Daisy Janie

random things listed, week 2. strike-offs.

These fabrics are listed in the remnants section of my etsy shop.

I gathered up a bunch of strike-offs for this week's random listing extravanganza! These strike-offs are the result of testing out various designs for scale, color and, well, design. In previous years, I also tested out various base goods.

What does that mean to you? Basically, only one of them exists, and you're lookin' at 'em...so it's a rare opportunity to purchase a truly unique and original fabric. Every one of these listings is one-of-a-kind - none of them proceeded to the "yardage printing phase" exactly as shown either b/c the design was unsatisfactory or the base good wasn't a match for a particular reason.

These listings include:
- Audrey (pre-fini) on 6oz cotton sateen, lighter colorway SOLD
- Audrey (pre-fini) on 6oz cotton sateen, current colorway
- Audrey (fini) on 4.4oz cotton poplin, smaller scale & Spring green colorway SOLD
- Bloom on cotton twill
- Bloom on 4.5oz organic cotton sateen SOLD
- Delilah (pre-fini) on 6oz cotton sateen, taupe colorway
- Ayla on 6 oz cotton sateen, not in print at all (turned into my Layla design later...)

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My favorite today is the listing for the sixty 6-inch cut squares (shown below). I had planned to sew them together as shown in the bottom image, rotating various squares to reveal a cool vine-leaf circle. Yeah, didn't get to it. If this one doesn't sell tho, I'll be stitching it together shortly b/c I fell in love with it all over again during the photo shoot. *Item sold already.

seeing | what terrifies george the dog at 5:30 am.

This morning in the dark, George's hackles were raised high like a bad mohawk as he circled wiiiiiide around this basketball about 4 times, giving it a good sideways stare. He sidled closer with each pass, giving some gruff half-barks to warn that imposing basketball that he was there and he meant business. The ball didn't move. Phew, that was a close one!

We now add basketball to the list of threatening objects from which George has courageously saved us. Others include small children, a backpack, a robe, a lawnchair, a garbage bag and a blanket.

Here's George, in case you're unfamiliar with this gooberbrain.

behold. metal and fabric jewelry by 3squares.

above: fig necklace in sterling silver & fabric 
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The jewelry-making prowess of Jean Cameron from 3squares has been captivating to me for some time. I love her unique combos of tarnished and textured metals, the unexpected cutouts and rivets, the use of found materials, the balance of industrial and modern design (shall I go on?). So, yeah, she pretty much had me at hello.

Imagine my sheer delight when Jean combined her metalwork with a dash of my Bloom fabric to create these insanely cool necklaces. Okay, I'll admit I'm biased...but seriously, it's not everyday someone makes a necklace of unparalleled charm and character out of my fabric! I appreciate your creative vision a great deal, Jean!

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below: brown sugar necklace in copper & fabric (this one lives with me, but her shop is full of other remarkable pieces.)

random things listed | a pillow & handbags.

Probably like most of you, I have a slew of random products & random raw materials in my studio as well as random ideas rattling around in my head. Even tho they're on my to-do list under the 'list on etsy' heading, I never get to them b/c I have this crazy fixation (are there fixations that aren't crazy?) that I have to do them all at once. For ex, I have a stack of strike-offs on fabric base goods I'll never use (but somebody could!), and I haven't listed them b/c I haven't had time to get them out all at once, get their pics taken all at once and get them listed all at once. Same with a remnants, hardware, notions...and so ridiculously much more. Well phooey on that. I've contacted my commanding officer, "Permission to be random and list things one atta time?" And whadiya know? Permission was granted!

At the beginning of each week, I'll list some random things in my etsy shop, and I'll post them here in case they're things you can use. It'll be sooooo nice to feel like I'm making a dent in my list and my studio shelves....and maybe get to a little bit of random sewing & random idea fruition!

