2014 Tea Towel Calendar

A new contest at Spoonflower called the 2014 Tea Towel Calendars Contest has begun.  This year for my entry I created a Dala horse design. After I entered the contest it was brought to my attention by a very talented designer at Spoonflower named Rhonda Designs that 2014 is the year of the Wood Horse in Chinese Astrology.  I thought that was so cool and such a great coincidence.  

I have always loved Scandinavian artwork and my design was also inspired by a post from a blog that I love to follow called Silver Shoes & Rabbit Holes. In this post Danzel writes about her trip to Lindsborg, Kansas also known as Little Sweden U.S.A. If you would like to read her post and see her fabulous and enchanting pictures of the festival she attended that inspired my design please click on Midsummer's Festival! Let's Pretend to Be Swedish!  She also has two other fun posts to check out titled St. Lucia Day in Kansas and Happy Midsummer!  If you have never heard of Silver Shoes & Rabbit Holes before you must check it out! Your inner child will be glad that you did! :)

Here is my tea towel design titled 2014 Horses & Birds.

2014 Horses & Birds

Dala Horses at Society6

If you would like to vote in the 2014 Tea Towel Calendars Contest at Spoonflower please click here.  You do not have to be a member to vote and you can vote for as many as you like.  I would love to have your vote if you like my design!

Spooktacular!

The Ghosts Contest has begun at Spoonflower!  Here is my design titled Spooktacular.  I really love the fun and playful side of Halloween.    

Spooktacular 

If you would like to vote in the Ghosts Contest please click here. You do not have to be a member to vote and you can vote for as many ghostly designs as you like.  I would love your vote if you like my design!

Happy Halloween Collection at Society6

Free Shipping thru Sunday, worldwide!  

Excludes Framed Art Prints, Stretched Canvases and Throw Pillows with inserts.

Also check out my silly  Halloween book that I created at Bookemon.  

Happy Jack, Happy Jack! 

Wishing you all a very safe and Happy Halloween!

Oh My, Cherry Pie!

This is my design for the Pie Contest at Spoonflower.  I really wanted to create a retro theme.  I love retro in the kitchen!

Oh My, Cherry Pie!

Oh My, Cherry Pie! at Society6

Cherry Pies on Black at Society6

Cherry Pie Collection at Society6

If you would like to vote in the Pie Contest at Spoonflower please click here.  There are so many delicious pie designs to check out in this one! You do not have to be a member to vote and you can vote for as many as you like.  Would love your vote if you like my retro pie design!  I guarantee this contest will make you hungry for a slice of yummy pie! :)

This contest has closed!  

Thank you to everyone who voted for my cherry pie design!

Mad For Mod Collection

Introducing the Mad For Mod Collection! Please click here to check out the new mod designs by Art Tree Designs at Society6.

  

New Tote Bags at Society6!

Yay!  Yay!  Hooray!  Society6 is now selling super cute tote bags!  Before it was always our design in a little square smack dab in the middle.  Now our design is featured on the entire bag on both sides! Makes for a cute tote for school, the library, out shopping, the beach and more!  Please click here to check out my shop at Society6 to see all the fab new bags for sale.

  

Tote Bags at Society6 by Art Tree Designs

Art Tree Designs One Yard Giveaway!

Art Tree Designs is having a One Yard Giveaway on Facebook!  Go to Art Tree Designs Facebook Page and leave a comment on the One Yard Giveaway Post!  You will be entered in the drawing that will be held on Friday, October 4th at 5:00 pm central time! Follow us on Facebook too! We would love to see you there! :)

Art Tree Designs Facebook Page!

Don't be late!  Enter now!  One lucky winner will win a yard of my fabric.  If you would like to check out the designs at my shop at Spoonflower please click here. Be sure to check out all of the designs at my Shop Home and all of my designs in my Designs Not For Sale!  Yippee!  I love giveaways! :)

This giveaway has ended!  Thank you to everyone who participated and be sure to stay tuned for the next giveaway coming soon!  

