Espial Design

In Production Mode

2012-01-27T12:34:00.000-08:00

Tower of Tens

I've got a lot to do to get ready for the 21st Annual Writing and Illustrating for Children Conference in April. I thought I'd start with the easy stuff, in this case, printing and cutting 240 business cards.

A Tribute to Mr. Seahorse

2012-01-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

My late grandfather was a crafty sort and made many of these resin seahorses in different sizes and colors. Unfortunately, I had given away all of mine over the years. When my grandmother passed away a couple years ago, I was eager to acquire the last seahorse that he'd made. A very nostalgic piece and one I'm happy to share with my children.

Retro Seahorse
Artist: The Late James J. White

The seahorse has found a new home on my recently redecorated hall bathroom wall. I had fixed drywall, painted walls, and installed new hardware before the holidays. The scowling mermaid picture keeps Mr. Seahorse company, but I felt like one more tie-in was necessary.

"Bidin' My Time"
Traditional Collage

I found a 5 x 7" white shadow box frame in my stash of junk and decided to use it for an underwater themed piece. Using my grandpa's creature as my inspiration, I created another orange seahorse. I added the text, "I keep busy bidin' my time. Something's bound to happen." It seemed rather fitting since the seahorse is just sitting in the box...waiting, waiting, waiting.

Maybe another poke at my muse?

Recycled: cardboard, paper, sandpaper, and seashells

I Wonder Why

2012-01-05T21:56:00.000-08:00

I Wonder Why

These birds have been trying to speak to me for months. They began life in November while at the Western Washington Scrapbooking Retreat and have been sitting in wait while the right words percolated forth. I needed some "chatter" between the two of them since there was an obvious conversation (looking somewhat one sided) taking place. I couldn't hear that conversation for the life of me, but while feeling uninspired, the light bulb suddenly glimmered.

At first, I was wondering if the birds were lovers? Friends having a spat? One friend retelling an unpleasant story? None of these seemed to resonate. Finally, while perusing a book about old song lyrics (from my piano music stash) I found the words that made the most sense to me. An artist berating it's muse! Of course! I wonder why you make me wait!??!?!?

The lyrics offering inspiration were from the song Charmaine, by Lew Pollack and Erno Rapee, 1926.

Christmas Cards 2011

2011-12-24T16:28:00.000-08:00

During the Western Washington Scrapbooking Retreat back in November, I made over thirty Christmas cards. I found a great deal on paper at Ben Franklin's Craft store. It was considered a Halloween theme and was on clearance. The black and gray paper worked well for a low key Christmas tree. I also wanted a simpler idea than last year's Gingerbread Man Christmas card. Cutting out over thirty gingerbread men by hand? A hand cramping good time.

Merry Christmas everyone! And bring on a happy and prosperous new year!

Believe Love Celebrate

Buzzing Bees

2011-12-09T14:53:00.000-08:00

Buzzing Bees
Final

What a sentimental journey! I went through my stash of letters from my Grandma, who passed away almost 2 years ago now. It was an emotional process, deciding which letters to glue down and which ones I didn't want to lose. I added some of my daughter's artwork that was at hand, because she resembles my Grandma quite a bit. I decided at that point, this picture would be for her.

Base Collage
Letters from Grandma, Pictures from Daughter

My daughter is known as Lil' B, so bees were a natural. I love daisies and polka dots, so voila! A picture was born. It took me a lot of fussing with dot placement and what to do about the bees' wings...I thought tissue paper at first, but then it became a competition with the petals. After digging in my junk drawer, I found pieces of a Bodum coffee press that I had kept. So glad I did! The mesh was the perfect answer. The wings look like they are in motion and contrast just enough in color and texture to stand out, yet not stand out too much. Know what I mean?

Multimedia Art
Acrylic Paint, Charcoal, Tissue Paper, die cut paper...

A lot of heart and soul went into this image, so I don't care about a critique. I love it and it is what it wanted to be. Buzzing bees.

Bee Details
Cardboard, music, wire mesh, and sewing pins

Recycled: cardboard, letters and envelopes from Grandma (1986-1988), pictures and stickers from preschool daughter, wire mesh from coffee pot filter, sewing pins, sheet music, greeting cards, and tissue paper.

The Birds

2011-12-02T14:52:00.000-08:00

"Feeling left out."

I took the advice I received and dulled the white birdhouses so they didn't compete for attention with the birds. I also added some shimmering red berries to the tree and bush in the opposite corners, hoping to counter the strong diagonal line between the two birds.

I scanned the image in two passes and in Photoshop stuck them back together. I hope this helps show the true color palette.

Recycled: baby board book, letters and envelopes, paper doily, sheet music, cardboard, magazine and newspaper

The Scowling Mermaid

2011-12-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

"It meant so much."
Traditional Collage

I'm taking a break from digital work for a bit while I explore my traditional collage roots. I love getting my hands dirty and seeing actual textures, patterns, and layers working together. I was inspired by the artist Cindy Wunsch, who was featured in the latest Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. She uses memorabilia in her artwork and I have boxes of it that would love to see the light of day.

My current project is using letters that my grandmother wrote to me. I read them, I wept, I remembered her. It was an emotional process but a well of inspiration all the same. Seeing her script in the background will keep her memory close to my heart. Miss you, Myrtle!

Recycled: toner copied worksheet from high school memorabilia, magazine paper, greeting card text, and canvas covered cardboard from hard bound book.

Card Swap

2011-11-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

Susan Neal's "Printed Cake" Birthday Card
Paper Crafts Magazine, Issue April/May 2007, Page 100

My Version
Happy Birthday Cake Card

The Western Washington Scrapbooking Retreat is right around the corner! My mind is pondering what to pack and bring while my hands are busy making 25 of these "Happy Birthday Cake" cards. Twenty of these are needed for the card swap during the retreat weekend. I thought while I was at it, I'd make a few extra for myself. Lots of birthdays coming up!

I was inspired by Susan Neal's "Printed Cake" card but made a few changes for myself. I used brown paper instead of black...thinking of chocolate. I added the "Happy Birthday" stamp to it since my text didn't specifically say it. I also scrapped the brad in favor of dimensional paint dots. Brads don't mail well and I love-love-love putting dots on my stuff. It's very therapeutic!

Here are the cards I've done for the past couple retreats:
A Single Daisy Can Be My Garden (2010)
Just a Note (2009)

2012 Tomie dePaola Award Challenge

2011-10-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

SCBWI has another challenge coming up...an illustration depicting the text below is due December 15 by email.

So they went along and went along until they met Turkey Lurkey
“Good morning, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Daddles, Cocky Locky, Henny Penny,
and Chicken Licken,” said Turkey Lurkey, “where are you going?”
“Oh, Turkey Lurkey, the sky is falling and we are going to tell the King!”
“How do you know the sky is falling?” asked Turkey Lurkey.
“Ducky Daddles told me,” said Goosey Loosey.
“Cocky Locky told me,” said Ducky Daddles.
“Henny Penny told me,” said Cocky Locky.
“Chicken Licken told me,” said Henny Penny
“I saw it with my own eyes, I heard it with my own ears,
and a piece of it fell on my tail!” said Chicken Licken.
“Then I will go with you,” said Turkey Lurkey, “and we will tell the King!”
~ P.C. Asbjörnsen

For more information, check out the guidelines.

Craft Published in Cloth Paper Scissors!

2011-10-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

Cloth Paper Scissors Cover
November/December 2011 Issue

I received a nice surprise in my mailbox today...a magazine sporting my work! Not just any old magazine, but Cloth Paper Scissors, a resource for collage, mixed media, and artistic discovery. This is the second time my art work has been selected as a finalist and printed in the Cloth Paper Scissors magazine.

I wasn't quite sure that my work would be chosen. When I initially checked the roster to see if my name was selected as a finalist for the "Home Sweet Home" challenge, it was not. Later, right before the due date to mail in the work, I received an email saying there had been a glitch and several names had not appeared on the list, mine being one of them.

I had entered two houses and it wasn't clear if they wanted both or just one. So I emailed the editor and she wrote back, "The yellow one." There wasn't a yellow one. There was one white house and one green house...so I mailed them both, thinking that there must be a mix up and they had emailed the wrong person all together.

But, a nice surprise for me today, to find the green house in print for the November/December 2011 issue.

"Home Sweet Home" Reader Challenge

Finalist!
Row 2, Column 4
Green House with Brown Roof

My first entry that was printed was my Deux Pois Bakery confections, a winner for the "All Buttoned Up" challenge back in March/April 2011.

Seven Deadly Sins (Greed)Illustration Friday: Ferocious

2011-09-29T22:37:00.000-07:00

Greed

I had one more sin left to represent and found it to be the hardest by far, greed. I couldn't figure out what my monster should look like and what he should be greedy about. Money? Toys? Food was out since that is Gluttony's vice.

Now, with Halloween looming and needing an illustration for October's Special Feature on the Creative Cup Illustrator's Group blog, something festive was required. Pumpkins! Evil cats! I had found my inspiration. Greed was born.

...And, it just so happens, he looks pretty ferocious, which fits the bill for Illustration Friday's theme this week. What luck!

Fall Thank You

2011-09-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

A Fall Thank You

Nothing new here. Just more dots using my dimensional metallic paint, fall leaf stamps I've had forever, Rummage font by Making Memories (magnetic) and scrap paper. I debated making ice cream related thank you cards to go with the ice cream invitations. But I'm out of the ice cream mood. It's feeling pretty fall outside, so I thought I'd embrace it.

I've mentioned it before, but I'll mention it again, that these cards were $1 for 8 in the Michael's dollar bins. They have a small image on them that I could easily cover. A very inexpensive way to buy pre-folded cards with envelopes!

