Hello July!

July. Has to be one of my favorite months. I love summer. I love being in the water. I love sunshine. And it is my birthday.


July's print is here! Barely made it into the shop before July 1st. But here she is. Ready to jump in. Or is she? Do you remember the first time you just went for it? Jumped off the diving board into water your friends swore to you was warm? Or off the edge into the deep end? Or do you still have to decide if you will jump in or go in slowly down the stairs?

July is full of REALLY tough decisions.

But before we get to July, let's talk a little more about June. Today is a very special birthday. My Grandma Knell.

(she's the babe in the center)

This woman has done it all. Kindergarten teacher turned mother of 10. To have 10 kids, you have to be creative....or else. She is AMAZING!

(here she is, center again this time with all her kids)

Sewer of all thing, maker of all things, orchestrator of all things creative. You got an apple core? She'll dry it, put a face on it and make it into a wrinkled old man statue. Got some left over fabric? She'll make a grocery bag saver. Have some paper scraps? She'll make an intricate paper Christmas ornament.


Well, I couldn't think of any thing better to give her, than her own personalized paper doll. Addie loves to play with Grandma when we visit, and I thought a fun activity they could do together, would be to play paper dolls (since my Grandma loves paper and loves dolls. Still. I am sure she rearranges the furniture in her doll house when no one is around.)


So, Vera Jewel...Jewel for short (great name isn't it?) gets her own monogrammed doll (notice the underwear) complete with rain coat and sunday best. Can't wait to have her play with Addie. Or me for that matter.


I am a little addicted, and I think I will be making more of these. I can't get over how cute she is! Be watching for a Free Download soon. These are just too much fun!!

Well, happy June 29th Vera Jewel, and for tomorrow, happy July every one! Just dive in!

Happy Site Friday: Bansky outdoors


Maybe you have seen these images floating around cyberspace, but regardless if these are new or not....don't they just make you happy?


I am attracted to people who strive to make the world a more beautiful place...who make a difference. And though it seems Bansky's efforts are in pointing to truth in Human behavior, something about painting on the walls of ghetto buildings makes me smile. I won't be showing my kids this site (mine would go recreate this on the bathroom wall with crayons). But be inspired. Go make the world a better place today. In whatever medium, in whatever style, in whatever form.

Hello.
Smile.
Pick up a piece of litter.
Write a letter.
Give blood.
Hold a child.
Say thank you.

Happy Friday everyone!

xoxo,
sarah jane

Design Op.


K. Did you see this on Print and Pattern today? If not, have a look. Submit your graphic patterns and designs for a chance to be in this Blogger-turned-published-author's collection of designs distributed by Chronicle Books. Get excited. Very cool that A) this blogging world has opened up doors for other Media opportunities and B) that the door is open for you to submit! Guidelines are here. Have fun!

On my desk...

...But not for long!

Getting back from a big break is usually the pits. Laundry, unpacking, going through mail, and adjusting to boring "REAL LIFE." This time, I got to get busy filling orders, and let me just tell you...It is good to be back. Thanks to so many of you for patiently waiting for your orders. I really didn't think that I would get any orders while I was gone. But, 35 packages and 67 orders later, I guess I was wrong.

This stack would have taken me like 73 hours to fill 7 months ago when this all started. Not only was I working in a crammed corner of my bedroom (shhhhh...don't tell any one that) but I was just getting used to all the ????

?What shipping materials are best?
?Return address labels?
?How should I pack multiple items together so they are safe?
?Where is the tape!
?How many sharpees can I go through in a week?
?Am I out of cello sleeves already?
?The post office closes in 13 minutes. Can I make it?

Wow. I still consider myself in the 'start-up' stage, but those days were the REAL startup days. Yikes! I have learned a lot about shipping and packing since then! It still is time away from drawing or creating, but I love to see all my prints making new homes somewhere else.

So thanks to all of you who made orders while I was gone. They have been sent on their way, and I can officially start getting artsy again. Ahhh...yes. My sketchpad and I have a date:)

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We're back!

