Little Birdie Studio

letterpress film

2011-06-22T15:00:00.000-04:00

Letterpress from Naomie Ross on Vimeo.

Check out this beautiful short film about letterpress by Naomie Ross. I love the combination of the delicate typography with the industrial printing process.

perspective

2010-10-27T22:34:00.004-04:00

Shots from a recent Vermont trip

Sorry to have abandoned my blog for over a week now. My youngest (16 months) was sick with a contagious skin infection. It's amazing how quickly you change over to complete mommy mode when your child is sick. I spent days changing dressings, giving antibiotics, comforting, washing every sheet, piece of clothing, and towel in the house in hot water, and washing everyone's hands over and over again. Thank God she is fine and responding nicely to antibiotics. And luckily, the rest of us didn't catch the infection. My heart goes out to parents of children with long-term illnesses. I can't imagine the strength that it takes to constantly have to give medical care and always carry the heavy burden of worrying about your child's health.

I promise to be back to actively posting, I've missed it! : )

two new things to love

2010-10-19T10:34:00.000-04:00

Today, two creative ventures are brightening my morning. The first is Twelve Chairs, a new Boston shop that showcases gorgeous, sustainable products for the home. And the best part, I can walk there from my office. Yay!

Twelve Chairs at 319 A Street Boston, MA

The second thing is Srpuce Upholstery's new t.v. pilot found via Design Sponge. It is a fun, hip, look into the world of finding something old and turning it into something wonderful. I love the combination of design with physical labor. So fun!

Spruce Upholstery, Austin Texas

great fall ideas from papersource

2010-10-14T10:43:00.000-04:00

have you seen this Paper Sources's fall projects for this year? I think the leaf wreath is already sold out but the mum one is still available. I love that they are showcasing the pink side of fall colors. Have you made any paper decorations for Fall or Halloween? Please send me a picture and I'll feature it here!

Fall Leaf Wreath Kit from Paper Source

Mums Wreath Kit from Paper Source

Large Die Cut Fall Leaves from Paper Source

Gourd Place Card Kit by Paper Source

sweedish design

2010-10-13T16:57:00.001-04:00

I came upon this great Sweedish shop, Stilleben Shop on the wonderful blog Red House Design.

fall fashion

2010-10-12T12:05:00.003-04:00

I just returned from a relaxing weekend in Vermont. Although they have had a lot of rain, the colors are still so vibrant and beautiful. I am longing for a wardrobe to match the warmth and coziness of cool nights by a fire with a cup of warm cider.

Alice in Autumn Sweatercoat, Reminiscing Coat, Genevieve Cowel, Field Nap Necklace, Cinnamon and cloves dress.

the winner of the wedding invitation is...

2010-10-01T21:00:00.001-04:00

I used random.org to pick a number and it spit out 4. So congratulations to Jackie P. who said:

"I hope my wedding will be the most meaningful expression of mine and my fiance's love for each other and our families and friends, peppered with a few hijinx, lots of laughter and a packed dance floor!"

I look forward to working with you on your wedding invitations!

Thank you to everyone for entering. I really enjoyed reading your creative and thoughtful comments.

tea towels + wedding invitation giveaway

2010-10-01T12:07:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday! It's not to late to enter the wedding invitation giveaway. I will be picking a winner tonight at 9 p.m. (est).

Here are some lovely screenprinted tea towels from Etsy. I love collecting tea towels. It's so fun to change the feeling of a kitchen by changing out the towels. Don't you think?

1. sarahkusa

2. MichelleBrusegaard
3. greenolivetextiles
4. wonderthunder
5. sweetnaturedesigns
6. MichelleBrusegaard

wedding invitation giveaway!

2010-09-28T22:02:00.001-04:00

The wedding invitation giveaway is back!

I will work with a printer (including letterpress, if you desire) to create the finished product. You will be responsible for the printing and paper costs (we will work with your budget to determine the best method of printing).

To enter, leave a comment telling me one sentence that sums up what your perfect wedding would be. One winner will be drawn at random this Friday.

hipstamatic

2010-09-22T22:18:00.000-04:00

Sorry I've been away for a few days. As often happens, September has brought with it a much more hectic pace. I am under a huge deadline right now but I have lots of ideas cooking for the blog, including a complete makeover.

In the meantime, have you seen this iPhone app?

It turns your iPhone into an instamatic camera for only $1.99. Now if I could only get my hands on an iPhone... I'm waiting for the rumored Verizon iPhone deal. : )

easiest, yummiest, homemade wheat bread

2010-09-16T10:40:00.001-04:00

I set out this weekend to make bread for the first time without my breadmaker. After finding this simple Honey Wheat Bread recipe, I gave it a try and couldn't believe how easy it was. The recipe made two loaves and was so easy and so delicious! Even my kids went crazy for it.

The recipe is from the foodnetwork.com site but it was pretty vague. I made a couple of adjustments based on comments people had left on the site. So here is how I made the bread. Enjoy!

