Jackie Blue Home

Craft & Hobby Association Show Here I Come

2012-01-26T11:34:00.001-08:00

Show seasons is upon us! Last week was the Atlanta Gift Show and this weekend I’m getting ready to drive down to Anaheim, CA for the Craft & Hobby Association Show.

I have spent the last couple of days printing and assembling promo packets for potential clients. My poor printer gets a good workout doing these. I am putting the new studio to good use – if you look closely above you can see a teeny tiny part of it. I am just waiting to hang my window treatments before I take “official” pictures of it for the blog.

I can’t wait to see what great creative goodies and inspiration I can find at the show. They have a great seminar program so I will be in school quite a bit of the time but my agent, Jan, at Painted Planet Licensing Group, will be showing my portfolio of artwork to manufacturers at their booth ( # 1743 ). Stop by if you’re at the show.

Wishing You All an Inspiring Weekend!

New Office Setup for the New Year

2012-01-17T12:19:00.001-08:00

Last year I graduated to a wide format monitor for my office and I instantly fell in love! So since I have just finished my new Studio ( I promise to post pictures soon!) I have more room at my desk. So, what could be better than one fabulous large monitor to work on? Two monitors of course…..

The Hubby and I went to Frey’s yesterday and I picked up a new friend for my monitor. Now I have twins. They are not identical though. The new one is smarter and brighter than the old one. ( I know you are not supposed to have favorites among your children but I can’t help myself)

Now I can put all of my tools and files one one monitor and work in Photoshop on the other without having to constantly rearrange my open files. Hallelujah! It is so fantastic I can’t even tell you. The Hubby accused me of building an evil lair from which I can dominate the world. I do feel a bit like Doctor Evil with all of my gadgetry surrounding me now.

Adding to the family doesn’t come without compromise though. I now have an unbelievable huge gaggle of cords, plugs, hubs, connections and drives. No matter how hard I try I cannot make them look good on my desk. It bothers me like you can’t believe. After all I like to make things look pretty and gross metal hardware and yucky black wires don’t fit that mold.

The cords on the floor are an even bigger problem (please don’t look at my dust – I need to sweep)

But just like with my real kids if I just look at the all of their good attributes and how adorable they are I can put up with the bad.

Stay tuned for a tour of the new Studio.

New Projects for the New Year

2012-01-05T13:18:00.001-08:00

I’m starting off the New Year like I ended 2011, by working. After a great weekend with the Hubby, family and friends in Del Mar, Ca, I am back in my office working on new artwork. January 10 will be the anniversary of my decision to delve into the world of art licensing. It’s been a fun and educational year for me, culminating with my agent, Jan, from Painted Planet Licensing taking my portfolio to the Atlanta art licensing show for the first time.

After a lot of trial and error I finally feel like I am slowly defining my style after a year of bouncing all over the place with no direction. I’ve never thought of myself as an artist. I’ve always related more to the title of designer so it’s hard for me to think of my work as art. I guess I see myself more as a decorative artist or product designer. Trying to compete in an industry filled with amazingly talented “real” artists is pretty daunting but I am no stranger to rejection and failure. They have been my constant companions throughout my various careers and I have always somehow come out ahead. Probably because I am so stubborn and just work myself to death until I get it right. Practice makes perfect!!!

My next huge project for this year is the illustrating catalog for the Helser Brothers Jackie Von Tobel Collection catalog for my signature drapery hardware line!!!!

I am thrilled to be working on this and we plan to launch the line at the IWCE show in Chicago in April. I can’t wait to see it all finished. This has been a huge undertaking for Helser Brothers and they have been fantastic to work with. I can’t wait to show you all the finished product line – it is Fabulous!!!!

I hope you are all working on fabulous new creations in your lives for the new year. May 2012 see all of your dreams and aspirations come true………………………………….

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T18:58:00.000-08:00

I know he's not a Turkey but he's as close as I could get! I'm on the road tomorrow to San Francisco with my Hubby to spend the holiday with two of my kids who are in college there. We will be having a scrumptious take out meal courtesy of Whole Foods and lots of fun trying to eat in my daughters itsy bitsy apartment. See you after the weekend.

Have a Happy Holiday!

Birds Outside My Window

2011-11-16T08:58:00.001-08:00

Fall in Las Vegas is really more like a second Spring. The temperatures dip to about 70 degrees and everything turns green again after going brown during the crazy heat of the summer. October and November are two of my favorite months with crisp fall air and fabulous weather. I love to sit in my office and watch the birds in the trees outside my windows.

My little window birds are not this colorful. They are small and brown but I imagine them dressed in bright feathers.

My only complaint about my little friends is that they tear apart my window screens for fibers for their nests. My screens have been completely dismantled from the bottom up to about 3 inches. In the spring the little birds swarm the window sills to pull whatever loose fibers they can from the remaining screen material. It a bit like a mini “Birds” movie. I would replace them but I think I would just be providing new material for the birds to destroy. I love my birds anyway and watch them almost every day doing what they do. My little tiny bit of nature in the desert.

Seashells in the Fall?

2011-11-13T21:37:00.001-08:00

I’ve been fighting the flu or a cold or bronchitis or something crappy for the past two weeks and have passed the time working on a collection featuring watercolors of seashells. It seems like a subject matter better left for the summer months but when the mood strikes you I guess you should just go with it.

One of the wonders of Photoshop is being able to paint individual motifs and then arrange them in different configurations, colorways, and combinations to create multiple images.

So far this grouping includes a monochromatic version on silver leaf background, a pseudo vintage collage version and my favorite an old world collection in silver urns.

I want to try a sepia version of the urns so I can hang them in my library.

I think these would make great tiles.

Choose Happiness

2011-11-01T11:31:00.001-07:00

Like many people my personal life and my career have changed so much in the past few years that I hardly recognize myself. I’ve gone from running a demanding business with employees, lots of clients and a retail showroom to working at home by myself. I’ve had fabulous opportunities come my way that have enriched my life in ways I could not have imagined. I’ve also had difficult challenges arise that have worn me down and caused me to wonder if I had made the right choices in my life and career. Over all its been a great journey that just gets more exciting and challenging every day but I have found that at times I wonder why I am doing what I’m doing and why I am always working so hard.

Many years ago I was facing some really tough life situations that had taken a serious toll on me and I was forced to make a critical decision that would affect the rest of my life. I had to choose whether I would spend the rest of my life being happy or miserable. I chose happiness. It sounds like an easy choice but it is not always easy to be happy. You need to make that conscious choice every day and stick to it. It can take more discipline and effort to be happy than to lay around and wallow in your misfortune or apathy.

