inspiration personified : tommy lambeth

This morning, while seeking inspiration for a current project, I came across this photo of Tommy Lambeth, a professor in the Department of Interior Architecture at UNCG. What a perfect source of inspiration! Tommy has been instrumental in shaping so many young designers, instilling values of authenticity, stewardship, innovation and community. Tommy leads by example in all he does, and as such, has been an incredible role model for both Suzanne and me. We feel fortunate to have learned from such an outstanding teacher.
 

a picnic in the park

Addie turned 30 this past month. To celebrate, Addie's boyfriend Matt surprised her with a picnic party in the park! We had the honor of helping Matt prep for the big day with this drawing for the invitations.

This sketch was so much fun. What a great exercise to dream up a perfect day spent in the park.

a little blue and a little orange

It's a real labor of love to make one baby blanket, let alone two! But then again, that's the kind of friends Elizabeth and Rhiannon are. So incredibly thoughtful. What a nice thing to be on the receiving end of their talents.

P.S. If you're little guy or gal needs some special overalls for the spring, be sure to check out Rhiannon's Little Orange Shop. Deliciously sweet!

opening up at just be

Many, many thanks to all those who supported Just Be and Cabrera Creative by attending our workshop this past weekend. I can't describe how thrilling it is to meet with others whose passions match our own.

We would also like to send out a special thank you to Lauren Kelley Mack. Lauren was a student in the first studio I ever taught and has gone on to pursue a variety of design avenues with her talents in the years since: not the least of which is photography. Lauren was kind enough to capture the workshop for us with her camera. I've included a few of the images here, but hope you'll visit Lauren's blog to see more. And while you're there, stay a while: SO much inspiration in one place!

illustrated journaling workshop in greensboro

We are SO excited about leading the first workshop of the year at Just Be and we'd love for you to join us if you're in the area!

i'm still standin'

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

My hands and feet may be swollen; and, to steal an expression from my friend Jen, my toes may look like 'sausage links'...but life is good! A visit with the doctor yesterday confirmed that the babies are healthy, happy and will definitely be here within the week!

Thanks for hanging in there with us! Edgar and I certainly appreciate all your well-wishes and advice!

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Side Note : Not only does Jen come up with great expressions, but she and her business partner Michelle run a super-cool company, Six Chicks Designs. If you aren't familiar with their work, or are hosting a party in the near future, I suggest you check out their creative portfolio here. Cheers to Jen and Michelle!

not all four-letter-words are bad

I've had this image saved in my 'design inspiration' folder for quite a while...since February of '04 to be exact. I keep coming back to not because of the design, but rather the powerful message of a single word.

from Interior Design, February 04

LEAP : to jump or spring a long way with great force.

Today I met with an friend who is listening to his dreams and talents--- leaping towards a life he loves. Seeing him reach his goals is such an inspiration. It makes me want to leap too.

Perhaps I'll start with some letters on the wall.

How about you? What's inspiring you today?

i could really go for a milkshake about now.

Can't begin to put the craziness of this past week into words.

BUT I can say that I am very excited to get back to posting new drawings and inspiration. Starting with this delicious photo by my pal Tim Robison. Couldn't you just slurp it right up?



Tim's blog, That's Just It Photo, is having a birthday today...and in celebration, Tim is giving away some super sweet prints. Check it out here!

addie's "and"

No words today, only an 5 ft. tall ampersand.

excerpts from the world wide web of love

Addie's and my work was featured in two love-inspired blog posts this past week!

First up, Claire and Patrick's big day at Elizabeth Anne Designs! Check out the fabulous shots of the bridal party's ride from church to reception via the Marta. They are soooo good and the perfect contrast to the couple's rustic wedding.

Regrettably, Edgar and I didn't get to ride the subway at our wedding, but we did pose in front of an eighteen-wheeler. That counts for something, right?

In hindsight, though, I'm not sure how I feel about WIDE LOAD...think I prefer this instead:

It just so happens that this photo was taken by our very talented friend Jen Yuson, who also happens to be responsible for the second blog feature!

Jen and her equally-creative-husband Shawn celebrated their one-year anniversary yesterday [Big congrats!] with the traditional gift of paper. Jen was kind enough to allow me to lend my hand to her gift with an illustration of their wedding vows. The sentiments are so sweet and so true to the kind hearts of Jen and Shawn.

excuse my french

Last month I collaborated with some friends [who I'll share more about in the future!] and my sister to create a special birthday party for my niece Wren. The cosmopolitan girl she is, Wren wanted a Paris-inspired party. We were happy to oblige, with a special hand-written invitation:

a fabulous outdoor boutique

all the jewels a girl could ask for

a fashion show like no other

and sweet treats at an outdoor cafe.

When all was said and done, despite a sweltering heat wave in Paris, I think Wren and company had an excellent afternoon.

And based on this kind note from the guest of honor, I consider it a job well done!

wagonized to the rescue

Just pulled up to the computer for the morning, at a loss for what to post today. I've been working on several FUN projects this week [insert inner-applause] but am not far along with any to share here. What to do...what to do?