Stargazing Night Owls

A new contest at Spoonflower has begun!  It is the Constellations Contest.  For all you stargazing lovers out there this will be right up your alley!  My piece is titled Stargazing Night Owls.

Stargazing Night Owls

Stargazing Night Owls Throw Pillow

Lots of lovely starry night designs in this contest! I would love your vote if you like my design. :)

The Constellations Contest has ended.  Thank you to everyone who voted for Stargazing Night Owls.  

Dinosaur Days

I just want to thank everyone who voted for me in the Dinosaur Contest at Spoonflower.  For the first time ever I made it to the top ten!!  I am so thrilled!  This is my piece titled Dinosaur Days that is currently for sale at my shop at Spoonflower.

Dinosaur Days

The top ten designs!

Dinosaur Days is also for sale at my shop at Society6!  Here is the throw pillow that is currently for sale in my shop!

Dinosaur Days Throw Pillow

Thanks again to everyone who has been there supporting me through this adventure.  I couldn't have made it without all of you!

Fireflies

It's a new week and a new contest at Spoonflower.  This week's contest is Fireflies.  Here is my mod style design titled Synchronized Fireflies.

Synchronized Fireflies

Synchronized Fireflies Throw Pillow

Come to think of it, I haven't seen a single firefly this summer.  Hope you all have been lucky enough to see them flutter about in the night sky!  That's always such a magical experience.  I've seen plenty of mosquitoes this summer though.  So glad this contest isn't about mosquitoes!  Yuck! :)  

Strawberry Rice Flour Pancakes

One word!  YUM!  

Strawberry Rice Flour Pancakes

1 cup rice flour (Bob's Red Mill Stone Ground White Rice Flour)
2 squirts of 100% pure raw & unfiltered honey (Nature Nate's) 
2 teaspoons of aluminum free baking powder (Rumford Reduced Sodium)
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (Celtic Sea Salt Fine Ground)
1 egg
1 cup of milk
2 teaspoons of melted coconut oil (Spectrum Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Unrefined)
handful of sliced organic strawberries

Mix rice flour, baking powder and salt with a whisk.  Add milk, egg, oil and honey.  Whisk until smooth.  Let sit for about 10 minutes.  Add the sliced strawberries.  The strawberries will sink to the bottom of the bowl so be sure to scoop some out each time you pour a new pancake.  Heat the griddle with coconut oil.  The pancakes will soak up the oil so you will have to repeat this part when you are ready to flip the pancakes over.  

Top with butter and maple syrup and enjoy!  Our favorite maple syrup is Coomb's Family Farms Organic Maple Syrup Grade B.  

This recipe goes great with blueberries too.  We have also made this recipe with delicious chocolate chips (Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chip dairy, nut & soy free). 

Farmers Market

This week's contest at Spoonflower is the Farmers Market Contest.  My piece is titled Sweet Taste of Summer.  Every summer we would visit my Grandparents in Iowa.  My Grandfather grew his own juicy tomatoes that we ate like apples.  My favorite was a plate of Grandpa's tomatoes, buttery Iowa sweet corn, Anderson Erickson cottage cheese and a slice of watermelon.  To me that was truly the sweet taste of summer.

Sweet Taste of Summer

  

 

Hope you all are out there enjoying the Farmers Markets in your areas.  Support your local farms and thank a farmer!

 

Live.  Laugh.  Farm.  :)   

   

Mod Wallpaper

This week's contest at Spoonflower is the Mod Wallpaper Contest.  I titled my design Mod Shells.  I'm in such a beachy mood :) all of the time that my designs are starting to reflect that.  I'm also not a very big fan of wallpaper so wanted to try my best to create something that wasn't over the top and would be soothing to the eye.  This particular color of green has always been very calming to me. 