I have found in the past couple of years that my idea of happiness and the things that make me happy have changed dramatically. My kids aren’t home anymore, I’m older, more wrinkled, and less energetic. Life is very different and I need to reevaluate what really makes me happy. So for the next year I will be posting my monthly Happy List of random stuff that makes me smile now in this new chapter of my life. I want to be sure that I am paying attention to my happy moments and not just rushing through them. Take some time to enjoy your happy moments with me.

1. Crisp Fall air and the ability to wear long sleeves again

2. Giving an all day seminar on Friday in Phoenix Arizona with the lovely ladies of the WCAA chapter and then going to Helser Brothers to preview my new drapery hardware line!

3. Thanksgiving in San Francisco with my wonderful hubby and two of my great kids

4. Pretzel Thins – OMG they are the best snack food ever

5. My twin nieces will be turning two this month

6. Small dogs who sleep flat on their backs with their feet up in the air while snoring

7. Photoshop - my skills are slowly improving and I am learning how to do fantastic things with it by watching a million tutorials on You Tube

8. Cable DVR and not having to watch commercials

9. All of my skinny jeans from last Fall still fit me!

10. Velour covered hangers, what a genius invention

11. Left over Halloween candy

12. Not having to live in a cocoon with all of my blinds closed all day long to ward off the crazy summer heat – let the sun shine in

I hope you have many reasons to be happy today :)

Vintage Florals

2011-10-28T13:09:00.001-07:00

I’ve been busy working on custom projects lately so I can’t show much of what I have been drawing. One of my projects called for some vintage florals.

I did these in color pencil

Flowers always brighten my day – even if they are only on paper.

I hope these make you smile.

Halloween Perfection from Alexander Henry Fabrics

2011-10-16T10:55:00.001-07:00

Alexander Henry has a bright and happy new website ( here). I was checking it out and ran across this brilliant collection perfect for Halloween or for the Goth inclined.

I love it!!

Chicago ~ Windowspalooza ~ Oct 18 2011

2011-10-07T09:11:00.000-07:00

I'm coming to Chicago on the 18th to teach two seminars for the Chicagoland, WCAA, annual chapter event Windowspalooza.

I'm teaching one of my favorite classes on quick rendering. I teach you how to use simple shapes and techniques to create quick accurate sketches for your clients. Its a super fun hands on class that I know you will enjoy.

My second class outlines my own personal journey of reinvention in my career and how to appl y some of the thing I have done to try to stay current to your own career.

Please come join us if you are in the area, there is still plenty of time to sign up here.

See you in the windy city!

Getting Back to the Basics

2011-10-03T09:56:00.001-07:00

This week I’m working on a series of Angels for Christmas 2012 that will be modeled after antique Santons. I’ve always loved antique religious relics and statuary so its fun to try to work those images into more contemporary versions. I decided to start with the basics.

I want them to be moveable so I am trying to work out a jointed body for the base. I made some very rough body parts last night and cut them up to see what poses I could arrange. My husband saw what I was doing and thought I had lost my mind. We were watching the premier of Dexter which is about a serial killer who cuts people up and I was busy cutting up tiny body parts of my own. Hummmm !

Here is the start of something beautiful – little bodies poses in angelic stances. Soon they will have robes, wings, and halos to dress them up to look like this lovely lady below.

Stay tuned to see the finished product.

Etsy ~ Spotlight

2011-10-02T12:01:00.001-07:00

Etsy.com is such a great resource for uncommon and unique goods. I love searching the site for new products and ideas to incorporate into my designs. This Etsy store has hundreds of great items. Here are just a few. Visit the store here.

Great New Products From Rowley

2011-09-15T19:54:00.001-07:00

The standout product offering at the WCAA Inspire conference last week was the new line of button borders and button embellishments from the Finestra line by Rowley Company. These innovative products really pack a visual punch with their large scale and detailed profiles. The button borders are built to surround fabric covered centers but I can think of a thousand other uses for them as well.

The button collection comes in a variety of sizes and finishes.

Next on the Horizon – due out in October- are these fabulous grommets. Yes, they are functioning grommets and can be used in a number of innovative ways. What a great idea to add some style to a functional element.

I love the way they have used them as decorative elements on this pillow. Products like this get my creativity going.

They will be available in several finishes.

Can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

What would you do with these great new products?

WCAA Inspire Conference

2011-09-13T20:41:00.001-07:00

Just got back from the WCAA ( Window Coverings Association of America) “Inspire” Conference in Louisville Kentucky. I taught two seminars and had a great time seeing old friends and making new ones.

The New Jersey WCAA chapter made a treatment for the show floor using my fabrics. I was thrilled to see it all put together and the girls did a great job as always.

This particular treatment had some great embellishments including individual chandelier crystals sewn at the center of each flower on the circle trellis pattern they used for the Roman shade. They gave it a great sparkle.

I loved the fancy rosettes used to hold the tie backs in place at the wall and the smocked heading on the panels was gorgeous.

Thanks so much Kelli and Rosemarie and the rest of the New Jersey chapter for using my fabrics. The treatment was beautiful.

I ran out of battery life in my camera before I could take too many more pictures but I managed to get some of this creative treatment.

The Roman shade was embellished with hand sewn flowers and stems crating a lovely garden motif. I loved how she tucked the fabric in the center. I think this was done by Lee Tran – If I am wrong please let me know – sorry, I wasn’t paying attention!!!

Here is a close up so you can see some of the detail. It was so creative and shows just how artistic you can get within the boundaries of window treatment design.

After these shots my camera died so that's all I have to show you. Next month I will be at the WCAA chapter event Windowspalooza in Chicago teaching an all day seminar and I promise to charge my camera!

In My New Studio Today

2011-07-13T15:20:00.001-07:00

Working on my first project in the new studio and its fabulous; although its still technically under-construction.

I still need:

A TV ~ ( I am a TV addict. I don’t watch it when I work but the sound keeps me company since its mostly just me and the dogs when the hubby is at work. I am so used to it being on that working in this new room with no sound is creepy.)

A rolling office chair for my sewing table. (This one would be great)

A barstool for the work table ~ Just stole one from the kitchen for now, I want this one from Home Decorators Collection . I like the back since I am getting old and hunched over from overwork! And I love the swivel. I wish it was on rollers though.

And last but not least flooring ~ I will have to wait on that one for awhile.

I’m doing rough color studies for a new series of birds and flowers. For this project I am using a combination of watercolor pencils and traditional watercolors. I print out my sketches first on Bristol paper and try to rough out the colors first so I know what I am doing on the final draft. This saves me lots of time, effort, and paper since it takes me a few tries to get it right.