Without further ado, this week's random listings are:
- 1 cotton/linen pillow in Charlotte with a hidden zipper closure (1 in stock)
- 2 cotton/linen shoulder bags with rope handles: 1 in Audrey (2 in stock) and 1 in Madame (1 in stock)

free printable download & giveaway | ancient proverb

Did you ever read or hear something that strikes such a chord with your philosophies that you feel like it was meant just for you? And you're so moved when it happens that you feel compelled to share it immediately with whoever is standing near you, stranger or not? That's exactly how I felt about this ancient Indian proverb. About 17 years ago, I had the good fortune of stumbling upon this quote in a shop selling Native American art, and I remember tugging pretty insistently on Matt's shirt to pull him over and share it with him.

It fused itself to my soul and has been an overarching moral compass in my life ever since. To me, it underscores the importance of not only being kind to the earth but also, connotatively, being a good human on all fronts. It’s the idea that one’s actions & words create an impact well-beyond the second they’re expressed – they go on and on and on. Call it a spillover–trickle down–ripple–domino effect if you like…you get the gist, I'm sure. I'll leave it at that b/c I think the credo speaks volumes without my refereeing it for you...

When I googled the proverb today, this is what I found:
"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children."

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G I V E A W A Y . . . ends 2/5/10
As a thank you for voting for Daisy Janie in The Poppies recently, the two printouts shown here are up for grabs for 2 lucky winners! They're printed on a super smooth, 100% post-consumer waste and Green-e certified coverstock, acid-free, archival quality. To enter, please leave a comment about an inspirational quote and why you find it moving or how you apply it to your own life. Contest ends Friday, 2/5/10, 12 noon EST. Two random winners will be selected. 

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D O W N L O A D . . . ends 2/5/10
Download a free 8.5" x 11" pdf printable of this quote in blue, green or pink. These will be available to download until Friday, 2/5/10, 12pm EST. These are for personal use only; they are not intended for resale. I'll say it again, these are not for resale. Thank you for your understanding!

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D E T A I L S . . .
If it looks like the text is cutout from the paper and the woodgrain of the table is peeking through, you'd be on the right track! I used a picture of my table as the background texture for each letter in the quote. Same with the leaf motif bordering it. Love the effect!

how to create an art wall

I've been accumulating artwork* for creating an art wall in my living room. It's taken a backseat to other things for months, but I'm happy to report that I finally got it done this past weekend. As I write this, two chairs are being recovered in my annika avalon fabric (organic cotton/hemp canvas), and they'll sit below this artwork.

Before I show you how I mapped out the placement of the prints using Illustrator, let me share the matting and framing steps. If you're hanging a lot of art at once, this info may be helpful to you.

- - - Matting - - -
My artwork didn't fit neatly into precut/prefab mats found at the craft store, so I opted to have individual mats cut for each print. Here's how I measured...

Inner Dimension: I made a list of all the prints and examined them one-by-one for best placement of the mat opening, noting things like the actual size of the artwork, artists' signatures and what an even border around these might be. I used a clear, plastic ruler so I could see what I was measuring. These measurements became the inner dimensions of the mat...jotted it down.

Outer Dimension: I knew I was going to use standard-size frames from a craft store (at some point I'd like to replace a few of these with vintage frames), so I went to the store ahead of time and made notes of which types of frames came in which sizes. I measured for the outer dimension of the mats using the standard frame sizes...jotted it down.

I think it's wise to look at all your prints at once so you can see how they're similar or different - do certain ones need to be separated or paired-up? Is there an overpowering color or size? This info helped in determining the frame I would use, which then determined the OD of the mat. Sometimes you have to get ahead of yourself and work backwards from later steps to make good decisions. All in the name of visualizing the final look!

I found an etsy seller, Paula Manning Lewis, who cuts custom mats! She did an excellent job!!!

- - - Framing - - -
I waited until the craft store was having a store-wide sale and purchased my frames all at once. That was helpful in case I changed my mind about one or they didn't have enough of a certain style (which happened with the 5 10" x 13" frames I needed....had to compromise). I also purchased hanging wire to use between the pre-installed d-rings....even if it only spans 3 inches, it's way better than trying to nail two holes in the wall exactly level (is that what they expect you to do?). gah.

