Studio Featured

The Licensing Group to which I belong is currently running a contest: The Messiest Studio. I, however, in good conscience, could not participate after all the time my husband, Andrew, took to construct and install my 'designer studio.'

Meanwhile, my drawing table, scanner, and printers are downstairs in Andrew's office due to the potentially damaging cat hair that accumulates.

I'm posting the rest of the picts on Flickr.

Yeah! I'm a Copyright Beta Tester!!

After waiting weeks for a response, the Copyright Office has selected me to become one of their beta testers!!

At their request, I've set up my account. Now I just need to hear from them to determine when I can begin submitting my work!

I let you know how it goes!

Female Porn Redux

Last night, we had our friends Amy and Phil stop by for dinner. Somehow, we began talking about the FemalePorn we each had just discovered separately -Amy found a book replete with epigrams! Coincidentally, we both loved the same one.

Meanwhile, Andrew's cooking dinner (isn't he always?) and we decided it would be good to set up a scene paying deference to the published work. I love that man of mine.

Anyhow, if you want visual stimulation -er, not porn! On second thought, maybe... We brought out Cirque du Soleil's Quidam on DVD. Wow! It's been well over a year since I've watched it and it's such a visual feast! I need to watch it monthly just to remind myself to get to the gym -very inspirational!

IF: Captain!

Of course it's a girl captain!

Madam's Birthday Collage

Homage to Claudine Hellmuth, I did something out of the ordinary: I made a collage for Madam, actually a shrine.




Claudine's segment on DIY's CraftLab began with a collage on canvas that included a book. I was having difficulty brainstorming on the imagery that it would take to fill 8 or so pages of the book in less than 24 hours (amongst all the other projects!), so, instead, I created a portfolio. This way, I can send her notes and she's got a handy place to put them and show them off!

The collage is mounted on canvas. Madam's face is a photo-transfer and the paper and metal elements have been collected thru the years. I think most of it is from K & Company, Me & My Big Ideas, & DCWV.

Birthday Projects

Last year, I made an adorable small purse (homage to Bacchus) for my neice Caileigh. It's made of suede and leather. I was delighted that she loved it and I was told that her sister Emmy, secretly coveted it.

Emmy isn't a foo-foo girl and really likes messenger bags -she had been carrying the Harry Potter messenger bag for years that I gave her- and is growing out of it. Andrew and I were experimenting specifically with messenger bags and we decided it would be easy enough to transfer the pattern and design one with Emmy in mind.

We don't get to talk to the neices enough to really understand what kinds of trends they admire and follow and for the past few years, I had been sending Emmy 'Emily the Strange' cards and trinkets -simply because of the name and the cats. Naturally, she loved it.

Meanwhile, we thought that she might be leaning toward goth or grunge (we secretly hoped) and because she loves horses, we came up with this current design. The bag is made of denim, suede and lined with a Stewart Plaid. The horse is a hand-painted applique and the front suede is also hand painted.

There are a few things I would do differently now, but strived to keep the design clean for a student who wouldn't necessarily lean toward grunge.

WinePlay Now Available!

Combining CCats V2 - Play and a glass of wine, I've created a new CalligraphyCat named: WinePlay.

Now available as a pen & ink limited edition OLE (25) and fine prints.

Happy Birthday, Madam!!

Top 10 Reasons Why my MIL is the Best! (Dr. Bob, too!)

1. She's a great cook (and can shoulder me out of my own kitchen)
2. She introduced 'Splash Time' (now we've made it tradition in our house!)
3. She'll grandkitty sit on a whim (ignoring their piddling habits!)
4. She can talk politics (even when I don't care)
5. She's incredibly supportive (one of my biggest fans!)
6. She's incredibly generous (but will go across town for the cheapest gas!)
7. She's got a wicked sense of humor (and allows me to show mine!)
8. She finally taught me how to knit (I finally found time to learn!)
9. She keeps a great garden (I still have 2 black thumbs!)
   
10. She had Andrew!
    

Thaaaaank yoooou, Madam, for having Andrew! If it weren't for the 2 of you, I wouldn't have Andrew in my life!!

In Rivers With Dogs... A Giveaway!

