A Kawaii Christmas: 2019 Gift Guide

It's that time of the year, to get a jump start on your holiday shopping. I love supporting small shops and buying handmade for my family and friends. It makes gift giving a bit more special. Here's a round up of 10 kawaii gifts for the cute curator in your life.

1. Pikachu Poppet Hanger by Freak and Pocky

Add a little spark to your tree with this Pikachu Ornament! The kawaii vibe of this Pokemon will make your holiday even cuter!

2. Chubby Unicorn Earrings by Dorky Dino

Kawaii and full of magic and cupcakes, these will make the perfect gift for the unicorn lover in your life...or buy them for yourself ( I won't tell).

3. Bone Daddy & Ghost Puppy Blockheads by AlterEgo Designs

The Pumpkin King loves Christmas and will make the perfect kawaii gift for that person on your list who loves Halloween all year round!

4. Star Finger-less Gloves by Sew Geek

A spatter of stars will upgrade any kawaii winter outfit and these finger-less gloves are the perfect gift.

5. Horny Unicorn Mug by Wilde Designs

Nothing is more kawaii than unicorns, but add in a little humor and it's a double whammy gift! 

6. Animal Crossing Vinyl Stickers by Hello Quirky

Nothing more kawaii than the cutest of cute video games. Perfect gift for that kawaii gamer on your list.

7. Studio Ghibli Wood Standees by Song Bird Pixel Art

For the hardcore kawaii lovers on your list, pick up these amazing Studio Ghibli wooden cutouts. 

8. Kianor Hand Sculpted Dragon with Egg by Wicked Winglings

These kawaii pink sculpted dragons are perfect for the fantasy lover on your list. The attention to detail is out of this world!

9. Chibi Things T-shirt by Freak and Pocky

Creepy cute? Spoopy? or just plain kawaii?! I know someone on my list this is perfect for!!

10. Pastel Pink Cupcakes Print by Dorky Dino

Nothing makes me happier than eating cupcakes, and I'm sure nothing could make my house cuter than a picture of kawaii cupcakes.

Let me know what handmade shops are on your Christmas shopping radar, I'd love to check them out!

Read With HQ

Last month, for my laid back book club (party of 1) I chose to read "Find Your Artistic Voice" by Lisa Congdon. I'm a big fan of Lisa's art, and I've read several of her other books.

It took me a little over a month to read it, even though it probably would've been a quick read if I had some uninterrupted time. It would make a good book to take on a trip.

My favorite part of the book was the interviews and nuggets of wisdom. I loved getting the perspective of other artists on what they think the artistic voice is, and hearing about their journey to finding their own. The illustrations of each artist done by Lisa were so whimsical and charming!

All in all, this book was like getting a pep talk from your best friend, inspirational, and the quick boost I needed. The breakdown of the artistic voice gave me a lot to think about. I would definitely recommend this book to any creative who might be struggling (like I have recently).

I use Goodreads to keep up with the books I'm reading (because it's usually 5 at the same time), and decided to start a read with HQ book club. Right now I've been picking books about creativity, but I may get bored in the future and pick a just for fun book. I'd love to have discussions about books with other creatives, so feel free to join. It is super laid back, since I'm busy and a mom it takes me a bit longer than a month to finish a book.

This month I am reading:

Felicia Day is one of my favorite geeky people! I loved her last book and can't wait to dive in to this one! I hope you'll join my laid back book club and read along. I'll post my thoughts once I finish. Happy Reading!

Inktober 2019 Supplies and Prompts

It's my favorite time of the year...fall! And October is the best month of all! The weather is changing, pumpkins are everywhere, Halloween, and of course INKTOBER! But let's be honest, I start Inktober every year, but I've never completed it. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is my year.

PS If you are not familiar with Inktober you can read about it on the official page here.

Here are the supplies I will be using this year, which are mostly my usual supplies. In years past, I've tried out new supplies, like copic markers, liquid watercolor, regular old map pencils...you get the idea. This year I plan to push myself artistically by working on landscapes/backgrounds and on occasion maybe drawing boys. These are two things I'm not confident in.

 

But back to the supplies...I've tried picking a color palette to work with, so I will only be using a small number of colors from my watercolor palette. I'm also using various watercolor pencils in the same color families. Along with my trusty  Aquash Water Brush from Pentel,  I'll be testing out this Mossery Co sketchbook that I've been hoarding for about a year now.