Ice Cream Social Invitations

2011-09-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

Here's the scoop...
Birthday Party Invitations

I dedicated some time over the past couple days making party invitations for an ice cream social. As seen above, the front says "Here's the scoop..." in Gelato Script by Schizotype Foundry.

I bought a set of blank greeting cards (package of 8) from Michael's dollar bins. Then I just collaged on the front covering the original picture and voila! Inexpensive cards with envelopes at the ready.

Altered Book - Project 7

2011-09-01T19:01:00.001-07:00

Top Picks - Romance Genre

When my kids reached the age of sleeping through the night, and life got a little less hectic with potty training and feeding schedules, I made a return to my love of reading. I'll admit I took quite a hiatus before I returned to my book shelf. I re-read Lord of the Flies by William Golding, The Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott, and The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy.

After re-reading some old favorites, I decided to get familiar with the library system. I scanned the bookshelves for a book with a good cover, and LOVED my random pick, Black Olives by Martha Tod Dudman

Then my friend had loaned me some of her books, like The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella, The Devil in the Junior League by Linda Francis Lee and Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

Once I got to Twilight I almost tossed it aside. Vampires? High School? Not my thing. But another friend I was chatting with on the phone said she couldn't put it down and suggested I give it another try. Needless to say, I saw her wisdom and loved the escape I found in this story.

Top Picks Insert - detail

For anyone who knows me, knows that I am a person that gets into a rut and stays there until I'm so sick of it, I never look back. One example is when I discovered Chicken Scampi at my favorite Italian restaurant, Veloce. Every time I visited there, I ate Chicken Scampi until the one day when it suddenly didn't taste good anymore. I've never set foot in that restaurant again.

It's me. It's definitely me.

Second example, is with my new reading genre. Twilight opened up a new interest into the world of fantasy and vampires. I watched multiple vampire movies (Bram Stoker, Anne Rice) and read any vampire story I could get my hands onto until...I found myself out of vampires and into romance. The two were many times intertwined. I began to loose interest in blood and fangs and gain momentum in the romance side of things.

So...I've been studying up on romance reads. I love to compare and contrast and with such easy predictable reads, I can spot exactly where and when a story goes wrong. Plus, I don't feel like I have to finish it if it's not above par, because I already know hot it's going to end. Trying to find that perfect romance story is like finding a diamond in the rough. So, I put together my list of favorites because that's what I do.

If you want a copy of my list? Let me know, I'd be happy to share. Want a hysterical online overview? Check out the website Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. Also, these bloggers have written an equally hysterical book, called Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches' Guides to Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan. Laugh out loud funny!

Altered Book - Project 6

2011-08-31T16:41:00.000-07:00

"More palachinki, please!"

I love the tactile feeling of collaged paper covered with gloss gel medium. It's smooth and pliable. I almost hated to put anything on it...however, I'm glad I did. I really like how this one turned out...simple, textured, and easy.

"More palachinki, please!" - detail

I bought some dimensional metallic paint because I love-love-love putting polka dots around things...weird, I know. But for some reason, I'm called to the dot for accents. In this case, I made a marquis around the title word, palachinki, to set it apart from the rest of the title words.

Yum!
Another detailed shot...

We have palachinki almost every weekend. It's the Bulgarian word for crepe and a recipe we originally looked up in our Bulgarian cookbook. The ingredients I've mentioned in this piece, is a fine tuned concoction my husband mastered. It is quite tasty and serves about 5 or 6.

Eat with confectioner's sugar and strawberries, like we do, or add syrup, honey, or the evil Nutella!

Altered Book ProjectTwo Steps Forward, One Step Back

2011-08-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

One Step Forward
Introduction Pages

I decided to get my beginning pages in line by choosing the end papers and getting the contents page set up. I was going to have a "This Book Belongs to" spread, but it turned into the authors page shown above. Many Good Earth tea packets were opened in the making of this! I wanted to find 3 quotes for my tea cup that were somewhat related to my project.

One Step Back
Blurred Vision

Thinking I was making great progress, I decided to go back to the "Sweet Tooth" spread and do some fixing. The glue I had used in making the dragon was tacky and sticking to the opposite page. Before I went to bed, I applied a coat of matte gel medium to act as a sealant, only to wake up this morning to a bleary eyed dragon.

Altered Book - Project 5

2011-08-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

Home Sweet Home

The background on this turned out exactly as I wanted, which was quite startling to me. That almost never happens! I used gesso to cover the background paper and drew spirals into it with the stick end of my paintbrush. Then I painted with an earthy mustard color using acrylic paints. I wanted a sunset type look AND some darker color up top so that the jester's face contrasted nicely...so I smeared purple ink onto the surface with a dampened sponge. Viola! I really like the effect.

His eyes didn't work out, so to stick with my goals (Focusing on My Weaknesses), I slapped some goggles on him and called it done. I like it better this way...tells a story and adds a little mystery.

Don't read the text too closely, it's been altered which may cause some confusion (wink, wink).

The other finished projects are here:
Project 4: Grocery Bear
Project 3: Sweet Tooth
Project 2: Today's Special
Project 1: My Explorations of the World

Dream House with Digital Effects

2011-08-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

Dream House
Paper Collage with Digital Effects

I scanned my paper collage then added shadow and high light details in Photoshop.

"A Little Me"

2011-08-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

Dream House
Paper Collage

Cloth Paper Scissors's challenge, "A Little Me", is to create a self portrait on a 6x6 canvas using multimedia. I opted to work on this while the paint was drying on my altered book, project #5.

Not having a clear idea of where I was headed with this piece, I let it evolve on it's own. When I do that, it takes A LOT longer...but I usually get a unique story. I was trying to make a house into a crown on top of her head, but it just wouldn't go there! So, final product, she's snuggling with a baby house on a quilt of grass.

It's a self portrait in that I have a love affair with little houses. It also represents my creative self. The colorful houses are my ideas. These houses are my homes, filled with family, love, nostalgia, and personal things...vessels of creative energy.

It also fits Illustration Friday's theme of "Imperfect". The little house may be imperfect, but it is still loved ;) Of course, one person's imperfect is another one's perfect...so...there's that.

Altered Book - Project 4

2011-08-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

Grocery Bear

I've been saving my grocery lists especially for a project in my altered book. One grocery list was written by my mom and on the backside was a note she'd written to communicate to my VERY hard of hearing uncle. We'd been visiting him in Montana and wanted to make sure he had a stocked pantry before we left for home.

I glued the lists on first, then collaged additional food words cut from magazines to fill in the negative space. To blend it, I used a roller brush and rolled on a thin layer of white acrylic paint, wiping it even thinner in strategic places for readability.

Grocery Bear - Detail
Mom's Note

I was rather stumped for an image. First thing I thought of was a fairy flying with a grocery cart. I reached for my bookshelf and found inspiration in a collage book by Claudine Hellmuth. I used her idea for the outlined grocery bags and immediately thought of a bear when I reread my Mom's note...while in Montana a friend and I had visited Glacier Park and the pamphlets saying, "Don't feed the bears" came forth in my mind for this image.

Grocery Bear - Detail
Claudine Hellmuth Inspired

Finalist for "Home Sweet Home" Challenge

2011-08-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

I recently found out that one or both (it wasn't clarified) of my houses are finalists for the "Home Sweet Home" challenge by Cloth Paper Scissors magazine.

I added wheels to my travel house and mailed them both off today. Hopefully, they will be published in the next issue.

Altered Book - Project 3

2011-08-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

Sweet Tooth

I bought clear double sided sticky sheets in hopes of using the vellum for clouds. I STILL could not get the look I wanted. After giving it a test run (making sure it was on the page without artwork on the backside) I decided to pick off what I could and touch up the page with paint. I opted for opaque paper with brown inked edges for the replacement clouds.

It's not the look I wanted, but after exploring my options with adhering vellum, this is the final product. Moving on.

Altered Book - Project 3 (WIP)

2011-07-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

I would have had project 3 done yesterday, but I ran into a major problem. Gluing vellum. Who knew? I certainly didn't. Below is the mess I made, and thankfully, was able to fix.

Puffs of Smoke
Bad Vellum!

So, what did I learn? Right away, I learned that vellum curls and buckles, not adhering to the paper surface like I thought it should. I continued gluing more onto the page hoping that I would get some cool effect, but I did not. So, I learned not to use wet glue, like gel medium. I haven't explored other options, but I read that spray adhesive may work. I have sticky dots, but I don't know how that will work with the translucency I want.

I got VERY lucky by starting this on a signature page not backed by other artwork. I was able to tear out this page, along with it's corresponding other half (in the signature) without too much fuss. I redid my collage work and prepped the background to match the other side of the spread. Now, to start again.

Altered Book - Project 2

2011-07-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

Today's Special

Project #2 was inspired by a discussion I had with a friend who was annoyed by her date telling the waitress she'd be "well compensated" for her extra attention. It made me think of other things a waitress or waiter would be annoyed by, that person that needs special attention, for example. A single customer can cause a lot of additional running around.

Today's Special (Detail)

I layered the original page with a coat of gesso, brushed on magenta acrylic paint, and spritzed with my walnut ink. I also used the ink on the bottom of my coffee mug to make coffee rings...though I do think they are way to dark. I'm not sure how to lighten them up effectively. I perused fonts at My Fonts and found one under the search of "diner" called Coffee Service. I used this for the title of the piece on top of one of my favorite collage scraps, the paper doily!

As a last minute detail, I added the aqua stripes that I smeared with brown stamping ink. I think it really pulled the piece together, giving it a more diner like feel.

For all you Big Lebowski fans...The Dude: "That rug really tied the room together."

Altered Book - Project 1

2011-07-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

"My Explorations of the World"
Altered Book - First Project

My altered book theme is going to be centered around lists. An easy start (on page 5, mind you) was to list the countries that I've visited...inspired by an old atlas I bought last year at a garage sale for $1. The saying, one person's trash is another person's treasure rings true in this case. I used the maps as well as the selected text from the atlas for this piece.

