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Karina Hittle, founder of
the design studio Artful Offerings™, is an award winning artist, pattern designer
and author. Her work is increasingly recognized by the quilting and
crafting communities, and by the editors of the industry's top publications.
2009:
Celebrating our "lucky 7th" year
in business this year, it started out on a high note with the addition of
several new alliances, wholesale and distribution customers and the
expansion of our business into the realm of licensing of existing and new
designs. We attended the 2009 International Quilt Market in
Pittsburgh, PA in May, and achieved all of our Market objectives, including
several invitations to grow new relationships and into new market segments,
which we hope to talk more about later in the year. It's still early
in the year, but Karina is working on some really exciting projects that we
believe could move Artful Offerings to a new level in the design business.
The "net" is playing an increasingly important role for individuals and
businesses alike, and Karina was featured this year in exciting new WebTV
series called Now Sewing...Behind the Seams, with
Sara Boughner. The details can be
viewed at:
www.nowsewing.net/index/siteblog-post-action/id.21/title.behind-the-seams-fall-winter-lineup.
Stay tuned for more to come later in the year... :)
2008:
This was a tough year for a lot
of sewing, quilting, crafting and design-related businesses, but Artful
Offerings continued to grow in sales, new customers and market visibility.
Once again, for 2008 the Artful Offerings Design Studio was busier than
ever. Some of the highlights included being featured in magazines such
as Better Homes and
Gardens' Holiday Crafts 2008 and our biggest advertising campaign
ever, including a full-page in the
Mary Engelbreit Guide to Creative Living Sourcebook
for Arts, Crafts & More. We also added an expanded "For
Baby" collection this year, many more new totes and purses, as well as
dozens of new punchneedle, quilted and sewing items. To date, Karina
has self published 112 Artful Offering's-branded patterns and over 100 more
patterns in books and magazines...a truly prolific artist and designer.
Several new business alliances were formed this year with new product
companies and distributors (please see our
Designer Alliances page for details), which
really helps to keep the momentum building and enables us to offer
innovative designs and patterns using the latest and best materials on the
market. We were able to attend the
International Quilt Market in Portland this year, where we had
dozens of original design pieces and samples shown in various partner
booths. Likewise, we had many new designs featured in our
partner's booths during the Houston, TX Fall Quilt Market for 2008. We
always enjoy Market as it gives us a chance to catch-up with friends and
business associates, browse the latest tools and materials, and just be
"inspired" by all the wonderful creativity from hundreds of talented fellow
artists and designers. We experimented a bit this year with our
participation in a recording session for the increasingly popular WebTV
format for shows like Behind the Seams on
www.NowSewing.net.
On these shows, you can get a complete personal project mini-seminar on
topics of your interest. Karina did a show on her "Busy Baby
Accessories" pattern. Please check it out and let us know what you
think!
2007:
For 2007 the Artful Offerings Design Studio is busier than ever...even though our New Year's resolution was to slow down a bit! Artful Offerings has a Christmas themed book that
was published by Martingale & Company in August! In addition, Karina designed 15 projects for a book that features
designs by a few other artists and was be published in September by Lark Sterling Publishing. Two new designs
are featured in Better Homes & Gardens 2007 Holiday Crafts and Christmas
Ideas magazines! Somerset Studio Gallery Magazine {Winter 2007} will be doing a full feature on yet 2 more brand new designs which will be on newsstands this coming December. DMC and Karina have been working together and 25 new designs
are available during this year! In addition to all the above, the Artful Offerings Design Studio will be adding lots of fresh, fun and fabulous new patterns to their growing collection.
2006, 2005, 2004:
Karina's "Holly Berry Keepsake" punchneedle ornament was featured on the cover of the Dec 2006 Create & Decorate magazine. She also had wool felt ornaments featured on the cover Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Ideas 2006 issue as well as a "Seasonal Welcome" wool felt cone shaped container in the Better Homes and Gardens Halloween Tricks and Treats 2006 magazine. Karina had commissioned designs featured on the Jul 2006 cover and in the Oct 2006 issues of Australian Homespun. Her "Be Mine" and "Love" quilted Valentines were featured in the Jan/Feb 2006 issue of Fons & Porters Love of Quilting magazine and on the DVD 800 Series "For The Love Of Quilting" television show! Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Crafts 2005 magazine features 2 of Karina's designs which are captured on the cover and inside. They are called "Holly Berry Topiaries" on the cover and inside beginning on page 40 & a bench pillow called "From the Pumpkin Patch" which begins on page 14! In 2005 Quilt and Appliqué Quilts magazines each featured an Artful Offerings' design by Karina and in November 2004, Quilting Professional magazine prepared a feature article introducing Karina in her art and sewing studio.
2003, 2002: In addition to recent publications, Karina's work has been recognized by her peers and in judged competitions. She won awards in the
May 2004 International Husqvarna Viking Creative Challenge "Professional Collection" competition,
the Autumn 2002 Keepsake Quilting
Challenge as well as the 2002 and 2003 Merri Stitches Annual Quilt Contest. Her quilts were also featured in the 2002 Fiber Arts Conference and "A Quilter's Gathering" sponsored by the East Coast Quilters Alliance in 2002.
Karina has always loved art. Her first recollection of being obsessed with art was in Kindergarten, where on a daily basis she would negotiate with Miss Skinner for more easel time in the art area! Over the years she has enjoyed all forms of art...everything from coloring, drawing and painting to ceramics and rubber stamping. In the needle arts category, her interests lie in sewing, quilting, punch needle, cross stitching, knitting and crocheting.
Karina has combined all of her artistic interests into the founding of
Artful Offerings™
. She chose the name because she wanted to offer sewing and quilting patterns that integrate all the facets of art that she enjoys. Her goal is to create an artful experience for her customers, which evokes an element of excitement and surprise, from the moment they first see her patterns thru the entire creative process!
Artful Offerings™
patterns are designed to do as much or as little embellishing as you wish. Designs
can range from easy and simple to easy elegance, or whatever your desire or time permits. With such diverse interests, Karina has developed an eclectic style that inspires the designs for Artful Offerings™. | |
