an adventure with Kristin the intern...O' Oriole Mill, how I love thee...

Happy holidays everyone. I'm just dropping in from my little adventures.....

This week I visited the Oriole Mill in North Carolina, tomorrow who knows? I went with my program to this Jacquard Weaving Center after having a long semester of learning how to assign weaves in Jacquad. The looms were humongous and I was surrounding by a thousand spools of thread. It was pretty much any Textile Major's dream come true. Initially when  finding out alot of my semester was going to be spent weaving a grandma blanket---I was not too pleased nor excited. However, I found a way to make mine cute and modern and I think now its  my proudest work ! (And plus I learned the basis of how designs are woven in the industry.) Thanks professor!
The process went by so quick, my blankets were done in minutes! Each heddle moving up and down so fast and powerful it could slice a carrot.

I did two blankets and I am so happy I did because I learned so much between the two. The striped floral goes along with my portfolio collection, found. The second one was my first experiment, a baroque inspired design with light bulbs. My favorite!That's me and my classmates with our woven masterpieces!

new obsession - pinterest...

Hi! Hope everyone state side had a great holiday! Now, back to it for a few more weeks! So...I don't think I've told you about my new OBSESSION! It's called pinterest, and it's a m a z i n g! You know all those drool worthy images you come across all day long? Well the smarties at Pinterest have created a great way to catalog all that wonderful visual goodness. Aside from keeping up with all the great inspiration you encounter, you can also follow other people's "pins". I've discovered some really interesting new corners of the web from the people I am following. It is so fun, immensely useful, and highly addictive, but in a good way! Have fun, and give me follow!

In other news...I just noticed my blog is listed in the latest issue of the SURTEX newsletter On the Surface as one of three great blogs to check out!  Check it out in the resources to remember section.  Hooray!

new shop and a sale!!

Have you guys checked out my new shop yet? I will be adding all sorts of fresh new goodies before the year is over. As usual photos prints and stretched canvas are available, and I've just added HIGH SOCIETY 2011 calendars! Hooray! Everyone loved the fabric collection, so I decided keep the love fest going all year long!

Soooo....what's Thanksgiving without a SALE??

Everything in the shop is 15% off until the end of November. Use the coupon code CARPEDIEM for the calendars, and PECANPIE for photo prints and canvas.

Head here for the scoop on the SHOWSTOPPER sale.



Happy shopping!

SHOWSTOPPER SALE!!

As you recover from the feast, the family, and the crazy shopping scene, remember that this time of year is a great time for reflection. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time to remember all the people and gifts that are most important to us. In the craziness of the season, don't forget that a new year is right around the corner. Remember to take sometime for yourself to nurture your creative spirit, and really think about your business goals for the coming year. That said, I am offering the pre-launch rate for SHOWSTOPPER through the entire weekend! I hope this will give you the little nudge you need to take the plunge and really transform you business! Here are the details!

***SPECIAL RATES WILL END November 28TH @ 9:00pm EST***

I'm ready to rock! - $70 ($97 after special)

Email series, ebook, and the awesome videos.

use discount code = LETSROCK

Ready to rock + Confessions. - $80 ($112 after special)

Email series, ebook, and the awesome videos, AND Confessions for just $10.

use discount code = LETSROCK5478

***(ebook alone without the videos is also available for $45)***

Wishing you and your family a very happy holiday season.
See you at the shows!

BONUS!!!  Don't miss the wonderful sales TARA REED is running too!

peek of the process - color...

Finally! I am committing myself to creating new work! Let me tell you I am so excited about it! This is why I love fall. I just want to make some tea and draw, draw, draw! I know everyone wants a bit more of the scoop on my process, so I thought I would begin at the beginning!

Truly for me it all starts with color. Before I think about themes, motifs, anything at all, I have to see and feel the color story. In fact it is the color that really creates the story as a whole for me. Color creates a story of India, or Provence, or a playful summer day... When I start to create a color palette I like to pull images that really speak to me - and the story just takes off.  There are so many places I can go within this palette!  Um...yum! Really!

1. via papersnitch 2. via design sponge 3. holly knitlightly via papersnitch  4. via from the right bank 5. via wise acre (flickr)  6. via roger gordon (flickr)  7. via rudolf_schuba (flickr)

print inspiration - envirosax...

Happy Monday all! I'm back after my little bloggy break last week, with lots of yummy eye candy! I gotta tell you, I LOVE this long ride we have been on with the ethnic prints. The trend is still going strong, and being reinvented daily. I can't get enough of the warm earth tones, and the tribal influences from all parts of the globe.