I also tried out my new acrylic paints and walnut ink spray. The spray was used on the plant to tone down the green and give it a splotchy look. It turned out well. I started to fuss a bit trying to make it perfect, so reminded myself to just enjoy the process. This is just an exploration of paints, sprays, and papers...not a masterpiece. A good exercise for me. I called it done and started working on Project #2 with great success.

I'm having fun and that's the important part.

Focusing on My Weaknesses

2011-07-13T00:05:00.000-07:00

I decided to get back to my all paper, traditional collage roots, for some creative therapy. Maybe I can figure out where I need to go by getting my hands dirty and letting my mind wander through the fields of paper, paint, and gel medium.

I decided to focus on my road blocks and make them work for me instead of letting them get in my way. Hear's my list that got me started:

1.) Problem: I want to collage in a journal. But then I need to buy a new one. But I don't know what size. I don't know how it should be bound. Should I make my own journal? Then if I make a mistake, I REALLY will be pissed.
Solution: I decided to alter an old 2009 hard bound weekly calendar. Now if I make a mistake, I'm not out anything, AND it's already going to look ratty because I'm altering it. Whew. I can move on.

Altered Book
Original State

2.) Problem: But wait. What if my arms don't look realistic? Hands are also very difficult to do with paper and eyes can be tough too. They require a lot of detail.

Solution: Instead of fussing for a real look, I'm going to let my artwork look UNreal.

3.) Problem: I don't want to spend too much time on each piece. I want to keep the projects small and easy...otherwise, when I mess up I'll be REALLY pissed that I've spent so many hours on a meaningful piece only to have to toss it as a final step.
Solution: KISS - keep it simple stupid. I plan to remind myself of this on every page.

4.) Problem: How shall I write my journal text? My handwriting sucks and I don't want to make any spelling errors. Shall I collage each letter or word? Seems rather time consuming. Should I type and print what I want to say and then insert into my piece?
Solution: I'm going to use this altered book as a way to explore. So I will try all three mentioned above and research other ways to input text...Stamping? Stenciling? Transferring?

5.) Problem: Well, I don't have to worry about staring at a blank page and messing it up with an altered book. But, I do have to worry about making errors on page one. What if, at the end, I want to create a title page that ties it all together?
Solution: I'm starting on page five. Plenty of room left in the beginning without all those first page jitters.

5.) Problem: I'm a known procrastinator. I need a deadline or I'll tinker with other projects.
Solution: Well, I'll do that anyway. BUT, I'm going to enter it as a Cloth Paper Scissors Artisan 2011 contest entry, due the end of summer. There's my deadline. Now, it's time to get started.

First Step - Rip It Up
Removing Signatures

First things first. I've already removed additional pages by finding the threads to each signature and tearing out 2 sets each. This will give me room to add my collages with the hopes my altered book will still close at the end. I used opaque white gesso for the first time, painting over the first spread of calendar paper readying it for ART!

I've cut out my pieces for the first image...and...that's as far as I've gotten. Hey! It's progress!

The Big Send Off

2011-07-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

I was trying to work on another set of houses for the Cloth Paper Scissors contest...but procrastinated too long and wasn't able to get to it today. I was going to add wheels and have them be "mobile" homes...they would have been so much cuter than the ones below...if only...

But, since these are done, I'm sending them off to the "Home Sweet Home" contest.

Mass Mailing

2011-06-30T12:46:00.000-07:00

2011 Childrens Magazine Tear Sheet

I just spent the morning perusing my 2010 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market book under the magazine section, gearing up for a mail out. I was disappointed to find that many magazines are no longer. After reviewing each publications focus and age group and checking out submission guidelines for illustrators, I have three publishers to contact. Only three!

Back to stuffing envelopes :)

A Scrappers Weekend

2011-06-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

Space!
Yvonne, Ginger, and Sheryl

What happens after you get rid of the wicker furniture set that was taking up space in your basement? Well, if you're the crafty sort, it's another excuse to throw a scrapbooking party! Four of us got together again for a Second Annual Basement Scrapbooking Party to socialize and get caught up on projects before the Western WA Scrapbooking Retreat this November.

I worked on another Cloth Paper Scissors magazine contest called "Home Sweet Home." I don't like my final work, so I'm unsure if I will start again or not. We'll see what this week brings. Below are the two houses I finished during our creative weekend.

Journey Home

Music Home

Character in Color

2011-06-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

Tayisha

I worked hard on those hands! I finally found the path from "girl with big hands" to a girl holding a butterfly in perspective. I played around with some different techniques on adding shadows...but ultimately liked the way I've been doing it. I'm sticking with what works.

Enjoy!

Creative Cup Challenge: Character of the Week 001

2011-05-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

Tyaisha

Meet Tyaisha, the character of the week. She is a 10 year old black American girl, wears glasses, but doesn't like them. She loves cats and is fascinated by bugs. She's an introvert and doesn't have a lot of friends. Her favorite thing to wear is a casual hoodie with capri pants. She lives with her single mother in an apartment.

"Where's my hair? Where are my legs?"

Freaky Fingers

It has not escaped my attention that I didn't put glasses on Tyaisha. I tried it on one sketch and she looked like a bug. So I thought to go ahead and draw her without, and maybe add them in when I do color...is this a wise approach? Or am I flirting with disappointment?

She loves cats, but living in an apartment, I'd think her mother would say 'no' to pets. So Tyaisha shares her adoration by wearing cat shirts. She's toting a bug carrier in the first sketch...and probably has a magnifying glass and butterfly net somewhere in her repertoire of bug tools. Naturally, her capri pants are also cargo style...great for holding bug bait and gummi worms.

To help find poses for this assignment, I surfed gettyimages.com. Very helpful!

Would love a critique. Lay it on me. I know hands and feet are my weakness.

I'm STILL on Vacation!

2011-05-16T23:52:00.000-07:00

I'm on vacation enjoying some sunny weather, spending time with my family, and sipping the occasional adult beverage with my feet up. Pure relaxation.

With the end of bliss staring me in the face, (tick tock) I began to wonder why I even brought my sketch pad. I haven't done any drawing or felt very creative on this trip. But, just now, I remembered a book I started reading: Is Life Like This? A Guide to Writing Your First Novel in Six Months by John Dufresne.

I may not be sketching, but I am getting my "creative on" through writing. I've been exploring the exercises from the book mentioned above. One of my favorites for Week 1 is to write "Top 10" lists. The author mentioned another book to get list ideas, called The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon translated by Ivan Morris. It got great reviews on Amazon, so I'm looking forward to checking this out when I get home.

Top 10 Things I Enjoyed on this Vacation
1.) Watching the movie, Thor, in Imax 3D with my SO.
2.) Visiting with a high school friend. One I haven't seen since the last reunion 13 years ago.
3.) Eating ice cream cones with my daughters and Oma at Star Burger, affectionately still known as Frosty Freeze.
4.) Eating shish kabobs and drinking wine with Oma and Opa's long time neighbors/close family friends.
5.) Watching the movie, Bridesmaids, with SO and B-I-L.
6.) Shopping at second hand stores for kids toys.
7.) Reading the book, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, by the (kiddie) pool side.
8.) Playing with my daughters outside by making mud pies, swimming in the kiddie pool and watering Oma's garden with spritzing bottles.
9.) Visiting the town's library, especially the childrens book section.
10.) Writing "Top 10" lists!

Top 10 Books I've Checked Out From the Library and Read While on this Vacation
1.) Graceling by Kristin Cashore (Excerpts from this novel were read at one of the SCBWI conference sessions)
2.) Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox (I wanna buy this book! Funny with great verse)
3.) Waking Beauty by Leah Wilcox (I wanna buy this book too! Funny with great verse)
4.) My Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman (This book was read at one of the SCBWI conference sessions)
5.) Fire by Kristin Cashore (Second "companion" book to Graceling)
6.) Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems (Was read at Library toddler time and quoted by my girls there after)
7.) Busy Little Mouse by Eugenie Fernandes (Loved the illustrations)
8.) My Truck is Stuck by Kevin Lewis (Have read multiple times in the past but always worth re-reading)
9.) Is Life Like This? A Guide to Writing Your First Novel in Six Months by John Dufresne (Lessons for week 1 and 2 got my creative juices flowing)
10.) Down by the Sea with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen (Fun verse and spectacular illustrations)

Top 10 Things I Probably Won't Do Again
1.) Take the Nevada Southern Railway excursion. Twice is enough.
2.) Have a margarita at Sunset Station. A margarita in a plastic cup is uncivilized.
3.) Order a Kyuuri cocktail while having sushi. It was good, but sake would have been better.
4.) Sit in the section where our waitress serves in Green Valley Station. She was a dolt.
5.) Go to the Mirage's Secret Garden with dolphins and white tigers. Once was enough. The dolphins were cool but caged cats just doesn't do it for me.
6.) Make stepping stones. I'm done with this project! I made 4 for my mom, 4 for myself, and 4 here for my M-I-L.
7.) Leave my incontinent cat home alone to over eat.
8.) Order a falafel burger again. Dense.
9.) Who thought the movie, Black Dynamite, was a good idea...George!
10.) Read Hippo Goes Bananas by Marjorie Dennis Murray. My summary for this book...with friends like these, who needs enemies?

and a bonus!

11.) Not stay up until 1:00 am writing "Top 10" lists!

Goodnight.

Tweet!

2011-04-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

Tweet!

Today, I decided to get warmed up in the studio by crafting a set of "Tweet!" cards. I have loads of sheet music that I've been including in my collages from time to time. It makes a nice back drop for happy thoughts, like spring, birds chirping, and sunny weather.

And...an additional bonus when the perfect sentiment is included in the music!

