Romantic Ideas for Valentines Day: February 2010

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Fun Day!

Had a great time at the Artist's Market and looking forward to Tuesday's continuation. I took photos of everyone's booths and will post them soon. Too exhausted tonight!

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Fox 2 News Leon & Lulu Artist's Market Segment

The orange scarf and photographs in front of the table are mine! So exciting this all is.

Friday, February 26, 2010

The Artist's Market at Leon & Lulu takes place this weekend. 38 Artists will have work for sale ranging from art for your walls to art you can wear. There will also be free food and drinks (usually served by someone in rollerskates), Leon and Lulu's unique home decor items, and even Spot the greeter (an adorable white dog). If you miss it on Sunday it is also happening again on Tuesday from 4-8.

I will have handmade jewelry, including my new stamped metal "word" necklaces, crocheted statement necklace, knitted scarflettes, and photographs.

Alley in Ann Arbor, Mi printed on metallic paper and framed and ready to hang.

Art from Jenni Beamer of TinkerDot Designs

Art from Merry Stephenson of All Things Winged

Mixed media pieces from Larry Zdeb from Zdeb Art

Artists' Market
Sunday, Feb. 28th & Tuesday, Mar. 2nd
Leon & Lulu is delighted to celebrate local artists’ work with our Spring Artists’ Market. There is no admission fee to attend or exhibit. While some artists from the previous Market will return, more than half the exhibitors will be new to the Market to ensure that the greatest possible number of artists can participate for the first time. Future dates for the Summer Artists’ Market will be May 30th and June 1st, 2010.

Supporting the creative community since 2006.

Artists
William Lucas

Bill’s Bowls
Tersea Rogers

Burlap Boutique
Terry Kobleck

It’s Me Jewelry
Selenah Nicely

Little Bit O’Denim
Patrice Pannill

Patrice Pannill
Mona Kulcsar

Mona Kulcsar
Molly Mackey

Mollycoddle Studio
Merry Stephenson

All Things Winged
Mary Rae Olson

Bead Styles
Lucia Lucas

Lucia Lucas
Larry Zdeb

Zdeb Art
Karen Buttice

Antique2Chic
Kandy Myny

Bit O’Whimsey
Jessica Doty

Jessica Doty
Jenni Beamer

TinkerDot Designs
JAS Jewelry

JAS Jewelry
Janna Bissett

Janna Bissett
Janice Degen

3D Jewelry
Jane Jones

Uniquities
Jan Vettraino

Jan Vettraino
J.H. Brown

J.H. Brown
Ivy Solomon

Ivy Wood Rose
Holly Laginess

By Golly By Holly
Febe Kuey

Earlooms
Eve Hyde and Elaine Redmond

Eve Hyde and Elaine Redmond
Dolly Johnson

Dolly Johnson
Deborah Gorga

Deborah Gorga
Dave Burzynski

Dave Burzynski
Cynthia Buchanan

Cynthia Buchanan
Colleen O’Sullivan

Banana Pancakes
Carol Joliat

Got All Your Marbles?
Bill Lucas

Bill Lucas
Becky Fixel

Rusao Designs
Barb Buchanan

Bejeweled Jewelry
Arthur Stephenson

Motor City Memories
Annette Eyla

Gazing Glass

I'm in the Detroit News!

It's in today's Detroit News in the Homestyle section! I'm so excited.

Snapshots can offer picture-perfect decor

by Jeanine Matlow

When you fill your interiors with photography, you get affordable art with an artistic edge. Whether you prefer to display your own images or collect the works of others, there are a few things to keep in mind for maximum potential.

First, consider your subject. Janna Bissett, a fine art photographer and owner of LilacPOP Photography in Clawson, believes that anything has the potential to become an interesting photograph. "In fact, I like the challenge of finding a good photograph in something that normally would be perceived as boring or ugly," she says.

For those on a budget, Bissett says www.etsy.com is a great place to start, or you can showcase your own shots.

Displaying your own photos is very personal, says Bissett, who suggests investing in professional printing and framing services to ensure better quality. She also says it's important to keep scale in mind and don't skimp on size. "Think of the photo as a piece of art," she says. If you use a professional printer, your photos can be made larger than what you can print at home.

Strive to improve your process. "I think the biggest mistake people make when shooting photographs is to forget what is in the background, especially when shooting portraits," Bissett says. "You could take a beautiful portrait of someone, but if there is a sign sticking out of their head in the background, it looks very weird."

Move your main subject away from the center, Bissett says, which will make the shot more artistic and pleasing to the eye. Try rotating your camera a bit so the photo is taken at an odd angle. "Any time you break away from a normal 'snapshot' you make your work more interesting," she says.

In her own home, the artist favors a mix of her larger works on the walls and smaller framed photos propped on books on tables and shelves.

