Beatrix Potter marble coasters

I don't get nostalgic about children's books. I don't even know what "Goodnight, Moon" is, which probably reveals how ancient I am or how childless. I do love book illustrations. And I did get lost in and savor Beatrix Potter's books as a child. Or, they savored me. (See "Samuel Whiskers or The Roly Poly Pudding". Yikes.)

On 4" x 4" Botticino marble tile coasters with cork backing, Beatrix Potter's immediate and evocative little pictures can be enjoyed in lasting form. You may even want to frame one of these beauties. They are available at the Magpie Gallery Shop for 8.00 each.

Pictured above, from l. to r.: the cover image from Little Pig Robinson, The Tale of Tom Kitten (before they lose their clothes!), The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, and, from TTK again, Mrs. Ribby at the door.

Purple rain, Red Apple Falls, Shower o' Tiles

If rainbows could rain. That's what it feels like some days, in this business, if I focus on the negative space around the drab piles of paper in my inbox. We have so many new images coming in from artists--Jo Dunnick surprised us with watercolor renditions of Tillie Baldwin and other cowgrrrls (above), which we are turning into tile, along with new equine beauties and the sweet but not cloying "Pour Your Heart Out" (shown above on a 6" x 8" tile); Dan Bacich has been dodging into phone booths in between painting leaves, and bringing forth new (brilliant) assemblages--he calls them "boxes"--photographs of which are going to make some truly amazing tiles. Yes they are. We'll devote a future post to them. Meanwhile, we're working with Bill Callahan nee Smog on tile coasters and boxes, and we hope some "soft" goods, featuring images from his CDs, including the new Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle. Yes, we can provide Tuscan landscape murals for your backsplash, as well, and magnificent Victorian-neoclassic Tadema murals for your shower, but we can't stop the thirsty purple rain cloud that follows us around like a guardian angel and seems to be our brand identity and brand difference.