Simply Hue

Handcrafted Masks by Sundries and Plunder

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:15:00 +0000

How cool are these? I'm not sure if I'd actually wear one but I think they would look awesome as a decoration in my home or even as a photo prop.

These unique leather masks are made-to-order by two sisters from Portland Oregon. Their Etsy shop is called Sundries and Plunder and it's such a fun spot on the web to visit!

I love this short paragraph I took from their Etsy profile page:

"Between being raised by creative parents and the need to stay entertained during the Pacific Northwest's long rainy season, it was probably inevitable that we would become two insatiable crafters."

I live in the Pacific Northwest, too, and completely agree with their theory. Being indoors for a large percentage of the year motivates you to be creative (or lose your mind). Thanks for the inspiration, Marlo and Chelsea! :)

Color Palette Generator

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:39:00 +0000

Hello! How was your weekend? Ours was really nice! We celebrated January/February birthdays and anniversaries at my oldest daughters house yesterday and it was great to have the whole family together. Missing everyone since we moved over an hour away to the "big city" of Kirkland, Washington. ;)

O.k., it's probably no secret that I love color. In fact, I started Simply Hue almost 3 years ago when I was a color consultant (I went into clients homes and helped them choose a color palette/scheme for their walls and decor). It was a lot of fun but because of my some health issues it became a little too much for me.

This morning I came across Big Huge Labs Color Palette Generator and have been playing around with it for the last half hour. All you need to do if you'd like to try it out is upload a photo/piece of artwork and click on "create". Voila! A color palette is generated based on the colors in the image you uploaded! For other fun games and utilities, follow THIS LINK.

I know there are other online palette generators that I'm not aware of so if you know of any, please do share them in the comments section below (so I can waste and whittle away even more time!). xo

My First iphone Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:33:00 +0000

Hi again! I feel a little bit like a 5 year old showing her parents her finger-paintings but I thought I'd show you my first Instagram photos. I don't think they're necessarily that great, but I sure had fun taking them! I can tell this is going to be addicting. ;)

Instagram Loveliness by Kristybee Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:27:00 +0000

In my humble opinion, some of the most beautiful, soft, and feminine images on the web are taken by Kristy Mercer Campbell. I was thrilled when I began seeing her post gorgeous images taken with her iphone using Instagram! My phone upgrade came up a couple of months ago and I was able to get an iphone for next to nothing. One of the main reasons I wanted one in the first place was to use this fun photography application. Kristy's images inspire me and I can't wait to get some use out of this program! Oh, and if are looking for dreamy romantic actions to use with your photos, Kristy recently began selling her own RIGHT HERE!

To view or purchase Kristy's romantic photos you can visit her Etsy shop or her Society 6 shop. :)

Olive and Orange from Orla Kiely

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Good morning! How are things in your part of the world? It's a blustery day here in Seattle. I love the wind (in fact I love just about all types of weather) so I'm pretty content here in front of my computer today. I'm in here, and it's out there! ;)

Just wanted to give you a glimpse of Orla Kiely's new "diffusion" line, Olive and Orange. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but that's what it says on their website. ha, ha. Here's a little bit more about Orla's newer vintage clothing line:

"Olive and Orange is Orla Kiely’s diffusion brand. It offers Orla Kiely’s handwriting in a concise collection of Orla’s favourite shapes.

Olive and Orange is an affordable and quirky label. Founded in London in 2009 to bring Orla’s signature use of colour and print to a younger and sassier customer, Olive and Orange strikes a balance between functionality and feminity.

With two seasonal collections per year, Olive and Orange has been steadily making its mark on the global fashion landscape. It is now sold in stores across Europe, USA, Japan, Korea, Israel and Kuwait."

There's Still Time to Register!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0000

I would love for you to join me along with other creative women for my 4 week creativity e-course beginning on February 6th! If you're looking for an affordable way to jump start your creativity in 2012, Raining Umbrellas is the class for you. You'll have fun and gain a lot from this one-of-a-kind online class. Lessons are posted on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and each day includes a featured artist/designer/photographer and an artist interview! There's loads of inspiration, beautiful images, and creative prompts and assignments to motivate you along the way.

Raining Umbrellas is my pride and joy and it makes me so happy when I receive positive feedback from my students. It's encouraging to learn that Raining Umbrellas has touched their lives and caused them to grow creatively. I want the same thing for YOU, too!

For more information and to register, just follow THIS LINK!!! xo

A Simply Lovely Home

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:14:00 +0000

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Images found HERE!

I adore this home ... it's so dreamy, cozy, and full of light and lots of personal touches! I'm working diligently on creating a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere in our new home while giving it a modern aesthetic with retro touches. In my opinion, the owner of this home accomplished this perfectly! I don't think you could get me off that cozy couch! I'd grab a stack of magazines and a hot cup of coffee or tea and relax for hours. :)

How about YOU?