The Mod Shells design can be found at my shop at 

Society6 and at Spoonflower.

 

Fabric8: Geek Chic Semi Finals

This week's Spoonflower contest is the Fabric8:  Geek Chic Semi Finals Contest!  I am not in this contest but wanted to share with you three very talented designers who made it into the Semi Finals!  These three designers along with 97 others will have the opportunity to make it to the next round which is the Final 8!   The winner of that contest will be offered a contract with Robert Kaufman Fabrics.  So let's help these fab designers get to the Final 8!

Modern Geek by Ottomanbrim

Geek Garden by Demouse

Bow Tie by Akwaflorell

Voting has ended for this contest. 

Sailing Contest

Come sail away!  Come sail away!  Come sail away with me!!  This week's contest at Spoonflower is all about sailing.  Here is my design titled Come Sail Away!  Sounds like a great idea to me.

Come Sail Away by Art Tree Designs at Spoonflower

Come Sail Away Throw Pillow by Art Tree Designs at Society6

Come Sail Away (Smaller Print) Throw Pillow

Come Sail Away (Centered) Throw Pillow

If you would like to check out my entire Sailing Collection please click here.  

Bookemon Books

Along with creating fabric designs, wallpaper, wall decals, art prints, throw pillows and more...I also enjoy writing children's books.  Bookemon is a fun website where anyone can create their own books.  The first book featured here in this post is the book   What Did I Do With My Shoe?  The story was inspired by an early morning conversation between the girls about a missing shoe.  

What Did I Do With My Shoe?

The second book called  Madison's Bubbles is a story about a little girl who uses her imagination while blowing bubbles and is a story that is very near and dear to my heart.  

  

Madison's Bubbles

The third book is It's A Full Moon Tonight about a little boy, his bear and his love for the moon.  It just so happened that I was inspired to write this story while pregnant with this little guy you see here. :)

It's A Full Moon Tonight

If you would like to check out all of my books currently for sale please click on Bookemon.  I have about ten more in my head but it is finding the time to get it down on paper that's the trick.  Hopefully soon I will make time so that we can share them with all of you.  Thanks to all who have taken a look at my books online already and to all of those who have made a purchase.  I am so grateful for the support that I have received!  If anyone is interested in creating their own books at Bookemon please contact me if you have any questions.  I think that Bookemon is a great site and that the quality of the books are fantastic!

Easter Tablecloth

This Easter our family learned about a very cool thing to do while decorating Easter eggs.  A fabulous designer named Akwaflorell created this design for the Painted Eggs Contest at Spoonflower.

Great Easter Messy by Akwaflorell

In her description about the design she says that her family as a tradition put out a white tablecloth every year and decorate their Easter eggs on it and the result looks much like this!  I thought this is too cool.  We have to do this!  So here is our first year of trying Akwaflorell's tradition.  We had so much fun that I have decided to make this part of our Easter tradition as well!  Check out our first Easter Messy Tablecloth that I just adore!

Blueberry Muffins

We were craving blueberry muffins.  I whipped these up and then realized it has been a long time since I've shared a favorite recipe.  So I grabbed the camera before these yummy muffins quickly disappeared. 

Here is our favorite blueberry muffin recipe using ingredients that I like to use. 

Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 
3/4 cup organic pure cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons reduced sodium aluminum free baking powder
1/3 cup melted and cooled organic virgin coconut oil
1 cage free egg
1/3 cup organic whole milk
1 cup fresh or frozen organic blueberries

Crumb topping:
1/2 cup organic pure cane sugar
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup salted butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.  Makes 11 to 12.

2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place melted coconut oil, the egg and milk into a separate bowl and stir.  Mix this with flour mixture. Now fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

3. Crumb Topping: Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.  Pat it down into the top of the mixture a little bit and sprinkle more on top of that.

4. Now bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done. Remove muffins to a wire rack, and let cool just a bit before serving.