It's the dog days of summer and it's hotter than Hades out there! For Raleigh, the high is supposed to hit 103° again this week! It's stifling, sure, and some of you are enjoying the heat by cooling off with a swim -ah, I miss that old swimming hole in Michigan. Ah, but I digress.

So, for all of you out there on tire swings, splashing around in rivers with dogs, I am going to hold my first giveaway contest: A CalligraphyPets Embroidered Towel.

Great for cats and other creatures too!



Not So Sticky Rules:

1. One has to respond to this blog entry to qualify
2. I'd like you to be at least 18.
   
3. Contest Ends Tuesday, August 28, 6:00pm (EST)
4. Free shipping for US Residents (lower 48)
   
5. Shipping outside US/48 may have to help defray costs
   
6. Andrew and I will toss dice to ID the winner.
7. Send your friends!
   
8. You can't be related to me -even thru marriage. Besides, you get all kinds of cool stuff from me anyway, right?

****
UPDATE: The contest is now closed and I want to thank you all for your participation! Andrew and I realized that we didn't have dice in the house, so we used Random.org's Random Integer Generator to reveal our winner. And the winner is...

#7 - USASweetpea

Sweetpea, you'll want to send us a note to let us know your snail mail address to receive your CalligraphyPets embroidered microfiber towel!

Again, thanks so much! This was so much fun, I think I'll do it again in the near future!!

John Howe - I'm in Awe

If there's an illustrator to follow and learn from, this is the guy. The little chimp society has posted an interview with him and several illustrations.



From here, you can go straight to John's site.

***

Meanwhile, I've been thinking about composition and the lack of it. Primarily, what I see are techniques being honed, but very little about composition. Would you be interested if I were to hold a local class on composition?

Tuesday Morning Humor

Female Porn | Now this is funny! My friend Jeanne found this -I just had to post it.



Update: I've payed homage by creating my own Female Porn seen here.

Ugh! Frustrations!

While Andrew and I were running errands tonight, we had to stop by Home Depot tonight to pick up wood to build frames for my upcoming show. Because HD carried the wood that he really likes, Andrew -despite my dubious angst- insisted that we stop and pick up a sheet of it and get it cut. After 20 minutes of waiting and several calls to have someone help us at the mammoth electric saw and no response, we walked out... well, not quietly.

I'm sure you know how frustrating it is to get help; more so when a bunch of unresponsive, frosty employees stand around ringing their hands with seemingly nothing to do. Well, I won't be returning for a loooong while. Lowe's has always been my preferred lumberyard and they always will be. Be wary of those masking arrogance with helpfulness.

While returning home and fuming in the car (both of us quietly seething) I announced that instead of writing the title: Home Depot Sucks!, I decided I would do something a little more constructive. The Zagats were a couple who began writing restaurant reviews in NYC several decades ago, so I decided I would do the same for the locals, but in areas where we know a great deal -namely areas where we do the bulk of our shopping. Stay tuned for a links list!

There are several stores and services that we frequent and we make appoint of it to get to know them and form a relationship. Yes, it's tougher to do at a mega-warehouse, although, those said businesses keep a tap on the 'net and all things said, so they'll find this post soon enough.

Meanwhile, I'll let you know that among all the Home Depots in Raleigh, the one on Strickland (conveniently across the street from Goodberry's) is one of the most responsive ones. The HD in Cary (Crossroads Village) is one of the worst!

A Lowe's in any location beats them (HD) hands down.

Weekend Update

Sheeeeew! For a relaxing weekend, it was busy!

After keeping my nose to the grind stone, I realized that there was much that I wanted to create for my family before we head up to meet them next weekend. I view this weekend as a birthday catch-all weekend gathering because unfortunately, I rarely see my nieces and nephew. Perhaps once a year... if that? Moreover, I want to create birthday presents from my studio, not buy them a giftcard and call it a day, although, they'd probably prefer it!

Anyhow, while I can't say much (everything's a surprise!) and I'm not sure just how much of my blog they doooooo read, I promise to take photos. I will say that I've been playing with leather, canvas, sterling silver, paints, wood, paper, and who knows what else?

