*

hmmm....

Has anyone tried to send me an order by clicking on the email link in my shop?
If you have and I haven't replied, let me know. Some people have said it isn't working...but I don't know!! I would never ignore you!

:)

Paul and I got to take a much needed break and go visit my mum this weekend. Not only did we see the rare and coveted "GO JIT" truck on the way, but we also got down to some serious thrifting at the hospital auxilary shop in town.

I found these awesome knitting pattern magazines. The poses are too funny. His and hers! I haven't been able to figure out why they are so happy to be in a flood.

This cute make it yourself book. Who knows, I may even make a thing or two in it. It doesn't show how to felt though and I want to try that.

And ofcourse, some groovy fabrics. The floral one is a pillow case I want to make into that drawstring skirt I have seen at a blog or two. (sorry I can't remember who's blog!!)

I even had a stitch and bitch with my mum. She is working on this lovely fuzzy blue sweater thingy and I am consumed by some lumpy crocheting. I somehow managed to crochet a lopsided little flower, which I may post tommorow. THAT was an exiting moment.
Ahh, good times.

The show went really well! Better than I expected. Luckily I sold stuff, because the first thing I did after I set up was spend all my cash on this beautiful hat from Chapi Chapo. Isn't it so nice??

What a day! Scans not sharp enough, images too small, colors all wrong, re-do's, un-do's, rain, laundry, snow, needy cats, last minute making. Tommorow is the first of the 4 craft shows and the illustration went off this morning. I pray there will be no more problems with it, as I am now rushing off to work and won't have any free time tommorw! But look at this crazy bag I found Monday in Chinatown! It's perfect for laundry, and so gosh darn cute.

withdrawl!

Sheesh! It has been a few days since my last post. Here is a shot of what I am working on - the afformentioned delayed illustration job. It is 4 small simple spot illustrations, but I tend to have to do a whole page of the same thing before I can pick one I think is the right one. The moving was fine, and apart from a couple of panicky "Where will all this STUFF go??" moments, I am fine too.

Someone I know suggested I make gift tags, so here is an image from one of them. It was very nice to have a reason to buy double sided tape for the backs of them! I love that stuff. I am waiting on approval for a last minute illustration job. (YAY!) They emailed me Tuesday and wanted it done Friday! I realised I have to get it done by today because (YAY!) Paul is moving in tommorow! and I am going to be kinda busy all day. I hope I hear from her soon, so I can wrap it up before I have to go to my job. If need be, I could just work on it tonight - horrors! I try hard to not let work work overflow into my off time. Easier said than done!

HMM. This angel seems a bit worried...

****

If they made shoes as lovely as this for grown ups, I would so totally be wearing them right now.

lookit

look how nice.
Marc Boutavant

Remember back a few months ago I was taking a pottery class? Well, here are a couple of things I made. All in all, I was a bit disapointed with it. The glazes were like water and ran all over the place. We were only allowed to make small things. I had hopes of tall thin bottles...

Anyway! I liked this dish, which is a copy of one my mum got at some craft show. I don't know the potters name but I loved the idea!

Here is a jug with stripes. I put stripes on because the glaze had run down in dribbles. This cup I liked. I was going for very white, but we were only allowed to use red clay and dip in white glaze once! I was hoping for a Jonathan Adler kind of deal. It was fun though to get my hands all mucky and try clay again. It was surprising how hard it was to make the clay do what you imagined, after not doing it for so many years.

AHHH, it is a beautiful day outside! I will need my mittens though.
Speaking of mittens, Karina's Lost mitten Projectis where your lost mitten may be. She has been collecting and cataloging mittens from all over, for the last 2 years!! It is a wonder to behold.
The Christmas Craft show dates are up, for anyone in the Toronto area.

Illustration Friday: Vintage

This is Paul's 1960's cruiser bike that he only rides on special occasions. Let me tell you, it is a sweeet ride.

And International Desk day also falls on Illustration Friday! Who knew?
Here's some little gift tags and X-mas cards as well as regular scissors, pens - probably looks pretty much the same as last time...

Thank-you so much for all the nice comments in the last post!! You all really cheered me up! I am always so blown away by what a warm supportive community I have discovered here, where I never even knew one existed.

Today has been much better, moods pass, and I didn't have to be at work due to Remembrance day.
This is the leftovers from my busyness. I always love a pile of scraps.

