Carolina Art Soiree!

If you're a local Charlotte gal who loves great art,

 you'll want to mark your calendar

for the second annual

CAROLINA ART SOIREE

started by my dear friend Hannah Blanton.

You may remember this her amazing story here.

I feel so honored to be asked back as one of the participating artists.
This year it's bigger and better than before
and the best part is you can purchase fabulous art to benefit a wonderful cause!

You'll have to read all the artist's spotlights...

here's the one on me 

and I am so humbled to be among this group of talent.

Are you planning on attending?
Hope to see you there May 5th!
Have a glorious weekend!
xoxo,
Caroline

knock knock!

Here's a little project my sister created with door knobs from my all time favorite store...

ANTHROPOLOGIE

She wanted to have something unique above their outdoor fireplace
so she found an old shutter and purchased these colorful knobs.

Then she drilled holes and slipped them through, fastening them tightly on the back side of the shutter.

And she chose to simply lean this up against her mantle outside.
Clever, creative, colorful, and a great conversation piece.

And if you think her porch is pretty...

this is her view to the left!
Winyah Bay

and the view from her kitchen sink...

I could handle a sink full with this view!

and don't even get me started on her closet. 

Sarah Grace did cartwheels (several in a row) in there without touching a wall!

My little fashionista was in heaven!

Clever way to hang necklaces too..easy to see and try on!

Miss you sweet sis!

Thanks for letting me share your cool project!

xoxo,

Caroline

*******************************************************************************

 P.S. Orange report! 

Many thanks to all of you for your continued prayers for my friend's daughter Sloan. 

Last Friday was her 14th birthday and the entire middle school 

including students, teachers and staff wore orange!

 Walker climbed up on the painted rock for a photo op just before school started.

And if you didn't see the touching news clip it's here.

Sweet Sloan starts her second round of chemo on Friday...please pray.

fabric friends

My sweet friend Lillian is helping with a little Surtex preparation.

You may remember Surtex from HERE or HERE.

This is big show each year in NYC where artists/designers showcase their designs. 

Manufacturers from all over the globe come in search of licensing art for their products.

It's such fun but tons of work and there is much to do to get ready but it always comes together.

Can't wait to see my talented friend and roomie Sharyn Sowell.

In the meantime, my sweet friend Lillian has been helping me with some of the prep. 

We are meeting weekly in her fun studio and the creative juices are overflowing!

We are working on some secret projects I can't share just yet (so sorry!)

but maybe just before Surtex I'll share a peek.

Let's just say that Lillian is extremely talented with sewing 

and we have a few fun projects planned for my new fabric collection...

(how cute is her pin cushion?)

***we're praying the sample yardage is here in time!

Here's a peek into her fun sewing studio...looooooove it!

I think her husband's uncle created this art...

it's truly an amazing piece

and sits just above her spools of colorful threads.

*Lillian's inspiration board below...

she is oozing with creativity and so you can imagine we get along pretty well!

We squeal in excitement over fabric scraps, torn edges, and pops of color...

things that most may find boring.

and she's a dangerous combination of fabulous with this thing...

Lillian sewed this flower onto fabric pieces then had her upholsterer recover her grandmother's chair...

Stunning result and notice the golden strips on the side of the arms, which are the sun's rays.

Lillian, you are such fun!

I also had the pleasure recently of meeting with Pattie Bethune. 

Evidently, she's one of Charlotte's top quilters.

My sweet friend and blog reader Julia Glen told me about Pattie because they are both part of the Charlotte Quilter's Guild....the sweet ones who made the quilt for Sloan here. 

(And I know Julia thanks to my wonderful neighbor Kay)

So I was invited to chat with Pattie in her enormous home quilting studio.

As you can tell, she's extremely organized and has made so many quilts over the years 

she can't even recall the total number. 

She's given many away to friends, family and loved ones

and as we discussed, a quilt can be special for so many different occasions 

and enjoyed by a variety of ages.

