Inspired by Houseplants New Pattern Designs and a Tea Towel Calendar for 2023

Fall is here for real now. One of the things I like best about fall is the way my attention shifts to my houseplants when the weather gets too cold to be outside. You can see it in my art, too.

Vining Clematis and Painted Lady Butterflies: Garden Delight for the 2022 Tea Towel Calendar

Designing a tea towel calendar each year has become a tradition for me. This is the 6th year I’ve created one.

June 2021 Garden Tour (It's Not ALL Roses)

Wow. So much has changed in the garden from April to May to June. As I mentioned last week, summer is well and truly here.

Botanical Embroidery Design: an Exciting New Direction For My Art

Sometimes the universe nudges you forward when you’re not quite ready. This happened a few weeks ago when I checked Spoonflower’s list of upcoming design challenges and saw one featuring embroidery.

Shake Up Your Self-Care and Recommit to What Truly Brings You Joy

Back in November I vowed to fall in love with winter. And I did, for a while.

Beauty is Important

I am filled with a swirl of thoughts and feelings. Maybe you are, too.

These days. They’re hard. This year has been hard. It continues to be hard.

Collecting Everyday Joys

What a week it’s been.

Although I think they’re a good idea any time, when life feels heavy or dark, I find it helps to write a Joy List.

Late Summer Garden Update

Won’t you join me in the garden today?

As slowly as 2020 seems to be progressing, the summer is certainly speeding past. I can’t quite get my head around the fact that it’s already late August.

fabric, garden, joy, life, seasonsAnne ButeraAugust 21, 2020garden, garden assessment, late summer garden, butterflies in the garden, monarch butterflies, tiger swallowtail butterflies, red spotted purple butterfly, monarch butterfly on verbena, tiger swallowtail on zinnias, garden harvests, gardening, garden joy, gardening for wildlife, gardens, garlic, zucchini, summer squash, cube of butter summer squash, cube of butter yellow zucchini, eggplants, herbs, tulsi, holy basil, japanese beetles, japanese beetle damage, japanese beetle damage on roses, skeletonized leaves, plum tree, raised beds, cinder block raised beds, hog panel trellis, small gardens, urban gardening, container gardens, growing tomatoes in containers, Stellar tomato, Tasmanian Chocolate tomato, Roadster tomato, geranium kiss tomato, purple poppies, lauren's grape poppies, breadseed poppies, poppies, bachelor buttons, calendula, saving seeds, tomatoes, patio gardening, cosmos flowers, sunflowers, surprises in the garden, verbena bonariensis, Spoonflower Design Challenge, Wallpaper design, climbing vines wallpaper challenge, spoonflower climbing vines wallpaper challenge, botanical wallpaper design, botanical fabric design, surface pattern design, fabric design, Spoonflower, spoonflower wallpaper, Spoonflower contest, spoonflower fabric designer, spoonflower fabric, watercolor, watercolor paintings, botanical watercolor paintings, clematis paintings, clematis, clematis wallpaper Comments

In Celebration of Butterflies

Last week a package arrived on my doorstep. I thought it was going to be some backordered art supplies. But the box was bigger than I was expecting. And it was heavy.

When I saw the label I couldn’t wait to get the box opened. It was my Minky Couture blanket!

Around Here Lately: Living a Holistically Creative Life

Back in January I wrote a list of intentions for the year. First in my journal. Then in my sketchbook. And again on a separate piece of paper that I hung in my studio. The very first intention on the list: “Live a holistically creative life”.