"...with a sweet and singing tone."
The Perfect Sentiment!

Links to Share

2011-04-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

I went to the SCBWI Western Washington 20th Annual Writing and Illustrating for Children Conference over the weekend of April 16-17. Unfortunately, due to a major head cold (lasted 2 weeks!) I did not bring my 'A' game. Feeling like I was in a fog most of the time made me a little anti-social and in serious need of a nap.

Enough whining!

I'm finally feeling better, and with a bout of sunshine under my belt, my attitude is coming 'round. So, I thought I'd better share the good stuff. Below are some links that I discovered and enjoyed from the conference:

1.) Met my critique partner from Australia who just happened to be hobnobbing in my neck of the woods, Kim Fleming. I'm a big fan of her artwork. Here is her portfolio: http://www.kimflemingillustration.com

2.) Met Shane Watson and am excited that he is now a part of our Creative Cup critique group. He is a fabulous illustrator. His portfolio: http://www.oreganoproductions.com/

3.) I collected postcards for my favorite artists at the conference's Juried Art Show.

Robin E. Kaplan is an inspiration and was the 2nd runner up winner. Her portfolio: http://robin-e-kaplan.artworkfolio.com/

Ward Jenkins makes drawing look fun and easy. I really enjoy his style. His portfolio: http://www.wardjenkins.com/WARD_JENKINS.html

Margie B. Segress is exceptionally talented! Her portfolio: http://www.bymargie.com/index.html

4.) My favorite guest speakers at the conference were Rollin Thomas (Alternate Picture-Book Structures), and Lin Oliver (Tricks of Writing Effective Dialogue).

5.) Authors were discussing software they use to keep thoughts, research, outlines, character development, and drafts organized. Scrivener was mentioned to me a couple times. Unfortunately, for me (maybe I should whisper this) I use a PC (I know! I know!) and Scrivener is for Mac only. I found a list of other writing software at Literature and Latte.

Research on writing software brought to my attention a review site. I found this very helpful to break down feature sets, ease of use, tool sets, reviews, and cost. The site is called Top Ten Reviews.

Getting Some Perspective!

2011-03-25T23:42:00.000-07:00

This has been a tough image! Perspective/foreshortening is a lot harder than I imagined. I took a picture of my daughter and it helped to draw on it to see where everything lined up. Just thought I'd share my process!

I kept cutting the boy's suit in Photoshop to get it situated just right, played with the transform tool, pasted, cloned, painted...so this looks cobbled together. It is a learning piece for sure. I'll print it and redraw it to get a clean image. Then I'll rescan and start piecing it together again.

Success will be mine...dammit!

Speaking of success...I've been reading up on drawing the figure, expressions, and figures in action. Here is a book list that I'm finding most helpful:

Cartooning the Head and Figure by Jack Hamm
Drawing and Cartooning 1,001 Faces by Dick Gautier
Action! Cartooning by Ben Caldwell
Drawing Fashion by Bill Thames
Dynamic Figure Drawing by Burne Hogarth
The Artist's Complete Guide to Facial Expressions by Gary Faigin

Craft Published in Cloth Paper Scissors!

2011-02-27T20:25:00.000-08:00

Cloth Paper Scissors Cover
March/April 2011 Issue

My Deux Pois Bakery confections were a contest finalist for a reader challenge hosted by Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. The challenge was called "All Buttoned Up" and needed to showcase the obvious, buttons!

It was a great surprise to receive my copy of the magazine in the mail before it even hit the news stand! I didn't know they were going to gift me a free copy. And I got a double feature...the contents page and the feature article. How sweet is that?

Cloth Paper Scissors
Contents Page 3

Cloth Paper Scissors
Feature Page 79

Color Acuity Test

2011-02-07T11:13:00.000-08:00

Instead of working on my very important project, I wandered down internet lane in discovery of more information about the eyes' rods and cones. I wanted to leave a pithy comment on Andrew Finnie's post regarding this subject, but instead, lost myself in a hue test at xrite.com

I'm happy to report that from the range 0 being perfect color acuity to 99 being pretty low...I got a whopping 7! Apparently, I have a minor deficiency in the aqua range...which if funny, because aqua is my favorite color. I love what I don't know, apparently.

Take the test and feel those rods vibrate!

Ain't No Chicken!

2011-01-20T13:48:00.000-08:00

Owl at Home
Digital Collage

I just finished this paper collage turned digital collage today. FINALLY! It's been sitting on my desk for months...and piece by painful piece, it has clicked together like a puzzle to tell Owl's story.

Too bad Illustration Friday's theme this week is "chicken." I'd've really liked to give owl the debut he deserves. Alas, he is alone.

Below is the actual collage piece that I had to scan in two passes. As one can see, I did not pay attention to the light direction and had to rework Owl's eyes in the digital version. I was going to hang the original, but those eyes are really going to bug me.

Owl at Home
Paper Collage: Scan 1

Owl at Home
Paper Collage: Scan 2

Hollified for the Holidays

2010-12-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

Flip Flop's Savory Flapjacks
Holiday Version

Here is my They Draw and Cook Contest entry with some holiday flair! I added some Christmas lights and holly to give it a more festive look.

Happy Holidays everyone!

They Draw and Cook Contest EntryIllustration Friday: Savour

2010-11-30T21:47:00.000-08:00

Flip Flop's Savory Flapjacks

I heard about the They Draw and Cook Contest today and thought I would hurry and get something done before the 9 pm PST deadline. I gnawed over pumpkin soup ideas, hot chocolate recipes, crepes...then finally, my favorite, pancakes!

I started this image at around 2:00 pm when I put the girls down for a nap...and worked straight through until 8:55 pm PST. Thankfully, hubby was amenable to getting dinner for himself and the girls. I was in my groove.

My hand has a cramp and I'm getting a slight headache from slouching over my computer non-stop...but I think I'll survive. It was a good test of endurance.

This also works with Illustration Friday's theme this week, savour! Love it when that happens.

Western Washington Scrapbook Retreat

2010-11-29T12:37:00.000-08:00

Tea Cozy
Jodie and Stacia

And the fun begins! Jodie drove up from Bend, Oregon to participate in the WWS Retreat. We left a day early to enjoy the town of Port Townsend, but, before we got too far down the road, we had a delicious breakfast at the Queen Mary Tea Room in Seattle.

Later that morning, while sitting in line to cross the Hood Canal Bridge, we noticed the car in front of us had a license plate cover that read, "Crazy for tea cozies." How apropos! My monkey brain loves seeing pattern connections.

Cropping Buddies
Shannon, Tonya, and Jodie

The retreat was a lot of fun. I was roped begrudgingly into volunteering for the Bumpy Basket Raffle, and although I didn't do much, I met some nice ladies and enjoyed myself in the process. Sometimes, I surprise myself. Next year I won't be so hesitant to participate.

Here are a few finished projects from the retreat:

Gingerbread Man
Christmas Cards 2010

Hello.
Floral Greeting Cards

Woot, Roar, and Quack
Artist Trading Cards

I'm a Finalist!

2010-11-26T17:15:00.000-08:00

Deux Pois Bakery Confections
"All Buttoned Up" Contest entry

While perusing the Cloth Paper Scissors website, I came across the list of 24 finalists for the "All Buttoned Up" contest...and my name is on it! I should have gotten an email letting me know, but never did. Truly, a Black Friday surprise!

Card Swap

2010-11-12T19:47:00.000-08:00

The Western Washington Scrapbookers Retreat is drawing near! A weekend of dedicated creative time...time away from kids, routine, and responsibilities. For me, the ball starts rolling with the introduction of the card swap. Each person hand crafts a greeting card, creating a stack totaling the number of participants. Then, the cards are distributed evenly into piles so that each participant comes away with a sample card from each artist. A nice collection of artwork!

Last year I used old music sheets for my "Just a Note" greeting cards. This year, I had bought an old atlas from a garage sale and was eager to use the maps for my inspiration. And so I did...

A Single Daisy Can Be My Garden...
Final Count: 15 Cards

A Single Friend, My World
Front, Inside, and Back

The original quote for the card came from Leo Buscaglia, which read, "A single rose can be my garden...a single friend, my world." I took the liberty of making a flower change to suit my needs. Leo, please forgive me!

Illustration Friday: Spooky and Racing

2010-10-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

Invasion of the Aggressive Hobos

I started this image last week for Illustration Friday's theme, Spooky, then puttered with it, changed it and finally, finished it this week. It also seemed to fit the bill for IF's theme this week of racing.

There's been some discussion in our household, whether we are harboring Giant House Spiders or Aggressive Hobos. All I know, is that both are big and ugly. Spooky, indeed.

Creative Cup Challenge: "Cup"

2010-10-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

Living on the Edge

These two little fish started out as part of my overworked image in "Warming Up". They ended up on the cutting room floor, so-to-speak, but were too cute to toss aside. I wanted to give them an illustration all their own, so what better use for them, than putting them in the "Cup" challenge?

Their story started out playful...then quickly turned into a thrill-seeking adventure. Inhaling coffee, swimming outside their safe tank in a cracked cup, and living on the edge.

Scrapbooking Party

2010-10-12T12:03:00.000-07:00

What happens after you get rid of the pool table that was taking up space in your basement? Well, if you're the crafty sort, you throw a party! I invited a couple of my scrapbooking friends over for a mini retreat as a warm up for the Western WA Scrapbooking Retreat this November.

Basement Setup
Yvonne, Ginger, and Sheryl

I'm not a scrapbooker, but I love paper, glue, and all those doo-dads that go with the biz. I opted to work on a project for the Cloth Paper Scissors contest called, "All Buttoned Up."

I had sewn some fabric confections, sprinkled with buttons and lace, as a gift for my toddlers back in February. I thought this would make a great contest entry for the use of buttons...and decided to polish up the project by working on the container.