Gatherings Winter White Issue

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:53:00 +0000

Good morning. :) Is it snowing where you live? It is here in Seattle! Seeing all this gorgeous white has me in the mood for more. When I received the lovely new Winter White Issue from Gathering Spriggs, I knew I wanted to feature it today.

Heather Spriggs the creative genius behind this beautiful magazine, put so much heart and thought into each page. If you're a romantic and love vintage, it really is a feast for the eyes! You can see a preview right here and if you want to order a print copy, just follow this link!

Hope you have a beautiful day today, friends. Squeeze in a little time to be creative .... that's my goal today. ;)

Whimsical Illustrations from Pintameldia

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:40:00 +0000

I am just in awe of the creativity of some people! Esti is the artist behind these fun and colorful illustrations and she describes her work so beautifully that I thought I'd just post a section from her shop profile:

"Pintameldia is my creative land where I doodle, cut, make, illustrate, color, print and paint. Pintameldia is a place full of ink, pens, pencils, rubbers and scraps. I am really happy doing this so when you buy something from my shop, you are sure to take a tiny bit of happiness with you. Every little piece you see has been made in a peaceful moment. I hope you find here something that makes you feel good.

My artwork is made of simple lines, gestures and connections. My personal work is inspired by night dreams mostly, while my children artwork and comission work are often a product of my daydreaming. All my characters tend to be shy, cool, calm and collected. No matter if they show up on skateboards, paper, paper, textile, books, pins or t-shirts, they all get my inner dreamy child out of me."

Are you working on any creative projects right now? Post them on your blog and leave a link in the comments section and I'll pay you a visit. :)

Introducing A.M. Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:39:00 +0000

Wow, I've blogged 2 days in a row ..... this quite an accomplishment for me! ;)

I came across this great vintage shop on Etsy and wanted to share it with you. It's called A.M. Radio. Not only do they offer some unique and fun vintage items, they also create modern handmade mobiles and ornaments. I really like the clean and attractive way they style their products, too. They put a lot of care into their presentation, don't you think?

Romantic Photography by Nathalie

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:01:00 +0000

Good morning. :) How was your weekend? Ours was so nice! We had a couple of inches of snow and since we don't get it too often here in the Seattle area, my husband and I took advantage of it, got all bundled up, and walked to the Marina. It was really a special site to see seagulls resting on the snow covered docks, boats covered in white, and the historic downtown shops dressed in white. I took several photos and will post them on my personal blog one day this week.

It's good to be back on Simply Hue! I admit, I have been slacking off lately. As you probably know, I was pretty sick all of December and it's just been so hard to get back into the swing of things. But here I am and I'm hoping I can post at least few times this week.

What better way to start then with the lovely romantic photos taken by my friend, Nathalie ? Nathalie is extremely talented and has quite a fan following! Her photos are soft, feminine, and dreamy and give the viewer a taste of France, Nathalie's home.

You can discover more of her BEAUTIFUL work when you visit her shop, Lumiere du Matin. If you want to learn more about, Nathalie, you might want to take my mini creativity e-course, Droplets, mid-February where I'll feature an interview with her and several other talented artists. More info. to come soon. ;)

I'll leave you with a quote from Nathalie:

Photography is a meditation.
Mindful of the light playing on the natural world around me, not only I see, I hear, I smell, I feel.
It is my life, my "art de vivre".

REGISTRATION for Raining Umbrellas Now Open!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:39:00 +0000

Yep, it's that time...time to register for the Winter 2012 session of my creativity e-course RAINING UMBRELLAS!! Several ladies have already contacted me to preregister and I'm looking forward to meeting all of you who sign up. To celebrate the New Year and make it affordable to you after the holidays, I've lowered the price to just $49 (normally $69). If you have any questions before signing up, feel free to e-mail me at matissecolor@gmail.com And, for more info. about this inspiring and fun e-course, take a look at the Raining Umbrellas E-course page!

Preregistration for Raining Umbrellas Open!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:03:00 +0000

Good morning! Just wanted to give you a heads up that PREREGISTRATION FOR RAINING UMBRELLAS IS NOW OPEN! Class will begin on February 6th. and run through March 2nd. This is such a great time of the year to jump start your creativity and it's an honor for me to be involved in that process. :)

I've decided to lower the price to just $49.00 for this Winter session (it will go back up to $69.00 in the Spring) because I want to motivate you to put your best foot forward in 2012.

No need to send payment now. Just write me a note letting me know of your interest and I'll add your name to the preregistration list. I'll officially open enrollment this Wednesday!!

To learn more about this one-of-a-kind inspiring creativity e-course, read more RIGHT HERE.

Have a great new week! I hope to be around more posting some of the amazing things I've found on Etsy and around the web. Miss all of you. xo

New Photos to Ring in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:14:00 +0000

Hi! Hope you're enjoying some time off from the busyness of life. Did you have a fun New Years Eve? I'm feeling much better but took another day to lay low. I have a lot of high hopes for 2012 and I want to be well enough to see those hopes and goals come to fruition. :)

These two photos are new in my Etsy shop and my Society 6 shop. Society 6 sells most of my photos with frames or even as iphone cases and skins. I'm really loving this new site for artists, designers, and photographers. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, just follow THIS LINK.

