The Plum Tree Monster- Now Available!

Happy Halloween Book Launch Day!

The Plum Tree Monster is the perfect book to premiere on Halloween because it's a bit of a darker story. It was based on a recurring nightmare I had as a kid.
The monster in it is one I saw exactly in my dream.

 It's meant to be dark humor though, (so don't be afraid of it scaring your kids)
 They'll enjoy it I think!

It is ready to be purchased here. Monday it will be available on Amazon.com. I hope you enjoy it, and that your kids will too. Please write a review once you've read it, I want to hear feedback.

We'll begin having readings around London too, if you are in town. 

I hope you will come and say hi. I'll post reading dates on here soon.

Thanks for all of the support already-- I've been so lucky to have it.

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My Little Belleville in Covent Garden

I was asked to be part of Etsy House this Christmas Holiday! What is Etsy House you ask?

It is Etsy's first UK Christmas pop-up shop held in Covent Garden this December 5-7.

 It is hand-picked and curated, which makes me feel pretty honored to have been picked out of hundreds of talented people to have my wares displayed at this amazing location. 

("All I want is a room somewhere....")

Here are the details. 

Etsy House will be open in London from 5th – 7th December 2014

Friday 5th December: 10am – 8pm Saturday 6th December: 10am – 8pm Sunday 7th December: 12pm – 6pm

Where:

Covent Garden

5 Great Newport Street
London
WC2H 7HY

For more information about it click here.

My face ceramics will be on display for sale there so stop on by!

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London Atelier of Representational Art

40 min pose

Last night I attended my first live-drawing class here in London. It felt good to start up again. It was at the London Atelier of Representational Art.

I've discovered, upon moving here, that there are quite a lot of these Atelier's here. I noticed in Paris,  there weren't very many representational art studios, which really surprised me. I love that there are so many here!

The above sketches begin at the top from 5 mins- 10 mins- 15 mins- 40 mins.

And as always, when I got home, Saffy took the liberty to also give my work some love.

Custom-Painted Eye & Portrait Rings

Would you like a custom-painted oil portrait or eye in a ring for a keepsake? Like us on FB for a 10% off coupon to order yourself or a friend a miniature they can wear on their finger. 

Click here now for more.

Launched! Georgie & Marie Lover's Eye Rings.

Lover's Eye Rings have been around since the late 1700's. King George IV commissioned a miniature eye portrait to be done of his mistress Maria Fitzherbert, and wore it secretly behind his lapel. The trend seemed to take off. Eye portraits were painted by artists all over Europe, even entering the United States for some time. They weren't just painted for secret lovers- there were many that were painted of spouses, deceased children, or just as a remembrance of someone they loved. They were made into brooches, pins, pendants, rings, and small boxes.

Georgie & Marie eye and portrait rings are now available in my shop. I have collaborated with Malinda Fisher of Desert Rose Jewelry, who is hand-crafting all of the settings. They will be available in brass, silver, and gold. Each one of these are copies of old antique Georgian Eye rings, painted with oils and sealed with resin. I have also begun to do miniature portraits as well. If you are interested in a commissioned eye or miniature portrait, please click here.

Every single hand-crafted setting is unique, and you may now find them here in my shop. I'm incredibly grateful to have such a talented person as Malinda to work with! And these rings have been an idea I've been working towards for the past few months.

Jessica Peterson took these beautiful photos above. I have also been so lucky to have her as my friend and collaborative over the past few years. Her work is magic.

The logo was crafted from an old wood-block print of a lemon tree I saw at the Victoria & Albert Museum here in London. I then added faces to emphasize the rings and the people they represent. In the Middle Ages, the lemon tree symbolized adoration, commitment, fidelity, and romance. Lemons were a common component in love potions. If a woman dreams of lemons, it portends good luck in relationships.

And so with that, your ring can be any of those things. Even if it's a secret lover. Just choose wisely!

Rings: My Little Belleville
Photography: Jessica Peterson Photography
Dress: Maeberry Vintage
Ring Settings: Malinda Fisher of Desert Rose Jewelry

Bunny Foo Foo Sweatshirt

When I was 8- years- old I had a little black bunny named Raven.

 She had this tooth that would grow out of the bottom of her mouth and 

it would get so long she couldn't eat so we had to clip it every few weeks. 

It was the weirdest thing. 

I loved that rabbit. She lived a long good life. 

It seems she is in every rabbit I draw. Hence the above pattern for this custom-made
 Bunny Foo Foo sweater. 

Buy online now!

Renegade London!

Last year, after Renegade Chicago- I told Brandon I had a goal of being in the London Renegade Market. I applied the day we got here, not knowing if I would make it. It is very competitive to get into, especially here. So I waited and waited... and then last night I saw people posting they had gotten in and....

Lo! and Behold! My friends, I got above email. 

And I'm more than thrilled to announce we'll be part of the Holiday Market this year.

 Here you go:

London Renegade- November 22+23

11-6PM

Old Truman Brewery

81 Brick Lane

E1 6QL

London, UK

We'll see you there! 

More details here.

Printed Face Sweatshirt

I have been doing some textile design and been having a ball with it. This is a tribute to my love of drawing faces. I think I sometimes memorize people and subconsciously they come out in my natural sketches. Here are a grouping of faces that just appeared as part of the design.

This sweatshirt comes in white as well.

Click here to purchase.

Pre-Order Today!

The Plum Tree Monster can now be pre-ordered! 

Get yours before it is officially out on Halloween. 

Save $8 on the cover price by pre-ordering it here:

Here's a little bit on the premise: 

The Plum Tree Monster is secretive, stealthy, and a little bit scary. Rhyming prose and hand-drawn illustrations by author/illustrator Michelle Christensen based upon a recurring nightmare she had as a child. The end is a surprise, as is most of the story. So grab a friend, a flashlight, and hide somewhere safe while reading this unique and slightly darker, bedtime story... 

BOO!

The Plum Tree Monster

My very first children's book will be out at the end of the month!! I've been published before, but just as an illustrator- and this is the first book I've actually written AND illustrated myself. It's a darker book- based on a recurring nightmare I had when I was a kid. I've been working on this story and idea for a few years and now it's a reality.

 I'm so excited to share more with you.

Pre-orders and signings will take place next week. So GET READY.

The weather here in London btw... couldn't be nicer. 

I think people were lying to us when they said London had bad weather. 

We're still waiting for it. I hope it never comes! 

We're also still waiting on moving into our new apartment. ONE MORE WEEK!! Meanwhile.. we'll continue going on amazing art tours and seeing all the free museums.

 This place is awesome.

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