I was actually inspired to use my Mossery sketchbook when I saw their prompt list for Inktober. (Pretty much there are a million different prompt lists out there along with the official list.) My theme for this Inktober is "Everyday Witch" which came to me when I saw a picture of someone walking their dog wearing a witch hat.

I'm hoping to work on landscapes and backgrounds, because I've never tried much before and I'd like to eventually illustrate my own children's books. I'm hoping with this daily practice to learn, improve, and develop my style/voice in this area.

Are you participating in Inktober? What prompts are you following?

Project 333 Fall Edition

Disclaimer: I know this post isn't art related, but minimalism is something I read and think a lot about. We are in the process of moving into a minimalist way of life that works for our family. :)

I've been a little obsessed with capsule wardrobes for the past couple of years. I'm that person who has a closet bursting at the seams, but never has anything to wear. I fell into the trap of de-cluttering my closet, only to listen to all those minimalist fashion bloggers who said I needed to buy these things to have the perfect capsule wardrobe. Of course now I have a closet bursting at the seams with more things I don't wear. Seems silly.
I stumbled upon Project 333 and read the rules and decided this was something do-able for me. I don't have to buy anything. I don't even have to technically get rid of anything. This experiment will help me hone my style (which is all over the place right now), give me structure and a time limit. Essentially, I pick 33 items and wear those items for 3 months. You just pack away the rest of your closet. Easy.
I wanted to share my 33-ish items to keep myself accountable. I plan to start my Project 333 on September 1st. I use the Cladwell app to keep my closet organized, on my phone at least.





I technically have 34 items since one of the t-shirts I only wear on Fridays to my daughters homeschool co-op. I like bright colors and fun patterns, but I actually had more neutral colored things than I thought. I'm hoping I stick with this experiment and I will do another post in 3 months to tell you my findings.
PS I sell some of my new/gently worn items on Poshmark. I also try to buy things used on Poshmark too these days. So I won't be linking my items since many are old or used.
Are you into minimalism? Capsule wardrobes? Let me know in the comments!

HQ Book Club- Find Your Artistic Voice by Lisa Congdon

I decided to start my own little book club, right now party of one, but feel free to join in. This month I am reading "Find Your Artistic Voice" by Lisa Congdon. I've been a huge fan of Lisa's work and read several of her other books and taken a few of her online courses. She's such a huge inspiration on following your dreams, no matter the circumstances.

Please let me know if you read along and we can have a discussion on social media. I'll be doing another blog post to let you know my thoughts too!
PS Let me know what books you'd like us to read together! xx

Current Art Supplies

I don't know about you, but as an artist I'm always interested in art supplies and what supplies other artists use. It's always nice to try new things, but at the same time you have your tried and true favorites. 

• Last year I went through a watercolor pencil phase and ordered several different types of watercolor pencils. I realized I needed a nice pencil sharpener and ordered this one from Faber-Castell, bonus points that it's cute!
• Washi tape is always in my pencil pouch. I don't have a light board, so I use my backdoor window. I just make a copy (on my printer) of the page from my sketchbook, tape it to the window and then tape my watercolor paper on top of it to trace my image for inking. Also, sometimes I rip pages out of my sketchbook or use small scraps and need to tape them back in. Pink washi can be found here and the white washi was a gift from a friend who went to Japan.
• I'm a big fan of Sakura products in general. They're easy for me to find and the quality is just what I need. I've been using them from the beginning and always feel bad/regret when I try a new ink pen. I've tried every size of the Micron pen and 5 is my number. I actually bought a box of 14 of these on Amazon so I wouldn't run out for a while (I'm pretty hard on my pens). 
• I've tried a ton of sketchbooks and I keep coming back to Moleskine. The size and paper are just right for my needs. This is always a personal preference and it just takes a lot of trial and error to find your dream sketchbook. I like to decorate mine with stickers.
• My best friend got me a whole set of these Prismacolor Col-Erase pencils for my birthday a few years ago (and that's why she's my BFF, she is just the best). These are the most amazing pencils for sketching! I actually learned about these from watching Frannerd YouTube videos. These are the 2 colors I use the most right now, and they are my 'lucky' pencils. 
• I used to paint with several brushes, and saw this Aquash Water Brush from Pentel on a YouTube video and ordered a set on Amazon and it was a life changer. This is the ONLY brush I use, and it's stayed in amazing condition. Also, it's a snap to put away when the baby wakes from her nap suddenly. 
• I only use mechanical pencils to trace my work onto watercolor paper. These 2 are my favorites and I usually loose one, but it turns up eventually. 
• Pentel Techniclick
• Sakura127

Let me know some of your favorite supplies, I'd love to try them!