Bissett's printing process is unique, adding a distinct flavor to her photos. "I print them on metallic paper by a professional lab which gives them a beautiful reflective quality and a bit of an ethereal look as well," she says. "It is strong -- resistant to tearing and curling without any additional lamination. The prints will last for several lifetimes."

Her 4-by-6 prints start at $10, making them a budget-friendly buy. The photos can be made as large as 20-by-30 on the metallic paper.

The artist's other interests include drawing, painting, and making jewelry. Her work will be available at the Artists' Market at Leon & Lulu in Clawson on Feb. 28 and March 2.

Many of the artist's images portray unlikely subjects, from an abandoned house to an empty swing set. While others might not see these objects as obvious material, Bissett won't let an opportunity for creativity slip away. "I carry my camera around with me as much as possible," she says, "because you just never know when inspiration will hit."

For more information, go to www.lilacpopphotography.etsy.com.

Jeanine Matlow is a Metro Detroit interior decorator turned freelance writer specializing in stories about interior design. Her work has appeared in a number of regional publications. Have a decor question or a topic you would like her to cover? You can reach her at jeaninematlow@earthlink.net.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100226/OPINION03/2260306/1038/Snapshots-can-offer-picture-perfect-decor#ixzz0gjpfc4w9

A photo taken by Janna Bissett and professionally printed on metallic paper adds distinction to the artist's home. (Janna Bissett)

Thursday, February 25, 2010

It All Started With A Purse and an Idea

It all started with browsing through etsy and seeing illustrations of antique cameras and I decided to draw on my purse. I started getting stopped on the street and asked about it. Then I came up with the idea of "purse tattoos." I am hoping to offer them on my etsy shop--you mail me your purse and I "tattoo" it and mail it back. I'm still working out the details.

Then a friend asked me to do one on a vintage Tourister suitcase called a Tiara.

I stopped in at Eight-o-Eight (a resale shop) in Clawson and Carmen, one of the owners, gave me a bunch of her purses to tattoo. This one is an illustration of Carmen herself!

I bought this cute white purse at Eight-o-Eight and I'm going to offer it in my etsy shop too. Check out the vampire teeth on it!

Most of my product shots are self portraits and I always do them in front of the same wall in the same way and although I do like them sometimes I just get bored. So I hopped up on our trunk and took this one. I liked it so much that I got my daughter to pose for me too.

Then I decided to take some self portraits. And there you go-it all started with a purse and I think it ended with some of the strongest self portraits I've done. Or at least I hope!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Skies Dream Blue Giveaway and Interview

It's giveaway time again! Meet Grace Hamilton, an incredible artist, illustrator, and lover of fashion from the UK. Let me tell you, she is fiercely talented!

How did you get started?

Well I started my etsy shop very recently, after many years of thinking how I'd love to get my work out there, but still being a little unsure. But I decided that now was the right time for a number of reasons. Mainly because for the last few months I was on an art course, which wasn't really supporting me and my style of work - and so after leaving it I just knew that I couldn't give up on my art, I just had to try and do it on my own.

What is your favorite creative thing to do?

Drawing serves as the basis of all my work, especially when its inspired by fashion photography. That plays a large role in all that I do as I find that it takes the clothes into something much more magical and has so much impact. For example Tim Walker's photography. He's my absolute favourite!! It's the fairytale sense you get from his work, and I suppose in my work I aim to try and create something like that. I really love mixing vintage pieces such as old fairytale book pages or prints of flowers with my drawings. I guess that personally it's all about trying to make something innocent and beautiful, but with a sadness to it. Much like fairy tales themselves.

How long have you been doing this?

I've only recently started my shop but for a few years now I've been collecting vintage books and clothes, and stacks of fashion magazines to inspire my drawings. But last summer I left school and because I was feeling a little lost and unsure of what to do with myself, I started drawing nearly every single day and started to see the progress in my work. As for art in general, it may sound corny.. but for most of my life I've been creating things and drawing pictures of people or clothes. There's the most embarrassing little fashion illustrations I did when I was twelve that my mum still has!!

Can you describe the process?

I always start with a pencil drawing, and then depending on what it turns out like I start to imagine the background and the clothes. Most of it strangely depends on the way the face looks, the expression or the way the hair falls. From then I decide if I should use watercolour or marker pens, or which vintage papers and materials to use. I have a large box of paper and I just rummage around it until I find what I need. Most of the time my original idea for the drawing finds a new path and it ends up surprising me.

What is something most people may not know about you?

I actually have around 5 or 6 vintage books that I've completely collaged inside using song lyrics, mainly from Iron and Wine, Death Cab for Cutie, or the Decemberists. Some of the pages I've created prints from, but the majority I never show anyone. I absolutely love music as much as I do art, and I physically can't draw without my ipod on, or a movie playing in the background. My favourites are probably Breakfast at Tiffanys, 500 Days of Summer or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

When did you realize that art was your calling?

