Something new

One of the three projects have going this month is done! Here's the poster I did for Seattle's Book-It Repertory Theatre's production of The Cider House Rules Part One: Here in St. Cloud's. It was a really different way of working for me, and it was a fun experience to use photography in a sort of collage type way. It pushed me, which I always think is a good experience to have.

In addition to the two images I'll be wrapping up in the next week or so, I'm also going to be focusing on wrapping up this damn head cold I seem to have caught.

Happy weekend friends, hope to be back with more regular posts, (and maybe even a voice) next week.

old vs. new

Hi readers. Here's this week's equation. 100 (Projects) + 1 sick kiddo = 1 non blogging mom. We've been watching a lot of Sesame Street to pass the time. A LOT. Did you know Sesame Street has this whole new format? It was kind of jarring to me at first, but now I am getting used to it. I do miss all the wacky clips like this one though from my childhood. No wonder I turned out so weird. The wig on that first Muppet is awesome, no?

More tomorrow..

And the winner is....

..#39 on my mailing list, JessicaP! Congrats Jessica, I'll be sending you this lovely little print in the mail! Yay! Happy Weekending Folks! Tune in for the May giveaway announcement next week and make sue you enter to win the monthly giveaway by signing up for our e-newsletter. We just sent out our second edition yesterday.

Illustration Friday: Detective

As a kid, I fancied myself a bit of a detective. Being the only living creature under the age of 35 on my block - things got a little boring. Inspired by Lois Lowry's Anastasia Krupnik books, I created a secret notebook and began to watch my neighbors closely.

A neighbor lady I code-named George Washington was one of my favorite subjects. With a pure white beehive hairdo, her loud Chevy Nova, and the string of younger men she had going in and out of her place she was the perfect mystery. More than a few times I got ballsy enough to actually peek in her windows, in broad daylight. My banana-seat Schwinn waiting for a speedy getaway should I be discovered.

I think I was hoping to catch her doing the nasty, but the only thing I ever saw her doing was her beehive.

Oh well.

Tiptoe Through the Tulips

I'll be doing Wall Wednesday again soon - I haven't had the time to collect images and contact artists int he past few weeks. I'll be back on it soon ( I miss doing it) but for today I'll give you a little color on this rather dreary spring day (at least in my part of the world).

Last week I pulled my kiddo out of school to take her, and my mom to see the tulip fields in Mount Vernon, Washington. In all the trips I've made to Holland I've never gone to see the tulip fields there - and I have lived just 45 minutes away from these fields for nearly 15 years now. I have nothing against tulips, I'm just lazy! It was stunning. The dense stripes of bright colors, set against the blue sky and mountains in the background was completely awe inspiring. Next time I am feeling grumpy or blue, I will just close my eyes and remember this:

April Giveaway: Go Out on a Limb

Trees are blooming, and spring is in the air, making this print is perfect for the April Giveaway. Sign up to win it by adding your name to the Pixel & Post mailing list here. I'm actually crafting an e-newsletter right now, to send out on Thursday. You'll get a sneak peek at my next print, and other fun behind the scenes info. I'll announce the winner of the April giveaway on Friday!

About this print: This is an 8 x 10 inch giclee (pronounced zhee-klay) print. Professionally printed in the US of A, on Legion Entrada Rag Bright 290 (a fine art, 100% cotton paper) and with Vivera Archival Inks, giving it an archival rating of 150 years.

Freelance Funnies

Hi all! As I mentioned last week, I am in the middle of a few freelance projects. I'm currently working on two images for the exciting 2010-11 season at Portland Center Stage, and I just wrapped up a poster for Seattle's Book-It Repertory Theatre production of The Cider House Rules. I feel so lucky that these clients treat me so well, working for fantastic clients makes it all worth it. An added bonus - phone calls to these two usually contain a lot of laughs that give me something to giggle about for the entire day, sometimes days. Makes me miss the daily laughs of my in-house design gig a few years ago. My god, my gut hurt daily from the laughter. Loved that job.

The freelance life does have its perks, but anyone who has done anything freelance can relate to this genius video. I love this. I think I should make all of my new clients watch it before I begin work with them.

Supercar!

I'm knee deep in freelance projects this week so I'm a bit off my regular posting schedule - like Wall Wednesday and Favorite Things Friday. I'm hoping to be back on track next week as one of my projects just wrapped up! For now, enjoy this lovely clip from the '60s TV show Supercar with Mike Mercury! Everything about this clip inspires me - the cheesy theme song, Supercar itself, and Mike's wonderful eyebrows. They just don't make 'em like they used to. Happy weekend!

