comfort

Here's the finished quilt. I don't think I've ever felt so proud of myself. Sewing is usually a huge struggle for me and making a quilt was something I thought I could never do. But I did it. And it wasn't a nightmare to make. And I love how it turned out. I feel like someone who just scaled Mt. Everest. I know that sounds extreme, but really sewing something like a quilt seemed like a huge challenge to me, but I made it through. I highly recommend doing something that you think you can't do. Stepping outside your comfort level makes you feel fantastic in the end. I even contribute my recent burst of creativity to the fact that I made this quilt. Being a little uncomfortable has made me realize I can take risks and they can pay off.

All that being said, we are sick! The whole family. Husband, wife, child. Very, very bad colds. Actually, "Typhoid Mary" (aka my daughter) has a mild version of this cold and is almost done with it. My husband and I, on the other hand, have a horrible raging version of it and are suffering horribly. Headaches, noses that won't stop running, coughing, and fatigue. And since the three year old is at the end of hers, she has tons of energy. Ugh! My poor husband is at work and I am at home with the bundle of energy. The worst part about having everyone sick? There isn't anyone to take of you. You are on your own. In house full of sick, cranky people. Trust me, you don't want to step within a mile of here right now. When I went out on a run to get medicine yesterday, I bought my daughter one of those gigantic coloring books. It's as big as she is. I'm hoping the dazzle of a new toy will result in some quiet time today. Fingers crossed please.

(Disclaimer: I need to put this in for my daughter. She is probably one of the best behaved children in the world. Seriously, the child is so calm. But she is only 3 and someone has to feed and her care for her. And that someone is very, very sick today. I just didn't want to mar her reputation today just because I'm sick and all I want to do is sleep and/or watch reality TV and drink tea.)

May Creative Newsletter

I just sent out my creative tips newsletter for May. If you are subscriber, it will be in your Inbox any minute. This month, I created an outdoor studio!

We had a couple of really beautiful spring days last week here in Southern California. I try to spend as much time as I can outdoors in the Spring because once the heat of the summer hits, it can get pretty miserable. I decided to bring my art outside instead of being couped up inside. Setting up this little work table (using an old bakers rack) outside gave me a really fresh jolt of creative energy. It was nice too, because my daughter was able to play in her little pool while I sketched. Everyone was happy.

I made the banner by printing out photos I took on a recent trip to the Carlsbad Flower Fields. I printed the photos out on cardstock (after playing with them in Photoshop for a bit!). Then glued them onto pretty cardstock and strung them with ribbon. Instant garden inspiration.

I'm thinking I might also hang-up some of my ribbon organizers to add interest to the outdoor studio.
I made these flowers to hang in my trees last year. The project is from Sandra Evertson's book, Fanciful Paper Flowers.

I kept things super easy by using Sakura's Koi Watercolor Field Kits and Waterbrush as my outdoor tools. I didn't want to drag a bunch of things outside, and these products are perfect for little jaunts. Even if those jaunts are just to your patio.

Because I live in Southern California, and we are in the middle of a drought, I can leave my little outdoor studio up for the summer. If you have more unpredictable weather, you could always pack a vintage picnic basket with your supplies and leave it by the back door.

I would love to hear your ideas for creating outside or while traveling. Leave a comment here with a link to your blog entry about the subject.

I know it's kind of silly

But I just can't seem to get over Jon & Kate + 8's Season Premier last night. I'm not a regular viewer of the show. I just watch it when I'm flipping through channels, so I'm not overly interested in the show, but last night's episode just broke my heart. As you have probably read in the tabloids, they are having some maritial trouble and last night's show dealt with it all very honestly. And it was heartbreaking to watch. To see their pain. I know, I know! It's a reality show, but it struck a chord.

My husband and I will be celebrating our 13th anniversary on June 22, so maybe I'm thinking more about marriage than usual. Watching Jon & Kate last night though, made me realize how very delicate marriage is. The tiniest crack can split open at anytime. After watching the show, my husband and I hugged each other a little longer this morning before starting our day. Thankful that we have made it this far. Knowing we shouldn't take our time together for granted.

P.S. I announced the winner of the drawing for my print on The Stone Soup Challenge blog. Hop over to see if you won!

remember

I hope everyone is having a great holiday! I'm trying not to work too much today, but I wanted to remind you that today is the last day to comment on this post and win one of my prints!

