My studio, my dad, a Christmas painting and gifts on Etsy

Hi! Today I'm sharing a few things I wanted to share, so I am. 

I'm sharing :)

Above, a sketch - Birds, suitable for framing.

My dad turned 73 on Tuesday Dec 2nd - hard for me to believe. Happy Birthday dad!

He likes waving to me once I'm on the train at the Amtrak station in Richmond. 

Always makes me happy.

Lately, I've been attempting to declutter my space where I live and work.

It's not easy for me. I hang onto things, but it feels nice to let go. I feel lighter. I think.

I moved a couple of paintings. Cata Caquinho, above, now hangs in my living room. 

This is Cattie, a cute Steiff cat from childhood. No, I would never give her up.

This is a corner of my studio/kitchen area. It probably still looks cluttered to many of you, 

but for me, it's good. And, I've moved a bit more since this, too!

Crash Bunnies is now above my drawing table, along with dogs, Ruben & Cooper

Pirate bird and others...

I painted this little winter scene last week.

It's bun's 1st Christmas.

I recently had to get a crown after cracking my back tooth on a pistachio :/

My new dentist is Pasha on 5th Ave and 17th St, Brooklyn.

I think he did a fine job, although my temp popped out eating a breakfast burrito!

Time will tell.

This photo was taken along 4th Ave and you can see, the light was fantastic that day. 

Above, is the lovely, talented Yuko Katakawa at this year's CBIG portfolio review.

It's held each year at a public school on the Upper east Side.

I just love this little cape-coat! 

I thoroughly enjoyed my meetings with Beth Terrill, editor North South Books

and Patti Ann Harris, now at Scholastic. It was a great experience. 

CBIG does a good job of organizing it all. I'm really happy to be a part of this group.

Now, onto gifts! I gave this to my friend, Margaret as a little house warming present. 

She likes whales and this one from Clayopera on Etsy couldn't be sweeter! 

Take a look at her other ceramic pieces, all fun and whimsical.

My sticker :)

If you're shopping for charming toys this year, Hazel Village makes super cute animals,

like these two. I found them at the Union Square Holiday Market last winter.

little tree

My Christmas and holiday cards are available in my Etsy shop, Blip Blop Shop 

take a peek :)

An inkling of an idea - overindulgent animals...

You know who you are!

:::

It's almost the weekend. Have a fun one!

xo, A

For the Love of Etsy!

I have a renewed, refreshed, revived love of Etsy, the world's most vibrant handmade marketplace :) 

Not sure why I was gone so long as a seller. As a consumer, Etsy is often on my mind. After purchasing jewelry from favorite shops, Nest Pretty Things and Sora Designs a lovely carved elephant from Sandra Healy and plenty of fabric, trim and craft books from This & That from Japan (despite my lack of sewing ability) I decided I should give my shop another go. Up top you can see my new header and here is a sampling of the cards and  prints I recently added. 

See more at my store and check out a few of my talented friends' new shops too- Jordan Spilman, JaneKirby and Kristin Brenneman Eno's Halflight 

Below are just some of my latest faves--

                                                   

                                                         Doberman Print by Jordan Spilman

                                     

                                                           Earrings by Nest Pretty Things 

                                      

                                                           Art Print by Little Brown Pen

                                      

                                                  Toddler Fox dress by Wild Things Dresses

                                     

                                                          Woodland Bear by Sleepy King

                                     

                                               Painting- Nautical Menagerie by Lisa Congdon

                                     

                                                      Crochet Small Monkey by Millie Fern

Click to see more of My Favorites :) Trust me, you'll see some really cute, pretty and fabulous decor, jewelry, toys, art & photography! I love that you can easily bookmark faves, just in case you can't afford to buy it all at once.

*and don't wait til it's too late to order your Christmas & Holiday Cards!! 

xo, A

Accent on LOVE IT ...

Last week I decided to take a look at the New York International Gift Fair. I had not been since I worked my sales magic for Inatome well over 10 years ago. The Javits Center can be overwhelming, so I stuck to the designers and companies I admire in the Accent on Design and Studio sections of the show.