Honey Wheat Bread (adapted from this recipe)
Ingredients 2 1/2 cups warm water
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 stick softened butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
4 cups all purpose flour

Directions
Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Combine all ingredients including rest of water in Kitchenaid mixer bowl, knead for about seven minutes with bread hook or until dough is no longer wet but smooth. Remove mixer bowl from stand and place a dish towl or saran wrap over bowl. Let bread rise until doubled in size, punch down for about a minute on a floured surface and divide in half and shape into two loaves. Place each loaf in a greased (I used sunflower cooking spray) and floured 9 x 5 loaf pan. Let bread double in size again. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush top of loaves with an egg wash (whisk an egg with water). Sprinkle with extra rolled oats. Bake for about 30 minutes or until crusty and brown on top.

a sweet little gift idea

2010-09-14T16:21:00.020-04:00

I made my own pizza dough for the first time the other day. The recipe, from New Basics Cookbook, (my go-to cookbook) made two crusts. Half way through making it I decided it would be fun to give my mom one of the doughs to try. So I grabbed a cute gift bag and wrote out the tomato pizza sauce recipe from the cookbook on the bag. The dough will keep for a month in the freezer so she wouldn't have to feel pressure to make it right away. Could be a fun hostess gift or even something for the holidays...

stylish growth chart

2010-09-10T13:42:00.000-04:00

How cool is this? A giant piece of art that doubles as a measuring stick to chart your child's growth. Made by Studio 1 A.M. in Chicago.

lovely illustrations

2010-09-09T14:48:00.006-04:00

I came across the work of children's book illustrator Renata Liwska while looking through Communication Arts Illustration Annual. Adorable!

time out

2010-09-07T16:58:00.004-04:00

{three dimensions of time
by rima bueno- neenah paper contest entry}

When hurricane Earl was barreling towards Cape Cod on Thursday, my husband and I made the tough decision to continue with our plans to fly to Chicago for one of my best friend's weddings. Thursday was a day of checking and rechecking the weather, over and over again, looking for a sign that Earl wasn't going to be that bad. I swear, I lost half a day's work trying to make a decision. You see, our house is right on the water and my parents' house is only a mile or so inland. I wasn't worried too much about the house because there wouldn't be anything we could do about it, but I was very conflicted about leaving my young children. Sure they would be with their grandparents, who they adore. But, I still felt weird about leaving them in a hurricane. We decided to batten down the hatches just in case and wait for the nightly news to make a decision. Our sailboat had to be moved and tied down, the porch furniture had to be put away, the umbrella came down, plants came inside, and our grill was now in our living room. By the time the six o'clock news came on, it finally became clear that more than likely, Earl would not pack as big a punch as feared. We rushed around packing for the wedding, and for the kids, and finally fell into bed.

On Friday morning we left for the airport at 6:30 a.m. drained, and exhausted after the stress of the work week and the added stress of hurricane uncertainty and preparation. When we arrived in Chicago, instead of our planned sightseeing, we climbed into the queen size bed and promptly fell asleep for two hours.

I learned a valuable lesson this weekend. From now on, I am going to try to face decisions head on. I have a tendency to hem and haw. To look at problems from all angles, even inventing some as I go along. I poll everyone I know, often calling my mom three or four times to go over the same issue. I am always so mentally drained after a big decision. If I had just decided to stick with the plan or to wait until the latest newscast possible before stressing out, I would have had a lot more energy to enjoy the wedding.

Even though I have not been in school for years, September always feels like the beginning of a new year to me. What better time to work on reducing my stress, on making definitive choices and sticking with them, on trying not to second guess myself? I'm sure when the next dilemma pops up, I'll be back to my old ways, but I'm going to try to remember that things always work out, one way or another.

p.s. The clock image is from a cool contest that Neenah Paper is hosting. You can get a fun kit of parts from them to create your own clock using their paper. Check it out here.

sew mama sew serger giveaway!

2010-08-31T12:24:00.005-04:00

FTWM of two seeks long-term, binding relationship. Must be patient, reliable, strong, forgiving, and tolerant of long periods of silence followed by intense bursts of activity. Prefer a night owl who enjoys a good last-minute project. A love of children's clothes, bags, skirts, dresses, halloween costumes, experiments in fabric, and all things craft is a big plus. I promise to love, care for, and cherish you, if you promise to help me tie up my loose ends. Huge pile of unfinished projects await. Let's make magic together!

Get over to Sew Mama Sew today to enter the giveaway of a new Husqvarna Viking s21 Serger!

what i'm liking

2010-08-27T16:20:00.001-04:00

– Gaping at this whimsical artwork via design sponge
– Loving these fun illustrations and a great online journal of an illustration course in spain
– Wishing i knew about these adorable super 8 wedding videos when i got married
– Wanting this scarf at Anthropologie
– Happily anticipating taking this course through decor8

happy weekend!

a room of my own,sort of

2010-08-24T13:53:00.001-04:00

Studio Wall display by Moline

I am turning the third bedroom in our house into a studio space. Up until now it has been an office/catch-all room with everything from a computer and printer to the ironing board housed there. The space only has three walls with the third being a railing that looks down the staircase to our living room below.

