New News!!

We all love getting new stuff right? That's why I'm so excited to show you some of the newest products that arrived just a couple weeks ago to my shop. These will be available in any of the cities or dogs in my collection PLUS they can be personalized! 

Click on any photo below to go to that product on my site. 

Here's a list of the current cities and dogs that I have in my collection now. More are always on the way!

Cities:

• Boston • Chicago • Columbia • Dallas • Dublin • KC • Lawrence • Little Rock • London • Los Angeles • Manhattan KS • Memphis • Milwaukee • Nashville • New Orleans • NYC • Oxford MS • Paris • Portland OR • San Diego • San Francisco • Seattle • St Louis MO

Dogs:

• Labrador Retriever • Golden Retriever • German Shepherd • English Bulldog • shelter dogs

Duo designs mug-15 oz

Melamine Platter

Canvas Tote

Melamine Serving Tray-Personalized

Did You Miss Me?

RECAP.

Evening everyone! What an incredible year it has been since last time we connected. Let’s run

through this fast so we can get to the even better things coming your way.

• My business has grown to over 35 wholesaler locations over 23 cities adding 11 cities 

since we last spoke and 4 within last month. *see list at bottom of new cities

                                                 

• I’ve added custom work for a selection of incredible companies including Boulevard

Brewing Company and Shatto Milk (hometown favorites!).

                                 

• I continued to add to my city collection (21 cities in total so far!) but also created 

designs around some big events here in my hometown of Kansas City, like my World 

Series champs tea towel, Plaza Lights holiday collection, a Valentine’s Day heart 

collection and more to come!

                                

REINVENT.

For the new year I'm refocusing this blog on some things I love like architecture, food, illustration,

cocktails and many more indulgences we all probably share.


REPEAT.

Stay tuned every other Wednesday to see where we go from here! A little mysterious, huh? That’s

the point!

 -T

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2015/16 City Additions 

Dublin              Little Rock            New York           New Orleans           San Francisco           San Diego 

Seattle              Portland                Boston                Dallas                        Memphis                    NEXT?

It Must Be My 15 Minutes...

This year I've enjoyed an overwhelming amount of attention for my business, mostly due to the fact that I created the Plaza Lights banners this year. I can't thank my hometown of Kansas City enough for all the attention on my little biz! It means so much to have this kind of local support. Here is a clip of the appearance I got to do on Fox4 News a few days ago and also an article that just came out today in the 913 section of the KC Star.

http://bit.ly/1Q0AHKa

http://bit.ly/1Rmk0Iq

Boulevardia!

I'm SO psyched to be a part of one of KC's newest and best festivals: Boulevardia! It's a 3-day music, beer, art and food fest held under the 12th street bridge in KC's West bottoms. You can find me and my beer and meat themed tea towels there in the Maker's Market area. I'll also have all my city tea towels, pillows, prints, and cards too of course. If you're in or near the area, hope to see you there! Just click on link below the BLVDIA image for more info.

http://boulevardia.com

Handmade & Vintage show: Park Place Sept. 13 and 14

Well Renegade Craft Fair was AMAZING to say the least. The weather and crowds were fantastic and I can't wait to do it again in December for their Holiday Mini Market! But now I'm concentrating on my next show which is coming up this weekend at Park Place in Leawood KS. It's called the Handmade & Vintage show and will have LOTS of artists, bands, food and drinks. Details below--hope to see you there! Click on the link for more info.

http://www.chickevents.com/events-calendar/handmade-and-vintage-event/

KC Print featured on the Loving Here blog!

Many thanks to Melissa Shipman for including my KC print on her Loving Here blog today! She features not only my print but several other local artists who will be taking part in the Chick Event Handmade & Vintage market on Sept. 13 and 14 in Leawood KS! Click on the photos below to take you to her blog.

Also featured are works from Convivial Production, John Keeling, Happy Ever After, Eighty Acres Art,  and KC Cool.

Gypsy Market Royale and Strawberry Swing shows

I am going to switch things up here for a bit and change from the Meditation Monday posts that I've been doing because I'm busy getting ready for several upcoming shows here in KC and I'd like to give you some sneak peeks. First off, on First Friday Aug. 1 I'll be in the Gypsy Market Royale show at the Bauer Event Space at 115 W. 18th St. There will be 22 artists and makers there exhibiting everything from bow ties and pocket squares to prints. Then on Sunday, Aug. 3 I'll be at the Strawberry Swing show at the Alexander Majors Barn at 8201 State Line Rd.
I've been working hard on my new KC product line and so far there are prints, blank cards, tea towels, pillows, wire sculptures, and even a round cutting board in the line! Here's some of those items below. Hope to see you sometime this weekend.

