I think about color a lot. As an illustrator who takes drawing very seriously, color is something that has always taken second place. As I’ve grown as an artist, and forged my path for where my art wants to go, I’ve learned to apply design and color in balance with my drawing, and it’s been so enlightening. Rather than thinking of the subject of the piece I’m working on, I’ve learned to think about color just as early on in the doodle stage. And because of the handy-dandy computer, I can play with color a lot faster and it’s not as intimidating when trying to come up with color palettes.

This is a color palette I’m seriously in love with at the moment (well, for the past few months) and I can’t get it out of my head. Gorgeous, isn’t it?

{Bottom images: here, here and here. Also collectively found here.}

Ok. This post has some mixed feelings involved. I have always been a split personality when it comes to cleaning house: I LOVE throwing things away and getting rid of junk. But there is part of me that does like to hold onto the sentimental value in stuff. Especially when it represents a lot of work, time and energy. Most of these prints hold a place in my heart because they marked a beginning….

But here’s the deal:

I’m a real person with a real house, and a real family. Just this year, we brought our shop back into the house, and while it’s been wonderful to have things in my hands again, I am realizing (like I do every day of my life) that I can’t (nor do I want to) do it all.

Raising three small children, keeping up an (old) house and (big) yard, running a shop out of the basement, designing fabric and books and still having a totally awesome relationship with my very amazing husband is no small task. And most days, I’m ready to crash and call it a night by 7pm.

Part of living the lifestyle like we do includes change. Constant change. There isn’t a week that goes by where my husband and I don’t talk about how things are going, how we can do better, and how we can get to the ultimate lifestyle we crave, while enjoying it in the process. And honestly, it’s weekly that we make changes. Mostly small ones like: Let’s try making 3 meals all at once and freezing them so we have 2 nights with no cooking. Or, Let’s make a weekly family activity on a weekday, so Saturday mornings the kids can be with Dad while Mom works. Etc. But nothing ever stays constant, because our family is always changing. But ultimately, our goal of getting to where we want to be is the same. And one of those ways is by cutting back.

One of the ways we’re cutting back, is by getting rid of A LOT of prints in the shop. Since these are hand printed, and a lot of time goes into the printing of these Fine Art Prints, we are cutting about 50% of my designs to 1) reduce the amount of printing involved, and 2) make room for more designs and more illustration work behind the scenes. At the end of the day, I’m an illustrator. And though we need the paycheck coming in from our little corner shop, the time to create new work is sacred. And that’s always the most important thing for me to protect (after my family of course!)

So, the shop is OPEN! But if you see a design that you love in the above images, it will be gone May 31st! Please notice that some designs (the family tree, and the Read with Me prints for instance) come in multiple colors….what I am doing is reducing the options and keeping just one or two. So no…the family tree is still available. Just in the color that sells the most.

Contact me with questions, but use this list as a reference!

Parting is such sweet sorrow….but man it feels good:)

xoxo

sarah

It’s finally here! What I have had to keep a secret for 4 months now is my first offering to the wonderful world of textiles!

Children at Play is the name of the collection, and there are 4 groups…separated into colors but also into themes. And if you count, there are 52 pieces in all! Yes! Fifty Two! I think it’s the biggest collection Michael Miller Fabrics has every done. But it’s been SO wonderful to create and put together. With such a big group, I’ll have to introduce it to you bit by bit so you can really get to know each piece and each collection properly. But for now, are you ok with an overall look?

I won’t talk about it too much now, other than to say I am so happy with this collection! It was inspired by my own feelings of childhood, as well as my own children’s. Simple play, creative play…the kind of play that requires imagination and no agenda. So while this collection has a very classic feel, there is a lot of whimsicality in the color and design as well.

There is so much to tell and share about these pieces. It’s been a labor of love, and I really want to take you into the story of the collection. But I’ll spread that out over time.  In the mean time, I’m sewing away and designing away as I get ready to debut these at the International Quilt Market in SLC, UT.