Confections with Buttons
...and the bakery box

I used matte gel medium to adhere strips of paper, sponged on a coat of brown acrylic paint, adhered the "Deux Pois Bakery" logo with dye cut circles and gold paint dots. I repeated the pattern inside the box, by lining it with brown, pink, and cream polka dotted paper.

An Array of Treats

Singled Out

Nerd Alert!

2010-09-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

I learned something new this morning during a critique at my Creative Cup Illustrator's Group. I read "sinusoidal" in the critique comment and thought, What's this? A misspelled word, perhaps? So, not being a mathematician, I had to look it up. The definition at dictionary.com read, "Of or relating to a sine curve." Huh. Then I went to Wikipedia to see what the heck a sine curve (sine wave) looks like. I got the tingles when I laid eyes on the sine curve graph.

As it turns out, sinusoidal was the perfect description for the up and down curves of my water element in the original "Just Warming Up." Exactly! Now I know what you mean!

Today, was another hard day at the studio. The dust isn't just sweeping away quickly. I feel the cobwebs have settled for a little too long and a lot more practice will be needed to get back up to speed.

Just Warming Up (version 4)

As I said before, I worked, reworked and over worked the water element in my second version for "Just Warming Up." I do feel like progress was made and am excited to share the latest!

Any critique is welcomed!

Flex Those Muscles!

2010-09-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

Just Warming Up

I'm trying to get back in the creative saddle and what better way to do that, than to find inspiration at Illustration Friday. The theme was "acrobat", which played well with my theme of "just warming up", also the title to my piece.

I worked it, reworked it, worked it over, and then walked away. It's not my best, but it's a good start to the limbering up process.

I'm out of creative shape but am looking forward to getting a new regiment in place. I look forward to blogging more during my Monday and Wednesday creative sessions!

Hello, world!

Cleanup at the GulfIllustration Friday: Ripple

2010-06-10T23:30:00.000-07:00

Cleanup at the Gulf

I thought I'd offer a more hopeful illustration referencing the Gulf's oil spill crisis. Some critters are being saved...One can hope that with the extra waves Ripple is creating, that more will follow.

Engulfed

2010-06-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

Engulfed

My attention was drawn to Kelly Light's blog, Ripple, today, which inspired me to create this image while my brain stewed over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Illustration Friday: Cocoon

2010-05-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

Sweet Peas (again!)

Deja vu! I feel like I've seen this before! Oh, right. I have. Originally, this piece was done for baby invitations back in 2007. However, it resurfaced recently when I was pulling together pieces for the Juried Art Portfolio Exhibit for the SCBWI conference. While I was touching up the image, I noticed the babies didn't have ears! Did I do this intentionally? I don't remember now, but it seemed like they each needed a pair.

In addition to the ears, I lengthened the sweet pea stem, added detail to the baby clothing, and made adjustments to facial features and shadows.

It's brand new again and now they can hear me when I say, "Oh, behave!"

SCBWI WWA was A-OK

2010-04-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

Redmond, WA

I spent the previous 6 weeks gearing up for the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators Western Washington conference...Whew! That's a mouth full!

I pulled my portfolio together right up until the last moment and dashed off last Friday to enter it into the Juried Art Portfolio Exhibit and to register early. The fun started bright and early on Saturday morning at 7:30 am.

It was a full weekend, and each day I started fading around 3-4 pm. It was jam packed with keynote speakers, critiques, sessions on first pages, plotting, illustration career secrets, meeting agents, editors, published authors and more.

My favorites:
Peter Brown, Author/Illustrator
Mitali Perkins, Author
Laini Taylor, Author
Edward Necarsulmer, Agent
Elizabeth Law, Editor

I left feeling overwhelmed with information and faces but re-energized to stay in the game. My creative batteries are recharged and I'm feeling like I can take on the world!

Time to get crackin'. The world is a big place :)

Work and Rework

2010-03-30T16:33:00.000-07:00

Squirrels in the Forest 1

I received a very helpful critique the last time I posted this image and took it to heart. I appreciated and found wisdom in the comment. I made the change that was suggested, which was an additional animal in the background for more visual fodder. I also worked a little on the tree shadows and added some berries on the ground.

Squirrels in the Forest 2

While reworking Squirrels in the Forrest 1, I had created a squirrel that was to be my additional animal to the back woods. I ended up making the squirrel so tiny and dark that all the hard work and details were lost! So, I decided the squirrel needed his own image where he could tell his story. Here he is, in Squirrels in the Forest 2, eating berries. Following the advice for the first image, I included another critter in the background.

Getting Ready!

2010-02-14T20:50:00.000-08:00

I've signed up for the Western Washington SCBWI conference in April and need to get my portfolio ready for the jurried exhibit. I found a great resource to help me whittle away my current portfolio into something more streamlined and impressive.

Harold Underdown writes the following piece of advice for what to include in your portfolio:
Composition: interesting points of view, above, below, foreshortening, distortions, what is in the foreground and background. Consider what you do when you have your camera in hand, how you choose the contents, edges, and positioning of what enters the frame, how different lenses affect how much is included.

Lighting: Where is your light source? Dramatic lighting can often catch the eye... a candle lighting a dark room, the late afternoon sun casting huge shadows.

Color/Tone/Contrast: Are your colors (including black and white) muddy or clean and bright? Do you want crisp or soft edges? Would four colors or a monochromatic approach be most effective?

Subject Matter: What is (are) your subject(s) doing? Who are they? Do they have unusual expressions or clothing? Are they in an unusual predicament? Do they evoke an emotion? Are they up close or far away?

Continuity of Style: Do you sustain a consistent style in your samples/portfolio? Variety is the spice of life, but you need to demonstrate consistency within a style, and show 2 or 3 styles at most.

Continuity of Subject: Can you illustrate the same subject from different points of view, in different situations, showing different feelings?

Medium: When reviewing the work of a publisher, ask yourself, "Has this medium been used before?" The answer could be revealing -- perhaps they are open to unusual media, perhaps they are not. Experiment with using or combining different media.

I need to review my work and create new in the next 6 to 8 weeks. I have lots to do to get ready!

Illustration Friday: Wilderness

2010-01-19T14:36:00.000-08:00

Squirrels in the Forest

I'm making another attempt to brush the dust off and get back into the world of the creative. My goals for this year are to improve my portfolio by demonstrating my abilities to illustrate the following:
1.) One pastoral scene.
2.) One urban scene.
3.) Three drawings of people (men, women, and children of all ages).
4.) One drawing of animals (either realistic or anthropomorphic).
5.) Three scenes showing either the same people or the same animals in action.
6.) One imaginative drawing.

Not coincidentally, these are the same requirements when applying for the Don Freeman Grant sponsored by SCBWI. The application for the grant is due January/February time frame, so next year, I'll be ready to submit.

I would love a critique since this will be included in my portfolio. One pastoral scene checked off the list.

Inspire Me Thursday: Handmade Gifts

2009-12-28T22:37:00.000-08:00

Craft Box - View 1

This is box number four that I've created using collage and decoupage techniques. Something to hold craft supplies, like crayons, for my toddlers, was my inspiration.

Craft Box - View 2

I adhered strips of newsprint and torn sheets of music with medium gel gloss, then sponged on a thin layer of blue acrylic paint. I adhered stickers and punch outs with another layer of medium gel gloss, giving the box a nice finish. I decorated with gold and blue paint dots...and voila! Finito!

In the Details

This was a handmade Christmas gift for my daughters. It will definitely get a lot of use since they also got an easel under the tree. Little artists in the making.

See the other three boxes here:
* The Monkey Toy Box
* Ginger's Memory Box
* The Bug Box

The Bug Box

2009-11-24T15:18:00.000-08:00

Bug Box Lid

I finished most of this project at the WWS Retreat but still needed to put the finishing touches on to call it done. Once at home with all my wares unpacked and put back in their rightful places, I rode the "retreat high" wave and finished it straight away.

This End Says Ruby

Previously, I made the girls a Monkey Box for all their toy monkeys. Since I have twins, one of something is never a good idea...so I thought to make another box. Since they are "The Bee" and "The Bug", I opted to stay with that theme for decoration.

This End Says Bianca

The only task left to do is to outline the bee's vellum wings in a metallic marker. After adhering with medium gel gloss, the vellum became too transparent and they are difficult to see. Otherwise, it's done and curing in the closet until Christmas time.

Western WA Scrapbook Retreat

2009-11-23T23:50:00.000-08:00

My Group
Left: Lisa, Katherine (not shown)
Right: Ginger, and my table (front)

The WWS retreat took place at Fort Worden near Port Townsend, WA. A beautiful setting for three days of creative time. If one didn't find the place inspiring, then surely the car pool adventure or the ferry ride would do. It was a fabulous getaway coming, being, and going. Finally, some time for myself to just be, just create, or just engage with like minded souls. I will definitely return as there was something special about being with friends, meeting new people, and just plain having time!

Our Room
One of Many!

Last I heard there were 112 participants spread throughout the two story building taking up multiple working rooms. Accommodations were in old barracks with single or double bedrooms. These rooms were very basic and "institutional" looking...adding to the rustic allure. Shared bathrooms reminded me of college dorm living...and having my friends just down the hall...well, I felt young again!

"Let it snow!"
Christmas Cards 2009

When I first got there, I decided to work on my Christmas cards to get me in the groove...something easy, already thought out, where I could just plug away and enjoy the surroundings. They were time intensive with little pieces to glue for 32 cards. But this time, I truly felt like it was more about the process and less about the final product. It was meditative.

I started two other projects while there, a "Bug Box" and a "Craft Box" for my daughters. I also decoupaged a canvas using old piano music with a vague idea of an image I'll want to construct later. Nothing concrete just yet!

Hopefully, I can pull some other friends into the fold. It was a good time!