Studio by Three Red Apples

my crafty area by craftingmomof1

Sewing Studio by Eris Delphi

Mon Atelier by petits détails

more drawers by blessed little nest

The room will need to be functional as a design studio, a sewing room, and my husband's writing desk. I'm liking furniture that is functional but also old or refurbished. But I need plenty of modern storage solutions.

rincón by papersome

studio progress... by Three Red Apples

Home office by Chez Larsson

New desk by Chez Larsson

And now, the fun part, actually making this happen...

design behind the scenes

2010-08-19T15:26:00.001-04:00

Design Army's Wonderland

HOW Magazine and Adobe asked three design studios to try the new Flash Catalyst to bring their print work to life. I love what Design Army did with their book for the Washington Ballet. I had seen the book through a Neenah paper promotion and it is breathtaking. They created a fun flash site that takes you behind the scenes on some of the photoshoots. It's amazing to see how they brought the lush fantasy photographs to life.

the perfect little purse

2010-08-18T13:10:00.003-04:00

Madebyhank: roundy-bottomed tough ruffles
zipper purse in burnt orange and pale coral

Boden's Amalfi dress (now on clearance!)

I have a beautiful new dress from Boden that I am wearing to a wedding in Chicago over labor day weekend. I NEED to get this to go with it. So cute! Katie of Madebyhank has an awe-inspiring array of gorgeous designs in fantastic colors.

back to school: e-courses

2010-08-16T17:15:00.001-04:00

I am a huge fan of school. If I could have found a way to stay in school forever, I would have done it. Every year, as the air turns crisp I long for the feeling of returning to a campus. It is not to be for now, but, there are some amazing e-courses out there. Here is just a short list of art-related courses...

discovering Y.O.U. {art marketing e-course}
Your Courageous Life
Kelly Rae Robert's ebook, Flying Lessons
Mondo Beyondo
Unravelling
Between the Lines, Art Journaling
In the Fish Bowl: Life as an Artist

enamelware love

2010-08-13T11:25:00.002-04:00

Happy friday!

upcycled treasures

2010-08-09T16:31:00.002-04:00

Paper airplane-embroidery
hoop wall art by Montclair Made

September vintage tea towel bird, lavender
scented ornament by Montclair Made

Vintage greeting card gift tags by Montclair Made

Mini flag banner no. 3 by Montclair Made

Thanks to Etsy's daily handpicked items, I discovered Montclair Made. The shop features unique, clever, green items that are repurposed from materials like packaging, cardboard, and plastic shopping bags.

new birthday invitations

2010-08-05T08:54:00.000-04:00

A friend asked me to design an invitation for her little boy who is turning 2. These were the options that I gave her. It was so fun to design for a boy since I am used to making things for my two girls. I will be offering these as templates in my Etsy shop soon.

and the winner is...

2010-07-30T12:01:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Ashley Noelle! I used a random number generator and came up with the number 9. Please get in touch with me at littlebirdiestudio@comcast.net and we can discuss the details. Thanks to all of you for entering, and for your kind comments. Stay tuned because I will be doing another invitation giveaway in August!

wedding invitation giveaway!

2010-07-27T10:59:00.004-04:00

Getting married? I LOVE creating wedding invitations. It is an amazing creative challenge to help a couple bring their ideas for their wedding to life. Today, I am giving away a custom wedding invitation design package. I will work with you to create your dream wedding invitation. It will include designs for the invitation, the envelope, an rsvp card and envelope, directions and any other information that you would like included.

I will work with a printer (including letterpress, if you desire) to create the finished product. You will be responsible for the printing and paper costs (we will work with your budget to determine the best method of printing).

To enter, leave a comment on this post and become a follower of the blog. One winner will be drawn at random this Friday at 12 p.m.

yellow wedding inspiration

2010-07-26T07:03:00.000-04:00

1. Poms from Party Poms

2. Earrings from Stone Link Designs

3. Favor box from Martha Stewart Weddings

4. Bouquet photo from Allen King Photography

5. Lemon display idea from Project Wedding

6. Sweet daisy cake from Martha Stewart Weddings

7. Wedding dress from Ann Taylor

8. Yellow martinis from Project Wedding

Happy Monday. Here is some pretty yellow inspiration to brighten your day. Tomorrow I will be announcing a big wedding giveaway. Stay tuned!

etsy headquarters...what!?!?

2010-07-21T14:18:00.005-04:00

My super-talented friend, Robyn of Revel Design alerted me to the post on Apartment Therapy showing Etsy's headquarters. As Robyn said, "Talk about a San Francisco treat. This sounds like a made up place". I couldn't have said it better.

logo design

2010-07-20T09:17:00.002-04:00

As a designer, I love seeing the process behind finished artwork so I thought I would share the background on a recent project. I just finished a logo design for Gambale Consulting Partners. They specialize in development, marketing, and commercialization of new clinical solutions for the biotech, medical device, and pharmaceutical fields.

Here is the first round of logos that I presented. I created symbols that would suggest the medical/biotech field and used different typographic treatments for the name of the company. I start in black and white because the client can more easily focus on the design and not be distracted by choosing colors.

