Everyone has idiosyncrasies and I’d like to share a particularly silly one of mine with you.

I rarely remove my wedding ring but I will, on occasion, and I most certainly take off my engagement ring when there’s even a small chance of it getting dirty (as it’s especially delicate because of the old pearl in it).  But I have this habit of washing my hands before taking off a ring and since I don’t want to put a damp ring inside its box (which also happens to be vintage where moisture is a no-no) I’ll have to leave it out.  Naturally I’ll set it somewhere out of harm’s way (a.k.a. Spoo Kee), like inside a cabinet or drawer until I can put it back on or until it’s dry.  Whilst setting the ring down on the shelf inside said cabinet or drawer, I find myself thinking these very words: “But a mouse might get it.”

Headline: “35 YEAR OLD HOUSEWIFE AND COMPUTER-NERD LADY LIVES IN FEAR OF RODENTS TAKING OFF WITH HER JEWELRY!”

OK, it’s not quite that dramatic but still nutty.  (And what kind of newspaper would print such a story anyway? [And did I just say "newspaper"?  Do they still make those?])  But I’m not really embarrassed to tell you since it IS so completely…absurd; I cannot help but be amused by it.

…

In high school my family and I went went on a road trip through the American Southwest: Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and so forth.  I will forever associate listening to U2′s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” on my walkman, snacking on half-melted gummy worms (from a 5lb bag, oh the horror of it), reading Garfield comic strips to my little brother (whilst we eagerly found coloring mistakes in the illustrations), and eating greasy-good breakfasts sitting inside equally greasy red vinyl booths at diners along the way with this trip.

Anyway, before we hit the road my mom hid some of her jewelry in a plastic bag inside the flour canister.  High tech.  Seemed like a good idea at the time.

Upon our return from the trip, and to our disbelief, the jewelry was gone (perhaps an earring or two was left  behind); only a holey and dusty plastic bag remained.  It was a mystery for a few years and soon forgotten.

Then my parents had the kitchen remodeled–taking out the atomic green formica counter top which I look back on fondly–and what should they find?  The jewelry.  Inside a mouse’s nest.  (We had no idea we even had mice!)   I was–and am– completely fascinated by the fact that these mice (or mouse) wanted the jewelry inside their wee nest.  I guess Magpies are not the only ones attracted to shiny things!

So there you have it, my explanation as to why that crazy thought comes to mind whenever I leave my rings out.

Yellow flowers for Monday.

Hi folks!  It’s always a good feeling to have something new to add in le shop.   This new print, “Hope Springs Eternal,” was created after the devastating quake and tsunami in Japan.  I really wanted to make something special to help.

Cherry blossoms always come to mind when I think of spring and it somehow seemed appropriate in this drawing.  And it’s around this time of year when I rush to the Japanese market hoping to find anything sakura-flavored like Kit Kat or mochis.

Buy this print and 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross. (I will make donations at the end of each month.)

I have also upgraded the paper for 8″x8″ and 8″x10″ prints which I’m nerdily excited about.  I’ve been putting it off for a while, concerned about raising my prices, but being able to provide the highest quality prints I can afford won out.   I’ll have 2 different papers: museum etching (which is similar in texture and thickness to watercolor paper) and another premium cotton rag which is more like hotpress watercolor paper (a smoother texture but with a little tooth to it).  ”Hope Springs Eternal” is currently being offered on the museum etching.  I really love how it looks on this paper!

This is a detail photo, to show you the texture of the surface.  Did you know it’s really hard to photograph paper?  I always have a heck of a time trying to get it right.  You can see more details on the product pages here and here.

If you like this print, please help me spread the word by tweeting, liking and forwarding this info along!  Thank you so much.

Available in le shop and on Etsy.

Oh, Monday! We had very heavy rain ALL day Sunday and it’s quite the relief to see the sun shine today.  I like the rain but when it’s constant (and cold) it tends to get me down. (Proof: I ate about a dozen chocolate chip cookies before I realized what I had done.  Whoops!)  But this new week brings pleasant things like the arrival of Spring in the northern hemisphere (YIPPIE!)  and some goodies around these parts.

The first being my bakery download in issue #2 of Toffee magazine!  Toffee is this new and neatorific downloadable magazine filled all sorts of printable goodies, tutorials and articles about extraordinary craftsters and illustrators.  I’m still perusing my copy–it’s that huge!  Tons of good stuff made by many talented peeps.

Issue #2′s theme is “Forest Friends” so I whipped up a recipe card along with matching bakery cards and a tag:

I can totally see myself living in a cute little pink cottage like this.  (Please note: this image is merely a low-res preview.)    So take a peek at Toffee when you can!

Also this week, I hope to share with you some drawings I’ve been working on for my class.  (Drawings I’m not embarrassed to show you, thankfully.)

