Has there ever been a year when we've been looking forward to the holidays as much as this one?
Winter Wonderland was designed by Sandy Lynam Clough and features many of our favorite wintertime motifs! Rich colors with silver metallic accents create a collection that you're sure to enjoy. Here are a few projects that we've provided to inspire you! Click here to see the entire collection and here to see the quilt project and here to see the table runner/placemat project details.
Rejoice is simply gorgeous with its elegant style and delicate gold etching! Traditional design never goes out of style and anything that you make with these fabrics will become part of your permanent holiday décor. Consider making this lovely quilt to display on a large wall or to display over your sofa! Click here to see the entire collection and here to see the quilt project details.
Forest Retreat by Jetty Home has recently shipped to stores. This watercolor-style artwork focuses on natural elements found in the great outdoors. The subtle color palette works to create fabrics that will work with nearly any home or décor style. Click here to see the entire collection and the multiple projects that we've created to inspire you! Click here for the quilt project details.
While this collection works beautifully for any time of year, it can also work for the holidays! Here is a reversible 20" pillow that features a panel block on each side. However, one side includes a touch of red that can be used as part of holiday décor while the other side works well for the rest of the year! How easy is holiday decorating if all you need to do is flip the pillows! Note that the small, pieced pine tree blocks are included in our free quilt project.
In Part 1, you shared some of your artistic background and how you become inspired to create new designs. Can you take us through a day in your life ...? What does an average day look like for you both professionally and personally?
I have two types of days.....
Type A Day....Creative Biz Day: about (3) days per week
Wake up early (around 5 am...hopefully before my kids get up) and start the day with painting. I find starting my day off with painting makes for a great day for me! Squeeze in a social media post of one of my recent art pieces. Once my kids are up, we have some play time and then I get them fed, dressed, covered in kisses and hugs and bundled off to day care and school.
I come back to my home art studio, have a cup of tea and get started into my day. That may be either sketching and painting especially if I have commissions or projects that are due. Or, working on my biz, social media, website, orders, packaging. I also need to post new original art, licensing imagery and deals. I find my days are more productive if I focus on only 1 to 3 projects a day versus time blocking. It helps me to focus on getting large chunks of those projects completed. But alas, that's something I am still working on doing better! I usually have lots of projects due and 100 emails that need responses so I am usually scrambling like a crazy woman to get through it all...as I mentioned, I am working on it. A work in progress!
Check out Sally's video here.
Type B Day .... Kids Day: about (4) days per week
I have kids for the full day so I get up early to try and sneak some work in before my kids get up. However, I usually get foiled by my 2-year-old, who likes to get up at 5 am! At that point, it’s breakfast time then play time ... try and squeeze in a social media post ... try and stop my crazy two year old from dismantling our house time ... more play time ... more food time (my kids are bottomless snacking pits) ... more play time ... attack my kids with hugs and kisses time ... let my kids have iPads so I can sneak into my studio to paint time (BUT my kids usually find me in seconds) ... then it’s everyone paints in my studio time ... which turns into my two year old trying to eat paint time ... then becomes clean paint off kids and furniture time ... then more food time ... and so it goes! As you can see, it’s a super smooth day, he-he ... not!
Oh my .... that's a whirlwind for sure! It's amazing that you are so prolific with your art considering how busy you can be. What have been some of the biggest surprises during your art career?
Well, not that it was really a surprise to me but it was amazing to realize just how much is involved in running a creative art business .... It's a LOT!!
Running any small business is a heck of a lot of work but running your own creative art biz is even more work. Way more than any 9 to 5 job I have ever had! With running your own creative business, you need to wear about 20 hats: artist, marketing guru, sales rep, graphic designer, brand strategist, website tech gal, copy writer, social media manager, photographer, accountant, etc. You either need to learn all of these skills along the way and get darn good at them or outsource them .... And what artist can afford to outsource much of anything at the beginning of their art journey? He-he ... none!
So, it is definitely a steep and continuous learning curve for me. Creating art is just the first step!