If there's a cat fight among the kids, I know I've done my job well. Pray for a cat fight! Pray for a cat fight!

Movie recommendation from Chez Hayden's:
The Triplets of Bellevilleresides in our permanent library and definitely belongs in everyone's collection -especially if you're an artist, a cyclist, or both!

Twingey Tuesday

Yesterday, I was fitted with tray 9 for my Invisalign treatment I am undergoing. Man! Are my teeth sore. Today I had to return to get my 6 month cleaning; it's always fun talking with Jennifer, although, I need an Etch-A-Sketch or notepad to respond when she asks questions. I'm at her mercy with the sharp instruments in my mouth!

I've begun blogging my teeth straightening experience and the Invisalign product. If you care to read the chronological effect, you can find it here. April & May's experience is pretty hazy because I was a bit pre-occupied with Surtex.

Weekend Update

We strived to fight the Post-Potter Depression the past few days. Yup, that's a real word found on Urban Dictionary.

Post-Potter Depression | The empty feeling that comes from finishing the seventh book in the Harry Potter series and realizing there will be no more.

We decided to break out our new addition to the DVD library: Qalaxy Quest and enjoy Alan Rickman once again with the remnants of our chocolate layered mousse cake and port. Mmm... We furthered attempted to quench our thirst for the cinema by scoring a copy of Pan's Labyrinth from Netflix. Alas, after wine and port, we realized we didn't want to read our movie. Was this a mistake? Did they send us a dubbed Spanish movie? I had no idea! Finally watched it last night and I also didn't realize how violent it was. Next time I'll take heed when the box reads: Adult Fairytale!

I also attempted to keep apprised of my friend, Jeanne's travels to Alaska! She's much more diligent about keep an online travel diary than I would be. I'd gather my photos and my writings, then combine them all later -like during the cicada resurgence. I'll just have to prove my creative worth while Andrew and I take our honeymoon in Europe at Christmas!

Meanwhile, I filled orders and collated wholesale kits to retail enthusiasts -jeez! that takes nearly all day! I need a little part-timer to help me!

CalligraphyPets Product Poll

Beginning today, I am surveying my enthusiasts on the kinds of products you'd like to see more of.

If you're not familiar with the CalligraphyPets products, you can begin your tour in Shop Collections. We've got home decor, fashion accessories, doggie accessories, and paper goods to start!

A quick vote can be found in the right nav bar or if an answer isn't provided, let me know!

Polls end on Tuesday, August 14.

August 14 Update: It seems as though many of you really want to see more illos from me! Fantastic! It also seems that jewelry and silk pillows would also be among the favs. Very cool. Thanks for voting and I hope to get those silk pillows available this Fall!

Licensed!

Woo-hoo! I've managed to license two of my Renaissance snowflake images as holiday greeting cards. Naturally, I was inspired by the classic styles within the Renaissance period and of course, the blustering scenes outside of Hogwarts leaded glass windows. I just couldn't help myself -such a romantic period!

The press release has more info.

Advice for the Young

Keith Ferrazzi has posted a question on his site about basic things you wished you had done as a teenager to boost your career and life.

I know that I wish I had learned early to recognize the people who cared and learned trust them. I did embody a fierce dedication to trust myself as I got my hands dirty learning as many skill sets as possible so that I would always have the power to make money and never get bored.

Here are my tips to the young (I'll probably add more later):

1. Try absolutely everything (within legal reason)
2. Embrace your invincibility.
3. Decide your passions.
4. Develop hobbies.
5. Continue to build your skill sets that will support your future endeavors
6. Learn to support your friends
7. Learn how to say thank you
8. Learn how to take a compliment
9. Learn how to be a good winner (I've seen some pretty bad behavior after colleagues won a match)
10. Become a musician (it's a meditative & powerful brain stimulant)
11. Become a painter (this balances the bias of the left brain)
12. Read voraciously
    
13. Read a variety
    
14. Read philosophy
15. Form your own opinion. (If you don't know how, ask a trusted mentor/teacher how she feels about the article.)
16. Be a perpetual student of life
17. Help others
18. Become a confidant
19. Beome a mentor
20. Embrace karma
21. Embrace humor (life is too short for sour grapes)
22. Travel
23. Embrace other lifestyles
24. Embrace other cultures
    
25. Above all: Trust yourself.

Obviously, this is a WIP (work-in-progress) list. What would you add?