Have a great remainder of the day and a happy and healthy new year!!!

Now Offering iphone Cases and Skins

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:50:00 +0000

You can find all of my new iphone cases and skins RIGHT HERE and HERE! :)

An Audrey Hepburn Hair Tutorial from Ruche

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:39:00 +0000

Ruche has done it again! Enjoy this Audrey Hepburn hair tutorial (first you might want to put my Playlist on "pause"). xx

Colorful Pottery by Marymee Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:18:00 +0000

Talent just abounds on Etsy! Discovered Marymee Studio recently on Etsy and there's enough colorful eye candy in her handmade pottery shop to keep me online way too long. If you have some extra time yourself, pay her a visit!

Here's what Sarah, the artist and designer behind this fine pottery, has to say about her work:

"My name is Sarah Marymee. I am a potter/artist with a studio in Nebraska. The focus of this shop is my pottery work, both wheel thrown, hand built and a combination of the two. However, I also work in a number of other areas, including printmaking, painting, and stained glass - I work wherever the inspiration strikes! I love the ideas that cross over from one area of art to the next and think it helps to keep my work fresh and evolving."

How cute are these?

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:07:00 +0000

Oh, if I had the money, I would so own one of these and put it in a prominent place on a shelf where I could stare at it adoringly throughout the day. I think these handmade stuffed bears by Irina Pestova are a work of art! So detailed, so intricate, so lovingly sewn. Irina's shop is brand new and you can visit it right here! Oh, and just discovered her lovely blog, right here. :)

Photos that Inspire Me

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:47:00 +0000

1 ~ Found on Pinterest - Mia Lewis?, 2 ~ Lero, 3 ~ Sweet Reality, 4 ~ Found via AprilKPhoto

Good morning! Just thought I'd post a few photos that caught my eye on Pinterest lately. The only thing I find a little frustrating about Pinterest is that often a source or name of a photographer is not given and there's no link to follow to discover more of the photographer's work. If you happen to know the names of the photographers who took a couple of the "unknown source" photos above, let me know and I'll post their name and a link right away.

Aren't these images soothing and peaceful? It's not only the cool winter blues but the styling and mood to each image. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do. For more beautiful photos take a look at my Beauty Everywhere board on...you got it...Pinterest. :)

New in My Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:06:00 +0000

I had a lot of fun with this one .... the top photo is new in my shop and you can find it framed HERE! Hope you had a lovely weekend. See you tomorrow! xo

Advent Calendar Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:43:00 +0000

Have you seen this great tutorial from The Marion House Books blog? I just love it and am inspired to make one for myself! I think it would also work nice as an inspiration board to have up year round. :)

Framed Prints from Society Six

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:42:00 +0000

Good morning! I'm feeling a little better the last couple of days and am enjoying setting up shop at Society 6. I love the fact that they offer my photos on canvas and as framed prints. I especially like them framed in the natural frames. You can find all of these (and more) in my new Society 6 shop! :)

Featured Shop - Pig and Fish

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:01:00 +0000

First of all, I love the name Pig and Fish and next of all, they offer the most delightful contemporary handmade wood items in their shop!

Deb Gill and Nanako O’Donnell make up the team of Pig and Fish. Their two-woman design studio is located on an island in Maine. It's there that they design and fabricate all their products. I'm fortunate to be the proud owner of the sconces in the bottom right corner. I ordered mine in a white wash, though. :)

Pig and Fish started up in 1997 and much of their work derives its inspiration from the Arts & Crafts movement ... simple clean design which fits not only with Craftsman style, but with modern decor as well. Deb and Nanako are guided by the words of William Morris, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

To learn more about the origination of Pig and Fish along with some great tips on selling your work online, you might want to read this very inspiring interview!

Rustic Decorating Ideas from Ikea

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:32:00 +0000

Images found via Deco Photo Blog

O.k., after seeing these photos I want to own my own cabin in the hills with a blazing fire to cozy up to and rustic decor surrounding me. My first choice to stay at on a vacation is always the ocean (a cozy beach cottage is best) but a close second would be a rustic cabin or lodge in the mountains. For more holiday decorating ideas, you can take a look at Ikea's Winter Catalog!

How about you? What's your favorite place to stay on vacations?

The Best Students in the World

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Dvorak) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 20:27:00 +0000

I have the best students in the world....I really think I do. One of my students, Alex, did a beautiful post about me and my photography on her blog this morning and it totally brightened my day! Thank you, Alex, and thank you former Raining Umbrellas students for blessing my life with your friendship and inspiring me with your strength, inner beauty, and creativity. I feel so honored to know you. xoxo