tania howells

At some point in the afternoon, I remembered Orla Kiely and became consumed with the wish for a bag! That's what happens to me around 3:00 at work - tea time and the need for something inspiring. Or I just sit blandly and try to look busy. Anyway, there is no way I am spending $130 on a bag. I saw once a t-shirt by her with rows and rows of graphic apples, so I am thinking of copying that idea and trying to make a screen of it. It would be a perfect summer print.

illustration thursday - crowded

I think this is the theme this week...

I am in a bit of a muffled groggy mood today, but I have to remark on the fact that robins have been sighted in the area! They are a true sign of spring. yay!

The image is only half true. I don't have cute blue shoes like that, the cats don't go outside ( poor deprived creatures) and I don'y have a heart stitched on my t-shirt. Otherwise, I think I did hear it may rain. Or it may not.

This is an amazing find from my friend Liam. An autograph book owned by a girl named Emma from Toronto in 1874! When he emailed me the link, he called it a 130 year old blog. It really is in a way. People have always loved to keep things like this I guess. It is so interesting to think of a girl who lived here so long ago. I wonder if she was happy to see the first robins in spring?

It's a new week! I am happy to be back after a nice weekend at my mum's loafing, reading, knitting and going for walks. We visited the new Value Village (flags above) and I found one of those cute wooden village toy sets made in Germany. I appreciated all your Easter greetings! I didn't even eat that much chocolate... I must be getting old! It's going to be a treat to spend a bit of time later and visit all your blogs and see what I have missed.

See you next week!

I have mentioned how I love the looks of tree branches but can't seem to draw them nicely, so I decided to try tracing! I like how this turned out. We have a ton of tree books at my library, so one day I photocopied a few of the ones I liked. I think I better try and photgraph a few while I still have bare branches around. That is ofcourse, if spring EVER comes. We had a fresh dusting of snow overnight! UGH!

Here is what a little TV time and a girl who thinks she knows how to knit will come up with! A oddly phallic mushroom hat for the ceramic dog who lives on top of the TV. I was thinking of a long tube to make into a leg of some imagined creature, but instead the knitting flipped halfway through and I decreased the stitches ending up with this odd number. All is not lost however! It gave me a good idea to try and make a little knitted ghosty finger puppet! Inspired completely by Kraf-O-La's rockin' ghost lamps! This project I will attempt over Easter. I know, maybe rabbits would be more seasonal, but ghosts are good at all times of the year.

illustration Wednesday - bloom

Here are some flowers for Illustration Friday's bloom theme this week. I have been rather remiss with the whole thing lately so I decided to hop to it. ( No Easter pun intended! )

Here is a sketch I did at the greenhouse last February. The above is a part of this though you can't see it very well.

I'm done the hat!! My first real hat!! I even figured out how to make a little niblet on top. Of course, this one is a little too LONG, but I just turned up the rim. The rim was the dog's breakfast part, but it doesn't really look too bad. I started it out ribbed, but I kept forgetting which stitch I last did, so I purled the rest. I am most exited about the niblet. I am aware that it is "spring", but I may still need a hat for a bit. I hate cold ears. Plus this matches my new springy coat! Here is a cute little ad I found at work yesterday in the "Easter" file. It has some eggs or something on the front - it is from Women's World Magazine, April 1960. There are so many gems buried in the library where I work. Check out the exited pup!

I really like aeroplane flight maps, especially the black and white line only ones. They look so neat with all those lines all over the place.

These artists do some really cool interpretations of the maps.

Please excuse the work in progress that is my header! It looked reasonable on my home computer and then on my 12" screen at work, it is all silly looking and gappy.
Try, try again. ( thanks Tim for the code!! )

The good news is, I made my first ever knitted hat! (applause)
The bad news is, this is what is left of it! (booo)
It ended up being too short, just above the ears, so I crochetted some length. The crochet was too TIGHT so I tried to unravel that and ended up snipping then snapping threads - oh it was ugly. Now it is living in a plastic bag, and I am trying again! This new hat may be ok, despite the messy first few rows. You'll see what I mean when I am done. It looks a bit like a dog's breakfast, but it's MY dog's breakfast, so I am proud.

