Out of the woods . . . and into the world

Today I get to share my favorite children’s collection. I started developing it when I was three, wearing a little woodland dress and being a bit of an imp from the woods, myself. Well, that’s a bit of a stretch, but the seed was planted back in that little forest of long ago.

The collection, Woodland Tails, is scattered about with enchanted creatures of the forest floor, and walls and any other place you can only image this little gathering of charming misfits. They did find a home to call their own, but I can’t share that location with you, not quite yet. I will let you know where and when to find the gang and how to adopt them into your own home.

I have the little creatures packed up and ready for display again this year for my show in May. A couple of years ago I took them along when the gang was just beginning to gather, but now they are a full pack, ready to assemble in the Big Apple. I will share those Woodland Tails remixed photos from the show once I’m back, but until then, I have a few pics from the Woodland Tails premixed show from 2007.

The fun thing about this collection is that it has appeal to a wide age-range. It can charm the babies and the babes. My seventeen year old just altered her composition book with the pattern of the creatures intertwined-with-vines on a bright poppy ground. The coral canvas shoes are another fave of hers.

If the cute fits, wear it!

It’s time to share more Sprout with you. Last year I created this collection (see posting on March 16, 2009) to appeal to those who have a strong desire to nurture, as well as an appreciation for nature. I displayed the collection at last year’s show in the form of baby clothes to reach the children’s apparel audience as well as nursery decor and fabric manufacturers.

Well, lets just say you won’t find these little outfits in Baby Gap or Land of Nod, so maybe I’ll have to start manufacturing them myself. :) Until that day, enjoy the little virtual line of clothes . . . we will call SherWear, complete with logo.

Gon-Tiki-Tikes

Last year I worked on a collection called Gon Tiki which encompassed a tropical, Polynesian theme. I had not finished that collection when I thought it would be a great beginning for another collection for kids. Using some of the same patterns and the same bold color palette, I illustrated a number of jungle animals and merged the two into what became Tiki Tikes.

The Gon Tiki collection was on display at my 2007 show and the Tiki Tikes for kids was on display during my show last year. The illustrations of the jungle animals are on my Etsy site. Above are the two collections, Tiki Tikes and the mother collection, Gon Tiki and below are prototype samples from each collection.

Who’s got the cutest little baby face?

I shared this collection with you back in the fall (refer to the September 28 posting) when I debuted these cutest little baby faces. I made the basic pinks and blues to keep with tradition but created an additional colorway for the parent who may want to veer off the pink or blue path.

When our first baby came we were prepared to be surprised, not knowing if we would get a boy or girl. It was important to me to decorate in colors that would work for either kind of baby and my color choices were olive green and tomato red. This coming from a person whose favorite colors are pink, moss and robin egg blue. However, the room needed to be gender neutral and so it was.

Back then it was impossible to find any bedding in olive green and I remember finding a great set of vintage sheets in that very recognizable “avacado green” from back in the 70’s. Now I can pick up a crib sheet in any of those great colors, but this family has moved on. It’s time to decorate for a college dorm room and our search is on for anything 80’s. I could just pull out my old college room decor, but my daughter has her own ideas. That’s okay. Every generation needs to believe they are the first to discover that latest trend (even though the parents have been through it once already and the grandparents, at least twice). Now you have gotten my opinion on trends. Let’s just say, give anything 25 to 30 years and here it comes again.

Okay, so back to Baby Face and the need for a neutral palette. The patterns and icons developed for this collection were also designed to be gender neutral with lots of basic shapes and typical baby gear. The added element that this collection provides is a family tree. I believe in the need to learn and keep family history. This is a little project I designed to personalize the “rock-a-bye baby” with a “family tree” theme.

Our kids may believe they are the first to know trends, or go through experiences, but they need to be reminded once in a while who has been there before and who those family members were. We all know the apple doesn’t fall far from the family tree.

Once upon a time . . . in a land of little creatures

Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved to doodle around on scratch paper. Her favorite subject matter was of little creatures with personality. The artists she admired were Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Charles Schulz, many Disney illustrators, especially the art of Mary Blair, and two other women she hoped to one day be like. They are Holly Hobbie and Betsey Clark. Many hours were spent mimicking these amazing artists and hoping to one day be in her own studio creating characters just as she imagined these artists to do each day.

As the stories go with these icons of illustration, each had a road that did not lead directly to a studio every day. However, each found a path that eventually lead this little girl to discover their amazing talents and a desire to become an artist in her own right.

Today I am sharing a collection that originates from those beginnings back when I was that little girl hoping to become an artist like those I admired. The collection is My Deer My Darling. It has a nostalgic flavor I have pulled from my earliest memories of my little toddler outfits and room decor, as my memory serves me. These are my childhood doodles turned current collection. Just like with your own children, you can never pick a favorite, but I would say this collection holds a special place in my heart.