As the title says, I have been working on many projects around the house. Again, they are still in the works but I thought I would show you, via pictures, what exactly these projects are.

I am super psyched about all of them. I hope to have one of these finished soon so I can tell you about it in length, from beginning to end. I tend to be a person that likes to have many projects going at once so I don’t get bored. I also do this with my art so I can step away, adjust and make changes, and then go back to it. Below are pictures with a small description. Let me know what looks interesting to you.

I am working on a paper wall installation above our bed and I love it! This is just one part and I am slowly getting there but as soon as I am finished I will let you all know. This might be one of the first I actually finish….fingers crossed.

This project is turning the only closet in our apartment into an amaaaazzzzing closet that will hold our clothing, shoes, tools, sports equipment and so much more. I have already begun using it and it is almost finished so this is a huge plus for us.

Again, this is a shot of inside our closet but this is a smaller project, that is inside our closet. It will be a storage solution for screw, nuts, bolts, nails…etc.

Yeah, it is a Flacco shirt. And yes I am a HUGE Baltimore Ravens fan. I am from Baltimore and they are my team. Annick got this shirt from a friend of hers. Flacco played high school football in New Jersey and this is a shirt from the high school so that is why it is not purple. I plan on turning this shirt into a dress for Annick since it is so big on her.

I am creating artwork again! I couldn’t be more thrilled. This piece is of Rome, Italy. It is the first of many in my lates series. I love where it is going and can’t wait to show the final piece.

Oh my lovely Annick. I love this picture of her. I decided to take a picture of her for “Thank you” cards. For Annick’s 3rd birthday I wanted to send a more personal card, so this is one of many pictures I took. I now just have to make the actual cards. Her birthday was back in February….oops, so I should probably get on that. So to those of you that gave Annick a gift for her birthday….we didn’t forget and we are very grateful. You will be getting a “Thank you” card….eventually.

Soooo, thoughts? I hope to finish one of these projects over the weekend and as soon as I do, I will post it for you all to judge.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Well, the holidays are here if you want them to be or not. I love everything about the holidays. I especially like to decorate and make things for the holidays. I have said in the past…. Martha Stewart moves into my body and I begin crafting and decorating like a mad woman. I can’t help it. So, I figured why not make some more products to sell. I did and I just dropped them off at SWAG boutique in Northern Liberties. I also have them to sell through me. You can Facebook me or email me to place an order, especially if you don’t live in the area.

I have triangle and circle felt garland, baby onesies and holiday cards. Check out the pictures below and let me know what you think.  This weekend in Northern Liberties Shopping Spree on Saturday and Sunday.  There are a lot of great shops participating and SWAG is one them where you can find my stuff. Check it out, get your shopping done and support local artists! Information about it here and if you click on the link above.

Triangle Felt Garland

Circle Felt Garland

“Business Casual”

“Executive”

Bowtie

This is all the red onesies but there are onesies with green fabric ties, trees, and other holiday ones.

Hope you like and of course feedback is welcome. Have a great weekend and happy shopping and decorating!

So here is Philadelphia, PA there was a major storm that came and went (a lot of clean up to do). Her name is Sandy so I figured I would do some crafting and blogging since I have been slacking. Below is a picture of my latest creation for sale at SWAG Boutique. You can also order directly through me. You can email me here or contact me via Facebook at Unique Annick if you want some garland for holiday decorating.

I am really psyched about this garland because you can move the pieces around on the string/rope. You can cluster a few together or spread them out….what ever catches your fancy.

The pieces of felt are on bias tape that I had around. I have a whole spool of it and am not psyched to use it for anything else because it is a 1/4 inch. It is pretty difficult to work with but for garland…perfect!

I really enjoy making the garland and I am also working on another variation of felt garland that I made last year too. I can’t seem to find a picture of it from last year but when I make one I will let you know.

More pictures of the garland below. I will be making more and more colors too so keep checking back or just follow me on Facebook at Unique Annick and like the page.

