trend alert - disco baby!...

Ok.  Love it or hate it...its happening.  Disco is creeping its way back into our lives.  Ok, well for some of us, this will be the first go 'round at it. I know some of you may be holding yourselves back from gagging right now, but I gotta tell you...I think I am into it!  What is making me go over the top??  One guess...the color!  It's like a fruit salad ran away with a bunch pomegranates, and picked up some eggplant along the way for good measure.  (I know that didn't make any sense...)  I also love the idea of pairing them down with a range of camels.  AND, really, who can do over-the-top, yet wearable better than Marc Jacobs?

It's fun, it's girly, and vampy all at the same time.  I love how last season is was all about the 50's and those plunging bustlines.  It's like it's ok to a WOMAN again!  It all really feels like a party!  Of course I am on board with anything that has a sense of joie de vivre about it!    You can really pull some amazing color palettes from this trend and play with lots of color blocking....hmmm....photos. Marc Jacobs Spring 11 from style.com and snaps from Dec 2010 Vogue.

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!)