Back to Market!

It is time for us to make a trip back to market- I am excited! I get to go and see the new showroom that we just got moved to- this was the showroom in January. The lovely lady that runs the showroom (Julie, those beautiful clothes are hers!) has moved all of us into a new showroom on the same floor. I am sure that was alot of work- thank you Julie! This showroom we are in is like a co-op set up and we all take turns coming to help out- instead of a rep selling your things. It works out nice- we are very lucky to have a chance to work with the ladies we got in with! I meant to show these photos when i got back the last time but I never got around to it- maybe I will have new pictures when I get back. I would love to show you some of the other BEAUTIFUL showrooms BUT I am always worried about taking pictures up there- people are very particular about their showrooms. There is an etiquette up there that I am still learning! If you are in the Atlanta area this weekend (July 10th-13th) Feel free to come by and see us in the showroom (Stella Jane and Friends Showroom, Building 3, 13th floor, Children's World) The rest of you- well see you when we get back!

Happy Fathers Day!

Ok, so this is my husbands Father's Day gift! Inspired by the wonderful collage artist

Claudine Hellmuth http://www.claudinehellmuth.com/- can't take all the credit! We can never get a good family portrait so I thought I would use her idea and create my own. I asked my kids what they wanted to be doing in the picture and they said "having a party"! Parties are big around our house. So, what I thought would be a semi- simple project turned into a major undertaking! My children painted everything but the cake- they had given out by then. They also helped glue down alot of it. I think it turned out hilarious! All of this to say, Happy Fathers Day to our sweetie and to all the special men in our life (that means you too Grandaddy and Pops!).

I have been staying busy lately- mostly running in circles! Do you ever feel like you are extremely busy but getting very little accomplished- thats me lately! We have been slowly putting together more dolls though. I finished this one's face this morning and she has just been listed up on Etsy. I have also been working on some new canvases- hopefully I will have a new collection of smaller canvases by the end of summer. Maybe sooner! Depends on if I can get out of this rut I'm in!

Penelope and Puddle

Well, another lovely weekend come and gone. I had another stomach virus but my family was all well so they got to enjoy the sunny days off! I am feeling better now- I must need some vitamins to jump start my horrible immune system! I don't know what is going on! Anyways, this is another painting I have finished in the last month and finally got it ready for print and my mother and I have been working like mad on dolls for Etsy and an upcoming show in the fall. We are trying to get a head start this year so we are not completely exhausted October through November. I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer break so far, it has really kicked up the heat here in Memphis, Tennessee! Time for swimming and popsicles for the little kiddos!

Storytime

This is another new painting that I actually painted for my sister's birthday but didn't finish it in time! I really did have good intentions- I promise Christie!! My sister is a school teacher and she loves books! She always reads to her two little boys- even when they were infants. In her class room she always tries to make reading an adventure for her students! So, this painting is for her love of reading and the passion she has to share it with our children. Happy very belated birthday big sis- hope you like the finished piece! For everyone else- it will be up in the etsy store today.

Gable and Gus

I am so excited about showing you this new print! I have a few paintings that I have been working on but have not completely finished them until now- this is one of those. One of my FAVORITE past times is to take my sketch book to Barnes and Noble and just sit and flip through all kinds of different books to get inspiration. A few months back I was there and found this new European magazine called "MILK" and I saw a beautiful photograph in there of this little bonde headed girl. She was so mesmerizing to me that I could not stop looking at that photograph! So, I created a sketch to capture what I felt when I looked at the image and this is what I came up with- I named the print "Gable and Gus". She will be going up on Etsy tonight, and I hope to be introducing some other paintings, I have been working on, by the end of this week. So, any of you artist out there- I highly recomend going to your favorite bookstore and just taking the time to be inspired!

Mother's Day

I love Holidays- it is always a great excuse to buy myself flowers! We had a simple tea party Sunday, at our house, for all the mommies in our family- it was so fun and yummy!! We had lots of different pies to pick from and coffee and tea. I had lots of tulips and of course one of the vases of tulips found it's way to my studio! That always makes me feel like working when I have fresh flowers up here. I highly recommend you try it! This is a quick shot of one of my work tables and the sweet flowers now gracing my studio. Some people don't know also that I LOVE tin toys, old and reproductions. They are so beautiful to me - the colors, the vintage graphics, and then you wind them up and watch them go- an added bonus! Well, I hope you all had a wonderful mommies day- I know I did. To the special mommies in my life (you know who you are!) I love you so much and I thank you for always being such a special part of our family!