When I get a new set of watercolor pencils ( or regular colored pencils for that matter) I usually do a color chart so I can see what they look like after water has been applied. I do a small swatch of variegated color and label it with the pencil brand and number. Most watercolor pencils change significantly once they have been wet and then more after they dry. This is a good quick visual reference but I still need to do mock ups to be sure about the colors I am using and how they will blend together.

Watercolor pencils are great for me because I tend to do small , detailed images and I don’t have a ton of experience with fluid watercolors. I am learning though!

Diane Gilleland ~ Kanzashi in Bloom

2011-07-07T09:48:00.001-07:00

I ran across this book on Amazon the other day and was instantly hooked.

It shows endless possibilities for folding fabric into lovely flowers of all shapes and sizes.

You know how my mind works ~ I immediately saw thousands of applications for these pretty posies.

I emailed the author the lovely Diane Gilleland to ask a few questions about how she got into this art form.

Diane with her lovely book

Jackie ~ How did you first hear about this art form?

Diane ~ I spend a lot of time looking at all kinds of crafts on the web. Somehow, somewhere I stumbled onto some images of Japanese Kanzashi. I was gobsmacked at how detailed and delicate they were, and I wanted to learn more. If you go to YouTube and search "Kanzashi," you can find a whole lot of interesting video showing the traditional Japanese way of making these flowers. But that process is way too exacting for me, so I set about trying all kinds of simpler methods until I'd developed a process that produced nice flowers without too much specialized skill or equipment.

Jackie ~ Can you give a quick history of its origins?

Diane ~ The word "Kanzashi" actually translates from Japanese as "hair ornament." Kanzashi date back to the Edo period in Japan (roughly the 1600's), when there was a rather sudden change in hairstyle fashion. Women stopped wearing their hair long and loose, and started putting it up. All kinds of elaborate combs and pins began to emerge as Japanese artisans invented new adornments for these upswept styles.

Floral kanzashi have always been part of the Geisha culture in Japan. Geisha adorn their hairstyles with these flowers for public occasions. There are specific Kanzashi for each month of the year, too – you'll see Geisha wearing silk cherry blossoms in April and silk chrysanthemums in October. There's just a handful of master Kanzashi artisans left in Japan, but luckily there's a whole new generation of enthusiasts helping to keep this art alive.

Diane has also developed a product with Clover Needlecraft that makes the construction of these flowers so easy it ridiculous!

Watch this short video to see her demonstrate hoe to use the Kanzashi templates.

Isn’t that amazing?

I’ve already ordered my book, now I have to track down some templates.

* all pics courtesy of Dianne Gilleland

Paper Perfect ~ Helen Musselwhite

2011-06-28T18:59:00.001-07:00

Paper artist Helen Musselwhite cuts – folds – and otherwise works magic with ordinary paper goods to create these wonderful three dimensional tributes to nature.

* all photos - Helen Musselwhite

See her amazing work here

Room Redux at My House ~ Part II

2011-06-20T10:19:00.001-07:00

The handsome husbands shoe room is progressing slowly. Apparently loading shoes onto racks is a tedious and time consuming task.

It is woefully apparent that I have vastly underestimated the volume of shoes that need to be housed! The amount of shelves needs to be doubled to even have a chance of holding most of his collection. Keep in mind this shelving is 8 feet high by 12 feet wide. You’d think they would fit right? NO!

The important thing is that I think this is making him happy. At the very least its got to be easier for him to find that one missing shoe now.

Now for the good part. My daughters room has been sitting vacant except for her occasional visits home from college in San Francisco, for 2 1/2 years now. I have been thinking about commandeering it for my art / sewing studio for awhile but just couldn’t get going. I think I am still in denial about her being grown up and living out of state.

Since most of my art and sewing supplies were stored in the shoe room it was only natural to extend my room makeover to my daughters room as well so I would have a place to put everything taken out of the shoe room. I know – crazy – it’s like a Chinese fire drill of room contents around here. My goal for this room, after spending a small fortune on “cheap” shelving for the shoe room, was to use only stuff I had around the house and in the garage. ( trust me – there is plenty of stuff here to use) The only thing I am allowing myself to spend money on is the white paint for the furniture.

The first order of business was to have my wonderful son Geordie, who is home for the summer, tear out the carpet. I plan to paint the floor white for now since I am not allowing myself to buy flooring.

My sister bought this fabulous metal cart for her home office and when it arrived she realized that it was too big to fit through the door of her room! So naturally, she gave it to me for my birthday! Its actually fantastic because its on casters and it will slide right under the center of my worktable and pull out easily when I need additional table space. Right now it is the painting center.

For the rest of the pieces I need I am using furniture that I designed and had built for my husbands old office at work which he brought home last year after moving into a bigger office. I tried to give this stuff away about ten times over the past year but had no takers. Boy, am I glad I kept it! It is going to work out perfectly. Its a bunch of cubes of different shapes and sizes – some with drawers – some with shelves – that can stack into different configurations.

These cubes are the perfect height for my work table when I stack two on top of one another. I am painting everything white so it will blend together. The cubes were originally all bright man colors so its taking two coats of white paint to cover it up UGH!

There is even a sectiont of the old furniture that is on giant casters and can serve as a window seat.

The walls of the room are a super sunny yellow that my daughter picked out. I thought of painting them but they remind me of her so I am keeping them for now. They just need a bit of touch up from the thousands of nail holes she put in the walls over time !

The only furniture I kept from my daughters stuff was her dresser and hutch for storage.

One of the great features of this room is that is has an enormous closet that has its own window. In fact, this room has four windows in it so its super sunny and has great natural light all day long.

I am so blessed to have such a great home and to be able to create such a great working space for myself – I feel a little bit guilty taking over so much room in the house but since its just sitting there unused I am sure I will get over it. I am so excited – I can't wait till it's done.

* If you have a great studio – workroom – craft room or whatever room – I would love to see it and possibly share your photos here on my blog. Please send me some pics to jackie_vontobel at msn.com

Vintage Chairs ~ Three Times The Fun

2011-06-13T10:09:00.001-07:00

What a great idea for those random chairs sitting around your house. Kindall from Creations blog shows her step by step process here, for creating this adorable settee out of three old chairs she found.

Room Redux at My House ~ Part 1

2011-06-09T20:03:00.001-07:00

I don’t mind saying that I think my husband is a bit of a hunk. Even after all of these years he still looks pretty darn good and he’ll tell you so to! Unfortunately, when it comes to his tennis shoes ( he would say “kicks” or something trendy like that) he thinks he is thirty year old rap star.

These are the, apparently super rare, limited edition, “Tiffany”, Nikes that he was sporting to work this morning. He has hundreds of shoes ( I am not exaggerating) and as many clothes and it has become somewhat of a running joke in our house. He has completely taken over five ( yes I said 5 ) of the closets in the house ( I have one) and they are all filled to the brim. So, since his birthday was last week and its been three years since any of our three kids have actually lived at home, I decided to clear out my sons room which had been serving as a sort of catch all storage area ( since my husband was using all of the closets). As his birthday gift I am turning it into his “shoe” room.

