A bit of news:  LUCKY magazine, the seasonal LUCKY KIDS insert to be exact, featured my blog in their best blog round up!

Wow. That was fun to see!

And what made me smile, is that the thumbnail image is my son’s head. He has a cute head. But he’s 5, and I don’t know if I’ll show him that his profile is shared with Jessica Simpson. Not just yet at least. Don’t want him to get any ideas, you know?

No, really…I’m really so flattered that they’d choose my blog as “The Best Blogs” in their Winter issue! Wow. Really. Wow. Thanks so much Lucky!

As part of the feature, I’ll be GUEST BLOGGING this week at LUCKY KIDS with a daily round up of handmade, creative, and great finds for the holidays. I used to blog more about my favorite things…but now thanks to twitter, pinterest, etc. I can post things like that there. So this was fun to put together! Come say hi!

And as promised, I can’t finish a post with out a sketch from my current sketchbook.

I’ve been thinking about cold bunnies lately. You?

I like to put mood boards together. Inspiration boards. Story Boards. Whatever you call it, it’s really good for me to put my ideas in one place, and make little families.

My brain is always so full of information, it really helps to put bits and chunks in one place and see how they work together. Sometimes they are digital, sometimes they are on my wall in my studio…sometimes they are cut and paste, or printed out on paper. Pinterest is awesome for collecting ideas…you name form, and I have collected ideas there.

This one is for a top-secret mission and I can’t say anything about it.

Just kidding. I’m working on new fabric again (!) and this is a peek at just the ideas behind it. Too early to show anything just yet…but it’s rather fun to see how it all gets started. The conception of ideas usually starts with random bits of information in my head (information for me = sounds, colors, shapes, people, phrases, memories…) and plop them down on the table and then I start to see where and how they work together. I move the pieces around like it’s a puzzle, and eventually pieces shift, get thrown out, come to the front…and I have something to work with. The conception stage takes the longest for me. Like a really good, slow simmer!

But I’m liking it so far! I think the octopus is blushing…and it makes me smile to wonder at what! Cute little guy!

And PS: The Cyber Monday sale is still going on here and here! Read more here. Happy Holidays!!! Yipee!

Confession: I don’t draw very much. Well, for how much I really should be pulling out pencil and paper as an illustrator, I just don’t.

I can think of a few good reasons:

3 busy children. Laundry. Cooking. School Lunches. Sleep. Studio deadlines. Email. Homework. Driving. Errands. Phone calls. Church service. Dishes. Playing with kids. Cleaning.

Well, all that said, I really wish I had more time to just draw what I was thinking. Cause that’s how I think. In pictures and words.

But at the same time, as an illustrator, I need to be working at it every day if I ever want to get where I want to be.

I’ve tried to think of a motivation for a long time…but I finally found a way give myself the motivation to sketch every day.

I really like blogging. It takes time. I’m fast at it now, but it still takes time. I’m not willing to give up blogging to make more time to create, so I’ve decided to do what my blog actually says: “Illustrate Childhood.”

I hereby commit to having an illustration in every single blog post from here on out!

There. I said it.

Ha ha. Just watch…I won’t blog as much now:)

No…this is just what I need.   I need be sketching every day, and I’m telling the universe so that I can’t slack off. And if anything…this place will get a lot more interesting:)

I’ll still have photos…but I’m always going to have some art.

Deal? Deal.

And speaking of the lack of time I have to illustrate, here’s what my darling sweet 2 1/2 year old looks like when she is supposed to be napping: She comes out of her room, tip-toes oh so daintily down the hallway, and freezes in this very pose as soon as she sees me.   And then she stands there..arms out, tongue out, avoiding my glance…completely frozen in place until I pick her up.

You know when you want to laugh so hard, but you can’t … so you turn your face away and hold it? But the tears are coming and your stomach hurts?

That happens to me about 1:30 p.m. every afternoon in the family room. Just me and her.

Right now, she’s winning. I mean, how can you get upset? It stinks to have cute kids.

The holiday items are all up in the shop!

(I know…I’m still in denial that it’s not August any more!)

First, I have to tell you how excited I am about this new Nutcracker embroidery pattern! I have high hopes to get another Christmas design in the shop very soon…but while I’m working, you can get started on this new stitching design!

This is a PDF Download only, and it features Clara, the Nutcracker, the first melodic line of the Nutcracker Mini-Overture, and the handwritten title. Can you hear the music? “Dun–da da da dat dun– da da da da da dunnnn- dunnn ” Ahhh….I ‘m getting excited for Christmas already!

And new this year, Holiday Greeting Cards!

In years past, I’ve always had postcards of my holiday images. Now there are folded holiday greeting cards! yay!

Gift tags: both Adhesive and hanging tags! I asked on facebook and twitter a while back, which you’d prefer, and you guys on twitter said hang tags, and all you on facebook said adhesive tags. What’s going on with that? It was really funny. So I got both! Easy peasy lemon squeesy.

