Sprucing Up

There's been alot of sprucing up lately! Over at Ilustration for Kids, we got an updated logo and look (thanks, Holli!), with images used for our recent fall mailer. We are also at Facebook and twitter. Come follow us!

Our individual profile pages were also updated, with a fun Q & A section. Find out stuff like what kind of animal I want to be (no, its not a chicken) or some of my favorite artists. There is a "real" picture of me, I think I kind of look evil. Should I swap it out with a stock photo of a chicken instead?

A much needed update also went on over at my personal site. Happy to be using my moving monster as my welcome page. Oddly, the colors match exactly with the tabs above. And here I was thinking I've been making an effort in using different color palettes.

Please go visit and let me know what you think. Happy Friday!

Spooky Pick of the Month!

Its that time again when The Haunted Ghoul Bus is popping up everywhere! Here it is in this month's Scholastic Firefly book club. Being in the book club catalog means alot to me, since I use to work there years ago, designing the pages, and hoping one day I will have my own book in it.

Thank you for those of you who have bought the book, emailed me about seeing it in stores, and the many kind words about it!

Moving Monster-Revised

I decided to redo my moving monster piece, you can find the first attempt here. Thanks to all the feedback here and over on flickr, I was able to see what was missing. Here's what I came up with now:

Here was the "before":

Now that I look at it, The "before" looks more like a sketch. I'm glad I was willing to push it a little further, thanks to all the encouragement. I feel alot better. Whew! :-)

Sketches at The Apple and The Egg

Some of my random doodles and sketches are featured over at The Apple & The Egg! Thanks to Nikalas Catlow for the invitation. Funny how I just mentioned this children's book illlustration and design blog in a recent post...really love all visual goodness going on over there (and not just because I'm in it now.)
I've really taken to using Molskines now as sketch books ever since I received one as a gift. I think I'm on my third or fourth one now.

To see more sketches, go here. Happy Monday!

New Chickengirl Design Stamps: Monsters and Halloween!

Halloween is just around the corner and I'm celebrating another 2 set releases from the Chicken Girl Design stamp line over at I {heart} Papers!

Let me introduce to you Silly Monsters:

and Happy Halloween:
They are wonderful polymer stamps made in the USA:

I would love to show some fun projects using these stamps some time. For now, I have a fabulous design team whipping up some wonderful things, check them out:

Lori
Meredith
Natasha
Shelly
Kate
Shannon
Judy
Tammy
Kendra
Loretta

I'm quite excited about Halloween this year because I just might get some trick or treaters!! When I lived in New York, I was quite fascinated by the fact that kids went to the stores to go trick or treating instead. I never had anyone knock on my door (or was it because I was out and about?) Now that I live in a house in a small town, I'm looking forward to the kiddies. Signs of old age, maybe!?!

Have a good week, everyone! And oh yeah, hope over and check out my stamp line, ok?

How Long Does It Take You to Make an Illustration?

How long do you think it took me to do this sketch?

How long do you think it took me to color it?

(spread from The Haunted Ghoul Bus)

Over at Illustration for Kids, we talk about how long it takes us to make an illustration at our blog. Join us!

Moving Postcard-Another Idea

I ended up going with another idea for my moving postcard. This is what I came up with (and printed). But after a few days of thinking about my previous idea though, I want to give the "moving monster" another shot. I received some great feedback to make it better. But since I really should be getting a promo out, this will be mailed out.
Alot of promotion and marketing plans are floating in my mind lately. Personal projects are brewing too. Perhaps my muse did move with me to Ann Arbor...she was just on another flight! :-)

Moving Postcard-1st Attempt

Trying to get back in the swing of things with an attempt to come up with a moving announcement postcard. I'm finding that I'm struggling a little bit, did I leave my muse behind? This is my first attempt- fun to post here but I don't like it enough to use as a postcard. Back to the drawing board.

Fun things I'm enjoying:
*Fellow illustrator Gina Perry with a pic of her baby Miles reading The Haunted Ghoul Bus! Totally adorable facial expression while flipping through the book! Its priceless to me, thanks, Gina!

*Recently found this awesome blog about children's book design and illustration:
The Apple and the Egg

Cluck cluck!

Quick Paintings using iphone's Brushes App

The latest fun I've been having is playing around with the Brushes App for the iphone. It is a simple app with basic tools that took the fear out of digital painting for me. A nice break from vector art.

This kitty is one of the first pieces I was finally happy with after playing around with the app for a bit. I'm too embarrassed to show anything before this one!Too bad his little kitty back leg was cropped though!

Then I sort of got the hang of it and did this piece:

Highly recommended app for those who wants to learn digital painting without the pressure. Plus, if its good enough for the New Yorker cover, its good enough for me!

**In moving news**-I'm officially in Ann Arbor, MI! I'm currently without any furniture at the moment; just exploring the town, and getting settled. I can't wait to decorate my new studio space!

More soon and thanks for stopping by!

Hey, that looks familiar...

