happy national coloring book day!

Tomorrow is National Coloring Book Day. Who knew? I just found out by chance a couple of days ago. I celebrated a day ahead by coloring one of my Flower Nook coloring pages and then turning it into a trio of note cards.

This weekend also marks the end of our vacation (insert sad face). We stayed home this year and I took a very close to 100% internet and work sabbatical. It was a fabulously relaxing week and now I feel energized to take on the end of the summer and the start of school in a couple of weeks (ahh! too soon!).

I'd been wracking my brain to see how one the illustrations from Flower Nook could translate into a paper craft project and I just couldn't come up with anything. I want it to be a bit like what I did with the Fantasy Bloom Gift Set. The week off gave me the mental space to finally come up with an idea that I think will work. We'll see!

• • •

To celebrate National Coloring Book Day I'd like to give away 2 signed coloring books (and a few other suprise goodies) today! All you need to do is leave a comment below (include your email address or a way to contact you) by answering one little question: what do you like the most about coloring and what is your favorite coloring tool.. or just say hello!

I'll pick a random winner from the comments that are posted from now until Monday (August 3rd).

That's it. Good luck, happy Sunday and happy coloring!

color and frame - part 2

I posted this photo on Instagram yesterday and I thought it would be a good idea to answer some questions about using my coloring book.

First of all my favorite tools for coloring:
- Right now I’m into markers. I got some Prismacolor Double-Ended Art Markers for my birthday and I’m really hooked. One end has a flexible brush tip which is wonderful to give strokes a more organic look. The other side is a fine tip which is great for more detailed work.
- I’ve always been partial to Prismacolor colored pencils. Thery're just the best.
- Pastel pencils - My dad had a set when I was little and I was so careful with them. I just thought they’d crumble under the pressure I used back then. I've loved them ever since then because the blending options and soft look is just beautiful. I want to give them a try again with these coloring pages.
- Good old regular lead pencils. Sometimes I keep a drawing in black and white and just add some shading. That’s a lot of fun too and less decision making.

The coloring book has illustrations on only the right hand side of each spread - so the backs of all the drawings are blank. This makes it safe to use markers. Just remember to place an extra sheet of paper behind the page your working on so that the ink doesn’t bleed onto the next image.


I move my paper around a lot when I’m coloring or drawing. Sometimes I want a stroke to be just so and the angle of the page is just wrong if I keep it straight in front of me. That's why I like single sheets. My coloring book pages aren’t perforated (it would’ve made the book much more expensive!) but you can cut them out with a few simple steps.

1. Place a letter-sized sheet of chip board or cardboard (a cut out of a cereal box would be perfect) behind the illustration you’d like to cut out.
2. Place a ruler at the point where you’d like to make the cut. Make sure the ruler is covering the image to protect it (in case your blade goes in the wrong direction!).
3. Make sure the cardboard is pushed in as close to the spine as you can get it and under the area you’re going to cut.
4. Hold the ruler steady and cut. Done!

As you can see in the photo I also used the cardboard to protect my clipboard from the ink bleeding through the page.

I hope these easy tips help you out. If you have any other questions feel free to ask below.

Thanks again to all of you that believe in my work and have been ordering my coloring book. It’s been an exciting week!

If you don’t have a copy of Flower Nook: A Coloring Book just yet you can order one on Amazon. If you do - thank you! - if you have a few minutes I’d appreciate you leaving a review on the. I’d love to see what you think!

Have a great day everyone!

color and frame

 
Here is a mock-up, inspired by vintage botanical illustrations, of how you can display some of the images in Flower Nook: A Coloring Book. I kept the color to a bare minimum just to see what a limited color palette would look like. Full colored versions of these would really pop against the white background. Why not display your handy work?

I'm still pinching myself because I can't believe this project is finally complete. Thank you so much for all your kind messages on Facebook and Instagram and for all your orders. I've been smiling all day long. Now onto the next big thing. I'm already thinking of the theme for the second book and I'm sketching ideas for another A Little Hut set. I need more hours in the day!

flower nook: a coloring book is now available!

Look what I have to show you today! I'm so happy that Flower Nook: A Coloring Book is ready to go into the world. I still marvel at the idea it all started with some simple sketches I posted on Instagram. Several people asked me if my illustrations were available for coloring and here I am.