These muffins came out so soft and delicious!  They were honestly gone in minutes!  I always bake using coconut oil in place of vegetable oil because the flavor is amazing.  Soon I'll share an old family banana bread recipe using coconut oil.  Best banana bread you will have ever tasted I guarantee it!

Oh and here is a picture of a little 18 month old hand that could no longer resist the temptation.  Mommy was taking too long in this photo shoot.  Little guy had waited long enough behind the scenes. :-)

Jane Austen

This week's contest at Spoonflower is the Jane Austen Contest.  As designers we were asked to create a design that reflects how life would be like in a Jane Austen novel.  Pride and Prejudice has always been my favorite so I thought about that novel the most while working on my design.  I also turned to my Mother who loves Jane Austen novels, the culture and that time period.  She sent me a link to a very interesting site that I thought I would share.  We know that there are the Jane Austen books and the movies but who knew that there is a... game?  The Pride and Prejudice Game is for sale in Prairie Village, Kansas!  Click here to check it out!  What a hoot!  

So for my design I thought about the book, the movie and the description of the game and came up with Stroll Through The Gardens.  This color palette is very popular for weddings and I thought it would be fun to create the design to be appealing for wedding decor.  So I started with a floral background and then scattered fans, parasols, roses and wedding bands.  I wanted the design to reflect the idea that it is a stroll through the gardens with hopes of wedded bliss.  

Here is my design for the Jane Austen Contest!

Stroll Through The Gardens at Spoonflower

I have already been contacted about making this design available for purchase so very soon it will be for sale in my shop at Spoonflower.

Thank you so much for taking the time to check out my newest design and the blog!

Spring Throw Pillow Collection

Spring Collection at Society6

Roses at Society6

Orange Roses at Society6

These throw pillows are currently for sale at my shop at Society6! 

Soon the designs will also be for sale at my shop at Spoonflower!

Thank you for taking the time to check it out!

Easter Birdies

Happy Easter!  Happy Spring! 

Easter Birdie Egg Hunt at Spoonflower

Easter Birdies Cheater Quilt at Spoonflower

Furniture Project

As a new designer nothing excites me more than to see my designs become something beautiful.  Recently a very talented buyer at Spoonflower purchased one of my earlier designs.  This was one of the first designs I did in a collection called Daydreams and Dandelions.  I was teaching myself placement and colors and figuring out basic repeat of the design while learning Photoshop all at the same time.  It was all very much a challenge but a good challenge.  It feels like every day I'm learning something new in the design world.  What I appreciate most about Spoonflower is that I've been learning as I go in an incredibly supportive community of fellow designers.  Their comments and supportive words keep me going, and seeing what they create on a daily basis inspires me to do more and do better.  

So getting back to finished projects.  It's such a blast to design but there are no words when someone actually purchases your design to make something beautiful and then takes the time to share it with you.  I was thrilled last week and on cloud nine actually when a purchase was made of my fabric design and created into this project you see here.

  

This fabric design is titled Daydreams And Dandelions Butterfly Trail.  I love everything about this project.  I love the shelves and the butterfly knobs and the white trim.  I also love the soft green and purple up against the white.  It is things like this that keep me going.  Especially when I hear that voice in my head that says... What are you doing??...Just quit now!  Gorgeous projects like this are exactly what inspire me to continue designing.  I'd like to thank the talented Butterflycharmangel who created this furniture project and all of the others who have created something fun or beautiful with my designs.  I am so very grateful for you all!  You all help me to keep on keeping on! 

Girl Power

Spoonflower's contest this week is all about girl power.  My design entry is titled Power of Books.  Girl power = Girls who read books!  Featured in my design is a young girl who does various activities with the help of books.  She also has her little pup pal by her side joining in the fun. If you would like to see the entire collection please click here. 

Power of Books at Spoonflower

  Girl Power Collection at Society6

  Go Girls!!  Go read a book! :-)