Like a child.

*illustration by my Addie, age 7*

I often get asked, in interviews, or just casual conversation, where I get my inspiration from.

There are a lot of things to address in that answer, but always....and seriously always....I answer with "Children."

Children have an incredible need to express what they are feeling in the moment, and art is one of the most natural ways they can do that.

My own children inspire me every day. They get an idea, and do something about it. Right then. No thinking, no editing, no questioning. Totally from the heart.

And not afraid to mess up, make messes and get dirty.

Easier said than done, right?

Creativity has been on my mind. And specifically that balance between letting go, hitting the moon....and making sure you gave a net to catch it in:)

It's a balance for sure. But I can bet You'll hear me talking about this a lot more. It's been on my mind, and I have a lot of new exploring to do.

How do you get inspired? I'd love to hear.

Pin & Flickr Friday: QUILTS

*CannongirlABC*

I love these friday round ups. Mostly because it gives me a chance to really appreciate all the amazing projects that I could never do myself.

Today, I have quilts on my mind. Addie is determined to make a quilt for her newest niece (Rebecca, don't read this!) and we're looking to put the pieces together this weekend. Addie is a determined little maker, and it makes me so happy to create with her!

It's also getting colder, and we could use some more quilts in the basement:)

*as cozy as spring*

So here's my Out to Sea  and Children at Play quilt round up today. By no means are they conclusive...please click on over here and here to get more inspired!

*Image Here* 

*erica jackman*

*red pepper quilts*

 *sweet unwrapping life*

*A Quilt is Nice*

*A Quilt is Nice*

*rose smoke*

*Kristen Coverlets*

*Katie Deerie*

*Katie Deerie*

*Fresh Lemons*

Image Here.

*snips snippets*

*colleenamareena*

I'm gushing over them all! Ya. Pretty Amazing. And I've only scratched the surface with all there is to see! Check out the Photo groups here and here as well as my Pinterest pages here and here. So many ideas!

Do you have a favorite quilt design you are itching to make this season? The holidays always get the juices going! Do share....I'd love to know what your latest ideas are!

Blessed.

I got a magazine in the mail today. Have you seen this yet? It's a new magazine from Better Homes and Gardens called Make it Yourself. The premier issue covers lots of great projects, and I'm thrilled to have contributed!

This past spring, I was contacted by Better Homes to design an embroidery using the word 'Blessed' and this image immediately came to mind.

I've had this print in the shop for a while, and I always thought it would make the most fun sampler stitching project. All those warm cozy quilt patches to stitch!

It was so fun to open up to the article, and see my design! And I've finally gotten it up in the shop for you to stitch too!

This is super appropriate to post today, because last night took approximately 2.45 hours of putting children to bed. One sick, one wide awake from a long nap, one needing this and that. Lots of hugs, snuggles, back scratches. I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's the most precious time of day for me and I love it. Even when it means that I no longer get any time left to myself at night, I know how precious these moments are. They go so fast. And today I'm feeling just that....Blessed.

I hope you enjoy this one! It's a great project for the holidays coming up....makes a darling gift to put in a frame, or a special sewn up project. I can't wait to see all the different versions you make!

Happy Stitching!

Click here for the pattern.

New Sarah Jane: Part 4

I can honestly say I've been wanting to make this update for well over a year.

You know that feeling when you've gone through that closet in your house that never seems to be organized? and then you clean it out so well you feel like you could call Martha and tell her about it?

That's how I feel right now.

I've updated my blog with the incredibly amazing skills of Melanie at Fifth & Hazel, and I couldn't be happier. (She's amazing by the way. Top Notch).

So, there are lots of changes in every corner of this blog. But here are the biggies:

DIY, FREEBIES & COMMUNITY:

Now you can access all your favorite tutorials, Free Downloads, and whatever project or printable you need! This blog is growing into a place to access resources and I'm so excited to have a gallery of projects and free stuff! Horray!

I also created the blog so you'd have easy access to participating in the communities around your favorite products! Click around, and you'll be able to get involved and inspired.

SPONSORS: 

I'm bringing on only my favorite Sponsors to give you direct access to fabric stores carrying my fabric, amazing designers and other businesses that are sisters to this site. Please click over, and get to know them. They are all amazing.  If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, contact me here.

COMMENTS:

I've upgraded my comments section, so that you can actually reply to eachother, to me, and really have a conversation going. It's all in real time as well, and it's mighty cool!

And see that cute heart at the bottom of each post? This is a new little thing that makes it easy to LIKE a post, if you don't have time to comment! Just another way to spread the love:)

EASY TO FIND EVERYTHING

My biggest frustration with my last space was that it was basically hard to find anything. And I want to keep giving you great stuff! So now, more than ever, I'm super motivated to offer more tutorials, printables, and lots of great stuff! And, it's super easy to find.

So, I'm going to sign off and let you click around. Get to know the site. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section! And holler if there are any trainwrecks.

I'm really looking forward to a NEW SARAH JANE: More focus on daily activity here, more illustration, Projects and more inspiration!!!

Have fun surfing around, and thanks for all your support of this space. It's getting better every day!

xo

sarah

Pin & Flickr Friday: Boy Rooms

*rosalindgracedesigns*

I've been seeing more pictures of darling children's spaces around Pinterest and Flickr with some of my prints featured. I love, love, love seeing the spaces that these prints get sent to.  And today I've got BOY ROOM on my mind.

I've been working on redesigning my kid's rooms for a while (got to make time for redoing the floors and repainting first!) And I'm loving these boy spaces. Yes?

*projectnursery*

*lifemadelovely*

Having artwork on the walls is just so important to kids. I remember the thoughts I'd fall asleep to were what I would see around the room. They shape a child's mind.

