Tori Higa

Taking a Break

2011-08-10T12:38:00.001-07:00

Hello readers,

If it wasn't obvious before, I am taking a blogging break. I plan to come back soon though. :) Things have been hectic and blogging has taken a back seat (plus I had some big technical issues with my blog...ie: I FORGOT MY PASSWORD and NOTHING worked to get it back...until today. :)

So I hope you are doing well and will check back soon.

All the best,

Tori
xoxo

Little Confession 002: My worst nightmare is actually pretty funny when I think about it

2011-04-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

Back when I was a full time stationer and doing the National Stationery Show in NY every May, I would make myself so stressed out that I would literally have the same reoccurring nightmare every night leading up to it. It was similar to dreaming about not being ready for taking a test in high school even though you have long since graduated from high school...and college. Or like those dreams where you think you are so cool until you remember that you forgot to get fully dressed that day. Panic. Utter panic sets in!

So my version of the common "stress dream" that I used to get during the first several times we did the NSS was that I was going to be the star of a Broadway play and I was sooooooo excited about it. But then at the last minute absolute panic set in because I realized that I couldn't sing, dance, or act. (minor oversight) And I didn't have my costume. And the rest of the cast went home so it was just a one person show. Starring me. The talentless understudy. And I was ON in

FIVE
FOUR
THREE
TWO
ONE...

And then I would wake up.

It's really so silly looking back at it. But I guess that many things we stress too much about can be silly.

All of that to say that I am helping my incredibly talented friend Monica of Da. Ja. Designs with her booth for the Cotton District Arts Festival this Saturday. I am so excited! No dreams of Broadway here just dreams of having fun hanging out with my girlfriend and playing shop for a few hours. She also graciously offered me a little section in her booth to sell some iSanctuary cards as well as advance copies of my new book.

I personally can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday. You can bet that I will take lots of pictures and share them here because if you aren't local you are going to want to see what you are missing.

* If you aren't a Broadway musical nerd or a Julie Andrews nerd (I am both), you might not recognize Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle In My Fair Lady. I will leave the one woman shows to her any day of the week. :)

New Partner: Ink Garden

2011-04-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to finally be able to talk about a brand new company that I have been working with for over a year. It's called Ink Garden and their website just might change your life. I AM SERIOUS! If you are an artist, business owner, or just like to give or make cool stuff, this website is for you.

Basically, the way it works is simple. Just pick a product that you like and create a completely custom and unique finished piece with ready made art by an Ink Garden designer, use pre-made clip art to do a sort of virtual scrapbook technique, or use your own personal designs.

Can you stand it?

I mean, it's just so exciting! The opportunities are endless! I have so many ideas (both as an artist and as a customer) that my head is spinning. Birthday parties, business branding, grandparent gifts, party favors, and on and on. Bookmarks. You can make your own bookmarks! And personalized melamine plates and trays?? What? Don't even get me started.

I really enjoyed getting to create artwork for businesses that might need a logo or illustration, but don't have the budget to hire a designer. They can simply find pre-designed work and either use it "as is" or just as a starting point to create their own. I had so much fun pretending that I was a customer who needed a "spa girl" or a wedding photographer that needed something simple and straight forward.

The best part of working with/for them (other than the fact that they are incredibly easy and gracious to work with) is that I got to be a "test customer" and try out a few products. I know. Life is rough. I made a mug as a gift for a friend and two different things for my business. I will be sharing photos later on so stay tuned (I know - the suspense might kill you). I was very pleased with how user friendly the site is and how high quality the products are - oh and nicely priced.

I really can't say enough nice things about Ink Garden. They are a brand new site and they are just getting started so you are among the first to know about the endless custom design opportunities at your finger tips.

You're welcome.

;)

Wal-to-the-Mart

2011-04-12T18:55:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that Walmart gets a bad wrap. I mean there are entire websites devoted to making fun of the clientele. And I have to admit that before we moved here, I was worried about having to shop at the Piggly Wiggly and Walmart as I have been a loyal Trader Joes and Target girl for years.

One thing I have found out since living here is that Walmart just isn't that bad. It's actually, well, really nice! Our local Walmart is really big, clean, and full of happy workers. We even have a nail salon inside. Talk about one stop shopping. They have a place to recycle plastic bags and their meat selection is unbelievable. That was one of the first things I noticed when we moved here. Wow - southerners must really like their meat because they seem to stock twice as much as the grocery stores back home.

I'm not saying that everything is perfect at Walmart. We did notice this shirt on display as we walked toward the check out line:

But this shirt was hanging right behind it:

I just went ahead and felt free to rearrange the inventory. It never hurts to try to leave things a little bit better than they were before.

Sofa NY Designer Breakfast

2011-04-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

OK - I will admit it. I LOOOOOOOOVE Amy Lau. I just do. Not only is she incredibly talented, but she is one of the warmest, most creative, down to earth - yet super stylish gals around. And she is originally from AZ (like me) so that makes it extra fun.

All of that to say that she is a panelist at the Sofa NY Designer Breakfast. If you are a design lover and live in NYC, this is something to be sure not to miss.

I like to think that Amy and I have a lot in common. We are both from Arizona. We both have the same number of letters in our first and last names which is sorta cool for some reason. We both have Asian last names and we aren't even Asian. Now THAT is super weird. How many even-lettered Arizona designer creative types can say THAT?

I know. Right?

YMCA

2011-04-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about going through a difficult time is all of the love you feel from those around you. My difficult time came in the form of a nervous breakdown. Oh yes. It happens. And what I have learned is that it happens to A LOT of us. Mine happened last week and lasted for about a week. I was on overdrive and obsessing about the wrong things. Too many things. And when we focus on too many things all at the same time, you end up doing none of them and well, short circuiting.

But - I am back! Branden and I have re-prioritized and got back on track and we are so, so thankful to God for that.

It is so nice to know that when the going gets tough that the tough get going. Branden canceled his much anticipated recruiting trip to LA to stay with me and my sweet brother even dropped what he was doing to come and help with everything. It was amazing.

And the icing on the cake is that my mom sent THE MOST THOUGHTFUL care package that only a mother could send. I mean this woman could be my personal shopper because she knows exactly what I would pick for myself...with the exception of one "fun blazer" that she thought might be "hip and with it." ;)

Anyway, as I have been basking in the love and support of my new friends here in town, leaning on friends and family near and far, I am reminded of something my good friend Liberty said once that is so fitting. I am paraphrasing but still want to give her credit for her genius line.

"In regards to raising children, you have heard of the quote, 'It takes a village'. Well, I love my village people."

Full of JOY

2011-04-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

Wow. Our little family has had quite a few weeks...BUT we are full of joy. All I can say is that we all have trials that are put in front of us for a reason and I am so thankful that my personal trial has made me who I am. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. :)

I just HAD to share the above image from the A-to-the-Mazing artist and creative genius designer behind Little Things Studio. I didn't ask her permission for the image, but I know that she won't care. :) She is actually my new BFF. We had a four hour coffee talk a while ago and THIS GIRL HAS INFECTIOUS JOY. She is super fun. She makes Yazoo City, Mississippi the hip place to be.

Anyway, I also want to make note of the fact that I mentioned in my last post that my blog was more about being of "design inspiration" and not "divine inspiration". On second thought, I don't think that's true...and it's especially not true now. From here on out, I am claiming my life verse to be: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5

Love On Japan

2011-03-25T08:14:00.001-07:00

I recently discovered this organization via the Reality LA* website and it looks like they do WONDERFUL work. To me, their tagline says it all..."Love on Japan". What a simple and powerful statement.

Please visit www.crashjapan.com for more information.

* I don't normally write about spiritual or deep things on this blog as it is more of a design inspiration blog and not a divine inspiration blog. ;) But I have recently been listening to some amazing podcasts via the Reality LA website while I do my design work at night. As a busy stay at home mom, I am used to multi-tasking, so I love to be able to listen to good teaching while I create my art at the same time. It has been good for my soul. If you are interested, click on the Reality LA resources link.

Japanese Paper at Paper Source

2011-03-25T07:56:00.000-07:00

I have seen a lot of pretty great artwork done on behalf of relief for Japan circulating the internet. I love to see what artists are inspired to do and how they (we) can help others in so many creative ways.

I received this Paper Source link in my inbox this morning and thought I would share - they are donating 10% to Japanese relief efforts on all of their Japanese papers sold. They have a beautiful selection to choose from and would make extra special artwork, collage, greeting cards, etc if you are so inclined.