Funktion was one of my 1st stops and I felt total joy spotting them toward the end of the aisle. The turquoise wall caught my attention and set off all the fabulous color combinations and patterns beautifully! Above, their friendly salesperson let me include her in a photo. Of course I loved her little apron and she wore some great rings, too :)



Funktion designs many home goods including dish towels, table cloths, napkins, as well as adorable clothing for babies and kids, plus outdoor items perfect for picnics & beach trips. The owners who design it all, Tara and Dave, actually met and fell in love two years ago at a gift show! what a sweet story and nice Valentine's extra :) You can read more on their website.


I turned a corner to find what may be the softest little blanket I have ever felt! This is Ambajam and these blankies are appropriately called "Cuddle Ups" :) Below is the founder, Alessandra Mayer and she couldn't have been nicer or more gracious! I had the pleasure of meeting her lovely mom and their friend, Bonnie while I was there. It was really fun talking to them and it's great to see people in a business so well suited to them. It's easy to see that Alessandra loves what she does!



Ambajam has received a great deal of press for their precious baby clothing, accessories, gift bags and super-soft blankets *(in various sizes) and Oprah Magazine recently highlighted their Cuddle-ups.
**Currently, for every blanket purchased through this Sunday Feb 14th a blanket is given to a child in the Starlight Foundation. Simply buy one now & help another child at the same time! Click here to read more**




Hi Kimochis, I love you :D Wait 'til you see the ultra cute scenarios and dancing animals on their website. Possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen and I make it my business to see cute stuff!! Kimochi means "feeling" in Japanese and these little guys are here to help you with your little one's early emotional development.



You'll meet Cat, Cloud, Huggs, Bug & Lovey and learn about their personalities, feelings and behaviors on the Kimochi site, plus play games with your child there :) A page for teachers is in the works as well. How can you not be a fan of such cute plushies that also serve a purpose?!


Hat/Face/Hat/Face...

Here is Zolo, more great toys and games that also teach and ignite the imagination of young children. They also carry the Kimochi line.

Here you'll find an array of building sets, card games, books, journals, soft toys and more...



Below, meet Zola, she's nocturnal staying up all night to keep watch, but boy does she get tired during the day. I can totally relate ;)

Oh Ze Super Zeros! Each Super Zero has a "mini" power and a related challenge that teach kids to embrace what makes them unique and find their inner Super Zero! Brilliant. Geared for Imagination carries cute and charming French designed toys. I met and talked to Bret Faber, VP of Sales, who seemed just like a kid as he talked to me about these adventurous and educational plush animals from France :)


Above, Bret holds Zonk the monkey, a super climber afraid of heights? Good thing he uses his cape to parachute down!



The Delingos are unique quirky animals with a language of their own. I wasn't so sure about them at 1st, but getting to know them on the site I see their appeal :)

I immediately fell for the Woodours!!! These are great little bears, there are musical ones, activity-style, puppets, mobiles, teethers and more. Thought this campfire scene was the bee's knees :D

This baby bear has a chirpy bird, a squeaky fish, rattling squirrel & teething cracker. Each fits into a color coded pocket :)


Snack time!


*Art on a Yoga Mat*
Plank yoga mats for those of us who like a little humor mixed in with our downward dog ;)



My favorite is this bathroom tiled floor with a melange of pharmaceuticals and what look like chiclets gum!

Doreen Hing is the Creative Director and Founder of Plank and they also create the perfect bags for carrying yours.
*The images are created to change one's perspective of a yoga mat. The commissioned photography and art quality imaging is directed so that each plank can be hung as wall art.
Nice to see something new & so playful!

Yummy blueberry muffin :)

Here is Merben International inc. The little penguin spoke to me and I had to walk over. Merben's President & CEO, Mercedes Benayon is committed to quality in gift giving and it is very apparent looking and touching the many beautiful home goods, bath & body items and soft toys they carry.




The throws and pillows were just stunning in person!

Thought I would end part one of my visit here with this soft sweet hippo :)