Once a logo was chosen, I moved on to a color exploration. My client wanted greens and blues and I also played with some gray and orange. At this stage, I also solved for how the tagline could work with the logo.

This was the final result.

sewing fever

2010-07-13T13:18:00.003-04:00

I've been looking for fabric to inspire the redesign of my girls' room. When my kids were born, I never went through the setting up the nursery process. With my first we were about to move and with my second, well, let's just say it has taken me a long, long time to decide which direction to go. I think I have finally found my inspiration in the Cosmo Cricket Early Bird line. I love the muted colors and the retro feel. Hopefully the girls will too!

Of course redoing a bedroom isn't enough to keep me busy (ha!) so I am also joining in with the Oliver + S Ice Cream Social hosted by Badskirt. They are doing a two-week sew-along using Oliver + S's Ice Cream Dress pattern. Sounds like fun...

small living

2010-07-07T21:54:00.006-04:00

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, Whidbey

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, B-53

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, Harbinger

My husband and I love small houses. Our first house was a 756 sq. foot, one-bedroom cottage. Our bedroom was loft style and had a ships ladder for stairs. We had a beautiful view of a bay from our bedroom window. When we had our first baby, the house and the steep stairs were no longer practical. But, we still miss that small way of life.

These adorable houses were designed by Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. They have a wide selection of tiny homes that can be moved with a trailer and small homes that are meant to stay in one spot. My favorite is the B-53 which can be built with 3 bedrooms. Someday...

quick and easy, but oh so cute, baby gift

2010-07-06T21:27:00.006-04:00

Our neighbors' daughter had a baby girl yesterday so my daughter and I wanted to make her something. We ran out to JoAnn Fabrics and picked up some Gerber onsies and some adorable iron-on transfers. The transfers had words under the drawings but I wasn't thrilled with the fonts, so I cut them off and just went with the cute illustrations.

Within 15 minutes we had made these three adorable outfits. Perfect for the crazy heat wave we are experiencing in the Northeast.

Then we made this...

Out of this world chocolate chip ice cream.

1 c. whole milk

3/4 c. granulated sugar

2 c. heavy cream

1-2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Using a whisk, mix whole milk and granulated sugar together for 1 minute or until sugar is melted. Add cream and vanilla to taste. Poor into an electric ice cream maker (we have a Cuisinart). Turn on ice cream maker and allow to mix for 25 minutes. Add chocolate chips and allow to mix for 3-5 more minutes or until the mixture looks ready.

ENJOY!

happy 4th of july

2010-07-02T15:54:00.003-04:00

Looking forward to the simple things this weekend:

going to the farmer's market

taking the kids to the pool

working in the garden

seeing a small town parade

watching fire works

eating ice cream

doing a road race

taking a walk

just being

happy 4th!

work isn't so bad

2010-06-29T15:14:00.004-04:00

It's not easy being a full-time working mom. I hate leaving my kids every day but I'm also lucky to have a job in this economy.

The other day, I was rushing around making my lunch, my usual cheese and mustard sandwich (I know it sounds gross, but I am addicted). I was putting just bread and cheese into a ziploc because I often add the mustard at work so the sandwich doesn't get soggy. My 3 year old noticed this and said, "Mommy, don't forget the mustard."

I replied, "Thanks sweetie, but I have mustard at work."

She thought about this for a second and said, "Wow, so work isn't so bad. You have mustard, you have your friends. Kids miss their mommies but we get used to it."

Way to boil it all down. Work really isn't that bad. Leave it to a 3 year old!

i want this

2010-06-28T16:24:00.003-04:00

letterpress kit from Paper Source

alice in wonderland invitation

2010-06-25T16:41:00.004-04:00

A while ago I hosted a giveaway for an invitation. I had so much fun creating this Alice in Wonderland inspired invitation for the winner's daughter. Thanks Ally!

party planning

2010-06-16T21:00:00.008-04:00

Tomorrow is my dad's 70th birthday. He is such an important part of my life and I can't wait to throw him a birthday party to celebrate this milestone. I've been searching for fun summer party ideas.

There is a great tutorial for these adorable pinwheels at Better Homes and Gardens.

And, this refreshing white sangria recipe is from Real Simple magazine.

This sweet no-sew banner comes from Paper n Stitch.

Finally, unique "thank you for coming tags" , for sale at Perideau Designs' Etsy shop, would finish any party with style.

Any other summer ideas?

amazing stop motion

2010-06-09T14:23:00.002-04:00

I'm sure I'm one of the last people on the internet to see this but it is so beautiful. I can't imagine how many hours went into producing this. Just gorgeous.

Printing by Hand

2010-06-08T13:08:00.001-04:00

I can't get enough of this book. Lena's work is gorgeous, simple, sophisticated, and so inspiring. I know what I'm doing this weekend...

see more at:

http://www.amazon.com/Printing-Hand-Handmade-Stencils-Screens/dp/1584796723

new car seat cover

2010-01-31T20:23:00.007-05:00

Here are some pics of a car seat I just made for a lovely customer. She picked these fabulous Sandi Henderson Farmer's Market fabrics. It is for an Evenflo car seat. I really enjoyed working with such bright fabrics in the dead of winter.