Now I'm off to work on my quilt. Wednesday is my last class and I'm on track to have it finished it by then. Hopefully, I can post a photo by the end of the week and you can glimpse my first ever quilt! Yippeee!

my last summer as a child

The summer of 1983 in Upland, California. I was thirteen. I would wake-up every morning and watch Gidget reruns. Having never grown taller than 5'1", I enjoyed watching the innocent adventures of the "girl midget". After the show, I would call my best friend and next door neighbor, Cathy Beasley. And the long summer day would begin.


Our days together would be spent playing hours and hours of Dutch Blitz, a fast moving card game that we were obsessed with. As the days went by, we became as adept at handling cards as Las Vegas dealers. Our hands were on autopilot as we slapped the cards down and talked about clothes and boys.

When we became bored of the cards, we would head out onto the street in front of our houses to hit a tennis ball back and forth. We took tennis lessons together that summer. It's the only sport I was ever interested in and, that summer, I even won a trophy. But we weren't really out there for the tennis. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the high school boys we had crushes on. The ones who didn't know we were alive and never did. But we held out. Hope against hope. Running out of the street when their cars went by and imagining that they saw us. That they saw beyond our childish frames. That they secretly loved us as much as we loved them.

Occasionally, we would play Barbies. It was always in secret. With pinky promises to each other that we wouldn't tell a soul that we still played with dolls.

At night, we would sometimes sleep in Cathy's parent's pop-up camper, parked in their driveway. We would pretend we were living in our own apartment. Grown-up and glamorous. Drinking Diet Coke and playing cards and giggling all night. Suddenly, the summer was over and school began.

The following summer, I had my first kiss. Cathy and I still saw each other, but it wasn't like the previous summer. We didn't play cards or Barbies. Boys were no longer something we dreamed about, they were now complicating our lives. When I was sixteen, Cathy and I foolishly let a boy come between us. Shortly afterwards she moved away and I haven't seen her since.

I often wonder, does she remember our last childhood summer? Those important days, filled with mundane card games? Does she remember the two girls, holding onto each other and our innocence as we teetered on the edge of adulthood?

Stone Soup Giveaway!

I am hosting a giveaway for The Stone Soup Challenge. As many of you know, The Stone Soup Challenge is grassroots movement I started as a way for artists & crafters to help one another during these difficult economic times. To gain exposure to the movement and so that we can help the most people, we have decided to host monthly giveaways. At the beginning of each month, a different challenger will offer a great giveaway. Be sure to bookmark the Stone Soup Challenge blog so that you won't miss out on the chance to win some great prizes. You are welcome to become a challenger too!

I'm starting this new feature by hosting this month. I'm giving away a little framed print of one of my original illustrations, Queen of Cupcakes. It will come framed and measures 3.5" x 4.5". To win this little gem, simply leave a comment on this post. Be sure to tell me your favorite item in my Etsy shop at www.katydiddy.etsy.com. I'll announce the winner on May 26!

P.S. If you are a Stone Soup Challenger and want to host a giveaway, please contact me for more information!

pretty ribbon organization

I came up with this cute idea for organizing my ribbon.

Pretty Ribbon Organizer

Supplies:

Strip of tulle. Measuring approximately 12" x 6".
Hanging crystal
Ribbon on spools

Instructions:

Take one end of tulle and tie a bow. Double knot it for strength. Attach a hanging crystal onto the bow.

Thread the tulle through the center of the ribbon spools.

Hang the spools in your studio or workplace by tying the top of the tulle to a hook.


You could do this with spools of thread too!

I actually think these are so pretty that you could use them for decorations. I often use my craft supplies for home decor. That way, I can enjoy them before I use them and I actually remember that I have them!

luxury

The other day I decided to list 10 things I consider luxurious. I came up with over 25. And the weird thing? None really had to do with having tons of money. Private jet? Not really something I long for. Flying first class? Maybe, but it didn't make the cut on the list. Diamonds? Certainly a girl's best friend, but they didn't end up on the luxury list. I was trying to really identify what makes me feel really good and the high end items didn't make it.

My "nesting chair" (seen above) made the list. Especially on a sunny morning, with coffee and a good magazine. Maybe a little opera music playing softly in the background.

Baking fresh bread made the list too. For both the smell and the taste are truly luxurious.

Heck, when my daughter was a newborn, I thought going to Target (all by myself!) was a luxury.

As I was thinking about this post yesterday afternoon at 3:00pm, I realized I was luxuriating at that moment. While taking a break and feeding my daughter a snack we stumbled onto the movie Grease on TV. As I sat there, singing, with my daughter both laughing at my inability to sing but also impressed that I knew all words, and eating warm, fresh bread, I realized it didn't get any better than this.

