{in my sketchbook}

I've been a bit obsessed with Rumi quotes lately. 

Here are a few I've added to my sketchbook...

I hope you have a weekend filled with inspiration!

XO,

{logo designs}

I've had the fun opportunity lately to design logos for three local customers. 

I'm always excited when new work comes my way that challenges me and opens my mind up to areas of design I wouldn't have thought about taking on. 

The first is for a handmade shop...

I created the square size above, and also a horizontal version for her Etsy shop and Facebook...

She gave me lots of ideas and told me to mash them all together. I was thrilled when her response was overwhelmingly positive to this design. I have to say I'm a bit in love with the button centered flower. 

The next logo is for a local non-profit organization...

And finally this logo design is for a new handmade artisan fair in our town this fall...

I am really enjoying logo design and am open to new clients if you or someone you know would like a unique doodled logo! 

XO,

{who are you inviting?}

Hello friend,

Today I want to chat a bit with you about company. You know...the people we spend our time with.

I've been reading lots of inspirational books and articles since I started drawing again, and many of the authors talk about surrounding yourself with people that encourage and inspire you. And while that might sound cheesy and cliche, it is SO darn important. 

Last night I picked up the book The Crossroads of Should and Must and read almost the entire thing in one sitting. It is THAT good. Not only is the content wonderful, but the presentation is beautiful. Lots of hand painted images and quotes. This is one that particularly stuck out to me...

The book inspired my doodle up there and this question...

"Where are you going and who are you inviting?"

This is a super important question.

The people you invite into your life have a direct correlation to where you end up going. Of course we are never sure of our destination, but if we want it to be somewhere happy and positive, darn it if we don't need happy and positive people around to help make it happen. 

Say you love writing and started a blog. And you ask your childhood best friend to give it a read and let you know what she thinks. And even though you've been friends with her since you were in diapers, this friend has no appreciation for the value of good writing and her feedback is less than encouraging.

Time to stop sharing your writing with her.

I'm not saying you need to dump the friendship, but you must find another friend that appreciates 
your talent and values your goals. Someone who will encourage you, offer constructive criticism, and ask you from time to time, "Hey! How is your writing coming along?"

If you have a calling you are working on, you HAVE to surround yourself with people that see value in it. You just have to. 

Do you have good company in your life? Write down the names of your friends and family that encourage your calling, and when you need to share something, go to them and only them.

They will help you get to whatever destination you are meant to reach.

XO,

{in my sketchbook}

My sketch book has seen a lot of action this past week! 

I purchased a pot of happy, floppy daisies which of course inspired some doodles... 

I also added to my seed pod collection...

And added some butterflies and birdhouses as I'm in the beginning stages of dreaming up a coloring book...

Hope your week is off to a good start!

XO,

{happy mother's day}

Searching for a quote to doodle this morning, this Mary Oliver one stuck out to me as a symbol of what motherhood has been for me. Pretty much every second of being a mother has been made up of the unimaginable. 

I couldn't have planned for how it would feel, how it would change me. 

And each season of their lives brings new joys and anxieties. Right now we're in the losing teeth and learning about how their actions effect others season. Learning geometry and deciding what they want to be when they grow up season. But they still like to cuddle with their momma, and they ask me to sing them songs at bedtime. 

I hope this season stays awhile longer. 

Wishing a happy day to all who mother and do this unimaginably wonderful thing for another human being. 

XO,

{Minted holiday card contest}

Oh boy it is waaaay too early to be thinking about Christmas, right? 

But can you humor me for just a minute?

 I've entered two of my card designs in a contest over on Minted, and I would greatly appreciate your votes on them!

I sold both of these designs this past Christmas and it would be SO much fun to see one or both of them in production and sold through Minted. 

Here are the links to both cards:
Merry & Bright
Tidings

Thanks in advance for your help friends!

XO,

{in my sketchbook}

I had a few spare minutes on my lunch break yesterday, and the weather was gorgeous, so I decided to stop in the park and doodle for a bit. As I drove along looking for a place to stop, I asked God for a bit of inspiration because nothing was coming to me. A few minutes before I found a spot in front of the pond this one popped into my head...

And here it is with some color added...

I'm always extra thankful for divine help in the inspiration department. 

And coffee in the morning. 

XO,

{process of a pattern}

Hello friends and happy Friday!

I've been busy making new patterns which has me all sorts of excited, and I thought it would be fun today to give you a peek at my process for creating a pattern. 

My pattern-making confidence was given a big boost when my owl greetings design won one of the editor's choice prizes over on Minted. It will be available soon for sale as fabric! I'll also have fabric for sale soon over on Spoonflower <<< click that link to see the patterns I've added so far. 

I just feel like someone should pinch me..this is my dream and SO darn fun to see it becoming a reality. 

But back to my process. I'm always finding inspiration in nature, and last week seed pods caught my attention. So first I saved a bunch of pretty pods over on Pinterest.

Then I used those as inspiration for a bunch of pod doodles.

And last night I started turning them into a pattern...the most fun part! I scan the original, save the individual motifs in photoshop, and then create the pattern in Illustrator. Thank goodness for Jessica Swift's Pattern Camp...best class I've taken to teach me practical and highly useful design skills. 

I'm still playing around with colorways but I'm kind of liking this one. No turquoise or yellow in sight...I'm trying to move away from my favorites. 

Here is another pattern I recently finished that is available in my Society6 shop on a bunch of fun products including mugs, tote bags, pillows and even a shower curtain and duvet cover. I'm also going to have it available on Spoonflower as fabric...

So that's the process! I am having way too much fun with this and am beyond excited to have fabrics available for purchase soon!

XO,