A WOODEN TREE

Have you heard of A Wooden Tree?  A sweet online friend of mine, Emma Lamb, mentioned them on Facebook yesterday and I was immediately drawn to their handmade/vintage online shop.  They have a wonderful blog, too! You can find it RIGHT HERE.   :)

Here's a bit of info. about A Wooden Tree in their own words:

"A Wooden Tree transforms sourced and vintage textiles, turning the undesirable or discarded into a work that has new life and creates fresh memories.  The sourced textiles range from garments and pillowcases to embroidered table cloths. 

It pretty much feels like she has raided your granny's linen closet and turned into characters from the Scottish woodlands. The work takes it shape in soft interior adornments such as wall hanging Mr Stag, Miss Foxette plush and soft brooches.

A wooden tree brings your grannys linen closet to life by recycling found fabrics into plushies, accessories and art."

Have a great new day filled with beauty!  xo

Artist Feature ~ Landon Metz

You know, I draw and paint with pen & ink and watercolor from time to time, but I don't do it often because I'm kind of a perfectionist and I like to put a lot of detail in my drawings and paintings.  Seeing Landon Metz work makes me realize that simple can be beautiful!  I would hang any one of these paintings in my home.

Are you like me and find yourself in a creative rut because you have high expectations for yourself when it comes to your art work?  How do you get yourself out of that perfectionist mindset?
 

The Portfolio of Aprile Elcich

Wow, blogging two days in a row! Aren't you impressed? ;) There's seriously so much to blog about that I could blog all day every day if time and energy allowed. So much beauty in this world!

In my opinion, one of the most lovely spots to visit is the website of Aprile Elcich, a graphic designer and collage artist. She creates beautiful vintage collages using bits and pieces of old papers, letters, ads, and postcards. She also takes some gorgeous photos and does graphic design work for Free People ... all with a nostalgic and calming appeal.  

I'd love to know what you think of Aprile's work. Leave your thoughts in the comments section below! xx

Illustrations by Camilla Engman

Have you seen the work of Camilla Engman? This is only a tiny sample of her amazing body of illustrations. She also creates unique and eye catching mixed media pieces, colorful and imaginative paintings, and custom artwork for public commissions.

Hmmmm..... she might be a great one to have as our Resident Artist for Droplets or Raining Umbrellas (register now for the Spring session beginning May 7th)!

Questions and Anwers

Good morning! I receive a lot of questions about my photography in general and thought I’d create a post to answer a few of the most common ones. Let me know if you have any other questions and I’d be happy to answer them!

Q: What type of camera do you use and how do you produce those pastel colors?
A. For most of my photos I used my point and shoot Samsung Digimax camera and edited them using Picnik.com. I recently bought a Canon T2i camera and Photoshop Elements and Lightroom, so the latest images were taken with this camera. I haven't quite figured out Photoshop quite yet, so most of my photos continue to be edited in Picnik. The processes I use most often are "Cross Process" and "Curves" (the Polaroid option). Then I play with the saturation of the colors and the exposure. I generally decrease the intensity of the color and lighten the images.

Q. How do you come up with the ideas for styling your photos and where do you find the props in your photos?
A. Concerning the styling of my photos, the ideas kind of just pop up in my head, honestly. I'm like the rest of you creative folks where at times I feel inspired and have a ton of ideas and then at other times nothing seems to come to me. For the props in my images, I use vintage items that I've either purchased on Etsy or Ebay or that I've exchanged with other sellers for ad space on Simply Hue.

Q. I love the light in your photos. Do you use natural light?
A. Concerning natural light, for my outdoor photos I use lots of it! Many of my older photos were taken with a low quality camera, though, so I had to edit them quite a bit to brighten them.

Q. Where do you print your photos and how do you get a professional look?
A. I have my photos developed at a local camera store that has a professional lab. I order the prints online and they print them the same day. I also ask them not to enhance the color or make any color corrections and always choose the option of a matte finish.

Q. What are a few of your creative goals?
A. I would love to have some of my photos for sale as home décor in department stores or even smaller shops near the ocean. I’d also enjoy taking interior styling photos with food, desserts, and housewares.

Besides improving my photography skills I’d like to learn to knit, to batik, and to oil paint. So many creative choices and so little time!

