6 x 6 in.

Now you know the inspiration behind my new blog banner :)

Bernard and Tiny Bird gave me the idea. Their crafty that way. 

One fabric line under my belt, the next one is in the works. This may just be the inspiration behind this painting. I think Bernard is also dreaming of {love}.

Speaking of love, did you watch the royal wedding today? So sweet. It was nice to see the television networks filled with images of celebration, love and good news for a change. We need more of that.

 

{click here to buy original}

Just listed five of these {four are left} over at the shop this morning! If by chance! you are wanting one as a gift in time for Mother’s Day, May, let me know ~ I’m happy to send it out right away.

sending a hug to you today xo m

Been embroidering bunnies over here. 

Let me explain. With all the recent focus on fabric design I am inspired more than ever to learn all things sewing and embroidery. It’s challenging me - creatively which gives me so much fulfillment and personally which can be frustrating. I’m learning something new and sometimes the curve feels steep. But, I have decided that this is what makes us, artist and people, better. Learning is good for us!

Since I’m prolific and not patient, the time it takes me to create a small piece feels like forever. This is because lately, I have been more meticulous about fully understanding the best way to approach each project. I am actually taking the time to learn the details of each step that I have all too often skimmed over in the past. 

I will say that I recognize in my creative self, the need to improvise. I think it’s important very important when you embark on the creative journey, to fully understand and embrace what kind of creative you are. I’m not much of a pattern/instruction follower. I just like to get started and create. This also applies to instruction booklets. Three years later, I have yet to crack open the instruction manual to my camera. *ahem*

Making these two bunnies was an experiment in both styles of creating. The bunny with the big round ears was improvised by me. I literally made a sketch in my sketchbook and translated a similar representation using scissors. I didn’t even draw the sketch directly on the fabric. The other finger puppet rabbit with whiskers was sewn using a step by step tutorial courtesy of Purl Soho’s blog the Purl Bee. As you know I made my first visit toPurl Soho on my trip to NY and fell in love ~ not only with the store but the finger puppet bunnies that were on display. One of the employees pointed us to the bunny tutorial online! WEEE! I knew I had to make one.

What I have noticed with tutorials, even in books about sewing, is that very often the authors leave out the most basic steps, especially for a beginner. Like starting and finishing your thread. Did you know you can sew/embroider without knots? The best tutorial I found for a knotless beginning was this video on youtube. Another good tutorial on how to bury a knot, I found here. Thank you internets!! and thank you Purl Soho! They also have a kit you can buy to make 12 bunnies.

Happy Easter to those who are celebrating today - make some bunnies!

For all of you who have requested Creative Thursday note cards. Wish granted!

Last year I teamed up with Papyrus to create the "animal friends" assorted notes. Four designs tucked into the sweetest little box for you to keep!

When I was in NY, Laura humored me while I popped into my first ever Papyrus store. {They are gorgeous, by the way} I had to see if my cards were there. I didn’t see them anywhere was about to leave, feeling totally disappointed.  Did NY not like my art style?...oh here we go... Rather than let my sometimes self-defeating artist mind run away with a litany of thoughts, I decided to ask the shopkeeper. Not only did she know about them, but she had a set at home ;) She said they’ve been hard to keep in stock and were temporarily sold out. Needless to say, both I and my artist mind felt so much better. Asking is always a good thing.

You can find them at Papyrus stores worldwide {if you don’t see them, ask!} and right here online. I also have just a few boxes over at my Etsy shop.  

*Edit* 4/28/11 The cards are sold out right now, but I’ve been informed by Papyrus that they are re-printing and will be available to ship starting June 13.

I hope you enjoy them!

happy holiday weekend xo

 

I promised to return with some organization tips. Randomly, I’ve decided I no longer like the word 'tips'. It feels overused to me.  So let’s just call this podcast what it is: 

An organized life: what works for me - recorded in NYC ;) the photo above was the view from my room.

Enjoy! and let me know what’s been working for you?

 

Click above to listen. This episode runs approximately 24 minutes. {I sing a jingle for you}

click here to download MP3
Download Instructions
Mac Users option click and Windows users right click on link above to download the file.

