Fancy Flakes

Here's a design of mine that is available at Papyrus this holiday season. I love the way they embellished the flakes, which are die-cut, mounted with jewels and backed with vellum. Hopefully a little different take on the traditional snowflake!

Customizable Holiday Photo Cards

Here are some samples of my customizable Holiday Photo Cards -- all at Cardstore.com. I have cards for personal use as well as a line of business holiday cards. Write your own text, and insert your own photo, it's simple, all online!

You can see more of my designs here, on Cardstore.com, a great site to get holiday cards and other types of greeting cards.

My New Toy

Here is a giant crate that arrived by FedEx the other day...with the delivery guy cursing me because it weighed 124 pounds!

I've been looking forward to getting this box for a long time, and today I got to open it up:

It's a tabletop printing press! My mother-in-law has done her own typesetting and printing for years, under the name Gray Goose Press. She didn't want this press any more, and now it's mine! I can't wait to learn about it and start making beautiful letterpress images. This one's the perfect size for making cards. I can't wait.

It's BOO time

For Halloween, here's my spinning googly-eyed spider BOO card. I love to create specialty cards, with die-cuts and moving parts, and I've had a great response from this one. It's available in stores across the country and online here.

Flying Burger Scarf

Well I had to buy this silk scarf the other day at a consignment shop. The owner and I spent 10 minutes trying to figure out what these things are -- furry hamburgers? She said hats. My husband thinks they are Czechoslovakian chestnuts. Whatever they are, why are they blue inside? And what are those blue spots?

Decoration Committee

Sometimes, you get asked to be on the Decoration Committee, a job which I always have fun with! This time, it was for a Memorial Picnic in the park, celebrating the life and music of a friend of ours who passed away this year. CT Tucker was the leader of a band called the Blue Sparks from Hell, and in addition to being a great entertainer, he raised potbellied pigs and other animals.

Over the past week, 60 day-glo pigs were in production, and were destined to swing from the rafters of the party pavillion, along with giant banners featuring song names and phrases. All in all we had a great time, hundreds of people came, and the little piggies danced every time the wind blew!

Summer Designs

This batch of designs is new this summer.... and they are on giftbags, rugs and flags. Makes me wanna go lay in the hammock...on the beach.

Love a Duck

I love this duck's expression. It's exactly how I felt on my last birthday, stunned. He's one of a few new cards I've done with Great Arrow.

Rødgrød med Fløde

I had some people over for a Danish breakfast, and one of the things I served was home-made Rodgrod med Flode, or red berry pudding with cream. Widely accepted to be the most difficult thing to pronounce in the Danish language, it sure tastes good, and here's a little step-by-step.

Take about 8 cups of berries... I used strawberries because they are in season here in NJ (so good, red ALL the way through), but the traditional fruits are red currant, raspberry and rhubarb.

Who can resist taking a moment to make a character out of the funniest berry?

Put the de-stemmed, cleaned berries in a big pot with some water, simmer for a while and smush down to get all the berry juice out.

Force the berries through a fine sieve to remove seeds, or squeeze in a cheesecloth bag. I get out most of the berries but like to leave some.

Add about 1/2 cup cornstarch and 3/4 cup sugar and cook until thickened, and mixture is beginning to bubble.

Transfer into one big bowl or individual serving bowls and chill. Serve with cream on top, I do slightly sweetened lightly whipped cream. It is the intense, luscous flavor of concentrated berries, and refreshing on a summer day.

Wow, having white appliances and counters is not an asset when making rodgrod!

LOUIE LOUIE

Yesterday my Easter Sticker card won a Louie Award. The Louies are the recognition awards of the Greeting Card Association, and are given annually during the National Stationery Show. Thanks to my great manufacturer Design Design, Inc.!

SURTEX

Surtex, the trade show for surface and textile design, is the trade show I usually exhibit in. Not this year though. I will be walking the show instead, meeting clients and friends. The show runs simultaneously with the National Stationery Show at the Javitz center in New York.

So I'm getting myself ready for walking, meeting and looking. I'll be excited to see new products of mine coming to market and will be looking for new potential clients. AND I'll be bringing two pairs of shoes for all the walking.

The image above is the ad that is running in the current issue of The Art of Licensing, which is available at the Surtex. See you after the show!

Lucky Bookworm

I'm lucky to come from a family of book lovers. Recently I received a surprise package from my sister-in-law ... she was having trouble throwing some books away so sent them off to me. In the package were three children's books from the 50s, including this one by Ann and Paul Rand from 1957. Sparkle and Spin: A Book about Words.

Ann Rand wrote five children's books, four of which were illustrated by her husband. What genius, these words and images are as fresh today as they were when they were written.

Right up my alley, thank you.

Makes me so Hoppy

Just in time for Easter, I'm so "hoppy" to learn that this greeting card of mine has been nominated for a LOUIE award! The Louies are the Oscars of the greeting card world, sponsored by the Greeting Card Association. The voting happens during the Stationery Show in May.

I've been doing some kids' sticker cards with Design Design, Inc, and this Easter Bunny one turned out especially nice. Decorate the eggs inside with the stickers! I wish I had a card like this when I was little.

Magic in the Woods: Part 2

I have been posting a bit this winter about the thrill of finding the unexpected in the ordinary. Whether it's a red cardinal brightening up a winter landscape, or little gnome-houses planted on a walking trail, these are the reasons I continue to believe in wonder and the power of the imagination.

This past weekend I visited the deCordova museum in Lincoln Mass, and was absolutely delighted with the outdoor sculpture park, accessible any time of year. Here are some highlights:

Rain Gates, 2000, Ron Rudnicki

Bark Balls, 202, by Caroll Spack

The Musical Fence, 1980, Paul Matisse

A Mile from Any Neighbor from Walden, 1999, Christopher Frost

Cones, 2006, Ronald Gonzales

Surprise!

New Easter Collection

Here is my new line of paper products and textiles, available now in stores across the country. Colorful Fun tableware is accented by the Funny Bunny products, all in time to cheer up your Spring parties.

Magic in the Woods

So one day a couple of years ago I was walking on the rail-trail, alongside the river in back of my house.

I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye

I went closer... what IS that?

Are you kidding me? It's a little door on leather hinges!

Inside is a little troll, and a tupperware container with a note that says, "Take a trinket, leave a trinket". It was wonderful! Somebody had planted a little treat box for those who look for magic in the woods. Well since that day, our trail has turned into Troll Trail; according to the newspaper, there are now 15 troll houses in total. Last week I found two more of them.

I'm not going to open this last door and show you... you'll just have to come and discover the contents for yourself...

Love is Blue

I've been so busy this week, I'll just post this new Valentine's Day card of mine from Great Arrow. Inside: "You make my heart sing!"

Will He or Won't He?

I don't totally trust this guy. I mean, what is his M.O.? If it's sunny, he has to go back to sleep for another 6 weeks. If I were him I would lie and say there's no shadow so I could come out and play on a sunny day.

One of Those Weeks

Too much happening. Too much to do, too much to think about, too many decisions to make. It's one of those overwhelming weeks.

Hidden Treasures

Here in the Northeast, our snowy winters are the perfect time to explore the little-visited museums of our area. Recently we drove to Madison NJ, home of the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts. What a gem! This lovely building was originally built as a library, and has vaulted ceilings, elaborate fireplaces, carved stone and wood detailing and a working Seth Thomas clock in the tower.

But the best part of the building is are the literary quotations that are in the stained glass windows, painted on the walls and carved into the fireplace mantles.

Isn't it wonderful when something like a little museum can lift you up on a winter day?