Surtex is coming up this weekend! May 19-21st at the Javits Center in NYC. I’ll be at Lilla Rogers Studio booth #319, visit and say hi if you are at Surtex or attending one of the other shows at the Javits (National Stationery Show/International Contemporary Furniture Fair). 

Stationery Set giveaway! I found an old box of stuff when we moved last year that I used to make pre-Etsy (circa 2003-2004!) I’m giving away a package of three stationery sets - one Face, one Bird and one Sad Cloud, all sets are screen printed and come with four envelopes and eight sheets of paper. The giveaway will run through Wednesday May 15th - write me on Twitter @allison_cole and let me know you want to be considered for the stationery giveaway! Check out more sale products on my Etsy site: http://www.etsy.com/shop/bangbangyourethread

I’m speaking at RISD’s Art of Business conference this Saturday at the Renaissance Hotel in Providence, sharing what I know about art licensing. The conference is $30 for the day, register soon - there are still some spots left! http://www.artofbusiness.risd.edu/

New work for Oopsy Daisy is now available online. The collection is called A Through Z and is available here.

One of the fun things about attending a show like Printsource is that you never know what goodies you might go home with! I was happy to catch up with the lovely team from Camelot Fabrics at the show and they brought with them the strikeoffs for my new fabric collections, Festive Forest and Happy Jungle. Both collections will be in stores this upcoming March/April!

I will have lots of new artwork at the Lilla Rogers booth at Printsource NYC 2013! The show is this Tuesday and Wednesday the 15th and 16th - stop by the booth if you are at the show!

Giant Robot Post-It Show 8 opens tomorrow night (12/8) at GR2, 2062 Sawtelle in LA 6-10 pm. Over 2000 post-its from over 260 artists, selling for $25 each. Above is a peek at my contribution - be sure to check out the show if you’re in the area!

Lots of new products up in my Etsy shop! Notebooks, a 2013 Tea Towel Calendar and new christmas card designs. Plus some new prints, and some older items on sale. Click here to check out the shop!

Cyber Monday Free Shipping! Use code HAPPYHOLIDAYS at checkout. bangbangyourethread.etsy.com

Finally caught up on my Netflix queue and caught a peek of my artwork in the film Tanner Hall - they filmed in Rhode Island a few years ago and used two pieces from my Summertime series in a scene with Rooney Mara, Tom Everett Scott and Tara Subkoff. It’s always funny and bizarre to see your artwork in a different context. Apologies for the terrible screen grabs!

Updated my portfolio with some new work - this was a fun lettering project for a promotional tote explaining meta data for e-books.

New holiday items with my artwork are now up on The Land Of Nod’s website! Check out my treasure boxes, trinket dishes and embroidered holiday pillow.

I’ve worked on so many long-term projects in the last few months, I can’t wait to share it all… In the meantime, I’m back from my self-imposed year off from craft sales and will be showing new hand made goodies at the Bazaar Bizarre Boston on December 16th as well as my Etsy shop as soon as I can, stay tuned!

Here’s a tiny peek of a new project I just finished up. Fun fact: a version of this illustration started its life as a rejected sketch for a different project. I can’t wait to share how the whole thing turned out!

Came home to find my new SkinIt design for iPad in the mail! You can buy one here for iPad & iPhone.

My spread in Charlotte Rivers I Heart Stationery book - tons of great illustrators are featured, including Jill Bliss, Gemma Correll, and Jen Collins. The book is organized by the different techniques of each artist. I’m honored to be included!

Recently received some samples of my cards for Gartner Greetings (Taken with Instagram)

Just received the sample of the new graduation greeting card/mobile I illustrated for Papyrus! You can check it out on the Papyrus site here.

I’ll be at Surtex yet again this year with my agents at Lilla Rogers Studio! Come see us at booth #309 if you are there, May 20-22, 9-6pm. 

Process Post: Save the Bay

I was asked by art director Ellen Dessloch to create an original thank you card illustration for Save The Bay, a Rhode Island-based environmental organization that protects the Narragansett Bay region. This was a fun project to work on so I thought I would share my process for the assignment.

First I submitted three sketches, the first two going off of specific direction that the organization requested. The third I decided to add in - the coastline is from a sketch I did in Bristol a few weeks prior. Bristol is a historic Rhode Island town that overlooks the bay - and also home to the oldest 4th of July parade in the country!  To my surprise they went with the third option for the final. Ellen suggested that I change the direction of the copy - shorten the “Thank You” to “Thanks” and have the type flow from a different perspective. We also decided to add a sailboat and a fish to help balance out the bird and make the scene a bit more lively.  I created two different color ways for the final - a fall palette and a bright palette. They ultimately chose the bright option with some color changes and I finished the image with some textures in Photoshop.