Studio Haus

09/27/2024

Come see me and a bunch of other makers for this super cool event held at Vanderbilt University’s Wond’ry tomorrow, June 28 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. It’s kid friendly and full of great activities and exhibitors like me. Dodge the raindrops by being indoors with free parking right across the street!

The Wond’ry at Vanderbilt University
2414 Highland Ave., Nashville, TN 372213

See you there!

09/23/2024

Another fabulous Block Printing Repeat Patterns on Textiles is now in the books. I had a wonderful time seeing all the individually inspired and unique motifs arising from sketches to carving to printing in the 2-day basics workshop and I can’t wait to teach the Next Levels of Repeat Pattern Block Printing working in early 2025. Stay tuned for details here and/or sign up for my e-newsletter using the link in my profile. Many thanks to and especially Sara in the studio for making this such a successful experience for all! I love BARN’s creative community and miss it when I go!

08/13/2024

It’s always such a treat to see my name in print but especially so when it follows 2 years of work with a client who has been working hard to birth a very big book with lots of great info. While I didn’t design the book’s cover or interior this time, I worked with the author in visualizing 30 infographics for both the print (in b&w) and e-books (in color). The content is fascinating and I can see this book becoming a great resource for anyone studying pop music’s changes since the 1980s. It’s been a wild ride in the music biz since then with rapid changes. Published by Oxford University Press, it’s going to be a keeper for many!

08/05/2024

I block printed this scarf all the back at the end of 2021 (swipe to see the original colors) but it didn’t seem to generate any interest during shows. So I tried over-dyeing it with logwood which made it too purple. Then I over-dyed it with indigo. 💙 I think I found a colorway that I’ll stick with. 😂 It sure is fun playing with colors!

07/22/2024

This was my second try and this indigo dyed design because the first time I inadvertently cut a hole in the silk while cutting off the string that created the dye resist. While at the time it really bummed me out, it was a test of resourcefulness to see if I could recreate similar results. It kind of worked surprisingly—AND I’ve potentially come up with an innovative solution to save the silk with the hole cut in it which I’ll share later if it actually works. It can be much fun (after frustration wanes) to test the creative problem solving skills!

07/19/2024

06/11/2024

Hi all! After many years of hemming and hawing, I've finally been convinced to create an e-newsletter so that I can have a more direct path to being in touch with anyone interested in my creative pursuits. I've been ambivalent about whether I could hold anyone's attention, especially with all the hats I wear, but was encouraged by someone to share snippets of all the "things." If anyone is interested in signing up, I promise it will only be an occasional and brief email. If you'd like to be added to the email list, please share your email address with me through direct message or by visiting my website's "Events/Connect" page. It won't hurt my feelings though if you decide otherwise. Thanks!

Learn the basics of designing and block printing your own repeat pattern designs on textiles on beautiful Bainbridge Island in Washington state. More details here.

06/08/2024

I love printmaking on fabric but I also have digitized designs, some of which were created from by carved block designs like the ones shown here. The beauty of digitizing my designs is that I can easily change the colorways as well as the motif size. Recently I’ve had orders for pillows from customers for specific colors, sizes and fabrics. I’ll happily share examples of many of my other designs but this one has been one of the most widely appreciated and purchased. There are so many colors and fabrics to explore—organic, natural, performance, fleece, cotton silk, and more!! I can even have wallpaper printed—including grasscloth, pre-pasted, metallic and more!Reach out if you have any ideas you’d like to explore.

05/26/2024

I printed and sewed this silk poncho a while back but never shared it so here it is!
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05/10/2024

Here’s a new silk poncho finished just before the Spring BARN Bazaar. I hope to see some of you tomorrow, May 11 between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. pacific. There will even be Falafel Salad Bowls @ $15 served by the BARN Bistro (ingredients: fresh falafel, quinoa tabbouleh, hummus, salad with tahini dressing, pickled onions and pita triangles—GF alternative to pita will be available) all made from scratch. It’s going to be a beautiful day to get out so join us

04/28/2024

I’m heading back to WA soon and thrilled to be a part of the upcoming pre-Mothers Day BARN Bazaar. Please come check it out—there are so many wonderfully creative artists and craftspeople at these events. We’d all love to share what we’ve been up to! And there will be much to choose from if you’re looking for a gift or treasure for family, friends or yourself.

04/21/2024

My newest Japanese knot bag—block printed on one side and screen printed on the other—these reversible bags are great for travel because they fold up nicely in luggage, are big enough to carry a wallet, passport, cell phone, and small enough to not feel bulky, plus they’re reversible, allowing for a change of mood too. I love making these!

04/14/2024

I was recently commissioned to create some name cards for a writers’ retreat where I’ve been leading yoga the past few days, selling some of my wares, hearing fabulous readings, and making new friends. The creative experience is manifested in infinite ways, each so very personal. I’m grateful for the experience of creating these mini mixed media pieces and then given the opportunity to hear these writers read their hearts’ words. We laughed, we cried, we saw glimmers of others’ experiences—and we likely all think about some things differently than before. Good times, good food, good people, all at one of my favorite creative places:

04/11/2024

Mark your calendars for this year’s Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival on Saturday, April 13th starting with a cherry blossom walk at 9:30 a.m. The festival is FREE and runs from 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. in Public Square Park at the Metro Courthouse. Japan-America Society of Tennessee, Inc. has put together a fabulous schedule of music, dance, martial arts, food trucks, anime merch, the always hilarious sumo suit wrestling, a Cosplay contest, lectures, demos and so much more! It’s little and big kid-friendly and and pet friendly too! You can even look for the Pups in Pink parade and contest.

04/10/2024

Introducing a new block printed random repeat design—I find these somewhat trickier to print than the more structured repeats because you can easily get a weird space in the printing where there’s no room for another motif, or it can look less random by having an unintentional linear section where the motif wasn’t offset enough in places. It’s all about getting a good composition. This will turn into two or more new sewn pieces…I’ll share when done.

03/26/2024

In the midst of finishing a collage commission, I decided to stick with playing around with process by mixing things up over the weekend: this is a Cyanotype experiment in wood that I did back in the fall of 2021 and it has been sitting around waiting for me to figure out how to finish it. Ultimately I decided to do a mini block printed repeat pattern and then touched up the drawing with colored pencil. I’m pretty smitten with exploring mixed media processes and always seem to circle back around to them. Simple things bring joy.

03/14/2024

My fella and I collaborated in a workshop where he taught how to make bandsaw boxes and I showed ways to add surface design. One of my favorite surface design processes is wood burning. I promise I’m not a pyromaniac but I do love the effects that come from burning. Here are just a few ways I’ve used the burner and I plan to keep exploring new ideas. Sharing this process with others is equally as fun!