This is the kind of ridiculous stuff you start doing for each other after your kids fly the coup. Sounds romantic doesn’t it? After a week of sporadic cleaning and throwing away of old junk the room is finally clear and the shelves are ready to go up.

I am sure that this is what my handsome hubby has in mind when I say “shoe room”.

Or perhaps this lovely design.

How about this? It has a great nautical sort of flair combined with rugged woodsiness.

Now this is actually more his style – super clean and modern.

Before you get too excited let me bring you back down to Earth. Here is the reality of the poor man’s shoe room! Granted, it is a work in progress. Just got a few of the uprights attached to the wall before I realized I had bought the wrong type of screws. It’s been a couple of years since I have piloted power tools and my construction skills are a bit rusty.

I am actually excited that he will have this space of his own. The girly bed will be moved to the downstairs guest room and a more masculine bed brought upstairs just in case one of the kids does show up. It needs some window treatments and the rest of the shelves put up and then the shoe installation will begin.

I’ll keep you posted!

Coming up – Handsome Hubby isn't the only one in the house getting a new room! Stay tuned to see my new art & sewing studio come together in what was once my daughters room. ………..

Painted Planet Licensing ~ My New Agent

2011-06-07T17:59:00.001-07:00

I am thrilled to announce that I have signed with a fabulous art licensing agency, Painted Planet Licensing Group. They will be my exclusive agents in the licensing of my art and illustrations.

I am in good company as you can see by the artists they currently represent above.

hopefully you will be seeing my new collections coming to life on home decor products,

tableware

and wall art.

I can’t wait !!!

New York City ~ Architectural Voyeurism

2011-06-02T14:55:00.001-07:00

Whenever I am in New York ( or any other city for that matter) I try to soak up every bit if culture and architectural detail I can find. Living in the West in a city that is only a few years past 100 years old there is not much of anything here with any architectural merit. So I absolutely love classic ornament and historic detailing.

Here are a few of the jewels I spotted on my trip a couple of weeks ago.

Love It!

The Design Directory of Slipcovers – Fall 2012

2011-06-01T09:05:00.001-07:00

I'm packing up my original illustrations - all 785 of them - for my new book today. Got to ship them off to my fabulous editor Madge at my publisher Gibbs Smith to begin the process of putting together my new book for release in the Fall of 2012.

I wish the process wasn't so long so you could see the finished book right away, but I promise you it will be worth the wait! In the meantime I will be doing regular posts again about slipcovers and many other things so stay tuned.

IWCE ~ Surtex Whirlwind

2011-05-30T15:14:00.001-07:00

May has been a busy month with trade shows almost every week. First was the IWCE show in Vegas. We sponsored a Slipcover Showcase booth to show off the many talents of some of the countries best slipcover artisans.

I sent templates to some great gals all over the country and they sent me back the most beautiful slipcovers made with my fabrics.

The ingenuity and craftsmanship of these gals is amazing. People just flipped for all of the designs.

I took some really bad photos of them all but luckily my good buddy Kay Ellen was there with her fabulous photo skills and she managed to shoot a couple of good shots.

The Zebra striped Bergeres were a crowd favorite, possibly because people could sit and rest their aching feet!

Kay Ellen is a pro stager and she grabbed this pillow from another booth to show it off on the zebra ground. I think they look great together.

The Vanity table from Ready to Cover turned out so cute! I love the zebra hem.

Thanks so much to the very talented Teresa Bennett , Deb Fowler ~ Christy Statz ~ Kippi O’Hern ~ Emily Pettit ~ Barbara Roth ~ Linda Meeks & Jackie for making these beautiful slipcovers. I will be posting about each one of these talented ladies in the next couple of weeks so stayed tuned to see more of their great work.

The next stop was my debut at Surtex, the nations premier trade show for artists who license their work for surface and pattern design. Companies come from all over the globe to meet with artists and find new art and patterns for their goods. This is where designs for tabletop, wallpaper, fabrics, stationary, and much more are bought and sold.

Here I am in my booth. It was such a great experience and I learned a ton about this new industry. My daughter Angelica and the handsome hubby came with me to help and we all had a great time.

We tried to lure in attendees with lots of candy!

Angelica was a pro as always.

The handsome hubby and I went to the opening night party for the ICFF ( International Contemporary Furniture Show) at the MOMA Sculpture Garden and we had a great time. The ICFF and the National Stationary Show run concurrently with Surtex at the Jacob Javitz Convention Center in Manhattans each year.

There were some really great booths at the show – so much talent and creativity! I hope some rubbed off.

Loved those paper pinwheels.

This was our neighbor from the UK, little Alfie. He was the show stopper.

We had great neighbors and met a slew of new friends and caught up with some old ones as well.

There is always a surprise every time I go to New York. This is what I ran across walking back to the hotel one rainy day. A Hawk just hanging out on the sidewalk. It was surreal. I’d always heard of hawks living in the city but had never seen one and I never thought I would see one just two feet away from me.

In short we had a great time as always! Here’s Angelica and her Dad drinking champagne at the MOMA! What a great time.

Now I am back home putting the finishing touches on my slipcover book that I have to hand into my publisher on Wednesday! More to come soon.

Where did February Go?

2011-03-16T18:06:00.001-07:00

I know I have been bust but I seem to have lost almost the entire month of February! I cant believe I am halfway into March. Anyway, we’ve been busy around here getting ready for several shows, new product lines and other fun stuff.

I will be exhibiting for the first time at the SURTEX show in New York in May. Surtex is a tradeshow where artists and designers license their art to manufacturers for application on things like fabrics, stationary, table top, etc. I‘ve been working for the past few months creating new designs and art to show. It is exciting but also very intimidating to put your work out there for so many other professionals to see.

I’ve also been working night and day finishing up my new book The Design Directory of Slipcovers. It’s turning out to be a fun book and I can’t wait to see it finished. (It won’t be on the bookstore shelves until 2012)

Here are some Parsons chair slipcovers from the book. I desperately want to slipcover all of my furniture but it will have to wait for the time being. I still have more slipcovers to draw – no time for sewing right now.

In between those tasks I have been working on a super top secret project with the fabulous Helser Brothers. Can you guess what it is? I hope to have something great to show you if you are attending the IWCE show in Las Vegas in April!

How has your year been so far? As busy as mine? So far we seem to be off to a great start but I do wish that there were a few more hours in each day. Let’s not forget to enjoy life as we are working our way through it.