Just look at her quilt with Texas blue bonnets!

She was so helpful in brainstorming with me about a possible quilt pattern 

for my new fabric collection.

The Robert Kaufman folks were interested to know my suggestions 

but I have never made a quilt so I consulted some experts!

Thank you Pattie for your time and advice and for being so enthusiastic about my designs!

And thanks to everyone who came HERE

to the Lesley Evers show Monday night and Tuesday. 

We had a blast and had a steady flow of sweet visitors and shoppers.

Boy did you love the collages!!!! all but two are sold but know there will be more 

and you can certainly visit Cotswold Marketplace and FABO to see the current inventory.

Have a wonderful day!

xoxo

Caroline

in love with spring & tulips...

Last night it was so beautiful 

we even did our reading homework outside 

and the kids did a few cartwheels in the yard in pajamas (love that!)

while I watered plants and snapped a few photos of my neighbor's amazing tulips.

These are some of the prettiest tulips I have ever seen.

These gorgeous beauties really amaze and inspire me.

I marvel at God's creativity when I study them.

How about you?

*even notice the tiny grasshopper at the base of this first tulip!

it reminds me of when I play with watercolor 

and how the paints bleed together so beautifully....

©caroline simas

and this color combination of pinks and oranges...

along with this from House Beautiful 

inspired this new painting....

tangerine rose 20x20X1.5 

©caroline simas

Really not much more to say than wow!

The earth is the LORD's, 

and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it; 

for he founded it upon the seas 

and established it upon the waters.

Psalm 24:1-2
*****************************************************************************
P.S. Wherever you are, please wear ORANGE tomorrow (Friday, March 25th in honor of Sloan!)
Friday is her 14th birthday and ORANGE  is the ribbon color for fighting leukemia.

xoxo,

Caroline

not tiny news...& go green in the classroom!

If you haven't heard about the 

not tiny news...

Yesterday Tiny Prints announced they are merging with Shutterfly. 

You can read more about that 

here

and 

here

As designers for Tiny Prints, we have been assured that this is great news 

and things will remain the same 

only it will just be bigger and even better than before.

I continue to be thrilled to be among the list of talented artists and designers for this company 

and it will be neat to see it develop and expand.

Thank you for your continued support 

here and with all of the other manufacturers I am working with.

****************************************************************************

Speaking of...

my kid's school contacted me recently

and decided to create a custom spin  

on my Love the Earth tumbler I designed for Tervis.

They worked with Tervis and had the school mascot placed

on one side of the 16 oz. tumbler and my Love the Earth on the other side.

The school store is selling them and families can order. 

The school is encouraging the kids and teachers 

to use them for water in the classroom instead of

numerous plastic water bottles.

Your school could even do the same!

I am a farmer and bet you are too.

It occurred to me recently that my husband and I are farmers.

No, we do not live on a farm... we don't even have a garden. 

For heaven's sake, I can hardly keep the few plants I have alive, but...

We ARE farmers.

We are planting seeds in our children.

Lots of them.

Every day.

seeds of faith,

seeds of forgiveness,

seeds of hope.

We're planting fruit seeds too.

Fruit of the spirit seeds:

love 

joy

peace 

patience

kindness

goodness

gentleness

faithfulness

and self-control.

We're planting seeds of making good decisions,

seeds of choosing friends wisely,

seeds of kindness,

seeds of compassion,

seeds of respect,

seeds of responsibility.

We seem to have so many seeds to choose from.

Which ones do we plant?

How many of them at a time?

Which seeds need to be planted when so we reap the best harvest?

Being a farmer is TOUGH!

Many times I feel overwhelmed and unappreciated as a farmer.

How about you?

Sometimes I feel like I do not water my seeds enough.

Then we have a drought. I hate droughts.

Sometimes I feel like I "over water" my seeds, 

almost drowning them with nagging and reminding.