The process of creating the 50 illustrations in the book took about two months. My sketchbook was my main source of inspiration and if you've been following me there you'll see the connection right away. I also remembered childhood fantasies where I wondered what it would be like to be tiny (like Thumbelina) and walk through blades of grass that were twice as tall as me and being surrounded by enormous flowers. That's why I included about 5 illustrations that have little girls enjoying the flowers and tending to them.

I truly hope you enjoy the book as much I did creating it. I got silly excited when I got my proof copy in the mail. Ha! It reminded me a bit of what I felt when I got my first book. It never gets old.

This project confirmed (yet again!) that I love working on ideas that my customers can take to the next level. Whether you're building something out of paper or adding color to pages, you're contributing your own dose of creativity and that thrills me. Hopefully, you're also having as much fun as I have when I'm working on all this – it truly is a joy to do what I feel I was born to do.

Thank you so much to those of you that have been so encouraging during this process. Special thanks go to my amazing (patient!) family, to Jenean Morrison for sharing her expert advice and Natalie Barsalou for helping me name the book.

You can order your copy of Flower Nook: A Coloring Book on Amazon.
As always, thank you so much for supporting my work!

my coloring book

These are two spreads in a mock-up of what could've been my coloring book. I was testing the paper (a lot of markers and coloring on this!) and it's perfect because it took the ink really well. I say 'could've been' because today I found out the costs behind trying to go down this path — not feasible. I want to make a quality book but at the same time it needs to be affordable and this option, however awesome, wouldn't be. I was really disappointed when I found this out just today.

But...

As luck would have it I have received information from a very generous, sweet person (thank you!!!) that will make my project a reality. The book will be reasonably priced and even though it won't be designed exactly how I had planned it, it will work well for everyone — my customers and me. Double-yay! I couldn't be any happier!

So... now to continue drawing, drawing, drawing. I'm surrounded by sheets and sheets of flowers, leaves, and many other garden pretties. I can't wait for the reveal. I'm not sure of my timetable quite yet but let's just say that the beginning of summer (no homework, more sleeping time, etc) will be very helpful! :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

the other side

These are just a few examples of ink illustrations that I've been posting on my Instagram feed. It's a direction that I've been headed towards for a long time. Until recently I hadn't really considered this something I wanted to pursue more seriously. But I can't seem to stop. Whenever I pick up my pen it just appears on the paper. None of these drawings are preplanned. I just start. Always in ink and no pencil.

My work has tended to be more graphic and clean, so adopting this loser style is something that has taken time to get used to. As I've grown more comfortable with it, I've had several friends tell me that I need to illustrate a coloring book. So, that's where this is all headed. I consider these the warm-ups and the illustrations for the book will be inspired by everything I've done so far.

I have several projects ready for another paper craft book but somehow they weren't coming together the way I expected. This new project on the other hand is something I can see completed in my mind — something that always happens to me when a project is really the path I should follow —I'm following my heart. Like many of you, coloring was my first introduction into art and paper and I LOVED it. I could color for ever when I was little. This makes this project feel like I'm coming full circle. Pretty cool.

So, there you have it. A coloring book is coming. Yes!

Have a great weekend everyone! I'm off to a church retreat today and will be back on Sunday. I think the time away from everything will be awesome.

See you on the other side! :)

the countdown begins

My book, Home, Paper, Scissors: Decorative Paper Accessories for the Home will be published one month from today! I can't believe that the day is almost here. The photo below is another little sneak peek. Pre-orders can be made here.



I've been alternating between wrapping up some projects and taking the kids to the pool and other activities. Today we're headed out to the dog show and a family get together. It's been an active summer on the work front but a lazy/slow one with the family—a nice balance.

I hope you all have an awesome weekend!

what I got in the mail today

I've waited for today to come for a long time. It's finally here. I don't know exactly what to say and I find myself unexpectedly choked up a bit. All I can coherently say is that I'm really happy and proud. I think I just need a quiet moment to sit and read it as if it were the first time I laid eyes on it.

So. Very. Happy.