And the winner is....

Oh snap! How lame! Vacation-Brain strikes again. What good is a monthly give-away if I never DO IT? Holy disorganization, Batman. The winner of the March giveaway is thenceforth #57, KathyA!

KathyA will receive one "Eat 5 A Day" Print - ASAP! Thanks for playing!

Monday-tro-lo-lo

Happy Monday friends and readers. I thought I'd kick off this week with a little peek inside my head. This is pretty much what it sounds like in there most days - today is no exception.

Catch-up time

Hi all. Yep. It has been a little silent over here for a week or so. I'm just getting my bearings after being transported away to summer on our vacation. We came back and I walked smack dab into doing an art sale, three looming freelance design projects, and into weather that feels like winter. And my brain? Well, it seems like it might have decided to stay on vacation. I'm sufferin' from a major case of the space-case over here.

Par exemple: A swimwear catalog showed up in the mail yesterday and my subconscious said something like: "Swimsuits? Oh, these must be on sale, because summer is already over". Yep, I got my 10 days of hot sunny weather, which counts as a full summer where I live so my brain just went and checked that off my list. I was both greatly relieved and a little disturbed when I realized that we still have summer to look forward to.

And don't get me wrong, I am super happy to be busy, I just hope my brain will come back from vacation. Brain, I need you on my team this month!

Anyhoodles, A few days after returning from what I have dubbed 'first summer 2010', I was in a little art show and sale at Freshy's Coffee in West Seattle. It was a great time, and a good push for me to work on my packaging, order those business cards I've been meaning to order, and design some cool free schwag to give away. One unexpected bonus was sharing a table with three other Etsy sellers, all at different places along their Etsy journey, all selling extremely wonderful stuff. There was Maribel from Maribel Made who creates amazing bright sock monkeys, London from Such Sweet Tierny who makes candy-bright hand-painted buttons, and adorable jewelry, and Catherine from Modern Little Ones who makes modern hand sewn bibs and embellished onesies. Across the room were the talented duo behind Blackbird Tees who bought one of my prints (thank you!).

All the sellers were completely awesome, and I thoroughly enjoyed talking to each one, sharing tips on selling our wares. It was really empowering and reassuring to meet other like-minded people. Working for myself and selling stuff via the internet can leave me feeling super (Greta Garbo style) "ah-lone". So, meeting other arty, entrepreneurial types in person was fab.

I'm going to be looking at doing other (bigger) art shows in the future. Inasmuch as I love selling on Etsy, I feel like getting out and meeting people (both customers and sellers) is vital to my staying power.

Favorite Things Friday!

Traveling with a little one in tow last week made me really appreciate some of the travel gear we've amassed in the past two years. These are some of our favorite - and now, essential - travel items. If you are about to add a little one to your family or know someone who is - I'd highly recommend any of these for more enjoyable travels.

1. The Phil & Teds Traveller bed. I can't say enough about this thing. It fits in our suitcase, and our kid sleeps like a dream in it. It was a bit of an investment, but we've totally gotten our money's worth on this one. Getting a full night's sleep on vacation? Priceless. 2. The Skip Hop Pronto pretty much does everything but change the baby. I loved this thing. 3. Tell Me a Story cards. Forget having to lug around a huge stack of books, with these cards there are endless possibilities. 4. Bumkins bibs these are awesome - just wash them off in the sink and air dry (the dry very quickly) 5. Boon Squirt spoon this spoon was not only a great conversation piece when our kiddo was little, it was also super handy. I could feed her and myself at the same time. Nothing short of a miracle, folks. 6. Kiddopotamus Tiny Diner this mat is great to have rolled up in your purse or diaper bag - we used ours on a less than sanitary picnic table recently. 7. Maclaren Triumph Stroller another item I can't imagine living or traveling without. This thing is a workhorse! Sine they are so well made, many people resell theirs on Craigslist or the like. Since I knew ours would be thrown on planes I snagged a used one for $75, and love it. A a tall person, it is tough to find a stroller that is comfy it push but this one is great.

I'm back (well, kind of).

I'm back from our 9 day vacation to sunny, warm Arizona. It was an amazing time, and I felt instantly transported to my favorite season: summer. I'm right back at it today, but just 24 hours ago I was here:

If I were really hard-core about April Fool's day, I'd try and convince you that this was really a shot of my new backyard pool!

Please bare with me while my brain re-adjusts to normal life, and a 40 degree temperature shift. In the meantime, as projects loom and lists compile I'm going to be thinking about how my daily life can feel more vacation-like. Because I just don't want to lose that feeling.