We had a nice weekend around here hanging out with the kids and baking. I made delicious granola bars , granola, and a yummy lasagna. It was so nice to have a quiet weekend without any commitments.

busy bee

2010-01-27T18:04:00.004-05:00

I've been busy here at Little Birdie working on a banner for the lovely Katie Malesh at mommymalesh.blogspot.com (shown above). I had a blast doing a photo shoot using my grandmother's vintage spools of thread. All of the colors and the worn labels are so gorgeous.

I've also been working on a fun new car seat cover which I will share shortly.

I'm filled with so many new ideas for projects and sad that I don't have more hours in a day.

eye candy

2010-01-25T15:35:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Megan of Megan Creates I am loving Lonny, the online magazine. As she says, it helps to fill the huge void left by Blueprint.

happy holidays

2009-12-29T20:52:00.005-05:00

This December has been one of the busiest months on record for me. I am happy to be on vacation for a week and have some time with my little ones. I am working on addressing my Christmas cards, yes, after Christmas. Hopefully people will still be happy to receive them this week. My biggest New Year's resolution is to SLOW DOWN. I need to start savoring the small moments in my days. They are flying by way to quickly.

Today I made these adorable gift bag ornaments for a friend who is participating in a New Year's ornament swap. A friend of hers loves gift bags so she commissioned me to make these ornaments. It was so fun to work in miniature. What are you all working on now?

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are looking forward to the New Year!

recycled seatbelt bag

2009-12-08T20:56:00.002-05:00

{Harvey's recycled seatbelt purse}

How cool is this?

quite a month

2009-12-01T20:44:00.006-05:00

can't believe it is already December 1st. Where did November go? I've been away from this space due to a car accident (everyone is fine, our car — not so much), a really bad cold that lingered with both kids, hives and a stomach flu that hit my oldest, and crazy busy, long days and some nights at work.

Usually at this time of year it takes me a while to get into the lights and holiday music but for some reason, I'm really enjoying all of the early Christmas spirit. Watching my three year old get really excited about everything has been a joy.

I have to say happy half-year birthday to my little sweetheart. I can't believe you've already been here for six months. It seems like you arrived just yesterday and yet in some ways I feel I've known you forever. You are the sweetest, happiest, smiliest, silliest baby and I'm so thankful to be your mom!

By the way, don't you love the drop cap? It's from Jessica Hische's Daily Drop Cap. She has designed gorgeous drop caps for every letter of the alphabet and made them available to bloggers. What a great idea!

new look

2009-11-10T20:27:00.004-05:00

I've just finished working with Alexis at My Mama Made It on a new logo and look for her website. She is an amazingly creative seamstress who finds endless ways to dress up already owned clothes. Her tutorials are fantastic and easy to follow and her creations are gorgeous.

I'm really happy with the way her logo turned out. The script font coupled with the flow of the thread through the needle and the vintage pattern really speak to her style.

In celebration of her new look, I am offering 15% off anything in my shop as well as custom design orders. Just let me know you are follower of Alexis' blog and my blog and either convo me with the code LEX or send an email for a custom design quote with LEX in the subject line.

Head over to her site and check out her beautiful designs!

You may have noticed that the look of my blog has changed too. It was my birthday over the weekend and I decided a new year needed a new look. Hope you like it!

floating on air

2009-11-06T20:08:00.005-05:00

{All photos by Mollie Greene}

I just discovered Mollie Greene and Royal Buffet through her Etsy shop. Her mobiles and penants are whimsical delights. Check out her blog which is equally fantastic.

Things have been busy here. I'm working on holiday photo cards and fun holiday aprons. I hope to update my shop in the next week.

In other news, we were blessed yesterday with the arrival of my brother and sister-in-law's second child. Welcome to the world sweet little girl!

Happy weekend!

halloween bag tutorial

2009-10-28T22:06:00.005-04:00

I wanted to share this tutorial for making a halloween candy bag for a toddler. My daughter is dressing up as a princess so I made a princess bag but it could be adapted to any costume. It only takes 20-30 minutes to make.

1. Start with 3 pieces of pre-cut felt

2. Cut out a shape that represents something from the costume (i.e., a crown)

3. Cut out any accent shapes

4. Sew accent shapes onto the main shape using a small, straight stitch

5. Pin and sew larger shape onto one piece of the larger felt using a small, straight stitch

6. Cut two strips out of the felt you used to make your shape

7. Pin and sew one strip to each of the two larger felt pieces for handles. I used a small, straight stitch and sewed in a square

8. Pin both larger pieces together with the handles facing in and the shape facing out. Sew along the edge leaving a 1/4" seam allowance using a large zigzag stitch

Now your toddler will have a candy bag they can easily handle and that doesn't fit too much candy.

Here is the chocolate chip cookie purse that I made for my friend's daughter. She is going to be Cookie Monster for Halloween but decided she needed a purse to go with her costume. It was so fun to make. I used light and dark brown felt and lined it with scraps I had of an Amy Butler fabric. A must-have Halloween accessory!

cozy

2009-10-27T10:52:00.003-04:00

It's a gray day here so I did a little search for things with the word cozy. Cuddle up...

