Steve Haskamp's Blog

Print & Pattern Blog

2012-02-01T09:45:00.000-08:00

I was excited to see that I was featured today on the Print Pattern Blog! Thank you to Bowie Style for that!! I have enjoyed reading and looking at all of the amazing design and illustration on Print Pattern for a long time and it is terrific to be featured.

Valentine Cards with Peaceable Kingdom Press at Target

2012-01-31T09:28:00.000-08:00

My packets of Valentine Cards for Kids are currently for sale at your neighborhood Target store! These packs of 30 cards are published by Peaceable Kingdom Press. We sold packets with different designs last year and they were a big hit at Target. Each packet sells for $2.99.

Owl Pillows

2012-01-26T11:11:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pillows now available in my Etsy shop, Pictorialboom. As with my other pillows, I hired a fabric company to print the designs on cotton, and then my friend Nancy turned the fabric into finished pillows. These owl designs are also available as canvas prints in my shop as well as art prints on paper. You can find them for sale as pillows here and here.

Exclamation Point and Ampersand Pillows

2012-01-25T14:52:00.000-08:00

I have two more pillows to show you. As with my other pillows, I hired a fabric company to print the designs on cotton, and then my friend Nancy turned the fabric into finished pillows that I am selling in my Etsy shop, Pictorialboom. I did a greeting card last year for Trader Joe's that featured an exclamation point. It was a striking design, so I thought it might be nice as a pillow. I didn't want the exclamation point to be lonely, so I added an ampersand design as well. Using the punctuation marks as design elements adds a clever conversational aspect to the pillows. You can find them here and here in my Etsy shop.

Peacock Pillow

2012-01-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

I hired a fabric company to print my peacock artwork onto cotton fabric and my friend Nancy has made pillows from it! The fabric is a cotton linen blend and looks really nice. The pillows are for sale here in my Etsy shop, Pictorialboom.

Painted Ceiling

2012-01-19T18:18:00.000-08:00

We like to treat every room in our house like a gem, so recently we decided our little hallway should have a painted pattern on the ceiling. There is a stairway, two bedroom doors, a bathroom door and a large opening into the living room in this space and the walls are a medium shade of aqua. We chose a soft, light aqua and orange to coordinate with the living room.

Marking and taping off the design was the most difficult. After that it was just a matter of filling in the spaces with paint. A word to the wise, you should peel the tape off while the paint is still wet to insure a clean line that doesn't pull off more of the paint than is desirable.

We finished off the project with a retro looking light that has an edison bulb. I think the final piece of the puzzle will be adding crown moldings to add some nice detail to this little space! I really enjoy seeing the pattern as I climb the stairs from the lower level.

Gallery Wrapped Canvases on Etsy

2012-01-13T09:12:00.000-08:00

I have taken a few of my designs and had them reproduced as gallery wrapped canvas prints. I'm happy with the way the designs travel around the sides of the wooden frames adding dimension and interest from any viewing angle. They are currently for sale in my Etsy shop. You can see them here, here, and here!

Pet Pals

2012-01-05T08:47:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012! I am starting the new Year on my blog with something from the past. I created a bath collection for kids a while ago called Pet Pals. I had a great time creating the little dogs and cats that make up the collection. There was a nice range of products from a shower curtain, towels, curtain rings, a bath rug, tissue box, soap dispensers, a soap dish, and a trash can! Seeing my two dimensional paintings transformed into three dimensional product was so exciting and rewarding. All the best to you this year!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-22T10:04:00.000-08:00

Hurray for the Holidays! Being able to spend it with family and friends and take a little time off work sounds terrific to me right about now. All the best to you during this festive season!

Great Arrow Graphics Greeting Cards

2011-12-02T09:37:00.001-08:00

I've been designing greeting cards for Great Arrow Graphics for years. They hand silkscreen all of their cards in Buffalo, NY and they are always gorgeous little gems. You can check out my current designs for sale by clicking here.

Newest Greeting Cards for Trader Joe's

2011-11-21T10:00:00.001-08:00

Here are my newest designs available now at your neighborhood Trader Joe's store!

Etsy Holiday Sale!

2011-11-11T09:48:00.001-08:00

The Holiday Sale has begun in my Etsy Shop, Pictorialboom! You can get 20 percent off your entire purchase. Just use coupon code: pictorialboom20
Check it out here!

