{holiday cheer} a tree full of KLT...

Things are getting festive here at klt:works! Little plushies are suddenly being transformed into Christmas ornaments and the studio is starting to feel a lot like Santa's workshop. If only those little elves would hurry up and get here....

For a limited time, you can get 8 different characters, all backed with holiday inspired fabrics- ready to be hung on your tree, mantel, or anywhere you'd like a little critter to hang out.  There  is a small group of the woodland creature ornaments that I printed on bark cloth & backed with a retro patterned bark cloth for the mid-century modern enthusiasts as well. They can all be found in my Etsy shop here & here. 

Nothing like a little KLT in your tree. Hope you are having a great weekend!  Forecast calls for snow here- any snow where you live? 

{the cardboard tree is courtesy of hutch studio}

{Fabric Friday} I need some WaWa...

It's so chilly & dark these days- there are rumblings of snow in the forecast. What I need today to give my sleepy self a jump start in the studio is some WaWa! I think if I had some cozy wool WaWa shoes on right now, I could seriously tackle any project with tons of enthusiasm. - No mountain would be too big, right? ...Absolutely!  

My very second Fabric Friday post ever, was about my love of working with colorful wool & a woman who shares that love & executes it brilliantly. It was back on the 2nd of April - check out that post here.  As it's time to get out the wool again, it's also time to revisit the vibrant LaLa Shoes Shop.

I have to tell you, that post means a lot to me. It opened the door to a wonderful friendship that I hold really dear. Daria, the creator & maker of LaLa Shoes is a daily inspiration & tremendous support to me.... my ideal studio mate & top notch pal. She makes all of her shoes with such care and her attention to detail is impeccable. She makes wool shoes for babies & toddlers, & lovely, linen home shoes for women as well.  There  is no telling what she will create next, so keep an eye on her shop, you will be glad you did. Hope the little WaWa helped take the chill out of the air for you- it helped me. Happy Fabric Friday!

{Puppets} part II ~ new home...

Shadows, puppets, & stacked luggage is the scene in one of the rooms at hutch studio today. As promised, here are few pictures of some of my puppets in their new home. It has been particularly dark & windy in the last few days which makes for interesting lighting & shadows.... 

Nice to know that they are keeping Chris company these days. I think they like their new cozy & interesting digs...

{letterpress} 2011 klt:works calendar is here!

A few months ago, the lovely ladies at Ideal: carefully curated goods , asked me if there was going to be a klt:works 2011 calendar with my thread drawn images. To be honest, it really hadn't even crossed my mind at that point. Being  a really small business, I tend to steer away from exclusively seasonal items due to my budget. However, I started mulling it over in my head and came up with an idea that I was really excited about. 

Now considering that my schooling is one of a "fine artist" and not a graphic designer, my computer skills are limited. I'm basically self taught. Oddly, due to timing (and my age), I was able to get through 4+ years of college & 2 years of graduate school with never owning a computer. At the time, it wasn't that unusual. I did have a word processor - that was giganitic,  but didn't have a computer until the mid- to late '90's. Ever since then, it has been a crash course in the world of ever changing technology. I'm telling you this because it does factor into whether or not I feel I can tackle certain projects in a time crunch and it was one of my concerns about making a calendar in such a short amount of time. I was sharing this information & my idea with a lovely friend from the blogosphere (who occasionally takes on freelance projects). She offered to help me with laying out my calendar idea so it was print ready! The generosity of this friend needs to be mentioned but she is shy and doesn't want me to mention her by name. But note, I am grateful beyond words.... 

You may remember me mentioning "the smile behind all of my klt:works letterpress work" - if not, you can read about her here. Amy Redmond is a designer and letterpress printer out of Seattle that I adore working with. She was able to squeeze in my calendar project and they arrived yesterday! The design element that I am most excited about with this calendar, is that there is enough room left around the owl couple image to crop it down to a 5"x7" print when the year is over. I signed all of the calendars for that reason. As a print, it would fit in beautifully with the other klt:works letterpress prints as well. I used the same gorgeous, cotton, Crane Lettra paper. Oh boy, does the letterpress looks & feel wonderful on it....

This was a fun project and it was so exciting to open that carefully wrapped box that arrived at my doorstep yesterday!  Thanks to everyone that made my first  klt:works calendar happen... particularly the ladies at Ideal for giving me the idea to make one.  Hope you like the finished product! 

{Music Monday} play & repeat...

It's busy, busy, busy these days in the klt:studio. I'm thinking about just setting up a sleeping bag in there. When I need to just chill out and work, Ray LaMontagne is one of my go to musicians. I just play & repeat all day long. 

His new cd, Ray La Montagne & the Pariah Dogs: God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise, has been getting played the most lately, but I have all of his music in my ipod & yesterday, shuffled my way though it all day. Ok, my break's over, heading back to the studio now. Happy Music Monday!  {photo via here}

{Everyday Inspiration} four fun finds # 2

Not surprisingly, I found some more things that caught my attention this week. This might have to be a weekly feature until Christmas now, what do you think? Here are four more fun finds that  highlight shape, pattern, color & texture.

1.  How fun would this  modern storage credenza by modology, be in your living room?

2. I just learned about this very cool e-shop called Zoe de Las Cases via Pirouette blog  the other day and thought about this cardboard  "bunch of kids" all week. I really like them.

3. Well, this isn't a new find. Lulu Smith Jewelry has been a favorite of mine for years now. Her colors, and the way that she uses her materials just "sing" to me. Which is why I have so many lovely Lulus in my jewelry box. These earrings are from her October show that is currently up right now. Lulu makes gorgeous & special pieces of art to wear. She is also a great momma, has two sweet little girls, a talented husband & calls Seattle home. Come to think of it, I like her as much as her art- which is a total bonus!

4. I found out about yorktownroad from my good pal Daria (aka LaLa shoes- the cutest darn baby shoes around). I love this textural and roomy carryall. I'm a very tactile person & her work looks really interesting.

This little group of fun finds make these grey Northwest days a little more cheery. They put a smile on my face anyway. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!