Okay, now for the details. Each felt garland is 9 ft./3 yds. long and there is a loop at either end for easy hanging. I packaged it on pieces of balsam wood that I had around and labeled it. I also think the wood is good for keeping the garland from getting tangled when you have to put it away for the season. Each garland is $15.

What do you all think? Would love to hear your thoughts.

For all of you dealing with the storm and aftermath…hope everyone is safe. See you next time.

There was this great idea I saw on Pinterest and I decided that I really wanted to do it with my 2 1/2 year old and my 4 year wedding anniversary with my husband was coming so I thought it was a perfect project to try. Here is the original idea I saw. Isn’t it so great? The original idea is also from an Etsy store and was sold so here is the link to the Etsy store too. It is a really great store.

I wanted to do something personal and something that would represent us as a couple and family. I went with the wedding date idea but I wanted to incorporate our children and the family we built.

I was gonna use my son’s fingerprints too but I decided to do it with my daughter so we could have 1 on 1 time. So the balloons are my fingerprints and my daughters. Below is a breakdown on how we did it.

I took a cover of an old sketchbook that was finished (I always save the cardboard and covers of things like this for projects, especially with kids) and quickly sketched out a oval shape and cut it out.

Tape on the stencil so it stays in place.

Here is the ink pads I had. I used water based inks and the pads are great because they are easy to store and use with kids.

We then got to the fun part….using our fingers! I recommend doing one color at a time so not to get overwhelmed. This is also gives you an opportunity to control how many prints of each color. Do each color then once you have used all the colors you want, go back and fill spaces in to even it out.

Once we did our finger printing….Annick went to take a nap and I drew the string for the balloons using a ruler. Before I put the strings on, I drew out our name and found the middle of the balloons to make a common point to bring all the lines together. It happend that the strings would be “tied” to the “a” of “Darling”. I like how it turned out.

After drawing everything out in pencil I went back and went over with a nice black pen.

So there you have it. It did not take too long to do overall and Annick had a blast doing it with me. I am really psyched with the final product. I just have to frame it and find the perfect place for it in our home. It might be my favorite pieces of artwork in our home now since I made it with Annick, has the three most important dates in my life on it and it looks pretty darn cool.

I think you all should give it a try with your little ones this weekend. Maybe it can be about something else…a birthday, to represent a new home, etc. It isn’t too messy and gives kids a chance to get their hands dirty, which they always love. Have fun and let me know what you think of the project.

So what do you think?

I had a bare wall (below) and I really needed and wanted to decorate the empty space that was over the kitchen cabinets. There is also some small holes that were patched that needed to be covered up. Normally I would have touched up the fixed holes with paint but I didn’t have the paint to actually do that so I decided to just cover it up (a bit lazy, I know).

I wanted artwork up above the cabinets but I didn’t have any pieces around to fill the space so I figured I would just make something myself. I wanted something bold and simple so I looked around on Pinterest for ideas. I found this great idea through apartment thereapy.

The post is great because it gives 10 DIY ideas and tutorials for making your own artwork. They are really simple and anyone can do them. I may be an artist but these ideas are really meant for anyone. I have two small kids so my time these days is super limited and I wanted a piece of artwork that was modern and not my usual style.

I really like how it turned out and love it even more now that it is hanging up in the space I made it for. I had an old canvas laying around that I was planning on using anytime soon so I just did it. I used acrylic paint, tape and finished it off with a couple coats of glossy Mod Podge. I am really into yellow so I of course I chose that. There are pictures below of how it looks in it’s new home.

It didn’t fill the whole space so I paired it with some other pieces of artwork I had around the house. I always like to rearrange artwork to keep it fresh and give our space a new look and it saves money (redecorating with what ya got ). The glass globe I inherited from my grandmother and the statue was a gift from my Aunt Coeleen Kiebert. She is an amazing sculptor and artist. This piece is by far my favorite in the whole house and I think it looks great in it’s new home. If you want information about my Aunt’s work, check it out here.

