Two more book covers to get done and then it’s VACATION time!!! I’m not loving any of these but here’s what I’m working on today.

I get to do a quick and fun book cover for Brenda Craner Benedict. She did the cute dandelion illustration on the cover (as well as writing the book!). My job can be so much fun sometimes. Plus, I get to meet great people.

I have a poem to share but first I need to get it from the source I heard it from yesterday. Will post soon. So WORTH it - I could have used the advice it contains about 10 years ago. Basically the gist is that I need to s…l…o…w…d…o…w…n! Meanwhile, the ads I designed yesterday were only supposed to be a half a page so here is the semi-final result. Still working today. Need to get a catalog section done and then on to the cover to finish. No more panicked rushing, though, I’m turning over a new leaf.

I am still busy working, which I love. But I seem to be having designer’s block. I blame it on needing more uninterrupted time but Benjamin’s such an easy kid, I really have lots of time to work. I think, lately, it’s other things getting in the way. I need to reprioritize. As much as I hate to admit it, we need a home and food so work kind of is really, really important. Here’s one of a few ideas I submitted for an ad today. I don’t know if they’ll use it but I feel like adapting it to say, “Mom’s everywhere give sleep an A+!” Because THAT we know would absolutely, unequivocably be truth in advertising.

Ta, da, da, da…the winner is….Carmel of Mellow is Me. Congratulations, Carmel. Email me your address and I will get your book sent off to you.

On another note, I am super swamped with “real” design work so the blogging will be on hold for a little while. Be patient with me and I will make up for it with super fantastic holiday ideas that I’ve been saving up and will post very soon! Not to pass over Thanksgiving, but I’m in the mood for Christmas!

I am so, so, so very excited to get one of these printed up on a canvas for our new home. It will be a 24 x 36 inch size (2′ x 3′) hanging portrait/vertically. I need to fix some of the typography but I think it will be pretty.

I love, love, love Amy Bradley’s designs. Partly because she was a graphic designer first. Yes, I’m biased. In honor of meeting her at Quilt Market, I’m putting up one of my purchases - her book pattern called Peek-A-Boo - for a giveaway. Just make a comment on this post before Halloween at midnight and you will be entered to win. If you link back to this giveaway on your blog (I can see your links so no need to tell me), I will automatically enter you twice. I haven’t held a giveaway in awhile since we moved and this is a great way to remember all the Quilt Market fun! Good luck!!! For details on this particular book, which runs $20, check Amy Bradley’s website.

Houston’s International Quilt Market didn’t indicate any sort of economic recession to me. These people have a passion and they take it seriously. There are some wonderful men at Quilt Market (if you’ve never met the big wigs over at Clover tools, run their direction as fast as you can - they are funny, generous true gentlemen!). But overall, the estrogen was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Husbands lined the walls, held the bags, and stood aside while female shop owners and designers worked the floor. Fabulous!

In Amy Bradley’s booth.

They even have little green ribbons for those of us who were venturing there for the first time. Other newbies stopped me to ask where I got my ribbon. You see, at Market, it’s all about what you’re getting: contacts, friends, food, fun, but most importantly…inspiration. And I’m not even a quilter!

Izzy & Ivy Designs won best new booth or something like that (an official award; not a made up one like mine!).

I came upon Quilt Market almost by accident: hubby transferred to Houston and my good friend Benay, of Beany Boy Quilts, wanted me to help her design and layout a quilt book. We’ve been in Houston about 14 weeks and - true to her word - Benay came down to visit me and we headed out for downtown. The rows upon rows of interesting fabrics and quilts were mind boggling. I don’t quilt, you see, but any girl with graphic sensibilities can appreciate a good quilt design. You could immediately tell which pattern and fabric designers stood out from the crowd because their booths were crowded. There were so many fun exhibitors who actively passed out fliers, smiled and said hello, inviting you into their booths. In contrast, there were quite a few exhibitors who just sat in their booth looking unfriendly and not even saying a word. I noticed a trend: those with traditional patchwork and passé designs were the ones looking uninviting. The best exhibitors had not only fresh, fun quilt designs but they also included other projects: animals, backpacks, books, you name it! Their creativity wasn’t limited to quilt design. And it showed. They were genuinely creative people.

L to R: Benay Derr, Amy Bradley, Lizabeth Rolfson

Amy’s quilt design for baby - great idea!

The sweetest and kindest exhibitor has to go to Amy Bradley and her daughter and mother. What a fun crew! They are the kind of people you just know you love instantly. And her work…well, she was a graphic designer first (I’m not biased or anything) and it shows.

Mary Cowan, right, of Mary’s Cottage Quilts

Another trend I noticed was that the freshest designs of the lot were not from good old Moda or Windham Fabrics but from independent start ups - most coming out of Utah. Riley Blake was a huge hit - what a great setup out of Alpine, Utah - and Mary Cowan of Mary’s Cottage Quilts in Sandy, Utah. Another Utah favorite was Abbey Lane Quilts: Marcea Owen and Janice Liljenquist were so friendly and patient with us as we had to touch every. single. thing. My favorite fresh designs outside of Utah were from The Noble Wife. Designer, Jacquelynne Steves and her stalwart husband showed that all of the hotbed of fabric designs is not exclusive to Utah as they hail from Woodstown, New Jersey.

My all-time favorite booth of the show, however, has to go to Melanie Hurlston of Melly & Me. This group from Australia and their lovely accents were not the only thing that attracted me to their booth. I was hooked from the Friday night Sampler Spree and sought them out Saturday to get another hit from their hip wares. The books - all designed and produced by themselves (including the photography!) - were a breath of fresh air. They exuded confidence in their own designs and it just plain didn’t look like everybody else’s version of the latest trends. They were fantastically independent and I cannot toot their horn enough. I will be seeking them out for personal inspiration, graphically speaking, and I don’t even quilt! They totally were the Homecoming Queen of Quilt Market in my book!