- - - Mapping Out Art - - -
I measured the space on the wall - 4 ft. tall by 7 ft. wide. I used Illustrator to make a quick graph using the blend tool, and I made some frames to move around on the graph, scaling everything down by 50%. You could also use regular graph paper and make cut-outs of each frame that you can reposition til your heart's content. Scaling would have be done at like 85-90% for mapping on paper.

- - - Hanging the Art - - -
Once I was happy with my layout, I printed it out (scaling it in the print dialog box to fit regular paper), scribbled the name of each print in its designated space and kept it nearby for reference. I can't tell you exactly what you'll need to hang your frames b/c everyone's house is different. My house is old, and my walls are plaster and lathe with a double-brick wall exterior...short, grippy nails are a must! I also use a piece of painter's tape where my nail will go to avoid chipping the plaster. Maybe you need drywall anchors or toggle bolts (if art is heavy). A level, hammer, pencil, measuring tape (and maybe a drill) will come in handy.

I hung the largest print in the center first and then worked my way around it until it was complete. My layout intentionally allows for eyeballing where to hang each print - nudging & bumping makes life easier! If you want your art wall to have a precise alignment, you'll need to measure your buttinski off. Last week on Cafe Cartolina, Fiona posted about a kit for creating perfectly aligned displays. 

There you have it! I like the nooks & crannies leftover as well as the fact the layout allows for adding more artwork in the future. 

If you have any helpful suggestions, tips or questions, please post them to the comments.

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* You can see the artwork & get links to shops in this post from last Fall.

behold. gray platter set.

if a dreary gray day could spark as much joy in me as this dazzling gray platter set, i would never sass about a cloudy sky again b/c i'd be too busy dancing around the house with my head bopping side-to-side like the twins in a Charlie Brown Christmas.

hand-thrown from jiki porcelain. flowers are hand-carved into the black slip. completely functional & customizable. entire set includes all 10 pieces shown.

$100.

from amy misle.

unwittingly copied.

quote (c) 2004 M. DiCintio.

The image above was created as I was going about my merry business on this fine Saturday afternoon, working on a few of my 'someday' projects. It's based upon a very sweet note my husband wrote to me in 2004, when I was working on a super-duper stressful Designers' Showcase...back in the days when walls were my canvas. I keep it posted on my bulletin board by my desk. Always.

As I played around with different fonts, layouts and hues, this one really struck me. I didn't think too, too much about the colors, though; I was just randomly dropping them in from one of my saved swatch palettes. "Hmmmm, I kinda like it," I thought, "it's got a little somethin' I can work with."

I walked away from my computer to make a grocery list. I cont'd to toss the image around in my head...thinking how to rework or change it or make it less graphic. Suddenly, I had this vague feeling of familiarity as I continued to mentally turn it over again and again. Bam! It hit me! Out of nowhere, I could see the Martha Stewart tv show logo in my mind's eye. I wasn't sure of the colors or exact look of the logo, so I googled the show to check it.

Whadiya know - it's not exactly the same, but, undeniably, it has some details in common. Funny thing is I've never watched a Martha Stewart show in my life!!! I've seen clips, but how the hell did this image become seared in my brain to the extent that I was able to activate it and regurgitate it, unwittingly. I remember walking through NYC last January and seeing a vertical banner for the show (I think), and, a few years ago, I remember seeing the Gosselin family in photos standing in front of the show entrance. Those are the only times I can pinpoint seeing this logo at all...and I can't even be certain of them. I might have just filled these in from some other goofy memories.

The psychologist downstairs (my husband) said there's no specific theory geared toward this type of unintentional recall, but he spoke about cells and lobes and nodes and hierarchies in our brains and how all the images and information to which we are exposed fits into these complex memory systems, yadda, yadda, yadda. You know, the whole filing cabinet idea. It's all in there somewhere, and it's impossible to say when these bits of data will reveal themselves, if ever. Just think about the tiny, tiny likelihood of this occurrence given the infinitesimal combinations of circumstances required to come together in order to trigger an unconciously filed morsel of info...it's beyond astounding that it ever, ever happens. Or maybe that we ever *know* it happens! But as I've illustrated above, it definitely does.