To be honest finishing my last years at school and doing well at art made me think that maybe I had a chance at art. Before I had only drawn out of a personal need to, for myself or my family, but finding out others supported me too made it all the more real. Also starting this shop has made me believe even more that I can be an artist. For so long I felt it had only been a dream of mine, not a reality. I suppose that I've known for many years now because I've always sat and drawn pictures wherever I am.

What is your "day job?"

I'm currently a waitress in a small coffee shop that my friends mum owns. But as for deciding on what I want to do as a job in the long run, I'm still figuring that out. In a way it depends on how creative the job is or if it makes me happy.

Your work is obviously influenced by fashion. Who is your favorite designer?

Ohhh that's a tough one!! I'd have to say Rodarte. Everything they make is incredibly beautiful and delicate. I also love Chloe, Miu Miu, Alexander McQueen. Anything that's incredibly girly or fantasy-like, or inspired by a book or a film or a period in time. I LOVE Christopher Kane's new Lolita inspired dresses! Then again I can turn to any page in a magazine and fall in love with the clothes if the fashion photography is beautiful!

Favorite piece of clothing?

As much as I love clothes, I'm a real handbag addict!! I recently bought the most beautiful deep red velvet bag with a large bow. And a 1960's wicker bag for the summer. My favourite current outfit though is a black velvet dress, with Topshop heart print tights. For everyday I've got a well worn floral skirt with knitted plum red tights.

*Giveaway*

One winner will receive a beautiful 8x10 print from Skies Dream Blue of the image of your choice.

To Enter:
Visit Skies Dream Blue and leave a comment telling me your favorite item in her store. Don't forget to leave your e-mail so I can contact you if you have won.

Extra Entries: please leave one separate comment for each entry or they will not be counted.

•follow my blog with google - 1 extra

•follow me on twitter (lilacpop)-1 extra

•become a fan of LilacPOP on Facebook - 1 extra (and there will be a random giveaway when my facebook page hits 200 fans--you will be automatically entered)

•tweet this giveaway and post the link in your comment- (may do this daily) 1 extra/day
Copy and paste below:
I just entered to win a 5x7 print @lilacpop http://lilacpop.blogspot.com/

•favor me on technorati , stumble upon or any other social networking site- 1 extra

•Put a link to my blog on your blog - 2 extra

•blog about this giveaway - 3 extra

•buy a product from Skies Dream Blue - 5 extra

Contest will run for 2 weeks. Ends at Midnight on the night of March 9, 2010. Open to All Countries. Winner will be chosen by online random generator. Winner will be notified by e-mail on March 10, 2010 and will have 3 days to reply or another winner will be chosen. Good luck!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Handmade in Every Way

Here in Michigan we got a LOT of snow! I could have gotten the snow blower out like all of our neighbors but I figured it would be better exercise to just use a good old fashioned shovel. See, I am handmade in every way. Yep, I'm feeling muscles in my back I never knew I had because that snow was really really wet and heavy!

It was also perfect packing snow so instead of the usual snowman, I made my kids a snow car!

Snow jumping!

A corner house means a lot of sidewalk to shovel!

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Latest Photos

Some photos I shot this weekend. Loved the awesome sunlight we had.

He has amazing blue eyes.

Talking about the Bakugan Drago thing he wanted to buy with his own money. The sucker cost $34 and he actually saved up that much money for it and bought it yesterday!

Mr. Serious

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Magazine Inspiration

A friend and I were talking the other night about how hard it is for us to recycle or giveaway magazines. She was worried she's turning into a "hoarder!" But really a magazine isn't just a magazine to either of us. It's a whole world of possibilities...chock full of ideas and inspirations. I cannot flip through 5 pages of a fashion magazine without thinking either a) I want to draw that b) I could make that! or c) I could make an outfit like that with my wardrobe. (Actually there are plenty more things I think about when flipping through one but I kept it down to 3 because, seriously, I could go on and on.)

Check out these looks from Loftonline.com. Totally my style! I cannot wait until spring.

A magazine gives me inspiration for photography ideas, styling ideas, ways to reinvent fashion, marketing ideas. And don't even get me started on the craft/art magazines! They are so full of ideas and information. How are we supposed to chuck them? It's almost like throwing away a book. It just feels blasphemous. But I have so many subscriptions to various magazines that I just can't keep them all for fear of turning into one of those crazy ladies with stacks of mags and newspapers all over the house. Anyway, for now I put them on freecycle.org and sadly pass all those nuggets of information along to someone else.

These sweet sandals are available from Piperlime.com and they are the sexiest, most amazing shoes I have ever seen. I want a pair so badly.

This is by Ten Thousand Things, NYC and their Green Tourmaline necklace that is featured in Lucky Magazine is absolutely gorgeous. I hope that one day I can make things this beautiful.

Look at this photo from Ann Klein's website (I came across it in Lucky Magazine and then went to the website to look at them further). The composition is amazing and the model really glows. It's hard to capture that luminosity with studio lighting.