Which is what is magic about this exercise. It makes you grateful. At the same time that I realized I was experiencing great luxury, I also realized how very lucky I am. To be able to be a stay-at-home mom and bake bread and watch Grease on a Thursday afternoon. To spend quality time with my daughter. And, to an even deeper degree, to be eating bread. There are people who don't have anything to eat, let alone a bread machine and a nesting chair and a nice cozy couch and TV (or electricity for that matter).

I think we sometimes get caught up in the fabulous life of the celebrity of the moment and forget, that to some people, we are living the fabulous life.

So, I want to know. What do you count as luxury? Am I the only one who, when I finally gave it some real thought, found out it wasn't planes, trains and automobiles? Leave me a comment and tell me what makes you feel happy. What makes you feel "rich"?

Retreat Reminder

Tomorrow is the last day to take advantage of the Early Bird Special for my Multiple Streams of Income Retreat! On Saturday, the price goes up to $129, so if you are thinking about attending, and want to attend the retreat for only $99, you will want to sign-up today! I'm really excited about it. I can't even tell you how much you will learn. You will definately walk out of the retreat with a game plan to begin earning money, doing what you love. The retreat will more than pay for itself.

In addition to learning all about making money from your art, you will also get to play The Game of Possibilities with Susan Hansted Kuntz. In addition to being a wizard at helping people overome personal blocks about making money and doing what they love, she's also a coaching client of mine. If you want to know if my information is helpful, just ask her! You can see what she said about me here.

I don't want to turn this blog into a commercial, but I am passionate about this retreat. Not just for the money either. (I've actually underpriced this retreat!) I honestly want to help other people make a living doing what they love and this retreat is a way for me to achieve this goal. I hope you will consider attending.

Tomorrow, this blog will go back to it's regularly scheduled programming. Pretty pictures and all! Thanks for being patient with me as I get the word out about my retreat.

the contessa of cakes

Last week, I had a returning customer ask me if I would relist one of my old note card designs. (It's moments like this that make me feel pretty happy about the old Etsy shop!) Of course, I agreed, but with a twist. Now that I'm getting better at Photoshop, I decided to update the card design a bit. So now, The Contessa of Cakes is looking all pretty modern. I love using frames with illustrations. I think it gives the illustration a little polish.

As long as I was designing cards, I decided to add a new design. I would like to introduce you to Black Eyed Susan. She's a very naughty little girl. Full of energy. She loves to pick flowers, even if she isn't supposed to. She died her hair pink with strawberry juice. She loves to eat pixie sticks by the dozens. (Who doesn't?) But as naughty as she can be, she's also sweet. (Maybe it's all those sweet pixie sticks she eats.) I love her and am even thinking of setting her free on t-shirts or children's clothes.

I'm sorry I don't have better photos today. I promised myself I would work really hard on putting up really great photos that are stylish and cool, but it looks like some weeks just aren't going to let that happen! Off to pack-up for my quilting class!

P.S. If you like my new note card designs, you can pick some up for yourself in my Etsy shop at www.katydiddy.etsy.com.

all about endorsements

My latest newsletter should be in your in your Inbox any minute. This month, I'm exploring ways to earn income through endoresments. If you get your projects published, you will definately want to read this month's issue. Here's a taste of the article:

If you have ever had your work published, you know the pride you feel to see your project in print. But are you getting everything you can out of your publication? Some magazines and books pay you for your projects, but many don't. So do you just write-off the work to "exposure" and leave it at that? If you are, you are missing an opportunity to get paid. Many manufacturers offer artists and crafters endorsement fees for mentioning their products by name in published projects. Afterall, you are basically advertising for them! Here are some tips to keep in mind as you explore endorsements as a way to generate income in your arts & crafts business.

If you don't get my newsletter and want to read the rest of this article, visit my newsletter archives at www.katydid-designs.com.

Endorsements are just one of the streams of income I'll be exploring at my Multiple Streams of Income Retreat. To sign-up for the retreat, visit my website at www.katydid-designs.com. Early bird pricing ends on Friday, so hurry and sign-up today!

motherhood

At my daughter's preschool, they will often ask the child to dictate some journaling to go along with their drawings. (I like to think of this practice as the start of an art journal, but maybe that's just me!) On Tuesday, my daughter brought this home. The journaling reads, "I like my mom so much. She gives me a lot of hugs & kisses." It kind of makes all the challenges of motherhood float away. These little moments; warm arms wrapped around your neck, the sweet smell of the top of their head, the first time they say "mama".