Thank You, Thank You Very Much

2011-03-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

I love sending thank you notes. I specifically love sending photo thank you notes featuring my baby girl. One of the most fun things about having a girl is the clothes, the clothes, the clothes! It's starting already!

We have had so many sweet little gifts sent to her and I can't think of a better way to send a note of thanks than to design a card as thoughtful as the person who sent the gift. Here are a couple of examples of some recent thank you notes via Cardstore.com. In the photo above, the design on the left is by Robin Zingone and the one on the right is by Susie Acheson. The design below was a Christmas thank you, but I still had to share. I love this photo of her because she couldn't even sit up on her own yet, but she looks like she still knows how to strike a pose. :) This card was designed by Amy Suther.

Belated Birthday Wishes

2011-03-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

I guess that I am not the only one who sends belated birthday wishes. I had a birthday earlier this month (the big 3-5 WOWZERS!) and just received the loveliest little package in the mail. I was actually going to send this very card to Wendy, but she beat me to it! This one is so much more special though because it is signed by all of the iSanctuary staff. It is truly a keeper. Oh - and they sent me the most beautiful necklace ever along with it! Designed by Stephanie and handcrafted by the girls.

I guess the nice thing about belated birthday cards and gifts is that it just keeps the celebration going. (um...yeah...that's why I send late greetings)

Thanks iSanctuary gals - you made my day!

And Wendy...be on the lookout for a very un-birthday gift coming your way as well. :)

Little Confession 001: I am a BAD Birthday Card Sender!

2011-03-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

I must confess that although I believe that "mail is fun" and I love to send and receive greeting cards (for birthdays and otherwise), over the last couple of years I have turned into a very tardy birthday card sender.

Today is the birthday of one of my very best friends (happy birthday Lilly!!) which wraps up the end of what I call the birthday season for me (MANY of my close friends have a birthday between February and March). And have I sent one card or thoughtful little gift yet? No I have not. Phone calls and texts, yes; but actual mail, no. Shame on me! And it probably won't happen until next week I am sorry to say.

And to top it all off, I have been holding onto the cutest little pocket sized birthday organizer that I received from the designer herself (she sent it as a thank you for being in the first stationery book) and still haven't filled it out! I loved it so much that I even went out and purchased several and sent them to my friends in their birthday cards a couple of years ago. I am hoping that I can turn over a new leaf and actually USE my birthday book.

All photos in this post are from the Good on Paper website...be sure to swing by the site when you get a chance.

I also recently saw that Lisa Wong Jackson (the designer behind Good on Paper) is a contributor to the fabulously inspirational book, Crafting a Meaningful Home. Lisa's story (and project) could not be more adorable! You will have to get the book to read what I mean. :)

New Card Companies

2011-03-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

Well, they are new to me anyway. I completely forgot to mention the cards I received from the Valentine Card Swap hosted by Crow and Canary! Anyway, the cards I received couldn't be prettier...one from Ephemera Press and one from Easton Place Designs. I also have recently received TWO adorable cards from Liberty via M Press (a new friend she has made from her Quilting Bee group - one thing about Liberty is that she supports local artists!)

And speaking of swaps, it looks like the M Press blog is showcasing some adorable postcards from a post card swap right now. This one is my favorite. Or maybe it's this one. OK...they are all pretty great - you will have to get over there to see. :)

(photo credits: 1. Ephemera Press 2. Easton Place Designs 3. M Press

Da. Ja. Designs on Etsy!

2011-03-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

Did you notice the cute heart clip in the previous post that my baby is wearing? It was a Valentine gift from my friend Monica. And the good news is that her new esty store is up and running!

It is full of things that will make both little and big girls smile. You can check it out here.

Sweet Valentines

2011-03-02T08:09:00.000-08:00

Goodbye Februrary and hello March! Where did the time go? I can't believe that I completely dropped out of the blogosphere for a couple of weeks! I had no intention of being so M.I.A. but I guess that sometimes life just gets busy and some things (like blogging) tend to take a back seat. But now I am back! (And I will try not to leave for so long again without at least a little mention!)

I hope that you had a very sweet Valentine's Day and a sweet Februrary in general.

xoxo

Everyday is "I Love You Day"

2011-02-10T07:51:00.000-08:00

Branden proved that every day can be "I Love You Day"* last weekend by pulling off the best surprise. As I have stated here on this blog before, I really love the Coffee Bean (ie: I have designed cards around my favorite drink)...and I really miss it since we have moved away.

Well, my sweet husband did some research and found out that they recently put a Coffee Bean in Birmingham, AL...which is only about two hours from here. We took a little day trip last Saturday and when you live in a small town it just doesn't seem that weird when your husband wants to pack up the car and take the family "to the big city" for a day. It should have been a red flag for me when he said that he wanted to go and check out the outlet mall...but it wasn't (like I said, we live in a small town). So, as we were strolling around the mall, suddenly and completely unexpectedly I saw the Coffee Bean sign pop up out of nowhere (cue Handel's Hallelujah chorus)...Now THAT was a great surprise! I was totally shocked! He said that I had a great reaction, although it is all a blur to me now.

We got hot drinks, cold drinks, and vanilla powder to go. And the funny thing is that we saw another couple doing the exact same thing (they must be West Coasters).

* A note about "I Love You Day": No, it is not a national holiday, but it could be (Hallmark, are you listening?) We have our own little holiday, "I Love You Day", that we celebrate this time of year. I mentioned it on the blog once and you can read about it here if you like.

May you celebrate I Love You Day today and every day!
xoxo

Mustache Madness

2011-02-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

In honor of the previous post, I just had to share some more kid-friendly mustache love.

Clockwise:
Chocolate Mustache Lolly Pops by Five Sisterz, Mister Numbers by Sugarfresh, Little Man onesie by
Happy Little Kids, Mustache Cupcake Toppers by The Blissful Baker, Milk Mustache Tee by bridechilla, Little Man invite by CIO Prints, Secret Mustache Tee by Oh Fiddlesticks

I am glad to know that I am not the only one who likes a good kid mustache - I think this trend is here to stay for a while.

Art Imitating Life

2011-02-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share the inspiration for my mustache Cardstore Valentines and I am finally getting around to it!

What isn't cute about babies and mustaches? It just has to make you smile. :{) My poor son is subject to a mommy who will find any excuse to get out the eyeliner and draw a little mustache on him. For two of his three years of life, I have created costumes around it (once for Halloween - he was the only WW2 Fighter Pilot on the block - and once for a circus themed costume party). But this year, I knew that my mustache madness would have to come to an end...because Iron Man doesn't have a mustache.

Who knew that the end of an era would inspire a few mustache themed Valentines? Now I can enjoy the silliness of it all whenever I want.

Last Minute Class Valentines...

2011-02-03T10:07:00.000-08:00

OK - well, that was easy. I just uploaded my DIY printables to my new etsy store! I only have a few things in the shop right now...just a few printable Valentines for you last minute crafty moms out there...

They were really fun to design. The truck is the one that inspired it all as I designed them for my son to pass out to his little Valentine "pre-preschool" buddies that he plays with three mornings a week. And he and his baby sister will of course be giving some out to their little playgroups as well.

Coming Soon: My Etsy Store!:)

2011-02-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

As a stay at home mom, I am realizing more and more that it is all about baby steps when it comes to my business. Which is why I am launching my etsy store - which will specialize in d.i.y. printables geared toward kids - a teensy late on the scene (seeing as that I will be starting off with some kid's valentines). I figure that there are lots of moms like me who do crafty things with their kids at the last minute (at least I am hoping so). So please stay tuned for the launch in the next day or two. There will be some fun printables: such as color-your-own greeting cards and make-your-own candy grams...all perfect for class valentine parties.

The shop will carry printable downloads with little things to make with your kids - the motto for the new shop will be "inspiring you and your kids to make your own fun." I am excited about it! And if I am too late for the Valentine love (although, you really can order, print, and make on February 13th and still be OK) it will be just fine. There is always next year and I have lots of other everyday and spring holiday themes up my sleeves.

:)

Shop Local: Vintage Jungle

2011-01-31T08:23:00.000-08:00

Well, I couldn't very well mention Granny Dott and NOT mention her daughter (who helped her hand deliver my order the other week) because she also has a fabulous etsy shop. I think that talent runs in the family! She has a beautiful collection of vintage finds in her shop called Vintage Jungle. I must admit that I have my eye on a few of her pieces for my studio...wouldn't this one be perfect for paint brushes?