Spread the word, and come and visit! I’m booth #437 by the Michael Miller Fabrics Party Booth.

Love to you all!

xoxo

sarah

PS: CHILDREN AT PLAY is expected to ship at the end of the month. Depending on where the store is located, they should be stocked by mid-July!

UPDATE: Children at Play is in it’s second wave of printing! The first wave sold out, so if you’re local shop hasn’t ordered yet, it should arrive in August.

I know everyone has a thing for boy prints (and boy fabric….ooooh….just you wait!) but I thought it’d be fun to add a couple girl prints to the shop since these boy ones are so popular.

I’m sorry, but girls can have fun with wild animals too, right?

New to the shop here and here.

I’ve got a few more things up my sleeve for April…mostly in the form of embroidery patterns and cards. So stay tuned!

And thanks for all the messy house love. Nice to know I’m not alone!

xo

sarah

Thanks so much you guys for filling out the survey! (I’m going to have it open until Monday, so come on over if you haven’t filled it out.)

So many great suggestions, so thank you!

Some of you suggested I offer a discount for the “Month-by-Month” prints in the month that we’re in!

Brilliant.

Every Month I’ll be offering the corresponding print 25% off ($17.50).

So, welcome April. We’re a little late. But better late than never!

(And a little about this print: It’s perfectly easy to take the text off the print as well as to make it an standard 8×10 size. Just mention it in your order!)

*And if you are in Utah this weekend, please swing by the BIJOU MARKET. I’m slashing away tons of stuff: Framed prints, Frames, and lots, lots more!

Paris!

It’s here…..the long awaited Paris print that I promised was next in line for the Children Around the World Series. Oh ya, remember that? I finally finished it!

So many of you have been waiting on this one….I am so sorry for how long it’s taken me to get it done. Truth is, December came, and I was in the throws of making fabric deadlines. During art sessions, I’d work up drafts of this, and nothing satisfied me!

To be honest, I felt a lot of pressure….It’s Paris, come on! So many people have their own experiences with this city, as do I, and I just couldn’t seem to find it’s essence in a way that would get across as much as possible in as little as possible.

There’s the romance, the food, the sounds when you are walking through the park. There is the vintage and almost feminine charm. What about the colors? Those neutral blues of the rooftops against a pink Paris sky. Paris is sassy, but charming and old school all at the same time. I wanted Hot Air Balloons….mimes….children in the streets….accordian players….flowers….checkered table clothes….painted sidewalks…..How to say it all?

Well, I couldn’t say it all…nor did I want to. Instead, I focussed on a feeling that most people have while they are there….and I can’t really put it into words (thus my art) but it has something to do with a romantic feeling that you can do anything. You can go anywhere, love any way you want to and live by your senses.  You know that feeling when you are walking through Paris at dusk, and there is that gentle breeze through the streets that makes you just want to keep on walking forever? Notice every flower in the window? Every different kind of lamppost?

But somehow, in the details of this amazing city, you are compelled to pay more attention to what’s right in front of you…most often a best friend, a lover, a soul mate. It truly is the city of love. I am sure many of you can say that Paris made a lover out of you. It did for me! And my first time was before I even had a ring on my finger.

But with that romantic notion, comes the thought that Paris is a marvelous place, of course. But unlike most places in the world, Paris is also an idea. A really good idea. There is something that we’ve all captured for ourselves in the “idea” of Paris, and so…to capture the fact that for most of us, Paris a really special memory (or place we hope to have memories of some day) I’ve made this print on the cover of an Airmail Envelope…kinda like a postcard ….which is the way most of us know Paris. A snapshot, if you will.  For those of us who don’t live in France, I think we can all say with Audrey Hepburn: “Paris is always a good idea.”

And so here’s my tribute to Paris. Something sweet. Something wonderful. Something to remember.

