Spreading a little sunshine....

Happy Friday! Thought I'd take a moment today to spread a little sunshine to all of you who are buried in snow or bailing your basements after all the rain in recent days.

I'm looking forward to the arrival of spring (soon, I hope!) and all the loveliness that it brings. I love seeing the first flowers peek out from the frozen ground, and when the sun warms your face on a morning walk. I love seeing the dirty snowbanks disappear, and the birds reappear in the trees. I love shedding the winter coat in favor of a denim jacket, and not having to wear socks. I love opening all the windows and letting the warm breeze in.

What about you? What do you love about spring?

I love: Mittens...

... especially beautiful hand knit mittens! My grandmother knit mittens for me (and all the other kids in the family) every year when I was a growing up, always with a little pattern on them, and always with the long string that you would thread through the sleeves of your jacket, so you'd never lose one of the prized mittens!

Although these days gloves seem so much more practical than mittens, I do still find mittens so charming - they remind me fondly of my childhood and the joys of snow days, sledding, and snowmen.

Me, my little brother John, and cousin Sarah in the snow.

Do you love mittens too? Well, here's your chance to win an amazing pair of mittens from the Vancouver Olympics, from the lovely and talented Fiona of Cartolina and Cafe Cartolina.

(Thanks for a great giveaway, Fiona... and I really, really hope I win!)

Happy Happy!

Happy Valentines Day and Happy Chinese New Year!

I love: conversation hearts...

... such a sweet Valentine's Day tradition! It's hard to resist the charming messages on the little pastel hearts.

If you're more inclined to indulge in a heart shaped box filled with gooey chocolates or a pink m&m on Valentine's Day, you can still take part in the conversation heart tradition with a calorie-free version - create your own virtual candy hearts, perhaps to send to your special Valentine in a sweet email!

Inspired: Scherenschnitte (papercutting)

I am completely fascinated by beautiful, intricate scherenschnitte, and am so pleased that it's made a comeback in recent years, both in traditional patterns and more modern form. One amazing artist that I adore is Rob Ryan, who has completely captured the vintage charm of this art form, while giving it a bit of a current twist.

I tried my hand at papercutting several years ago - making some lovely framed pieces and sweet ornaments... I loved the process as well as the final outcome, but especially enjoy the design process - working with symmetry, silhouettes and the use positive and negative space, as I also do in so many of my prints.

The papercut above is from Rob Ryan's book, This Is for You (which would make a very sweet Valentine's day gift, by the way...).

Finally Friday: Wear Red

Today is National Wear Red Day, part of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Movement - a day to speak up about heart disease, the number 1 killer of women - so grab your favorite red dress or sweater and help raise awareness!

Sneak peek: new artful goodies

.... bookmarks and bookplates!

Here's a peek at just a few of the designs I have in the works, and will be debuting at the Boston Gift Show in March.

Wise Owl

(perfect for the scholar!)

Pirate Ship

(for those who love tales of the sea!)

Cupcake

(for the baker, or birthday girl!)