Shop Local: Granny Dott's Creations

2011-01-31T08:22:00.000-08:00

I recently had the excuse to buy something from the new esty shop, Granny Dott's Creations. What is special about this particular etsy shop is that the artist is not only talented, but is ninety years old! I wrote about her shop for the first time here, on the Mom Inc Daily blog. Since then, I placed my order only to have it hand delivered by the artist herself. I was able to gift it at a special little girl's one year birthday party and know that it will have a happy home.

Mail is Fun: Tea Cup Cards by Kimberly Shaw

2011-01-29T09:27:00.000-08:00

Ooops...I dropped the blogging ball and didn't mean to! I have been fighting the flu/cold on again and off again for the last few weeks and it finally got me. I feel much better now after a trip to the doc yesterday. It is no fun at all to be home sick with two sick kiddos. But what IS fun, is getting the sweetest Tea Cup Card in the mail from one of my favorite people. (Yes, that is a real bag of tea attached to the card...)

I believe that greeting cards and hot tea always make you feel better. My sis-in-law is the one who sent it just because...not even knowing that we were under the weather.

Anyway, I have seen these adorable Tea Cup Cards before and have admired them from afar, but after receiving this particular card, I was prompted to look up the website. I am so glad that I did! If you love cards and you love tea (or know someone who does), this website is for you. I mean, they even host a monthly tea swap - how fun is that? And Kimberly's blog? Love it! I have only just discovered it, but I think that I will love it the way that I love Geninne's Art Blog. Very inspiring. Now go get yourself a big cup of tea and settle in to start reading....

And have a look at her etsy shop, too. I have my eye on the Magnolia design, since that is my new state's state flower.

New Valentines for Cardstore.com

2011-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun designing some new kid's photo valentines for Cardstore.com! Maybe it's because I have young kids and I love to think about the valentines that I can send to family that I know will make them smile. Hopefully it will make other people smile, too. I will be sharing my inspiration for the line later this week. But in the meantime, I wanted to spread the love by letting you know that there is a 15% off deal for all Cardstore.com valentines. The code is LOVE15 at checkout.

How have you BEAN?

2011-01-24T09:21:00.001-08:00

Branden came home from a recruiting weekend in Austin late last night and what did he bring back for me? Not that I was expecting anything - but he brought some His and Hers Coffee Bean tumblers home with him (they were on sale so he bought two). We are both (along with all of our other California friends...well, the good ones at least) pretty much obsessed with the Bean. It has been the hang out that we miss most out here. His last trip where they had Coffee Beans, he surprised me with a tub of sugar free vanilla powder. I was so excited that I think I startled him. Lucky guy - he doesn't have to buy his wife jewelry...

Mail is fun: Valentine Swap by Crow and Canary

2011-01-21T08:22:00.001-08:00

If you love well designed stationery, you really should be (and probably are already) reading the Crow and Canary blog. She always posts about adorable and innovative design like this, silly cards like this, and even greeting cards that my husband can get behind like these.
And right now, she is hosting a valentine swap! Who wouldn't want to give and receive a little extra love in their mailbox this year? Click here for more details. The last day to sign up IS TODAY! Sorry for the short notice...but there is still time so don't worry!

iSanctuary Pepsi Refresh Update

2011-01-20T12:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of you who voted for iSanctuary in the Pepsi Refresh Project. I got so many nice e-mails from friends about it! So here is the update: they didn't win the grant...but it's OK. I chatted with Wendy (one of the co-founders of iSanctuary) the other day and told her that I was sorry that they didn't win. I believe her exact quote was "Don't be sorry. I'm not." She went on to say how she knows that they tried their best and that they will get the funding they need in some way at some point. They are so thrilled to be able to have recently employed 4 survivors of human trafficking in Orange County. That is a HUGE thing. Four survivors in Southern California are getting the help they need and earning an income through iSanctuary right this very moment. So basically if Wendy is OK with it, then so am I. Just another reason that I love this organization...and the people in it. :)

Love Language

2011-01-19T09:46:00.000-08:00

I just saw this post on Liberty's blog. I love how she starts off the post by stating that "Gifting is a love language." So sweet and so true. And it's fun when you have a friend like Liberty who loves the art of gifting and brings it out in others. She truly has a gift for gift giving (and receiving...she writes the best thank you notes.)

Anyway, all of that to say that she blogged about the Christmas gift I gave her from two different Starkville designers, Da.Ja. Designs and Kate Thomas. This just in: Kate now has an etsy store! (although her mini journals that are pictured aren't listed...yet) It's called Little Things Studio and is filled with her fantastic work.

And speaking of gift giving, Liberty's post reminded me of this post, A Present for You, on the Robin Zingone blog. I have been a fan of Robin's work for a while now and an even bigger fan since I heard of The Robin Zingone Project (which I plan to contribute to as soon as I can get my act together).

Happy gifting this Valentine season! I for one am looking forward to hand making Valentines with my son for his little "pre-pre-school" class cubbies. xoxo

Rag & Bone Valentine

2011-01-19T09:25:00.000-08:00

This was in my inbox from the always talented and creative Rag & Bone Bindery this morning. It's a handmade book with twelve pages of lighthearted prompts such as:

"My favorite way to spend the day with you is..."
"I've always admired the way you..."
"When you're away this is what I miss most about you."
And more...

What a clever and thoughtful idea...with nothing but the highest standards of quality in handmade books. Just beautiful - I love it. Click here for more details.

Always on my mind...

2011-01-16T12:40:00.000-08:00

Ever since the birth of my new baby girl, things have slowed down a lot. Don't get me wrong - my schedule is jam packed and feels a bit crazy at times, but something about having a baby in the house just slows life down. When a baby is attached to you (literally for all of those feedings!), you really can't do much of anything else. You just have to pause. Because of being on a bit of a design break and being (willingly) forced to slow life down, my mind has been swirling with ideas - and I do mean "swirling". It's almost like I NEED a creative outlet because I CANNOT STOP creating in my mind.

So far in the wee small hours of the morning with my newborn I have come up with a detailed TV series concept, wrote and illustrated a children's book in my head, thought of a few new blog concepts, launched several different product lines in my mind as well as sourced materials for them, and illustrated several new greeting card collections (in my mind) for companies who don't know I exist.

I can relate to this quote by Albert Einstein so much right now:

"The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind”

I am starting to come out of that phase now and am thrilled to have a few projects to sink my teeth into so that I can have a place to harness all of my creative energy...not that I don't want to pitch my television idea to HGTV...but I think I'll stick to my own industry. :)

And I think I'll stick to what lets me stay home with my two kiddos. :)

(above pictures are of the baby girl at 6 weeks and then at 5 months - my how time flies!)

My Latest Custom Designs

2011-01-13T12:50:00.000-08:00

I am just settling in with some coffee (no splenda) and a fun project to whip up as both kids are down for a nap. Is it bad that this is my favorite time of day? Well...it's one of my favorites. Anyway, I am settling in to do a custom project as a gift to a friend - which I am so excited to do (and look forward to sharing here later) and it made me realize that I have a couple of other custom pieces that I haven't shared here yet. So here they are. Both are digital versions of handmade cards/shower invitations and look much better in real life with the cardstock, fabric, and glitter - but you can still get the idea. They were both fun projects that I really enjoyed doing.

Shop Local: Da.Ja. Designs

2011-01-12T09:07:00.000-08:00

I have a fantastic mom's group that I am a part of here. We alternate homes and meet once a week to get the kids together while we get a chance to chat over coffee. I look forward to it every week (and so do my kiddos!) I have made some great friends through the group - I think that we all easily connected because we are all sort of in the same boat. We (most of us anyway) have all moved here from other parts of the world (like Seattle, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and even Portugal and Brazil). NONE of us EVER thought that we would end up living so far from home...but at the same time, we all realize that this is the right place for us right now.

ANYWAY...all of that to say, that my friend Monica from the group makes things. Adorable things. We are always complimenting her or her daughter on something only to find out that she made it. We all talked her into doing a little home show and a couple of us even brainstormed and came up with a logo for her. Next stop: Etsy. But for now, I thought it would be fun to share a few photos from the little home show that we hosted as well as the group-designed logo. Lauren (who is not a designer but rather a personal trainer and coach) drew the sketch while we were all hanging out one afternoon. To be fair, Lauren's dad IS an artist...but STILL, I am VERY impressed at how she just effortlessly doodled a logo right before our eyes. I then took the notebook paper and literally just scanned, outlined, and colored it. It turned out cute I think.