Links related to this podcast:

Kathleen Turner {voice}

Folgers

5 x 5 in.

Lately I’ve been inspired by all things bunny {clearly - see evidence all over this blog} and all things panda. That’s when I realized that Garbo kind of resembles a small panda bear. I love her so. 

I think this color scheme {meaning lack of color} is also inspired by my time in NY. Just to be clear I do not mean to sound derogatory about the awareness that New Yorkers tend to favor black. I kid. They also favor sophistication and style. Coming from the west and the colorful sensibility of Southern California, it was a nice change. 

{click here to buy original}

Now I know why 'I love NY' is printed on every possible kind of object a tourist would want to take home with them.

Because, it’s true. New York City is an easy place to fall in love with. 

When I exited JFK terminal I realized I had not been to Manhattan since December of 1999. A lot has changed since then. Including the fact that I moved to from a small-ish town, Boulder to a big-ish city, Los Angeles. Manhattan used to feel so intimidating to me, but that was before all of its recent gentrification {it’s so clean now, almost too clean?}, and I became accustomed to a life in the city.

Now I think I’ve mentioned before that life in Los Angeles doesn’t really equal life in an actual compact city like downtown New York or Paris, but it has all the makings of a big city, like a lot of people and traffic. And the great things like amazing people, restaurants, shopping, museums.

Since it has been so long since my last visit, I approached my quick trip to NY much like our long trip to Paris ~ I had no expectations. A lot of people love these cities and there are also quite a few that don’t enjoy them at all. Although, whether you want to live there or not I don’t know how one couldn’t appreciate the life and energy in both NY and Paris? They are amazing, and eerily similar which surprised me. Manhattan reminds me much more of Europe than I ever remember noticing before. 

I wasn’t sure I would love Paris or NY and as it turns out I love them both. I think it’s just a simple of fact of reaching the stage I am at in my life, where I have a clarity and perspective that makes traveling and exploring new places completely invigorating. I wonder which city will become my next love affair?

Until then. A glimpse of NYC in Iphone photos, of course.

All of these are run through the Instamatic filters and you know, how some of the filter choices are softer, while others are more saturated? It felt like almost all of my images were just calling for the saturated colors with the black line. NYC makes a bold impression.

1. I was able to take this shot from the middle of a street, not because I was really that willing to put my life in danger but because the other side of the street was blocked off. I love how you can get these amazing vistas between blocks. Usually when riding in a cab or crossing the street, they go by in a second but on this particular block I could stand as long as I wanted to. But then at the time this shot was taken Laura and I were headed to a store before it closed. Just enough time to take the photo as the sun was starting to go down.
2. Nostalgia moment. This is the now preserved, no longer in use, TWA terminal. I spent hours upon hours as a kid there in the summer time waiting to catch flights as a stand-by passenger to visit my family in Germany. My dad was a TWA captain. It took my breath away to see it after all of these years.
3. Springtime in NY is so pretty. This shot was taken right in front of Macy’s
4. Tulips in front of Macy’s at Herald Square
5. Finding my way through the city
6. More trees blooming that looked so pretty against the backdrop of these buildings with color. Colorful buildings are tough to come by in NY...and so is colorful clothing :)
7. Dinner at a lovely French Moroccan restaurant, Barbes. The owner could not have been nicer.
8. My 'office' views for 2 days
9. Wall of ribbon at M & J Trimming
10. My new favorite Japanese book store Kinokuniya, which i just learned that there is also one here in L.A.!!
11. In love with the Japanese design books
12. And the Paumes publisher. Oh, to die for. I want all of the Paumes books
13. Purl Soho - I have always been inspired by their website and blog and to walk into the store. WEEE! just as lovely in person. Instantly fell in love with the quilt with the hand-stitched pink clouds on it. Owned by two sisters,  I also learned that one of them lives here and has a by appointment only warehouse in Tustin that you can shop at.
14. Now that’s some yarn
15. And that’s some fabric. Color does exist in NY
16. The barista’s at Starbucks know how to pronounce my name. Am thinking of changing the spelling to this version, so that people will finally say it right Mareesa.
17. Coffee and food is so good in the city. Breakfast with bread and butter at Balthazar
18. Pretty dress in the window by Nanette Lepore
19. Walking through the Village late on a Thursday night

Dear NY, I can’t wait to visit you again.