New HQ Fabrics + Design Challenges

It had been a while since I had created a new fabric design. I was stuck in a design rut, and wanting to move away from fandom designs. One day I got an email about the Spoonflower Design Challenges. The prompts were pretty simple and open ended. I decided I would challenge myself to enter 2 designs a month. This has really prompted me to get new designs made and step away from fandom art.

This Cute Dinosaur fabric was my first entry, and even though I didn't win, it was super fun to make and now one of my favorite designs.

This Pirate themed fabric is my latest entry (and last one for this month). Voting begins Thursday, August 8th and ends August 13th.
Thank you to everyone who has voted and supported me! I really appreciate it!
PS These fabrics are available as soon as I get my samples in the mail. Make sure to follow me on Facebook or Instagram to know when they are available for purchase.

It's National Letter Writing Month!

Being the super thoughtful person you are, I'm sure you already knew it was National Letter Writing Month. I'm actually really bad at keeping up with all these fun national days/months (like Find a Rainbow Day). Cards are a fun way to send a hello, a little pick me up, an I Love You!, or a festive hooray!

Alice Card

Your stationary should reflect your personality. I love a cute water-colored card or of course anything featuring Hello Kitty!

 Paris Card

It feels as good to send a card as it does to receive one! I hope you take some time to send someone something special this month!

Stay cute!
xx

Hello Quirky & VIP Friends Facebook Group

I took an extra long maternity leave/social media break, and when I came back recently if felt like a whole new world. I've been learning about all sorts of new things small fries like me need to do to get our work/products seen.

I created a VIP Facebook group, just for fans of Hello Quirky Design and lovers of kawaii + geeky stuff. You can expect to hear about all the upcoming HQ Design news first, but it's also a community for kawaii + geeky lovers. I'm interested in creating a kawaii corner on the internet to connect with people who are interested in the things I'm interested in and maybe make some new friends.

A long time ago, I remember talking to some arty internet buds about creating an online community and now the time has come. I hope you will come be apart of a fun group where you can be yourself and share your art, passions, and fandom!

I would love your feedback on the group and current/future HQ Design products! You can join here!

Stay Cute! xx

Free Shipping Worldwide

This week Spoonflower is offering free shipping worldwide! I know this is a huge deal to anyone not in the US, because the cost of postage is bananas. I hope you all get to take advantage of this deal.

I am currently working on spring fabric designs and more geeky cuteness! Even though I was hoping to have a collection ready by March, I'm not rushing the process. I want to make sure I put out my best work and I want to release a cohesive collection this season.

Let me know if there are any designs you would like to see in the future. I always keep a list of ideas.

Stay Cute x

My Spring Capsule Wardrobe

Lately, I have been obsessing over capsule wardrobes. I've followed all the popular minimalist blogs (like Caroline Joy and Allie Casazza) and been pinning things for years. I even tried to do the #Fall10x10 challenge on Instagram.

I discovered an app called Cladwell, where you can put in pictures of the things in your closet, make mini capsules and it makes outfits for you. Pretty much Cher's closet from Clueless, which is a dream come true.

 I love clothes and shopping, but I have a bad habit of buying multiples of the same thing. Since this fall, I have spent way too much time on this app and creating capsules. I finally created a capsule that I plan to use for an actual season. I'm not an expert, and this is my first actual try at a capsule, but I can say that I'm excited to simplify and look super cute!

I'll link everything I can below. 