In the shop here. A long with Tokyo, London & Amsterdam.

à plus tard!

xo

sarah

Two in one!

So, Amsterdam. I have only been there once, and it was a short trip. Just a couple of days. But I loved it. I love the Netherlands, and while I could have spent most of my time in the country, I really love the intimate feel of the city.

And like you, I mostly just love the bikes. Wow. I’ve never seen such art…bikes and trams and cars all working together (and nearly running over eachother!) But it’s gorgeous to watch and be in. I’ve never seen so many people cycling in one setting…it made me really wish that Americans could adopt that culture a bit better. It does help that Amsterdam is all below sea level and flat.  Too bad I live at the top of a really steep hill…but hey…i’d have much sexier calves, that’s for sure.

So, now we have four fantastic cities in the shop! You’ll notice that they are all a bit different…so if you are collecting these, please don’t expect them all to match. (Since when was the world matchy-matchy?) But do expect them to look superb all together.

Click here for the shop.

There is more coming. I plan on doing 12 cities around the world. You can read about it more here. Enjoy!

I’m really getting the travel itch, you?

Ahhhhh.

I  just came back from a 3 day weekend with my husband. No kids. Just us! Oh my. I love  my kids….but getting away is really good. We haven’t done something like that in 3 years…and it was much deserved! My poor sister might have had the biggest dose of birth control after tending them for the entire weekend, but hey. She’s 20…so that’s good:)

Over the weekend I caught up on much needed sleep. But I also allowed myself to draw and doodle with no agenda. Being a working illustrator can be a challenge because it’s hard to justify the time to just “play.” No agenda. No deadlines. Just play.

{image}

And this weekend, I recommitted myself to doing just that. I need to make time to doodle more, play more, discover my art more. That sounds really easy, but when I only really get 2 hours to myself at night to work, playing is hard to justify…as well as hard to find. But I also know that creativity isn’t something that just comes. Even for someone like me, who thrives in creativity, it doesn’t come naturally all the time. It takes constant effort. And that is what I hope my commitment to draw every day will do for me. Running a business and raising a family  and working on books and fabric, keeps me from drawing for just me. No one else but me…for sheer pleasure. And that’s made me a bit down. So….here’s to making it happen!

I love seeing room tours. Don’t you? This orange and grey nursery was featured on Oh Dee Doh yesterday, and when I caught sight of it I fell in love.  I love how she incorporated the “Take Me For A Walk” print. (I think that’s an 11×14 size if I’m not mistaken).

And the colors work great. Some of my favorites.

Lillie did a great job putting this room together. You’ll have to check out her blog and  photography too. Her photography is super wonderful!

Finn (don’t you love that name?) has a great set up. I’m still working on ours…but I go back and forth too much with what I want. I admire Lillie for just going for it!

Thanks for sharing!

**If you have any prints of Sarah Jane art that you wish to photograph and share, please do! I love seeing the spaces you put in them in and how you choose to display:)

Did you know that Audrey Hepburn had a pet deer? Yes. And did you know that it was a childhood dream of mine to have one too? Yes. So I know I’ve posted this before….but when I found these images a while back, I think I let out an audible, “Awwwww…..”  I mean really. Who wouldn’t want a fawn for a pet. And it really was her pet…the deer’s name was Pippin, and she called him “Ip.” Parties, car rides, long walks…they were always together.

These valentines cards were inspired by Audrey’s pet fawn mixed with my childhood dream to have a pet deer. And since Valentines Day is just a few days away, I thought I’d mention these PDF downloadable cards in the shop in case you need a little last minute love note.

They’ve been marked down,  and will be on sale for the rest of the week!

You can also get them in card form, and we’re happy to send. They are printed on really nice textured soft paper…they have the feel of letterpress folded cards. So sweet!

I’ll be posting a bit more about Audrey Hepburn this week. Somehow she goes really well with Valentines day.

Happy Monday to you all!