Oopsy Daisy for Target

2011-11-07T09:22:00.000-08:00

My newest wall art canvases for kids are now available at Target. Roar n Stomp features dinosaurs and it coordinates with their bedding collection. You can purchase it online here as well as in your local Target Store. There is also a Roar n Stomp growth chart available online only here. Star Power is all about being a rock star with lots of pink and purple guitars and stars (available in stores only).

Wall Art for Kids With Oopsy Daisy

2011-10-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

These paintings of mine have been featured on stretched canvas wall art for kids with Oopsy Daisy for years, but somehow I haven't taken the time to feature them here on my blog. Oopsy Daisy makes all of their canvas art in their San Diego, California factory. You can purchase any of my canvas art as well as nightlights here.

On The Farm Puzzle

2011-10-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

This puzzle has been out on the market for a while now, but I thought I would share it. It features some cute animal characters just hanging out on the farm. Mudpuppy Press does such a terrific job of making quality products for kids. You can buy it here.

Nocturnal Cat

2011-09-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

Cats love to roam the night in their stealthy, but always adorable way. I'm always amazed, being a dog owner, how quiet they are compared to my beagles. They can sit and stare at something for ages without moving, as if they are in a trance. Perhaps cats are deep thinking and philosophical animals.

Master Bedroom

2011-09-23T08:58:00.000-07:00

The house we own was built in 1940 and has charming wood floors and great light being perched on a gentle hillside. The master bedroom has these terrific corner windows with views of the bay and the city of San Francisco beyond. What the room didn't have is color and we like color here at our house! So, I designed a fabric for the headboard (which we made on a Sunday afternoon) on Spoonflower.com with the gray and citrus yellows and greens that we are so fond of. We had purchased several vintage pieces of furniture with the intention of painting them lemon yellow. We used a high gloss alkyd which was, to be honest, no fun at all but it looks terrific! The china cabinet was transformed into a freestanding closet of sorts thanks to the mirror that replaced the glass in the doors. The granite gray walls allow the furniture to take center stage and it works thanks to the light and clean power of the white duvet, ceiling, trim and chandelier. We are giving this old house some new attitude with color, color and more color!

LoLo's Laboratory

2011-08-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

I met Laurel Nathanson through a licensing artist group that I am a member of and wanted to share her blog with you. She has a really fun sense of color and creates everything from jewelry to clothing adorned with her fun and edgy characters. Check it out here!

Scratch and Sniff Stickers

2011-07-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

Peaceable Kingdom Press has introduced a line of scratch and sniff stickers that I illustrated and kids are going to love them! They are packaged at retail in a colorful red display box containing 36 separate packs that sell for around $2.50 per box. Each little pack contains 6 feet of 80 stickers in scents ranging from strawberry, chocolate, grape, banana, bubblegum, as well as pizza. I love the terrific products that Peaceable Kingdom Press continues to produce. Hopefully you will find them soon at a retailer near you!

I'm back to the blog!

2011-07-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

Boy, have I been lazy about this blog lately! I am doing new work constantly, but as I'm sure you understand, it's difficult to keep up with everything. Thanks for hanging in there with me while I took a little break.

I thought I would post one of my recent designs. Painted phrases are always popular and right now they seem to be everywhere again. We all have favorite phrases that we use in our daily lives or some that bring back fond memories. Do you have a favorite phrase?

An unveiling of sorts

2011-04-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

My website has a whole new look and I am really happy to unveil it here today! It has been a long time coming. Out with the old and in with the new! Take a look here.

Wisteria

2011-04-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

The wisteria in our back garden burst forth with abundant blooms last week and is looking amazing today! When we moved here last year, this gorgeous vine was blocked from view by some huge juniper bushes. We tore those nasty things out and now can see this from our new deck. I am looking forward to planning and planting a newly redesigned back garden at some point in the near future. Enjoy the beautiful spring weather and all of it's amazing color!

Fly Butterfly Fly

2011-03-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

I am working on some new greeting card designs at the moment. I will share more later.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

I hope your day is terrific!

Update on Haute Look

2011-02-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

In my previous post, I forgot to mention my wall art for sale at Haute Look was only featured on their site for a few days and is no longer available. The manufacturer is marketing them to other retail outlets, so we are hoping to see them elsewhere soon.

