Vote for Me!

I am so excited that I was selected as a finalist in the Columbus Arts Festival 50th Anniversary commemorative print competition! Please vote for my print design (example image to the left) by checking out this link. Then, click on the thumbnail of my design, and click on "LIKE" at the bottom of the larger image on the new page.

You can only vote once, but you don't have to be a Columbusite to cast your vote.

Help me win the grand prize!

More Redecorating

Here are some more shots of my *new & improved* more colorful apartment! It's still a work in progress, but the kitchen and the living room are just about finished.

Just in time for me to start teaching again...

And as you might have noticed, I also "redecorated" my blog too. Yippee!

Redecorating

This lovely new print above my kitchen sink is by UK illustrator Amy Blackwell.

A few weeks ago, as I entered my 5th year of living at my current address, I decided that I hated everything in my apartment. The clutter was taking over my life and the colors were uninspiring. I live in a rental unit where all the trim is painted an awful peachy-beige color and with 10-foot ceilings, painting whole rooms is a task that is daunting to say the least (and out-of-the-question, I later decided). So I aimed to keep is simple and planned to paint a bright blue backsplash in my kitchen and a stripe on my bedroom wall to act as a "headboard". Then came the furniture and accessories (Ikea, Crate & Barrel, and Etsy - oh my!!) and suddenly, I was way over-budget.

One of my main inspirations to spruce up my place was my friend Jen, whose old apartment was featured on Apartment Therapy a few weeks ago - it made me want to make my place colorful and clutter-free too.

I can't say that my place is quite clutter-free (or finished in the realm of redecorating) quite yet, but I will make sure to post photos when it is. For now, it makes me feel a little more like I have a hip apartment suitable for the arty gal that I am.

Tiny Canary This Weekend!

Saturday and Sunday, November 15-16
10am - 6pm each day
at Junctionview Studios (889 Williams Ave. Columbus OH)

Let the countdown begin... Tiny Canary is this weekend!

For 2 days, Junctionview Studios in Grandview will be transformed into a temporary marketplace where you will have the opportunity to buy directly from local and regional artists and designers.

Skip the mall, buy handmade, and start your holiday shopping early! You are sure to find original, high quality handmade gifts for all those on your list!

Be one of the first 100 guests in the door each day and you will receive an organic cotton tote bag filled with samples, coupons and other goodies from our vendors and sponsors.Food and refreshments will be available from Rad Dog, Pattycake Bakery and Kevin's Espresso Cart. Admission and parking are FREE!

Visit the Tiny Canary website for directions and a preview of the participating vendors.

Inquiries? Contact thebird@tinycanary.com.

* Please note that Sweet Stella Designs will be a vendor on Sunday, November 16th only!*

Colour Lovers

I have discovered yet another way to make time slip by, leaving me wondering what it is that I was supposed to be doing at the computer: colourlovers.com!
I signed up for an account today (I was inspired by this thread on columbusunderground.com), and got to work creating some palettes.

Series 1: My Apartment
*these palettes represent current colors in my apartment*

Bedroom (Opposites Attract)

Bathroom (Ocean Spa)

Living Room/Kitchen (Marrakesh)

You can check out my ColourLovers profile here!

The Bird Has Landed

This week, I received my acceptance email to Tiny Canary Indie Design Market! It's over the weekend of November 17-18 at Junctionview Studios in Grandview, OH. I will be there on Sunday the 18th and my booth-sharing partner, Adrienne of Crafty Beavers, we have the space on Saturday the 17th.

I am very excited to be a part of this (especially after being rejected from Crafty Bastards in DC) and I can't wait until the full vendor list comes out! *squeal!!*

p.s. My Trunk Show at Wholly Craft is THIS SUNDAY! Please stop by to say hi, check out my new work, and hopefully make a purchase that will have you dancing with excitement for the rest of the evening.

Window Fun: A Photo Essay

Today, I got to design a window display for Wholly Craft! Since I will be having my trunk show there in a few weeks, Olivia and our friend Emily decided that it would be great to have the crafter create a window for the store. Lucky me!

Here is the window before I started:

And here it is after I was all finished! My theme (of course) was food and tasty treats. I made swirly candies out of cardboard and cellophane and hung then from the ceiling. Then, I chose items from the store that were food-related.

I scored big on some glass cake trays at the thrift store just an hour earlier!

That candy looks good enough to eat!! (And difficult to photograph. Darn reflection!!)



I think I missed my calling as a visual merchandising specialist. Haha.
So drive by Wholly Craft (corner of High St. and Pacemont in Clintonville) and check the fabulous window out for yourself!

I Love Treefort.

It's not just a clever name. I really do love Treefort.

Ok, so what is I Love Treefort anyway?
They are an up-and-coming graphic design group and they just so happen to be designing my brand-new website, Etsy banner, and business card logo!
Adam, Anne, and Jen (the I Love Treefort crew) are all visual artists as well as designers. I admire their individual artwork and their involvement in the Columbus arts community as well as their design portfolio: which is why I chose these folks to help me out with Sweet Stella Designs' website and branding.

Get excited: www.sweetstelladesigns.com will launch soon! Stay tuned for details.

Package Design

Oh how I love putting adorable objects in cellophane bags!

Here is my 25-item contribution for The Sampler (September). I am excited & curious to see if contributing brings me any sales or press.

The Lynn & Pearl Alley Markets (where I have been selling my creations all summer) are contributing a basket of items for the American Cancer Society's auction. Here is my item to represent Sweet Stella Designs!
*Don't worry, my shop name and url are on the back!*

Design ADD, part 2

I was thinking about new business cards today...and then I just redesigned my blog, MySpace, and Etsy sites. The orange/blue motif wasn't really working for me. I'll still keep my business cards and hang tags until they run out, and then figure out the least expensive way to have them printed: 2-sided, glossy, full color. That's the plan.

Side 1

Side 2

What I like about my new design is that it features my jewelry; which really remains a mystery for buyers when they look at my current card.

Design-type folk: any suggestions? (I saved each one with all of its layers as a .psd, so they are still editable.)

Help Me Decide!

As our July 3rd start date to sell handmade awesomeness at the Lynn & Pearl Alley Markets nears, I have found myself in a design quandary. I am making postcards to leave around Columbus, and I have 2 very similar designs that I cannot decide between!

I am looking to send my images to VistaPrint tomorrow, so any input between now and then would be greatly appreciated.

Let me know which one you like best by leaving me a comment! Thanks.

Design #1

Design #2