Stay tuned for the Da.Ja. Designs etsy shop that will be coming soon...so you don't have to move to Starkville to shop for her products. Although if you did, I would have some nice friends for you. :)

Creative Philosophy Applied to Everyday Life

2011-01-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

I believe that creativity comes from using what you have around you. Thinking outside of the box. Being resourceful. For example, if you are a painter and you don't have any brushes, you might use rags or sticks or some other unconventional instrument to apply your medium. And the result might even be better than you could have ever dreamed.

Sort of like if you are making a snowman with a three-year-old and you don't have carrots, coal, or a corncob pipe...you might try...hmmm, let's say ... Mr. Potato Head accessories...

:)

Snow Day!

2011-01-10T22:33:00.000-08:00

We had a snow day today - what fun! As an Arizona girl turned California girl currently living in Mississippi, it feels like such a novelty. We soaked it all in complete with hot chocolate and me force-reading our son one of my personal favorite children's books, "The Snowy Day" (he would MUCH rather that I read to him "Cars and Trucks and Things That Go"... again)

A Sweet Resolution

2011-01-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

All of the designing moms over at Mom Inc. Daily were asked to come up with a visual representation of a New Year's resolution. I thought I would share my visual here. My resolution (although I still prefer "goals" - this one still seems rather do-able) is to give up adding artificial sweeteners to my coffee. I am pretty confident that I can do it because I gave it up during both pregnancies. I have been off of it for a while, but I know that if I don't make a conscience effort that it can easily sneak right back into my life...

Anyway, happy weekend and I hope your resolutions and/or goals are going well this year!

A New Dress a Day

2011-01-06T10:24:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of this girl? (www.newdressaday.com) I think she is adorable (and one smart, talented, and creative cookie). I think her site has made it around the blog-o-sphere, but it's new to me and I find it so inspirational so I had to share...

She gave herself a budget of $365 to buy 365 old thrift store dresses over the course of one year and re-design them into wearable (and super cute) dresses - a new dress a day for only a dollar a dress. This is the ultimate up-cycle story and great use of vintage fabric. Don't you love these before and after pictures? I love the facial expressions...

Business and Design Goals for 2011

2011-01-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

I like to focus on "goals" rather than "resolutions" and I do try to be very goal oriented for my business each year. It's OK with me NOT to meet all of my goals - I just like having something to strive for. Every year I try to set attainable goals with a few not-so-attainable ones just for fun to see what happens. This is the first year that I am publicly posting these goals...maybe I will be more accountable this way.

Without further ado, here are my business and design goals for 2011:

- Build a better blog and/or be a better blogger
- Write and illustrate a children's book (or two)
- Use a paint brush more and a mouse less
- Keep a more active sketchbook
- Make new friends but keep the old (create designs for new and old clients/partners)
- Travel somewhere for work (this is the not-so-attainable part...unless I can bring a toddler and an infant with me)
- Be more of a social networker via facebook and twitter...well, maybe and maybe not...I just feel like that should be a goal. I'm just not sure that I am ready to commit. We'll see. Maybe 2012?

There. I said them out loud. Now I feel officially official. :)

On a side note, I am being a total copycat by posting my goals as I saw it on the Paper Pony blog a while ago. I have been meaning to do it ever since. Just wanted to give credit where credit is due...(Thanks Raya!)

Back to Reality

2011-01-03T11:04:00.000-08:00

This is a post-it-note from Branden that I found on a warm pot of coffee this morning. What a sweet husband - and what a nice way to start my first day back to reality. (Yes - we call each other "Buddy" and I have no idea why...)

Our two-week stay-cation is officially over. No more days of sleeping in because Daddy got up with the kids. No more spontaneous road trips. No more messy house because we are having too much fun to clean (oh wait...maybe the house will still be messy for a while...I do have two kids 3 and under after all...)

All good things must come to an end. But I am so glad that we got to focus on our little family of four for the last couple of weeks. I think we all feel refreshed, rested, and recharged for the new year.

Favorite Design Inspirations of 2010

2010-12-31T08:45:00.000-08:00

Here are a few new (to me anyway) places I have found inspiration this year:

Curlygirl Design Blog
If you haven't read Leigh's new blog yet - what are you waiting for??? Start from the beginning as she reminisces about her "Year of Creative Development" which includes taking every amazing art work shop in the country (and sometimes OUTSIDE of the country) and much, much more. If you need a creative fix, Curlygirl is your girl...

Where Women Create
I LOVE this magazine. I don't know why I had never ordered it before. Ever since my favorite magazine, Mary Engelbreit Home Companion, closed up shop, I have been looking to fill a void - and now it is officially filled. (OK - not really...I still miss you MEHC - please come back!)

Escape from Illustration Island Podcast
I love this podcast! I have recently started on a few new projects at night and these podcasts have helped inspire and inform. I like to fancy myself as an illustrator but know that I am really just a doodler with A LOT to learn.

American Pickers
This is my kind of reality TV for sure! I mean a show about hunting for vintage treasure? Seriously? What a great idea! Why didn't I think of it? I wonder if I can get some cameras to follow me around when I hunt for vintage fabric? :) Anyway, I think I also love this show especially because now that we live in Mississippi, I swear that we drive by some of the places that have been or WILL BE picked by the pickers.

So that's a wrap for my design inspirations of 2010 - my personal inspirations would be a whole new entry...ie: new baby, new home, etc...lots to be thankful for and inspired by... Anyway, I can hardly wait for what inspirations 2011 will bring. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ode to Family Christmas Photos...

2010-12-30T12:04:00.000-08:00

I am still enjoying our "stay-cation" (with a little bit of travel mixed in...I plan to share more on that later) but I just couldn't resist popping in to share one last bit of Christmas 2010 fun...I just love Christmas cards (obviously) - I really relish in seeing what people come up with every year. Even though I am a card designer - it's the photos that I love seeing most. I just had to share two of the best personal family photo cards I have seen this season (by Cat of Cat Seto and Liberty of Libby Dibby). I think they are unbelievable - truly little family art portraits. You can read more about the inspirations here and here.

I am completely inspired to do something that creative and well executed as my family photo for next year - but let's face it...I am just thrilled if I can get both kids looking at the camera at the same time. :)

Happy Holidays

2010-12-20T10:23:00.000-08:00

I am taking a blogging break and a break in general for the holidays. Branden (finally - after a very long season) has time off of work. We couldn't be more excited! We plan to spend lots of time together giggling with these two...

Merry Christmas!

The Making of an E-Card

2010-12-16T10:26:00.000-08:00

How CUTE is this e-card by American Greetings? I thought that this behind the scenes view of the making of an e-cad was too fun NOT to share...

Click here to watch.

Early Christmas Gift: My 2nd Book!

2010-12-15T11:38:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to see my second book, "Today's Top Stationery Artists 2" has just been listed on Amazon!

This follow up book to "Today's Top Stationery Artists" features over 50 all new top stationery artists. What is different about this book - other than the artists who are profiled - is that in depth interviews with some of the artists are included as well.

I really enjoyed curating the work in the book as well as interviewing and getting to know so many of the talented artists. It was a dream project and such an inspiration. I will keep you posted as soon as I know an exact release date.

Greeting cards featured on the book cover are by the following amazing companies (clockwise): Rifle Paper Co., Old School Stationers, Night Owl Paper Goods, Susy Jack, Inkjet Designs, Bobbin, Mr. Boddington's Studio, Cartolina Cards, and Fugu Fugu Press.

Shop Local: Kate Thomas

2010-12-14T11:01:00.001-08:00

As I rush to try to wrap and ship all of our gifts back home, I came across a few stationery items I purchased from local designer, Kate Thomas, a few months ago. I just love her work and seeing her little gifts I bought for a few friends prompted me to look up her website. It looks like her online store isn't up and running yet, but I thought I would share a couple of images from her website, www.ktyazoo.com just to give you a idea of her style.

I first saw her work at this art show last year and then when I saw her booth at a craft show a few months ago, I knew that I needed to pick up a few gifts. I won't share the images of the gifts here, because chances are if you are a friend of mine, you will find one in your mailbox this Christmas. :)

Anyway, I just love Kate's work and can definitely see her illustrations and handmade products in stores nationwide. But for now, she is a little Starkville secret. :)

Free THS Cards and iPad Give Away

2010-12-09T09:31:00.000-08:00

iSanctuary has moved from the 50's to the 20's thanks to their voters! BUT they still need us all to vote 3 times a day in order to get to 1st or 2nd place and to WIN a grant of $250,000 which would help survivors of human trafficking in an unbelievable way.

