Inspiration.

Happy monday everyone! I have to first say...WOW! What a weekend I've had! I was featured on ETSY's homepage, and I will tell you, I have made so many great friends and met so many incredible people because of it! I heart ETSY!!! It's like this amazing art gallery shop full of incredible products, but even more, really cool people! I love that ETSY encourages so much communication between artists for support, advice, etc. So, thanks to all of you who popped in to say hello! I have loved looking at your shops, and hearing your experiences! I have tried to reply to most all of you, but if I haven't replied, I will be soon. In the mean time...know I have loved meeting all of you this weekend! I love the internet, but honestly, I would much rather throw a BBQ and meet all you in person:) You are all an inspiration! Speaking of inspiration, I have been thinking "what made me want to become an artist." There is never one single answer to this, and the one that I gave in the interview is the most true to experience. I don't remember a time that I wasn't an artist. But there are always supports a long the way, and I wanted to share one of mine (there are many).

My Grandpa Knell was an artist. He was an architect professionally, but I think that a lot of architects start out as artists. He loved design and the functionality of design. But he also had a big imagination. He died almost 3 years ago, but he instilled in me a great love of drawing and somehow gave me the confindence to pursue my talents. I often remember him at the kitchen table sketching out designs with his sons, or drawing with the grandkids. This weekend, we had a family reunion and my aunt had brought some drawings grandpa had made on paper lunch bags who knows how many years ago. How precious! Not only because he is gone now, but also because they are doodles on lunch bags which to me represents that a true artist will draw on just about ANYTHING!! His caricatures were always so artsy/funky. I love it!!

My grandfather was one of my many inspirations, but something about being his grandaughter gave me permission to live my dreams.

So, I would like to know...who has inspired you to do what you love? Family? Fellow artist?

August.

She's here.

OKee dokee. One more left, and this year's set will come to an end. Can you believe it?

So, here is the deal:

There are a lot of you who have been faithful and wonderful and have bought each month as they have come out. You know who you are. I know who you are! If you have been buying all along, or have all 10, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER ARE FREE!!!!

So, please just email me making sure to include your name and your ETSY ID name, and I will send you the rest of the year free of charge...mostly to say "you are awesome, I love you, and thanks!!"

For the rest of you who may be new, once the set is complete, there will be a discount for buying all 12 at a time. And, a calendar is in the works, so be watching!

Anyways, can you believe it is AUGUST already?

Therapy.

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Does your brain ever feel like this:

“Foldthelaundrymakebreakfastfinishthedishescleanupbreakfastcallthedentistgotothelibrary

getgasinthecarpickupperscriptionpickuptoysgothepostofficebuystampscatchuponemailpaybills

vacuumfigureoutwhatinthehecktomakefordinnerfinsighaugustandseptemberprintssortthroughmail

takethekidstothepoolsendbirthdaycardblahblahblahblah!!!!!!”

Ok. So how do you snap out of stress-crazy-mommy-brain? Do tell.

Today my therapy was crazy monkeys and stationery.

Me: Ian, time to wake up!

Ian: Opens his big puppy dog eyes, looks me in the eyes, and says “Hi Guys!”

Addie: “OH mommy! We love our chudders!”

(For a girl with a bright vocabulary, I just love that she still mispronounces "each other")

Oh, and one more. Before dinner, Addie comes up to me, and in a British accent says:

“Mother, may I have a spot of cheese?”

Just melt me now!

What else to do when my brain is on overload?

I instinctively create really simple art. It’s not planned, it just comes. And I have to do something about it, or my brain stays fried.

OK…so here we have NEW stationary!!! Horray!! I have only been selling postcards really, and as much as I love postcards, I am a sucker for hand printed paper! This paper is lovely. It has a similar feel to my art prints: almost watercolor paper. Slightly textured, and soft. Love it. I just can’t get over how cute these cards are! These animal pairs really come to life on these printed cards.

I also have another addition to the shop: Grace is in card size now. Perfect for pinning up, or sending.And since we are talking about updates: My AUGUST print is coming! Late, but for good reasons:)

Ahhhh...so the brain is feeling better now. Now to sneak that Key lime pie Kenneth made today (baking it was his therapy). I love my life.

CELEBRATE! BUY 2 Get 1 FREE!

Ok...this post is full to the brim...but read it all! Yummies at the bottom:)

Happy Monday everyone! This week is exciting for me for a couple of reasons: I have completed some new art that I just added to the shop, it's my birthday this week, and I am heading out of town again to see my family back East. So many reasons to celebrate!!

But before the party starts, I wanted to show you some new prints I just added to the shop.

This set is so exciting to me because I love getting more diversity in the children playing around here in these parts. My inspiration has always been vintage storybooks and vintage illustration...most of which sport "Dick and Jane" type characters. So, here are these girls (aren't they just beautiful?) ready to play! The Chinese and Japanese characters I think will be optional, but I do think they add so much to the pieces. I had fun with these!