I’ve been wanting to visit the Huntington in San Marino ever since I stumbled upon it (online) in my quest for wedding locations last summer. (It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since then!)  The Huntington was out of our price range but still remained a place of interest; what I found most intriguing was their scholarly library.  I’m not sure what it takes to qualify but not just anyone can go in and start poking around the old books.  Luckily for the rest of us, there are beautiful art exhibits (permanent and changing), architecture and expansive gardens.  My husband and I went over the weekend and I must say, we fell in love with the place!   I felt like we were on vacation, in a land far, far away.  If we lived in the area I would seriously consider getting a yearly membership.  If you are ever in SoCal or are a local you must visit.

I took a ton of photos and have included some highlights here:

I came away with my one required souvenir, the sweetly illustrated Kate Greenaway’s Mother Goose which you can get on Amazon (but it would be so much better if you visited the Huntington gift store instead).

New watercolor paper.  I normally use off-white hotpress (I love it for detailed work) but I stumbled upon this more textured, ecru-colored stuff that tickled my fancy.  Perhaps it’s this new paper, with its darker tone, that gave rise to Felix’s moody mix of murky green hues.  I’m not sure he’s finished but if not, he’s close.

Felix is actually a cheery example of a 8-armed fellow and surprisingly modest too.  He wears his medals with pride but doesn’t like to brag about his feats of strength.  He can be a little vain, however, and takes care to regularly groom his short golden locks (which, as you might imagine, can be quite challenging with a life underwater!).

Louise, a Narwhal; 5×7 watercolor & ink

I’ve just added to le shop a 5×7 print of my original watercolor and ink drawing: Louise, a Narwhal.  You may not know this, but narwhals are very sensitive creatures and have the ability to feel great empathy for other living things.

For every Louise print sold, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the National Audubon Society, in an effort to help with the BP oil spill clean up in the Gulf of Mexico.

Where the Cardinals Sleep; 8.5 x 11 watercolor on paper

This is one of those pieces that had a very humble beginning.  I’m acquiring a much better habit of sketching to just draw and see where that takes me.

The other night Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow was on TV and with hot chocolate in hand (seems like there’s almost always hot chocolate involved any task I do!) I drew this lass, a cardinal friend.  Can you see references to the movie?  I think they kind of snuck in there unconsciously.

This watercolor and its sociable birds remind me of the time when I was younger…I was outside on my parents’ porch while my mom watered her garden.  The birds always liked to come by when she was doing this, perhaps because the fresh water was so much better than any standing pools they could find.  A house finch flew down from the birch trees and landed on my arm, Sleeping Beauty-style.  I was in a state of delight and concern for I had never experienced an encounter such as this – was this bird really friendly or was she trying to tell me something?  She looked at me and chirped and hopped from side to side a bit.  She jumped onto my shoulder just before tweeting her good-bye and flying back up into the trees.

Thank you SO much for taking my name poll and leaving your comments – I’m very glad I asked!  Sometimes it’s easy to forge ahead and forget that it can be helpful to get other people’s opinions.   As for my next step regarding a possible shop move (I haven’t made the commitment just yet), I’ll definitely keep you all posted!

I’m working on some new drawings, including more paper dolls.  I’m having a lot of fun just creating and drawing, I almost feel like a kid!  I stopped by Blick over the weekend to pick up more watercolor paper and pens which was terribly exciting. (I know, how nerdy is that?)   My other creative endeavors have fallen to the wayside, including a sea-inspired picnic quilt I’m making for my nephew’s 1st birthday,  (I really need to hop on that this weekend)  but I’ve been too engrossed to really notice.

It’s wonderfully drizzly and grey today, I think I’m going to cook up some soup for lunch.   Anyway, thank you again.  Happy Tuesday!

This is what I was working on in my last post – little paper swans with movable wings!  Oh, these were fun to make and very satisfying.

It has been years (literally) since I played with gouache paint and I was quickly reminded how tricky of a medium it can be.  It doesn’t seem like it would be but I had gotten so used to painting with watercolor that applying paint in this fashion felt a little uncomfortable.  But you know what they say about discomfort and growth!

Anyway, do they look familiar?  I based the design off of my Leda the Swan (sewing pattern).   I really love vintage-style soft things and characters and I tried to capture that  in this paper birds with their thick lashes, simple design and sparkly-ness.  (Isn’t glitter the best thing ever?)  After I took these photos I punched holes at the top and added some gold thread so that I may hang them up.

They like to hang out (ha!) with Peter Rabbit, for now.  I might need to make a flock of these, yes?  That’s a distinct possibility.  And once I got started making these swans,  I thought such things might find themselves quite at home in le shop.

Hee hee, can’t you tell I had fun taking pictures of these?

A lovely Tuesday to you!