On Saturday  November 21- I will be doing a signing at Bloomingdales from 1-3PM.

The custom ball for them this year is really fun!  It has the Statue of Liberty driving a taxicab with Santa , two Bloomingdales’ shoppers, and a doggie in the backseat. They are taking home the Empire State & Chrysler buildings in their trunk!

The 59th St Bridge and Cable Car,  a big Brown Bag, Subway Cars, and a Coffee Vendor are also featured on the ball.A Limited edition of only 240 pieces has been produced.

I also produced a limited quantity of ONLY 60 Bloomingdale’s  Subway  Cars! A silhouette of the Statue of Liberty is looking out the conductor’s  back windowDid you know that when the subway train comes into the station platform and stops- the conductor always sticks his arm out and points to  a black& white diagonally striped  painted board hanging from ceiling, called an “indication board.”

“Since the late 1990′s the conductor is required to point to the sign, after the train stops and before the doors are opened. This is for an eight car train. If he/she cannot look straight out from the cab and see this indication board, some of the cars in the train are not in the station. The doors MUST NOT be opened.” (this and other useful explanations of subway signs from the website www.thejoekorner.com)

I will also be signing copies of my book A Very New York Christmas.

Come and see me if you can.

Until the next sketch!

Outblush.com , a fantastic blog  for girls who like to shop , posted a review of my Park Avenue Coasters and  they sold out!

Here was the review:

Park Avenue Coasters

This one’s for all of our New Yorkers! Do you love to stroll along Park Avenue, Madison Avenue, 5th Avenue, York or maybe even Houston? Well then…the Park Avenue Coasters ($25) are the perfect conversation piece! The charming watercolor print by artist Michael Storrings was recreated on hardboard coasters, which are perfect for those late night cocktails. Honestly they’re also great for preventing those unsightly rings that you usually find on your stunning coffee table the morning after a fab night.

You must check out this site!

Thanks Outblush!

Until the next sketch!

The question: do I decorate my home with my own ornaments?

Yes, is the answer!

In my home, I have a large  8ft prelit tree that I have all of my painted ball ornaments along with my molded designs.

I call it my travel tree.  All of my ornaments are inspired by trips that I have had, soon to have , and memories  that have happened.  I am lucky to be able to fill a tree with all those inspirations.

I love Christmas and  even before I started designing ornaments, I collected them—and still do. In addition to my large tree, I have 5 feather trees with different themes and I will be talking  about those in upcoming posts.

My suggestions for decorating trees are as such:

• have  a focus/theme for your tree- it could be as simple as a color that is carried throughout or a shape.  To me  it bestows on the tree a meaning and story- the viewer is able to look at the tree and take home a memory.
• I love feather trees for displaying ornaments- a prelit tree is great as well as the wires do not get in the way.
• mix antique with new ornaments- with my ornaments I mix antique shiny brites that were given  to me by my parents and grandparents. The solids , stripes, and various sizes create a great backdrop for the newer designs.
• you can never have enough ornaments!
• finish your tree off at the  base with an antique fence or beautiful tree skirt. Under my travel tree I have a city themed skirt that  helps anchor  the ornaments.
• find a topper that fits- I actually have in my line a Times Square tree topper- right now only a few prototypes  have been made but I hope to release it in 2010
• most of all, have fun!

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!

Tomorrow is going to be  a fun day- I will be doing a signing at Bergdorf Goodman on the seventh floor  and my pug Posey Pugglesworth will be joining me!

I just  finished giving her a bath and she is now resting for her appearance- she will sport her red Goyard collar with gold bells from  Paris.

I will be signing copies of my book A Very New York Christmas and my ornaments. You must check out  the custom ball I did for them this year. Only 72 produced for 2009 it is surely to become a collector’s piece. It has a gorgeous purple sky and features the store as the backdrop-  a bridge from Central Park with a band playing and skaters  all the way around. The skaters consist of the statue of liberty, shoppers,  women in fur coats, the Bergdorf doorman,  and figures  with  a dog from the old bergdorf shopping bag.