This happenstance likeness to Martha's logo was a perfect case and point for something I've long believed about copied artwork, which is that there are variations of copying. See if you agree.... There's willful and unlawful imitation - copying at its worst - and is unacceptable on every level! Then there are similarities borne out of trends, styles or inspiration, where artwork still maintains originality and, while likenesses may be present, they're subtle and acceptable. And then there's unintentional coincidence - where the artist doesn't know what they don't know - and they've created something that rings of reproduction, but they have no clue they've done so. A couple summers ago, decor8 had a guest post written by Erin of Design for Mankind about this: A Fine Line: Inspiration vs. Imitation? I chimed in with a similar train of thought as above and talked about creative divinity striking more than once...whoa. Yes, I do believe that, too! The comments are a great read!

Anyway, I'm done prattling! I would love to know your thoughts. Has this ever happened to you, where you create something and then realize it's been done before? Do you believe there are different types of copying? Whose the judge and jury who determines when someone has crossed the line, esp if it's a fine line? General comments about the topic are welcome, too!

thank you.

images/products (c) modernemotive. are these gorgeous cards or what? AND they're ecofriendly to boot!!

I'm well overdue in extending my gratitude for a few things so pardon me while I take a moment:

  Thank you for nominating Daisy Janie in The Poppies on Poppytalk for Favorite Handmade Eco Artist. The voting phase is now underway, and if you'd pop over to The Poppies to vote for Daisy Janie, I'd be *most* appreciative! There are a lot of great shops and friends up for the distinction as well - I'm proud to be amongst them! I think anyone nominated for an "eco award" for their work is on the right path - we're all winners [hip bump]!

Thank you for reading & commenting on the DJ blog! I love reading your responses to questions I pose and, of course, your sweet messages of support send me to the moon! I always feel like I have company visiting when I read your comments, but it's the best kind of company b/c I didn't have to clean my house!

Thank you to my dearest online friends for your professional opinions and astute advice! Your willingness to lend an ear or a hand (we're not body-part discriminant over here) is well beyond the call of duty, and I hope I am always able to return it to you in kind.

Thank you to the following bloggers and blogs for featuring my work and/or words recently:

Print & Pattern
Cool Mom Picks
Mother Nature Network
Try Handmade
modernemotive

Thank you to the following resellers who have pre-ordered the Geo Grand organic collection. This has been the highlight of my year so far!!

Modern Organic Fabrics
Pink Panda Fabrics
Lola Pink Fabrics

Have a great weekend! See you back here on Monday, if not sooner!

ever feel like this?

Feeling sort of tiny but intensely focused on a distant, sunny horizon.

That's about where I am right now.

Et toi?

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image (c) Jennifer Mulcahy- a visual artist who specializes in fun photomanipulations. available in her etsy shop.

geo grand pre-ordering now available

Retailers & Manufacturers:
Wholesale pre-ordering of the Geo Grand organic fabric collection by Daisy Janie is now available! Please visit the wholesale page to download PDFs of the wholesale application, order form and the Geo Grand line sheet. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to ask: wholesale@daisyjanie.com.

Sewists & Hobbyists:
Interested in working with the Geo Grand organic fabric collection? Please contact your independent fabric retailer and ask them to stock Geo Grand or feel free to send the shop's info to me at wholesale@daisyjanie.com - I'd be happy to contact them!

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I'm proud to announce that I received the first wholesale order for Geo Grand over the weekend! With my eyes barely open yesterday morning, I stumbled into my office to peek at email and found an order from Modern Organic Fabrics waiting for me! I found out soon afterward that it's a challenge to sip hot coffee when you can't stop smiling, but it was still the best morning coffee I've had in a looooong time :) Thank you, Melanie!

seeing | what old age gets ya

A reflection of finely cracked lines, appearing only when the light hits them a certain way...beautifully patterned lines that symbolize a lifetime marked by love & loss, laughter & laments...so rich, so layered, so well-earned.

geo grand strike-offs - sneak peek

Strike-offs of Geo Grand arrived on Friday! These are small pieces that are hand-printed on an unfinished fabric for artwork and color approval. They turned out stupendously!! The artwork is where it's supposed to be, and all colors but green are magnificently matched!

