I've been a busy bee {sort of!}

I realized that my goal of a post a day was quickly slipping away from me. Sometimes I wonder where the time goes... I've been busy in my studio printing some new pillows for the Ice Craft Fair that I am participating in this weekend. In my post about it awhile ago I thought it would be a great place to go & check out fellow designers in this area... wouldn't you know- even though the deadline passed way before I moved down here the nice girls running the show found a place to squeeze me in! A BIG THANKS TO THEM! Cross your fingers for great weather & lots of people in the mood to shop! I'll try to give sneak peak of what I am going to sell, but in typical Jess fashion- the goods will be done about 24 hours prior to the show! Yikes! {I work best under pressure!}

{so where does the "sort of" fit in you ask...} Well, Saturday Night was a really fun BBQ at C&K's where I watched the Ultimate Fight Lidell v. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson - totally wild experience. Sunday G&I went to Turner Field to see Atlanta v. Philadelphia. {Phillies Won!!!} And, finally Monday {though I did clock a few AM hours} I then hung out poolside for a few hours with K&C&L followed by a BBQ and Redsox game {on tv.} All in all- an awesome Memorial Day Weekend...

Back to the grind...

Check Her Out: Kitty Genius

Kitty Genius aka Ashley Goldberg posted some new work on her blog a few days ago that I really responded to... something about pigs & cows with cute faces... I can totally see these in a baby's room... These are not for sale yet but she has other great illustrations for sale at her etsy shop.

Check This Out: More Than "Crafts"

I am on the hunt for "the cool designers" of Atlanta and I'm thinking that a lot of 'em are gonna be right here. Mark your calendars and head to Centennial Olympic Park on June 2, 2007 {and bring some spending money!}
For a complete list of exhibitors and info click here.

Warehouse Sale!

Where: 2151 Northwest Parkway, Suite 500
Marietta, GA 30067

When: Saturday, May 19, 2007
9am - 2pm

What: Huge Savings, $1 yd Specials, By the Pound Fabrics, Remnants & More!

Why: Because there is something in your life that could a fabric uplift!

Another Great Use for Fabric

After being on the One Good Bumblebee shop I noticed a link to her blog. Her latest post had a great idea for temporary wallpaper using fabric! Check it out here. Above are some cool fabrics I came across that I would LOVE to decorate my walls with!

fabrics found at reprodepot

Cool Find: One Good Bumblebee

I bumped into this very fun online store - One Good Bumblebee this morning. Some of my favorites are above! {Rubber Lace Coasters, Pirate Cuddle Babies, and The Trees Art Print}
I am also digging the layout of the website...

Pilates at Home

I know what you're thinking... MTV? I thought the same thing... but the back cover boasted good music & flat abs and wasn't too expensive so I figured I'd give it a try. The disc is split in to 2 half hour workouts- arms & abs and legs & abs and then a short quickie workout for the days you have little or no time. I've been practicing yoga & doing these "workout DVD's" since I moved down here because I haven't figured out a gym or yoga studio situation. Once you get past that "I'm working out in my living room" feeling it's actually not so bad... Now, if only I could get my butt to go running...

Phase I: Building the Printing Tables

For those of you who don't know- I am currently putting together my studio in the basement of my house here in Atlanta. When all is said & done I'll have a fully functional screen print studio with printing for both textile & works on paper! Round one of construction took place without me. Greg built the two printing surfaces I had {nicely} requested. {Greg estimated his building material costs for the two tables are $125.} He built me a 4'W x 8'L x 30"H printing table for paper. This table is topped with white laminate {ensuring a completely smooth surface for printing.} The base/frame is built from 2 by 4's. I have not yet attached my hinge clamps... The second "mother" table is for printing on fabric. My instructions were a 4'W x 16'L x 30"H table but that the top could be cheap, plywood or whatever as it would be covered by foam & fabric... When I arrived he had used chipboard for the top surface which was great because the foam "stuck" to it! So, not only is it cheap- but highly recommended!

