If you like Halloween, I'm pretty sure you'll need to immediately download some wallpaper and get your computer looking festive. Pick from this big gallery at Smashing Magazine, or grab Eleanor Grosch's latest creations.
And then if you need a last minute card, download this freebie designed by Emily at Inside a Black Apple.
I've put some patterned goodies into my newly revived Etsy shop online. Including some lovely totes made by Grandma G (my mom), whom some of you know from the comments on this blog. I have multiples of most things, so I'll add as we go along.
Departing from the topic of fabric now. Because the election is right around the corner! Print your own posters for the candidates. Choose from about a billion amazing Obama posters here. I searched and searched to find McCain posters, but this is the only one I came up with. If you'd like to see both gentlemen together, take a look at these movie poster spoofs. Or if you'd like to download a cool poster urging everyone you know to vote, go here and click a thumbnail, then click the larger image that appears.
If you couldn't make it to Quilt Market but need a quilty fix, download some desktop wallpaper made with Anna Maria Horner's fabrics. She has a new book coming out, Seams to Me: 24 New Reasons to Love Sewing. If you want to win a free copy, a sewing machine, some fabric, and other goodies, click here to register. You can enter once a day until Nov. 14 when the sweepstakes closes.
I'm back from the fall 2008 International Quilt Market in Houston. This is the JCaroline booth where my non-quilting fabric was on display. (Click photo to view larger.) I found out last night that our little orange room won the award for Best New Exhibitor!
I arrived in Houston on Thursday night and got a tour of Caroline's immaculate warehouse, followed by an awesome dinner prepared by her husband. I got to chat with Olivia a little bit, too, who is quite friendly and also enjoys hammers and drinking syrup straight from the bottle. Friday was set-up day at the convention center, followed by the Fabric 2.0 party hosted by JCaroline, Michael Miller, Moda, and Etsy. Saturday was the first day of the show.
Here's a photo to give you an idea. This is probably one quarter of the whole thing.
Although I was hoping to ride on a scooter, I did not get the chance.
I loved getting to meet people in person that I've only known through emails and blogs. I was going to list a bunch of them here, but then was afraid I'd forget someone and hurt their feelings. Hey, ladies and gentlemen, you know who you are. It was a pleasure. And if at any point I sounded like a moron when speaking to you, it was probably because I'm an introvert and the circuits in my brain were completely fried by all the activity. I got home yesterday and told Alex, "I'll eat some dessert with you as soon as I unpack my pictures. Pictures? No, I mean, condiments. No. I mean, toiletries." No joke.
And I'd better recover today, because tomorrow I'm going to another trade show for my other career in which I am a graphic designer. Graph Expo, a colossal printing trade show here in Chicago. Bye for now.
(Update for people inquiring about the paint colors in the booth: Sherwin Williams Tango SW 6649, Exciting Orange SW 6647, Interactive Cream SW 6113. Tinted primer is recommended for getting good coverage on the oranges; inquire at your paint store.)
In this quiz, look at a book cover design and see if you can guess the book's rating on Amazon. (Via SwissMiss.) And if you're enthralled by book covers, check out the Book Design Review blog.
Last week was our anniversary, so Alex and I took Thursday and Friday off to celebrate and enjoy each other's company. (An aside: Chicagoans, you must eat at M. Henry and Geja's Cafe if you haven't yet.) We went to a couple thrift stores where I found it necessary to buy this odd tissue box, uh, box. I painted it orange, of course, to match our other wooden orange desk accessories. The ugly Kleenex box that was sitting there is now hidden inside this box of orangey goodness. Now I can work so much better at my desk. Here it is before the paint job:
Today I'm off to Houston for the Quilt Market trade show, but you'll never know I'm gone since I've got a blog post already scheduled for tomorrow. I'll tell you all about the show next week.
Guess what. I've decided to resurrect my etsy shop from the dead. After complaining about how long it takes to list and package and mail stuff, here I go again. I'm planning to stock it with some yummy patterned goodies next week after I get back from Quilt Market. Stay tuned...
Polyvore.com allows you to "mix and match images from anywhere on the web to create outfits, interior designs, or any kind of collage." So if you ever wanted to see how pieces looked together before buying them, and you don't want to print, cut and paste or use Photoshop, this might be handy. See the above example that someone made right here. Polyvore keeps a record of where each product came from so you can track it down later. Share your image with others or embed it on your blog.