The chartreuse had to be altered slightly to meet the GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) requirements for certification. The Pantone shade I originally selected was bright chartreuse, and the new green is only one shade above it - linden green. After examining the swatches in all sorts of different lighting this weekend, I fell in love with this green! It suits the other colors perfectly and makes a well-balanced palette for the collection.

Retailers & Manufacturers: If you haven't already, please add your name to the Wholesale Mailing List on my website. Once I begin accepting applications and pre-orders, I will let you know via a quick email.

the poppies

image c/o Poppytalk.

I would be extremely grateful if you would nominate Daisy Janie for the Favorite Handmade Eco category for The Poppies by Tuesday, January 12th. With two collections of organic fabrics, another on the way and one super-duper ecofriendly calendar, I strive to make my work as green as possible. If you appreciate this aspect of my business, please nominate Daisy Janie right here. Thank you so much for your support!

Description of the Eco category from The Poppies:
"Eco meaning products made with the environment in mind. From repurposing/recycling, processes that are easy on the earth such as printmaking using soy-based inks, etc. (Organic, recyclable, reusable, repurposed, conflict and cruelty-free, ecological footprint)."

The Poppies are a new and tres coolio virtual awards concept from blogger extraordinaire Jan at Poppytalk. There are 12 individual categories, like Favorite Handmade Textiles, Favorite Handmade Art, Favorite Vintage Shop, and you (yes, you!) can nominate your faves within each category until Tues, January 12th. Once nominations are rec'd, voting will commence to determine a winner within each category. What a great way to showcase the work of our online friends! I will be voting later today - afternoon coffee activity for sure.

giveaway | win a daisy janie calendar & advertising on scoutie girl

etsy banners via etsy. cake via microsoft clip art.

It's my etsy shop's 2nd Etsyversary today! My main site just celebrated its 5th anniversary in December, but b/c you can't combine Main + Anniversary and cleverly announce, "It's my 5th Mainversary!" - I let it pass without grand pronouncements. But not my etsyversary - I swear I'd celebrate it just for the sake of saying etsyversary once a year. And then I'd scrub my brain clear of it until the next year b/c it is kinda weird.

Anywho....2 years on etsy! So glad I took the leap b/c it has been a wonderful experience in every way, shape & form. It took me awhile to get there tho:

• dec 17, 2004: created mainsite, daisyjanie.com...happy, happy, joy, joy.
• june 5, 2006: approached by etsy PR street team at Artstar to sign-up. in my head, i was all, "pfft, yeah right, i worked my a$$ off to get the #1 spot on google for handmade handbags...i don't need no stinkin' etsy." (was ignorance bliss? or was I just plain dimwitted? who knew, right?)
• jan 8, 2007 (TODAY): founded & created the popular indie/handmade blog scoutiegirl.com.*
• all of 2007: visited etsy daily as i searched for artists to feature on scoutie girl. really began to open my eyes to the incredible opportunities on etsy - enlightenment followed!
• jan 8, 2008: opened etsy shop. converted.

*Did you catch the part about the scoutie girl blog? Yes, scoutie girl is 3 years old today!!! Even tho she's in the very capable and busy hands of Tara Gentile, scoutie girl is still a big piece of my heart & soul - and I am ever-so-thankful that Tara kept it going & expanded SG's reach, content and passionate voice for handmade!

So, what about a giveaway then? Yes! Let's do it!
In celebration of scoutie girl's 3rd blogversary and my 2nd etsyversary, Tara and I are giving away 2 things that might boost your business this year: advertising on scoutie girl and big ole organizational calendars!

Three lucky winners will win 1 Daisy Janie ecofriendly 2010 calendar and 1 month of advertising on scoutie girl (if you can't use the ad spot, you can donate it to your fave shop.)

To enter, visit this anniversary post on scoutie girl and follow the entry instructions! Good luck!

Thank you for reading & commenting on Daisy Janie!!!