Here is a breakdown of the materials I bought:
I hit the local Joann Fabrics to find:
{Try to get a coupon- they always seem to be offering 40% off something...}

Foam or Batting - I opted for batting because it was on sale for $2.99/yd and it came 48" wide {exactly 4'- like my table.} The foam they had was $9.99 for a 24"W x 72"L piece... I decided that was too much $$ and too much piecing. Depending on where you shop you may find the foam is more reasonable... What you need is 1" thickness. The batting is about 1/2" {I bought 10oz batting} so I knew I would need to double it. There were large rolls of 15 yds of batting available- and since the price was right I decided to get the whole roll because I will need it in the future. TOTAL: $44.85

Duck Canvas - Make sure you get the canvas at least 60"W because you need to stretch it over your 4'W table and over the batting. My canvas cost $6.99/yd and I bought 6yds {18 ft} so I knew I would have some play room. You need to buy your canvas larger than your table so that you can stretch it & attach it over the batting/foam. Similar to stretching a canvas, my fingers definitely took a beating and I have 2 blisters to prove it! TOTAL: $41.94

Muslin - Just order the same amount that you determined you need for you canvas. The muslin gets stretched over the canvas... Mine was $2.99yd @ 6 yds. TOTAL: $17.94

TOTAL @ Joann's: $104.73 plus tax

The only other materials you need are a Staple Gun {I love mine!} and 1/2" staples. I bought the staples at Home Depot for $3.79 +tax.

Take a look at my pictures- e-mail me for more specific directions- but basically you want to lay the batting/foam down smoothly & staple along the edge every 12".

Then cover the table & batting/foam with the canvas by really pulling & stretching it taught. {You don't want any wrinkles or looseness.} I found it easiest to staple one side every 12" or so and one staple on each end of the table. Then, pull & stretch from the opposite side & staple every 12". Repeat on both sides & the ends until you have a staple every 4-6" and there are no more wrinkles! Neatly tuck the corners & you're ready to begin the muslin.

I used the same method for the muslin as I used for the canvas. {Staple one side every 12" and then pull & stretch from the opposite side.} I left these corners un-tucked & the sides longer to easily remove it. The reason we put the muslin on top of the canvas is to "catch" any ink that might bleed through the fabric you are printing. Muslin is relatively inexpensive & can be changed frequently to keep your surface fairly clean. The canvas should last at least 6mos - 1yr or longer depending on your use!

Lastly- I'm lucky to have such a large space to work in! But your tables don't need to be as big as mine. Just adjust your materials to fit your working space!

Great Source: Fabric.com

In the midst of set-up studio mode... I took a break to do some much dreaded banking! To my surprise- the hour long meeting at SunTrust with Lauren was so great! Not only is she quite efficient at getting the banking set up for me personally and my biz but we chatted about common interests- one being- fabric... and wouldn't you know she mentioned Fabric.com {a company that I had already known to have great fabrics at great prices} is actually located about 10 minutes from my new abode! Now- they are a warehouse- so I can't pop in to browse, but she told me they have a warehouse sale 2 times a year {get on their mailing list} and I can pick my order up avoiding costly freight charges! I'm in heaven!

Check Him Out: JefDesigns

My Design Public e-mail reminded me how cool I think JefDesigns is! Design Public is featuring the new light box paintings- but how fresh is the Kelp Screenprint on Printed Stretched Canvas!


top: jefdesigns Gorgonia Limited Edition Lightbox Painting
bottom: jefdesigns Kelp - Brown on Blue Limited Edition Print

I Could Eat Brunch 24-7

My most favorite type of place to eat at is a great brunch spot. One of the girls from my yoga studio who used to live in Atlanta recommended the Flying Biscuit to me for brunch. Greg & I checked it out on Sunday before a grueling day at Ikea trying to furnish our "too big for us" home on a serious budget. {More on that later this week!}
Amy was so right on! I had to get the Eggstra-Ordinary - 2 eggs, potatoes, grits and the signature Flying Biscuit with Apple Butter for $5.99! I was also tempted by their signature chicken sausage so I got a side of that. Greg opted for the Piedmont Omelet - three large farm fresh eggs with chicken sausage, turkey bacon, sauteed onions & cheddar cheese - again served with potatoes and a biscuit. We both got OJ and our bill was $17 and change. Maybe the south really is better!
Our wait time was the traditional 30 min at 10:30am on Sunday morning. But there were some cute things to window shop in the neighboring stores and the hostess parked out front of the place was fairly entertaining {read- hung-over & college aged!} The place is small- but has a really nice outdoor section & a bar for singles! Over all this place ranks high on my list of brunch places making me feel a bit more at home already.

View from Inside Philly Hearts Design

Earlier I posted about Philly Hearts Design - a show of fresh new Philadelphia Designers that was hosted at the F.U.E.L. Gallery in Old City. Here are a few pics of the set up they did of my pillows at the show. Over-all it was a great show- a lot more student work featured than I expected...