Are You Ready for Spring?

 

I’m getting in the mood for Spring with a few new JVT product samples arriving from my licensing partners in the Studio this week.

 

Get well and Encouragement cards from my Tea Time and Neon Garden collections for Divinity.

 

It’s so fun to finally get samples after working on collections so long ago.  Seeing the finished product is always a happy surprise especially when they turn out so cute. 

 

We also got a selection of bright and happy yard flags from my Floribunda collection in two cute designs from Carson.  All of these products are available for sale through retailers across the US.  Unfortunately I cannot sell them myself so you'll have to look for them in stores near you! 

 

I hope you are all getting that Spring back into your step and getting ready to enjoy the beauty of the season, particularly my friends who have had such bad weather this winter! 

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Anyone Can Learn to Draw

I had the pleasure of teaching a private session yesterday of my Anyone Can Draw class to the fabulous design team at Colours Inc. in Las Vegas.  Over the past 25 years my good friend Leslie Parraguirre has built Colours into one of the premier design firms in Nevada.



She and her talented design team were great pupils for my full day immersion class that teaches design professionals how to easily and accurately draw professional quality design renderings that will knock the socks off their clients and help them communicate with their workrooms and installers.



Here they are showing off some of their drawings done in class.  They really rolled out the red carpet for me with gourmet pastries for breakfast, a fabulous lunch, and delectable deserts and wine after we finished.



It was a long day full of creative learning but they all took to it like the pros they are.  My favorite part of teaching this class is seeing the finished renderings at the end.  They are all so well done and beautifully executed.  Thank You Leslie and Colours Inc. for making me feel so welcome and for being open to new ideas and creative growth! 

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Who are the Best Design Bloggers?

 

The best design bloggers are ones who work hard at improving their message, content, and voice by taking the medium of blogging into new directions and stepping out of the lines. 

The beautiful stage setting designed by Currey & Company – just look at those flowers!

I just got home from my second Design Bloggers Conference run by the gregarious and always entertaining Adam Japko and his fantastic team at Digital Sherpa where I was once again challenged to step up my game.  This years conference was held in Atlanta and it featured A-list designers, blogging superstars, TV personalities, marketing experts,  magazine editors,  a fantastic wine tasting and some of the top home dec brands in the industry.

sketch of the gorgeous flowers by Currey & Co on the stage set.

Aside from the beautiful decor and those flowers the conference is an intensive immersion into the nuts and bolts of design blogging and the future of the medium.   Digital Sherpa hosted in depth blog analysis for all attendees who wanted to participate so they could have key questions answered or just get a broad overview of their blog by experts.  It was a huge success for everyone involved.  

 

One of the highlights was Candice Olsen giving a lively talk on the importance of texture and contrast in design as well as tips to create a good lighting plan.  Other speakers included Timothy Corrigan, Suzanne Kasler, Jeffrey Allen Marks, Susanna Salk, Tobi Fairley, Jennifer Bowles, Andrew Joseph and many more.  It was quite a line up.

Melissa Galt, Deb Barrett, and Shannon Leclaire enjoying the annual wine tasting hosted by Digital Sherpa and wine expert Jeremy Parzen of “Do Bianchi” There is nothing like a room full of 350 design bloggers with three fabulous glasses of wine in front of them.  Cheers!

 

After the educational portion of the conference was over for the day the parties began with Kravet, Sunbrella, and Ethan Allen partnering up with Traditional Home magazine to host three fabulous nights of revelry, great food and drink including a swanky Oscars viewing party on Sunday night.

Next years event will be held again in Atlanta if you want to join in on the fun.  Thanks to Adam Japko and the Digital Sherpa team for putting on such a fun and worthwhile event.  See you again next year. 

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