~ Have a Great Day ~

Finally! ~ The Power of Marketing is Here!

2011-02-24T12:30:00.000-08:00

The Power of Marketing (A Guided Tour)

Hi Jackie ,

Marketing is too important to be left to chance; it is the driving force behind your company's success. A meticulous plan is critical to effectively communicating your company's services, priorities, and unique abilities.

As we've all seen, innate talent and hard work are not enough to sustain a healthy pipeline of clients. Every business needs to build brand recognition, expand their business, and generate substantial profits. So here are a few questions to ask yourself...

-Are you sure your clients know what makes you unique and of high value?

- Do you know what works, or more important, what doesn't work when it comes to marketing?

-Are there things that you could be doing to create a more balanced flow of income?

If you paused when answering any of the above questions, it is probably time to rethink the way you're communicating with your potential clients. The Power of Marketing by Minutes Matter will guide you through an intense four-week curriculum developed to inspire creative marking ideas and breathe fresh air into your business. The Power of Marketing reveals the secrets of three of the industry's award winning innovators, Debbie Green, Casey Green, and Jackie Von Tobel.

The weekly sessions are live and will include our unique Power of Marketing book in electronic format. Recordings of each session will be sent to every person who registers. Register by March 3rd and save $50. Note: Even if you can't attend the live sessions you will still receive all the recordings.

The Power of Marketing (A Guided Tour)

1st Session: 03.08.11 at 1:00 pm (EDT)

The Power of Identity
- Develop Your Own Pitch
- Create a Marketing Plan
The Power of Branding
- Build a Strong Brand
- The basics of fonts, colors and graphics
- Branding everything from business cards to napkins

2nd Session: 03.15.11 at 1:00 pm (EDT)

The Power of Successful Tools
- Showing off your work
- Storyboard - a new and innovative approach
The Power of Publicity
- Make yourself famous
- Build your credentials
- Showcase your talent
The Power of Blanket Marketing
- Magazines and newspapers

3rd Session: 03.22.11 at 1:00 pm (EDT)

The Power of Generating Leads
- Create a powerful and systematic referral system
- Build partnerships with non-competing businesses
The Power of Qualifying Clients
The Power of Lasting Impressions
- Did you remember my birthday?
- Say thank-you in a unique way
- Get that in writing
The Power of the Internet
- Websites, Blogs and Facebook

4th Session: 03.29.11 at 1:00 pm (EDT)

The Power of Budgeting
- How much money do you need to spend?
The Power of Getting it Done
- When will you be done?
- How will you know what works?

The Power of Marketing (A Guided Tour) includes:

Four live sessions
Recordings of all live sessions
Electronic Storyboard (in Studio format) (see preview below)
Avatars (in Studio format) (see sampling below)
Power of Marketing book in electronic format (chapters sent in conjunction with live sessions)
Design Articles (for use in blogs, magazines or newspaper)
Design Contracts
Resource Documents
Worksheets

| Preview of Electronic Storyboard |

|Sampling of Studio Avatars to be used in blogs, magazines or newspaper articles |

| Buy now |

Marketing is our passion,

Shedding Some Light on the New Year

2010-12-30T17:11:00.001-08:00

2010 was a rough year for many of us and I for one am really looking forward to 2011 and the chance to start fresh!

The New Year brings with it for me opportunities to design new products and work with new partners.

I’m working hard finishing up my next two books and my Bedding modules for Studio.

I plan to spend more quality time with my kids and my terrific husband.

I resolve to get more exercise, keep up my healthy eating and try to age gracefully for another year.

I plan to really try to enjoy every day to its fullest and not dwell on negativity.

I hope you all find your key to happiness and joy in 2011! CHEERS `:)’

* Lampshade slipcover images from The Design Directory of Slipcovers (available Spring 2012)

Honeysuckle for 2011

2010-12-13T19:09:00.001-08:00

Honeysuckle pink is the Pantone color for 2011! Luckily it is one of my favorite colors and a staple in the Jackie Von Tobel Collection.

Even Peanut loves it!

Keep the Kids Busy on Thanksgiving

2010-11-18T09:39:00.001-08:00

Check out this fantastic site www.papertoys.com. It’s a free site where you can download and print great paper patterns to cut out and color that turn into 3D toys for kids as well as adults who grew up loving building dioramas for school projects like I did.

The Thanksgiving selection is good for a full day of occupying the kids while the Turkey is in the oven and the result will be a great table centerpiece that they made themselves.

This is a site that really makes me love the internet for its ability to share creativity and good will which is in such short supply in this world.

Many of the patterns can be downloaded in black and white so each piece can be customized in color by the builder. I personally would have spent endless hours as a kid coloring and building these great models.

Check out the completed Castle.

The US Capital

Shakespeare Old Globe Theatre.

And of course lady liberty.

Let the kids go wild. It’s free to download and only cost you the price of a sheet of paper and a box of colored pencils.

I think this would make the perfect gift for your kids friends - print out a selection of these, throw in a box of pencils, a bottle of glue and you have a present that will give them hours of joy and entertainment. Enjoy!

Making My Way Back

2010-11-13T18:51:00.001-08:00

You may have noticed my absence from the online world these past few months. I’ve been dealing with a lot of stuff, much of it I am legally prohibited from talking about right now.

It seems that in this highly competitive world once you have earned some measure of success others may want what they perceive to be their portion of it. Over the last few months I’ve gotten a look into the not so pretty side of corporate litigation. The realization of what can happen to you in this world almost made me hang up my colored pencils and call it a day but my husband told me to not let what I am going through kill my creative spirit and I am taking his good advice to heart.

It will be many hard months of work and waiting ahead for what I am going through but I am in a better place now to deal with it now. In the meantime I am back and I will be forging ahead doing what I love – writing and illustrating my books that hopefully will help those in my industry do their jobs a little easier. I never got into writing to create some kind of empire or make a ton of money. Publishing; unless you are a celebrity or fiction guru, is certainly not a money maker. My goal was and still is to create a comprehensive set of reference books for the trade that will stand the test of time and provide a go to source for design inspiration. A staggering amount of work goes into creating my books and every drawing is a labor of love for me. I do this work out of a passion for design and my desire to share this passion with others like myself.

To those of you who have known about my situation and have supported me and given me such great and reassuring advice I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m sure I will need more of that before this is over. For now I am hard at work on my next two books. The Design Directory of Soft Furnishings Volumes I & II. I’ve been drawing slipcovers for a few months now and loving it. They are still in the black and white stage but soon they will get a pretty new coat of color.