Ginger's Memories...

2009-11-15T22:03:00.000-08:00

Ginger's Memories

Not just an empty box, "Ginger's Memories" is quite full! I created this collage box to capture memories for Ginger's 40th birthday party, themed Back in Black. Guests brought items to include, such as matchbooks and coasters, a banana comb straight from the 80s, the Back in Black album by AC/DC, pictures, postcards from Ginger's many travels, and pertinent aging quotes.

A Collage Box

I tore a map of Rome and newspaper pages into strips and adhered with medium gel gloss. After it was dry, I sponge painted over the strips with brown and black acrylic paints, then decorated with stickers and die cut shapes. I sealed everything in place with another coat of medium gel gloss, giving it a smooth finish. I lined the box with maps from Prague and Budapest. I'm sure Travel Girl has a lot of memories to store so this box should get lots of use.

Happy Birthday, Ginger!

Card Swap

2009-11-10T14:00:00.000-08:00

Just a note!
Made with music, Espial Design

I'm attending the Western Washington Scrapbook Retreat next weekend for 3 days of dedicated creative time. I'm not a scrapbooker intrinsically, although I do enjoy making my own greeting cards.

I'm going because my friends go every year and some are the fearless leaders of this event. I dug in my heals last year thinking, "I'm not a scrapbooker and my toddlers need me." Now, my tune has changed. I'm now saying, "I'm not a scrapbooker, but I need to find my creative soul again." To me, the only way to do this is to have time for myself. Big blocks of it. Oh yeah! I'm looking forward to that!

To get into the groove, I signed up for the event's card swap. My inspiration was my piano. I've never been very good and don't have an ear for music, but I enjoy plunking out a "tune" (I use that word loosely) once in the while. I have TONS of sheet music from my Grandma, my Aunt Judy, and my mom. I went through it yesterday to see what could be deemed collage worthy and found some goodies to cut up for my project.

I made 14 cards on black stock with matching black envelopes. I inserted a cream sheet inside for legible writing.

Back in Black

2009-10-21T13:53:00.001-07:00

"Back in Black" Party Invitation
Front with Insert

"Back in Black" Party Invitation
Back

"When young in the 80's
"Back in Black" she did crow.
Now, Ginger's getting older.
She turns the big four-oh!"

I'm really happy with my "Back in Black" party invitations! I created them for a 40th birthday party held on Halloween. It's a single card, invitation information on one side and AC/DC's lyrics for the song, Back in Black, on the other. An insert to bring items for a memory box was tucked under the ribbon before it was inserted into a matching black envelope.

The information on the card has been altered for privacy reasons, so if you're one of the attendees...don't freak out!

Rock on!

Inspire Me Thursday: In Good Company

2009-09-14T14:37:00.001-07:00

Inspecting the Monkey Toy Box

Monkey Toy Box Lid

Stripes Are In!

All Monkeys Welcome
"You'll be in good company!"

I finally finished collaging the Monkey Toy Box for a toddler birthday surprise last weekend. I had an old lidded box that needed a new life and a complete face lift.

To cover it, I tore brown textured magazine pages into strips and using gel medium, adhered it to the box and lid. Then I dabbed brown acrylic paint on with a sponge to even out the color. I cut out flowers from scrapbook paper and used decorative hole punch cut outs and stickers for decoration.

Earlier this summer, with this project in mind, I had illustrated a monkey, called Monkey and Map. I cut out the shape of his head and adhered all the decoration with medium gel gloss, giving it a smooth finish and adding a nice coating to secure paper edges. Hopefully this will keep little toddler fingers from peeling up edges in their spare time!

Illustration Friday: Tango

2009-07-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

First Tango

I'm listening to The Tango Lesson, which I can "hear" from my latest illustration, First Tango. Like first love, the dance is intimate yet exhilarating.

Illustration Friday: DriftingInspire Me Thursday: Ticket

2009-06-19T16:12:00.001-07:00

Ticket to Ride / White Ticket Fence

For Inpsire Me Thursdays theme this week, ticket, I scanned my recently purchased raffle tickets. I changed the words "Keep this coupon" to "Admit One", already having the idea of a white ticket fence.

The image took on a life of it's own and after I added water, the clouds turned into a fish. Another fun journey.

Illustration Friday: UnfoldInspire Me Thursday: Child Art

2009-06-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

Monkey and Map

"You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away and know when to run." ~ Kenny Rogers, The Gambler

I'm using this illustration for Inspire Me Thursday's theme this week, Child Art. Nothing in the piece was done by a child...but it is intended for a monkey toy box. Some how, my toddlers have acquired quite a few monkey plush toys. I've put them all into a shoebox and I call it the Monkey Box. It's in their closet and when they need a distraction, I tell them to go find their monkeys, which they are more than happy to dig out. Decorating the Monkey Box is on my list of "to dos" and this illustration is a start.

Illustration Friday: Fleeting

2009-04-12T22:03:00.001-07:00

April's Picnic

"Fleeting: passing swiftly; vanishing quickly; transient; transitory"

Bird takes a fleeting glance at the picnic below him. He espies two of his friends dining on watermelon seeds and wonders if there's room for one more. After all, he eats like a bird!

This image was inspired by my friend, April, who wrote, "I love animals and hope to have a garden in heaven were animals talk to me".

Happy Birthday, Razzle Dazzle!

Halo Publishing International

2009-04-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

My bio and contact information have been added to Halo Publishing's online directory of illustrators. Halo Publishing is in the self publishing business. They help authors get their work published by assisting them through editing, aligning them with an illustrator, and working with them through the publishing process.

I spoke with Lisa Umina, the co-founder of Halo Publishing International, and found her to be knowledgeable, accessible, and inspiring! Self publishing is a wonderful avenue for those authors that have a story to tell, want to share it, and are motivated to market their product themselves.

I appreciate Lisa reaching out to me, inviting me to be a part of the Halo directory of illustrators. I'm looking forward to working with her and future self publishing authors.

Illustration Friday: SubtractInspire Me Thursday: I am...

2009-03-23T21:12:00.001-07:00

Free Bee
I just gotta be me!

I was inspired by the bowling pins I recently crafted and thought I would exercise my brain with a quick image. I illustrated the bee and the ladybug and then let them take over as they started telling their own story. I like letting go to see where things end up. An enjoyable journey today with the Free Bee.

Idle Hands

2009-03-07T12:35:00.000-08:00

Bowling Pins
Monkey, Bumble Bee, Cat

Bowling Pins
Bird, Ladybug, Bunny Rabbit

I needed a project to do while spending time at my parent's house. I have so many fabric remnants and odd buttons that I thought of making bowling pins for my girls. I brought with me the easy pattern I created, some notions for antennas, eyes, and noses and sewed like the wind! I used navy beans for the base and stuffed the critters with recycled pillow stuffing and fleece. I made a bumble bee, ladybug, monkey, cat, bird and a bunny rabbit.

All Together Now

Sewing ConfectionsInspire Me Thursday: Lace

2009-02-17T23:21:00.001-08:00

Sewn Confections, Batch 2

Fresh from the oven, my last batch of sweets sewn for the Deux Pois Bakery. When my girls are old enough to play in their make believe bakery (and stop putting things in their mouths) I will share my box of treats. Right now the buttons are a choking hazard even though they look delicious!

My Petit Four Sec Chocolate Cake with Confectioners Sugar has a sprinkling of lace, which lends itself nicely to this week's theme for Inspire Me Thursday.

Sewing ConfectionsInspire Me Thursday: Fold

2009-02-06T13:18:00.001-08:00

Deux Pois Bakery Logo
Translated: Two Peas Bakery

I saw some crafted cupcakes and confections online made from felt or felted wool and topped with ribbons, buttons, and beads. They were really cute so I thought I'd try my hand at creating my own plush desserts. I have loads of fabric pieces, jars of old buttons, and ribbon remnants of all sorts. To use up these collections of scraps, I machine sewed all my confections using mostly cotton quilting fabric. I created my own patterns and looks to stock my new "bakery", Deux Pois Bakery.

The first batch of sewn confections is for a friend's daughter. She'll be turning two and getting a tea and kitchen set as gifts. The second batch, not shown here, is one I'm currently working on for my two girls. I have two more cakes to sew to complete the second set. Fun was had by moi!

Sewn Confections, Batch 1

Don't they look scrumptious? If only they'd taste like they look...yummy!

Illustration Friday: ClimbingInspire Me Thursday: Peeling Paint

2009-01-28T23:49:00.000-08:00

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Itsy Bitsy Spider - detail

I delved into my texture/photo stash when I saw Inspire Me Thursday's theme this week, "peeling paint." I have some great photographs of this very thing from a hike I took around Angel Island in the Bay Area. I used one of these photos (not shown below) for the side of the building in my illustration, Itsy Bitsy Spider.

More digging produced more textures. It's fun to count how many different "places" were used in this image. Let's see, there's the plant from our old backyard, rivets from the Experience Music Project building in Seattle, peeling paint from a building on Angel Island, a collage I made in my studio...you get the picture!

Of course, the inspiration for Itsy Bitsy Spider came from Illustration Friday's theme this week, "climbing." I sing this to my girls so it was the first thing that popped into my mind...always with the kid stuff!

Paint Peeling Texture 1
Building on Angel Island

Paint Peeling Texture 2
Building on Angel Island

Textures in the Slough

2009-01-20T00:12:00.001-08:00

Moss and Lichen Spore Capsules

I went for a nature walk today in the Mercer Slough. I took lots of great shots, these three being my favorite. Maybe I could use the "Swamp Gunk" image in my last monster image for the Seven Deadly Sins, Greed. I'll have to think on that one.

Lichen

Swamp Gunk

Inspire Me Thursday's theme this week is Breakfast. I'm not sure that "Swamp Gunk" is giving me the proper inspiration! Yuck!