Home, Paper, Scissors can be pre-ordered now. It will be published on August 18th of this year.

• • •

Thank you Natalie for posting our homemade paper project on Craft yesterday!

weekend gifts

- A slow and calm couple of days.
- Incessant rain on Saturday which gave us the sloth time we all needed.
- A sketch book with new ideas that came to me between games and movies.
- A sunny Sunday. Our family room gets the best afternoon sun. The Sunburst Wreath is a project I made for Home, Paper, Scissors.
- Waking up later than usual to the announcement that breakfast was ready and served.
- Playing an 'I Spy' type game, made up by D, using the latest Michael's advertisement. Talk about cheap after-breakfast entertainment.
- Getting my butt kicked by my little C playing Guess Who. She was beyond delighted.
- Going to church without incident. No children complaining.

I feel ready to tackle the busy but short week. We're leaving on Thursday to celebrate my brother's wedding in Cancun. The only downside - the dreaded bathing suit purchase which I've been avoiding. A huge gift would be to find it effortlessly.

I hope your weekends were good ones too.

gifts in the mail

After making something or coming up with what I think is a great idea, I'm the type that wants to share it right away. My fingers itch to get on my keyboard and blog away. Not being able to mention projects just about kills me! That's why the unveiling is so sweet.



This is the artwork that I produced for the Nov/Dec cover of Wild magazine (distributed on Frontier Airlines flights). It's the first time that I have one of my paper illustrations on the cover of a magazine and I feel so happy about it—giddy happy—jump up and down happy. Ok, you get the picture.

The timing of this project was terrible. Remember the hurricane? Well the sketches and production were all completed during the aftermath. Yeah, real fun. The motivation to finish it, and finish it well, was what really kept me going.



Today was a great mail day. Not only did I get the Wild magazines but I also got the first draft of the layout of my entire book! It looks great and I wish I could show it to you (10 months to go for that). I'm so excited to see Home, Paper, Scissors coming to life!

Another great surprise to share today - The wonderful Nicole Lecht of FreshlyBlended included me in an article she posted on VenusZine yesterday. I'm very flattered by being in such great company. All the blogs she mentions on her list are some of my favorites too. Thank you Nicole!

My One Month of Projects is coming along. I'll reveal a little more about what I'm doing tomorrow.

By the way, those of you that think that I've forgotten about my Crafty Synergy blog please hang in there. I'm still waiting and my hands are tied. For those of you that don't know, Blogger has a block placed on it for over a week now. I've submitted the formal review form and still have had no success. I don't know what else to do and I'm very frustrated about that. I'll keep you posted.

ready for summer parties

Happy Monday! I come bearing a small gift for everyone. The kids have been invited to some birthday parties throughout the summer so I thought I'd share the gift tags/cards that we're using to accompany our gifts. You'll find the download here. Enjoy!



Have a great week!

making progress

This afternoon you'll probably find me by the pool and enjoying some Pandora tunes and a magazine or a good book - after I'm done making my poor abandoned house look decent. At least that's the plan for now. I just know that I need to get away from my work for a bit because I just finished my manuscript (woohoo!) and the tremendous weight that has been lifted off my shoulders is huge. Huge! It's not the last I'll see of it for sure (more editing to come) but at least I've made it over this hurdle. My presence will still be a bit scarce because now I have to tackle the photography of the projects but I find that less stressful to manage. I can't believe the whole thing is finally coming together. Sometimes it still doesn't seem real.

So now that you're caught up with that here are some friday tidbits and thank yous...

- Thank you to the very talented Stephanie for inviting me to be a part of her series of interviews of artists that blog. It was fun to answer her questions and I was so honored to be included. Check out my interview here.  I can't wait to get the piece I just bought from her shop to add to a little reading corner in our home.



- I just found out about this yesterday and I love it! I made an icon for my website so that iPhone users can add it to their home screens if they'd like. Even if no one uses it, I'm thoroughly enjoying it myself. Isn't it cute? The logo I uploaded is the one you see in the upper right hand corner. The iPhone automatically added the rounded corners and the 'shiny' effect to the top half of the image. You can find all the instructions on how to make your own icon here. It's very easy and quick to do! (via The Small Object)

- The Austin MakerFaire preparations are underway and here I am (oct 2007) in the post where they've made the announcement. Thanks Natalie! I hope to go again because we all had a great time last year.