I'm sure our readers will have an even deeper appreciation now for what you do! You've offered great insight into your world. I think everyone will be excited to know that your second fabric collection is now in the works ... yea!! Little Darlings Woodland is shipping to stores in October/November. What have you learned through the creative process of developing your fabric collections?
For me, it has been such a joyous experience to have fabric creations that showcase my art! I have been a fabric hoarder all of my life. So, seeing my own collection come to life has been mind-blowingly awesome! The process has taught me how much love, attention, detail and time goes into developing a fabric collection. It's such a TEAM effort to bring everything together!
Sally...thank you, thank you for sharing with us! It has been not only extremely interesting but just so refreshing to read your candid responses. We wish you and your family all of the best. We are all looking forward to many more fabric collections from Sillier Than Sally!
Your first fabric collection with P&B, Little Darlings, is in quilt shops now...welcome and congratulations! You have an amazing presence on social media as well as with your website...you have lots of followers. Tell us some fun bits about you and your background!
Why thank you! Well, as you can probably already tell, I am a colour obsessed, water colour artist. I exhibit my art, teach art classes and create mural art. I truly love to paint fun & delightful confetti coloured birds and animals that just wrap our hearts up in a warm blanket of happiness!
I live in Sunny Sydney Australia, where I have an art space in my home, which I call my Tree Top Studio, it’s not quite in the trees (I wish) but it does jut out over a rolling green ridge of trees. So, I am surrounded by green, with lots of wild native Australian birds popping by for visits. I am a BIG fan of birds, animals and nature!
Art takes up a huge amount of my life and brain space but I also have two little boys aged 2 & 6. They are beautiful, intense little handfuls, and I am married to a lovely but seriously over logical lad (he is an IT specialist, and I am a tree hugging artist...you can just imagine the interesting polar opposite conversations we have!
My art journey started in early childhood. I spent MANY years working in a variety of industries (Hospitality, Floristry, Graphic Design, Printing Industry, Animation at Disney) and I was continually creating art at the same time.
I established my little art biz, Sillier Than Sally, in 2011, and it has been a roller coaster ride of colour ever since!
We're all fortunate that you are able to share your talent and inspiration! What inspired the art for Little Darlings?
The inspiration started with one little bunny...“Little Bunny”. I created her at 5am one morning as I watched the sun rising through my window across the ridge from me. I created her flower crown in that morning's sun rise colours. She just flowed out of me and from her...a whole series of “Little Darlings” came forth!
That truly IS an inspired collection! So many people love the adorable "Little Darlings" and overall soft look of the designs. As we close Part 1...please put in order...cooking, baking, painting, gardening, sleeping!
Painting, painting, painting, cooking, sleeping...I know I cheated, but I don’t bake or garden (just no time), come to think of it, I don’t sleep much either, hehe!
Thank you Sally! We'll continue in Part 2!
Are we all there? What a roller coaster we've been riding, right?
What have you been doing to occupy your time, relieve your stress
and cope within this unique time zone?
Here’s one thing that we’ve been doing…
We’re all part of a wonderful industry and we each play a unique part within it! It’s an industry built on a foundation of togetherness…we love creating but even more, we love being able to share that creativity with each other. Our new blog gives us the opportunity to share directly with you as well for you to share with us!
You’ll see fabrics that are shipping now to quilt shops! Images and projects
to inspire your newest creation such as:
Look for YouTube videos where we’ll show actual fabric and ideas for use.
Also, tips & tricks to help with making our projects!
Our next blog edition will feature a fun visit with Sillier Than Sally designer,
Sally Walsh. Sally’s first collection, Little Darlings, is in stores now!
We’ll also introduce you to some of the P&B team who help to bring our lovely fabrics to you!
But most importantly…
You are the reason we do what we do! We want to hear from you! How do you use P&B fabrics? Send us pictures that we can share with other readers. This takes us back to our opening question…
What have you been doing to occupy your time, relieve your stress
and cope within this unique time zone?
Please share your thoughts with us and let us know how P&B fabrics have had a part in how you’ve been spending your days!
We’re looking forward to having you join us in this new adventure…
(It's OK to read this while in your jammies ..... I'm writing it in mine!)