1. Padded iPhone case: YK Bags

2. Key cozies: Betty Sonics

3. Raincloud scarflette: All in Stitches

4. Baby pod: Pea in a Pod

5. Tissue holder: Hana Purse

6. Cross strap baby booties: Nahvrianna

back on the wagon

2009-10-21T20:14:00.006-04:00

So I missed a few days, six to be exact, of blogtoberfest. Oops. A perfect storm of crazy deadlines at work and a teething baby drove me to it. But I'm back. Maybe I'll make up for it by going into November with a daily post. We'll see.

I discovered the HOW Magazine design blog which provided some needed inspiration:

{Calligraphy by Lisa Ridgely}

Check out Pen and Ink Journal featuring the amazing calligraphy of Maryland artist Lisa Ridgely. She even hand writes her blog entries.

I'm really enjoying Poppy Talk, a blog featuring emerging designers.

{Fabric by Repeat Studio}

Through Poppy Talk I found Repeat Studio and their amazing fabric.

{Gift tag by The Petite Press}

And The Petite Press filled with beautiful paper products.

I'm working on a tutorial for cute halloween candy bags and making a cookie purse for my friend's daughter. She is going to be Cookie Monster for Halloween and really wants a purse to go with her costume. Too cute!

we have a winner

2009-10-15T20:35:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway. The winner is #4: Allyson Adeney! She will receive a custom birthday invitation. Stay tuned for more blogtoberfest giveaways.

i'd like to introduce you...

2009-10-14T22:51:00.006-04:00

{Blue Lotus Water by Renée de Montaigne}

{Tuscan Sky by Renée de Montaigne}

{Remains by Renée de Montaigne}

to my friend Renée. She is an amazing graphic designer and artist. Check her out here.

just a quick post

2009-10-13T22:06:00.004-04:00

I'm loving these signs from Funkifolkart. They make me wish I could get married all over again.

My giveaway is still open until Wednesday, 10/14 at midnight eastern time. Thanks to everyone who has already participated. And thank you for all the lovely thoughts about my shop. I will be steadily adding more items so please check back regularly.

Happy Tuesday.

giveaway!

2009-10-12T08:51:00.006-04:00

I'm putting the finishing touches on my shop and will be open for business later today! In celebration I am offering a giveaway of a custom designed holiday photo card, invitation, or baby announcement. Just leave a comment on this post telling me which type you would be interested in by Wednesday, October 14 and I will pick one winner at random.

a perfect day

2009-10-10T20:21:00.007-04:00

I have been so busy since returning to work that I have missed the long days of summer where I spent lots of time with my children and took on a million projects. Today was a reminder of those blissful days. I started the morning by making a knotted cap for my 3 year old (and one for her doll) out of red jersey knit fabric. I whipped it up in about 30 minutes. A perfect project for a Saturday morning.

After flu shots, a family trip to target (where I spent way too much), and a quick swing by JoAnn's Fabric, my daughter and I made chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting. Yum. I've already had two and I'm thinking about having another...

happy friday!

2009-10-09T11:24:00.002-04:00

{photo by Kirin Notebook}

Go on over to Kirin Notebook and check out the tutorial for making these amazing hidden zipper pillows. While you are there, check out Ink & Spindle, an Australian boutique yardage screen printing studio where Lara of Kirin Notebook is a co-owner. The fabrics are gorgeous.

In other news, I am on track for opening my shop on Monday. I will be posting a giveaway and a discount code on Monday at 10 a.m. (est). Make sure to check back then.

orange crush

2009-10-08T21:51:00.000-04:00

1. Pumpkin collection clippies by Monkey Mae

2. Birdie sling bag by Joom

3. Cotton jersey scarf by Pretty Penny

4. Curly cowl by Ayca Hoser

5. Baby sling by Worthy Baby

6. Felted wool bowl by The Fuzzy Monkey

free patterns!

2009-10-07T21:51:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Marta of Marta Writes for introducing me to this amazing site, patternwall.com. You can download any of their patterns for FREE!!! Just think of the possibilities.

dead letter design office

2009-10-06T17:02:00.000-04:00

{Book covers by K. Glyder}

What a brilliant idea, K. Glyder of Shelved Books showcases her book cover designs, both the ones that made it to print and the options that were not selected. It is so nice to see her creative process and to hear about how decisions were made. It makes me want to dig out designs that I loved but clients didn't choose...

shop update

2009-10-05T14:27:00.001-04:00

I am finally getting my Etsy shop up and running. It will be open for business one week from today, Monday, October 12th. The shop will feature baby announcements, party invitations, wedding invitations, holiday photo cards, logo and banner/avatar design. I will also have a few handmade sewing projects and custom car seat covers available for order.

To celebrate the opening I will be having some discounts for blog readers and giveaways so be sure to check back in the coming days!

blogtoberfest

2009-10-04T19:54:00.000-04:00

I just joined blogtoberfest and committed to posting every day in October. Yikes!

Now that I am back to work with two little ones at home, life has been a little crazy. I wish I could stay home but it just isn't an option right now. Between pumping and all the logistics for getting ready every day, my head is spinning.

