VW Bus Tea Towels are Here!

Hi there. How are you?

I’m well aware that my work appeals more to women than men. Most of my buyers are female and 85% my followers on Instagram are female. My work has a feminine look. I get it, embrace it, and design to appeal to my mostly feminine tribe. 

But, my newest product was made with a man in mind.

Meet Yoshi, our 1977 Volkswagen Westfalia Bus.

Meet Yoshi

Last fall, my husband bought a 1977 Volkswagen Westfalia. Lovingly referred to as “Yoshi”, Matt has been working hard all winter and spring to rebuild the engine and restore the interior. We’re looking forward hitting the road with Yoshi in just a couple of weeks for the Dead and Company show in Deer Creek. (I know, totally hippie. I’ve got my tie-die all ready!)

Matt thought that Yoshi would make a great tea towel design.

I was happy to oblige. I mean, how cute is that bus?? How could I not draw it?

My husband modeling my new VW Bus tea towel in front of the bus that inspired it.

Introducing my VW Bus Tea Towel!

Featuring a front, side, and rear view of Yoshi, this 100% cotton tea towel was printed in an olive green ink to match our bus. I’m totally thrilled with it! 

This is the first completely digital illustration I’ve ever made. I drew these all with my Apple Pencil* and iPad Pro* in the Procreate app. I am hooked on this powerful tool! You will be seeing more all digital illustration from me soon.

*These are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I get a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s an easy way to support my artistic endeavors. Thanks!

The VW Bus screen printed tea towel is sure to bring some personality and charm to your kitchen.

Ships free in time for Dad’s Day.

The Yoshi towel would make a great Father’s Day gift for your car lovin’ or hippie dad. Grab a Dad’s Day card, wrap up his favorite booze in the towel and you’re good to go.

Heck, anyone with a love for retro, cars, van life, hippie culture would dig this towel. I’ll certainly have a couple with me when we take Yoshi camping in the coming weeks. I’ll also lay one down on the coffee table and put snacks on top of it when we entertain this weekend.

You can shop my whole collection of tea towels right HERE. They all ship FREE in the US. ($6.00 flat rate shipping for my international friends.) 

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Last thing….

If you purchase a towel, I’d love to see how you use it in your home. Send me pictures!

That’s all for now.

Ciao, Jen

You Can Never Have Too Many Throw Pillows!

Hi there. How are you?

I must admit, I have a little love affair with throw pillows. I've got quite a collection and I change them out with the seasons. They give a pop of color and personality to our neutral tan sofas.

Connections are Cool!

About a year ago, I started making my own pillows. I was working at a company here in Carbondale that produces dye-sublimated fabric graphics. I was able to take advantage of their state-of-the-art fabric printer and turn ten of my favorite illustrations into soft ultra-suede printed pillows.

It's a "Family Affair"

This pillow-making adventure is actually a collaborative effort between me and my talented mother, Carla Mullin. She's does all of the sewing of these pillows and I couldn't have pulled this off without her!

Sewn with an envelope style back, each pillow features a different complementary fabric, many of which are vintage. I have fun hitting garage sales and thrift stores in search of vintage fabrics, tablecloths and even sheets.

Sprucing up My Listings

Lately, I've been sprucing up my pillow listings on Etsy. By Photoshopping out the background of the photos entirely, I gave them an even brighter look and more clean look. 

On the suggestion of Etsy guru Danielle Spurge-Swavely, I also optimized my pillow images for  Etsy search and Pinterest, by adding text and making them vertical in orientation.

The Data

I haven't collected any definitive data yet to determine if the listing changes and updates I've made have positively effecting my stats. Anecdotally, it does seem like my optimized listing are getting more action and I'm really happy with the fresh look. Now let's just hope that translates to more sales!

Let's Have a Summer Sale!

I've taken 20% off all of my in-stock pillows. Yahoo! But you have to act fast. The sale price is only good until Monday, July 20th!  My pillows make lovely gifts. Yeah, I know it's July, but I've already started my holiday shopping!

That's it for now friends. Go shop! Ta-Ta!

Bird Nerd

Hi there. How are you?

This is my brand new piece featuring Matt's favorite bird, the Tufted Titmouse.

Anyone who knows me at all can tell you that birds are about that last possible subject they'd expect me delve into. You see,  I am anything but a "bird nerd." Actually, birds pretty much gross me out, and

I've had several traumatic experiences with my feathered foes. There were two different encounters with nests of dead baby birds, I've been crapped on while inside a moving car, and was traumatized by a bird that continually flew into a window at my childhood home. 

So why on earth would I choose birds as a new subject?

It has a lot to do with my husband, who has blossomed into a full blown "bird nerd." 

He's built a bird sanctuary outside our living room window.

Birds of all kinds are attracted to the squirrel proof feeder.

I have to admit that I do like to join Matt in his through the window bird watching. They don't freak me out so much when there is glass between me and the birds. I've actually grown fond of the hummingbirds and female cardinals that frequent our feeders. And believe it or not, I'm about to start another bird piece!

"Tufted Titmouse" measures just 5" high by 7" wide and was created with collaged paper, black ballpoint ink and a little touch of rusty orange colored pencil. If you are interested in purchasing this piece, do get in touch!

Do you have a favorite bird you'd like to see me tackle? Please let me know!

Until next time. Ta-ta!