tania howells

Since I missed illustration Friday this and last week, I am showing these guys! I have a habit of drawing little things in the newspaper when I go through it. Here are a few. They always end up looking like me! Last night I dreamt of this scarf. A lady was wearing it when I was in a bus or subway, and it was white cloth silkscreened with this print on either end with woven blue cloth connecting the ends. I loved it!

later that same day...

...tania was still drooling over more gorgeous stuff from the internet land.

I don't know if everyone is like this, but from time to time I get this bloodthristy feeling of admiration for another artist where I wish I was that good and wonderful. Almost like I wish I had that style specifically and always. It tends to pass reasonably quickly and happens mostly during those stolen moments at work when I am longing for a way out. It happened with Amy Ruppel in the winter, Igloo Inc in the early spring and today I am gazing wistfully at Boy/Girl Party. Oh drool.

Speaking of drooling, I have had this site written in my little notebook for ages - Flop Design. If you click on downloads, you will find patterns made in heaven, and the links page is an amazingly great resource for Japanese goodness.

I was so cheered yesterday to find a special little envelope from Sweden in my mailbox! Camilla sent me these pretty things! Some music too. I know we live in a global time, but it is still so neat to me, to listen to music that was previously listened to in a place so far from where I live. That goes for all of this internet stuff too! Suddenly the world is a smaller kinder place. :) I especially love this patch. Won't I just be the coolest kid in town when I sew this on the back of my knap sack? Actually, I am not sure yet where to put it. Maybe on the corner of a skirt! Thank-you Camilla!!

from the vault Wednesdays

Typography book from Switzerland, 1957.

These pictures don't do it justice ofcourse. It is a really beautiful book with lots of empty space and neat 1950's style design.

This is the image I have done for Joleen's Tsunami relief chunky book project.
Better send it off soon! My scanner tends to wash out colors - the background is a nice limey green in real life.
Not much to say today. Working on another promo to send out in May - going to try and send them out every 3 months like I should have been doing for the last 6 years...it gets a bit expensive! I am trying to draw a fat buddha for a project, a couple with a baby and dancing sparkplugs! It is an odd assortment of work, but it is an assortment so thats good! My shift at work is now from 2-6 every day, so that's taking a bit of getting used to. During the fall and winter I worked 4-8, 3 days a week, giving me lots of time to work in the day. I am having to get up earlier!! The Horror!

YAWN...

part two

My mum had mainly gone to the sewing show to find this vendor - Kallisti quilts.(click on fabrics, then Japanese fabrics!) I was thrilled to see all these amazing Japanese fabrics, oh boy!

So I just bought 3 fat quarters, which were bigger than I thought they would be.

Talk about cute!

I am not even sure what I will do with them, but for now I am just going to pin them up and stare.

Yesterday my mum and I went to look at the creative sewing show. A lot of it was a bit twee, but there were a few things that really had me exited!

These little elves were part of a display from the Waldorf school where the kids learn to knit from kindergarten onward.

Six year olds made these toys! Talk about impressive. There were two boys crochetting away happily. I took photos of these two cute elephant toys but they didn't come out well.
Stay tuned for part two tommorow!

PLEASE! Could Heidi's cloud guys be any cuter?

I love everything she makes but these just grabbed my heart! There is something so wonderful about clouds with faces on them.

It's just like Krissy says! The library rocks! I had forgotten. I recently picked up Hooked on Crochet and Hand knits for the Home. Pretty! Ofcourse, I have only looked through the crochet book and it has to go back - someone has placed a hold on it. I grabbed it because it has a few nice flower patterns, but alas, I didn't get off my bottom and figure them out in time!
The knit one I just got yesterday-it's brand new! The only thing I may tackle is a cute hot water bottle cozy.
I am smitten, however, by this complicated and handsome cushion design! sigh...

again with the baby shoes!

I was going through yesterday's newspaper today and found this interesting article on the founder and creator of the cute shoe company Robeez. I am always looking for stories of just how do people (women) do it - heaving an idea off the ground, lugging it around, sweating for ages and sticking with it. I think the sticking with it is the main part. It has been 10 years for her to get where she is now. It is not always heaving and lugging - that just happens to be my mood lately. Sometimes it is a joy to work away at your own little sprout of an idea.
I am heartened by things like people "suddenly becoming known" after 15 years of hard work. Or even by people who decide to completley change their direction halfway through - that you don't have to do the same thing forever. That life can be a series of episodes. That "good enough IS good enough".
I don't know, I am rambling a bit!
I am feeling dull dull dull! Thinking all sorts of things like : " Should I change my illustration style to be more marketable? Do I even care? What's for dinner?"
I don't know if it's becasue I am a taurus, but I don't look to be "challenged" all the time. I'd prefer a nice cup of tea, not too much busy-ness and plenty of time for myself. So if I look at it that way, I am doing just fine.
Hmmm. I think I have written about this before...
:)
Pardon me, I tend to indulge in such thoughts every once in a while.
creative/professional ennui* c'est la vie! Lordy me!