Updates & Redux

I apologize for being remiss in my blogging, after all, I am supposed to show you my creative side of life, right? *Sigh*

Okay, so I'm striving to practice what I preach: collate and clean my company identity -specially online. Because my work continues to grow, I thought it suitable to reflect that as:

• I've updated my homepage
  
• Combined ECStewart Collections with CalligraphyPets
  (you can see this on the headers of each page)
  
• Eliminated redundancies
  (don't need 2 news pages or 2 blogs or 2 about us)
• Finally, applied top navigation similiar to CalligraphyPets, a new coat of paint + background on this tired blog.
  

Back to client work!

Skills, Building, & Maintaining Network of Contacts

I'm a huge fan of Keith Ferrazzi and his book "Never Eat Alone." I highly recommend this book, specifically to artists who'd rather sit in the corner and create art because they fear rejection.

I'm an introvert -I'm also professionally shy. There, I said it! Yes, that's right, I'm shy. If you're an artist, chances are pretty good that you're shy as well, to a degree. Remember, being an introvert is different than being shy. Being both can be paralyzing, and that can be detrimental to your business as an entrepreneur.

Keith has created (what some call) a 'playbook' for the executive art of building a network of powerful relationships and it has helped me immensely. He's helped me shed the insecurities that prevent my personal success, he's provided scripting to parlay my shyness with my potentially affronting effervescence, and provided insight to the powerful figures of today like Bill Clinton and the Dalai Lama.

Bonus: Webcast!
Skills & Techniques for Building & Maintaining Your Network of Contacts
If you haven't bought the book but would like a little more insight, you can watch Keith's online event. This webcast reveals one of the most common mistakes people make when building relationships for career success, as well as the importance of showing your contacts that you are not only professional, but human.

Once you watch the video (watch thru to the end of the Q&A, too), you'll want the book.

Additionally, more free webcasts on Microsoft's site to boost your potential.
http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/small-business-summit/2006.mspx

Raleigh: Open Arts Market?

Well! It looks like City Market in Raleigh is trying to compose an open arts market in Moore Square. In theory, the idea is fine, the application however, needs more work... and I'm still disappointed.

City Market Extends An Invite to Artists

Raleigh still will not allow artists to participate in the weekly farmer's market held on Wednesday's due to the fact that the bureaucrats believe art will conflict with organic foods. Oy! I guess this is Raleigh's pitiful answer to the artists screaming for open arts.

Andrew and I cruised thru Moore Square today and it was dead except for one artist who was positioned under an awning in the sweltering 95º. It might have been hot, but there wasn't an ongoing venue within the square that would encourage folks to -at the very least- come downtown. The farmer's market is still is a better option because the traffic from lunchtime white collars are the artist's optimal customers.

The Root of All Beauty

Unfortunately, I am not Monet; I have two black thumbs that prevent anything from growing. Fortunately, my cats never let us forget feeding time! Meanwhile, I wanted to share some of the flowers I wish to grow and dream of admiring in their natural state.

Please enjoy.

CalligraphyFlowers

Taking Flight

While my bird feeders need refilling, I wanted to share some of the exotic birds that I dream of watching. I've created just a few, but hope you like 'em.

CalligraphyBirds

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Andrew and I took the day off and played together. We found ourselves lunching at our wedding venue, the NC Museum of Art and collecting our fabulous anniversary cake made by our original cake designer, Jennifer Hicks. It's become tradition (because it's so darn tasty!) as that chocolate cake/chocolate mousse layer is addictive, so it got special place in our fridge while we ran out and played s'more.



After our day of play, Andrew cooked dinner for the 2 of us: halibut with broccoli and a nice little bottle of Regusci Chardonnay. Upon one of his solo trips to Napa, he picked up this gem to add to his collection. Nine years later, we enjoyed it on our anniversary.

The legs were just gorgeous and the color was devine. What a fantastic nose with a splendid after finish -very light!