New Wall Art on Haute Look

2011-02-08T10:26:00.000-08:00

I recently licensed 16 new designs with a company that prints art onto wood forms that are ready to hang. All 16 designs are now available on Haute Look. You can sign up to receive their daily sales. Check them out here. My designs are the first 16 in the list.

Lost Puppies Board Game

2011-01-27T08:03:00.000-08:00

The new board game I illustrated for Peaceable Kingdom Press is now out in the marketplace! It is one of a new breed of board game for kids called a cooperative game. Instead of competing against one another, kids work together to reach a common goal. In the case of the "Lost Puppies" game, they have to get all of the lost puppies home before dark. It was a terrific project to be a part of. Peaceable Kingdom Press does such beautiful and well concepted products. You can find out more about the game here!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T10:44:00.000-08:00

I am looking forward to seeing what 2011 has in store for me! I hope it is a good one for you as well.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-21T08:56:00.000-08:00

We are heading home to the Midwest tomorrow to spend the Holidays with family. It is a great time of year to spend with those closest to you and we are really looking forward to it! Happy Holidays to you!!

Christmas Giftwrap

2010-12-08T09:23:00.000-08:00

My festive and colorful giftwrap of Christmas trees on a saturated pink background is available this year at Walmart.

Snowman Pyramid Flag Available at Lowe's

2010-12-01T08:09:00.000-08:00

My stacked snowmen design is printed on a decorative flag and for sale at your neighborhood Lowe's Home Improvement store this Holiday Season!

Converting a greeting card design into a repeat pattern

2010-11-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

A fabric manufacturer recently asked me if I could take one of my designs that was licensed for a greeting card and turn it into a one color repeated pattern. I accepted the challenge and this is the result. I first converted the full color design to black and white and added white space where the black intersected itself to keep the definition and shape of the original design. I then turned the design into a single repeat like a puzzle piece (I have not shown that stage here). The original birds were flipped and added to the design for a bit more variety and I added a new branch for them to perch on as well as more of the flowers. Now I just hope I will see it printed in several different color options on fabric soon!

Bay Area Sunset

2010-11-14T17:34:00.000-08:00

It has been an incredibly beautiful weekend here considering it is mid November! The sunset tonight was amazing with the city of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge set off by it's orange glow. It's always nice here in the East Bay to look across the bay and see the city lights. I wish we had a better camera to really zoom in on the details of the scene.

Hibiscus

2010-11-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

I have been busy in the studio painting some tropical flowers like this hibiscus. This week will be more florals and some sketches of ice cream cones for another project I am working on.

Guest Room

2010-10-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

We had a little guest room that was so sad and depressing and decided it was time to inject some comfort and color. Although the room is tiny, (less than 10 by 10 feet) we wanted it to feel special and cozy. We took our cues from the happy color palette of the comforter without making it look like a teen bedroom by blending the neutral and nubby fabrics for the curtains and headboard. We made the headboard in an afternoon. The corner scoop cutouts were a bit of a challenge because the fabric just really didn't want to make the curve smoothly without a lot of coaxing, but we persevered and are happy with the result. It was just a piece of plywood with 1X6 legs and a roll of batting wrapped around several times.

The chandelier was an old brass one we found in the basement of the house when we moved here. Some red lacquer spray paint transformed it. The little floating night stand shelves were from IKEA for only $9.99 each. The room needs some work done on the closet and some new carpet is somewhere in it's future, but I can honestly say that it now says "come on in and stay a while."

Magic Murals

2010-10-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

My designs are now for sale at Magic Murals. They have licensed 20 of my designs for wallpaper murals, some of which are as big as 8 feet by 12 feet. Here are a few of them. Check them all out here!

Dream Big

2010-10-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

These are just a few of the paintings I did recently for a little gift book project focused on the hopes and dreams of graduates. These three particular designs were also picked up a few weeks ago as greeting cards for another company.

A Taste of Summer

2010-09-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

Watermelons immediately make me think of summertime. I designed this plate and platter for a company that is going to reproduce it on melamine dishes. That way, it can be summertime all the time at dinner time!

New Front Door

2010-09-24T08:56:00.000-07:00

We have been living in our house now for about 4 months.