Amanda at Vintage Glam just emailed me about a printable 2009 desk calendar she made. Trim out the sheets and put them in a jewel case stand, or mount them on colored paper and hang them on your bulletin board. Get the calendar PDF here.
I set up a couple new Flickr groups so you can show off your projects made from my new fabrics. I will try hard not to be jealous of your mad sewing skillz. Add your own photos to the Amusement Park group and the Sunflowers and Stripes group when you create something fabulous.
Download free, printable Four Seasons gift tags by Rachel Weber at Fog and Thistle. These would be fun on a package wrapped in brown kraft paper, I think.
Caroline Amusement Park-ized this thrift store desk! See her blog post for the before and after shots plus more about Quilt Market, where this guy will be on display. 
And she even wrote us a tutorial on how to make those fabric covered knobs. Click here to learn how to make your own.
It turns out there's going to be a last-minute Jessica Jones booth at the International Quilt Market in Houston in a couple weeks. Caroline Devoy of JCaroline Creative is feverishly upholstering things and printing things and ordering things and sewing things, probably right at this exact minute. She is one amazing woman. Meanwhile, I sit up here in Chicago feeling guilty that I'm not more help.
I've never been to a fabric trade show before, so I'm not sure what to expect. I checked out the Quilt Market website to learn more, and the very first link on the page is for scooter rentals. Awesome. I should probably reserve one for Caroline since she'll be very tired by then. And I'm working on my quilted vest and appliqued pants right now. Oh, and I whipped up some postcards to give away as freebies at our booth, #116.
(I should add that this trade show is not open to the general public, just fabric stores and vendors and such. Bummer. Maybe I can have the rest of you all over to my apartment when I get back. I wish!)
Compliments of 16 Sparrows, get this printable envelope in which you can store or mail your top secret spy documents. And speaking of top secret spies, go play some games on the new James Bond movie website if you like to blow stuff up.
I'm not a huge frosting fan, but I do love powdered sugar, cocoa, and graphic shapes. I think I need to make some cake stencils like these from Martha. Get instructions for making your own with downloadable templates right here. More downloads are here. I like this homemade cupcake stencil, too. You could also download a font that would work well, like this one.
(Image from pointclickhome.com. I wish it was me in that picture.)
New arrival at my house: this Upsala Ekeby cup, made in Sweden in the '50s. A week or so after I made these, I saw it on etsy and fell in love! Honestly I don't set out to make retro-looking designs; when I draw stuff out of my head it just comes out that way. I should probably stop that, but it's hard when it's subconscious.
I've sifted through the magazine sites and rounded up some unique pumpkin carving, painting, and decorating tutorials. For your inspiration:
Hallmark's Fantasy Pumpkins (above)
23 Pumpkins to Paint and Decorate at Better Homes and Gardens
More pumpkin decorating ideas from Martha Stewart
Martha's Papier-Mache Pumpkins (not real pumpkins, but I'll include them because they're cute!)
Sunset Magazine's Leafy Pumpkins (love the Harlequin designs)
A gallery of No-Carve Pumpkins at Good Housekeeping
Country Living's Unique Pumpkin Carving Ideas
And if you're looking for pumpkin carving stencils, check out this post from last year.
(Image from hallmarkmagazine.com)
Sarah Palin and Joe Biden have been added to the models you can download and make at foldUScandidate.com. Just don't let your boss catch you busily folding these in your cube this afternoon.
Guess what. As of this morning, my new fabrics are available for purchase. They've just arrived at JCaroline Creative, and they're ready and waiting to come to your house! Better yet, you can get 20% off any Jessica Jones fabric until October 15. Just enter the coupon code ORANGE at checkout to receive the discount (it applies to these new prints and Modern Flora, too.)
This collection is called Amusement Park, available here. (You can read more about the designs over at JCaroline, where I was asked to provide a thought about each print. Challenging, since I don't generally have too many thoughts. Seriously. It's all empty space between my ears when I'm designing fabric.)
These two are called Sunflowers and Stripes, available here. How did we think of such brilliant names, you ask! They're printed in one color, chocolate brown on natural canvas.
All of the fabrics are decorator weight, 54" wide 100% cotton. To download the line sheet PDF for all Jessica Jones fabric, click here. For wholesale orders, contact JCaroline.
(P.S. Look! Caroline already made something!)
Some little retro drawings on canvas. I wonder how high I could stack them. Hey, if these were blocks, that would be fun. Except babies would probably chew the paint off. Scratch that.