Speaking of graphic inspiration, the award for best overall graphic sensibilities in quilting design would have to go to Patrick Lose of Patrick Lose Studios. I had the chance to chat with him and it’s no wonder - he used to teach Graphic Design at a design college in Des Moines, Iowa. Now that’s so close to home, it gave me goose bumps (I’m still a little midwestern home-sick!).

Lizzie B’s groovy peace quilted rug.

Other standouts: Lizzie B Cre8tive - she would have to be runner up for Quilt Market Homecoming Queen - great rugs and all around design. Very eye catching! I also liked Cloud 9 Fabrics, organic and super soft fabrics.

The Miss Congeniality award goes to Laura and Lynnette of Beach Garden Quilts in Seattle. They were wonderfully friendly - like instant best friends - and helped us feel at ease. They have some innovative quilted looking floor mat designs - be sure to check them out.

A quilt in the display section…name anyone?

The only thing left is to recuperate. But I don’t have time. I’ve been so inspired, I have all sorts of graphic design inspiration to work out.

p.s. You can look at all of my Houston Quilt Market pictures at my flickr account.

I’m tagging along with my quilter friend, Benay of Beany Boy Quilts to Houston’s famous International Quilt Market 2009. Stay tuned for info and pictures next week! We are going to play hard for the next 48 hours. Watch out Houston, these Nebraska girls can cause a lot of trouble!!! In the meantime, go over to Willow Leaf Studios by Jodi Beamish and check out Benay’s new pantograph designs. That girl learned Illustrator faster than anyone I’ve ever met and has some great new designs being sold on Jodi’s site.

Jack is currently our toothless wonder but I created this photograph for a stock photo site today. It was just too cute not to share! It’s from last summer but, good memories. Busy with “real” work this week so I’m not getting much time to blog but, that’s okay, I’ll be back soon. Looking forward to Quilt Market in Houston this weekend so be sure to check back for the news and some fun pics.

Here’s my friend’s business cards. I need to blog more about work stuff so that I have copies of them online - since I keep putting off my business site. Ahh…too much to do and so little time.

I was renewing my own business cards from moving, then made some for a friend/client of mine, then decided it was time for Don to have an update on his cards, too. What do you think of his cards? They’re reversible to reflect his complex personality. We both love them! Can’t wait for them to arrive in the mail. Small pleasures, people.

I’ve always claimed that I would love a really white house. With padding. White walls with padding…some days that would be a vacation, no? Well…I know there are so many more important things in life but lately with trials small and large, I’ve been trying to learn how to just breathe and these rooms just feel like a clean, organized sigh of contentment. I thought I’d share. I may never see this much organization or cleanliness again in my life so I have to enjoy the pictures when they come. Don’t get me wrong. If my house wasn’t messy and unorganized, I wouldn’t have my family…and I love my family so the rest of it is welcome. Most of the time. But if I EVER need to be institutionalized…please…refer to these photos. God bless those Scandinavians - they do have a wonderful sense of aesthetic. And it does something to lift the mind and spirit, you know? Be sure to click on the pictures to visit the actual blog. It’s chock full of visual goodies.

It’s a wonderfully rainy day in Houston today and I have lots on my plate. Mainly getting my office straightened up - still - so I thought I’d just share with you some wonderful links including great ideas and giveaways. Hope you enjoy them! They’re from some of my favorite sites to visit when the need for inspiration strikes.

Grosgrain Fabulous always offers the most beautiful creations. Now she’s offering a poppy boutonniere, but even if you don’t win, there’s always the tutorial on how to make the beautiful things. Click on her link and be sure to check out the blue one attached to the pillow - gorgeous!

Dudecraft made a bookshelf from an old ladder - I don’t know how practical this would be with children shaking walls and all but it looks fantastic, doesn’t it? And oh so clever. I love repurposed things.

So I’ve been searching for what to put in my kids’ lunch boxes other than the usual fare and I ran across this idea from Bakerella (isn’t that site wonderful?!): pancake muffins. With chocolate chips. Sounds like something my kids would eat and it’s not quite as sinful as a full-on brownie for lunch. Sometimes you do whatever you can to get calories in a child or they would not eat at all.

If you have thousands of extra dollars, be sure to check out Get Back’s website full of beautiful vintage chairs, tables, you-name-it. It’s a fun reminiscent kind of thing and the restoration of the items has been just lovely. It would be kind of nice to step back in time…but we probably wouldn’t appreciate it like we don’t appreciate our current design trends. Anyway - it is surely fun to look around the site!

The Long Thread has this adorable little house pouch. I just love this cute design.

Design Sponge has the cutest lunchbox creation. And it actually looks like something I could do! But I’m not sure if it’s something any of my B-O-Y-S would carry to school or use. Maybe if I made a camo lunch box out of other repurposed fabric. But I do love this notebook version.

Wool & Hoop make the cutest crewel-work kits. The only crewel thing about it (ha! I crack myself up!) is that I don’t do crewel work. But the work is just gorgeous, no?

Artist Jeni B. Gochnour makes adorable festive fall and Christmas holiday items, doesn’t she? What great faces these characters have!

Cathe Holden of Something I Just Made created these items from pictures of a cherished quilt. What a great way to remember the quilt in a more permanent fashion.

There. I think that’s enough browsing for today. Hope you enjoyed some of the links!

Don’t you love this desk reminiscent of Danish design? You can read about the designer and source on a delightful blog I ran across entitled Handmade Charlotte. Written by Rachel Faucett, the blog is a treasure trove of great ideas and design blended into one. Go on over and take a peek - you will love it. Be sure you have more than 5 minutes, though, because you will wander…