I am also indulging in a little Favicon voyeurism. I still want to make one, and have that little handy tutorial from thimble bookmarked somewhere. Can't seem to find it now...

PS. thanks for all your funny comments about that crazy postal mishap. You all gave us a good laugh!

from the vault Wednesdays

Opera News - January 16, 1960. I love the trees on this!

Paul had been waiting and waiting for a book he bought on EBAY. It had been nearly a whole month ( the book was only coming from the states somewhere) and finally yesterday it arrived - with the above stamp on it!! Can you believe that? That is SO FAR away! How could it have been so completely re-routed? It almost seems like a cartoon joke.

I used to make little boxes with things in them. This is one I made around 2 years ago, and it is paper birds on pins in a small box. My true box making days were maybe 6 years ago and for some reason then, I just no longer felt like making them and stopped. I liked the way they looked but had just lost interest! I guess that's evolution. Anyway, I keep this one around to look at.

I am working on some sketches today for a little job I was called for on Friday. I am always so grateful and pleased when a job comes along! It is always such a pleasant relief.

I was looking through some old photos and found this one again. That's me and tiggy at the kitchen table -circa 1979 maybe? The photo is all ripped and in bad shape, but what I never noticed before was the awesome Marimekko table cloth!! Oh I wish we kept that... I still have some beautiful Marimekko bed sheets from that time though, not in this pattern but an orange floral. I will take a photo sometime. I was born in New Jersey and my mum said there was a Marimekko shop in Philadelphia that she liked to go to. I need a time machine! Imagine 1970's prices... dare to dream!

this just in: brunch was a hit!

Here is how the table looked today for brunch with Paul's mum and step dad. It was the first time I set it up so nice because Paul has these sweet leafy (love them) cups, saucers and dishes. Also in use were the lovely handblown glasses I have, made by Eva! I made a yummy strata recipe from get crafty which I can't find there anymore. I modified it so it had spinach and mushrooms along with the baked eggy, milky cheesy goodness. It tasted yummy. I had been nervous, but of course it all was quite pleasant.

This is the view from a resting spot on my walk home from work! It is so pretty here and I like to stop and look up into the still bare tree branches.

I don't think I have ever drawn a hedgehog before. The blog is great for motivating me to draw, one of the many things I love about it. The main thing I love has been "meeting" all you wonderful nice people! Thank you so much for all your comments and support! I continue to be amazed and touched and encouraged. Especially on days like these, where I feel jittery and stressed for no good reason. Maybe it's too much tea! Or the endless cat fur in the corners - must vacuum... Paul's mum is coming for brunch on Sunday! Her first visit here! ack! The place is a mess.

Yesterday I bought 10 postcard sized handmade paper cards for the postcard swap! I can't wait to find out who my swappers are. Thanks Myra for organising it!

illustration friday - alone

At first I thought the topic "alone" was too gloomy, but yesterday I got the chance to sit quietly alone and I remembered that it can be a wonderful thing. I sat on my brother's front steps waiting for Paul, looking at birds, watching the sky (see below) and generally decompressing. I went from feeling rather terrible and grumpy to feeling nicer and calmer, exited about the shadows the sun made through bare branches on roof tops and the color of the darkening sky. I got back into myself instead of fretting and comparing myself to everybody else.

From the vault Wednesdays

Just in case your barbies were cold...

This is from 1963 and all outfits are styled by Hilde! I wonder where Hilde is today, or if she is still alive.
It would be neat to have had a profitable career creating doll clothes knitting books in the 60's... I wonder if she did it part time while looking after kids or if she had an office full of wool...

fresh new links

Ahhh, the new links are up!
Dang, there is so much juicy goodness out there on the web.
So, to name where I swiped these from...
Charlotta Sandberg, Kila and vintage wallpaper via Camilla.
Alain gree and kitausagi kitchen via Buzzville.
Chocoa via My Paper Crane.
Esther Pearl Watson via Mati Rose.
Blik wall graphics via Grouchy Frog.
IGLOO via My Little Mochi.
The rest I know I got from somewhere, but darned if I can remember! Thank you if I found them at your blog!