Illustration Friday: Pale

2009-01-17T23:51:00.000-08:00

Bumble Bee and Ladybug Banner
Click on image for full size

Sorry this is so small! I just finished this image to use as a "farewell" footer to a blog, hence the odd shape and size. I added the quote, "Do I love you because you're beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you?" by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II in Cinderella as mentioned by Quote Garden. The quote was specifically added in honor of Illustration Friday's theme this week, "pale." I thought it fitting since Mr. Bee thinks the alluring daisies pale in comparison to his new love, Ms. Ladybug.

“Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere.”
~ William Shakespeare

Illustration Friday: Contained

2009-01-09T16:12:00.001-08:00

Black Bird Pie

Wow! My word got chosen for Illustration Friday's theme this week! I didn't know until I started getting comments to my blog...thought I'd better get an illustration done!

The last time I participated in Illustration Friday was August 31 with Kookaburra. I'm feeling a little rusty. And, as we all know, getting started is half the battle...!

Production Mode

2008-12-14T00:26:00.001-08:00

The Production Line

Up Close and Personal

I was in need of some 'thank you' cards and went into production mode. I have a play pen set up in my studio with toys and pillows to keep the little ones occupied while I try to be creative. They both like to get into everything BUT their toys and pillows. Big sigh. I like having them with me but I don't get much accomplished.

I kept the cards simple so that I could work on them quickly and have a finished product under my belt. I used scrapbook paper, stamps and ink, a flower punch, acrylic paint and Yes paste. Done and done!

First 'Thank You' Batch

2008-12-14T00:25:00.000-08:00

Bumble Bee and Lady Bug
Thank You cards

I forgot to share my earlier 'thank you' cards made in September. The cards were created for a bumble bee and ladybug themed party.

The cards were made with ribbon, scrapbook paper, Yes paste, stamps and ink and circle punches. These were elaborate so were more time consuming to make...

PIE?

2008-11-12T09:53:00.000-08:00

PIE, I just read, means "Paid in Exposure" according to this article, When to Work for Nothing at the NY Times blog...it's a good article with great comments. Check it out!

Speaking of PIE, NPR has shipped me 200 calendars as payment for the pro bono work I created for them last summer. My illustration, Listener From Outer Space, represents the month of October. I'll be mailing these out shortly after Thanksgiving as Christmas give-a-ways. If you're on my mailing list, watch your mailbox! A 2009 calendar is coming your way...

To view the calendar cover art go to NPR's website at www.npr.org.

Self Published!

2008-11-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

Animal Alphabet
A-Z

By Stacia K. Stojanoff

Book Preview

Preview Animal Alphabet A-Z at Blurb.com

The collage images in this book are a creative and textural way to introduce the alphabet to young readers. Each page offers a different animal in a unique setting with a short descriptive sentence of each letter. A wonderful way for children to enjoy the ABCs.

I self published this book April 4, 2007 with Blurb but kept it private so I could shop it around with book publishers. Not much luck in that arena. I've learned there are lots of dos, don'ts and a multitude of other obstacles making it very difficult to break into the children's market. Because time is not something I have an abundance of, I decided I would self publish and turn my attention to my next book.

The next book I have in the works is another alphabet book introducing words that start with the letters of the alphabet. It's clever, fun, and will be illustrated in paper and digital collage to add textures and depth to the images.

Another book still being dreamed about is a children's counting book 1 through 10 to be a companion to Animal Alphabet A-Z.

The holidays are right around the corner as are winter and spring birthdays! Check out Animal Alphabet A-Z at the Blurb Bookstore. Previewing is available and purchasing is as easy as ever ;)

Illustration Friday: Memories

2008-08-31T00:37:00.001-07:00

Kookaburra

I used to have this song on a 45 LP when I was a kid...it was one of my favorites. Now that I have two tots, I like to sing this song to them.

It's hard to see, but the first two verses of the song (font in the image is Dandelion) are repeated in the background of the image adding to the texture.

Here are the lyrics:

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.
Merry, merry king of the bush is he.
Laugh, Kookaburra! Laugh, Kookaburra!
Gay your life must be.

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.
Eating all the gum drops he can see.
Stop, Kookaburra! Stop, Kookaburra!
Leave some there for me.

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.
Chasing all the monkeys he can see.
Stop, Kookaburra! Stop, Kookaburra!
That's no monkey, that's me!

Kookaburra sits on a rusty nail.
Puts a boo-boo on his tail.
Cry, Kookaburra! Cry, Kookaburra!
Oh how life can be.

Bumble Bee and Ladybug Party Invitations

2008-08-29T21:52:00.001-07:00

Bumble Bee
Front: "Have you heard the buzz?"

I created two icons, a bumble bee and ladybug, for a double themed birthday party invitation for twins. The images were used for the invitations, which were printed and adhered to 5x7" black, single-folded cardstock and finished with yellow/white striped and red/white polka dot ribbon. The font I chose is called "Fontdinerdotcom."

Ladybug
Inside: Invitation details

Finished Invitation
Front and Inside

The assembly line is now in process!

Seven Deadly Sins (Lust)

2008-07-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

Lust

I started the Seven Deadly Sins awhile ago and was stumped on what to do for greed...so I allowed myself to be distracted by other things and kind of forgot about finishing this project! After I read Inspire Me Thursdays theme last week of Polka Dots, I took what I started for Greed and changed it into a lusty, freckled monster octopus instead. This one, Lust, is the 6th monster I've done, so I only have Greed left! Want to see the others? They're here:

Wrath
Envy
Gluttony
Sloth
Pride

NPR's 2009 Calendar IllustrationIllustration Friday: Enough

2008-07-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

Listener from Outer Space

Hello! I'm surfacing briefly from house hunting to share my latest work assignment, an illustration for NPR's 2009 calendar, due tomorrow.

Here's the assignment:

"NPR has always represented audio excellence and great in-depth news reporting. Our reports not only foster intelligent discourse, they also often elicit imagery in the minds of our audience. We want you to put that on paper. Here is a choice of questions your art may answer:

* What does your personal NPR experience look like?

* How does NPR affect your life or your community?

* Six key verbs help characterize the NPR experience across today’s media platforms: Share, Connect, Think, Question, Explore, and Dream. How would you visualize these words?

* The work should include the NPR logo."

I thought it was also fitting for Illustration Friday's theme this week, enough. Even this alien can't get enough of the Earthlings' radio. Especially the NPR programming!

Calendar Project for NPR

2008-07-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

NPR recently contacted me with an invitation to participate in their 2009 calendar. The production manager wrote, "Your illustrations in the Directory of Illustration were delightful, with their whimsy and textures." Nice to know that my page in the Directory is getting noticed and advertising is paying off...well, sort of...

NPR invited me to contribute an illustration. It's not a paying job, but it will promote my artwork to the 10-18,000 listeners that will receive the calendar. They will also send me 200 calendars of my own to distribute. My name, bio and contact information will be next to my artwork in the calendar. Advertising begets advertising!

Cookie Tin Project Completed

2008-04-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

Cookie Tin Lid

Cookie Tin Side Detail
Dotted line is the crease where the lid will sit.

I finished the cookie tin project for Tormont Publishers back in March. A lot of back and forth, and in the end, we were all happy with the final outcome.

For now, no more projects. I need to focus on my impending move. I've already packed up my studio space...a difficult endeavor! I had a hard time saying goodbye to my stuff. Paper, scissors, Yes paste, Wacom tablet...I won't see it for several months! Oh well, I'll be back soon enough!

Ciao for now!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2008-04-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

Photograph of Original Paper Image

Mom's birthday was last Monday and the polka dot wrapping paper (Inspire Me Thursday's theme this week, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle") she tore off her gift inspired this week's "primitive" (Illustration Friday's word this week) paper collage. I cut the pieces, glued some together, layed them in position on black poster board, and snapped the picture. I uploaded the picture to Mom's computer, and using her mouse and Photoshop 6.0, I clumsily cleaned up the image and added the shadow and high lights.

Digitized Final Image

I added the cups and saucers in honor of Creative Cup's anniversary on May 3...the C-cuppers will be celebrating 1 year on Saturday!

Illustration Friday: Multiple

2008-02-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

Cookie Sampler

I baked cookies, I ate cookies, and I illustrated cookies for my cookie tin project with Tormont Publishers. Now, while I'm waiting to wrap things up with them, I've put all my illustrated cookies on a plate to finish tapping that well.

More Research Illustration Friday: Theory

2008-02-26T18:14:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Chip Cookie
"In theory, these should taste great!"

I'm still working on the cookie tin illustration for Tormont Publishers. More textures are needed and the easiest way to get them, is to make them. So I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies last week...yum, they were delicious. Tonight, I made peanut butter cookies. Fresh for photography.

I left one chocolate chip cookie "chip barren" for my photo shoot. I'm adding collage bits later for the chips in my illustration. All the other cookies were satisfyingly delicious! This better be the last of my research or I'm going to have to blow the dust off my South Beach Diet book!

Peanut Butter Goodness
A half batch for my figure.

The Last Studio Friday: Highlight(s)

2008-02-14T18:02:00.001-08:00

The challenge: "If you had to pick one highlight of your work what would it be? You might also think about the highlight of your day when you have time to be in your studio, your creative space...? Over the past years has there been a very specific highlight for you?"

A Chocolate Solution

My current highlight is my illustration from March 2006 called, A Chocolate Solution as it is the reason Tormont Publishers recently contacted me. I'm working on illustrations for a cookie tin using A Chocolate Solution as the starting point. I'll be changing the chocolates to cookies for their project.

I think my favorite career highlight as an illustrator has to be my 60+ image exhibit at Sequoia Hospital's art corridor. I sold many pieces, donated a few to different charities, and received many compliments about my work. Since I was pregnant with my twins at the time, it was a nice transition from full time illustrator to full time mom!

