tania howells

blankies

 I have always wanted to knit an afghan or learn to crochet and make one, but when you find ones this groovy for only $3.00 each, you decide maybe buying one will be quicker.  We found these over the Easter weekend at the St. Vincent de Paul in Belleville and there were still more left!  I know there are often these old blankies at thrift stores, but something about these two screamed "take us home!".  Maybe it was the price...and also the wonkly zig zag  one.  I love the center part where two stripes become all big at either end.  It's so soft and girl cat has claimed it as her daytime bed.   I also like to picture the ganny who made these with love and gave them to whomever... I wish they can see the blankie will be apprecited a second time around.  ( You can see in the background, we have scruffy winter leftover land still here.)




I took a picture of my latte this weekend at a new to us brunch place, Poor John's.  It was so yummy!
We love brunch.   Look! It's so cute with a coffee bean on top!



Last, a picture of breakfast a few weeks ago.  It has been sitting on my desktop and though there is nothing to say about it, here it is!  I always enjoy a picture of breakfast, but now it is lunchtime!

 

Please have a look at this wonderful little diorama made by a very clever five year old girl whose name starts with L!  Can you believe that?  It is ofcourse a scene from Berkeley's Barn Owl Dance, towards the end of the book when.. oh wait, I can't give it away!   I am very impressed with the attention to detail- she even included the little chicks.  I'd say it is exactly like the picture in the book, maybe even quite a bit better actually...

Seeing this made my day!

 

 

well hello Spring!

What a nice surprise to see you here! 

Just a quick hello from the desk.  I am madly drawing, drawing,
but now it's lunch time! yippee!
I have some squash / sweet potato soup and some leftover rice that
I plan to unite, along with a nice piece of toast...how exiting.
Sadly, all the Easter chocolate is already gone...no restraint!

sukie to me!

In the category of things I don't really need to spend my money on is this super cute book of Sukie iron ons!
I have enough silkscreens around to print till I drop, but these are cute and new and fun and I wanted a treat last friday after Paul and I went for sushi after work.



It occurred to me too late that I really have no clothes in light colors to put these images onto,  mainly because I spill food on most things I own and that shows less on darker colors.  Also, a lot of my clothes are patterned.  But we forge ahead!  I like the idea of popping these pictures on the back of things or in funny unexpected spots, there are so many to choose from.  I think I have a linen skirt in my summer stuff that begs for some kind of image.  That does add to the problem that nothing I own is without a face... oh well,  c'est moi!



They do work on middle range colors, like this paler blue tee Paul wanted the rabbits put onto ( and even the pink scrap above) .  I also think I could have ironed it longer?  There was still a lot of image left on the paper after and they are not as sticky as the kind you buy to print your own images onto from the computer, so they slip if you are not careful.  Also, good to know, the white space irons out clear so you do not have to fuss with cutting carefully around the edges of things.

Ok! back to work!
-and please have a happy Easter peeps!

pa -pa - print

On Saturday I printed with the  stamp I made a while ago.
My neighbor came over and worked on some amazing beaded bracelets and I did this.  It was altogether a lovely afternoon!



This is a light cotton I found thrifting a year or so ago and I had envisioned making this into a springy scarf, but with the ink it is a bit stiff.  It still might work though and I might double it over and sew it shut so you see the print on both sides.  It is back to wool scarves today because it is SNOWING again!
My poor tulips and crocuses- they are all frozen.  I do hope they recover...


And guess who's back!!  My best friend the mockingbird.  There he is tiny at the top of the post.
I have not heard him today though, he must be huddled up by the fire in his little cottage by the railway tracks.  It is so great to hear his endless warbling again.  He has added a new one to his repertoire, the clang, clang , clang sound the train makes when it is going slowly.  I have seen him and his wife hopping around  in a tree next to a woodpecker.  It made my day.

• I have added this new widget that links to related posts! So far I am not quite sure how any of these posts relate to the current one, but heck, it's kind of neat!  I often forget what I have done in the past so I like this to remind me of some of it!

bricks to dresses

I recently created this image for a magazine.  Its about hospitals and philanthropy and I had to make a pale brick pattern to make the hospital look nice.  I ended up liking that pattern. ( You can't really see it, I had to make this image small because typepad cuts off the right side of everything too big!  click for bigger)  Since my usual default is bright colors and brash patterns, I was momentarily inspired by the idea of having a (somewhat) neutral wardrobe.
 

It would be nice to have this tunic-y thing in a lovely light jersey that won't get all stretchy and saggy later on.  Wear it over short jeans with my favorite shoes and maybe even a short sleeve top, dare to dream!  For now it's still a long sleeve one, but today might be 12C!  Yippee!
I suppose this outfit is not really neutral at all, but it would be comfy.