I am going to try to get back into blogging regularly now. For some reason I was afraid to blog for awhile. I guess I really was in shock and didn’t know what to say. I was afraid of saying anything that could inflame my already tenuous situation and I was also spending 24 hour days researching my case. I have missed my blogging friends so much and the great interaction that we have and I hope that I haven’t let it go too long so that no one will read me anymore.

I hope we can reconnect and I’m looking forward to getting back into the blogging swing.

XOXO Jackie

Come See Me In New Jersey, Oct 14 at Windows to Success III

2010-09-23T09:52:00.001-07:00

I am so pleased to be participating in this years event! It should be a day of fun, great information, new sources, fabulous vendors, and prizes!! Don’t miss it.

See you all there :)

Jackie

Banksy – Weirdly Wonderful

2010-08-12T12:25:00.001-07:00

If you love modern art – particularly the street art variety – of which my husband is a huge fan, you must go see the new documentary (or perhaps a mockumentary) of Britain's most famous and elusive street artist Banksy.

The film chronicles the history of street arts emergence and eventual acceptance as “the real thing” through the video camera of an eccentric Frenchman who may or may not be a real person.

Exit Through The Gift Shop was a huge unexpected hit at the Sundance Film Festival and it is building a cult following in limited release across the US.

It gives a great insight into the artistic process while at the same time showing how commercial the world of art can be. It is a “do not miss” even if modern art isn’t your thing.

Enjoy!

JVT Collection Debuts at Las Vegas World Market

2010-08-08T13:05:00.001-07:00

I’ve been missing in action here in blogland but I have a good excuse. I was working day and night to get ready for the official launch of The Jackie Von Tobel Collection, my new line of fabrics and pillows, at the Las Vegas World Market.

My collection will be available year round in the Postcards Home Showroom in building A suite 119. Craig and Donna the co-owners of the beautiful showroom have been absolutely wonderful and helped me get everything ready for the debut. Thanks guys!

We had a great launch party and I was thrilled to have some great friends, blogging buddies and fellow designers from all over the country attend.

We introduced some new patterns and colorways including the zebra stripe in coffee and the new Gypsy Flower in coffee.

Here are a few patterns in our cotton candy colorway.

I was floored to see Suzanne Kasler stroll into the showroom and had a nice chat with her. She is definitely one of my favorite designers and such a gracious lady.

Ronda Carmen and her husband made it to my launch party along with Brad Ford and the great gals from Editor at Large, Julia Noran and Sophie Donalson.

My friend and fellow blogger Tobi Fairley came by with her lovely mother.

I also had the pleasure of speaking on a panel discussion on New Media at market with Tobi, Brad, and Ronda. It was moderated by Julia Noran and Sophie Donalson of Editor at Large.

It was a fun panel with loads of tips on how to make social media work to promote and grow your business.

We had a great group in attendance and I had the opportunity to meet a reader of my blog and her sister, in town all the way from the Virgin Islands!

If you are in Las Vegas I hope you will stop by the fabulous World Market Center and visit my showroom. We’d love to see you!

Have You Been Wondering Where I’ve Been?

2010-07-26T09:13:00.001-07:00

I really have no good excuse. You can call it bloggers block – a summer slump – or real life takes over – whatever it was I just couldn’t get up the energy to blog. It’s been a crazy couple of months here and I am hoping to get back on track now before my poor blog evaporates into the universe.

I hope you are all having a fantastically fun summer. I have so many great things coming up and lots of info to share with you so I hope you’ll forgive my playing hooky for the past couple of months.

More to come soon!

Two New Books in the Works

2010-06-04T10:47:00.001-07:00

I’m so happy to be able to share that I have just signed a new contract with my fabulous publisher Gibbs Smith for two new books which will be part of my Design Directory series.

Can you guess what the first one will be about?

More to follow soon……………………………………………………………………………………….

Travel Burnout

2010-05-26T21:24:00.001-07:00

The fabulous Thom Felicia and I in New York at a Withit presentation

I have really had a crazy year so far in 2010 with what seems to be non-stop travel and work. I love it but after my recent trip to New York I have felt particularly burnt out! Hence my lack of posting – sorry.

One of my favorite blogging buddies Michelle Morlan of Schematic Life and I at SURTEX in New York

I was in New York for several events. First was the Surtex show which is a tradeshow for surface and textile designers. It is run in conjunction with the Stationary show which is huge and full of talent! Second was the ICFF show – The International Contemporary Furnishings Fair, and it was great. So much fun new product and innovation! Very inspirational.

Valorie, Angelica, Me

My friend Maybelline Te of Snug Furniture, Angelica, myself, Maybelline’s friend

I met my sister Valorie and my daughter Angelica in New York and they went to some of the great events around town with me. A highlight was the opening night party for ICFF which was held in the outdoor atrium and sculpture gallery. It was a fun and lively event attended by a great group of creative people. We had a great time.

The Withit ladies at dinner

Also going on in town that week was the Withit design tour. Withit stands for Women in the Home Furnishings Industry Today and it is a fabulous group of entrepreneurial women who have made their mark in our industry. From company CEO’s to authors and designers the group is filled with women who are making a difference in their perspective fields. I was absolutely energized by all of them and can’t wait to meet more members.

Thom Felicia in action.

Part of the Withit group enjoying some bubbly at Safavieh

I’m off to Laguna Beach this weekend with my hubby for some badly needed R & R and then it’s back home and back to work.

Hope you all enjoy your holiday weekend and take time to relax and revitalize! See you next week.

Pardon My Dust - Facelift in Progress

2010-05-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

As you can tell my blog is getting a much needed face lift -after all we are getting up there in years!

It's a difficult process and one wrong move could ruin it forever - so parden the mess while we tweak it to get it just right. I promise to try not to go too far! Triple D's might be a bit much - maybe I'll upgrade to just a single D cup with some serious lipo in the side.

Passion for Peacocks

2010-05-03T21:56:00.001-07:00

I’m just to tired to write an intelligent post tonight so I thought I would share some of the new images I have filed in my “Peacock Obsession” file – enjoy!

www.decor8.com

www.tracyporter.com

www.jackievontobel.com

* Also too tired to give credit – sorry – if I have used your image please let me know and I will gladly link it.

New Media Day at IWCE in Atlanta, Friday, May 14

2010-04-28T20:03:00.001-07:00

I’m thrilled to be hosting an all day New Media event at this years VISION 10"’, International Window Coverings Expo in Atlanta, on Friday, May 14th. The days activities focus on the explosive growth in the world of social media and it’s effect on the interior design industry today and in the future.

I will be starting off the day at 8:00 am with a seminar on the basics of social media: GET CONNECTED: Grow Your Business with Social Media

I’ll be talking about the basics of Blogging, Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, you Tube, etc. and how to adopt them for your design business success.