After a few years of being an illustrator and having my art being "out there," sometimes I have a few moments where I would be walking down the street, something catches my eye and I think, "hey, that looks familiar...."

There is a few seconds of delay before I realize, thats my art! I found this at a store window of a stationery store on Bleecker st/3rd St last weekend. Funny how I never got samples for these, so this was the first time for me seeing it!

Its called Preschool Star Write and Reuse art box, published by School Zone. I illustrated the interior materials too:
I did this a few years ago, it was nice to revisit old projects I've done. Its interesting to see where my art might turn up!

First 2 Stamp sets-RELEASED!

It's here! The first two Chickengirl Design stamp sets are now available exclusively through I {heart} Papers! They are high quality photopolymer stamps made in the USA. Each 4" x 6" set are only $10 each.

Into the Forest

Hugs from a Bug

It was also fun to design the packaging too!

Licensing news: Chickengirl Design Stamp Line!

I know I've been absent for a while...with the move happening in two weeks, its a little crazy here!

But some great news! I'm happy to announce that I'm having my very own stamp line! Exclusively through i {heart} papers, the first two sets will be released August 9th. I'll be revealing them then!

If you want a sneak peek, here are the talented stampers that make up the Chickengirl Design stamps design team (!!!), who will be posting their creations with my stamps this week:

Lori
Meredith
Natasha
Shelly
Kate

Shannon
Judy
Tammy
Kendra
Loretta

Thank you, ladies! Its been very fun to see how the stamps are being used. This is definitely something new and different for me, venturing into the world of stamping. I'll reveal more on August 9th. Be sure to come back and see the first two sets being released!

What's Up

The latest excitement around here is that I finally got an iPhone! I can finally be on the go and stay in touch with clients! (But really I've been obsessively downloading apps and games to play.)

Hard to keep up with blogging right now as my apartment looks like this:
This is the "neat" corner. We don't leave for another month but have started sorting, packing, and throwing things out. Also just enjoying friends, family, and New York City as much as we can before we head out to Ann Arbor. So thank you to those of you who still drop by this blog!

On another note, I have a very fun licensing announcement next month! (Woohoo!) Stay tuned!

Play N Worship Samples

Last August, I wrote this post about submitting a sample for a bible story assignment and not getting the job. But something good came out of it: a few months later, I got an assignment from another publisher to do this Play n Worship: Play-Along Bible Stories for Toddlers & twos. I got a box of samples of it last week. (In case you were wondering, I did not do the pink character that is on the front.)

Here is the back of the box, with samples of spreads I did the illustrations for.

Inside of the kit, it comes with a CD, DVD, and 10 storytime teaching trifolds.

Here is Noah's Ark!

I had fun AND learned alot from this one!

The Big Move

I have some big personal news: I will be moving from New York City to Ann Arbor, Michigan in August!

Why the move? My significant other got a post-doctorate position at the University of Michigan...which we've known since March. Even though it will only be for three years, it will be a big change for the both of us. It is much wanted. But scary. Yet exciting.

So for the next two months, you'll be hearing about our adventures. It is the reason I haven't been posting as much art as I've used to. This year has been jam packed for me- getting married, exhibiting in a big trade show, and now moving!

Goodies from Argentina!

I'm always amazed and happy when blog friends send me goodies in the mail. Here is a package from Zime when I was one of the lucky ones to participate in her RegalARTE giveaway. Its a pay-it-forward program in which I now will send handmade gifts to three of my blog readers. I better figure out what I am going to make!
Guess who lives in the houses?
ADORABLE!! Hand painted just for me...with a little chicken!! Ahhh! Thank you, Zime- I feel so special! Zime just recently opened an etsy shop where you will find many of her painted dolls. I promise to pay it forward and have a giveaway here soon!

Stuff I got for Inspiration

Its been a while since I posted! Wow, it was really interesting to hear everyone's situation in this economy from the last post. A positive outlook is the way to go. I hope each and everyone of you out there is surviving in this economy.

Thought I would share some of the goodies I got for inspiration. I finally got around to framing a few prints I got...here is what is on my dresser at the moment.
Above from left to right: Many faces of Mook by I love Grey Skies (etsy seller), Robot by Allan Sanders, and The Host by Ana Galvan (from Thumbtack Press.)

I also bought this book:
Ricehead's Revenge by YiYing Wang. Honestly I did not buy it for the art but for the fun story, and I like the fact that there is a list of characters in the beginning of the book:
Plus, they have a really cute website: www.Noodoll.com!

And last but not least, I went nuts over this card when I saw it over at Stickers and Stuff:
I bought it over at Ginko Papers (sorry, I believe it is sold out). It is from Hallmark Japan, illustrated by Yukiko Hatano.
This card has been sitting on my desk for quite a while now, hoping it will inspire me to do some pop up cards soon. Its so cute I can't stand it....

Thats it for now, hope that was some good eye candy for you!

Effects of The Bad Economy

This post was suppose to be about this new book I illustrated and designed that was suppose to be coming out in the Fall.