When we first saw the house we knew if we bought the place it would need a new front door to really say welcome with a nice color or two. We chose a traditional four panel wood one that we knew would work well with the lines of the house and added sidelights on either side to add more light and charm. Although it was original to the house and is a nod to the Art Deco era, we are not fans of glass block so we were happy to give it the old "heave ho". The door color is "blackberry" and the trim is "soji white." If you look closely in the lower right corner of the "after" photo you can see the color we are thinking of painting the main body of the house. It is an ochre yellow called "alchemy". The new windows will be a "pebble grey" and trimmed in the "soji white". Can't wait to see it all come together!

Onwards and upwards!

Safari Friends Kids Pattern

2010-09-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

I created this pattern out of some animal characters that I had done for various other projects.

Cupcakes: A Big Stack of Deliciousness!

2010-08-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

This is from a recent greeting card project. I wish I had a big platter of cupcakes right now!!

Colorful Flowers

2010-08-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

More flowers from my recent greeting card project.

A Casual Bouquet

2010-07-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

Working on some new designs for a greeting card company and this is one of them. I debated about making it more dense with leaves and blooms, but chose to keep it simple and fresh.

Ladybug Art Licensed to Michael's

2010-07-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

Everyone likes ladybugs. They just seem to make us smile. This ladybug painting of mine will be featured on a flag at your neighborhood Michael's store. I loved working with the vibrant reds of the ladybugs. It makes the design very graphic and bold.

Peaceable Kingdom Press Scratch and Sniff Sticker Packs

2010-06-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

Peaceable Kingdom Press continues to expand their offerings and have just added six new sticker packs that I designed for them. They are all scratch and sniff stickers and feature these scents: strawberry, chocolate, grape, vanilla, pizza, and popcorn. I enjoyed working on such a colorful and fun project.

Sweet Shop Sticker Tote at Barnes and Noble and soon at Target

2010-06-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

My Sweet Shop Sticker Activity Tote is now available at Barnes and Noble stores and will soon be available at Target!! The people at Peaceable Kingdom Press are doing a terrific job of marketing their products to new stores and shopping outlets. It's always really gratifying to see one of the products I have designed in a store when I am out and about.

Fruit Treasury on Etsy

2010-06-10T16:09:00.000-07:00

My pear art print is currently featured in an Etsy Treasury. Michelle at Silverhorsephotos did a terrific job of selecting pieces that compliment each other. My print is at the bottom left. You can check it out in my shop here.

Wish Granted Birthday Cake

2010-06-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure where, when, why or how the tradition of blowing out candles on a birthday cake began, but it is nice to blow out the candles and make a wish. Hopefully when it's your turn, all your wishes will be granted!

New Project With Adorable Puppies

2010-05-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves puppies, right? Well, I just finished up a project featuring lots of sweet little pups . Here is a sneak peek at them. The product is a bit of a secret, but will be out next year and I will post more about it then.

Happy Mother's Day Butterflies

2010-05-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

Today is a day for celebrating all of the amazing things that our mother's do for us. Have a great day!

These Dogs are Bored

2010-04-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

It's raining here today and our dogs Ruby and Olive are very bored. The pictures say it all. I can't believe how good they are at looking sad.

Celebrate Collection with Merritt International

2010-04-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

Last year I partnered with Merritt International to develop this line of melamine dishes featuring ice cream and cupcakes. The dishes will be in stores soon, so here is a peek at how they turned out as well as a picture from their catalog. I am really happy with the way they look!

I Made it to the front Page on Etsy

2010-04-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

Once in a great while, my Etsy prints make it to the front page of their site. Today is one of those days and this was the print they featured.

Graphic Flowers

2010-04-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and it's all about flowers. I wanted this particular design to be graphic and spontaneous without looking messy and overworked.

Cosmos in a vase

2010-04-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

I bought these flowers at a market in San Diego and decided to paint them. It ended up being one of the last illustrations I did there. I love the casual and unstructured feeling of the arrangement. I ended up cropping the painting four different ways to present it to a greeting card client of mine. As you have probably noticed, I also decided to use it as my blog banner.

