Be it ever so humble

... there truly is no place like home.

I have been enjoying the simple pleasures of fresh lettuces from our own garden, eggs gathered from our friendly yellow hens, and restfulness of my own pillow.

Just down the road the horse is joyful in his brilliant golden field...

and even though they are only weeds, what a cheerful sight they are.

Weeds can be gorgeous, too, can't they?

Returning from yesterday's walk, I was greeted with that happy annual sight:

the heirloom Colette roses are in bloom!

What joy!

I couldn't resist them, and had to capture their freshness on a full sheet of watercolor paper. 

Decadence for a Sunday afternoon.

First I drizzled petals all over the paper, then did a simple pencil sketch...

And in the evening, when the rest of the household slumbered, I splashed!

What joy to be able to paint something and pin it up in the dining room for a fresh touch.

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like your own home made home.

What have you made lately to grace your home? I would love to hear from you!

Feeling the love...

Sometimes you feel a glow that just hangs on a while.

The Louie awards are like the Emmys of the stationery industry. I loved being at Chelsea Pier for the gala award evening... and then to win a Louie again was frosting on a very wonderful cake!

I can't share the news of upcoming products from the show yet but there was plenty, and so much of it almost too good to be true. 

No wonder I love my job. How can this really be the life of the extraordinarily ordinary me? It seems like a dream...

After the show closed, Annie and I had a few hours to wander the City. 

And wander we did!

I adore the Central Park Zoo, with its arched sculptures and the Delacorte Clock.

Every square inch of Central Park holds a delight and an inspiration.

After a blissful stroll, we headed down Madison Avenue, where I freely confess to drooling over the window displays and sighing at the delights in Barney's. I am dying to paint with a technique inspired by a canvas I saw at the top of their third floor stairway. Oooh-la-la! Their windows are amazing.

Truly there is no place like home but New York always leaves me with a special glow. 

Sighing with delight over the sights and sounds, the memories of wonderful challenges faced and savored.

I'll share the news of exciting new products soon...

Whirlwind in New York

Do you ever feel time has been compressed and you're living on fast forward?

I have lived at least a month this past week. At least.

I'll share a few juicy bits about the Surtex design show in New York City over the next few days.

There's nothing like an empty booth and an Everest-sized pile of materials to give a girl that "wow!" feeling. Too bad you can't see the oh-so-big stack of stuff in the aisle, but trust me, it was there.

Here is a not-so-flattering shot of my booth. I actually loved how it felt... rather too cluttery but it felt so much like my studio that I was comfy as a clam in its shell. 

This is another view of the booth.

I loved the freedom of a paper-covered desk that allowed me to actually letter right there! Loved the ink stand with my biz cards and goodies scattered everywhere, just like at home in the studio...

And oh! what fun to hug old friends and meet new ones I will treasure...

Have you visited the blog of gifted design guru Eddie Ross? It's the ultimate in delicious eye candy. Eddie and Jaithan stopped by for play with paper and ink. What fun they are!

After the fun Eddie snapped pics to preserve the memories.

My friend,  talented artist Jane Shasky was right next door to share a few chocolates and flowers...

and my wonderful mentee and cherished friend Caroline Simas made me so proud and happy.

And then there were the Louie awards. The Louies are like the Emmy awards of the greeting card industry & I was delighted to win last year.

This year was even better, with a win for the card I designed for Sunrise Greetings, part of an Asian collection featuring koi. What fun! The card doesn't show up well here but the excitement does...

Do I sound a bit breathless? I am!

I'll share more tomorrow about this week's adventures of a small town girl in the City...

Chaos in the studio

Every spring I tell myself I'll be more organized.

This year I have decided to give up that impossible promise and just go with the flow.

Did you notice the hiatus in posts? If you saw the chaos in the studio you would know why!

Getting ready for a New York show, writing some magazine articles, keeping up with deadlines and trying to lead a balanced life has left me hopeless when it comes to neatness. And many other things have been let go as well. The house looks almost as bedraggled and wild as the work space.

I am surrendering to the joy & freedom of a messy but very fertile studio!