But it isn't.

These are the printer copies that I received, but it won't be coming out in Fall 09. If I am lucky, it might be on the Spring 2010 list. But it is uncertain for now.

For the past few weeks, I've been hearing more layoff news than ever before. Old colleagues, friends, many people I know are getting the pink slip. One of the biggest shockers is when I heard Nickelodeon Magazine is going to close down. I use to work there as a designer and it saddens me that many of the long time staff there will be losing their jobs.

Personally, I am surviving in this economy. But of course all the news around me worries me a little. I'm generally positive though, still churning out new art, still promoting myself, still keeping hope that there are still new businesses to be had.

How is the bad economy effecting you and your attitude for your business?

Website Update-Books Section

My website is long overdue for an update, especially in the books section. I finally updated the books I've done and a few that is soon to be released, many coming out in the Fall of this year. Please take a look!

Two new books (coming this Fall) listed on Amazon:
The Great Reindeer Rebellion, written by Lisa Trumbauer and illustrated by Jannie Ho (yours truly.) It is a companion to The Haunted Ghoul Bus with a similar format and embossed pages. I also got to design this book. Woohoo!

Light the Menorah, a cute interactive book, illustrated by Jannie Ho (me!). There are small pull tabs for the kids to "light" the candles of the menorah. I haven't received copies yet but it will be fun to see the interactive part of this book.

And last but not least, I finally got my own name as a website domain name:

www.JannieHo.com

For now, it will bring you to my Chicken Girl Design site. I'm not giving up being Chicken Girl just yet, but I had to renew the domain and have been giving some thought about the name and what I want to do with it in the future. Many of you expressed to me that it is a very catchy name and clever branding, but a part of me wants to be taken "seriously" too, and wonders if it hurts me in a certain way. I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. That is it for now!

Surtex-Final Thoughts

Surtex was an incredible experience! I learned about what kind of industry was interested in my work, and discovering new companies I would of never known about. And I had alot of fun! Traffic was good for me as a first time exhibitor. The number of Surtex exhibitors was low compared to past years. I'd like to think this worked to my advantage though.

Being a freelancer, I don't get out of the house much, so one of the best part was getting to meet fellow artists and illustrators, (many which I've got to know through blogs.) One of the first people I met at set up day was fellow Illustration for Kids member Holli Conger- its so great to finally "meet" after years of knowing each other online. Also so many illustrators with blogs I finally got to see: Deb Melmon, Liz Goulet Dubois, Barbara Johansen Newman, Ellen Crimi-Trent and Kristin Sorra. It was also wonderful to see illustrators Mike Moran and Chris Reed walking the show. I'm a fan of their work and I'm quite flattered that they knew my work too! Meeting some fellow first time exhibitors was great too- hello to Eric Comstock of Comstock Design- they had some super cute alphabet art! Hope I didn't miss anyone- I talked with so many talented people in the span of 3 days.

I'm still struggling personally as to what kind of industry I want to work for. My number one passion is still children's books, but I'm definitely interested in exploring other streams of income as well.

Checked the stats on my website and found alot of people are coming through the Print & Pattern blog. Thanks Bowie for featuring me in your Surtex posts!

Getting back in the swing of things is very hard after a trade show. But I've got a few deadlines so I better get back to work. This is my report and I am sticking to it. I hope to attend again next year!

Surtex-Day 1

I came into the Surtex Show this morning with my vinyl banner on the floor :-( The velcro did not hold up at all. But one of my booth partners, Doreen, came to my rescue with S hooks that actually fit, and with some double sided tape I was all ready to go. Here is my little corner of the booth! The right side is my vinyl banner from uprinting.com and my left side were 11 x 17 prints from kinkos. I'm pretty happy with both the color and quality.

I wasn't sure what to expect today but I'm happy to say I am having alot of fun so far and made some great and interesting contacts. There were 5 of us in the booth to keep each other company: Doreen Mulryan Marts, Kevin Gunning, Brook Churchill, Inga Gecas, and myself. We make up Vivid Graphics, #552- come see us in the next two days. To be continued!

Surtex-Set Up day

Set up day for the Surtex show! Picked up my badge and put up my banner...I ended up using sticky velcro and I'm praying that my art will hold up and not in a pile on the floor tomorrow. Then I found out they were giving out free S hooks that I could of used. My only concern now is that I will remove all the velcro once the show is over. They will charge me if there is any sticky residue left over on the walls.

I was quite nervous before but now that I've gone to set up, I feel calmer. And thanks to a wonderful friendly face that dropped by- Hi Holli!

Rounded Corner Business Cards = 20% More Fun!

My new business cards looking like a game of Memory.

First time printing with overnightprints.com and I'm very happy with them. Good quality paper and the shipping was fast. Never had anything done with rounded corners before- my type is a little bit close to the edge and its driving me crazy- although I'm sure I'm the only one thinking about it.

This week is all about printing my portfolio and sucking up all the inks in my printer. Surtex is this Sunday...am I ready?!?