2013 - The Year

This past year has been an amazing yet trying year. My fiancé's family came over from Europe to meet my family. We were able to celebrate our engagement in Sweden and on American shores. I got to fish for crayfish and cook a feast with them using the traditional Swedish recipe. I started roller derby this year and subsequently injured myself (doing phsyical therapy now, ugh). It was one of the first years I didn't move apartments. I got to watch one of my best friends get married. I participated in several gallery shows (including my first overseas shows!) and attended my first comic con in New York. I travelled A LOT. I was able to mentor some teenagers at work (am I a grown-up now?).


And 2013 is the year I get married to my best friend.

A friend is creating a dress for me (the design is very Sailor Moon from the back - not a coincidence). Another incredibly talented friend Katie Blauer is designing my shoes. I've designed the Save the Dates, and I'm looking forward to creating some fun and quirky invitations and favors and fun things for our guests.

They say wedding planning takes over your life : MY BODY IS READY.

Happy 2013, followers. Thank you for sticking with me for another year.

Punching it up a Notch

Momo works as my studio assistant part-time

I work with so many incredibly talented people at Converse. I'm truly lucky to have such a wealth of different skills and talents around me to give/get critique and work on projects I normally wouldn't get to. Recently my coworker Katie Blauer, a super talented and trained eye for footwear of all kinds, asked me to add a little neon to some beautifully-crafted silk flowers for a pair of heels she was making.

 I told her I own all the neon paint ever and that this would be no problem.

The beautiful Matthew Williamson dress

Katie brought me a beautiful Matthew Williamson dress to use as reference, making note of the unique green and pink orchids printed on the fabric. I picked out about 12 tubes to work with and got settled in my studio on one of the nicest days of the year so far.

Holbein Acryla gouache

The finished flowers

And yes, I know what you're thinking: That's a LOT of paint tubes for such a tiny project. But I'm very picky about mixing and creating unique hues. I don't often use any color straight out of the tube. And especially working within the neon spectrum, I wanted to go balls-to-the-wall to enhance these babies.

The finished pair, with neon toe straps and champagne waterfall fringe.

The complete look!

You can check out more of Katie's work at www.katieblauer.com. I'm pumped to say that she's helping me with my wedding shoes next year!!