We’re busy getting ready this week for our exciting artist retreat #LillasRetreat that we’re hosting this Friday Sept. 25th and Saturday Sept. 26th!

We’re putting some of our top artists with top editors and art directors so they can play together and pitch projects in our gorgeous studio.

We call it Speed Art Dating.

Lilla Rogers Studio

Lilla will teach two innovative creative workshops, art directors will share how to dazzle with hot pitches, and our artists will pitch their ideas directly to these hot decision-makers. Throughout, there will be yummy eats and yoga too!

Lilla will also be video streaming on Periscope, the newest live interactive video app. During the scope, she’ll be interacting with those that tune in while she interviews her artists as they make art.

And what art they’ll make! They’ll carve block prints which they’ll print onto linen to make patterns.

Next, they’ll learn how to digitize their custom artwork to make embroidery with our state-of-the-art Janome 15000 machine embroidered onto linen! She’s hipping up this new technology!

We’re thrilled to welcome VIPs from these companies to our retreat:

• Margo Tantau, VP of Creative, Midwest CBK
• Mary Ann Hall, Executive Editor, Rockport Publishers/Quarto
• Judy Labins, Creative Director, Boston International
• Carol Chu, Art Director, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers
• Jessica Saint Jean, Art Coordinator, Candlewick Press
• Kristen Nobles, Art Director, Candlewick Press

In addition, these top artists will be attending:

• Helen Dardik, Ottawa
• Lisa DeJohn, Massachusetts
• Carolyn Gavin, Toronto
• Tara Lilly (our 2014 Global Talent Search Winner), Portland, OR
• Suzy Ultman, Ohio
• Sarah Walsh, Kansas

Here is a sneak peak at the Creative Retreat Itinerary! Be sure to stay tuned and follow along live with #LillasRetreat.

Workshop 1: Block Printing
The artists will carve large rubber blocks and then print onto lush silks to create fresh patterns.

Workshop 2: Mod Machine Embroidery
Lilla will teach her artists how to create innovative designs using Embrilliance software that they will then stitch onto gorgeous linens with our state-of-the-art Janome 15000 embroidery machine.

Speed Art Dating
Each artist will meet with each art director for ten minutes one-on-one, when they’ll be able to pitch their book projects or home décor collections, show new work, or just plain chat and ask their burning questions of these powerhouses.

Periscope Video
Lilla and team will be live video-streaming interviews of the artists and art directors, and engaging the viewers to ask questions of these inspiring folks. Watch @lillarogers on Periscope.

xo,

Reine

Using Susy’s Always Blooming collection, three designers came up with these 3 free quilt patterns found here at P&B Fabrics (scroll down to the bottom 1/4 of page). You can purchase Susy’s fabric online here and here.

Lilla,  These crafty kits are all flashbacks to my childhood. As a girl, I would spend hours at the kitchen table coloring, cutting, stitching, and beading. Recently, I bought some “shrinky dink” sheets at a local craft store, and reconnected with the magic of baking & shrinking my drawings. I was inspired to pitch the idea to Land of Nod, and sent them some of my fun plastic creations. Now, one year later, there is a delightful, authentically Shrinky Dink set available through Land of Nod.  If you have a young sewer in the house, the colorful needlepoint kits, and playful stitch kits are a must have. Enjoy! Suzy

Dear Lilla,

I made these two posters for a Taiwanese exhibition lately.
The theme of the show is”Play Together”. They invite designers and artists to create works that kids can enjoy.

Besides of the visual design for the show, I also made some rocking animals with my designer friends. They build rocking horse and other animals and then I painted on it.
You can see rabbit, tiger and giraffe here.Kids love it! We have a blast in the show!

And I also try to paint on the wall. It was new and fun!
So I just want to share with you! – Hsinping

Here I attached some photos.

Hi Jennifer!

I created an oversize plush for Land of Nod on display at their Schaumburg, Illinois pop up shop, Mr. Mountain. This year they are hosting an online contest – anyone can enter to win him here:
The contest ends December 12th…. so hurry up and enter! – Allison

Carolyn Gavin’s artwork is now on crewel embroidery kits for Dimensions Crafts. I took a stab at doing her “Blooms” kit, it was so much fun (and so relaxing!. Below, a picture of my pillow and then a picture of how the professionals do it. – Julia

Exciting news! After years of pursuing my passion for craft and jewelry-making, I’ve launched my own line called Ruby Violet, a collection of craft jewelry, rubberstamps, papers, necklace kits, cuffs, and embellishments in partnership with Prima Marketing, the wonderful craft manufacturer.

Ruby Violet is now shipping internationally.

Order Ruby Violet here at Simon Says Stamp! Wholesale, order here.

Soon also available at tons of stores and more online shops.

Above: One of the necklaces made from a Ruby Violet craft necklace kit

I’m thrilled to join Barbara Popolow, owner of the beloved shop Derby Farm, for a class in jewelry-making with Ruby Violet products.

Join us for a craft evening!

I’ll be teaching you how to make a gorgeous necklace in an evening workshop at Derby Farm in Arlington Center, MA

all levels | easy | learn lots of techniques | have fun

Thursday, November 17th at 6:30 – 8PM
Derby Farm, 454 Massachusetts Avenue
Arlington, MA
Cost: $25
To register, call Derby Farm at
781 643 0842
Hurry! Space is limited.
No refunds after 11/16

Above: Cuffs made using Ruby Violet products


Above: Some of the kooky fun Ruby Violet embellishments

Lisa writes:

“Hi Lilla,
I was visiting my family in Bend, Oregon this summer and my mom and I came across a quilt show at Quilt Works. They happened to have made a quilt from my Animal Alphabet collection with Red Rooster! There were also some very beautiful and unusual intricate quilts done with hand painting, you can see this in the detail of pebbles in a stream from the wonderful bear quilt. It was a fun show and really cool to see an interpretation using my fabric collection. The entire Alphabet Animal collection from Red Rooster can be viewed here.

Today only there are some great deals on beautiful Jenn Ski Actopus to Zelephant scrapbooking items at A Cherry on Top.