The highlight of the day is the Design Perspectives Panel at 4:00pm. We are so happy to have a great group of influential bloggers representing designers, manufacturers, and vendors on our panel.

Brian Patrick Flynn is an interior designer and founder of the online decorating magazine, decordemon.com. He gained attention for his bold, glamorous spaces created almost entirely with garage sale items and flea market finds. Formally educated in television production, Brian made the leap to interior design after working as a producer on various hit home makeover programs. Décor Demon was created as an online outlet for Brian to produce original editorial lifestyle content from a witty and practical male point-of-view. From modern home renovations to the latest baby toy craze, Décor Demon’s features aim to be both inspiring and entertaining.

Valorie Hart of Visual Vamp is a vivacious personality, experienced designer, writer, and tango dancer and teacher among other things. Her blog is a lively reflection of her fascinating life in New Orleans. Valories work and her own eclectic home is a favorite among other bloggers and online publications.

Skyla Freeman, author of the home and style blog Sanity Fair (sfair.blogspot.com), learned to love design from an early age. Her mother, a former decorator, and her father, a self-taught architect, raised their family in a Southern home filled with art and Asian antiquities. After working at the White House for nearly four years, she left in 2009 to write full-time at SkylaFreeman.com and founded Sanity Fair. Since then, the blog has grown a steady following, received several blogging awards, and been featured in the January/February 2010 issue of Atlantan Magazine as a "Fab Five" design blog. An entryway to stylish living for all budgets and lifestyles, Sanity Fair provides everyone from renters to professional designers with fresh decoration and fashion inspiration. From Parisian couture to the local Target, Sanity Fair is about discovering the lovely things in life - wherever they are found.

Debbie Green from Minutes Matter - In The Loop Blog, is an industry innovator and educator who has spearheaded the inclusion of technology and social media in the window covering industry. Debbie’s company Minutes Matter Solutions Inc. produces Studio software, a graphic design software program for the interior design industry.

Jay Helser of the Why Helser blog is one half of the fabulous Helser Brothers team of drapery hardware manufacturing fame. Widely recognized and acclaimed for their fabulous customer service and beautiful and innovative product line, the Brothers Helser are forging new ground in the world of social media through dream giveaways and raffles to their customers via their blog. They even gave away a trip to Paris last year!

This promises to be an eye opening and inspiring event so please sign up early and don’t miss it. The panel discussion will be followed by a networking event for all attendees.

See You in Atlanta!

Jackie

New Fabric Crush ~ Kerry Joyce

2010-04-27T19:33:00.001-07:00

Award winning and much lauded Los Angeles designer Kerry Joyce has launched a new fabric line at West Week that has a universal appeal and classic resonance. I’m loving it! Every pattern has a classic base but exudes a casual elegance for which Joyce is noted.

He is quoted as saying “ I reject trend or fad. Creating a timeless enduring interior is very important to me” I think this philosophy is evident in his collection.

The colors are soft and muted giving the fabrics a sense of age.

You can see his entire collection at Kneedler Fauchere in LA and San Francisco and Dessin Fournir in New York & Chicago.

This pattern is my favorite – Delicious!

Images – Kerry Joyce Facebook

Shangri-La from Thibaut = Ooh-La-La

2010-04-25T17:25:00.001-07:00

Check out the newest collection from Thibaut ~ Shangri-La ~ here

On The Road Again

2010-04-14T07:26:00.000-07:00

I'm heading to Nashville today to speak to the Middle Tennessee chapter of the WCAA and then it's off to High Point for some home furnishings industry fun. This is my idea of a very good time!!!

NR Designs = Gorgeous Drapery Hardware

2010-04-11T21:13:00.001-07:00

Charleston Symphony Design House – Hardware by NR Designs

One of the happy benefits of traveling all over the US to speak to design professionals is having the opportunity to meet so many amazing and creative people.

Charleston Symphony Design House – Hardware by NR Designs

Last month I did a day long event in Atlanta and met a great gal who mentioned that she had a new line of drapery hardware. I promised to look her up after the event and we would talk about her products.

Of course I had good intentions but time got the best of me and I forgot to email her – lucky for me she tracked me down. To say that I was amazed with her products is a gross understatement – I was floored! The entire line was stunning, all based on organic elements and finished in beautiful custom colors. Inspired by nature it resembles realistic coral, bamboo, driftwood, twigs, palm leaves and more.

Each piece is first molded from clay and then cast in resin. What I truly love about the line is that it retains the hand molded details of the clay original.

Another important design element of the line is the use of ornate brackets in place of finials. Nancy explained that in Charleston where she works and lives there are many homes that don’t have enough clearance for traditional finials. She solved this problem by designing brackets that function as both with simple end caps at the end of the rod. I’d say it’s a design that works!

This bamboo bracket is stunning.

Palm leaves are arranged in a fan for this bracket. What a great choice for a beachfront residence.

Palm leaves up close

The driftwood collection is as realistic you would think it just washed up on shore. I love the barnacles!

These fish and waves pieces have a great whimsical touch.

Here’s a close up of the coral end bracket.

Nancy’s passion is working with designers to create custom designs to fit the specific needs of her clients. Her pieces are truly couture window hardware. By the way she is also a fabulous person and would surely be a joy to work with.

Please visit Nancy's website at: http://www.nrdesigns.org/

GIANT Shake Up at Hearst Publishing : Whats Up?

2010-04-06T19:59:00.000-07:00

Unbelievable news today on the shelter mag front. Blog beloved and much appreciated Editor in Chief of House Beautiful Magazine, Stephen Drucker will be leaving the magazine he has captained for the past 5 years to take the helm at another Hearst Publication; Town & Country.

Stephen Drucker

Newell Turner, current House Beautiful Creative Director will take over the reins as Editor in Cheif at HB. (HUGE sigh of Relief!!! - Why fix something that is not broken! ) Turner along with Drucker has brought a well received emphasis to the magazine on the editorial content and photography, publishing lush, large and lengthy features in the mag. Hopefully that will continue under his watchful eye.

Newell Turner out on the town with Margarette Russel of Elle Decor

Hearst Magazine Veranda's much admired founder and Editor in Chief since 1987, Lisa Newsom is to be replaced by Dara Caponigro a founding editor of the very popular but now defunct Domino Magazine! This seems to signal a huge shift in content for Veranda which currently has a much more sophisticated and high end demographic than Domino. Newsome will continue on as Editor at Large at Veranda and will work on related book and editorial projects.

Dara Caponigro

It seems things are heating up again in the Shelter Mag arena. I hope that this editor swap will mean good things most hopeful; a new emphasis on shelter content for Town & Country! The most troubling hint of things to come for me is the change underway at Veranda. After the almost incomprehensible loss of Southern Accents last year all we die hard traditionalists had left was Veranda. Over the past few months there has been a significant shift in their content to more modern and transitional projects. Looking back now this shift had some method to its madness.