So to make it easy (and fun), YOU could win one of four iPads if iSanctuary wins the $250,000 Pepsi Refresh grant! Simply sign-up for a daily voting reminder at isanctuary2010@gmail.com, and if iSanctuary wins, you will be entered in the iPad drawing. It's a win-win!

Next, simply vote via text, facebook, and the website each day for a total of three votes. It takes less than one minute to vote in these three places and can really help change lives.

Text your VOTE
Text* 104818 to Pepsi (73774)

VOTE via Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/l/cb0f0H2ygDKKKW_xZBwlsvcjMuQ;bit.ly/hMpWhI

VOTE on the website
http://www.refresheverything.com/supporthumantraffickingsurvivors

AAAAaaaaaAAAAaaaannnnd....to sweeten the deal even more, anyone who tweets, facebooks, or links back to this blog post on their blog in the month of December (feel free to use the image above and this link: http://torihiga.blogspot.com/2010/12/free-ths-cards-and-ipad-give-away.html) will be eligable to win $100 worth of free THS stationery. It's definitely not as cool as an iPad, but it's what I have to offer. And maybe you'll win the stationery AND the iPad. :) Just send me an e-mail at info@torihiga.com to let me know that you have helped spread the word and I will put you in the drawing. (I will announce the winner the first week of January)

Happy voting, best of luck on the iPad drawing, and please spread the word to help GET THE VOTE OUT!

Team iSanctuary

2010-12-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

Great news: iSanctuary is up for a $250,000 grant from the pepsi resfresh project! But they need our help - all we have to do is visit the website and vote for them everyday in the month of December. It only takes about ten seconds. You can even text in your vote. And it would be great to try to get our friends to vote as well so spread the word! :) The money will be used to help survivors of human trafficking here in the states. iSancatuary has been working with local surviors who have been rescued right here in the US. It's hard to believe that human trafficking happens right in our own backyard, but it does. And I am so glad to know that these young women have a place to get a fresh start thanks to iSanctuary.

Here are the details to VOTE:

Text your VOTE
Text* 104818 to Pepsi (73774)

VOTE via Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/l/cb0f0H2ygDKKKW_xZBwlsvcjMuQ;bit.ly/hMpWhI

VOTE on the website
http://www.refresheverything.com/supporthumantraffickingsurvivors

Also, I got the following message in my inbox and thought I would pass it on here:

Want to join the campaign team?
Contact iSanctuary Headquarters at 949.752.7788 or email info@isanctuary.org as teams are being put together to GET OUT THE VOTE! We are looking for 25-30 people all across the country that think they are crazy enough to join this whirlwind of a campaign to win iSanctuary $250,000.

Happy Voting!

Crafty Volleyball Players

2010-12-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

I love that babies seem to bring out creativity and craftiness in a lot of people...even college athletes. Here are a few onesies that the volleyball team made for our baby girl. I had her lay on the pile of the onesies at two weeks old for a thank you note post card that I had made for the team via cardstore.com.

And here she is modeling the onesies at three months and most recently at four months. Wasn't that a thoughtful gift? Who knew that they had hidden creative talent?

A Huge Thank You

2010-11-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

In honor of Thanksgiving, I just have to share my current favorite thank you note to send to someone who deserves an extra special thank you. I recently sent these oversize thank you cards to both sets of grandparents for coming out all the way across the country to help with the new baby. These cards measure 8 1/2" X 11" and are hand letter pressed on cotton paper. They are even more beautiful in person and sure to make a big impression on the recipient.

I am just in love with these cards by Wiley Valentine. You can shop their entire collection of stationery here or just skip to the oversize greeting card section here.

Pumpkin Time

2010-11-16T06:54:00.000-08:00

Fall has to be my favorite time of the year - partly because of all of the pumpkin recipes going around. I love ANYTHING and EVERYTHING pumpkin (scented candles, soaps, food, etc). I am in the midst of loosing the baby weight right now so I am trying to be smart about not baking too many sweets. But now that I live in the south, I have adopted the habbit of baking things to bring over to people's houses. So my mind-set as been that baking for other people is more of a craft and for the act of baking rather than needing to eat it myself. That mind-set has really worked so far - especially because my little 3 year old guy loves to help me in the kitchen. At least I should say that it has worked until I discovered THIS PUMPKIN MUFFIN RECIPE. A friend told me about it and wow - it is good...AND it makes the whole house smell like a pumpkin spice latte. (I also think that these muffins won't contribute to the muffin top I am trying to loose because they are low fat and I think only 100 calories)

Pumpkin Muffins:

Ingredients:
1 box spice cake mix or carrot cake mix
1 15oz can pumpkin
4 egg whites or 1/2 cup egg substitute
2 tablespoons water

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until creamy. Fill muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-23 minutes.

PS: I didn't say that I bake things from scratch...I personally love that this uses a cake mix and canned pumpkin. It's a very fast and easy recipe...

The Cat's Meow

2010-11-12T10:00:00.001-08:00

This just goes to show that as a custom greeting card artist, you never know how your work is going to be used in the end. You can check out the whole story by this blogger here.

Too funny. :)

Bat Mitzvah Champion

2010-11-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

Here is another recent illustration I did for a very creative customer* who had it made for her niece's Bat Mitzvah. She is a swimming champion and my customer thought it would be cute to incorporate that into her gift. It was such a fun project to do. Quirky, creative, and thoughtful - my kind of gig...

The final piece is printed on nice card stock with black shiny fabric as the bathing suit.

* This is the same lovely customer who commissioned this and this...

Mom Inc. Daily

2010-11-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Designing Moms is now Mom Inc. Daily? Cat really did a wonderful re-design. I love the inspiration of why the blog got started and I love being able to watch it grow. It is the perfect place for inspiration, encouragement, and resources for creative business minded mamas.

Newborn

2010-10-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

I have been thoroughly enjoying my maternity leave as I happily adjust to being a mother of two. BUT I came out of my design break for a special and fun project - a custom portrait very fittingly called "Newborn". It was for a baby shower and the mama to be is a big fan of Depeche Mode so the lyrics to the song "Newborn" by Depeche Mode were incorporated on the left. The words are really quite sweet. My favorite lines are "I've got someone who cares for me, Someone who believes in me, I've got someone understanding me, Someone crying over me. I've got someone seeing grace in me. Someone respecting me. I've got someone who's there for me. Someone saying prayers for me." How sweet is that? And the best part about it is that my newborn was sleeping in my lap as I worked on much of the design.

I also had the chance to use Anna Maria Horner fabric - one of my favorite textile designers for sure. The above image is a digital image just used for design approval, but the final design was printed on 8" X 10" thick card stock with the actual fabric adhered like a collage. From what I understand, it was on display in a frame at the shower. Such a thoughtful and fun idea. AND it gave me my design fix while I am still soaking up all of the newborn baby goodness around here.

Think Pink

2010-10-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and what better way to support the fight against breast cancer than to send a thoughtful card. Cardstore.com has launched a collection where 40% of each sale from the collection will go to support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. I am so honored to be able to offer one of my designs in several various pink colorways to help support this worthy cause. So many of us have been affected in some way because of this disease - either we ourselves have gone through it or we know someone who has. This particular design is dedicated to my mother-in-law who is a breast cancer survivor of over 20 years!

Click here to see the entire collection by all of the artists (you can even get pink Christmas cards!) and read more about Cardstore's latest partnership. You will see that Cardstore's beloved creative director, Katy, has recently lost her mother to breast cancer which makes supporting this cause through Cardstore all the more real and personal.

iSanctuary on TV

2010-10-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

Speaking of iSanctuary, I just found out that they made the news in Los Angeles. K-Cal 9 did great coverage and Wendy did a great job representing iSanctuary. I am so proud and excited! They have come such a long way in three short years and have helped so many deserving young women.

Also, a nice article was written in the Long Beach Press Telegram last week.

When it rains, it pours, and I am so glad that it has been pouring such great PR for iSanctuary. Maybe Oprah will call next week. :)

Time Flies!

2010-10-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

I just got a newsletter from iSanctuary about their THREE YEAR anniversary! Wow - I can't believe it has been three years already! But then again, my son just turned three years old last week and his birth was a big reason that I partnered with them in the first place (so I could have more time with my son and now baby girl as well as work with such an amazing organization and friends who are doing such a great thing). I highly recommend signing up for their newsletter so you can stay in the loop.