*christinechitnis*

*leighwilcoxenphotography*

Here are some of my top favorites from the week!

*hautemama*

The prints featured in these rooms are: Whale Dreams, Giraffe, Le Ballon, and Take Me For A Walk.

I'm off to finish off the final tweaks to my new blog space. Can't wait to reveal! Have a lovely weekend!

xoxo

sarah

New Sarah Jane: Part 3

If you've been with me the past couple months, you are starting so notice some changes that I've been making to the shop and heard me talk about making more room in my life for creative living.  It's been an amazing few weeks, and after reading all your 700 comments from the survey that you took a while back, I've really been so much more confident to move forward with some changes that I've been afraid to make!

One of the biggest reasons, according to the survey, that you come here to visit me on the blog, is to see new art and to get free downloads and tutorials. Which, really, is why I take the time out of my day to read blogs as well! I want to not just get inspired, but I want to DO something with what I see. Download it, craft it, make it, print it. You get what I mean right? We all have such limited time, and I want to be more involved with creating more illustration and design that you can use! That's where the fun is, right?

So, I came to 3 conclusions:

1) I need to redesign my blog so that you can find and access projects and downloads easier. And then I need to take the time to offer more projects and printables!  Yay!

2) I need to open my blog to sponsors so that I can justify taking the time to offer more inspiration here!

3) I want to help you get to know the people that either carry my products or offer things that you know I'd want to share.

I've grappled with the idea of having sponsors for a long time, but the truth is, I want to offer more resources of my own and of other creative businesses that support what I do! So really, it's a win win.

I'm nearly done redesigning my blog with the talented Melanie of Fifth & Hazel, and I hope it will make getting around this blog and the resources here so much more easy and fun!

Do you have a business that supports what we are doing here at Sarah Jane? Do you have a fabric store that carries my fabric? Or do you offer sewing patterns that you know readers here would love to see? What about parenting or educational services? Are you a creative business that would like to get some notice?

With the holidays right around the corner, this is a great time to hop on board!

Email Ann at ann (at) sarahjanestudios (dot) com for information and rates. We'd love to hear from you!

And PS: Thank you also for entering the giveaway!!! What a turn out. You can see the 5 winners at the bottom of the giveaway post here. 

BIGGEST GIVEAWAY EVER.

This week marks 5 years since opening my business. Wow. I used to think that if a business could keep going for 5 years strong, it was officially legit. And well, it's been 5 years!  Not sure if that makes me legit, but regardless.....

LET'S  CELEBRATE with a big shop giveaway!!!

I want to THANK YOU by giving away these 5 awesome things to 5 AWESOME WINNERS:

1) 1 fat quarter bundle of my OUT TO SEA fabric (7 fat quarters in each bundle, colors at random)

2) 1 8x10 print of your choice

3) 2 5x7 prints of your choice

4)  2 packs of Holiday Cards of your choice & 2 packs of Holiday Gift tags of your choice

5) 4 embroidery patterns (iron-ons) of your choice

(That's about $130 in each giveaway package! Yahoo!) 

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY: 

1) Leave a comment below telling me what you'd do with any part of the prize

Optional entries: 

2) Leave another comment below with the link to your facebook comment on this FB post

3) Leave another comment below with the link to your Facebook Share of this FB post

4) Leave another comment below with a link to your tweet about this giveaway

5) Leave another comment below with the link to a pin of any of your favorite images from this site.

(These additional comments will help me keep track of all the sharing info, thank you!)

Please note:

• Entries END ON WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 10th at MIDNIGHT EST
• I will notify the winners on Thursday Morning, and also announce them here on the blog
• In the mean time....I am also offering a discount to ALL products in the shop! 

20% Off your entire purchase through OCT 10th with code 5YEARSsarahjane

I just can't thank you all enough for all your incredible support through the years! I love what I do, but it does get challenging...like anything worth doing! And your support is honestly what has kept it alive!

And remember....all goods besides ART PRINTS & PDFS will be discontinued after December 20th, so now is the time if you've been itching to get your hands on something!

Love to you all. Creative living is my true joy....thank you all so much for letting me use my creativity to support my family!

xoxo

sarah

COMMENTS CLOSED! 

here are the 5 random winners!

Fleur,  Sara Torbett, Kirsten, Michelle, and Emmy!

Congrats!!!

Ho Hey, October weekending.

So I dropped off the blog world last week, maybe you noticed. We've been hit a second time by this stomach flu virus, that I am really hoping has moved on for good! We were super healthy last fall/winter so I guess it's our turn.

I have to laugh a little, because this weekend marks 5 YEARS since starting my business. And the irony is that the night I opened my shop, my husband was out of town leaving me with two babies with the stomach flu. All at the same time. And I didn't sleep for 3 days straight. And this weekend, exactly 5 years later, Kenneth was out of town again, and this time Ella and I were down and out. What a way to celebrate.

But Sunday night, after a wonderful weekend of inspiration, we were finally all together and healthy again.

I love this time of year. There is a magic I can't really ever seem to put my finger on.

Guitar. Sunset. Yellow leaves. Crisp air. Blankets. Sun spots. Grass. Togetherness.

And after what seems like forever, I've brought out my camera again. I don't know...something about sick kids and school starting has kept my camera away. Nothing like October light to bring it back out.

But to finish up, you've got to watch this video. Totally spontaneous Sunday evening....Ken's been teaching himself how to play Ho Hey on the guitar, and the kids started learning it too. They had no idea Ian was being such a ham. And Addie made her own guitar. Check it out:

http://youtu.be/OrHBnoTl-yw

Come back tomorrow for some major 5 year birthday celebration!

xo

sarah