What do you think of the piece? Does it fit the space? Would you try something like this? If you do, I would love to here how it turned out. Give it a go and be creative!

Last week I dropped off some new inventory at SWAG boutique in Northern Liberties. For those of you not familiar with Norther Liberties, it is a vibrant and great neighborhood in Philadelphia that is between 5th street and Front Street and Girard Avenue and Spring Garden Street. There are so many great shops and places to eat. Anyway, one of those great shops is SWAG. It located on 2nd street right before Poplar Street. SWAG is boutique that sells many unique housewares, gifts, jewelry and a lot of work from local artists. I definitely recommend that if you are in the area and need a housewarming gift or something for yourself, go there. I happen to be one of the local artists the sells some of my work.

Above is a picture of one of the pieces that I just dropped off there. It is the Harbison Milk bottle sewn on fabric (10×12″, $18). Now, if you are not familiar with Kensington or Fishtown you may not know what this is but if you are from this area you do and it is definitely a symbol of the area. I do a lot of work with this unique symbol and this is the latest idea using it. It can be hung on the wall to add a little “Philly” to your decor.

Below are pictures of other pieces and inventory with discriptions of what I have at SWAG. I am also re-doing my store on my website so if you can’t already buy all this in my store, you soon will be able to.

Again, the milk bottle in a 12″ embroidery hoop, $18.

These are my “drink skirts”. I love these and they make for a great gift. They come in packs of 6 and are $12 a pack. I dropped off a few packs and always have more available. All six are different so each guest will know which drink is theirs and every pack is different as well.

They are also washable and just plain fun for the summer when people tend to entertain a lot for backyard parties.

All ready to go in a little package!

Here is some more fabric wall decor. I have a few sets of these birds in embroidery hoops at SWAG and they are all different in color and sizes. They range in price too depending on if you get the whole set or if you get a single piece. They are great for a baby’s nursery or kid’s room.

Along with the products shown in these pictures, I also sell milk bottle prints, earrings, letter wall art, “Happy Birthday” Banners and hand printed cards. You can see more of what I do in my store or in past blog posts like this one and this one. Find my unique annick page on facebook because I post a lot pictures of recent work there so click here if you want to “like” my page.

Hope everyone had a great weekend and thanks for visiting!

I forgot to mention that I have some of my artwork hanging in a friends store in Liberty Place in Center City Philadelphia.  The name of her store is All By Hand.  I went to check it out this past weekend with Nic and was very impressed.  It is a seasonal store for the holidays.  Check out this review from the Inquirer.

All of the work and gifts were made by local artist, hence the name of the store.  There is some really great stuff in the store.  I ended up actually getting a Christmas present in there. 

My work is also there to buy.  It is on the wall immediately to your right when you walk in the door and it looks really good! 

The owner of the store is Julianna Lose.  She is very talented and did an amazing job with the store.  I’m not sure how long she will be having the store open but it will definitely be there throughout the Christmas season so if you want some unique, interesting gifts stop by the store.  There are handmade books, children’s clothing, clothing for adults, jewelry, purses, furniture, artwork, cards, and so much more.  Go check it out, support local artists and enjoy walking around Center City Philadelphia.

Again the store is All By Hand in Liberty Place, Philadlephia, PA.  Liberty Place is located between 16th and 17th on Market and Chestnut.  You will find the store on the ground floor so enter on the Market street side.  If you enter on Chestnut side you have to go upstairs.  Click here for the website of Liberty Place but let me warn you the store directory is not up to date. 

Here is the blogspot for the store and go visit! Buy artwork.

A post or two ago I mentioned that my studio is out of commission until I find a new place.  Well, I haven’t found a studio space yet but I have been doing other things to keep my creative urges at bay.  One of those creative urges inspired me to create a mural on the wall above my bed.  I am really obsessed with trees right now so I decided to do a silhouette of Aspen trees.  I think they are beautiful.  I wanted something graffic and simple so I chose Aspen trees along with light gray, middle gray and black.  I like the way it turned out.  Below are some more pictures.

