Pug

It has been awhile since my last post.

2010 has been exciting  year so far and busy. My 2010 ornaments are in production and I am gearing up for  a busy Fall.  Lots of events are planned  and for those of you who subscribe to the Landmark newsletter already know that I will be doing a five city tour- including stops in Tampa, LA, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Chicago, and NYC. Stay tuned for more in upcoming blog posts.

Also  this year,  you will be seeing  a line of stationery in stores that I am launching with a  Louie Award winning company called a la cards.

For all of you that know that I also work in Book Publishing- I am now VP Creative Director of St. Martin’s Paperbacks and  continuing to work on packages for  Emily Giffin, Kristin Hannah, Janet Evanovich, Lisa Scottoline, and others.

I am excited to share that I have  also illustrated  a book on the retelling of the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for New York Times bestselling author Donna Van Liere- who is known for her wonderful book The Christmas shoes. The book is called The Christmas Journey, in stores this fall

As I said, an exciting year for which I feel very lucky.

Looking back on 2009- what a wonderful season it was.   It was so great to see so many of my collectors at my events.  I had the energy to decorate my home withsix trees- photo highlights are posted. As you can see my pugs are always there to help me out…and they are honored with their own tree!

Soon I will be  attending the Golden glow convention in Milwaukee- I hope that I will get to see many of you there.

Until the next sketch!

I had a great time at my events on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

In the morning I was at the Waldorf  Astoria- Diana the store manager did a wonderful job  displaying my ornaments and books.  It was a great  time signing books and ornaments.  I met a couple who run  a very  special organization called Gentle Carousel.

They use minature horses as therapy for children and adults in hospitals, hospices, nursing homes,etc.

In the afternoon, my ambassador Posey Pugglesworth joined me at Bergdorf Goodman. We had a great time and Posey made some wonderful new friends. She even met Joy Behar from the View.   It was great to see my friend, artist William Honkanen. He is an amazing artist and does all of the animation work on the Today show.

Until the next sketch!

What an amazing signing at Bergdorf Goodman on Saturday—It was so special to have Posey Pugglesworth  there as my ambassador. She  was quite the celebrity.

The sales staff and customers were wonderful and the display of my ornaments was beautiful.

Some highlights included a visit from my assistant Lisa, and signing an ornament for a couple  celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. They purchased an ornament to commemorate the event- as I personalized it, I also wrote the number 40 on the taxi cab to make it extra special.

The custom designs are a hit and by the time I left more than half are sold out.

To reserve any before my next signing event call (212) 753-7300 and ask for the holiday shop—and  one of the fantastic sales staff will  be able to help you.

Come and see Posey again on Friday November 27th.

Until the next sketch!

The  wonderful thing about signings is that you never know who you are going to meet or see.   At my signing at Lord and Taylor, I saw a colleague of mine from 20 years ago!  We worked together at Berkley/Putnam publishing and she was out shopping with her mom.

It was a fun night- Lord & Taylor had a beautiful set up in their Christmas Department  and was raising money for charity. It was also a pleasure to meet fellow Golden Glow member and ornament designer Melissa Byrne from Jingle Nog  as well as designer Michael Park.

I signed lots of copies of  A Very New York Christmas and the Lord & Taylor custom ornament.

My next event is at Bergdorf Goodman and should be very special as  Posey Pugglesworth will be making her debut as ambassador for the Storrings’ line!  Come and meet us from 1-4 on the 7th floor!

Until the next sketch!

The holidays are here! My personal appearances start  this weekend at Saks Fifth Ave across from Rockefeller Center.  This is always my favorite time as I get to see again those collectors who come back each year.  It is always an honor for me to see everyone.  This year I will post pictures to my blog , so  stay tuned!

I am also excited to be introducing my new dog lineand as a special treat- my little pug dog Posey Pugglesworth will be joining me  at my Bergdorf Goodman appearances.  Dogs add so much to our lives  and I hope that I have captured their spirit in the ornaments.

Here are the dates again for November:
Saks Fifth Avenue
November 7, Saturday; 1:00-4:00 pm
New York City

Lord & Taylor
November 10, Tuesday; 5:00-8:00 pm
Fifth Ave. at 38th St.
New York City

Bergdorf Goodman
November 14, Saturday, 1:00-4:00 pm
New York City

Bloomingdales
November 21, Saturday; 1:00-3:00 pm
Lexington Ave.
New York City

Waldorf Astoria
November 27, Black Friday, 10:00am-12:00 noon
New York City

Bergdorf Goodman
November 27, Black Friday, 1:00-4:00 pm
New York City

Saks Fifth Avenue
November 28, Saturday; 1:00-4:00 pm
New York City

Borders Bookstore
November 30, Monday; 6:00 pm
Park Ave. at 57th St.
New York City

At the end of November I will be emailing  my December dates.

Also of note- I  designed  a cover for the 2009  Fiction  Nobel Laureate winner Herta Muller. Her book is called The Appointment.

Until the next sketch!