Anyway, in celebration of the big anniversary, they have lots of new things on their site. One of my favorite pieces is pictured above. Hmmm...I may have to start Christmas shopping a little early. I think their ornaments would make perfect teacher gifts, neighbor gifts, and of course friend gifts...

2010-09-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

I thought I would pop in to share my latest Cardstore.com Christmas Cards. Cardstore is also offering a friends and family promotion right now - you get FREE SHIPPING if you spend $50 or more and use the coupon code: FALLSHIP at check out.

New Little Bundle

2010-09-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would share some of the sweet little pictures that were posted on the the Designing Moms Blog last Friday.

Libby Dibby Does it Again...

2010-08-18T13:45:00.001-07:00

OK - I am still on maternity leave, but had to share this post (and the most amazing and special baby gift ever!!!)

Maternity Leave

2010-08-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

It's official - I am taking maternity leave...starting now! It has been a very hectic several months and is about to get even more hectic tomorrow with a scheduled C-Section. We are thrilled to be welcoming a baby girl into the world. Because I won't be working as much, I hope to have some more time to blog...although babies do have a way monopolizing your time - which is more than OK by me. We couldn't be more excited to meet this sweet little girl!

Custom Kid Designs for Cardstore.com

2010-06-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

Here are my latest kid's designs that I did for Cardstore.com. Photo birthday cards and photo thank you notes make correspondence fun for kids. Besides, when else can you get a way with sending a thank you note with your picture on it? :)

{By the way, I am loving the new smaller size flat notes that Cardstore is now offering - it's perfect for little handwritten thank yous}

Custom Stationery for Men

2010-06-11T06:02:00.000-07:00

With Father's Day coming up, I thought I would share a few of my new designs for Cardstore.com: men's personalized stationery. I hope these turned out a little bit more masculine than my usual feminine designs ... well, as masculine as personalized stationery can be anyway...
You can see my line of men's notes here as well as many other cardtore designer's collections for men.

Smitten Kitten

2010-06-08T12:37:00.001-07:00

Are you familiar with Smitten Kitten? There are LOTS of great vintage fabric and vintage wallpaper items on that site. I think my favorites are the vintage wallpaper journals and memo pads...oh yeah, and of course the vintage scarf flower accessories (Kanzashi). I just have a soft spot for people who use vintage materials in their work, what can I say?

MIA...but for good reason

2010-06-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

I will admit that I have been really neglecting the blog for the past few months...but I have a good reason(s). We are moving (just down the street - but still, we are moving), we are (meaning I am) having a baby in mid August, I have been working on another book (my deadline is right around the corner), I have two other big art/design deadlines to meet before the baby comes (I can tell you about them later - I am very excited!), I have two other small design projects that I want to do (for friends and such) that I may not have time for, I always have ongoing Cardstore and iSanctuary designs that I want to do but now may not have the time (before the baby anyway) and we have been doing some traveling (visiting family and friends back home in California).

And did I mention that I am having a baby on top of everything? Yikes - what am I thinking? (not about having a baby - but committing to so much of the extras). I must say that I didn't seek out the book deal or the two other big design projects. They all just fell into my lap and really seemed too perfect to pass up. I am very thankful for that and as hectic and crazy as things are right now, I wouldn't have it any other way.

The above photo is from our recent trip to Cali. That's me in the middle (the one with the baby bump) with two of my favorite business partners/friends, Stephanie (on the left) and Wendy (on the right) of iSanctuary. Cute jewelry, by the way, right? :) You can see more iSanctuary jewelry handmade by the survivors here.

Mark & Marnie

2010-05-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a very fun one of a kind greeting card that I recently did for a thoughtful sister-in-law. She had a great vision for the project - keeping it clean, simple, and very "New York" since that was the location of the event. We ended up doing it as a flat note card instead of a traditional folded card so that it was a little bit more like custom artwork. All in all, it was a fun project and I hope that the bride and groom enjoyed the sweet gesture.

(Also, it's hard to see in the photo, but the bride has a fabric sash and the groom has a fabric necktie)

Gift Shop Magazine

2010-05-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to Gift Shop Magazine for the little feature in their fabulous trade magazine. What a fun treat!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share the Mother's Day gift I got for my mom this year. I was pretty excited about the find. My grandmother's best friend, Doris, was like a second mother to my mom and like a second grandmother to my brother and me. She was a very special lady in all of our lives and we have all missed her greatly since her passing a handful of years ago.

One of the things my mom and I remember about Doris was her large collection of antique napkin rings. She had them lovingly on display in a china cabinet and a story behind each piece. Unfortunately, after she passed away, the napkin ring collection disappeared. My mom and I always thought that it would have been nice for some of them to be distributed to Doris's best friends (she had a group of girlfriends that she played a monthly bridge game with from when they were in college up until the year she died). Anyway, because that never happened, I was on a quest to find the perfect napkin ring for my mom as a symbol of their special relationship. I have had the idea for a while and haven't been able to find just the right piece - until I perused ebay recently and found the perfect napkin ring to represent a wonderful woman who played a special roll in our lives. It features a dog that looks a lot like our family dog who we are just crazy about.

So happy Mother's Day to all the Moms and Mother figures past and present...

Mix Tape Kids Issue - GIVE AWAY

2010-05-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share the illustration I did for Mix Tape as well as the give away I am hosting on Designing Moms...

New Handmade Greetings

2010-04-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would share some of my new vintage fabric handmade greeting cards for iSanctuary.

New Design Collaboration...

2010-04-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

...with my 2 1/2 year old little man.

Whenever I work on new designs for my handmade card collection, I always print out some ideas on scrap paper and then play with different fabric and shapes. This time around I had a little shadow. While it was adorable to have him help me along the way, I ended up printing one just for him so that I could get my work done faster. He must have added layers of glue (that dried clear) and perfected his crayola scribbles for twenty minutes. The end result was a mother and son design collaboration. This one is definitely making it to the fridge...

Cotton District Arts Festival

2010-04-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

Well, we have officially been living here in Mississippi for one year - my, how time flies! I remember that we moved here on April 15th last year. I also remember that we attended the Cotton District Arts Festival on one of our first weekends last year and the fact that the festival came around again this year is just a reminder of our one year Mississippi anniversary.

We had a great time at the festival today -it seems like literally the entire town was in attendance which is fun. There are so many talented artists with booths, great kid activities , and of course amazing bbq and live music. I collected a bunch of business cards from artists that I really like, but no one has websites so I can't share the love on this blog. Next year I will have to be better about bringing my camera and do a real recap from the day that will feature the talented fine artists - I think you will be sure to be left feeling just as inspired as I did. My favorite work was by a woman who used old doors as her canvas for her bright and painterly abstracted flowers and patterns.

Unexpected Inspiration: Martin Niemoller

2010-04-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

Are you familiar with Martin Niemoller, the pastor and German anti-Nazi theologian? He is most well known for the following poem:

They came for the Communists, and I didn't object -
For I wasn't a Communist;
They came for the Socialists, and I didn't object -
For I wasn't a Socialist;
They came for the labor leaders, and I didn't object -
For I wasn't a labor leader;
They came for the Jews, and I didn't object -
For I wasn't a Jew;
Then they came for me -
And there was no one left to object.

- Martin Niemoller, German Protestant Pastor, 1892-1984

I have been busy catching up on some design work (a new line of handmade cards to be manufactured and distributed by iSanctuary) this morning and have been listening to a radio talk show where his poem was just quoted. It made me stop and think of how relevant his words still are in modern day in regards to human trafficking.

I am so glad to have the friends I have at iSanctuary who are fighting this fight and standing up for those in need. They are just everyday people who have figured out a way to raise awareness and get other everyday people involved in the fight to stop the evil and injustice of human trafficking. I feel honored to be able to work with them even in a small way.

I must admit that I normally listen to Craft Sanity or Crafty Pod while I work on design projects, but today, for some reason, I guess I needed inspiration of a different kind and didn't even realize it...

Consider me inspired.

iSanctuary Gala Wrap Up

2010-04-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

The iSanctuary Gala was last Saturday night at Sawdust in Orange County and was a big success! I just wanted to take a minute to give a special thanks to all of the friends, family, and colleagues who made a donation for the auction - it really means a lot!