I hate it when I saturate my seeds and they do too.
How about you?
Are you a farmer? I bet you are.
Would LOVE to hear your farming stories.
xoxo,
Caroline
P.S. This new mixed media goodie is at Cotswold Marketplace!

TASTE & SEE 16X16X1.5 ON LINEN 

©Caroline Simas

Graduation Invitations-Multiple Blessings for Tiny Prints

Hope you all had a great weekend!

If you know anyone in the market for 

Graduation Invitations & Graduation Announcements

send them on over to see Multiple Blessings' latest designs for Tiny Prints.

Autumn Orange here...

Diamond Delux~Storm here

Dandelion Print~Lightest Turquoise here

Perfect Pebbles~Smoke here

Swirly Vines~Tropical here

and address labels to match here

and don't forget 
Baptism/Christening,
Communion,
and Easter 
HERE
Have a beautiful start to your week!
xoxo,
Caroline

Soccer & Sloan

Sorry for the post delay....
I was "stuck" in the elevator so to speak!
Well it's soccer season again!

Kit is ready and our girls are too.

Our awesome coach Kelly alerted us that the assigned team jerseys were 

ORANGE

orange just so happens to be the color which represents "fighting Leukemia."

So she decided we'd dedicate our soccer season to sweet Sloan! 

Today they met for practice and wrote messages of inspiration, scripture, 

doodles and love notes to Sloan all over their new orange jerseys.

They even voted on the team name

The Fire Birds~flying strong!

Thank you for your continued prayers for Sloan, her family and the doctors and nurses.
**************************************************************************
Pop on over to Cotswold Marketplace this weekend and see a few new collages.
They'll be there by mid day Friday.
Here's a peek!

©Caroline Simas
Have a beautiful weekend and I hope the weather is as gorgeous where you are as it is here.
Yippee for spring!
xoxo,
Caroline

Are you stuck?

So remember I was just here in Montreat?

Well I was with my sweet friend Tracy who always makes me smile.
This is not my first time landing in one of her funny articles.
remember this one?
Not sure what that means but I seem to be with her in funny situations
and we just laugh knowing she's going to cleverly produce a great article from the situation.
She's a fabulous writer for The Charlotte Observer....look for her in Sunday's paper.
THIS 
is the article she wrote soon after our return from Montreat.

I've been thinking more about this elevator thing.
I do feel like I have the whole panel lit up lately...
family responsibilities, carpooling, sports activities, grocery shopping, cooking dinner,
design work and deadlines, school and church volunteer work, and much more.
Just like you...you know what I mean.
If I push too many buttons, no one gets my best....then I get stuck.
Then I was thinking of the manual.
The only manual to get us out of being stuck.
God's word, the Bible, full of truths should be our "go to" manual for being stuck.
Your thoughts on this?
Do you push too many buttons at one time?
Do you feel stuck?
If you feel stuck, who or what do you turn to?
xoxo
Caroline

Stethoscope...

What soundtrack is playing inside of you/me?

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Caroline
*if you can't view the video, click here.
*great skit for youth groups to do...

kaleidoscope of color!

Photos like this make me giddy! 

A sweet Designing For the Soul reader sent this to me a while back and I saved it. 

Thank you Robin! (she knew I would love it!)

These photos were taken in the tulip fields in the northern Netherlands. 

The Dutch landscape is stunning!

Looks like the best box ever of Crayola markers!

Evidently they plant the tulip bulbs in late October and early November

and more than three billion tulips are grown there each year.

Two-thirds are exported mostly to the United States and Germany.

I would love to visit this place!

How about you?

Just thought this would be a beautiful way to start the day,
being reminded of God's creation and His unfathomable creativity.
Isaiah 6:3 
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of His glory!
God really is the BEST artist, don't you agree?
xoxo,
Caroline

P.S. These are not my photographs (wish they were)...could not find the exact source to credit.