Hi dears!  I’m so glad to be adding a couple of new things to the Etsy store.  Some pretty stationery things for you: a Thank You card set plus Print Your Own stationery (you’ve gotten a sneak peek of both items on ye olde blog).

The drawings are inspired by late summer:  lazy afternoons, golden sunlight and pretty wildflowers.  And as you can see I’ve used some of my favorite colors too (coral-y pink, golden yellow and teal blue!).

As of this posting, the above stationery items are on Etsy but I’ll also be adding them to le shop as well.  But first my husband is taking me on a museum date!

Happy Tuesday.

*UPDATE* Stationery has been added to le shop: Thank You Cards and Printable PDF Stationery.  Enjoy!

I’m glad to be adding new works to le shop soon.  It’s definitely a balancing act between juggling work with illustrating, sewing dolls and dresses, ice cream-making, ice cream-EATING, making more ice cream, etc.

Anyway, printable stationery is one of the things coming up.  I love stationery because it can be so pretty but really practical too.

Happy Wednesday!

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!).