Last Tuesday we got the girls together and rushed to my parent's house (my parents and in-laws generously split child care for us — we are so blessed). When we got there I realized we had forgotten our diapers. We use cloth so it wasn't as simple as having extra pampers at Grandma's. After a quick and frantic discussion over who could meet who where with the diapers, it was decided my husband could meet them at library school and drop them off. With the girls all set my husband rushed to drop me at the train and head back home to get ready for work. I finally got on the train, about 20 minutes late and tried to relax. I bent down to get my book out of my laptop bag and realized I didn't have my laptop bag. It was in the back seat of our car that was on it's way home! My wonderful husband turned around after my desperate phone call and met me at the station. The crazy thing is that I remembered to bring ice cream and all the toppings that were left over from our sundae party for my colleagues but totally forgot my laptop. Needless to say, I ended up getting to work 45 minutes late and feeling like I had already worked an entire day.

Remind me to tell you about Wednesday, when I forgot my pumping bottles and pumped into a styrofoam cup instead! The adventure continues...

ice cream social

2009-09-30T20:54:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago we hosted a party after my daughter's baptism. As I mentioned, we had a good old fashioned ice cream social. It was a huge hit. It was so fun to see all of my relatives making delicious sundaes. We ended up going with Brigham's and they did an amazing job. We had six flavors of ice cream, hot fudge, butterscotch, strawberry sauce, oreos, reese's, m+m's, heath bar, jimmies, walnuts, whipped cream and cherries. All for a little over $200 for 5o people. Not a bad deal at all.

I made tissue paper poms and little tent card labels for all of the fixings. We were lucky to have an absolutely gorgeous day. In all honesty, as a full-time working mom of two I probably took on a bit too much by inviting so many people. I was down to the wire and quite stressed but in the end I truly enjoyed visiting with everyone. What a joyous occasion!

custom infant car seat covers

2009-09-24T18:45:00.000-04:00

{old car seat}

{new car seat}

When we had our daughter three years ago, we bought a neutral car seat because we didn't know what we were having. When our second daughter arrived in June, I decided to breathe new life into the seat and recover it. I really love how unique and colorful it is.

I am now taking custom orders for car seat covers. For now I can only do Graco Snugride covers but if you have a different seat, drop me an email and I can work with you. You can choose the fabric or I can recommend some choices. I will be posting the details in my Etsy shop this weekend.

a beautiful face

2009-09-17T12:20:00.000-04:00

I'm always on the lookout for interesting typefaces, especially beautiful script fonts. Nelly by Crystal Kluge {found via paper crave} is a gorgeous font with amazing flourishes. It almost looks hand written. Perfect for wedding invitations.

design your own fabric

2009-09-14T15:27:00.000-04:00

{print by Liz Scott, Wonderfluff}

I'm sure I'm way behind here, but thanks to Karen of Blueberry Park I found out about Liz Scott's amazing prints at Wonderfluff which led me to the amazing Spoonflower. What? You can print your own fabric by the yard, what?!? Like I said, I'm sure I'm the last one to know, but I can't wait to hop on Adobe Illustrator and come up with some patterns.

new finds

2009-09-11T14:51:00.000-04:00

{Boston by Matte Stephens}

{Over the rough spots by Kat Hannah}

Two new favorite artists, Matte Stephens and Kat Hannah. Check them out...

ice cream sundae party

2009-09-10T13:47:00.000-04:00

We're having a baptism for my daughter in a few weeks and we wanted to invite our whole family which works out to about eighty-two people. I was stressing over how to feed that many people on a budget and came up with the idea of a make your own sundae party. Fun, right? Well wouldn't you know it that once you start thinking about something, the universe serves it up to you. I was just beginning to plan the party when I came across this adorable design for a sundae party at Eat, Drink, Chic (via Truly Smitten). So cute! She has downloadable templates for all the little tags and signs. I hope mine will be half as delightful.

so cute

2009-08-24T23:11:00.000-04:00

I am in love with this dress from Ursula at Modaspia's etsy shop (blog). She "creates clothes for women and children that are pretty and a little whimsical". I am dreaming of owning this lightweight, unique, summery dress...

shop update

2009-08-21T09:13:00.000-04:00

I have been busy here working on birth announcements, children's birthday party invitations, and baptism invitations that I will be posting in my Etsy shop starting October 1st. I will update the information for each child, add a picture if that is part of the design, and then e-mail it. The recipient can then bring it to any copy place or send it to Snapfish or kodak.com to have prints made. I also offer custom invitation/announcement design. Later this fall, I will have a line of wedding invitations as well.

Other than that, just trying to keep cool as summer has finally arrived with a bang here in the Northeast!

birthday girl

2009-08-17T10:15:00.001-04:00

The birthday girl looked adorable in the Sweet Dress. It was so easy to make. It took about four hours total to make both a 3T and a 3-6 month old dress. My daughter thought it was fantastic that she and her sister were dressed alike. We'll see how long that lasts! Now onto recovering an infant car seat...

don't you just love when fabric comes in the mail?