I hit the mail jackpot this week! This came too - a sweet and special package from Hillary. A lovely little pin cushion with a couple of those pins I was gushing about earlier, some neato birdy coasters, valentines kleenex and the contibution to my new addiction, blank shrinky dink stuff! Plus a bunch of pins to make my very own pretty pins! woo!! I can't believe how much it shrinks, I am very exited about experimenting with it.

***

Hey, does anyone know how to override the basic typepad account code and make a personalised header graphic? I am too mean to upgrade... plus I keep thinking I should have just stuck with my free blogger account. At the time I couldn't figure out how to put images up! So I abandoned it and I liked the photo album option with typepad, but it is in the upgraded level! oh well.

Also, somewhere I saw a post about how to take a pattern, pop it in the photoshop pallette and use it with the fill tool. I forget where I saw it, does anyone know how?

:)
thanks in advance!

I got the most brilliant book from Karina to commemorate the trip that never happened! There was some mention of a possible book, but I never expected something so fabulous! She put so much work into this little creation.

It is amazing.

It is not only a cute little story, but it is interactive! There are cute little velcro-ed hats and mitts,

and skates!

They all go on the velcro-ed Tania and Paul. I Can't forget the velcro-ed beer and cider for after skating, (hot chocolate and beaver tails too!) .

All rounded out with a game of scrabble. How sweet!!!!

Thank you sooo much Karina! This is the cutest funniest little book ever!!

Sigh. Maybe next winter we will go skating on the canal for real.

You can't really tell, but this is a picture of Hedwig rockin' out as only she can, from this month's movie night! I love this movie, I love her hair and I love how she rocks out so hard. Brilliant! Unfortunately, the first movie screening was "I heart Huckabees" or my title, "I hate Huckabees". I have a very low tolerance for boys philosophising about the meaninglessness of life. Go do something useful like the dishes.

In other news, I think these plates from the latest Metropolitan Home Magazine are awesome. I am so loving tree branches lately, and I can't seem to ever draw them nicely.

Look at these cute little guys someone drew on a door.

This sketch is from way back in August, when I felt all full of ideas. Hopefully some spring will re-fuel my brain. At the top is a drawing of a little fatty, and below is him in person.

I made him in August too, and didn't show him off then. I guess I thought he was too silly looking. Plus the leafy part is directly inspired (or copied - thank-you!) from some of Rosa's lovely doll's, and I felt sheepish about that. Regardless, here he is now! In all his chubby orange glory.

This is a scrap I have in my little box of bits waiting to be glued in the scrap book. Isn't it the cutest dress? I love it. It looks like book spines repeated. I think I tore it out of a magazine called "Bare" which may not exist anymore.

I must be feeling better because I am noticing little things again, like a few pigeons on a wire. Also, bare tree branches against the darkening afternoon sky, snow drifts, colors, flavors - things I missed in the last few sniffly weeks!

This past Saturday, Paul and I made a pilgrimage to an untapped Value Village way out in the north west part of the city. I found these cool fabrics for $2 and $3 and 4 balls of blue Patons cotton wool for $2. So it was more or less worth feeling really gloomy waiting for the bus home on a desolate windswept corner. Getting home was great though and I spent the rest of that afternoon reading a cheesy novel and drinking tea. Bliss!

Last night I printed up these cards. I love spots. I had originally thought I would use it as a background with something cute on top, but I like it alone. It might be nice repeated on fabric.

Here are some houses doing a bit of skating. My skating days are numbered, if spring is in fact on its way... I think a final skate is in order soon, because it is still definately cold enough.
Today is an exiting day of adding numbers for taxes! I can't actually DO the taxes, but I can add up all my receipts and put them in an envelope for the accountant. Simple!

My friend Prisca gave me the yummiest cookie yesterday, and it was so easy!
Here is the recipe:

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs.

mix eggs first, then the rest.
put teaspoon sized blobs on an ungreased tray

bake in preheated oven at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

VOILA!

On my way to see the baby, I had to stop by the Morning Glory store for some cuteness therapy. Here are the stickers I bought, enlarged slightly to see the cuteness.
Speaking of cuteness, the baby was all that. He is around 6 months and all smiley and cuddly. He gets 5 stars on the baby meter. Way to go mum and dad!

