Great time had at Andy's Pub

I feel so lucky to have been invited to join the Andy's holiday sale in their 4th year! It was such a great event, with so many talented and varied vendors there selling their wares. The back portion of the pub was transformed into a holiday shopping venue for the evening. It was so festive, full of people shopping, drinking, eating, chatting, the whole evening (3:30ish-8:30ish). The weather was quite chilly, but not cold enough to stop folks from coming in for some last minute shopping!

I had a sweet location, a nice big table right at the entrance to the "show room". Sold and signed lots of books (sold out of My Maine, wow!) and some prints, too. 

My table :) I even had ANDIES Mints in honor of Andy's...I know...I couldn't resist.

I met lots of wonderful, creative people at this show. A few whose work I had seen at other events and was happy to finally put a face to the name/product, and many others with new, unique things I had never seen. I didn't get a photo (because there was always a crowd around his table!) but these repurposed vintage and antique door knobs, assembled onto corks to make wine stoppers, were so fabulous, a great gift idea, and super clever! And they're called "Dorks" (get it?) and are made by A Pane in Maine. 

Another hot seller were lobsterman/artist Eric Pray's "E Tails",  real lobster tails hand painted to perfection. 

Proud to be the owner of this spotted little guy right here ^, and Eric got one of my crab prints; Little lobster buddy is hanging on my tree right now!

Awesome, right?!

And so much more! 

Handmade candles that smelled amazing and fresh by Erin Donovan of Watermark Designs.

and more from Watermark.  I really loved her packaging and displays, don't you?

Reversible headbands, adorable clutches, plus tee shirts and scarves by Beth Webber, who assembled this whole shindig (thanks, Beth, job well done!)

Handmade soaps, chapstick, jewelry and more

I love love loved these hand sewn skirts, I wish I had grabbed her card so I could tell you her name! Sweetest woman, and so talented. These are all hand stitched and uuber soft materials. I especially loved this gray/yellow combo.

I think she called these "Rag-a-mittens" and I was in love with them. Beyond soft and comfy! By Jeanie McAleney

Local artist Andrew Cook's  "Island Lobster" and "Christmas Lobster".   So many lobster options! 

Thanks so everyone who came out. It was a fun time and a very successful sale, can't wait to do it again next year :)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

For you last minute shoppers out there...

I'll be there selling my prints, My Maine books and Down East in the Ocean books! Come by and do some shopping, there will be lots of great choices! I hope to see you there! I'll also be donating a signed My Maine book for the auction, be sure to enter!

Fabulous Friends Friday (Belated!)

OOPS! I've been so buried under my current book project that I totally spaced on Fabulous Friends Friday last week! So here it is, one Friday later!

This month I'd like you to meet my oh so very sweet friend, Toni Walton!

Toni and I sat side by side, or rather, back to back, in our senior illustration studio at the University of Hartford. She's one of the most genuinely nicest and happiest people I have ever known, and I'm so excited for her right now because she just opened up her very own BAKERY! We would often chat during our long days and late nights in the studio about our admiration for cake decorating, and love of shows like Ace of Cakes, and how fun it would be to apply design and illustration talents to cake design. Luckily for Toni, not only can she draw and paint and has an amazing eye for design, but she can cook and bake like a maniac!! Shortly after graduation, she was hired at Carlo's Bakery in NJ, where she worked as a cake decorator and could be seen on their reality tv show, Cake Boss. It was so fun to see her creations, and now she and her sister have opened Sweet T's Bakeshop in NJ. I wish it wasn't an eight hour drive, or I'd be there in a heartbeat devouring scones and muffins and cupcakes and pies and....yikes, drooling, better stop. If you're in the area, be sure to check it out!

Is that breathtaking or what? 

There's those illustration skillz!

Visit her website here to see more of her specialty cakes and full menu: http://www.http://www.sweettbakes.com

or click here to find Toni's bakery on Facebook.

And be sure to "Like" my Facebook page for the full list of posts!

Bon Appetit!!

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

List of Available Prints & Books

My PayPal account is making things more difficult than they need to be. So, until I have some free time to assess the situation and fix it on my shop page on my website, here is a list of items and prices, for your shopping pleasure!

Please contact me by email to place an order, or with any questions. Special orders of other images from both books available upon request.

Books:

(Be sure to include in your order any names you would like the books specifically signed for!)

"Down East in the Ocean" Hardcover $16.95 +tax
Click HERE for description!

"Down East in the Ocean" Hardcover $16.95 +tax
Click HERE for description!

Wood Mounted Prints:

(Hand made, printed on watercolor paper, signed and ready to hang. Prints made from pen & ink and watercolor originals)

Laughing Gulls; 5"x7"; $20

Crawling Crabs; 5"x7"; $20

Spouting Whales; 5"x7"; $20

Floating Jellies; 5"x7"; $20

Island Sunrise; 5"x5"; $20

Chickadee (High Branch); 5"x5"; $20

Chickadee (Flying); 5"x5"; $20

Chickadee (Low Branch); 5"x5"; $20

Moose on Green; 5"x5"; $20

Moose on Purple; 5"x5"; $20

Matted or Unmatted Prints:
(Signed,  printed on archival photo paprer. Option of matted ($35) to 11"x14" frame, or 8"x10
 unmatted and backed ($25). 