It should be an interesting year ahead for all of us as we see how these new editors guide their respective publications. All I can say is get out there and SUBSCRIBE!!!!! The thought of losing any one of these remaining mags is too horrible to contemplate.

I'm heading over to Town and Country right now to sign up!!!

Read the full press release from Hearst Publications here

My Office Makes its Debut on Material Girls

2010-04-05T20:17:00.001-07:00

Thanks loads to the great gals over at Material Girls Blog for featuring my home in their Design Bloggers Homes series. I only sent in pictures of my office because I don’t have any good photos of the rest of the house. I plan to remedy that soon and show you the rest of my home so stay tuned.

Marty had his glamour shot in the post. There will be no living with him now.

Here are a few pictures of my office before my remodel last year. I really love working in it now. It is bright and cheerful and everything is easy to find.

The fireplace is now covered up with my fabric rack but I never use it anyway.

I thought I had a ton of storage in the beginning but I’ve since filled it up and overflowed into my upstairs library. I use my son Geordies room for storage as well (he’s in college).

Here is the office as it is today minus the usual mess.

I still haven’t got any window treatments up - you know what they say about the shoemakers children having no shoes! Hopefully I will take care of that soon.

Happy Easter To All Of My Peeps

2010-04-03T13:44:00.001-07:00

Found this crazy Peeps pic on Angela Henry's blog here. She has some other adorable pics of Peeps and I have to agree with her; they are also my favorite sweet treat of all time.

It’s April Food Day ~ Make a Difference

2010-04-01T09:44:00.001-07:00

Blogging about home decor and design is fun, it is my passion, and I love to share my experiences and finds with others but there are many bloggers out their who are really using their platforms to make a difference in peoples lives. Two such bloggers are Meg Fairfax Fielding of Pigtown Designs and Chris from Easy Elegant Life the founders of April Food Day.

"More and more people in our country are going hungry because they have lost their jobs, their benefits have ended, they can’t find a job and have no place left to turn but to their local food bank. But the nation’s food banks are stretched to the limit because of the increased number of people needing their services.

You might think that none of your friends are going hungry, but I read a comment on a piece NPR did about a photography exhibit about hunger in America, and think it could apply to any one of us:

…a dear friend and community member crossed over.

At his one year crossing remembrance, stories began to come out and I realized with great sorrow, our friend went hungry. I feel sad when I think of it, that our dear friend who gave so much and was so generous in spirit and friendship was hungry and we never knew that. How did we not make it our business to know how it was with him we loved so?

Please make a donation today to Feeding America, or your local food bank, and count yourself as one of the lucky ones if you’re not going to bed hungry every night.

“Meg Fairfax Fielding”

Here are some important facts about April Food Day and Feeding America:

Feeding America is annually providing food to 37 million Americans, including 14 million children. This is an increase of 46 percent over 2006, when we were feeding 25 million Americans, including 9 million children, each year.
That means one in eight Americans now rely on Feeding America for food and groceries.
Feeding America's nationwide network of food banks is feeding 1 million more Americans each week than we did in 2006.
Thirty-six percent of the households served have at least one person working.
More than one-third of client households report having to choose between food and other basic necessities, such as rent, utilities and medical care.
The number of children the Feeding America network serves has increased by 50 percent since 2006.
Feeding America food banks provide food and groceries to 33,500 food pantries, 4,500 soup kitchens and 3,600 emergency shelters.
68 percent of pantries, 42 percent of soup kitchens, and 15 percent of emergency shelters rely solely on volunteers and have no paid staff.

Please take the time to make a donation today ~ just click on the icon below.

The JVT Collection is a Hit In Prague!

2010-03-31T20:23:00.001-07:00

I’m ready for my close up Mr. Demille – or at least my Les Fleurs I pillow in magenta is.

I was beyond thrilled when a style editor from Marie Claire CZ (Prague) contacted me about including my pillow in a feature for their April issue on new romanticism. It is extremely difficult to get the word out about new products without a giant PR budget (which I do not have) so I’ve been doing everything on a shoestring and somehow through the magic of blogging and the internet this lovely editor (who obviously has fabulous taste) saw my new line and liked it.

Here is my little beauty of a pillow – doesn’t she look pretty amongst all the other romantic, girlie stuff? I think I need that pink perfume…..

I have no idea what this article is saying ( if you can speak Czechoslovakian let me know will ya?) but I believe the gist of it is something like; what new romantic items would the modern Marie Antoinette wear and surround herself with in her home.

While I can’t read the text the message is clear; pretty is pretty in any era. Romanticism is back to stay.

The new romantics are paired down versions of the old, over the top, designs of the past. They are feminine but at the same time bold and empowering.

Here is a larger image of the Les Fluers I pillow in case you had trouble seeing the tiny picture in print.

And of course I have to show you Peanuts glamour shot posing with some pink pillows from the collection. She’s all girl!

See my entire collection of pillows on my website at www.jackievontobel.com and thanks to Marie Claire CZ for showing off my pretty pillow…

Trend Report: RUFFLES ~ All Grown Up

2010-03-30T10:32:00.001-07:00

At the European shows this year we saw ruffles in abundance. Large, small, finished edges, raw edges, one ruffle, tons of ruffles, just about any combination or construction was there and it was a key embellishment for all soft categories. Personally I love ruffles. They let you get in touch with your girlie side!

Whether it’s ruffled wool or shirred cotton the simple ruffle adds a ton of impact and texture to an otherwise plain item.

Love this bedding and the ruffles used to create a pattern on the coverlet and pillows. Who said ruffles had to run in straight lines?

This design is so fresh and happy. Here the designer uses ruffles to create horizontal stripes.

Desert never looked so delicious!! Layers and layers of ruffles! The table looks like a cake.

Ruffles on your shower curtain? I say Yes. Look – even the towel has ruffles!

You know a trend is at it’s zenith when it’s featured by Anthropology. This pillow is part of their Tuxedo ruffle bedding ensemble.

Metallic leather ruffles – can you say sophisticated?

My good Friend Leigh Chandler of Papillion Linens has a fantastic selection of linen goods for the home, bedroom and baby. Her natural linen bedding is glorious and it has ruffles galore!

Many of her pieces have tiny ruffles used in place of welting like this fabulous headboard.

Leigh’s signature slip covered, ruffled bench was recently featured in the March issue of Country Living in a feature touting the resurgence of the “ruffle” in design and fashion. She also writes a great blog here.

It’s amazing what a little ruffled embellishment can do for a simple design!

So very simple – but I love it!

Are you Ready To Ruffle? Yes or No?