5 x 7 in.

I think this may be one of my all time favorites. 

I also think that this week should be in celebration of all things bunny. You know? In honor of the Easter Bunny and all the cuteness bunnies bestow upon us.

This painting was inspired by NY inspired by my new favorite Japanese design books inspired by Sean.

{click here to buy original} limited edition print is available at the shop

Came across this little fellow on a cup in NY, Pearl River Mart to be exact. I think it’s intended for kids? But now it’s also intended for me. My new latte cup. It makes me so, so happy.

So I had big plans for the blog this week. In fact I’ve got a long post I’m working on..that we shall see if I’m brave enough to share...

But in a whirlwind last minute trip I headed to New York city to finalize designs for my first fabric line!

24 hours in, eleven years since my last visit here, I am suddenly in love with this city.

Yesterday I was in my sunroom home studio in L.A. and, today I walked to work in Manhattan. I think I was the only one in New York wearing bright red pants (California Artist Girl)

I have had one of the all around best days, in every possible way, I’ve had in a while.

So, so happy working on my fabric. You know those moments in life when you feel home. You’re not even sure why, but you just feel like you are in sync with where your life wants you to go?

A very welcome feeling.

Sending you a big Hello from the big Apple!

see you back here soon xo

4 x 4 in.

The squirrel bonnet happened by by accident and it’s killing me. 

Today is the first day in a long time, that I am feeling like myself again. The little cloud that has insisted on following me around the past couple of months, has finally lifted.

Doing some spring cleaning while enjoying the spring weather and it feels like it’s going to be a very good week ahead.

happy Sunday to you!

 

{click here to buy original}

'we’re in Paris again' - 8 x 24 in.

One year ago today...we were on our way to Paris! Oooooh!!! Now that was six weeks of pure bliss!!

The inspiration from that one trip may be the opening to a brand new opportunity for which this painting was created...

I’m so happy we went.

I cannot wait to go again.

I wish we were there right now.

thank you for all the love in the last post. 

We lost our kitty this morning.

I’ve decided that I just don’t have it in me to write one more post in remembrance of the animals I have loved and lost over the past 13 months. Instead I want to follow Sean’s sentiment that he sent out via email earlier today:

"Marisa and I sat with him on the kitchen floor until he died today at 10:52am. I thank him for the companionship he gave me for 17 years. My life would have been much more lonely without him." -Sean

This week looks to be bittersweet.

I had crazy exciting news last Monday about a possible opportunity set for the fall. I also booked a trip to NYC in eight days {I’m not counting down or anything...} to finalize my fabric designs. We had a really nice week away, but let’s also be honest ~ visiting family is not without its challenges. I’m still coming out of the fibroid shenanigans, waiting for a final check up, and for my body and moods to return to normal. And Reilly is not well. It’s unbearable - most of all for me to watch him meow to Sean, his loyal companion for 17 years, who feels helpless in providing him comfort during this time.

When life gives me lemons and lemonade at the same time, it can be challenging to focus on the lemonade. The secret is figuring out what gets me appreciating the lemonade. All of a sudden I’m really craving a glass of lemonade. I think a lemonade from Lemonade is in order.  Maybe I need to just call this post Lemonade instead? Ok, fine I added it to the title.

When I need a little pick me up I need pretty. {see exhibit a above}

I think I might need a skirt like Sean’s four year old niece.

A glass of zinfandel from our favorite Napa winery V. Sattui would be good.

The ranunculus I just went ahead brought home with me.

I also need to create.

I need some cucumber mint lemonade.

We’ve actually been away this week visiting with family and friends. A little play, a little work, a lot of fun visits accompanied by good food and wine ~ and gorgeous weather! Spring, bordering on summer, is finally here in Northern California.

I came across this magnet during our visit with Liz and Rob and thought it sums it up our time here perfectly. Having spent most of the past six weeks to myself, it’s been nice to be socializing out in the world again. And today, in honor of Sean’s mama’s birthday, we are going on a picnic in Napa! Am thinking some wine will be involved.  happy birthday Sandy!! and happy friday!