Little Toy Airplanes

If you are in the Chicago area be sure to check out the production of The Little Prince by the Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois!  I so would if I could!  I was blessed with the experience to work with their amazing costume design team on a fabric design I created called Little Toy Airplanes on White.  Click on Lookingglass Theatre to get more information about this fabulous show!  The Little Prince has been extended to March 16th.  On their site you can see 32 photographs taken of the production along with fabulous sketches of the characters created by the very talented Sally Dolembo.  This was an experience I will never forget!  Thank you to the Lookingglass Theatre Company for this incredible opportunity!

The Little Prince performed by The Lookinglass Theatre in Chicago, Illinois!

Here is the children's book I wrote titled It's A Full Moon Tonight.  

This book also inspired my toy airplane fabric designs.

It's A Full Moon Tonight by Tara McGowan

Both fabric designs are currently for sale at my shop at Spoonflower!

 Little Toy Airplanes on White by Art Tree Designs

Little Toy Airplanes by Art Tree Designs

You can also purchase 

Little Toy Airplanes on White at my shop at Society6!

Little Toy Airplanes on White Throw Pillow by Art Tree Designs

Thank you so much for checking out Art Tree Designs Blog!

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. :-)

2013

 

 

To all a very Happy New Year!!

Cheers to a positive, abundant and promising year!

Wishing you all the very best in 2013!

~Tara and John McGowan

Art Tree Designs

 

Facebookland

Art Tree Designs has finally made it to Facebookland.  Took me forever!  Now to tackle and understand Twitterland.  Give me about a month! :-)  For now we've got Facebook up and running and I will be posting posts from the blog, new sales going on at our shops at Zazzle and Society6, and pretty much anything that has to do with Spoonflower including the newest designs that we create.  When I get up to 30 Likes there will be a drawing for a prize and the prize is something that I have designed.  Come join us in Facebookland!!!

Click here at Art Tree Designs Facebook Page!  Click Like and enter for a chance to win a great prize!  I promise you will not be spammed!  You'll just get a sweet gift designed by me and that's it!  Promise...promise!

2013 Tea Towel Calendar

Spoonflower is having a contest this week called the 2013 Tea Towel Calendars Contest.  I decided to go with a coffee shop vibe.  The design is set at a fat quarter so that you can make 4 tea towels in a yard.  I also have created a Coffee Shop Collection.  If you would like to check out that collection please click here.  Here is my design for the contest!

Coffee Shop Tea Towel Calendar

 

 

Voting begins on Thursday, October 18th and best to get your vote in by Monday, October 22nd.  You do not have to be a member to vote and you can vote for as many as you like!  If you are interested in any of the fabric designs in the Coffee Shop Collection please contact me, and I will be happy to make them available for purchase as soon as possible! 

 

Halloween Fabric

This is my design for Spoonflower's Creepy-Crawlies Contest.  The contest begins on Thursday, October 11th and best to get your vote in by Monday, October 15th.  You do not have to be a member to vote.  There are so many fun, cute and creepy designs in this contest.  I'm almost certain it will put you in the Halloween spirit.  If you would like to see my Jeepers Creepers collection please click here.

  Jeepers Creepers

 

Happy Halloween Everyone!!

Zazzle Shop

Here are just a few of the items for sale at my zazzle shop.  If you would like to check out all of the items that I have created at my shop please click here!

 

Seashell Canvas Art

 

 

 

American Flag Bag

 

 

 

 

Owl Poster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Typewriters

This is my design entry for Spoonflower's Typewriters Contest.  This contest is a typewriter-themed fabric using only black and white as colors.  I decided to turn my retro style typewriters into lovely vases of flowers.  I also thought it would be fun to make the same word scramble in each patch.  The hint I gave...."I think it's pretty safe to say we all here think it's kind of awesome." 

Typewriter Patches

If you would like to check out my entire Black & White Typewriters Collection please click here!  If you are interested in any of the fabrics please contact me and I'll be sure to make them available for purchase as soon as possible.  Also if you would like to vote for the Typewriters Contest please click on typewriter!  You do not have to be a member to vote.  Voting begins on September 6th and best to get your vote in by September 10th. 

Olympic Celebration Contest

This week's contest at Spoonflower is the Olympic Celebration Contest.  The theme of this contest will be fabric designs celebrating the games and spirit of the traditional Olympics, but which do NOT employ the logos, mascots or the traditional Olympic rings.  Voting for this contest begins on Thursday, July 26th and ends on Wednesday, August 1st. 

I titled my fabric design Olympic Medals.  I was inspired by the beautiful gold, silver and bronze medals adorned with a royal purple ribbon for the 2012 Olympics in London.  The royal purple ribbon is in honor of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.  I chose a green background representing the global coming together for these great and wonderous events.  The Olympics truly are a time of celebration for all!

Olympic Medals

Mock-up Dress

Mock-up Cushions

Mock-up Tablecloth

If you would like to check out my

Olympic Celebration Collection please click here.

Beauty

Beauty

A few weeks ago we found a baby screech owl perched on a branch of our tree in the front yard.  For all of us here in our home it was exciting.  We spent the entire day going outside to check on her and to ooh and ahh at her beauty.  I asked what we should name her and my mother over the phone said Beauty.  So Beauty it is.  She even still had her fluffy baby feathers barely hanging on the sides of her wings.  She was precious and we felt blessed to have her in our tree in our front yard.  I can't even count how many times we would go out there and check on her but it was a lot. 

Evening fell and Kate, my oldest, asked if we could go see her one more time before bed.  We grabbed the flashlight and pointed it in the direction of the branch that she so comfortably perched on all day long.  To our disappointment she was gone.  As we went inside I could see my little six year old daughter's shoulders hunched over making a bee line for her bedroom, and I just knew she had tears in her eyes.  I stopped her and gave her a big hug and said, "Are you sad that Beauty is gone?"  She shook her head.  I said, "I am too."  I said, "Aren't you thankful that she chose to spend her entire day with us?  How lucky we were right?"  She agreed.  I also said, "You never know she may come back one day to see us again."  Then I told her to do something in honor of Beauty to thank her for coming to visit us.  Twenty minutes later Kate turns the chalkboard around to show me a drawing that she made for Beauty.  I thought it was a pretty sweet tribute for this sweet baby owl who so kindly graced us with her presence for one lovely day.

If you would like to see more pictures of Beauty please check out our shop at Society6.