Prints made from pen & ink and watercolor originals

 )

Puffin Watch; 8"x10"; $25/$35

Shooting Stars; 8"x10"; $25/$35

Lighthouse; 8"x10"; $25/$35

Island Stroll; 8"x10"; $25/$35

Book signing at Maine Audubon

Got plans this Saturday morning?

 It's the 6th annual Museum Shopper’s Day at Gilsland Farm.

Participating museums are Maine Historical Society, Maine Audubon Society, Portland Headlight Museum, Tate House, Greater Portland Landmarks, Maine Wildlife Park, Falmouth Historical Society, and Scarborough Historical Society. And Suzanne and I will be there with My Maine, too!

Come pick up a copy of "My Maine" 

at the 

Maine Audubon (Falmouth*) 

this Saturday, Nov. 19th,

where the author and I will be there signing books 

from 

9am-4pm

As always, I'll have freebie coloring activities for any kids who stop by. We'd love to meet you!

The holidays are just around the corner, and there's no such thing as too many books!

This is such a beautiful place and Saturday is looking sunny. Make an afternoon of it, do some shopping, and take a little walk through the nature paths...before it snows! 
(Actually, I just found out that you can rent showshoes there in the winter to explore the paths for only $5! Fun!) 

 Hope to see you this Saturday!

*20 Gilsland Farm Road

 Falmouth, Maine 04105

(207) 781-2330 

info@maineaudubon.org

Fabulous Friends Friday-Christina!

Oops! I'm a day late. I'm sure I'm not the only one who November snuck up upon!

This month I'd like to introduce you to my fabulous friend, Christina Rodriguez! 

We were roommates at the University of Hartford, and studio-mates in the illustration studio. We were always among the last to leave in the wee hours of the morning senior year, working hard and motivating each other to stay and paint paint paint! She's one of the hardest working people I know, and she has a really unique style that's always full of life, texture, and vibrant colors. She works with oil paints, primarily, and has a clear love of painting animals. This woman will literally want to paint each strand of hair on a ferret, and every feather on an owl. She's got patience, that's for sure, and it shows!

All her distinctive techniques can be seen in her brand new children's book, ¡A Bailar! (Let's Dance!). 

I'm so excited for her new book, and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of my own! Not long ago, she was faced with a terrible hardship, when her apartment (in New Jersey) caught fire and burnt down. Thank god she and everyone in the building were okay, though she lost just about everything, including almost all of her artwork, which as an artist, we all have certain attachments to after spending countless hours on our work. But in classic Christina style, she didn't let it destroy her. She got right back up, and got right back to work. She's a strong and wonderful lady, and I'm so proud of her! 

Visit her website here to see more of her work: http://www.crodillustration.com

And be sure to "Like" my Facebook page for the full list of posts. 

Busy October

I spent a good part of October in the studio working out the sketches and layout for my new picture book. But when I wasn't sitting and sketching and wracking my brain for ideas, I was busy prepping for a few events!

•

A couple of weeks ago I took part in a group Down East book signing with several wonderfully talented and kind authors and illustrators. The event took place at the Portland Public Library on a Saturday afternoon. We all had activities for kids to participate in, from decorating cookies with Katie Clark, to tail shaking and froggy hopping games from Pond Babies, with Cathryl Falwell, and making books about their own 7 Days, like in 7 Days of Daisy, with Jamie Hogan. I brought some coloring pages from Down East in the Ocean, that you can download here, and some freebie pins with images from Down East in the Ocean on them! All the kids who came also participated in a scavenger hunt, thanks to Kirsten Cappy of Curious City. I had a great time chatting with the other illustrators and authors. I enjoy the group events because I get the opportunity to pick the minds of wonderfully talented folks who have been in the business and can offer me advice. I always leave with new bits of information, which I appreciate. My camera wasn't working well, but I caught a few...

The kids loved Cathryn Falwell's games and crafts!

We did a drawing and gave away one of each of the books for the kids.
A lucky little girl named Truly won mine!

•••••••••••

The next day, I drove down to Kittery where I had a table at an outdoor fall bazaar/flea market type sale near the outlet shops on Rt.1.  The turnout was a bit dismal, unfortunately, but at least it was a good excuse to prepare all my prints, so now I have a good stock for future sales...and I had Riley with me for good company!

Even though she was a little bored, she kept me company and kept me warm

•••••••••••

Then, my last little project in October was more on the crafty side! My good friend, Toni, is in the process of launching and marketing her own business. She is a chef, and is available for private catering, cooking lessons/demonstrations, private chef, and special occasion baking! Mmm. So, Toni cooked up a wonderful meal and we invited some good friends over to have a photo shoot/dinner party, to get some good shots for her website--coming soon! I played photographer for the evening, and I put together the centerpiece and table, to accompany her beautiful meal. It was a fun excuse to get crafty in the cozy fall, and we did it all on the cheap, which was great! The centerpiece was put together primarily with items we already had around the house, and only spent about $25 on the rest (mainly the fabric for the table runner and some candles). We had a blast and will definitely be doing more. Stay tuned for info on Chefette Toni, as well!

Mason jars, flowers, candles, pretty fabric, Chinese Lanters...so warm and lovely!

Delicious fig and goat cheese spread. And I mean deeeelicious.

The wonderful chef(ette)!

I got lots of the ideas for the party on Pinterest.com, be sure to check it out...if you feel like killing some time. It's easy to get lost in there!

Phew, very full October!