Life Snapshot No. 005

Daniel and I have been slowly working on the baby's nursery since we got our exciting news. So far, we have a wooden dresser/changing table from my parents, a wooden glider from Daniel's mom, and a carpet from good ol' Ikea. We decided early on that - no matter the gender - our theme for the nursery should be sheep. This should come as no surprise, since my well-established love of sheep can be seen in this blog post and my Pinterest board completely dedicated to the sweet little animals. 

Once we chose BEHR Smoked Oyster for the base color for the walls, we decided that I could paint a simple half-drop sheep pattern on the wall where the crib will stand. I finished it all up yesterday and am SO pleased with the outcome! Our nursery just might be my favorite room ever. All we need is a crib, a couple play things, and - oh, of course - our little baby boy to complete it all! 

Here are some pics I snapped of the process:

I first laid out the half-drop placement with white dots then painted the navy legs and finished the little guys with white curly paint strokes for their wool. I simply eyeballed the half-drop placement; if there's anything I've learned, it's that it's the imperfections that make the handmade and hand-painted so great and unique. 

Can you spot the single ram? (per the request from my hubs)

I can't wait for our little boy to arrive and get to live in a room that I love so much. I try every morning to spend some time in this room in prayer and for journaling. It's so relaxing and peaceful; it's the best way I can imagine to start my day!

A Refreshing Distraction

One thing I love about working on my own is just how varied my day-to-day responsibilities are. One week I'll be crocheting every day, the next I'll be working on bookkeeping and marketing strategies, and then - like this week - I'll work solely on freelance jobs.

For the first time in a while, I've been designing prints for a few small, start-up fashion companies and it felt so good to pick up my paintbrush and inks again.

One of my greatest discoveries from the past 2 years was finding Dr. Ph. Martin's Radiant Watercolor inks. They're so vibrant and perfect for print design; they completely changed the way I watercolor. And with all of this snowy weather we've been having (even though I LOVE it), it's nice to see some bright, happy colors in my life.

I hadn't realized how much I'd missed painting until I really got going this week, but I'm hoping to do more print designs and illustrations on the side. It's actually one of my personal New Year's resolutions. So, if you're interested in any commissions or freelance from me, email me at hollyguertin [at] gmail [dot] com and it'll make my day! 

Folk Fibers

This week, I have been filled with hope and inspiration for what Ernie and Irene will be in the future. After getting some really great advice from a friend and mentor, I'm thinking of some minor refocusing in Ernie and Irene's product line and can't wait for the great things to come from that.

But from the very beginning, every time I would think about Ernie and Irene in one or two years, I would always think of Folk Fibers and how much I admire Maura Grace Ambrose's business and aesthetic.

(photo)

As a fellow SCAD Fibers alumna, Maura respects and elevates the handmade object and the processes to create the products that surround us. Her quilts and hand dyed pillows are simply exquisite and that only comes from the natural dyes and hand quilting processes she uses. And all that beautiful work doesn't go unnoticed, Folk Fibers just received the 2013 Martha Stewart American Made Honoree award. Check out a few of her pieces below. 

Folk Fibers Zen Quilt

Folk FIbers Iowa Quilt

Folk Fibers Iowa Quilt back (just as beautiful from the back, if you ask me)

I can't help but love them. I want to be cuddled up in one of those quilts right now! 

PS - This week has also been the launch of Lilly Pulitzer's Spring 2014 line, including one of my prints from when I worked there as an Asst. Print Designer, "Behind The Gates," inspired by Savannah, GA. Be sure to head over to check it out on their website! 

Life Snapshot No. 004

As I write this, we are in the middle of a snowstorm. We're expected to get 6-12" tonight and thankfully, Daniel has had the whole day off because of the weather. He took off this morning from work to come with me to our 20 week ultrasound.

And, praise the Lord, everything is perfect! We got to count all 10 fingers and all 10 toes, and our little nugget is just as sweet as can be. Baby was also showing off for our ultrasound technician and moving quite a bit! Even gave us a thumbs up at one point.

Oh, and did I mention we got to find out the gender? Hip hip hooray! 

Malachos Inspiration

I'm currently finishing up all the small details on a new Malachos : Medium and this time, instead of a monochromatic color scheme like I've done recently (see here and here), I'm going back to the Malachos roots and have chosen an all-white color scheme. Why all white? Well, my inspiration for Malachos has always been sheep. Sheep sheep and more sheep. I can't get enough of them! I have a whole board on Pinterest solely for images of these fluffy, sweet animals, and quite a few images of sheep hanging throughout our home. And when I think about a lamb, I think of a white one (but that's not to say a gray or a brown Malachos isn't in the near future). I mean, how can you not love them? 

Top to bottom: Sheep in Patagonia from Ann Street Studio; Leaping Lamb; Lamb and its mother via NBC; closeup of a sheep at the Oatland Island Wildlife Center, photo by me.

Malachos, derived from the Greek word for "soft," are handmade with all natural materials - stuffed with 100% wool, backed with 100% cotton, and crocheted with various natural yarns, mostly woollen. The organic form of the Malachos is inspired by what a sheep's fleece looks like when laid out right after shearing. Imperfect, varied in color, and has depth. Plus, wool is such a wonderful fiber. It can be spun, woven, knit, and felted. It's naturally water repellent and can keep us warm efficiently and effectively. The oil that is found within the fiber, lanolin, is excellent for our skin and keeps the fiber strong. It is durable and has a great elasticity, making it the perfect fill for Malachos pieces.