Well, because this week is magical, there, at the top of my email, is a note from one of my first, and dearest, blog friends, France [Belleville] Van Stone, sharing with me this drawing---of THE most loved beagle in the whole beagle world.

Eeeeeeek! Are you hearing my squeal of delight where ever this post finds you?!? I apologize if you're on a laptop in public! France--you never stop amazing me! You capture those velvet ears, sad puppy eyes and moody personality so, so well.

Check out France's blog, Wagonized, for other examples of Pokey goodness and much, much more! France's talent is breathtaking. It's a honor.

some are silver and the others gold

You may remember a while back I warned that I can't be cushy all the time...well, forgive me because today I'm not cushy, I'm gushy.

[Cue the somber music...a little R.E.M. might be appropriate.]

If you've been reading between the lines of my sketchbook, you probably know that this has been a trying year for me. I've had several difficult blows, some I've openly shared here [i.e. job loss] and some I've dealt with privately. Throughout this struggle there have been so many people who have surrounded me with love. So many! In fact, at the beginning of these trials, I'd describe myself as only having one or two close friends...now I feel so very different.

Of course, Edgar is my number one supporter---I can't imagine life without him.

He's constantly around to make me laugh when I'm on the point of tears, reassure me when I feel like there is no hope in sight and sing with me when times are good. He's the best partner I could ask for.

And then there is Addie.

Simply put, Addie is my best friend--and one of the kindest, most selfless people I know. She's empathetic and optimistic, a great listener and a thoughtful advice giver. On top of all this, she is so, so creative and fun....and did I mention clever? This is why it was no surprise when Addie suggested ending this difficult year with a party. A party she would throw.

I've already shared photos from the balloon release, but there was much more to the festivities, in many parts thanks to Addie---but also to the many new and renewed friends I've opened myself up to in the last year. Here, have a glimpse.

And cheers to you as well. Thank you for being one of my friends. We may not live in the same town, or even on the same continent, but your kind words and visits mean so much to me! Here's to more happy times ahead!

See more photos from the party...including lots of mustaches here.

[all photos by Tim Robison]

wednesday mornings

...are reserved for working with my dear pal Patrick one of several undertakings I'm pretty darn excited about at the moment. I promise to be less cryptic, and share more details of this project as our ideas take clearer shape [fingers crossed], but in the meantime, here's some thumbnails based on our shared vision to date.

30 wishes | 30 balloons

As a child I once found a balloon with a note attached. It was a letter from another little girl seeking a pen pal. At the time, I thought it was truly magical to find a message by way of a balloon and have thought about the experience off and on in the years since.

Fast-forward two decades. This week I turned 30. My life has been filled with countless blessings. So, in celebration, I wanted to follow the lead of my pen pal from years ago, spreading happiness and connecting with others with the help of a little helium. Last night a group of good friends joined me in releasing 30 balloons out into the world. On each card was a hand-written message from one of my guests to the balloon's finder.

[sketches by my sweet husband]

I'll be sharing photos soon...but in the meantime, if you found a balloon, I hope you'll share a bit with me. What wish did you receive? Where did you find it (street address is great...photos are even better!)? And what is your new wish? You can leave a comment here or you can send me a message via email at cabrera.suzanne [at] gmail.com

Thank you for helping make my wish come true. I look forward to hearing from you!

sea creatures

Good afternoon! Getting a bit of a late start this week...

Not to mention, it's Tuesday, nearly a week and a half after returning from vacation, and all I shared about the second road trip [to St. Petersburg, Florida] is a single cryptic photo! But there is a reason for this lapse. While in the Sunshine State I did not draw. I find that the beach has that effect on sketchbook productivity. To make matters worse, suntan oil is a terrible medium to work with! Bleeds right through one page into another...but, I digress....

While I wasn't setting the art world on fire [only my skin...ooooh, ouch], I was spending some quality time with an assorted cast of characters, several of whom took over drawing duties for me with this group portrait. Allow me to make introductions:

Sketches by Squidgar, Long Jones Silver and Titantic Tim. And, as luck may have it, Titantic Tim also happens to be quite the talented photographer. So, in the words of Lavar Burton, Florida was amazing, but 'you don't have to take my word for it.' See the trip through Tim's lens here and here.

throw caution to the wind

You may remember Heather, my friend who was a finalist in last year's Mannington Commercial carpet tile design contest.

Unfortunately, when all was said and done, despite buying multiple fish drinks, Heather's design wasn't chosen for production. The good news, however, is that lightening does strike twice and Mannington chose this design star as a finalist in this year's competition. Whoohooo!

This time Heather drew inspiration for her design, 'throw caution to the wind', from the wings of dragonflies.

Heather is a tremendous designer, who I was lucky enough to work next to in studio during my last semester as a student. I'll be voting to help Heather win this year's competition and hope you will too after learning more about her design and inspiration here. [Be sure to watch the video about her process...if you've been following this blog for a while, you may recognize a tie back to 'an open [sketch]book' :) ]

As was the case last year, the winning decision is based on a total number of votes from those visiting the contest website. So, let's help Heather and start voting!

Thank you!!!!