And…in addition…

even PDF printable tags for all you last minute people:)

Bookplates are here too! 

These signed bookplates will come directly from me, if you want a signed Christmas Goodnight Book. I am not able to sell my book in my shop, so this was the closest I could get! Wish I could write a message on all your books, but I designed this little stick on bookplate to look beautiful next to the title page for you:) I’m happy to write a little message too!

And…dun dun dun…

The CALENDAR!

This year’s calendar is So bright and cheery. It’s all my new prints including a few super new ones I’ll be showing later!

And saving the best for last,  a new holiday print called, “For Unto You”. In addition to the Santa Maria.

This print, if you’ve read A Christmas Goodnight, really goes a long just perfectly.The boy look a little different, but the lamb and baby Jesus are the same.

Have you ever thought about that scripture said so often at Christmas? When you think about it, those two emphasized words really speak the meaning of Christmas. It’s ultimately about You and Him.

So Christmas is here, folks! There are more items to see over in the holiday section, so hop on over. I just can’t get enough of the holidays myself. I love all of it.

Signing off w/ holiday hugs,

sarah j.

Hello!

Happy All Saints Day!

I’m not Catholic, so I never did have the chance to learn much about Santa Lucia, the saint that is celebrated at Christmas time throughout Scandinavian countries, and other parts of Europe.  But I have always, always loved the tradition and story behind Santa Lucia, or St. Lucy, and so I’ve made a print in the shop since I have always wanted to participate in this tradition.

Ok, Ok, I know it’s not Christmas yet. But, being All Saints Day, I figured this was ok to share, right?

St. Lucia is the bringer of light. In one of the darkest countries in the world during December, St. Lucia is celebrated on Dec. 13, the darkest day of the year. It is ironically, the mark of the beginning of the 12 days of Christmas! I’ve always wanted to dress up as a little girl, with candles on my head and celebrate the Christmas Season just like they do in Scandinavia, and elsewhere throughout the world.

I just think it’s so wonderfully bright and cheery and symbolic on so many levels. I think we might find a way to read about this tradition on the 13th of December this year. To me, it’s always been such a warm, welcoming way to introduce the Christmas Season!

I’m going to be sharing a lot of Christmas things early this year. With my book being out, and lots of new Christmas items in the shop, and coming on the blog, I’m going to make my apologies now, that starting today, there is officially no guilt in me bringing on the Christmas Season!

Happy All Saints day, and hope you all had a wonderful Halloween. This is Ella’s first real Halloween, and she finally got the point after about the 4th house. “Candy for Ella? More Candy?” is what we heard all night. I love the holidays. Don’t you?

xo

sarah j

Wishing you a spooky fun Halloween to all of you! We finally carved the giant pumpkin and I’m feeling rather festive.

Have an spooky and wonderful night!

xoxo

sarah

OK!

Well, so much for blogging about all the new stuff going on in the shop. I actually skipped away to Quilt Market, and had high hopes that it would be the kind of trip that would leave me with some free time in the evenings to chat with you all! Ha!

Quilt Market was fantastic. I didn’t have a booth, I was just there to support Michael Miller, and all my other favorite people in the fabric world. More on that later!

But, before it got too late into the season, I just have to start sharing with you all the sweet little new Sarah Jane things going on.

First, let’s talk jewlery!

I have collaborated with the wonderful Bel Kai Designs, and we’ve come up with 10 necklace designs that I just love.You can get them with or without the pearl, and they are really so sweet. I’ve been wanting to make these for a long while…and I’m so thrilled to have them!

I will be honest. I’m not a big jewelry person. If I wear it, it’s definitely on purpose. Which is why I just love these. Initially, these are for the little girls in your life. My Addie loves these! But honestly, so do I. They aren’t just for kids.  I wore the “Going Tandem” one yesterday, and no joke, got 7 compliments in one day. Maybe I do need to wear more jewelery!

I really hope you like these! I’ve been wanting to offer designs for little girls for a while, and these just turned out so darling.

In the shop here!

And Happy Halloween Everyone! Have a wonderful, safe, and creative night!

xoxo

sarah

Bonjour mes amis!

All things French have been on my mind lately.

I’m typing this blog post while my husband is grading papers, and we are both listening to Julia Child’s TV re-runs (Jacque & Julia to be exact) of how to make Vichyssoise from Potato Leek Soup. (Oh! How I love that woman. I could listen to her voice all day.)

I’ve been a lover of the French language and the cultures of all French speaking countries since I can remember. As I child, I loved hearing my dad speak the language to me, or to others he met who could actually speak back to him! I started taking French lessons at school in 5th grade, and now that my daughter is in a French Immersion Elementary school, I’m starting to resurface my love of all things French!

And then just last week, I finished illustrating a book (Harper Collins, April 2012) on a Canadian family’s move to France and the lessons they learned while adopting the French culture of food and eating. More on that later…but I’ve been absorbing myself in French food, French books, French music…

And since our pocket books and life with little ones prevents any sort of travel these days, absorbing myself in the culture has been my travel bug medicine. At least for now!

