New Apron Design

I need feedback on this one. one of my first designs by scratch! I wanted an apron that didn't pull on your neck and something that felt more nostalgic. Something most classic. Any comments are greatly appreciated.

New Looks! New Shop!

WOW what a week. Off two days thanks to Election Day and a day off for ice! Baltimore Magazine took pictures of my birdy bird totes for their April edition! Two new bags! A new look for the Jennyjen store and a new shop! I decided to open another etsy shop for my artwork. The other side of me.... so all flag paintings, cards and artwork will be transferred there. ITs called the book room since that is where I found most of my inspirations...the book room of the elementary school in which I taught many moons ago! I worked on and posted new banners for each store. Aprons are going up today too! Spring is in the air and my daffodils are coming up in the front!

screech owl design

happy friday from a very long week to a busy busy weekend. tomorrow pat and i begin our first teaching adventure together teaching a graphic design class to middle school kids at MICA. i'm so excited! i love pat's ideas for incorporating package design with the brains of middle school kids. we're going to lead them into making actual packaging! they's make their own businesses with logo, packaging and merchandizing..we'll see how far we can go in only 10 classes.i'll keep you posted.
on the design side of things, i looked on design*sponge this evening to find some new inspirations and there they were...box card sets by screech owl design.i love the combo of bird with furniture and retro objects...anyone who wants to personify these little creatures is a buddy of mine!

SALE in the shop

from last season to new items for the spring!
ornaments and aprons on sale in my etsy shop
check them out here

BEST bio

I posted my bio on the baltimore etsy team site. you can read it here

new birdy bird pillows

getting ready for spring. notice i have some flowers coming up in my flower bed out front.
let me know what you think about these new little guys

new silk screens

new silk screen one-es for Ada and Eli

Thank You Maskman - Lenny Bruce

one of my absolute favorites!

Painting Survey

So I've been on a bit of a vacation in the painting department. I paint in my classroom when I have to model and demonstrate various paintings and drawing skills and techniques, and that helps to keep my eye in shape. But after my show at salt, i've switched my studio into a sweatshop and haven't painted for a bit. jennyjen42 does a great job of keeping me happy in the creativity field. In fact I feel even more productive in "making" products. I love the creative process of figuring out how my products can be made stronger, with a higher level of craftsmanship while keeping the jennyjen in them. This doesn't mean I'm through with painting. I just got so tired of not selling any of my work, and not receiving much feedback. In comparison, I sell jennyjen products as well as receive lots of compliments and feedback. Jennyjen items are very people friendly. My paintings can possess secrets from my inner soul. I really don't want the secrets to get out. I simply want my audience to view, react and hopefully find themselves in them. So, to motivate myself I re sized the digitals I had made from my scanned slides and posted them in my flicker account . I love to visit my paintings once in a while, remembering what was going through my life at that time, as well as the music I was listening to and the artist that influenced me through this periods. Hopefully, we will get my painting studio up and running in the new location of my basement once the winter blues go away! Check put my work here

New Bags. 1 for knitamals 1 for mommy of twins

I've been back to work in the good old sweat shop, in between looking at the mess I've made with keeping records for good old tax time...i promise to do that much better this year! Anyway, Danamarie of the wonderful knitamals has commissioned a bag that I really loved making. i love making art items for those i know will appreciate why i make what i do. i've posted Oscar, scout and Oliver to guard the new bag until she goes to her new owner.
I also have been working on a new diaper bag design for my friend Julie...sort of a shower and birthday present. hope she isn't reading this until after the shower tomorrow night ..if not..surprise! i really love how this bag turned out. two bottle pockets on either side,a front flap pocket, an interior zip pocket, as well as a section that is lined with my recycled shower curtain of New York's subway map for messy and wet items, and another small pocket for keys and easy to reach needed items.
Both bags have longer straps so that they can be carried on the shoulders. Look for more in the future jennyjen line for the spring!

New Trees comin' to town!

Have you heard about the Baltimore: The Urban Forest Project ? Patrick linked up with a graphic design cohort to design one of the banners. This project showcases 200 local artists, designers, and students for two months between April 11 – June 27, 2008! Banners will be created as well as other merchandise, including this very hip bag that hosts Chad Miller’s “Bmore Hon” bird design. Check out their site here and stay tuned for the posting of the banners!

B-more etsy group is forming and dia-loggng like a mofo

so i'm trying out a new thing for me..calling reaching out to others I have much in common in some ways, but have no idea of who they are...at least for right now. Danamarie of knitamalsand my partner tricia and I have been conversing back and forth about the b-more craft scene and how it feels like being in a punk rock band again...trying to see who is cool to see and not See...who to support and who to rag on. well....its come to that in the trendy diy scene of b-more. perhaps its a trait of creative people in smaltimore ..ok i'm rambling. So a group of etsy-ers from Baltimore have met and become a Google group . I missed the first meeting but am looking quite anxiously to connect written words with personalities and faces. So far I have to say, everyone has been very positive and professional and extremely supportive. It looks like many are not from Baltimore, so perhaps they have been sent down by the angels to say us nit witty competitive crafters to make this scene right! since being in this discussion group, i've been in two Treasuries on etsy, even made it to the front page!

if i had a dream site

awsome site....ALSO.....web designers.....these guys have a great client list...including etsy, reform schoool...just check out their site and check out their work site! If i could only afford these guys...hmmmmmm. My favorite is enfant terribleshop

new buys!

i have spent all day today in bed, watching bad movies and shopping on etsy in between dosing in and out of sleep. Pat and I are working on new ways to spruce up the place..after finding Berkley Illustration. on design*sponge I checked out the etsy shop and wha-lah...new artwork for the dinning room! ok...back to sleep...parents...don't send your sick children to school;(

guest what i got for xmas?

my mom got me a kitchenaid! i told her that i had it on my registry each time i got married and never got one ;( so she told me she really loves Patrick and would hate for me to get married again just to try to get the mixer....so she got me one for xmas and bday.So thanks Mom, I wouldn't want to trade Patrick in for anything!
i don't know how i made my xmas cookies before the kitchenaid! i'll never go back! so here's the fun..see if you can guess which one is mine. i got the other two pics from of my favorite blog's. so go ahead and search my favorites and see if you can guess.

Happy New Year

its been a bit of time since last posted. i must say it been a great year for jennyjen. i have been amazed by the amount of support and sales i've made this year. i'm getting ready to go back into the sweat shop and make new designs for the spring. i have some ideas for joining the birdy birds with the aprons. still in the sketchbook stage. been working on clutter freeing the house and getting life more organized with some sort of plans on how to attack 2008! i've applied to be an ap reader so that i can get into the know of how those tests are scored. its philadelphia over the MLK weekend for an AP workshop and time to spend with Chris and Emily..always a great time. AP means Advance Placement,,,the class I teach that counts towards college credit. it is what drives my whole teaching mentality.
anyway, i've been posting left over goods from the Xmas shows. Currently eye glass cases which are great Valentine presents!