The "Nomad Pouch" from Envirosax has a great range of prints on a really great product.  Have you heard about them??  The group is based out of Australia are are committed to not only providing consumers with an alternative to plastic bags, but they are also deeply committed to educating the public on environmental issues.  I love the message, look the look, and will soon love the bags! (They been added to my Christmas wishlist!)

Kristin the intern's new collection

Hi guys! Just got my new fabric collection found in from Spoonflower that I am using for my exiting show in December. Yeah that's right this little intern will be graduating in less than a month!



The collection I created is called found because I feel I have finally found who I am as an artist, but also because the design motifs are taken from found inspiration.  I drew from things like insects, woodgrain, roses, stitches and the holes from my wall piece from last semester. For me, it was all about having fun, being free and creating something that really spoke to who I am. I think that's what it's all about after all!I will be upholstering a chair with 3 of the fabrics all together. Then I will cover the chair backs and saw them so they can hang on the gallery wall. I am an upholsterer's daughter so I want to include this skill in my installation. Don't worry more photos sure to come! Wish me luck everyone!

more fabric from robert kaufman!!...

I've got goodies to share!  More yummy fabric arrived on my doorstep yesterday!  I am so happy to share with you my latest collection for Robert Kaufman.  It's called Ivory Coast and it is full of rich color and ethnic inspired prints (of course with a modern twist)!  Hope you love it like I do!

Mon Sheri Fat Quarter Winner!...

Congratulations to lucky number 12 - Stitch-n-Lounge!  Please send me your address, and I'll send over the fabric!  Hooray!  Send to info@khristianahowell.com.  Thanks for all the feedback guys!

HGTV and me!...

About a month ago I was approached by the wonderful Lana Kole to contribute to an HGTV.com article.  Of course I immediately said yes, and then I asked what the article was about.  :0)  The article is called Decorating for Winter with Textiles, and it is up... NOW! Big thank you to Lana for inviting me, and for putting together a great piece!

the start of something new...

Happy Friday all!  I've made a commitment to myself to spend the rest of this year creating, creating, creating!  When January gets here, the real countdown to SURTEX begins, and I am still toying with the idea of squeezing in another show as well.  So I took a moment to step away from the computer and get out my trusty pens a few days back.  Thought I would share the beginnings of something new!  Tomorrow I am going to play all day with my partner in crime these days, Jessica Swift.  A trip to the art supply store is in my future, and I plan to walk out with all new paints to play with!  I'm really excited to try some new things, but also a little terrified.

Mon Sheri Giveaway!

I have a fat quarter of Mon Sheri left from the wonderful samples made by my friend over at Hey Baby Studio!  It's lonely, and needs to find a home!  This collection was named after my constant inspiration my mom, Sheri, so I hope you love it as much as I do!

So, here's what you do.

1. Follow @surfacedivine (that's me!) on Twitter or join the peeps on Facebook.

AND

2. Leave a comment here letting me know what you would like to see more of in this space.  If you instead want to share what is inspiring you right now, I'd love to hear about that too!  :)

Winner will be randomly selected and announced here on Monday!

Two new fabric collections!

Hi all!  I'm back from Quilt Market!  It was tons of fun!  I was thrilled to make some of my twitter friends into real life friends!  Finally got to meet Daisy Janie (who's booth was amazing btw) and Jenean Morrison.  I also met some great new friends Marisa from Creative Thursday, Betz White, Lizzy House, and Melody Miller, Lindsay and Charlie from Hawthorne Threads, Cynthia from Fabricworm and Birch, and Kim from True Up.  I even had a moment to chat with Amy Butler!  Full weekend - let me tell you, but so so much fun!  So...want to see the two new collections I presented with Anthology??  Come on, sure you do!  ;0)

First up, Bryant Park in three colorways - Yacht, Terre, and Balkans!



This collection was inspired by the spirit of Bryant Park in NYC.  Although, the shows are no longer held there, we will always remember Bryant Park as a destination where beauty, creativity, and innovation were celebrated.  I wanted to mix vintage overtones with modern shapes, and use color in a fresh new way.  Hope you heart it!





Next up Theory in three ways - Seaside, Sierra, and Forest



Theory was all about trying something new.  Mixing and matching traditional and modern elements and seeing what came out.  It was my theory really of what a new look for home, fashion, and craft could be.