maggierama

Those Lucky Dogs

2012-02-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

Mrs. & Mr. Woofington at Christmas, anticipating their departure from gray-skies Seattle.

Now they live in sunny California, where they take daily strolls through the fragrant honey-scented Alyssum.
Those lucky dogs!
xo

Woollyphant

2012-01-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun elephant I made from this fabulous thick two-tone nubby wool fabric.

Lester joined the photo shoot, looking innocent enough.

But as a lover of anything wool, he thought this toy for him.

Help! Where is Lester's head? Where is the elephant's trunk?

Luckily, Woollyphant is a sturdy guy and he came through unscathed, ready for his trip to CA.
xo

my new best friend

2012-01-10T16:12:00.000-08:00

I'm fairly bereft that he's gone back to CA, but am trying to keep around at least a few of the Buckets of Joy my nephew brought us on their 3-day visit.
He is truly the happiest and most fun & lovable little person Ever!

I whipped up some lightweight wool pants for him before they left - good for chilly winter days in northern CA.

Come back soon, Tomo!
xoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxxoxooxxxoxoxxoxoxo

Happy New Zoo!

2011-12-30T10:34:00.000-08:00

Another adorable softies set made from my pattern.
This one is by Frambooske.
I especially love the polar bears and the peace-out giraffe!
xo

It's a Double Decker!

2011-12-28T17:53:00.000-08:00

The adorable Sam was happy with his Christmas gift.

Apparently (which I had no idea) he is really into buses.
His mom reports that he kept repeating "It's a double-decker!"

And he quickly figured out that the wooden wheels turn. Clever boy!
I hope he has lots of fun with it.
xo

Joanne's Big Meadow set

2011-12-27T13:42:00.000-08:00

This is the beautiful stuffed toy set that the very talented Joanne Friar made (from my pattern) for her grandson for Christmas. It's so interesting to see someone else's different fabric choices! Check out Joanne's stunning children's book illustrations here.

Trim up the tree with Christmas stuff, Like bingle balls, and whofoo fluff!

2011-12-23T17:19:00.000-08:00

Nearly just in time, the tree is finally trimmed!

The big tree is mostly for ornaments from here and there...

The table-top fake-feather tree is for ornaments I have made over the years...

there are various incarnations of mice...

... and some funny bunnies too...

Merry Merry Christmas, everyone!
xoxp

Fa-la la la-la!

2011-12-22T12:32:00.000-08:00

We actually had a real live group of (human) carolers come to the door last night! It's a long tradition in our (new) neighborhood, followed by a big party next door. Very merry!
xo

Mousekin munchkins!

2011-12-18T18:35:00.000-08:00

And here are 2 adorable boys doing just that (i.e. making the crafts in Christmas with the Mousekins mentioned in my last post). They did such a great job! And check out their amazingly decked-out tree too!

They also made the best Cinnamon Snails - Yum!
Thanks to their mom Analisa for sharing the photos.
xo

It's that Mousekin time of year!

2011-12-06T16:15:00.000-08:00


It's that Mousekin time of year...


There is crafting to be done...


and tasty cookies to be baked.


Make a felt mobile, Mimi & Momo finger puppets, a snazzy Christmas Tree Hat, a mousie sock puppet, old fashioned cornucopias, and a beautiful angel mouse tree topper!

I hope you'll look for Christmas with the Mousekins at your library or bookstore, and join this industrious and very cheerful little family for some serious holiday fun! xo

who's on the bus?

2011-12-05T17:03:00.000-08:00

bus pillow/toy made for a very special little boy, who, i'm sure, has been very very good!

it's about 11" x 19", and has movable wooden wheels. i hope he likes it!
xo

Pigging Out

2011-11-27T19:50:00.000-08:00

A delicious feast was enjoyed by everyone.


And then we all felt like this.

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!
xo

living in oblivion

2011-10-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

Espresso Swirl and Mocha Swirl...determined to ignore what's going on around them....

Moving - Ugh!

Party Pigs

2011-09-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

i've been working away on my pigs book....

...hoping to meet an end of october deadline.
but we are moving (again!) on 10/15, only across town this time, but still a gigantic undertaking.
i hope i make it!
xo

Lester Loves Laundry

2011-08-05T21:47:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm.....here's nothing like a warm towel, fresh from the dryer.
xo

outfit

2011-07-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

Here you can see her play-suit more clearly.

Kitty

2011-07-25T18:58:00.000-07:00

I've been a long time away...
There's a new doll in my shop!
xoxo

happy baby card

2011-05-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

...and a card to go with the pants...
i painted it with acrylics (plus a scrap of fabric) on my new surface - Srathmore 500 10-ply illustration board. a while back i was kvetching to my critique group about surfaces and someone suggested this. i never ever would have thought of it. it's totally new for me to use a non-flexible, less porous surface, but i really like it. wouldn't be great for water colors, but it's perfect for acrylics.
there's something very freeing about not having to tape down your paper. and because i was always lazy about stretching my water color paper, it was usually warping to some extent (or a lot!).
And i find that using transfer paper doesn't really take more effort than transferring with a light box - in some ways it's easier because you can see the line that your tracing exactly.
And, it's double sided, so if you mess up one side you haven't lost the whole piece.

just another example of the many benefits of critique groups!
xo

Baby Pants

2011-05-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

Vintage fabric baby pants for a new addition to the (small) extended family. Trimmed with vintage cotton ric-rac (newer is usually all or part poly).