New Town

2010-04-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

I haven't mentioned this in my blog, but we recently moved from San Diego north to the Berkeley area. While I will miss the ideal weather we had in San Diego, the Bay Area is incredibly beautiful. Natural beauty is everywhere from the gorgeous green hills to the deer roaming through the neighborhoods and all of the water everywhere. In addition to the mighty Pacific Ocean, there are rivers, lakes and streams which are not very common in Southern California. We hope to find a home in the Berkeley Hills overlooking San Francisco Bay. It's been quite an adventure so far! More to come. In the meantime, here are a few photos of some homes in and around Berkeley.

The Newest For Trader Joe's

2010-03-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my latest printed greeting cards for Trader Joe's. I believe they will be showing up in stores mid April. It's always a good mail day when I get a package of printed samples left on my doorstep!

Cats and Dogs Medical Scrub Kits

2010-03-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

Springs Creative Fabric Company has licensed my dog and cat patterns onto medical scrub kits through their line of do it yourself projects called FabriKate's. The kit includes everything you need to sew your own scrub! These kits are now available at Walmart. The same patterns will also be featured this fall on fleece do it yourself throw blanket kits at Jo-Ann's fabrics.

Chinese Lanterns

2010-03-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

I've long admired the simple beauty and grace of Chinese lanterns glowing and blowing in the evening breeze. They are terrific at adding ambience when celebrating a special event or just to make an ordinary evening just a bit more special. This design is from a recent greeting card project.

Blooming Tree

2010-03-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

I came across the phrase "Bloom where you're planted" some time ago and finally decided to illustrate something with it as my inspiration. With spring knocking on the door, it just seems appropriate right now. I love the freshness and newness of spring. I hope you can take a walk in nature today and feel it's beauty in your life. Don't forget to bloom where you are planted!

Monkeying Around

2010-03-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

I can understand why monkeys are such a favorite animal among kids and adults. They like to have a good time whether it is swinging from trees or just being mischievous. I have illustrated several kid's books with monkey characters in them and have now created a monkey pattern complete with their favorite food... bananas! I hope to do some companion patterns to turn this into a collection soon.

Gift Packaging

2010-03-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

I have along history of designing paper products and I still enjoy working on each and every project that comes along. This gift packaging collection consists of a bag, a pillow box for gift cards as well as some small gift enclosures. The bag features glitter (oooh...aaah!). The collection is produced and distributed through The Gift Wrap Company.

Picked Sweet Curtains!

2010-02-23T09:11:00.000-08:00

A photo of these beautiful curtains were sent to me by Cindy and Mary Jo! They used the cherries fabric and the mini print that coordinates with it from my Picked Sweet collection with Henry Glass Fabrics. They really look fantastic!! Thanks for sharing them Cindy and Mary Jo. You definitely know your way around a sewing machine. The fabrics are now available at all Hancock Fabric stores as well as their online shop. I have added links to the fabrics in the "Buy My Products Here" section on the left side of the blog. I would love to see what other people make with the fabrics, so please share your pictures with me.

Peaceable Kingdom Press Cards and Stickers

2010-02-19T09:39:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy doing projects with Peaceable Kingdom Press in Berkeley, CA. They are always developing new and innovative products for kids and anyone who is young at heart. These are a couple of products I did with them that turned out really nice. One is a tote full of Valentine cards with an ice cream theme. The cool thing is that they are scratch and sniff cards that smell like your favorite flavors! The other product is a tote full of reposition-able stickers with activity cards to decorate with them. It has a bakery/ sweet shop theme and tons of great little stickers for kids to play with. You can buy them here and here.

Start thinking spring with flowers!

2010-02-16T08:32:00.000-08:00

Time to chase away the winter blahs with some spring flowers! I love how they wait quietly all winter, gaining strength and momentum in their bulbs before springing up to put on an amazing show of color. What a welcome sight for so many looking for that sign of vitality and renewal. My parents had daffodils every spring that lined the sidewalk of our front yard when I was young and it was exciting to see them poking up through the ground when everything else around them was still brown and lifeless. It was always a terrific cure for the winter blahs!

Love Love Love

2010-02-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

Ok all you sweethearts out there. This post is for you. Happy Valentine's Day!!

New Pattern

2010-02-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

This pattern was inspired by some of the early advertising work of Andy Warhol. The textural line work is a nice contrast to the softer colors and white background.

