The Picture Kitchen Studio's Display Case

NEW RELEASE FROM IMAGES PRESS

Curley & Q and Me, too!
Baby Album Storybook

Written by Marcia Trimble

Illustrated by Kim Sponaugle

Curley and Q and Me, too! Baby Album features an abandoned rocking horse named Q (short for Quarter) who finds a new home in baby Curley's nursery where he waits for Curley to grow big enough to rock 'n ride and—at the same time—makes a special friend known to him as Me, too! In time, your baby will be able to follow the two stories that share the pages of the album and enjoy having personal photos alongside storybook friends, Curley and his rocking horse, Q. Create a treasure of childhood memories as your baby's photos (YOUR STORY) snuggle among the pictures of Curley and Q! (MY STORY)

this is Curley...

this is Q...

they become great friends....

and one day, Curley gets to rock and ride!

A DELIGHTFUL GIFT THAT YOU WILL TREASURE FOR YEARS TO COME!

(Look for an interview with author and publisher Marcia Trimble coming soon. )

Purchase now

Take a peek at art from Stubby's Destiny!

Look for Stubby's Destiny Fall 2008

Fresh Baked Imagination
with every delightful illustration!

When Kim was 8 years old her grandmom entered her picture in a "color the bunny" contest. She won, and the prize? A paint-by-numbers set - it must have been Providence! Soon bored with the numbers, she began to paint and scribble on any available surface she could find!

That was quite a while back, but her love of drawing and painting has only grown stronger. Kim graduated from the Art Institute of Philadelphia and was hired by D.C. Cook Publishing as an associate designer BIL children's curriculum. She has sketched hundreds of children as a cartoon pastel artist, mural artist and has illustrated thirteen children's books with new titles to be released in 2008.

When she is not working at the Picture Kitchen Studio drawing board,she enjoys spending time with her husband Jerry and son Josh. She also has to keep an eye on their squirrel-crazed westie Casey!

Picture Kitchen Studio
is always whipping up something special!
email Kim at Picture Kitchen Studio

Peek at what's Baking in the Picture Kitchen Oven!

Books Coming 2008!!!

"Angel Eyes" by Dixie Phillips, Guardian Angel Publishing Summer 08'

"Stubby's Journey" by Dixie Phillips, Guardian Angel Publishing Summer 08'

"The Gift of Love" by Elisabeth Matulewicz, Llumina Press Fall 08'

"A Very Dragon Christmas" by Terri Branson, Dragonfly Publishing, Fall 08'

"The Little Crane" by Atheen, Keene Publishing, Fall 08'

"Randy Kazandy's Cool New Glasses" by Rhonda Fischer, Whim Publishing 08'

Contact Kim about illustrating Your Book- Email
(My services are also available to Self-publishing Authors)

Pricing Information/References

†
Kim has just joined the Collier Creative Group which is a brand new children's book illustrator agency that seeks to meet the illustration needs of authors and publishers.

F r i e n d s a n d A s s o c i a t e s

W e b s i t e s

C h i l d r e n 's M a g a z i n e s

Stories for Children Online
Fandangle Magazine Online
Wee Ones Magazine
Learning Island - Books for Kids
Verla Kay's Writing for Kids

National Writing for Children Center

B o o k P u b l i s h e r s

Concordia Publishing House
Christian Focus
Purchase Beatrice Books
Images Press
Reader's Eden
Dragonfly Publishing
Kittycat Books
Guardian Angel Publishing

Halo Publishing

Keene Publishing

Ithaca Press

Llumina Press

F r i e n d s

Fairfield Presbyterian Church
Kidz Blitz Ministries
Jacket Flap - a publishing community
Margot Finke's World of Writing for Children
The Purple Crayon
Pam Halter- Author
Colleen Buckley - Author
Dixie Phillips- Author
April Robbins- Author
Rosemarie Gillen - Author & Illustrator
Elisabeth Ann Matulewicz - Author

Carol Davis Gustke - Author

Kevin Scott Collier- Author/Illustrator

Dawn Phillips - Illustrator

Betty Cain- Author

View more of Kim's artwork......

Jacket flap Profile for Kim

Gallery 1 Watercolor album

Gallery 2 Pastel album

Free Counter

An interview with new author Elisabeth Matulewicz

Elisabeth, when did you begin writing? I've enjoyed writing since I was in elementary school. What motivated me to write a children's story was my son Sean. We've read to him since he was a small baby. I love seeing his excitement with every new story and I wrote the story about him. I read it aloud to his preschool class and saw the same reaction to the story as Sean had. I decided to submit it for publication and I've really enjoyed the experience.