1. Madewell Button Down Cami

2. Madewell Northside Vintage tee

3. striped tee (old from Target)

4. Madewell sweater tee

5. Madewell Ex-Boyfriend Tee

6. graphic tee

7. Everlane Clean Silk button down

8. graphic tee

9. long sleeve tee

10. cardigan

11. Madewell Sweater

12. Madewell sweater

13. Madewell denim shirt

14. Madewell button down

15. blazer (old from Modcloth)

16. Madewell Sweatshirt

17. Levi's denim shorts

18. Madwell denim shorts

19. Madewell Pull on Shorts

20. Madwell denim skirt

21. Madewell Wrap Front Midi Dress

22. Levi's wedgie jeans

23. Madewell Boyjean

24. Madewell Cali-demi bootcut jean

25. Everlane skinny jeans

26. Madewell Pull on Crop Pants

27. Madewell Wide Leg Crop Pants

28. Slip on Vans

29. Converse

30. Everlane Day Glove Flats

31. Seychelles Mules

32. Everlane Chelsea Boots

33. Madewell Mary Janes

34. Flip Flops

35. Sandals

What are your thoughts on a capsule wardrobe? Do you have an experience using a capsule wardrobe? xx

Happy Galentine's Day!

I absolutely loved Parks and Rec (I should probably rewatch it soon!), and I love the idea of Galentine's Day. Here are a few of my favorite handmade Galentine's Day related goodies.

This amazing card from Drunk Girl Designs

Temporary tattoos from Loud Mouth Ink.

Galentine's Day candle made by From The Page.

I hope you have to best Galentine's/Valentine's Day! I have plans to go to a Villaintines Geek Girl Brunch this weekend. I can't figure out who my favorite villain is?! Who is your favorite villain? xx

Being Productive

With the new year always comes goals and resolutions (yes I know it's already February). I used to do the One Word for the year thing that I never thought of again and pick resolutions I never kept. I decided to keep it simple and challenge myself this year. A fellow illustrator (Anke Weckmann) started a goal of 100 Days of Productivity to hold herself accountable. She has some really fun printables for you to use too!

I also started using the DONE app. Which is simple and easily customized. Right now I have it set up to remind me to draw, do yoga, declutter something, and do my French lessons with my daughter daily. If I have a tracker with a streak involved it makes me competitive and not want to mess up my streak. Genius! (The app DUOLINGO that we use for French has a streak tracker too!)

Something else that helps me stay on track is calendars and planners. This month I am really focusing on some self care and yoga practice. Taking the time for myself and keeping that little promise to myself has been very important, especially as a busy mom. I'm really enjoying Yoga with Adriene.

Let me know if you have any fun ways to stay on track with your goals and being productive.

Stay Cute xx

Open for Business

Late at night when I should be sleeping, I have been working on getting my Etsy shop reopened (all from my phone >_<). Right now there are some limited edition geeky hand painted heart ornaments, fabric samples and cards. I'm working on the logistics of selling fabric by the yard and trying to gauge interest in it.

I have plans to bring back some stickers, but they will probably be hand cut (and very limited in quantity)  until I can get my software up and running for my cutting machine.

I have already been working on new fabric designs and I'm super excited about them! You can find my current fabric designs here.

If you're in the market for a geeky gift, then check out my Society6 for mugs, phone cases, and almost anything you can imagine.

Thanks for all the support and patience as I get things up and running again.

Stay Cute! xx

Welcome Back

It's been well over a year since I've been in this space. Sometimes life happens and that's okay. With Riley being a year old and homeschooling Amelia, I've had little time to even think about Hello Quirky. I made it one of my goals for this New Year to make time for myself and my art, so here we are.

Truthfully, I've had a hard time getting restarted. Before Christmas I was told of another act of art theft of one of my most popular designs along with Spoonflower repeatedly removing my popular designs. This led to me pausing my Instagram account just to get away from the negative feelings and tons of DM's about when I was going to put the designs back up...I still haven't looked at Instagram since then, and I don't miss it. I deleted my Twitter and pretty much ignored my Facebook Business page. Right now Facebook is the only social media I've been active on.

Now I'm trying to figure out where to go from here???? I plan to focus on my fabric designs, but not anything fandom related. It was suggested that I try and sell my popular designs privately. I'm trying to work on the logistics of this and I have a poll on my Facebook page to see if there is still an interest.

I have a few ornaments left over from Christmas that I plan to list in my shop and I have dreams of making stickers again. I also have my sight set on regularly blogging again. So please stick around and follow me on Facebook for any updates.

Stay Cute! xo