- Belated thank yous to Cookie Magazine and Heather for posting my alphabet mat boards!

While I'm at it, thank you so much for all your kind comments about my bootie. How unexpected! The funny thing is that I look at it now and I wish I had made something like that when our little C was a baby. I have plans to make something else for her though. I've decided that sewing is definitely something I want to get better at.

And if I forgot anyone or anything else please forgive me. My brain is on 'pause' right now. Have a great weekend!

crafty tuesday

The crafting department on this blog is picking up some dust isn't it? All my 'creative' time has been focused on the how-tos for the book. Trust me, by the time I'm done I'll be able to convert any measurement from inches to centimeters. Why oh why are there two systems? To be perfectly honest, I've lived with both and I have to say that I do prefer the metric system. It just makes more sense. But you didn't hear that from me!



If you're in need of a crafty project and are a planner I did manage to squeak out the new 2009 Calendar. I've had several customers ask me for the new template so they can start on Christmas gifts. I admire their ability to plan that far ahead. I can't even fathom doing that at this point. I don't even know what we're going to eat for dinner tonight (not kidding). In any case, without further ado here is the new template in my shop.

Remember that this project is meant to be a semi-recycling idea. The card stock to print the months on may not be on hand but most of us certainly have scraps of fabric or colorful paper to use for each of the letters of the months. Have fun with it!



The summer does have it's good things doesn't it? Among them is having the perfect weather to leave everything behind, even if it's just for one day, to get recharged at the beach. Here is where we were on Saturday (only an hour and a half away). I'm still suffering the consequences of burned shoulders. I'm the mom that goes around checking everyone for sunscreen and even applying double doses but forgets about her own susceptible body parts. Yeah, (trying to raise hand) that's me!



I'm actually cheating by being here. I'm supposed to be on a self-imposed internet one-week (maybe two) blackout. No news, no blogs, no Flickr, no anything. Nada. Zero. Zilch. I've cheated a little here and there but in general I've been good. There's too much to do and the exodus is actually helping me. We'll see how long I can keep it up. Wish me luck!

I hope that you're all doing well!

wow

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! You sure know how to warm a girl's heart. I didn't get a chance to get back on my computer until this morning and I'm so shocked by all the comments everyone has made so far (and the book isn't even complete!). If everyone responded to accomplishments, big or small, the way you've done here this world would be such a nicer place. All I can say is 'thank you' again and again. I also want to add that it's so nice to meet some new people through these latest comments. Welcome! - xo

confession time

You have no idea how hard it’s been to be tight lipped about the little story I’m about to tell you. No idea! I didn’t want to say anything until I signed on the dotted line. I just did that today. So here it is: I’ve started writing a paper craft book that will be published in mid-2009. Yeah!! (you can now picture me jumping up and down, up and down, up and down).

This whole thing started last year when my literary agent discovered my work. Thank you K for being so instrumental in all of this, for being so patient with me and for answering all my silly novice questions. You’re wonderful! And of course, a big thank you to my publisher who believed my proposal was book worthy.

The unassuming sketch book you see above has all my project ideas in its pages. I’ve been carrying it around for months and months. It is a treasure trove of sketches and doodles. Most of them will end up in the book and others may make their appearance on some other occasion. It’s been a great experience to stretch my creative muscles and come up with what I consider well designed and interesting projects. I obviously still have a lot of work ahead of me but I’m so very excited with the challenge.

The book will contain paper craft projects for the home and will reflect my typical clean lined and quiet style. I certainly hope that the book lives up to everyone’s expectations but more than anything, I hope to live up to my own worst critic - me.

So if any of you were wondering why my tutorials had slowed down – now you know why. It’s so very frustrating to have so much work that I can’t share just yet. You’ll have to wait and see it all in my new book.

I’m excited and nervous but with my husband and family cheering me on I’m sure this is going to be a lot of fun. I'm also happy to be finally sharing this on my blog. So many of you have been so generous with your comments about my projects that I felt like I was cheating on you by not sharing all of this sooner.

Now I can finally exhale... :)