How did you get the idea for "Benny & Marshmallow - A Day of Mischief?" I got the idea for "Benny and Marshmallow - A Day of Mischief" from my son's pet rats. Their playful nature and curiosity has gotten them into a lot of trouble. In the story, Sean leaves for school and forgets to lock the cage door. The rats can't resist the temptation and sneak out of the cage on an adventure. They run into trouble and danger at every turn. They make their way back into the cage just in the nick of time as Sean returns from school. He tells them about his fun filled day and has no idea of what the poor rats have been through!

What is your favorite children's book and why you like it? Charlotte's Web by E. B. White, I've read that book several hundred times and wore out my library card checking it out.

What do you think is the most challenging thing about writing children's books? Finding fresh ideas and staying current with the changing trends. Life seems to speed by much faster than it did when I was a child.

What is your best tip for aspiring authors? Write from the heart, and write about something or someone that means something to you. It will show in your work.

Fun Facts about Author Susan Berger

Favorite place to write?
At my computer in my bedroom.
On top of my screen are little statues of a gingerbread house, Glinda the Good Witch, Yoda, and a silver Pig.
On my desk is Hermione's time turner from Harry Potter, a stained glass lamp and a pig full of sugar free candy.
On the wall in back of the computer are pictures of my family.
On the bookshelf next to my computer are many Wizard of Oz Books, The Maida Books, The Anne of Green Gables books, the E. Nesbit books, and many other of my favorites. There are also Muppet Baby toys, Shrek toys and Cinderella toys and some miniature cupcakes. This is my granddaughter Grace’s favorite pretend place. I have 4 large bookshelves in my room: One has dragons frogs and a musical carousel on top. One had the grown up Muppets on top. The fourth one has pigs on top. Next to my door is a Giant purple dragon named Charlie.

Character you would most like to be like?
That changes from day to day. Sometimes I want to be the Fairy Godmother. Other times I want to be Cinderella.

Book that made you cry the most? I HATE books that make me cry. I am well aware that there is great sadness in the world. I do not want to read about it.

Favorite tip for a beginning author?
Don’t give up. Rewrite. Keep submitting. Jack London had 634 rejections.

The way you find inspiration for a story?
A spoken word, a stray thought, something on the news, a chance encounter. These all led to stories

A type of book you would never read?
A sad one. Any book with an unhappy ending. I honor and bless all who enjoy reading and writing them. We all love different things.

Author Carol Davis Gustke

Weblog Ignites Pilot Light for Illustrator's Picture Kitchen Studio

After banging her head against the wall at the many attempts of submitting her illustration work to traditional publishers with no response except for "We will keep your work on file," artist Kim Sponaugle took some great advice and now her children's book illustration studio is really cooking!

"The Big Tip?" - An illustrator friend, Kevin Scott Collier, (who has illustrated over 60 children's books) suggested she get a web log which can be used as a website without the expense, and is easier to manage. He even helped her build it! Once the web log was put together, Kim now had a place to send publishers and authors to view her illustrations, and a way to contact her through email, which greatly helped her illustration business to take off! "This past year I have had the opportunity to illustrate over eight children's and have several books on the way! ” Kim believes that her Picture Kitchen Studio site has helped her to connect with an e-publishing market that she was completely unaware of and has been very beneficial to her children’s book illustration business.

"When one door closes, another one opens," is true regarding the circumstance of life and is true with publishing also. Many new illustrators and authors alike are finding that traditional publishing markets are tough to break into, but now with e- publishing, there are now so many more opportunities. Both illustrators and writers are finding that small publishers, POD (Print-on-Demand) and royalty presses are willing to work with them, will go to a website to view illustrations or writing samples and contact them by email. The process can be much smoother than submitting expensive promotional pieces by mail to publishers, waiting for weeks, some times months, and getting little or no response.

Tips to help you get started:

Get a web log! There are many free blogger sites where you can build a web presence for your business. Google it and see! Set up your web log to enchant the viewer with samples of your best work, a great bio and contact information - keep it simple. If you need inspiration, check out other illustration websites and see what they are doing!

Build a list. Research on line smaller companies, niche companies, P.O.D.'s (Print-on-Demand) and Royalty Presses and create a list of companies that you feel your artwork would fit well with. Don't forget to gather each company’s guidelines.
Query a company first. Find out contact info and how they prefer to hear from you before you sending them electronic samples of your work (jpegs, p d f 's or t i f 's). Many times you can include your web log address in the query letter and they might even take a peek at your site!

Follow the rules & be courteous. Some publishing companies take electronic submissions some do not. Always follow the guidelines. Be courteous and thank editors and art directors for taking the time to respond.

Hang in there & be helpful. For many, persistence is the difference between getting published and still wishing. Be willing to help fellow authors and illustrators out. If you are willing to lend a hand, there’s usually someone to help you when you need it!