Did I ever mention that I'm not much of a shopper?

Well, that does not apply when it comes to art supplies. I went to Letters of Joy, a calligraphy conference last week and acted like a true shopaholic! Above is an antique French inkstand I had to have. It even looks elegant on my paint-drizzled work table, waiting to be packed for the trip to New York, and less humble surroundings...

One of my favorite buys was this collection of German pearlescent paints, which has me swooning.

What dense, rich metallics! And they flow from the nibs like magic.

I was working on Christmas ornaments for ClothPaperScissors magazine here and oh, what fun. You will have to wait until their holiday issue if you want to see more because I am sworn to secrecy. But there's a glimpse at the beginning of the project which has been pure bliss. Truly~ pure bliss!

I probably won't post much until I get home from New York but then I will have so much arty goodness to share that I'll probably bore you silly with a zillion photos. Meantime here is a tell-all photo of the hurricane-like disaster I'm working in today.

Looks awful but it's better than a double root canal. That happens Wednesday. Shudder.

I'd better forget that and dip back into the ink pots!

White

I adore white, don't you?

There is a profusion of glorious whites and off-whites in our garden and down the road.

Steve's barn is gorgeous with his apple trees and even the humble dandelion decorating the field.

 

There are still a few fruit trees clinging to their blooms...

Some tinged with pink to make their whiteness stand out...

The scent of white lilac is almost overpowering along the gate beside the studio.  I take little breaks to stand there breathing in great lungsful of the perfume and sometimes, it must be admitted, shedding a tear because that was my mother's favorite scent and it makes me miss her so much.

The lily of the valley I showed you last time has bloomed more by the day and I have little sprigs in tiny vases all over the house.

Shall I press some stems in the phone book to save? Hmmmm.

Everywhere you look spring has brought a beautiful freshness with the white we're enjoying.

Even the fences look crisp, and the dandelions along the neighbor's path seem like party favors nature will blow with a whim, to bloom another day.

Lily of the valley

For days now I've been eyeing the lily of the valley. 

This is the first year they've bloomed.

Always before the slugs got them or some mystery prevented them from bloom.

But today we have a nice little patch, hiding along the back fence.

Just like I always dreamed they'd be.

There's something beautiful about a dream come true, something absolutely spectacular.

Even when it's just a tiny spring flower and I alone with my camera in the rain.

I firmly believe we're surrounded by miracles, and we ought to reserve a little time in even the busiest days for observing them.

I am refreshed and so much richer for having seen lilies of the valley spangled with raindrops right in my own garden.

reaching higher...

New things are always harder, aren't they?

I'm heading for New York again, to do the Surtex show. Earlier this year I decided I'd been in a rut, and it was time to do something fresh & new with my display.

But new and fresh takes so much effort! I have been working into the night, putting in hours and hours. Then looking at my mocked up display I wondered if it was ugly after all that.

Thank goodness for friends when you get lost! They can give you the impetus to fly again.

I was reminded of that when I spied a pair of trumpeter swans who'd landed in the field behind the studio yesterday. After loud consultation for an hour one of them pushed and prodded and soon they were flying north again, the last stragglers after everyone else had migrated.

This year friends have done the same for me, sharing information and in a million ways saying, "Yes, it'll be wonderful!" 

This year I'll be traveling with my new friend Caroline Simas. Surf over to Caroline's blog ... she is the consummate Southern girl and has a sweet distinctive style all her own. My friend Sue Zipkin will be just an aisle or two over, Megan Halsey will have her art hanging just down the aisle.
And next door my floral girlfriend, Jane Shasky. Hurrah for the artist community!

"Yes," Sue emailed this morning, "we will look good."

I went out to the studio again to look at my growing pile of prints and the samples that will hang on my walls. And she was right. It IS looking good!

I think I'm reaching higher, looking fresher, and the hard work is paying off. Will you be in New York in a few weeks attending the show? I would love to see you...

And here is a tiny peek at what I'll be showing... a happy birthday!

(apologies for bad quality image but I have had a few rip offs lately so must be careful what I post)