When I started making paper dolls, it was a huge hit. But I kinda fell off the bandwagon (easy to do!) but these are seriously so fun and such a great play time activity, and I am reintroducing paper toys again. With the holidays brewing, I hope to have more!

But these are making me happy. Since I have resigned fashion design to a hobby in my next life (that and like a whole strew of other things I want to get my hands in), designing paper clothes will just have to do. It’s really so much fun!

This collections is called “My First Trip to Paris.” Addie asks about going to Paris or Switzerland someday, and while I know it won’t be any time soon, I do dream of big hair bows and blue and white stripes. These children are picking up food and flowers from the market, playing with the street monkey and his accordion and getting read for their first painting class.

Each clothing collection now comes with a set of dolls, boy and girl…or you can just get the whole set of dolls and clothes I’ve made over the years.

Enjoy! Allons-y!

**These paper dolls are PDF downloads only, so no shipping, just print them out on your own and voila! In the shop here. **

Well, it’s high time for some fresh new art. I’ve been antsy to get you some fresh prints for your kid’s rooms, and I’m really excited about these!

This next collection is the beginning of what I hope will be a flourishing “Inspirational” art section in my shop. Coupled with colors from my fabric collection, these art prints are really getting me excited!

To be honest, this is the first art in a LONG while that I’ve been excited to put in my own children’s rooms!

Right now, there are 3 girl prints, and 3 boy prints that coordinate really nicely with the Children at Play fabric line. Creating that collection was a real awesome experience for me, because I was able to think so much about color. Color that I’ve been wanting to see in my own art prints for a VERY long time!

“Love you more”... a daily phrase in our house. You? It usually starts out as a simple “I love you!” And then an “I love you too!” and on to “I love you more!”

Then onto:

Love you more than the moon

More than the world

More than chocolate

More than climbing trees

More than tigers

More than the zoo

And so on.

It used to end with “I love you most!”

But when Addie was 3, she came up with a really clever solution:

Addie: “I love you Da-gee-ga”

Me: Did you just make that up? What does that mean?

Addie: “It means I love you the most I could ever love you.”

It has since become a family phrase, but it always starts with “I love you more!”

And of course, this Balloon Print. A definite favorite of the Children at Play prints. Who wouldn’t want to fly sky high like that?

This how to make a paper hat, is actually my original version that I wanted to put onto fabric. The idea didn’t translate over like I wanted to, so I’m super happy to make it a print. The first time I made a paper hat for my kids, I had to look it up online. Pretty sad. It had been too long since I made one as a child. This way, you’ll never forget!

This print, from the Chasing Planes fabric, is Ian’s favorite. I’ve always loved this phrase, but after doing some research on who it’s quoted from, I’m realizing that it might be an undocumented name? If any of you have info, let me know. Richard Dumb is claimed to have said this, but according to the www I can’t seem to find his existence, other than that he said this phrase and everyone loves it.

I’ve been shooting up a storm around here at the house. I’m about ready to launch a website (horray!!!) that will have a lot more of a comfy home feel, with lots of more pretty things to see. I won’t give away too many secrets, but it’s been so much fun to put together! Very much like building a house. For sure.

And the “BE” collection! Is in the shop now too. I have some lovely photos to share of these, but they’ll be up a little later. I couldn’t wait to get these in the shop…so many of you have been knocking on my door about these.

I have more to share about the motivation behind them, but for now, you can see them in the shop!

And the good news is,  you can purchase all of these in sets of 3 and 4, saving 20%

So, horray for new art! I hope you enjoy!

xo

School has started, which means my oldest two are in school full time. I won’t go into the dilemma about how I feel about all this (Ahhhh!!! My babies are out in the world!!!!), except to say that my house is finally getting clean, and I’m finally getting artsy again. Right now, I’m in the middle of illustrating a book, fabric, new products, new designs for the fall season, and and a few other hush-hush projects. Translation: Some fun things are happening creatively here, non of which I can really spill the beans on! But I do have new designs trickling in which will be in the shop in the next couple weeks…hopefully sooner.

These are the start of a set of “virtues” I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. Don’t know how many there will be yet, but there’s more. Set a bit more retro than my older work, it’s fresh, clean and happy! They are more in line with the work that I’ve been creating personally, and so while they are a bit different than what’s in my shop right now, I think they will make a great addition! What do you think? Do you like?

I’ve been wanting to get new art in the shop for ages, and these are fun because they actually compliment my fabric very well…so if you are working on some bedding in your kids room…you finally have some colors to match!

{photo via Dairy of a Quilter}

More coming soon! I’m back to the drawing board…scribbling as fast as my little hands can! It’s been a good 6 months since I’ve really filled a sketch book. It feels good. Funny how I always get a little nervous though, posting new work. It feels good to be spontaneously creating again. I’m a happier person, which makes me a happier mama, and happier everybody.  Life is good:)