Rooster Dinnerware

2010-02-05T11:05:00.000-08:00

I am once again on that quest to design some dinnerware. I am hoping that my slightly modern take on the country rooster icon will get me there. My agent at Mosaic Licensing suggested a layout of roosters marching around the edge of the plate and I really think it works. Just waiting for feedback from some manufacturers at this point.

Birthday Card Designs and More

2010-02-01T09:38:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy sitting down at the beginning of a new project and brainstorming for concepts. It's all about possibilities and the adventure of trying something new or finally bringing an idea I've had brewing for a while to fruition while staying within the project's parameters. I did these designs recently for greeting cards and enjoyed the process from start to finish.

And the winner is...

2010-01-29T08:19:00.000-08:00

The winner of the Blog aversary give away is Becky!! Congrats! Please send me an email with your shipping info and I will get the scrapbooking stuff to you. Thanks everyone for your comments.

blog versary giveaway!

2010-01-25T08:46:00.000-08:00

I've now been blogging for one year. I appreciate hearing from all of you and look forward to more of the same this year! My sample closet is full, full, full!! To celebrate the blog aversary and help clean out the closet, I am giving away this collection of products from my dog and cat scrapbooking collection with the Momenta Company. There are over 30 products here from stickers to charms, papers, etc. Just leave a comment on the blog by end of day Thursday and I will randomly pick a winner and the collection will be yours. I look forward to hearing from you!

Folk inspired!

2010-01-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

I really wanted this pattern collection to be warm and energetic, so I enlisted some saturated colors to do the job. The coral colors next to the yellows and greens really make me smile and I just love the shapes of birds and foliage in folk art, so that was my inspiration.

Dog Friends

2010-01-19T09:26:00.000-08:00

I redesigned one of my existing dog patterns last week and this is the final result. I love the combination of green and blue with bits of coral here and there. Plus, the addition of some texture gives the pattern a more tactile quality. I would love to see this collection on fabrics! Here's hoping.

Picked Sweet Fruit Fabrics

2010-01-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

My first fabric collection samples arrived over the Holidays. I am happy to say I am pleased with them. The collection is called "Picked Sweet" and is produced by Jaftex Fabrics, a division of Henry Glass Fabrics. I'm not exactly sure when it arrives in stores, but my guess is probably late spring or early summer. It would be wonderful to see all the different items people end up making with them. I took these pictures of the fabrics recently. They are not professional quality, but hopefully they give you a good idea of what they look like. Hmmm... maybe I should learn to sew.

Peacock

2010-01-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

Peacocks seem to be popping up everywhere in the marketplace, so I painted this over the Holidays. Such colorful and showy birds! Nature is amazing!!

My new 30" Apple Cinema Display

2010-01-07T09:17:00.000-08:00

Wow!! Happy new year to me! I got my new 30 inch Apple Cinema Display yesterday and it is amazing. I've been wanting one for some time now as my old monitor was 10 years old and starting to act strangely. Now I can have multiple windows open at once and they won't block each other. Should make work go a lot more smoothly. Set up was easy. I am pleased!!

New Greeting Cards at Trader Joe's

2010-01-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

It's that time again. Trader Joe's has a whole new selection of greeting cards and four of them were designed by yours truly. My cards all feature embossed details and I think that's pretty amazing for only 99 cents at retail!

Happy New Year Birds!

2010-01-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

Well, 2009 seemed to fly by! I am certainly looking forward to a fresh start with 2010. I have my resolutions for the year and feel good about them, so here's to 2010!! May we all have a great year!

Roosters Collection

2009-12-30T10:23:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking it is time to move along from Holiday posts. I have taken my rooster designs and turned them into a collection of patterns. A fabric company is interested in producing them, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. This same company is introducing my first collection of fabrics this spring. I will post more on it soon.

Snowman Couple

2009-12-22T10:08:00.000-08:00

What a sweet reminder of how important it is to have love in our lives during this Holiday season.

Joyful Snowman!

2009-12-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

The snowman and I both wish you a season full of joy and happy times!

Christmas Ornaments

2009-12-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

Shiny and bright ornaments are always so fun to unwrap every year to decorate the Christmas tree. When I was little we made ornaments one year from a kit. They were plaster and we poured them into molds. After they were dry we painted them and added glitter. To this day, they are always the pride of my parents' Christmas tree. My siblings and I always find them on the tree and they spark a lot of great memories. We all have a different favorite.