Our world today is detached from the sources of our food, clothing, and the objects we touch every day. Malachos are intended to bring people back to the beginning, back to the source, back to the beauty of it all. And, the sheep motif has come from my faith in Jesus, the ultimate...you guessed it, Lamb, as well as all the perfect imagery seen throughout the Bible for sheep and the human condition. 

Know the Lord, he is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way ... Isaiah 53:6

When he [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36

Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:15

...Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 1 Peter 1:18-19

Life Snapshot No. 003

 Happy 2014!  I can't believe it's already 2014. I have really high hopes for this year. Not only will it be an amazing year since our baby will be born (hello, best year of my life!), but I've also set a pretty great set of goals for Ernie and Irene for this year and I am excited to strive toward those points. First on the list? Write a blog post every week. Every Wednesday, you all WILL have a blog post to read from me. Promise. From inspiration to process to more Life Snapshots, this blog is going to become much more of what I've always wanted it to be. And, here are the rest of my goals:

• begin every morning prayerfully and intentionally
• be featured in 3 stores locally, 5 stores outside of Philadelphia area
• get more exposure through blogs and magazines
• grow social media accounts
• create wholesale accounts with all my yarn suppliers (gotta save that dough!)
• expand product line to have one new product by the end of the year

See? Great things to come. And I can't wait! To start it all off, too, I have four new Axios embroideries with all new phrases coming up and one new Malachos : Medium (hint: it's all WHITE, my favorite!) to be ready for you next week! Stay tuned for new products to launch soon soon soon.

Until then, enjoy these little snippets from my life from the last two months (including LOTS of snow up here in the Delaware Valley, Christmas, a trip to NYC with my mom, and progress of said new products). Want more? Follow me on Instagram and Twitter to see more of my day-to-day fun.

 See you next week!

Life Snapshot No. 002

I had to make a decision before I wrote this post. How personal should I make Ernie and Irene's blog? Ernie and Irene is so much a part of me, that I feel it is right to share such exciting news with all of you (if you haven't already heard via facebook or instagram). Plus, I just can't hold it in. Eep!

My husband and I are expecting a baby! After struggling for some time to get pregnant due to my stress level and other health issues, we are so, so thrilled that there's a baby in my belly! Our prayers have been answered and we give praise to the One who provides so abundantly. 

So far I've learned that I can't be around peanut butter or orange juice, but that I really love Mexican bean dips, spicy sushi (cooked, don't worry), and pomegranates. I've gained a new increased devotion to Mary and can't wait to be pregnant during Advent and share in the excitement building up to our Lord's birth as I'm carrying our own child. There's so much to look forward to, I can't begin to list all of them out. But, rest assured, I will be sharing more of our progress as we prepare for our little one! 

Life Snapshot No. 001

If you've been a follower of me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook for a while, you have noticed my love for Mt. Airy, Philadelphia. It's a sweet little neighborhood where Daniel and I spent our first two years of marriage. And even though we were ecstatic to buy our first home in the 'burbs, we knew we would miss Mt. Airy's breathtaking landscape. Case in point, Wissahickon Creek.  

This morning, after an early, early (meaning, I saw the sun rise on my way in) dentist appointment, I rewarded myself with a coffee an onion & chevre crepe from our favorite coffee shop, High Point Cafe, and a little hike down to the Wissahickon Creek on Forbidden Drive. It was glorious, can't you tell? 

Ernie and Irene is LIVE, folks!

It is with much pride and excitement that I am able to launch Ernie and Irene today. Ernie and Irene has been alive in daydreams for the past, oh, three years or so, and today marks the day that the dream becomes a reality. I cannot wait for you all to experience it.

My name is Holly Guertin. I graduated in 2011 from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Fibers (I know, best college experience ever ). Right after graduation, I married my high school sweetheart, Daniel, and started my first job at Lilly Pulitzer as a Print Designer (yep, I know, best job ever   ). During my career, I've worked with companies like Verily Magazine, Style Me Pretty, and Martha Stewart Weddings. And now, Ernie and Irene.

Okay, all the business is done. What you really  need to know is that I love sheep. I love wool. I love cotton. And I love to work with my hands. Ernie and Irene is the embodiment of all of those things and I hope you will check out the Shop page to see my work and - even more - I hope you'll find that your home or space needs a little bit of that love as well. Right now, every piece is made to order. After I get into the swing of things, though, I hope to create products that you can buy directly. For now, you can fill out the order forms in the Shop and request any kind of customization or specifics you want!

Here on this blog, I will share anything and everything that inspires me and interesting things that are going on in my little life. Before being an artist and designer, I am first and foremost a Catholic. I love my faith and love my God with my whole being. I may share inspiring, faithful inspiration on here as well. 

As I said earlier, I am so, so excited for Ernie and Irene. I can't wait to get to know you all and I hope you enjoy! Don't be a stranger. I'll be adding new pieces as often as I can! 

 -Holly