I think that's why the first few months of motherhood are usually so hard. It's a hard & quick lesson in unconditional love. You love your little baby. You do everything for them. You get nothing back. Not even a smile. The funny thing is, you don't care. You don't expect anything in return. It is reward enough just to hold them and be near them. Then, ever so slowly, it begins. The smile when you walk in the room. Putting their arms up to you. The first time they say I love you. It makes it worth it. It gets you through the days & nights that make you want to run, screaming.

And that's what being a mother is all about. Loving unconditionally. Even on the days you don't get anything back. Happy Mother's Day. Hang on tight. It's a wild ride, but one well worth the effort.

quilting

Last night was my first quilting class. I learned so much! I'm not sure how much I like traditional quilting-it takes more thought than I'm usually willing to give a hobby, but I really want to learn how to quilt "correctly" before I start breaking the rules.

I think this class is going to help my sewing techniques. I'm completely self-taught on my machine and as you know, my machine and I don't get along very well. My instructor gave me a couple of tips on how to care for my machine and how to properly feed the fabric in, and I think my machine and I may be able to call a truce. I wonder if the instructor knows she's now like a relationship counsler to me? Helping me keep a civil relationship with my sewing machine! I once heard I should name my machine. Any ideas?

I'll post my progress as I go along. It's only a four week class, so I'm just making a baby size quilt. It will be great for tea parties on the lawn with my daughter when it's finished. I love the bright colors of the fabrics I picked out. I'm a little nervous about how they will all work together, but I'm pretty sure it will turn out okay. I think it's a matter of practice, figuring out which fabrics go together. You have to learn how to imagine the finished product.

do you want to see me in action?

I have a BIG announcement! I am offering my first workshop in June! It's based on my Multiple Streams of Income ebook and I'm too excited! I am hosting it a privately-owned ranch, and it's going to be more like retreat than a business class! I mean, how many workshops have you attended where massages are included in the pricing? The setting is so serene-all the photos on this post were taken at the ranch. If you are in Southern California, I would love it if you would consider coming. (Even if you aren't in Southern California, you are welcome. Email me and I can give you some travel information.) I'm offering Early Bird pricing until May 15. To get the full scoop and to sign-up, go to my website at www.katydid-designs.com. I would love to meet my blog readers in person! There is only room for 10 people, so grab your seat quick!

In the meantime, if you are looking for help with sales in your Etsy shop, get On the Dot Creations' new ebook! It's free and it has tons of great tips from some of the most successful artists on Etsy. (It also lists my newsletters as a business resource!) To get your copy, go here.

colorful inspirations

Last week, I took my parents to the Carlsbad Flower Fields. My husband and I went last year and I knew it would be a great trip for my mom & her new camera. I had to take pictures with my crummy point & shoot (Ahem, isn't Mother's Day coming up, honey?), but I still came back with some pretty pleasing shots. Actually, looking at last year's post about the fields, made me realize how much better I am getting at taking pictures.

I have taken the plunge and signed-up for a quilting class. It's on Wednesday nights this month. We'll see how it goes. I never would have ever thought I would want to quilt, but I've realized that saying "never" doesn't really work for me.

The flower fields were the perfect inspiration for quilting as I mull over my color choices. I want to make wild, reckless, crazy, colorful quilts. I'm usually pretty reserved and limit my color palettes to just a few colors. This has resulted in me not really knowing how to mix and match colors in bold ways. I'm hoping that the quilting class will help me build those artistic muscles. Where do find your color inspiration?

i heart strawberries

For some reason, I've been strawberry crazy this season. I buy huge amounts every week and need to go back for me the next week. I have been making strawberry jam by the gallons. Last year, we thought my daughter was allergic to strawberries. She broke-out in a rash everytime she ate strawberry yogurt or anything strawberry flavored. We have recently realized that she is actually reacting to the red dye in these products. She's happily back to eating strawberries now. We just have to stick to all-natural stuff. I recently figured out that I can make jam and not do the whole canning process. (What can I say? I can be slow on the uptake!) As long as you are planning on eating up the jam within a week or so, you are pretty safe. I think this process is called freezer jam. All I know is that my daughter is now a peanut butter and jelly gourmet and I'm going to be hard-pressed to convince her to go back to store bought jam!

I just picked up the latest issue of Cooking Light magazine and they have some fantastic strawberry recipes too. On Tuesday night we had Gogonzola & Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken Breasts with a Strawberry Gastrique & then Strawberry Cake for dessert. Yum! And all of it was "light"!

Do you have any good strawberry recipes? What's your favorite thing to make during strawberry season?