Treat & Reward

I was against a heavy deadline until Wednesday, July 25th. So, Deathly Hallows sat on the coffee table until I met it. Suddenly, when I think I've cleared my schedule, I have clients calling me time and again asking for materials. Ah!

I didn't get a chance to begin reading until Thursday and resisted reading any news until I could finish quickly Saturday night. When I sat down to complete the series, Andrew began his foray into the wizarding world with The Sorcerer's Stone. Yea! Now we can talk about the subplots that aren't revealed in the movies! All 3 nights, we had reading night after dinner and read as long as our eyes would allow us. At 10:30pm, page 699, my eyes just welled up and flooded with tears -I couldn't continue.

I'm now finished and no, I won't spoil the end. But, I think I need to go back and re-read Half-Blood Prince to reacquaint myself with the specifics.

Daniel Radcliffe was right, this story doesn't leave one very fast.

Wow! What an emotional rollercoaster!

Potter Mania

July 21...

We enjoyed party hopping from bookstore to bookstore last night.

We drove thru the Border's parking lot and discovered many young adults (college) and older adults hanging out and about in street clothes. Some dressed in black because they were too afraid to show their solidarity in cape! B&N was our next stop to check out the festivities -it was surprisingly crowded. About 25% of the fans were dressed in some form. After a few mag purchases, we departed and headed for our indie bookseller Quail Ridge.

Quail Ridge was much more active with tents, games, and pseudo-Diagon Alley events. Yes, I proudly donned my cape. The crowd was much more liberal and enthusiastic about being fans. Many folks dressed up (~80%) to some extent and more families and teens. The miniature pony stole the show. Unfortunately, it wasn't like Harvard Square where they turned the whole area into Diagon Alley. Rats. Yes, they had rats and they were snoozy in cages! They also had some taxidermy like owls (Hedwig), snakes (also alive) and insects. We had not pre-ordered the book but decided to support our local indie seller, so we were allowed into the bookstore to purchase it and put it on hold until today -we weren't hanging around until 1am- we were too tired. We'll probably jump in the car sometime today and go pick it up.

The next day, while we were picking up the book, our house received a call by Quail Ridge telling us that Andrew had won the Phoenix feathers count contest! Naturally, we immediately returned to the bookstore (surprise!) to claim his prize.

I love that man of mine! Up to that point, he hadn't read any of the books (does love the movies!) he hung with me and humored me by attending the HP celebrations.

Booked!

Received my box of coffee table books (Strokes of Genius) from North Light last week. Yee-haw! Andrew helped me autograph my pages by flattening the area so that I could create a decent chop impression.

This is so exciting!!

Photo forthcoming.

When the Clock Strikes Midnight...

All Borders Bookstores will be jammed with frenzied Harry Potter fans to snag their book! Any of you going to be there? I might just have to drag Andrew out as this is the last of the Harry mania in any bookstore (that I can foresee).

I could just kick myself when JK Rowling came to Cary (yes, Cary!) back in 1998 for a book signing event -I had no idea who she or who Harry was! My client was all excited because she and her girls were going at midnight to get their books signed!! I thought it was some silly kid's book. Man, was I wrong!

Meanwhile, I have found all kinds of muggles who are intrigued by the life behind the brick wall and have compiled receipes and such for treats like butterbeer. Here's our list:

Madam Rosmerta's Magical Receipes...
Voldetorts, Treacle Fudge, Stuffed Toadstools...
Licorce Wands, Cauldron cakes, Mrs. Weasley's Rock Cakes...


Meanwhile, someone has come out with a book of Charmed Knit patterns from Potterland... I always wondered, why was Mrs. Weasley so industrious but a lousy designer? Keep the initials off the sweaters and they were perfectly fine!

Oh well, I've read mixed reviews on this book, but nonetheless, the styles inside are classics.

Simpsons Avatar

I found the SimpsonMovie link among those who have discovered how to create their own personal avatar in the form of a Simpson character. This happens to be both Andrew's & mine:

IF: Discovery

Bacchus Discovers Wine





Earlier this year, I combined CCats V2 - Play and a glass of wine for a charity event. I thought it was perfect for Discovery.

I'm always hearing myself yell, "No Bacchus! Not the wine!"