2009-08-12T21:05:00.000-04:00

I was so excited to receive this package of Amy Butler fabric in the mail (yes, I know I'm really into her fabrics lately). I am making matching dresses for my daughters. My oldest will be three tomorrow and I am making the dresses for them to wear at her birthday party on Saturday. I'm using this sweet pattern from Leila and Ben. I will post pics when I am finished.

a beautiful day

2009-08-06T19:00:00.000-04:00

I hosted a gathering today at our house and tried out a delicious recipe from Real Simple magazine. Talk about real simple, I made ice cream sandwiches with Italian cookies and strawberry ice cream. They were the perfect finish to a delicious summer meal of tomato, mozzarella and basil sandwiches with pesto on ciabatta bread. Yum.

After months of work on the house, I was happy to finally have some people see it in the almost finished state. We replaced shingles, painted the house, and added finishing touches like new house numbers and flowers.

new line of baby announcements

2009-08-02T07:51:00.000-04:00

Im currently working on a new line of baby announcements. They will be photocards available on Etsy. I hope to have them up by September 1st. Here is a sneak peak.

Speaking of babies, yesterday was extremely hot here in the Northeast and I had one of those days. By mid-afternoon I told my husband that I needed a time-out and went for a five minute walk by myself. I had been trying to get some work done while watching my two girls. My husband had to help a neighbor do work on the outside of our house so I was trying to work and play with the girls at the same time. Needless to say, I definitely didn't have as much patience as normal.

Later in the evening we went out for dinner and an ice cream. A woman at the restaurant stopped dead in her tracks, looked at our 3 year old, and said "Isn't she delicious, she's like a Victorian doll come to life, a living angel." In that instant I felt so awful for being short with my daughter earlier when all she wanted was to play with Mommy. The woman was right, she is delicious, and I don't want to miss a minute with her. Thank you to this kind stranger for reminding me to slow down and really be with my kids.

summer

2009-07-23T08:43:00.000-04:00

Woke up to this....

Ate this...

Looking forward to planting these...

So grateful for being on maternity leave during the summer. Happy day.

latest project

2009-06-27T16:52:00.000-04:00

I'm loving Amy Butler's fabric lines. I made a set of pillows for some rocking chairs and a cushion for a piece of garden furniture that live on our porch. They add a great pop of color.

when it all makes sense

2008-04-13T20:48:00.000-04:00

It's amusing to go back and look at work done as a student. This piece represents for me the moment when I finally started to "get" graphic design. Although I created it almost 8 years ago it still feels fresh to me, unlike most of my student work. The assignment was to create a packaging for educational software. Since I will always be an English major at heart I chose to create software about Shakespeare. I started working more with textures and typography than I had done in the past.

When I used to teach Graphic Design II it was a great class because it was about midway through the program and it was often the turning point for students. You learn about all of these separate elements — line, shape, contrast, scale, type, color– but it takes a while for it to come together and really make sense. I had a teacher who used to tell us that when a good design was taking shape she would get a feeling like butterflies in her stomach. I remember experiencing that sensation as I worked on this piece. It was a real aha moment for me and it solidified my love of design and gave me the courage to keep doing it.

Little Birdie Studio

letterpress film

perspective

two new things to love

great fall ideas from papersource

sweedish design

fall fashion

the winner of the wedding invitation is...

tea towels + wedding invitation giveaway

wedding invitation giveaway!

hipstamatic

easiest, yummiest, homemade wheat bread

a sweet little gift idea

stylish growth chart

lovely illustrations

time out

sew mama sew serger giveaway!

what i'm liking

a room of my own,sort of

design behind the scenes

the perfect little purse

back to school: e-courses

discovering Y.O.U. {art marketing e-course} Your Courageous Life Kelly Rae Robert's ebook, Flying Lessons Mondo Beyondo Unravelling Between the Lines, Art Journaling In the Fish Bowl: Life as an Artist

enamelware love

upcycled treasures

new birthday invitations

and the winner is...

wedding invitation giveaway!

yellow wedding inspiration

etsy headquarters...what!?!?

logo design

sewing fever

small living

quick and easy, but oh so cute, baby gift

happy 4th of july

work isn't so bad

i want this

alice in wonderland invitation

party planning

amazing stop motion

Printing by Hand

new car seat cover

busy bee

eye candy

happy holidays

recycled seatbelt bag

quite a month

new look

floating on air

halloween bag tutorial

cozy

back on the wagon

we have a winner

i'd like to introduce you...

just a quick post

giveaway!

a perfect day

happy friday!

orange crush

free patterns!

dead letter design office

shop update

blogtoberfest

ice cream social

custom infant car seat covers

a beautiful face

design your own fabric

new finds

ice cream sundae party

so cute

shop update

birthday girl

don't you just love when fabric comes in the mail?

a beautiful day

new line of baby announcements

summer

latest project

when it all makes sense

discovering Y.O.U. {art marketing e-course}
Your Courageous Life
Kelly Rae Robert's ebook, Flying Lessons
Mondo Beyondo
Unravelling
Between the Lines, Art Journaling
In the Fish Bowl: Life as an Artist