the last minute, on Friday afternoon, he found what he wanted. We drove to Vermont for a three day getaway. It was the southern most tip of Vermont, just 3.5 miles from the NY border, but somewhere new to us. We spent the weekend relaxing. Change of scenery, a stroll in the snow, a drink by a fireplace, and drives in the mountains. I'm a summer girl, but I can appreciate winter's beauty. Snow covered hills, dotted in Vermont style white cottages, with white candles at every window. All very romantic, in a beautiful way, perfectly planned by my Valentine.

100th Post + A Giveaway

ps - The winner of the 100th post giveaway is Swirly Designs.
This is my 100th post, so to celebrate I decided to have my first giveaway. Inspired by Robin's giveaway (which I won) I am giving away a stack of my Great Arrow Graphics cards. Inside you'll find Birthday, Wedding, Valentine's and New Year's cards to name a few. Just leave a comment mentioning your favorite holiday or special occasion, and John will pick a name at random.

Welcome To Parenthood

I've always thought this would make a fun Baby Shower Tableware set, but I don't think people are ready for it. It does poke a little fun at the whole thing, but funny is good, especially if you're sleep deprived right? This design was a gift bag in Target before and it did very well. It's available as a card, for all the good-humored parents out there.

Nesting Birds

* I feel like I should preface this post (and some upcoming posts) by saying that Baby, and Baby Shower have always been one of my favorite categories to work on. This is not something new, and I promise all of my posts will not feature baby art.

That being said, our newest Baby Shower Tableware set has just come out, and it is called 'Nesting Birds' (sort of what John and I feel like right now). It features a Mommy bird and Daddy bird, joyfully looking in on their new baby. The colors are unisex and would be great for any baby shower. I really love the centerpiece item, and the coordinating birds nest. I think this is a really sweet baby shower theme, and perfect for any upcoming Spring Showers.

As I mentioned, my love for this category is not new. Some of our other available Baby Shower themes are Stroller Fun, Love Bug, Mommy Chic, Sweet Pea, and Baby Glow. There are so many more in my sketchbook just waiting to find a good home. Having my art be part of such a joyful event, welcoming a new member to our human tribe, is really sweet to me, and keeps me thinking of new themes and ideas for this category.

Mom-to-Be

Needing to wish a modern mom congratulations on her impending motherhood? The inside text on this card reads "You're gonna be one hot momma! Congratulations."

I Won

I have met so many wonderful artists in my almost 5 years in the licensing industry. (Can you believe it's almost 5 years Kate?!) From classmates while I was learning the ropes, booth neighbors and artists down the hall at Surtex, to fellow artist bloggers. One of those fellow artist bloggers was recently hosting a giveaway, and I won. Robin Zingone makes fabulous art. It's the kind of art that looks like it flowed out of her pen in one seamless stroke. There's a freshness and simplicity to her work that I'm guessing is deceiving. Being a fellow artist, I know the steps it takes to get to that simplicity. Still, it's the mark of a true artist to be able to arrive there with the art still feeling fresh. I was thrilled to open her package and find two stacks of her fabulous Great Arrow cards. Being a fellow Great Arrow artist, I share Robin's love of their product. They are truly little works of art. Thank you Robin.

Showroom

I thought I would show you some of the pictures we took of the Santa In The City line at the NY Showroom. It was so exciting to walk in and see it all set up. There's even a four foot Reindiva tree. And of course a full size tree dressed to the nines.The Reindiva's sitting pretty making sure they look their Holiday best.An introduction...The dashing boyfriend with his Fred Astaire moves.

An Announcement

We are so proud to announce the Santa In The City collection by Little Star Soup. We created this fun festive line with RAZ Imports, and we couldn't be happier. To see the drawings of my little Reindivas come to life, with amazing eyelashes and all, has been really exciting. This is our first giftware line, and we couldn't have asked for a better partner. RAZ added just the right amount of glitter, glitz and glamour to bring these characters to life. The Reindivas are fun, festive and fashionable. They like to have a good time and celebrate the holidays in style with their dashing boyfriends, and one stylish Santa.

The line has just debuted in their national showrooms, and we hear it was well received. Santa in the City will be hitting a store near you for Christmas 2009. Santa and the Reindivas would love to come hang out on your tree, especially if you'll be serving cocktails (but make mine a sparkling apple cider ; )

Chickpea

There's a little Chickpea in my belly. Estimated date of arrival May 18, 2009. We are happy beyond words.

35

...to me. Today is my 35th Birthday. Astrologically speaking, this is a golden year, a solar return. You only get approximately seven of these years in a lifetime. I don't follow astrology too closely, but if the sun, moon and stars are sprinkling a little extra magical stardust on my tribe of Aquariuses and I, I gladly welcome it. Who couldn't use a little extra magical stardust now and then? So today I will celebrate what I hope will be a magical year. We'll light our red Birthday candle, go out for a surprise, and I'll cherish the only Birthday gift I ever want - cards. Being the card lover that I am, this is the best gift. John and I have a tradition of cards and a surprise for Birthdays. My dear friend Miss A actually illustrates my Birthday cards, and they are amazing. Sort of a look back on the year past in the most endearing style. Birthdays, like New Year's, are a nice time to look both ways. Where have you come from, and where are you headed. 35 is going to be a leap into the unknown for me, but I've got my eyes closed, a smile on my face, and I'm ready to jump.

Inspired

I recently heard about Spoonflower, where you can design your own fabric. Serendipidously I also stumbled upon the classes at Purl Soho. So I have found my next class, 'Quilt Making by Hand'. The idea of designing my own fabric, plus sewing my own quilt by hand has me swooning. I think this will be a really exciting (and special) project. I have three different ideas for the fabric, so I have to start sketching to see which one will work best. Luckily the class doesn't start till March 12th, so I have some time to get the fabric designed and made.

Birthday Notes

The new year brings out new Everyday designs (Birthday, Baby, Wedding, etc.) This is our new general Birthday tableware design. My favorite part of the design process is solving the problem, or 'concepting.' I think I approach all of our projects this way because I was a Graphic Designer first. Graphic Design is all about solving visual problems. In the social expression industry, the 'problems' are usually the same. How do you say Birthday in a new way? What hasn't been done? Nothing. Still, I try to come at the subject with a slightly new twist. The best feeling is that moment, that instant, when a solution flashes in your mind. It feels especially wonderful if you've been wracking your brain over it, in the shower, in your sleep, and even when you don't realize it. That single moment is my favorite part of the creative process. With 'Birthday Notes' we thought about the birthday song, the one we all sing at every birthday. It's something very common, so we had to try and find an uncommon solution. We hope it appeals to you, and makes you hum the notes when you see it.

Happy Inauguration Day

A magical hope has dawned.

What's New

These are our latest stickers with Mrs. Grossman's. They're not out yet, but coming soon.