This is the product! A bunch of new silk bags. I plan to put all these new things in the shop after Christmas, which is a bit backwards I know. I had wanted to get a basic shop up first and then concentrate on all the Christmas craft shows next. If you like anything you see, let me know though! I never refuse an offer!

:)

"This too shall pass"

Some catty scarves! *

It's official, I think in my brain I feel like I am not "working" when I make all this fun stuff. I have sort of put illustration on the back burner for these months leading to Christmas, while I make all these items to sell at the four craft shows I am in. ARGH! Why can't I just enjoy myself? It is fun, and instead of feeling great, I feel all anxious, wondering if the place I have reached in the illustration career will totally evaporate if I neglect it for 2 months...Sometimes I wonder if I have what it takes. I can't keep up with the constant promotion schedule, the calling of people I don't know. When I do get jobs, these tasks are easier because I am buoyed up by a burst of self confidence. I feel like I am getting too old to be relying on some magazine calling me, to keep me feeling good about myself. Sometimes it doesn't matter, and other times, it matters way too much. I also shouldn't forget that these are moods, I dont always feel like this. It is Wednesday after all! The mid-hump of the week, the "where does it all end??" day. Aahh, and writing it all down always makes me feel better.

I would love to see some of your desks, on "International take pictures of your desk or workspace day", coming up on Friday the 12th! I am going to try and take a picture every 12th, just to see how my space changes. I have a bit of an archival side I guess. Since I was 20 or so, every birthday I go to the photo booth for a picture. I think I missed age 22, but I took the photo later on. Now that I am coming up to 30, it will be neat (or scary!!) to look back on the last decade. How on earth has a decade gone by...

Some more cuteness in the Goodwill book from the last post.

I love how simple and happy these pictures are.

I found this sweet little book at the Goodwill this weekend. It has a few different illustrators and different stories, all cute. Some more birds! This time white ink and new silks. The new IDN magazine is all about pattern! It is so inspiring and interesting, with articles on Marimekko and Tord Bjoonte as well as really cool Finnish Designers. The new silk was so nice, I couldnt bear to waste the scraps so I made a stripey thing.

whoops!

I forgot Illustration friday!
"Search" was a hard one! I am going to check out what other people did.
***
So neat!
While checking out everyone's "search" pictures at Penelope's Journal, I found Kim! I have never met Kim, but I have seen her lovely cute work around my city for years and years. An ex boyfriend once even gave me one of her magnets, because our work is similar. Hi Kim, if you are here! I tried to leave you a comment, but it wouldn't work. I'll be visiting again soon.

Somebody, and I'm not naming any names, walked in the paint and tracked it all over! I was cleaning up all the newspaper from painting some drawers, and I found this perfect footprint. I have often tried to get cats to give me an autograph, but they were always too famous. I am so lucky!

I liked this sketch I did on scrap paper, trying to draw a bird that looks more like a bird in real life. Then, since I am unable to ignore the color palette in photoshop, I added colors and squares. In other news, I am trying to block out the fact that that scary man is the president again. If anyone in America wants to move here, I'll start the support group!

This picture ended up being all about the cat! It was meant to be about the scarf. It took me years to finish and is so lumpy and scrappy. My friend knitted a perfect part (bottom left) to show me how, and then I took over again! Paul, bless him, said it was really nice - maybe I will wear it this year... I want to try and knit again, nicely!

Feel the love.

you are getting cosy...

Pillows to sleep on all day instead of doing anything productive.

Rosemary Hallgarten
Magda Wojtyra(via Rosa and/or Rhya)
Clarissa Hulse
Ruckus
Jonathan Adler

crafty weekend

I was struck just before I went to bed last night to make this stamp I had been thinking about all day! I have been too mean in the last few months to buy myself the British Elle Deco because I have been trying to save money. Friday I treated myself to it, and it just inspired me non stop. I LOVE the shots of Jonathan Adler's summer place!! He rocks. Saturday, I decided I wanted one of those groovy flowers all the kids are wearing. This one will likely fray right away, but who cares. I had leftover silk. And I sewed up some new bedroom curtains out of this pretty IKEA fabric. They have the best stuff there. YUM! Oh! and ofcourse, there was Halloween and a fun party at my brothers house. There were some very impressive costumes! I was Finnigan from Mr. Dressup. (The little grey dog on his shoulder!)