This print will be available soon through CalligraphyPets.com.

The Fourth: A Holiday, Right?

Let's see...

Andrew is busy playing demolition man with my bathroom. The former double vanity used to bite me each time I'd move or I could never fully open the closet inside the bath then doorknobs would punch me- -ugh! I'm pretty tired of the bruises on my hips! One day we'll bull-doze this house, but until then...



I almost became a widow over the weekend because of this damn house.

You can see some of the progress Andrew is making on the bath here: andrewhayden.com/renov

When he's not busy trying to electrocute himself, he actually finds time to make me gourmet dindin!! I love that man of mine!


Ahi Tuna on a bed of mango salsa & edamame.

NYC Signage

Many a folk ask us why we enjoy and why we prefer NYC to recharge our batteries rather than a remote cabin or beach... Frankly, it's for the daily life that exists.



It's real, it's gritty, it's alive.

As transplants, the South is nice, but it's becoming homogenous -well, it has for awhile. NYC offers surprises around every corner. I've snapped a few of them because they were charming or alarming.


NY City Subway -always has innovative advertising series. This is features Perrier Water.

It's My Birthday: NYC -Day 2

We didn't have many plans to abide by, so we decided to hang out in the Upper East Side.

For many years, I've loved the work of MacKenzie-Childs, an American artist whose roots are in the UK. There are several photos in their Web site, but I did manage to snag a couple of their elevators! Yes! They've adorned their elevators with tiles, wallpaper, fabric, tassles and more! I met one of the on-site display artists (I was curious about a certain McLaughlin piece) and we talked for quite a while. She wants to move to Raleigh, we want to move to NYC -we may just trade houses.

We got a bite to eat and then decided to hit the Natural History Museum. We had just watched "Night at the Museum" with Ben Stiller and Robin Williams (the dialog for most of the movie was painful -stupid really- and the last 1/2 hour was good) and decided to return after a few years. Also, the Natural History Museum had an intriguing show on Mythic Creatures. It was a neat exhibit but because I was tired, I thought that by just grazing the exhibits of imagery and tales, that I would be greeted with a book produced by the museum for this special program so that I could enjoy it at my leisure. Not! However... While I was looking for links and such to provide with this entry, I discovered that the Mythic Creatures program is ALL ONLINE!!

Before we departed for our flight, we had sushi at Okinawa (near NYU) and what used to be, one of our favorite spots. I think we'll find another restaurant that's not so pushy (we were the only customers -I guess that's saying something!) and remembers to give us everything we ordered.

It's My Birthday: Boom

A few years ago, we discovered Boom in SOHO one late afternoon before our flight out. Yum! Mediterranean/Italian fare that never disappoints!

We try to snag a table on the threshold of the street -you can see two gents sitting on a bench down in front on the sidewalk- so that we can enjoy the city nightlife and people watch. It was a perfect night. The weather both days were nice.

After years of being on their mailing list, I finally got the chance to use their birthday special (2 for 1)! Yee-haw! So, I picked up the Halibut with mango salsa and Andrew chose the Ahi Tuna (the plate was not photogenic) with the best mashed potatoes! I kept snagging them they were so darn delish!

Later, they brought out a complimentary dessert -warm molten chocolate lava cake with vanilla gelato -you can see that it was almost devoured before we took its cameo. Man! It was fabulous!!

Licensing Show

We gave ourselves 2 hours to walk the Fine Art section of the Licensing Show to determine if this was a right fit for our work. We noticed that most of the conglomerates were the same as Surtex, but pulled out character driven illustrations to license -something we don't have... yet.

The Branding section was interesting, much like wild Las Vegas in only 10,000 sqfeet. I would akin an experience walking this show to getting into an amusement park and not being able to enjoy any of the rides or entertainment. All the big guys (WB, Mattell, Seasame Street, American Greetings) had gated areas where their clients came to eat, drink, and be entertained by celebrity music. Someone had a Bad Emily bag and it was on my list to go see, but we forgot because we were getting hungry and Andrew was waiting for Claire's call. Plus, we generally can't get anything from those booths -can't even take photos to show you what is going to hit the market this next year. Drat.