A huge THANK YOU to Creedance of Creedance Loves You (her adorable watercolor she donated is featured above), Mel of Mel Lim, everyone at Cardstore.com, Madhuri Parson of Madhuri, Mo and Vip Soni for Dr. Vip Soni's dermatology service donation, and the Sacramento Kings organization for the autographed basketball.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

:)

Mix Tape Kids Issue

2010-04-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

Last year I listened to this podcast on Craft Sanity and learned all about the popular craft zine Mix Tape. I ended up ordering the Kid's Issue (aimed at creative parents) and thought it was so great that I was inspired to submit an illustration for the upcoming Kid's Issue #2. It was so much fun to come up with something - I ended up illustrating a paper doll kit, complete with little vintage fabric clothing. I was so excited when my work was accepted and now the maga(ZINE) is finally available (on April 18th or for pre-order now). I don't feel comfortable sharing my work just yet...I don't want to share too much too soon as I'm sure the publishers would appreciate the content of their zine being enjoyed strictly by their customers. But once the zine has sold out, I will surely post it on my blog and portfolio on my website. I understand that they have quite a loyal fan base and have a circulation of 1500 customers! Very impressive...you have to love it when an indie business is a success! Especially when Justine Telfer, the woman behind the zine, is a stay at home mom who uses her zine and craft blog as her creative outlet...quite a successful creative outlet to say the least...

(Cover art is by Jess Greenfield of www.peepingtompaper.com.au)

New Wall Art for iSanctuary Gala

2010-03-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share the new 8x10 prints I created (from some of my handmade greeting card designs) for the iSanctuary Gala coming up on April 10th. They are simple black line drawing prints with a touch of vintage fabric from my ever growing collection. They are mounted with simple mat board and ready to be framed. Hopefully they will find a happy home. (Please excuse my poor photography skills)

And it's not too late to get tickets for the gala - they are only a little bit more than going out to a movie (PLUS you get fancy appetizers, live entertainment, etc) If you live in Southern California, you don't want to miss it!

Save the Date: Hailey and Bryan

2010-03-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

It's rare that an admittedly square girl such as myself would be asked to design a custom portrait Save-the-Date card for a Harley Davidson themed wedding - so how could I turn them down? :) It never hurts to broaden your horizons and besides the bride-to-be happens to be my cousin and she and her man couldn't be a cuter couple. Congratulations Hailey and Bryan! May you ride off (on a Harley?) into the sunset together and live happily ever after...xoxo

Social Media Month

2010-03-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

It's "Social Media Month" over on Kate Harper's Greeting Card Designer blog and there have been some really good articles on the subject. I need all the help I can get because one of these days I would love to utilize facebook and twitter for my business. Until that time, I'll jut keep enjoying facebook as a leisurely activity and as a way to stay in touch with family and friends.

Speaking of social media and facebook, how cute is this card by Fomato?

I first got to know Fomato through the stationery book and have enjoyed following the company ever since. You should check out the adorable website if you get a chance - be sure to look into the free stuff under "sale items" as well. :)

Birthday Inspiration

2010-03-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

I was inspired to create this collage piece based on the image below found on Liberty's blog. I knew that she had a thing for red with white polk-a-dots and especially when that pattern is unexpectedly found on shoes, BUT something about seeing that snapshot she took just made me want to create some sort of art piece. So naturally when I was asked to donate a piece of art to a Haiti fundraiser, that was the concept that came to mind. AND OF COURSE I couldn't NOT make one for Liberty's birthday as well as a thank you for the inspiration...and for being such a great friend.

I also received a fun handmade original in the mail from Liberty for my birthday as well (our birthdays are just a few days a part). How CUTE is this little pouch that she made? And my new journal/sketchbook by Book Journals that she included fits perfectly inside. She knows exactly just what I love (anything vintage/re-purposed/Libby Dibby) and I love having any sort of art supply that reminds me of my artsy and inspirational friend. Thanks Libby!

Cardstore.com Donates to iSanctuary Gala!

2010-03-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

Speaking of iSanctuary, I was so excited to find out that Cardstore.com is making a generous donation to iSanctuary for the silent auction and raffle at the upcoming gala. Thank you so much, Cardstore - you guys are amazing!

I feel so honored to be able to work with such great people - both the Cardstore.com and iSanctuary crew are full of such creative and big-hearted individuals.

iSanctuary for Kids

2010-03-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

I found the perfect little gift for a 5 year old friend's birthday that is coming up. iSanctuary now makes little girl bracelets - aren't they sweet? I think that any little girl would love it. I decided to package it in this sweet little princess tote bag by UndMyUmbrella.

Online Business Inspiration for Artists

2010-03-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

There are so many online business resources these days for artists. I so wish that all of this information was around at the time that I was searching for the right creative niche. Anyway, I receive e-mails from time to time asking about how to break into the stationery business and I always wish that I had some sort of clear cut answer. The truth is that there are very different paths to take and that you can't really major in "stationery design" in college.

I was so excited to hear that Mary Engelbreit is doing an interview with Tara Reed on her Art Licencing website, called www.artlicensinginfo.com. You can sign up for free to listen in on a live phone call interview with Tara and Mary this Wednesday. I personally am very excited as I have been a fan of Mary Engelbreit for quite sometime.

I was also so excited to read this post on the Creative Thursday Blog this morning. Go Marisa! Here's to "Thriving Artists"!

Back Roads Antiques

2010-03-08T14:11:00.000-08:00

We finally made it out to Back Roads Antiques the other day. I had been meaning to visit ever since I first heard about it - it's way outside of town...like twenty whole minutes...and you really do have to drive on the back dirt roads to get there. But once you are there, it's worth it. The cutest older couple own the place and it is well stocked with all things antique and vintage. I was on the hunt for vintage fabric and had no luck - but I did find these sweet little buttons ever so carefully and artfully packaged.

I was drawn to the basket full of them and when the woman asked if I had a thing for buttons, I said "not particularly, but I just love the packaging with the stitched vintage postcards and paper." The woman went on to tell me that she has spent many hours sewing each re-purposed scrap paper and post card herself. I was sold. A cute little old lady making lovely packaging out of the materials she has sitting around and not even knowing just how lovely the end result is? Definitely sold. I bought a few to use as little gift tags for friends. It's part gift tag, button, and little piece of history.

Amy Lau for Maya Romanoff

2010-03-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that I love Amy Lau Design (I think the ex-textile designer in me finds inspiration in her work)- I was so excited to get the news that her new Maya Romanoff collection is now on view in an installation designed exclsuvely by Amy Lau herself for Bergdorf Goodman's Seventh Floor. Click here for more images.

iSanctuary Gala needs YOU!

2010-02-25T13:15:00.000-08:00

iSanctuary is getting ready to host their very first gala fundraising event on April 10th! I so wish I could attend! But since I can't make the cross country trip this time around, I have been having fun helping with the event from afar. :) For example, here is the website for the event that I had the pleasure of doing this week. www.isanctuarygala.org I am also planning on donating a few pieces of original work and/or prints for the silent auction.

And that's where YOU come in - if you are an artist, designer, or small business owner and would like to get involved, iSanctuary would greatly appreciate anything you could donate for their silent or live auction. Aside from it being a very worthy cause, it's fun! It will be a beautiful event at Sawdust (of Sawdust Art Festival fame) in Orange County where they are expecting 1000 attendees. It will be complete with live entertainment, a live and silent auction, food, drinks, coffee (donated from a local Starbucks), a raffle event, and of course learning about more ways to help stop human trafficking.

For more information on how you can donate products, artwork, or services, feel free to e-mail Gina anytime (gala@isanctuary.org) or visit the new gala website.

Going once...going twice...SOLD!

2010-02-22T07:30:00.000-08:00

The Art Auction for Haiti was such a fun event - and a big success! Annie and Ted (the brother/sister duo of Little Building Cafe) were able to raise a lot of funds to help rebuild Haiti. All money raised goes directly to Architecture for Humanity. I was so happy that my little piece sold - especially for such an important cause. It was extra fun because my talented graphic design professor friend is the one who purchased it. (Thanks, Jamie!)

Art Auction for Haiti

2010-02-20T07:44:00.000-08:00

If you live in town, be sure to stop by the Little Building Cafe tomorrow between 3 and 6 for the Art Auction for Haiti. It will be a great time and I hope to see you there!

Little Artiste

2010-02-19T07:22:00.000-08:00

This picture made it to the Designing Moms blog today. (I'm so proud - I probably feel the same way my husband does when they play catch together)

My little man has been busy painting and coloring right next to me all week as I have been working on several projects (I just turned in my piece for the Art Auction for Haiti yesterday).

