I adore Ryan and Lucy Berkley — they are a super talented couple in addition to being the sweetest, friendliest pair around. I first met Ryan when he illustrated Super Crafty for us in 2004, and it has been such a treat to enjoy his gorgeous artwork ever since. Lucy does amazing photography and I treasure the pieces I have of hers… and now the Berkleys have started a new blog called Let’s Share that’s just as lovely as they are.

Andrew and I were recently the lucky recipients of the most wonderful baby gift: Ryan surprised us by illustrating our family as a trio of cardinals, with a space left to add our baby girl’s name when she arrives this month! I just love them. I grew up in North Carolina, where the state bird and flower are the cardinal and the dogwood, so I had talked to him awhile back about commissioning a piece featuring the two of them together. Lucy remembered all the little details from our conversation, so my little cardinal-lady alter ego has a dogwood blossom on her lacy collar… love it. Such a fantastic and thoughtful present!

So today when I stopped by the Buckman Art Show + Sell today to bring a signed copy of Bead Simple and a raku pot from our friend Russell Mott to add to the silent auction (which is killer… seriously, make sure you have a chance to stop by and browse all the work!), I spotted this lovely Lady Squirrel print that the Berkleys had donated. And since I’ll be a few blocks away at the Buckman Bash all evening, I asked if I could put in a bid early… and got the chance to snap it up outright. Sorry, everyone else in Portland, but I couldn’t resist, and now this beautiful piece is going up in the baby’s room along with her cardinal friends!

If you want to see more of Ryan and Lucy’s work, they will have originals and prints at the Buckman Art Show + Sell this weekend, and will be selling at Crafty Wonderland on Sunday. If you’re out of town, or can’t make it by those events, definitely check out their Etsy shops: Berkley Illustration and Lucybird Photo… and their flickrs are pretty awesome too! Viva Berkleys!