Along with the mural, I have also been designing “thank you” cards for when I get gifts for Bearclaw (name I use to refer to the baby growing inside of me).  I first designed a stamp especially for Bearclaw and then went to it.  I really like how they turned out.  Below are a two different versions but I did about 4 or 5 different ones.  Check it out.

Along with murals and cards I have also been making holiday cards and wrapping paper.  It all started when I needed to wrap a gift for my niece and I didn’t feel like buying wrapping paper and I wasn’t too fond of my choices anyway so I made a stamp and made my own. 

As you can see I also started making some holiday wrapping paper.  For some reason I couldn’t help myself.  This baby is making me want to create.  Yes it is “crafty” but it is fun and really enjoyable.  I am also thinking of selling them.  I made cards to match and plan on selling them too. 

I’m trying not to turn into Martha Stewart (not that there is anything wrong with that, I respect her and find her stuff impressive) so I am also working on some artwork.  I want to have another art show so I will start taking pictures of the work I have been doing.  I am still using maps and incorporating my obsession with trees into that.  It could be interesting we will see.

A lot in this post but I had to get it out.  If you know of anyone interested in buying some handmade wrapping paper or cards, send them to my website.  Thanks for visiting.

Hello all,

Above is a picture of a piece hanging in my window.  My talented sister Lisette Child made it for my husband and I for a wedding gift.  We were married in 2008 but it was worth the wait! 

This piece is amazing and shows that stained glass isn’t just animals and church windows.  I’m impressed by the empty spaces she left in between the pieces of glass.  The use of the glass droplets are also beautiful.  Many people don’t think of stained glass as organic but this piece is definitely organic.  The title says it all. It is called “River”.  It is an appropriate title for this piece and reminds me of something you would find during the Art Nouveau period, which happens to be my favorite period. 

Below are some close-ups.

I wanted to share this with all of you because I am truly amazed with her talent and ability to create wonderful art with glass.  She has definitely taken after our grandmother whom was also an amazing stained glass artist.

Nice job Lisette and thanks again!  Keep creating art.

Yes I am back.  I am sorry for my absense.  A lot has happened since my last post.  I have been creating art and getting knocked up as well.  I am due in February and it has changed my artist life a bit. 

I also moved to a great new space but it does not have studio space so right now most of my stuff is in storage until I find a new studio.  This has been more difficult than I thought so if you know of any cheap spaces let me know.  Since I don’t have a space in my apartment I have been thinking of new ways to be creative and get my fix.  I will be posting pictures later in the week or later today but to give you an idea I have been putting my energy into smaller pieces and “craftier” projects.  Not a fan of that word but it is necessary in this situation.  Finding safe materials to work with have also been a bit of a challenge.  Being pregnant has forced me to rethink what materials I can and cannot use. 

For instance I wanted to paint a mural on my bedroom wall so I had to use acrylic paint or paint that had no VOC.  I went with the acrylic which isn’t ideal for the wall but we shouldn’t be in that space too long.  I made stencils of aspens trees and used light grey, middle grey and black.  I layerd the trees on a white wall to make it look like a forrest. I really like the final product and it is very graphic and relaxing.  Pictures will soon follow. 

Another project I just finished was making thank you cards from Bearclaw (the name I use to refer to my unborn child).  He/she needed to be represented so I designed a stamp especially for the Bearclaw and designed some cards.  I think they turned out great.  Again, pictures to follow.

Lastly I just started making wrapping paper because printing is fun and another way I can get creative.  I needed some wrapping paper for my niece’s present and I didn’t like the wrapping paper in the stores so I decided to do my own. I carved out a stamp of a birthday cake and printed different colors all over white paper.  Turned out pretty nice and while I was at it I made some birthday cards just to have around the house.

I know, this is a long and random post but I thought I would explain what I have been doing so I can post some pictures later.  If anyone knows of any studio space for an artist let me know and stay tuned for pictures of projects I have been working on.

Till next time….

marie