Some Tasty Research Studio Friday: The Heart of Your Studio

2008-02-14T17:43:00.000-08:00

Cookies in the Making

Happy Valentines Day! Today I made heart shaped sugar cookies drizzled with a glaze for our St. Valentine's Day dessert. First and foremost though, this project was a tasty way to research my next graphic project, a cookie tin illustration for Tormont Publishers based in Montreal. I took close up snapshots of the cookies after they were baked to use as textures in my collage.

The Finished Product

The Studio Friday challenge: "Where or what is the heart of your studio/creative space?"

The heart of my studio is finding, creating, and photographing textures. Since I am a collage artist, textures are what put the lift in my shoes. I find a lot of inspiration in visually tactile materials.

Illustration Friday: Blanket

2008-02-06T00:27:00.000-08:00

Made My Bed

The phrase, "You made your bed, now lie in it." inspired this illustration for Illustration Friday's theme this week, blanket. I've also been doing a lot of sewing lately and have been working on two patchwork quilts. It was nice to take a break from that project to work on an illustration today!

The colors and papers might look familiar as I used them before in my Little Houses Around image (inspired by the color wheel). This is an all digital collage, using "recycled" bits from my different images.

Studio Friday: Pet Peeves

2008-02-01T23:53:00.000-08:00

The challenge: "Dictionary.com defines a pet peeve as, "a particular and often continual annoyance; personal bugbear, something about which one frequently complains; a particular personal vexation." Could be fun to research pet peeves while in the studio! What's your pet peeve and why?"

Feed Dog, Presser Foot, and a Threaded Needle

Upon first view one might think my pet peeve is the dirt and grime on my presser foot and needle bar! But, alas, I didn't even notice THAT until after I uploaded the picture. Guess I need to clean and oil my machine...I can't even remember when I did that last ...dare I say, years ago? Sewing machine abuse!

Since I've been focusing on textiles these past few months, I thought I'd give the low down on my pet peeves while sewing. I have many, but will mention just a few.

1.) Threads and scraps HAVE to go in the garbage right away. I can't stand trash piles...I take notice and it distracts me (see #7 here).

2.) Having to use my seam ripper. Sometimes I even amaze myself at the stupid mistakes I make since I've been sewing most of my life.

3.) For some reason I NEVER pull enough thread back after making a seam and cutting the thread. When I go back to make another seam, the thread take-up lever pulls the thread out of the needle. Just thinking about that annoys me! This one might be my biggest pet peeve.

Inspire Me Thursday: Expand Your Comfort Zone

2008-01-30T23:21:00.000-08:00

The challenge: "...this week your challenge is to go beyond your comfort zone. Whether it is using new materials, creating a huge mural, submitting your work to a juried show, or sharing your poetry with others for the first time ever, be inspired to shake things up a bit, dig deep, push past the fear and take the risk. Go for it!"

New Blog's Banner

New Blog's Title bars

Wow! Over a year ago I started working on this project! Back in May 2006 I started the Creative Cup Illustrator's Group blog. I secured the name with Blogger and I wanted to secure the domain to start my website with the same name, Creative Cup. Alas, one day it was there, and the next, it wasn't. So I changed the name to My Creative Cup. I've been paying for this domain but haven't been using it!

My intention for My Creative Cup's website was to be a community based website sharing challenges, ideas, featured artists, and resources for artists/crafters. But now with twin babies, I don't have the time to be an administrator for this type of endeavor. I've decided to use it as a regular blog sharing my crafty ways, keeping Espial Design for illustrations only.

I'm using WordPress and am struggling through the code to make cosmetic changes. I have lots of little alterations before I make it public. It's a slow process but I've made great progress! Very soon it will be up and running.

Studio Friday: Legacy

2008-01-29T23:35:00.000-08:00

The challenge: "What work(s)/successes/accomplishments would you love to leave behind for the world? What legacy would you like to or are already about to create?"

Animal Alphabet A-Z Cover

I created a collaged ABC book that I had self-published through www.blurb.com. It turned out pretty cute. One day I'd like to get it published; a steep hill to climb. I've found that it's hard to get my foot in the door and to reach a responsive person.

I would like to create a similar 1-2-3 book as a legacy for my daughters. But, alas, lots of ideas and projects and too little time.

Inspire Me Thursday: Comfort Zone

2008-01-18T10:33:00.001-08:00

The challenge: "This week be inspired by your comfort zone. Create within your comfort zone, using materials and techniques with which you feel comfortable and confident."

Another Blog, Another Banner

I designed this banner for another blog I created to sell my babies' hand-me-downs. I'm part of a group called Mid-Peninsula Parents of Multiples (MPPOM) where I will post my new blog's website in order to sell my used clothing and equipment.

I love the design process for creating a new blog...this is my 10th one! Two were created for other people and the rest are mine. Each blog has a different focus.

This is definitely being creative within my comfort zone. I know how to easily maneuver around Blogger and I use the same templates to create each one's look.

I have another blog that has been in lingo for months and months that is in WordPress. Since WordPress is new to me, I find myself procrastinating instead of getting it up and running. Maybe next week's Inspire Me Thursday (the challenge is sure to be working OUTSIDE your comfort zone) challenge will give me the motivation to get this done.

Stay tuned...another new blog may be born!

Studio Friday: The View

2008-01-15T17:25:00.000-08:00

The challenge: "Let's take a look at the view out of your studio, be it through your window, door or imagined window maybe?"

A View Inside

I decided to take the opposite approach and instead of looking to the outside from my studio, I chose to look into my studio from my bedroom! My bedroom has French doors to the porch where my studio is located. With the blinds open it offers a mysterious back lit ambience. Rather like an "I spy" scenario.

With that in mind, I decided a photo of the old fashioned glass door knob and key/key hole were in order to complete the noir feeling.

Door Knob and Key

Ceramic Plate with Lichtenstein Image

My studio images reminded me of this plate I painted for personal use back in 1999, a copy of Roy Lichtenstein's image called I Can See the Whole Room.

Studio Friday: Brand New

2008-01-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

The challenge: "A new year! Are there any brand new items, materials, colors, paints, papers... waiting to be unwrapped or unpacked? Maybe there is a new project or idea waiting to be polished and executed? Or you may have set a new goal for yourself or a resolution?"

Tree Skirt

I created a pattern for this year's Christmas tree skirt. Each panel has matching fabrics and trims left over from the stockings I made. I finished it "enough" to put under the tree for holiday season...but still needed to finish off the ends.

My New Year's resolution is to finish my projects. So I decided that I would finish hemming the tree skirt and adhere the ribbons for the closure BEFORE I put my Christmas stuff away. My old self would have packed it up in the hopes of finishing it next year since the holidays are over.

It feels good to get it finished, get a picture taken, and to share the finished project with the Studio Friday Community! Thanks for the inspiration!

Happy New Year!

Studio Friday: The Festive Studio

2007-12-13T11:51:00.000-08:00

The challenge: "The holiday season is upon us...what is festive in your studio for the holiday season? What puts you in the holiday spirit?"

Christmas Stockings

I needed stockings for my newborn daughters' first Christmas and decided we ALL needed new stockings, including their visiting grandparents! A big project with twin babies on site.

I wanted to use up some fabrics, trim, and buttons that I've had stored for ages. I created the pattern and made each one unique. I also made a tree skirt with panels matching each stocking.

Hand crafting and creativity puts me in the holiday spirit!

Babies in the Studio

My Little Helpers

Directory of Illustration, No. 24 is Here!

2007-12-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

Directory of Illustration, No. 24

Check Out Page 426!

Last week I received my copy of the Directory of Illustration, publication number 24. I bought a half spread advertisement spot; check out page 426. Included in DOI's advertisement package was 1500 copies of my page and space for 30 images on their website.

Studio Friday: The Random 7

2007-11-27T05:32:00.000-08:00

The Challenge: Make a list of 7 random facts about your studio habits.

1. Storing oddities:

The strangest thing in my desk drawer is an envelope containing human teeth! Sounds creepy...but I have kept my wisdom teeth and have used them in random projects. Check out Body Parts for more details.

2. Procrastination:

I'm a tinkerer with lots of ideas. I love starting new projects and actually finish some of them! But some sit on the shelf for a long while...like my Chicken and Teapot image.

3. Work style:

I'm a very organized individual; I like everything in it's place. However, when I'm in my creative space, I pull out everything that I think I might use so I can "see" what looks good and get a visual snapshot. Then things start to find their way into piles around me until I'm working in a tight little space. And, since I have multiple projects going at the same time...I have multiple piles.

Multiple Piles
Fabric, thread, paper, ruler, brushes, and stamps

4. Social outlet:

I was part of a critique group that met once a month at a coffee shop. When we disbanded, I started a critique blog called, Creative Cup Illustrators Group. I also participate in the internet community by participating at:
Illustration Friday
Inspire Me Thursday
Studio Friday

5. Renewing creative energy:

When I first started this blog, I wrote a post on how to keep inspiration alive, called Renewing Creative Energy. Exploring, setting the mood, and just getting started are all things I do to keep my mind fresh with ideas.

6. Taking a break:

Sometimes I just need to step back from a project and take a break. I check and write emails, IM with friends, watch my favorite TV shows, like Survivor, Top Chef, Project Runway, and What Not to Wear, take a shower, eat lunch, run errands, or call Mom for a chat.

7. Taking out the garbage:

Even though I end up working next to heaps and piles (see #3) I can't STAND garbage around me. Trimmings, scraps, threads, anything that needs to go into the trash gets cleaned up immediately. I'll take the time to clip strings from sewing projects and walk them to the designated garbage area even if it means taking an extra step. It's just that crazy thing I HAVE to do.

More Piles...But No Scraps!
Stamps, fabric, buttons, and ribbons