The snowflakes are dotted with Swarowski crystals.

The idea behind the ball was inspired by the movie The Bishop’s Wife (later a contemporary version with Whitney Houston called The Preacher’s Wife). I love that scene when Cary Grant takes the Bishop’s wife skating in the park.

This custom ball was featured in the new Bergdorf Holiday catalog  and retails at $95.00

Also produced in limited quantity is the Bergdorf Dog in  ahat box.

A cute little Bichon Frise holds a Bergdorf bag in its mouth while wearing a cool hat with feather. Only 48 made!Hope to see you there.

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!

Saturday was a fun-filled first day of signing at Saks Fifth Ave.  I met so many great people and  signed lots of ornaments.  The City Dogs were a hit!  Looking forward to  my next event at Lord and Taylor where I will be signing copies of my book A Very New York Christmas and  my  ornaments, including their exclusive Lord & Taylor window  design- a limited edition of 150 pieces. Enjoy their classic window display with Santa, the Statue of Liberty, a  lady in mink,  and a father and daughter. Have their doorman hail you  cab  , but before you leave  go around the corner and get  a hot pretzel from the  vendor that is on the side!

Until the next sketch!

With my first signing coming up tomorrow at Saks I thought it would be a good idea to provide a list of the new 2009 ornaments that they are carrying.

So here they are:

•The custom  Saks dog in a shoe and ball both limited editions for 2009 only!

The City Dog collection:

•Tip the bellhop Yorkie

•Beefy the Pug

•Dumpling the Pekingnese

•Checkers the Pug

•Cup of Joe Chihuahua

•Liberty Retreiver

•Scotties on Ice(there are presents on the backside of tree)

•The City Dog ball- includes a dachshund on a vendor cart and painted versions of all of the above.

•Fashionista Dog ball- includes Coco retreiver, thimbelina chihuahua,aBonetique, and more!

•Bone-ified Travelers ball- with a dog couple sharing a romantic meal in a cafe, a gondola ride full of dogs, Can-Can Scotties and more!

Other new molded designs that Saks has this year are:

•NYC in a bag- all the various landmarks coming out of a cute red shopping bag saying For You!

•A Chestnut Vendor

•A Playbill

•A Black& White Cookie- a friend of mine in publishing ad I used to always share one after work- she got the chocolate- I got the vanilla!

They also have the Times Square Ball, Central Park Ball, Statue of Liberty, and are carrying in the store the Thanksgiving Day Parade Ball.Hope to see you there- if you can’t make it and want something signed you can  call the trim department (212) 940-1487 or x2487 or x2728

and  I will be happy to sign it for you.

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!

Saks.com has just featured my Times Square ornament on their holiday main page !

What an honor.  My ornaments are now available  in-store and online from them.

One that you should especially check out this year is  the Saks Custom 2009 design.  It is really fun. I have been doing custom balls for Saks for the last 5 years and normally I feature the building front and center. This year I wanted to switch it up. The theme is the saks elevator featuring  a very new york moment: a stylish mother, father and daughter(hugging her American girl doll) sharing the lift with Santa and the Statue of Liberty.

What you can’t see online are all the other details- the chrysler building and empire state  emerging from a saks gift box, a skating Prometheus by the  Rock Center tree, a newstand, top and bottom are the white snow branches you see on the main floor, the facade of the store  smaller on back, and lots of snowflakes.   The doors are painted with a mirror like silver so they are actually reflective like the doors in the store. It retails for $75.00.

Each is handpainted, taking 3-5 days to complete each one!This is a limited edition of 500 balls- only for 2009.

Also new for this year is a custom Saks dog-  A Maltese sporting a Statue of Liberty hat  while lounging in an Espadrille shoe. A limited edition of 200 and retails at $42.00My first signing at Saks will be on November 7th. from 1-4 PM.

Hope to see you there!

Until the next sketch!