New chapter :: My notecards with TeNeues are here!

Today is my birthday! Woot woot! I’m officially moving into a new age bracket and with everything that’s been happening lately, it really feels like I’m entering into a new chapter of my life. About 6 months ago, I was doing what I normally do, sitting at my computer and working away. And then I got an email that was a game-changer. The email was from a lovely Editor at TeNeues publishing, asking if I would be interested in licensing some of my patterns for notecards. I read the email, read it again in disbelief, read it again, and then proceeded to jump up and run laps across my apartment trying not to scream for fear that my neighbours would get worried. After composing myself, I replied a whole-hearted yes, and it’s been the sweetest 6 months of anticipation. I thought the day would never come, but the day has arrived when I can finally show the world what we did together! Ladies and gentlemen (well, mostly ladies), here they are… my In Bloom series, published by TeNeues. The cards come in a beautiful box, with a little magnet closure, and feature 4 of my floral patterns (5 of each design). It was a delight to see that they matched the backs of the cards with the patterns, which are beautiful shades of yellow, pink and peach. And, for me, an incredible exciting tidbit — the box even has my bio on the back. I’ve shown some pictures here, but if you’re interested in picking some up for yourself, you can find them through TeNeues and if you’re in Canada, through Indigo books. And hopefully lots of other places around the globe!

Now, that was the Coles Notes version of this blog post and if you care to stick with me and get a little more personal, I’m going to share a bit about how I got here. Last year was a game-changing year for me and sometimes I stop and think, how did I get here? How did I get so lucky? And I’m lucky to have people in my life that tell me I got here because I worked hard because otherwise, I’d feel like I just have a horseshoe in my pocket.

A few years ago, I was working as an art director for an ad agency, and didn’t really have a lot of creative outlets outside of that. I doodled and I made patterns for fun, but it wasn’t anything that I thought would ever take me anywhere. I wasn’t creatively fulfilled, and I felt a yearning in my belly to do something more but I didn’t even know what. It’s not like I could just make *patterns* for a living… right? Then one day I got the phone call that my dad, who’d been sick, had taken a turn for the worse and was in the hospital and that we needed to come say goodbye. He passed away few days later. It was a horrible time, but the message, to me, was loud and clear. Life is too short, do something that makes you happy.

Soon after that, my boyfriend Dave and I booked a ticket to Berlin, I quit my job, and a few months later we left for a 3-month sabbatical. And it changed my life. I wanted to see what would happen if I had some time to just explore, to do creative things, purely for fun, for myself. And soon I found myself getting up every single day and working on pattern after pattern after pattern. By the end of the 3 months, I had developed a big collection of work. And had no idea what to do with it.

It’s been two years and I can’t believe how much has changed. Things are finally starting to fall into place and I’m so thankful for it. Last week, I was in a bookstore here in Toronto, and I spotted my notecards and I literally broke down and cried. It’s been an emotional journey, fueled by a simple desire to find happiness and spend my life doing something that I truly love. This year is going to be a big one for me, especially with Surtex coming up in May, and I can’t wait to see what it has in store. I am full of hope and I’m dreaming big. A big huge thank you to all of you for having a part in that and for all of your support. It means the world to me!