Oh...but there is more! Do you remember these? Well, I am just now getting around to adding them to the shop. "I love my sister" and "I love my brother" are now companions to "I love my Mom" and "I love my Dad." Too cute!

And now what I am really excited about because I have been waiting to post these for a while now...color alterations on these two prints are going to go so much better with the rest of my shop. When I first opened, my color palette wasn't as defined as it needed to be, and now, I am changing my "Read with me" and "Dress up party" prints to fit in with all my other prints in the shop. Before they were a dusty pink...almost fleshy colored. Fine for then, but not for now. Welcome fresh, bright, and more alive with color:

and, like I mentioned a bit ago, these lovelies are getting added too:

So...We have completed (for now) the Asian, French and Pink...now on to more fun! But before all that...the best part is...

BUY 2 GET 1 FREE !!!

(within the ENTIRE shop, that is!)

I can't help having a little party to thank you all for your support and friendship! I wish I could just have a backyard party and invite you all for lemonade and cupcakes (hmmmm...that would be fun!)

But I can't, so this is the best way I can say thank you!!! Here's how it works:

Details: July 14th-17th (Mon-Wed)

Free item: equal to or less than the items purchased.

Purchase 2 items: mention the 3rd in 'Message to seller' box

Orders made July 17th-July 28th: All orders will be shipped July 28th

So, happy Monday and have a great week!!! Thanks a billion, and have fun!

xoxo

Sarah Jane

Newest pets...er,um, Prints!

Hello Hello!

These prints have been folded up and hiding in my pocket for a while now. I am planning on putting them up for my grand restocking of the shop coming soon. Again, different than the vintage children you are seeing a lot more of lately, but these little bunnies go so well with my vintage-y, French-y animals. They have been needing some more friends, and these two were happy to oblige. They just look so snuggable, and I just wish they weren't so two dimensional so I could just reach out and squeeze them! This set was really fun, because you can't tell from far away, but the bunnies were actually hand painted. Most of my coloring is all digital (which was a conscious choice with having babies around). It was really fun to get the paints out again.

Just wanted to pop in an also say thanks for all the kind words about the magazine article, and the new Asian theme going. You make me blush! In the mean time...back to the studio to finish up some more fun stuff! C-ya around!

xoxo,

sarah jane

Journeying East.

We're just rollin here in the studio. I am constantly entertained by my never-ending stream of artistic ideas, but it does pose a challenge when I don't have the time to do anything about it. Well, I am in marathon mode, and I can't wait to show you more and more.

I have been aching to create more Asian inspired prints for a while. First of all, I am convinced that there needs to be more diversity in the children portrayed in Western art and decor, and second, I just love Eastern cultures. It all started with my great-grandparents serving a mission for our church in the early 1920's to Japan, and falling so in love with the culture, that when they took the ship back to America, they never made it past Hawaii and decided to stay. Hawaii was the perfect blend of East meets West, and my family has been there ever since. I have never been East of Hawaii, and someday I will make it there. But I have a deep love for Eastern philosophy, food, people, etc. My Grandmother and mother instilled in me a love of the Japanese and Chinese cultures specifically, and I am determined to make it there in some future day. In the mean time, I am sharing with you some new art that has a new fresh flair. This piece is called Grace, a common meaning for the word butterfly (grace as in beauty or youth). The characters on the print are Japanese for Butterfly. Enjoy!

I have quite a few pieces waiting to go in the shop all at once, so stay tuned for the grand opening!

French cuties.

Well, I never thought that I would be adding more to my little french animal series, but I have....and I like it. I am working on a licensing project with my "Maman" and "Papa" elephant and giraffe series, and they just looked so lonely to me, I decided to add some more.

I like that these can go together as a foursome, stand alone, work as a pair or work with other prints in my shop currently.

Stay tuned for more! My husband (a school teacher) is done with teaching for a bit and I am in "crank it out" mode. Crank it out, meaning, lots of creative time at night. Too bad I am up so early with the kids, that by 9pm I am falling asleep on my computer tablet! But oh well. Stay tuned!

architectural stationary for the sentimental heart.

One of those nights where I start drawing to just draw. (This is so important for me...I have some 'projects' I am working on and I have to keep tricking my hands that they aren't working). Started as Dollhouses. Morphed into Houses. Morphed into Pattern. Morphed into greeting card. Morphed into a 'goodbye' card for my next-door neighbor of 3 years moving on Saturday. The inside of the card says "Come over sometime."

Then I wished I lived in one of these houses.

Only bigger.

Well, maybe just people size.

I'd keep the pink roof. But then I'd paint it so my husband would want to live with me.