Photographer ~ Jessica Torres

Her Shop ~ Jessica Torres Photography, Her Website ~ Jessica Torres Photography

"Hi, my name is Jessica.

I live in a small Idaho town outside Boise with one computer-geek husband, two rambunctious little boys, one adorable baby girl, and my camera.

I take pictures every day. Capturing beauty in everyday, simple things helps me feel grateful for everything that I have in my life - and a little bit calmer in my chaotic world.

When I am not taking pictures, I work full time, go to basketball and T-ball games, read stories to my kids, hike around beautiful Idaho, read a lot of books and blogs, sew a bit, crochet a bit, and rearrange furniture in my house. Occasionally I do a load of laundry or other housework, but I generally try to avoid that as much as possible."

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WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT JESSICA'S PHOTOGRAPHY:

I love the tones and textures that Jessica uses in her photos! And, of course, the vintage mood really appeals to me.

What do YOU appreciate about Jessica's work?

Designer ~ Sarah from Be Still

Her Shop ~ Be Still

"Be Still Homewares was founded in January 2009. My name is Sarah Robinson and I'm an Australian Industrial and Graphic Designer with a love of fabric and pattern. On moving to Bangkok in 2008 I was amazed and excited by the fantastic fabrics available here. I decided to do something with all of this fabric. I currently live between Australia and Thailand."

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WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT SARAH'S DESIGNS:

I like the minimalist feel to them and the high quality elegant fabrics she uses. I can imagine her pillows displayed in an upscale home, in a fung shui setting, or tossed on the sofa of a cozy bungalow.

What do YOU appreciate about Sarah's designs?

Artist ~ Michele Maule

Her Shop ~ Michele Maule Her Blog ~ How to Draw a Cup of Coffee

"My name is Michele Maule.

I live in Portland, Oregon with my goofy Boston Terrier Chloe.

I enjoy a good cup of coffee, a nice pint of beer, and laughing until my sides ache. a good hug from a good friend makes my day.

I have been making art for over ten years and have a bachelor's degree in art from Portland State University. My specialty is printmaking and collage, but I also love to paint and book bind."

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WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT MICHELE'S ARTWORK:

I love, love, love the vintage themes! The colors are amazing and her subjects are so retro and fun.

What to YOU appreciate about Michele's work?

Designer ~ Vered from Veroque

Her Shop ~ Veroque Beaded Jewelry, Her Second Shop ~ By the Belt

"My name is Vered and I live in Israel. I am the mother of two adorable children and wife to a wonderful friend.

During the year 2003 after I gave birth my daughter, I began to create art.
Soon I discovered the world of beads...
I decided this is what I wanted to do from now on.
Beads and needlework tap into my inner peace and I hope I can share that with you.

With all my heart, I enjoy seeing women wearing my jewelry...it always makes me happy.

The complex techniques I use I learned mostly from the Internet; some things I changed and added to creating various new items and techniques.

I devote hours and many days to beadwork and some are individual, "ONE OF A KIND" items.

I try to create special color combinations and designs.

Hope you will enjoy my shop and creations!"


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WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT VERED'S WORK:

As you can see by reading her profile above Vered puts alot of heart into her work and I think it shows. Each piece is so unique, feminine, and special.

What do YOU appreciate about her designs?

Btw, please drop by for "Art Talk" with Amanda from Mocking Bird tomorrow! It's really an inspiring article! xo

Artist ~ Akihago

Her Shop ~ Akihago,

"About my work:

I love simple communicative designs.
I love calm selections of color.
Music is always part of my design.
I write to organize my thoughts. (I can’t sketch unless…)
I am always in search for a good black pen.
I've worked as a graphic designer for about 15 years and I've been teaching for the last 2 years. I live 5 minutes away from my studio and I spend (about) 75% of my day at the studio.

I love etsy for celebrating and supporting art.

A bit about me:

I take a very long time to decide on almost everything.
I love cool toys and books.
I take bath at night and fall asleep with my glasses on. I drink black coffee twice (or more) a day and never say 'no' to pastries."

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WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT AKIHAGO'S WORK:

First of all, I appreciate that she "never says no to pastries." Hee, hee. Sounds like my kind of girl. :) And beyond that, I love the simplicity and sweetness of her work. She has a real knack for drawing animals, too, which can be a challenge for many artists.

What do YOU appreciate about Akihagos artwork?