Later today, a friend and I are taking him to an exhibit on campus of Airstream trailers that have been altered to have "humanitarian design solutions". I don't think he really cares about the "humanitarian design solutions" just yet, but he will love seeing the Airstream trailers for sure.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T16:38:00.000-08:00

I just had to share the Valentine I gave to my hubby. La Familia Green is the creative genius behind the design. How did they know that this was the perfect card for my husband? He loves Mexican food...and I personally think he's a hot tamale. :)

Amy Lau Holiday Cards

2010-02-08T14:02:00.000-08:00

I wanted to wait until after the new year to share the fun custom holiday cards I did for Amy Lau Design. And now it's already February! Better late than never - and I couldn't let this one slide because it truly was my favorite custom card to date. From start to finish - I just really enjoyed working on it. Amy is so easy to work with - not because she lets me do whatever I want (which is actually a much more difficult way for me to work)- but because she has specific ideas and always seems to know just the right little tweak to make something work. Her concepts and creativity always leave me feeling inspired. For instance, I never would have thought of doing a tri-fold card - and yet I think it's such a big part of what makes the card work well.

Amy recently launched a gorgeous new fabric collection for S. Harris. So naturally she wanted to incorporate her own fabric designs into the card (instead of the usual vintage fabric that I use). The only slight problem was that her patterns are very large scale since they are for interiors and when cut down to the small shapes that I need, the pattern is completely lost. It was the perfect excuse for me to scale down the patterns and use Spoonflower to create our own fabric. It's still Amy's designs, just scaled down to work specifically for the cards. I cannot say enough positive things about working with Spoonflower - the quality is very high and the customer service is excellent.

It's hard to read from the photograph, but I really love the sentiment she came up with: "Here's to weaving new patterns in your life! Wishing you a bright and colorful new year!"

Art for Haiti

2010-02-05T06:35:00.000-08:00

I love that so many artists, designers, and crafters are donating profits from some of their work to the relief effort in Haiti. I am excited to now be among them! Later this month, Annie Coggan (MSU furniture design professor extraordinaire and owner of the cutest coffee shop in town) is curating a "works on paper" art show with all proceeds going to help the people of Haiti. I am so excited (and honored) to be a part of it. It's a small thing that the art and design community can do, but it can yield great results.

I'm sure you have seen so many artists online raising money in this way - here are a few of my favorites: Terri Conrad's Hope for Haiti print (pictured above), Hearts for Haiti, Craft Hope for Haiti, Mary Engelbreit's Help for Haiti's print, , Liberty Worth's Love to Haiti print, and all photographs on Fresh Snapped Photos (from January 20th - February 14th).

I also love the Helen Keller quote that Terri has written next to her print on her website:
"I am only one, but I am still one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do." - Helen Keller

2010-02-02T12:22:00.001-08:00

I came across this quote hanging on the wall of a coffee shop about a year ago. I jotted it down in my sketchbook and have been meaning to post here ever since. We saw it right around the time that we were in the middle of merging our business with iSanctuary. We would no longer be owning a business (my husband and I) that actually owned us. There was a real sense of freedom as we sat at the table, sipping our coffee, and laughing over the sign that was posted right next to us on the wall.

Of course, I love having my own business now - mainly because I feel like I found the right fit. For me, being able to license my art and do freelance projects is much more where my interests lie. Although I loved running my own handmade greeting card studio for years, I feel a huge burden lifted and am so thankful to able to focus on the reason I got into the business in the first place: to be able to create.

2 or 3 or more

2010-01-25T16:20:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to get a girl's night out tonight to attend the art exhibit/sale, 2 or 3 or more. Based on the website portfolio, I am really loving the stitched material on wood by Mamie McIntosh. I have to admit that I would love to hang that "Create Everywhere You Go" piece in my studio. (Well, I'm actually sort of in between studios at the moment - but I hope that changes soon...and my dining room table hopes so, too)

I also think that Kate Thomas did a wonderful job on the poster/logo for the event. Looks like they'll be selling the prints tonight as well.

Kind of bummed that you don't live here in Starkville and can't attend tonight? No need to worry, they will be opening an online store on February 5th to sell the remaining pieces that don't sell tonight.

Stationery Trends Magazine

2010-01-22T16:55:00.000-08:00

A big thanks to Sarah of Stationery Trends Magazine for including our "birthday shoe" card in the latest issue. I absolutely love this magazine - it's so full of interesting and inspirational articles and design showcases.

Cardstore.com Shop Update Part Two: Valentine's Day

2010-01-19T09:57:00.000-08:00

I thought I should also share my latest Valentine cards I did for Cardstore.com. I just love Valentine's Day and I love creating illustrations for such a fun holiday.

So for the occasion, I designed invitations, photocards, and good old fashioned Valentines aimed at kids or kids at heart.

Click here to check out my entire Valentine's Day collection.

Cardstore.com Shop Update

2010-01-19T08:39:00.000-08:00

I'll admit that I am WAY behind in my Christmas thank you note writing. We did some serious travel and as a result I got seriously sick. This is actually one of the first days that I am feeling more like myself again - which means that I have GOT to get those thank you notes out THIS WEEK - especially the ones from my son. He is only two so of course I will be writing them for him. I still wanted to do something fun and sort of kid-like which is why I selfishly designed these kid thank you notes for Cardstore.com. I think they will work perfect for the holidays and for birthdays (or any other reason to send a thank you). They were fun to design and I will be sending out my son's personalized thank yous ASAP.

You can see my entire thank you collection here.

Send Your Love to Haiti

2010-01-18T17:52:00.000-08:00

I just love my friends and right now I am especially loving my friend, Liberty. She came up with a great way to help raise funds to aid in the relief effort in Haiti. She created a beautiful and very intimate piece of original art and is now selling it as a high quality print as well as post cards in her etsy shop where all proceeds are donated to Red Cross Relief and Child Hope International.

You can read more about it and view her artwork by visiting this recent link on her blog.

I am so excited because I just purchased a print - now it's your turn to "send your love to Haiti" and Liberty will send some love to your mailbox.

Craft For Health

2010-01-04T12:21:00.000-08:00

I'm back! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season! We had a whirlwind visit back home and a great time visiting with family. We are now refreshed and renewed and ready to take on 2010 - just as soon as I get over this nasty flu that I have at the moment.

Which leads me to the next topic...speaking of good health...have you heard of the blog, Craft for Health? It's a truly inspirational blog, full of stories about how people have used crafting to get through hard times. I first heard about the blog through Cherish Flieder and had been meaning to submit a story ever since. But when I got a request from Kathy Peterson, one of the "craft practitioners" herself, I knew that I wanted to be a part of such a great community in some way. I am truly honored to be able to share my story in such a special forum. Thanks again for the opportunity, Kathy and Barb - you ladies are the best!

Here's the link to my story.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-15T05:18:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We are off to California until January 3rd. I'll see you soon!

(these ornaments are made by survivors of human trafficking and are available here for "purchase with purpose")

Leafcutter Designs

2009-12-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of the world's smallest postal service? You can submit any letter that you personally write and Lea Redmond of Leafcutter Designs will transcribe it to the tiniest of script and mail it to your recipient, all neatly packaged with a miniature wax seal and magnifying glass.

I think that this might be just about the cutest and most clever idea ever. Another way to prove that mail is fun.

A Sketchbook Calendar?

2009-12-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

I just heard of someone, a fellow designer, who uses a sketchbook as a calendar. I was so excited when I heard that because now I know that I am not alone! I have been doing that for years but have been in denial about it - I actually don't even think that I realized I was doing that until just now. Every year (except last year because I think she gave up hope) my mom, who is the calendar queen and practically couldn't function w/o her calendar, gives me a calendar for Christmas. And I, with the best of intentions, use it for about a month before I subconsciously switch everything over to my sketchbook.

At least now I can see it. Even though I don't keep a calendar, I do have a love for them. Perhaps that is because it was instilled in me in some level from my organized, calendar loving mom.

I do really love to have a good desktop calendar - one at my desk and one in the kitchen - it's the day planners that I don't do so well with. Desktop calendars are non-threatening because I don't have to write on them and I can look at a new, pretty picture each month.

Pictured above (clockwise) are some of my favorite desktop calendars on the market:

1) Driscoll Design 2) Delphine 3) Snow & Graham 4) Cat Seto 5) Kate Spade 6) Night Owl Paper Goods 7) Egg Press 8) Curly Girl Design