Wow. Let's just say wow. It is 10am, and my kids are still asleep because they still are on Hawaii time. I think I still have sand in my hair. I couldn't fall asleep last night because I couldn't hear the ocean. I didn't know what to have for breakfast because we don't have fresh papaya on the counter. I wanted to walk to the grocery store this morning...barefoot. My typing is really bad because i haven't touched a keyboard in two weeks. I am looking for rainbows out of my office window. We had to buy Ian new crocks before getting on the plane because they were too small...but we didn't realize it until then because he hadn't worn shoes all week. I can't smell plumerias outside my front door. There is no ocean breeze to keep the hair out of my face. My husband is leaving for work right now, and I had to remind him to put a shirt on. There was no rooster to wake me up this morning. And I may not make complete sense yet...Red-eye flights with toddlers and a four hour time difference takes a while to adjust. But then, so does coming home from a tropical paradise.

I could write novels about our trip, but here is the abridged version:

We stayed on the North Shore of Oahu for two weeks for a family reunion on my husband's side (benefits of my husband's parents) and RELAXED. We also did a lot of this

and this

and this

and this

and this

and this

and every day, my eyes were filled with images of this

and this

and this


If the North Shore is a familiar place to you, then the words Ted's bakery, Giovani's shrimp, Sunset Beach, Wiamaia Bay, Ke Nui road, Chocolate Haupia pie, Huuala Korean BBQ, PCC, Rosalani ice cream, Turtle Bay, Sharks Cove, giant sea turtles, beached seals, rainbows, liquid sunshine, Motsumotos, Kua Aina, slow driving, malasadas, lychee, kuhuku land farms, red raiders, and sunset surfing are words you don't ever want erase from your daily vocabulary.


There is nothing like watching your children fall in love with the sand and the ocean. Especially when I have 50 years of history on this Island, it makes me so happy that my kids are creating memories of sand and sea. Addie cried all the way to the airport " I don't want to leave Hawaii alone!!!!" Oh, we cried with her. The land and ocean here speak to me, and teaches me how to just "BE". The people here are beautiful because they are so open and genuine and take care of eachother. Remembering these things is always the challenge when I come back from this place, but I am determined to carry the ALOHA spirit...even in a world full of deadlines and filled-to-the-brim living.

But, now we are BACK!!! and as sad as I was to leave my favorite place on earth, I am really excited to show you all the exciting projects I have ahead. Two weeks of a vacation is long when you are soul owner of a business...but can I tell you: I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!! I am refreshed, renewed and rejuvinated. I can't wait to dive into all the ideas I have flooding.


So...thanks for checking in, and sorry for the pause. But come back, pull up a chair and have a chat. Lots of new exciting things in the works. Hope to see you around!

The most precious Angel.

Today I want to pay tribute to a very special person. Three years ago this week (June 14th, 2005) Kennedy Linton, age 20 months, passed on to Heaven in her parents arms. This sweet little girl struggled courageously for 7 1/2 months with a very rare form of Brain Cancer, and though she went through multiple operations and treatments, she was the bravest little warrior through it all. Kennedy had so much spunk and personality, and though she lost her ability to communicate verbally (because of the Chemotherapy) she learned sign so well! She was so smart for her age...so grown up and yet so tender too. She loved books and animals, and loved learning of any kids. She was constantly pointing to everything in her world. She loved her parents and wouldn't leave her mother's side. She was a true little angel and yet, a warrior at the same time. We love you Kennedy.

Kennedy was the only child of my dearest friend Laura. This week I wanted to share with you Kennedy's story so that you can say a little prayer, or have a little thought on their behalf. Losing a child is every parent's worst nightmare, but I have watched Kennedy's parents show as much courage through their personal grieving process as Kennedy had while she was here. Though it has been three years, I don't think that it hurts any less. Her parents are truly the bravest people I know.


In honor of Kennedy, her parents, and this very special week for them, I wanted to post some prints that I made a while back to celebrate her life. I will always miss this little princess, and wonder about the friends Kennedy and Addie would have been. This week my prayers are with Laura, Ryan and Kennedy, and I hope you can offer up a little thought too.

May this week be a celebration of a small life, but a BIG person. We love you Kennedy.