Local Artist Spotlight: Tag Team Tompkins

     Take two Kansas City book lovers, season them with graphic design careers at a very large social expression company, a strong desire to travel, and mix well. Stir up these ingredients and you have Tag Team Tompkins, a small business created to honor literary wit and wisdom.  They partner well together from years of practice, being mother and daughter.

Madeline and Diane in their home studio with watchdog Bruce at the window

   Today I'd like to introduce you to them in what (I'm hoping) will be a recurring post about local KC artists whose work inspires me. I met Diane when I also worked for that "very large social expression company" and we became fast friends. It's been so great to see her daughter Madeline go down that similar creative path, yet blaze her own way as an accomplished hand-lettering artist. I love their style and the way their products blend each of their talents so seamlessly. Here's a little about the artists and their process:

Diane finds literary quotes that strike a modern note and gathers them together for discussion. In their work, they try to find copy that matches their world view, without becoming preachy. These quotes need to please both of them in equal measure. Then, Diane begins to illustrate them.  Madeline adds her hand lettering and second set of eyes to the mix. When the design is finished, it goes to Bob Atkins, owner of Skylab Letterpress in North Kansas City. His letterpress printing on good paper brings their prints and bookmarks to a pleasing finish. 

Wayne Tompkins (fact checker and data-base designer at TTT) with Bob Atkins of Skylab Letterpress

  Their frequent travels to Japan to visit family allow them to find new tools and materials, and lend them surprising perspectives on their own art.  Those long plane trips ensure plenty of time to read and imagine new work. They have a retail and wholesale shop on Etsy, and also wholesale their printed work locally and nationally. You can also follow them on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/tagteamtompkins

                               

Fun bookmarks ready for market

 A 5x7 print for all the dog lovers out there

Madeline hand lettering 

Another  5x7 print, inspired by marriage equality rulings

  Two "Dire Warning" 5x7 2-color prints

These are two in a series of original paper collages that Diane made for a show in Fukuoka, Japan where her son and his family live.

                         

City Series: Kansas City art print

Yay! It's finally done. The first in my city series of archival prints and as I said, decided to start with my hometown of Kansas City because it's awesome in so many ways. I've picked out some of the famous KC landmarks to illustrate here like the Country Club Plaza, Union Station, Liberty Memorial, the Kauffman Center, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum. The best part is you have choices! I've done the print in 4 different color ways: yellow, blue, and red duotones that all include grey. Or if you prefer a 3 color print, you can buy one at Shop Beautiful, which is located in Brookside or Hawthorne Plaza.
For the 2 color prints in either 11 x 14 or 12 x 16, click here:https://tammysmithdesign.com/shop/kansas-city-art-print/

KC Series: #2--The Kauffman Center

The Kauffman Center stands overlooking our city but not facing downtown or towards the river, rather it faces the creative hub of the city-the Crossroads District. It's a stunning building designed by Moshe Safdie, world-famous architect. When you stand inside the Kauffman you can look out through the glass wall that makes up one side of the building itself. At night the city lights dot the dark and in the daytime you have a view that's far reaching yet more intimate than from a skyscraper.
This piece is 12" x 12" x 1.5" and is mounted on gallery canvas and signed by me. It's for sale on my site here:http://bit.ly/1nAJ9xE

Renegade Craft Fair: Chitown and my new City Series

Just got word the other day that I've been accepted to the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago on Sept. 6-7! I've long been a fan of RCF and have been to this particular fair in Wicker Park several years ago, before these fairs grew so popular. It may have been small then, but I went with some artist friends of mine and we all loved the unique vendors that they chose, so I'm honored to be a part of that tradition. To celebrate that, I'm making a new series of city scenes in wire that will be followed by art prints, stitch kits and more. I had to do one for Chicago to announce the RCF (and I'll definitely do more) but for right now I'm switching back to my hometown. We have so many beautiful buildings here in KC that it's hard to choose which come first. I chose the Country Club Plaza because it's the reason why I live where I do (which is about 1 mile from the CCP). So, to kick off the City Series: KC edition, here's The Country Club Plaza in wire. It's on a 12"x12" gallery canvas and is for sale on my site here:http://bit.ly/SWafWl