Studio Tour with Chad and Paula

About a year ago I got the hair brained scheme to share my studio with my good friend and talented artist Chad Barrett. We are both illustrators represented by Art in Motion who licenses our art for a variety of uses.

It all started when his computer went on the fritz and he had to come here and use my husband Tom's for a week. We both realized that it was really nice to have someone to bounce things off of and that we were both more productive when we were together.

Since I had plenty of room and he was short on space we decided to give working together in my studio a shot. Within a week he was stitching his canvases (my thing) and I was gold leafing like a fool on my illustrations (his thing). It was a match made in heaven and soon we were calling ourselves The Wonder Twins.

Most people who know us can't begin to imagine how the two of us can get anything done in the course of a day but the truth of the matter is that we barely speak. Oh sure there are the occasional bursts of loud singing and sexy dance moves but for the most part we are work, work, working.

It's been a blast, hope you enjoy the tour!

xo, paula (and Chad)

Studio overview looking toward the sewing area from our desks.

Opposite view-from sewing area to desks.

Chad in his area.

Some of Chad's watercolors.

One of my inspiration boards and some of Chad's larger paintings.

Chad's table top.

Chad's corner of stuff.

One of Chad's boards.

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My boards.

Sewing area.

Button and ephemera storage.

Trims, fabric and all sorts of goodies.

Some little knitted pieces that I will be doing a little project with.

Colored pencils and stamps on my work table.

Chad's cat, Simon, who likes to come and help out every now and then.

Hop over and visit my talented friends as they welcome in the New Year with a Studio Tour-

Aaron Christensen

Barbara Johansen-Newman

Beth Logan

Brenda Pinnick

J. Wecker-Frisch

Karen Embry

Paula Joerling

Phyllis Dobbs

Samantha Walker

Sharon Himes

Shelly Comiskey

Sue Zipkin

"Stitched" Registration is Open.

Click here to view more details

STITCHED is a collection of 20 workshops by 20 fabric artists. Each workshop provides you with high-value and high-content information to get you sewing, designing and creating.

As part of Stitched, I am teaching a workshop called "Fanciful Stitched Paper Flowers" and I show you how to make 5 different flowers using paper, stitching and beads and buttons. I don't use any fabric in this project so I am the oddball (what else is new ?) but I am definitely inspired by pattern and stitching.

Alma Stoller is the genius behing these workshops and has the support of some amazing companies which will be providing her with some great giveaway items and products for several lucky STITCHED registrants.

You will also get a full video workshop about Fabric Jewelry by Alma, 5 additional mini video workshops, a printable pdf file which includes patterns and related instructions from each workshop, as well as the support of our awesome instructors in a completely private site.

I am so excited to share this workshop with you. As a celebration for the launch of "Stitched", I am offering an un-matted print of your choice from my etsy shop to the first 20 that register via the link below.

Simply register prior to December 15th to qualify.

Click here to register

xo,paula

Paper Dresses and Shoes

For several years a little nagging voice in my head kept telling me to make paper dresses. At one point I started a pattern and made a crude white dress from scrap-paper. For 2 1/2 years it hung on my bulletin board and everyday I looked at it and thought "I should really get back to those dresses".

Finally, for whatever reason, I took a couple of weeks off from illustrating and dedicated my time to refining the pattern and making several dresses. I put them on Etsy and they sold out.

My friend Dean Rhys Morgan saw them and asked if I would put them in his booth at the New York Gift Show. Dean represents such artists as Jeremiah Goodman, Michael Stennett and Jane Bixby to name just a few so, needless to say, I was quite honored.

I have also included shoes in the line and will be adding other items before the January show in New York.

I thought it might be interesting to show a little bit of the process. All of this happens after I figure out the basic pattern. For the dresses this took about 4 days and a dozen or so scrap-paper dresses. The shoes took a little longer (the heel was a killer).

Currently I am working on groupings of stitched paper flowers for a class that I am offering through the very talented Alma Stoller. Registration will begin December 1.

I guess the moral of the story is that you really should listen to that little voice in your head. If you are putting off something that you have always wanted to do-go for it! You never know where it will lead you.

Enjoy!

xop

Cutting and gluing the bodice.

Drying after joining the shoulders.

Drying after setting the sleeves.

Selecting skirts.

Pleating the skirt.

Matching up the skirts and bodices.

Adding a collar to "Jewell".

Adding trim to" Julia".

A flower detail for "Bluebell".

"Bluebell's" completed collar.

6 lovely ladies.

Julie Arkell Workshop

The main house.

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to take a workshop with Julie Arkell at Les Soeurs Anglaises. I was supposed to go a couple of years ago with my friend Margo Tantau but just couldn't get it together to do it. Last year I promised myself that 2011 would be the year to go and somehow two friends and I managed to land spots in the always sold out class.

It was amazing...........

I spent a week in Paris (that will be the next post) then met Janet and Lori and we boarded a train and headed to the South of France for 6 days in the beautiful Dordogne countryside. It was a week filled with gourmet food and wine and amazing, talented women from all over the world sitting around stitching, laughing, singing and sharing stories all day long. 

Lori Siebert, Janet Zack, Julie Arkell and me.

The view from my work table. 

Some of Julie's magical work.

Work tables from the loft.

It was hard to tear us away from the classroom but we managed an antiquing trip. 

This place was a jumbled mess and very hard to find. Clothing was piled everywhere and once in a while you had to move a cat to get to something.

New friends, Rachel, Nathalie and Linda outside the thrift shop.

Some beautiful vintage costumes and piles of gloves.

The outside of La Caverne D'Ali Baba antique shop.

The inside of Ali Baba's. I managed to find a few things to bring home to Tom.

We managed to put together a picnic in between antique shop visits.

That evening we displayed our treasures.

My finds.

Dinner was served on the patio every night. Can't say enough about the wonderful women that I met.

Julie in her new hat.

Show and tell on the last afternoon together.

The bunnies that I stitched.

A little bouquet pin that I made from silk ties.

A hand stitched souvenir of  what seems like a lovely dream.

Thinking about next year already........
xop