Holiday Cheer Dinnerware

2009-12-14T09:21:00.000-08:00

This is from a dinnerware project a couple of years ago. I wanted to try something a bit more traditional and put it on a crisp white background.

Christmas Patterns

2009-12-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

I created these Christmas inspired patterns and decided to format them as greeting cards.

It's a Snowman Invasion

2009-12-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

The snowmen are taking over this blog! These designs are featured on greeting cards this season from Design Design, Inc. I'd love to see someone actually build a real snowman totem with snowmen standing on each other's shoulders. How amazing would that be?

Let It Snow Say The Snowmen

2009-12-08T08:13:00.000-08:00

These are some very energetic snowmen! There is a cheerleader-esque quality to the pyramid formation, but who can blame their enthusiasm. Snowmen do love snow. These snowy characters will be appearing on a holiday flag next year at your local Lowe's store. I'm also attempting to license them onto dinnerware.

Discount at Cardstore.com

2009-12-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

Cardstore.com is offering a discount for friends and family right now! Receive 15 percent off any card order through December 31. Just use discount code FRIEND15

Just click on the link here to go to the site.

Snowman with his best friend

2009-12-03T15:40:00.000-08:00

This snowman has his trusty little snowdog friend with him at all times. I did this series of designs for a holiday ornament project last year. They were not turned into ornaments, but one design did make it onto a Holiday boxed card this year from Design Design, Inc. You can buy it here.

All I Want for Christmas...

2009-11-30T08:54:00.000-08:00

This dog and cat are dreaming about all the great things they want for Christmas. Christmas shopping can be a bit difficult at times, but my dogs are really easy to buy for. Anything edible and they are in heaven!

Fall Cornucopia

2009-11-24T20:02:00.000-08:00

A festive cornucopia I painted for a dinnerware project last year to get you primed and ready for Thanksgiving! Get ready to say hello to good food!!

Cardstore.com

2009-11-19T11:51:00.000-08:00

These are just a few of my Holiday cards (I believe there are 38 total designs) that are now available at cardstore.com. Just click here. They are all holiday cards and some are decorative frames that you personalize with a photo that you upload to their site and they print the card all as one. They will even send the cards to everyone on your recipient list. So simple! You can also personalize the sentiment inside. As Martha Stewart would say, "It's a good thing."

Advent Calendar

2009-11-18T10:15:00.000-08:00

My "Santa's Workshop" Advent Calendar is now available here. It is produced and marketed by Mudpuppy Press, which is a division of Galison Books. The calendar is featured at the bottom of the design and comes with removable stickers that can be placed throughout the scene.

Is it really that time already?

2009-11-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

While out and about over the weekend, I noticed the Holidays are on full display at every retail store. So, I figured perhaps it was time to post my first seasonally inspired images. I hope these snowmen remind you of all the wonderful times you can look forward to in the fast approaching Season.

The Color of Autumn

2009-11-09T08:02:00.000-08:00

More Autumn designs. These are from a recent dinnerware project. I love the warmth of Autumn color. Looking at these designs makes me feel like I should be sitting by a fire on a hay bale sipping apple cider in a flannel coat!

Birthday Gift Cards

2009-11-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

These two designs were previously licensed on greeting cards and now they will appear on gift cards for a store in South Africa. How cool is that?!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

This design is on garden flags available at Maynards stores across the country. I hope you enjoy some witch's brew this Halloween!

Jack-O-Lantern

2009-10-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

Jack-O-Lanterns are the ultimate Halloween symbol and this little group is huddled around a favorite chair to spend a frightful night. This design can be found on a garden flag manufactured by Toland Home Garden. You can purchase it here.

Thanksgiving card

2009-10-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

I fist did this design for a garden flag project with the theme of Autumn. Greeting card company Design Design, Inc. has licensed it for a Thanksgiving/Autumn card. The dark silhouette areas of the design have a leather texture that works really well for the season. You can order the card here.

Little Bits of the Season

2009-10-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

Just some small bit and pieces. Halloween is so rich with imagery and color that it makes an illustrator's life easy and quite enjoyable.

Halloween Plates

2009-10-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

These Halloween inspired designs are from a paper partyware project a while ago. I love using the color black and Halloween is one of the few occasions where it's ok to use it in excess if you so choose. I am in the mood to buy a pumpkin now!