creativity, fabric, blogging, joy, life, seasons, houseplantsAnne ButeraFebruary 14, 2020blogging, blogging is not dead, creating community, creative projects, carving out time for creativity, creativity, affirming your creativity, valentine's day, intentions, holistic creativity, sewing, sewing projects, handmade clothing, inspiration, Butterick 6024, crochet, crochet garments, crochet shawl, Kathryn Dawn, 3 Button Textured Cardigan, South Bay Shawlette, Ravelry, Pinterest, crochet projects, seeds, seed starting, garden planning, ordering seeds, winter, skillshare, Skillshare classes, sketchbook class on Skillshare, winter sketchbook, Explore Winter in Your Botanical Sketchbook, bald eagles, nature, beauty, beauty in nature, Spoonflower, spoonflower, Spoonflower contest, spoonflower fabric, Spoonflower Design Challenge, spoonflower fabric designer, spoonflower wallpaper, watercolor, watercolor painting, poinsettia, watercolor poinsettia, botanical art, botanical watercolor, houseplants, houseplant portraits, what's happening in my studio, joy, do, word of the year, creative energy Comments

My Word for 2020: DO

I’d been slowly accumulating a list of possible words for this year. Beautiful, poetic words. Any of them would have been a good guide for my year. I thought I’d decided on one until a couple weeks ago another popped int my head while I was in the shower.

Tea Towels and Getting Back into the Swing of Things

Last night we got back from vacation, a trip to Ohio to visit Matthias’ family. We had a wonderful time. it was great to get away, to relax and have fun with family.

growing inspiration: tomatoes

So far my Growing Inspiration posts have been about flowers. Of course I love flowers. I love growing them and painting them. I love cutting them for the house and watching the butterflies and bees and hummingbirds visit them in the garden.

But one of my very favorite things about the garden is eating from it.

growing inspiration: nasturtiums

About this time of year when the garden is at its height I begin making notes for next year. What I want to grow more of. What I forgot to grow. What I’d like to try. Today I’m sharing the first of a series of posts about some of my favorite plants to grow (and paint). I’d love for you to join in and share some of your favorites, too.

garden, fabric, joy, inspiration, artAnne ButeraAugust 9, 2019nasturtiums, watercolor, watercolor process, watercolor painting, anne butera, garden planning, garden inspiration, gardening, growing plants from seed, gardening on a budget, gardening on a tight budget, growing nasturtiums, fabric design, fabric, growing inspiration, inspiration from the garden, about me, budget friendly gardening, how to grow nasturtiums, edible flowers, cottage gardens, creating a cottage garden, my favorite flowers, favorite flowers, nasturtium varieties, nasturtium fabric, nasturtium paintings, where i find inspiration, where does inspiration come from, Spoonflower, spoonflower fabric, spoonflower fabric designer, spoonflower garment sewing, mindfulness practice, mindfulness, observing nature, slowing down Comments

I Made Shoes!

Last week I shared my fears around hand sewing and how my belief that I wasn’t “good” at stitching kept me from trying embroidery. I’m not sure if it was that belief, or if was other fears that kept me from using the espadrille kit I bought at the end of August.

fabric, sewing, creativityAnne ButeraFebruary 8, 2019patience, sewing, espadrilles, A Happy Stitch espadrille kit, I sewed shoes, I made shoes, overcoming fear, slowing down, learning to be slow, learning to make shoes, lessons from making shoes, learning lessons, overcoming anxiety Comments

2018 -- a Year in Review

Reviewing a whole year is a hard thing. Once you sit down to do it you realize how slippery a year can be. How difficult to contain with words or even photos.

gratitude, life, paintings, studio, fabric, creativity, bloggingAnne ButeraDecember 28, 2018new year, year in review, word of the year, accomplishments, creative accomplishments, artists, sewing, crochet, studio, paintings, press, being present, gratitude, Anne Butera, 2018 Comments

Making Do and Making Art

What are your barriers to creativity? What keeps you from making or doing on a regular basis? A lack of:

time?
space?
money?

2019 Tea Towel Calendars and Coordinating Fabric

I want to thank everyone who voted for my Tea Towel Calendar design. Although this year’s tea towel didn’t place as high as in the past, my Blue Roses is one of the Community Favorites on Spoonflower.

fabric, artAnne ButeraSeptember 14, 2018fabric, surface pattern design, Spoonflower, fabric design, tea towel calendars, tea towels, watercolor illustrations, kitchen decor, cloth napkins, independent fabric designers, gift ideas, sewing, calendarsComment

notes from the studio