The 12th of the month used to be international desk day, but I have been terribly out of the loop! Luckily today I didn't know what else to post, and I rememebered desk day! So this is not my desk, but a shelf near my desk. You can see Paul's Hockey trophy from 1969! There are various cute nick nacks and cards from people I admire, Miffy books and some of my own art stacked in the back. Oh and of course some POM POM's - or is that pom pon's? hee hee. Here is a gratuitous money shot of the boy and girl cat doing what they do best. (other than barfing on the carpet.)

weekend update

It was a beautiful sunny and warm weekend. On Saturday Paul and I went on a big walk.

We came across this surreal Pope shrine at the Polish church. These candles among thousands and thousands of flowers.

Handsome ducks in High Park. I admired many sprouts coming up, and in the sunniest spots, wee crocus' and scillas! Joy!

I found these funny patches at the Sally Ann.

Thank-you all for the enthusiasm about the t-shirts! I am thinking of how I can offer them to you. Perhaps I will take orders... I will keep you updated!
xo
t

After a long time of not doing it, I finally printed this t-shirt for Angela! She sent me three pairs of beautiful earrings as a trade. I hope she will like the shirt and its not quite perfect-ness! Sorry for the delay. Paul got a much anticpated book in the mail yesterday - University in Overalls. It is signed by the author - in 1923! I never realised it was going to be such an old book, it's really cool. The book is written by the guy who started Frontier College which Paul has volunteered for, in the labourer/teacher program.

I am so loving these Penguin books mugs! They are just so neat. My parents had a ton of these books when I was a kid, mostly the orange ones, all lined up on the book shelf in the TV room. I had all the spines of all the books memorized but rarely took any down to read them! It's amazing I am literate at all frankly.

Some scribbley scribblings from yesterday. It's how I usually feel when there is a job just finished or nothing on the horizon. what now? scribble scrabble. not much.

I finally made a bear from the great book that Myra sent me a while back. I even knitted her a little jumper. The shrinky dink stuff worked great for eyes, which was good because I can never come up with eyes I like. Any suggestions for a name? Here are some apples I just now did because I just figured out in my brain how to do the pattern thing in photoshop after sitting on it for a few weeks! (thanks Karen!) Oddly, it has a wee white line between the line I drew and the edge of the fill which doesn't hapen when you fill normally... Ah the puzzle that is photoshop.

random deliciousness

The most wonderful plates that Mariko found. Do we have a KMART in Toronto?? Anybody?

The cutest patterns for some bags. Check out the trucks one!

Pretty furoshiki.

Lovely mosaic-like photos.

cards a plenty

I have two friends that I have known since grade one, and this is the year they both get hitched! (not to each other of course) Above is the illustration I did for the upcoming summer wedding and this is from last September's wedding! And while we are talking about it, here is another wedding invitation illustration I did for some people last summer as well. It is fun to do because it is not something I ever planned on doing.

(Just for my own reminder and bookmark :Janet's birthday card from last July.)

Because today is, yes, snowy, windy and rainy, I thought I would post some of my cheery citrusy fabric to bring on warm thoughts.

Above is a table cloth my friend Prisca gave me. It makes me thirsty just looking at it.

This is some groovy plastic-y oil cloth stuff my mum picked up in Mexico. I may try and make some kind of bag with it.

Here is some IKEA fabric I love so much that I just keep it hanging on the kitchen door at all times. I have been really dismayed to see the fabric department at IKEA dwindling every time I visit. I have a fear that once they sell the last bit, they won't replenish it! It is a crime!!

I am so loving Kim's drawings today. They are adorable!

Kirk wrestles the giant lizard.

We went to the symphony yesterday! How POSH!! Well, the reason is the tickets were only $5! If you live in Toronto and are under 30, I highly recommend this program. I only have a few more months of it left! Somehow we got 3rd row seats, and it was a really neat experience. The music, part of the New Creations Festival, was the kind of modern stuff that makes me wonder why can't they just play NICE music about nice people doing nice things? There were no melodies, lots of disjointed odd unmatching notes, squeaks, bangs and general chaos but somehow it was all written down for every instrument to know how to sound. That amazes me since I can barely coordinate chewing gum and walking at the same time ( okay, maybe that's an exaggeration ) let alone a whole orchestra doing different things! One composer said the piece was his life written in music. It made me wonder how could someone have so dramatic a life? So many loud noises! Here is the ceiling! I also met the nicest kid who showed where the water fountain was. Here are some of those apples I was talking about in the last post. The search for the perfect one continues!