tania howells

Meet simmy ( and simmy ). A raindrop that got too big to live in the clouds and fell to earth. Lucky us!
He needs a home.
And a super duper linkorama place - PDM yum.
- and thanks for the advice on paypal etc !

I felt like a bit of a change. Suddenly the pink and green layout was too heavy for summer.
I'm ready to put up the July/August inspiration links, and I am busy thinking about putting up a store where I will sell some stuff I made.
Which leads me to ask, would any of you fine folks have stories or thoughts on Paypal? or other means of money transfering? I have been researching, and would love personal opinions. Like is the whole shopping cart dealy easy to set up and maintain, etc.
thanks in advance!
tania

Yesterday after work, I stopped in Chinatown for some dumplings and a packet of "superior nice soap bolled" noodles. HEE HEE! It's so funny!

Well, I am a bit slow it's true, so when I finally got around to getting a Moomin book out of the library, I was delighted. I didn't expect it to be so very nice. I had read about it for the first time on Loobylu a while ago, and then a friend told me about the books as well. Today I bought 3 of the series on amazon! When will they get here? I want them NOW!!

Here is what that line drawing flower from a few posts back became. It is for a wedding. She is named after a flower and he is from the east coast, and she said the decorations are these colors, so this is what ended up being the invite.

kooky!

A guy came into the library needing Chinese propaganda posters! We had some in the files but this site has some neat ones. It's fun, this job, when people need help finding interesting things. Hope I don't get arrested because his winky is showing.

Here is what that pile of tiny boxes from a few posts back became. It's my entry into the Square Foot show at AWOL Gallery. It's a bunch of planes in there, some watercolor on a pin, and some sketchy in ink. It ended up being a little dark looking, but that's ok.

testing 1, 2 , 3...

This is the test paper for that last illustration I did. It was due on Monday and they liked it! She is my favorite Art Director. So nice, and always takes the extra minute to give you a boost of kindness. A big thank-you to her! Another nice thing was yesterday- 2 seperate people saw me coming on my bike and waited to open their parked car doors, smiling as I passed. I waved thank-you's to them for sure. Too often people see you but open the door anyway, causing life threatening situations. eek! There isn't much room to pass.

cottage

I had the good luck to get out to a cottage this past weekend! It was paradise. I haven't been to a real lakey- woodsy place since 1997, and being able to swim in the lake (once I got over being chicken) and just be in all that nature was so very nice. On the lake, a loon made a calculation error and popped up right by the canoe! not a metre away from my face! This was a highlight, as loons are notoriously shy of people. Thank-you Lisa, Jonathan and Burke for a lovely time.

It exiting! The everything bird must have just been a mockingbird!! This site talks about one and even links to a picture, and it must be the same bird. Thanks John Simpleton, even an everything bird needs a proper name.

Nappy D

Other movies evaporate from my brain the second the lights go up, but Napoleon Dynamite did not! We saw it a month or so ago, and Paul and I are still laughing about it. If you ever were a gangly, awkward, sensitive kid with teeth slightly too big for your head, like me, you will be shocked at how accurate this movie is. It's just really so good.

When I was first thinking I would like to draw pictures for money, some guy - an older established guy in the field- said I probably shouldn't bother. That the market was saturated and that there really wasn't much point or chances for young illustrators to break into the field. I don't remember now, but it is more than likely I went away to have a little cry and curse the guy, carrying my heavy portfolio and feeling stupid.
Isn't it a shame what one comment can do to a hopeful kid?
Though I barely think of him, I am sure he contributed to recurring feelings of "What IS the point anyway?".
I have decided that it doesn't matter if there is a "point".
What matters is showing up.

As I was drifting off to sleep last night who should pop into my head but good old Sof' Boy. I haven't thought about him in years. To my surprise, I now find out the guy from Sea and Cake made him up! Waddya know. I love Sof' Boy.

A funny little washcloth. I scanned it when I bought it a few years ago. I am glad I did because now it is all faded and crummy looking.

I am doing a bunch of drawings for Today's Parent Magazine. YAY! This one is about how thermometers are a lot better these days. I still have to add colors.

i love my job

You go on a little holiday and when you get back to work, you discover that along with "People" and "HELLO!", your library now recieves "Cosmo Girl". You thought it couldn't get any better. Will any work get done? stay tuned.
(dirty secret revealed : I ***LOVE*** trashy mags.)

hm. not the best picture, but here's a bunch of cards I made this morning! I had to make a thank you card and just got carried away. Silkscreening is fun and speedy! They still have to be folded in half.

I drew this a bunch of years ago. Ladies! We need each other! I wish I still had a granny. I always admire those still, strong older women. Thank goodness I still have a mum.

It's nice to be nice.