Yes, it is STILL snowing! ugh.

I got my calendar from Camilla Engman (go to shop) yesterday! It's on sale and it is even more beautiful in person. How could I resist it? YUM.

Here's me with a bunch of leaves swirling. More wishful thinking!

Have you ever wanted something for so long that it becomes a habit and you have to think about it and see that maybe you don't want it really after all? Thats how I feel about an agent. I have always wanted to get an agent because I am horrible at solicting myself for work, but I get rejected by them all the time. Or just ignored. Lately I have been realising that I like not being too too busy. I have been getting enough work to please me and I don't want to have to quit my part time job which I love. I have been thinking a lot about how our society does not ever stop at "good enough" but is always desperate for more more more. How Wal Mart would rather close a store in Quebec, then let it's employees unionize, because among other things, that would lower their gross earnings. (correct me if I got that news item wrong, I often do) Anyway, one of my favorite quotes is "good enough is good enough". I think it is taoist or something. Sure I want a house someday, a baby, and I will need money for that, but I don't like the idea of being so busy that I can't putz around the house or walk to work slowly. You know, all of that good stuff!

Speaking of good stuff, tommorow I get to go visit a baby! The baby of my ex from 10 years ago. This baby is the first of my friend's babies, so it's very exiting for me! The next baby is due in July . I can't wait!!!

drawing of the day

Here is another one!
This morning I went out and bought a pair of boots I have had my eye on. I had to get out!! I also got a fuzzier then heaven ball of yarn to try and make a hat. When I got home my sweet granny neighbor brought me home made soup. If that isn't the nicest thing, then I don't know what is. I don't think she even knows I have been sick!
Now I am going to work on the sketch for posting tommorow.
:)

Well, I have been going to my shift at work the last day and today so that is something in the not going totally batty at home category. And look that this lovely blog I found! Hop skip and Jump! There are some sweet little dollies here.

Here is another little sketch, I think I will try and do some every day. I often start up these "drawing a day" plans, and never keep them up, but I suppose coming back to the idea regularly is as good as keeping it up all the time. It is also time to clear up the desk. I am not really in the mood to do anything. I was thinking of venturing out to get yarn for a hat I am working on from the S&B book, but they are saying it is -13C and my throat won't like that! Still not 100% I guess. blah blah blah...

***

Oh look at these fantastic delicious pin heads Hillary made!! I am so BORED of being stuffy headed and sleepy brained!! I want to feel inspired again and make some fun stuff. sniff.
Ideas? zero!

wishful sketching

Trying to get back into working, I am doing some sketching and playing - something I realise I don't do enough of. I am really looking forward to some green leaves.

I am finally starting to feel better! Still a bit woozy, but better. Here are some great earrings from a trade I did with Stitch Pixie. Aren't they cute? You can see more like this on page 7 of her jewellery section. This is a button I have had for years. It was in my wallet until I got a vinyl one that I couldn't stick the pin in. Now it is on my inspiration board. I love it! It's my little mantra. The fabric is some pyjamas I love and I have wanted to post for ages, just so i could look at it often.

When I was a kid I had a brief focused obsession to become a professional pebble painter. My dad enthusiasticly took me to the local rivers to find rocks and this is what I have to show for it! (I got bored fast.)

I wanted to do a little tribute to my dad who died four years ago today. I miss him every day and he is the reason I love birds! He is why I know lots of plant and flower names, why I like the muppets, Japanese cute stuff and Warner Brothers cartoons. He is why I always "read the book" explaining new electronic things and why I get the names of lots of things slightly wrong- (because it's funny). He read me tons of books, took me on a million walks and is why I love hardware stores, book stores and grocery stores.
xodad - I miss you.

Well hello!

This is the first time I have turned on the computer in 3.5 days! That's a world record for me. I caught some horrifying strain of this cold/flu thingy going around and I still feel like a truck ran over me in the night - cough cough. For some reason, after finally being brave enough to turn on the computer at all, I can't even access my Yahoo mail. Mysterious. I think I will go and continue my old school couch sitting ways now, I need a tissue.

:)