It's so exciting to have a little girl to make things for!
xo

Spring around the neighborhood

2011-05-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

A tour around the neighborhood on a typical slightly drizzly, light-gray spring Seattle day....check out this two-tone cherry tree...

and my very favorite yard. got there a little late but it's still a profusion of color and texture...

it will still look like an Easter basket long after april.

another great rock wall.

and this conjurs the Mediterranean. oh how i wish!

love this rock wall right across the street from us.

at the base of our landlords' chestnut tree.

and these in our own back yard. Forget-me-nots. more subtle, more delicate, but dearly loved.

a second favorite - a crabapple (i think) from the park overhanging our mossy garden shed.

and you've gotta have Daffies!
Many of you are probably on your way to summer by now, but here in Seattle, spring lasts until july.
Visually, that's a nice thing!
xo

Hoppy Easter!

2011-04-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

for easter i made myself one of my bunnies from my Most Prized vintage cotton fabric - a stunning abstract floral. i'd love to have Everything made from this print - pants, skirt, shirt, pillows, handbag...but a bunny is a nice way to start.

Happy tulips and daisies and everything yellow!
xo

The Musician Mouse....

2011-04-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

so when this wonderful knitted mouse arrived on my birthday and i was thinking about what to name him, i decided he was definitely a Sylvester - partly because he reminded me of a french book i'd had as a kid about a mouse with that name. or so i thought. i still had the book but hadn't looked at it in years. when i found it, sure enough there was this intrepid mouse character wearing only a scarf, just like my mouse. but i was totally surprised to see that the book was called "Julienne - the Mouse Musician". as much as i wanted that connection for my mouse and this book, Julienne was definitely not the right name for my new friend.

i'd not looked at the book in years and enjoyed all over again the classic perfect illustrations by N.M. Bodecker. i reread it the best i could with my french lessons long gone. it's such a fun (& relevant) story (originally published in 1961).

Julienne lives in a meadow and enjoys all the other critters who live there, and he especially loves all the different sounds and music he hears in nature.

by and by, Humans come along and ruin everything - they plow up the meadow and build a development. you don't need to know French to make out the meaning of "un grand bulldozer"!!

Julienne is displaced and goes into the town to find somewhere to live. finally he hears music coming from a shop and goes inside and finds his perfect house inside a guitar. at night he makes music by strumming the strings on his "door" and passersby hear the lovely music.

the shop owner is mystified - with his bad eyesight and in the dark he doesn't see the little mouse.
eventually, the perfect person purchases the guitar and things work out spiffily. maybe you can find the book in your library system to see more of the wonderful illustrations and to read the whole story.
realizing it was not a french book after all (which i assumed as a child of course) i went on amazon looking for the english version, and here was my big surprise:

in the english version, the mouse's name is Sylvester!!!
how can that be?
i don't think i could have possibly known that....
very strange...but so satisfying - now everything wraps up into the perfect package i was imagining.
sometimes life is nice like that.
xo

Sylvester the Birthday Mouse

2011-04-07T17:16:00.000-07:00

it was a total surprise to open a package from my brother and his wife and to find this amazing knitted mouse! the pattern is a free one from Fuzzy Mitten who sells patterns for all kinds of adorable knitted toys. i love that they made the mouse together - cathy doing the knitting, and michael putting the pieces together and adding the features. it's funny because i can See a bit of my brother in the expression. i guess that's how it is with things we make.

this mouse just seemed like a Sylvester to me. he is 3.5" tall.
we had a little bit of sun for my birthday so i took him out in the yard to check out my favorite primroses.

he smelled the purple flowers,

then visited a family of hedgehogs. they had a lot to tell him about his new neighborhood.

he sought some advice from FatBird about the meaning of life.

then climbed a tree to get some perspective on it all.

still tired from his move from northern CA, it was back inside for an afternoon nap.
all in all, he was happy with his new digs, and it was a pretty good day!
xo

spiral cat

2011-03-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

if i wrap myself tighter and tighter, can i get as small as a woolley-bear?

Pigs and copyright laws...

2011-03-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

i'm experimenting with using collage for my new book about Pigs and am looking into the copyright laws for found images. nothing from artists' or photography sites - more like from ebay (the puzzle box which i altered), food supply shops (the lollipop which i also altered), and random googled images - the flower heads come from different sources and admittedly some were probably blogs - i'll look into that. i've gotten some good advice and am going to be really careful - but wonder what you think about using images from such sources as online catalogs and ebay?
thanks, and have a Perfectly Pleasant & Playful weekend!

toasty mousie

2011-02-24T12:05:00.000-08:00

the temps are frigid here in seattle, with light snow, but Miss Mouse is warm & toasty with her new knitted hat, scarf and fluffy blanket,

as well as a little woolen bird to hold.
stay warm everyone! xo

waiting for spring...

2011-02-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

waiting, waiting, waiting...

custom kitty

2011-02-16T22:34:00.000-08:00

custom flannel Kitty-Bird in easter colors for an etsy customer.
calling all daffodils!

be mine

2011-02-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

custom patchwork and vintage-lace pillow for a wonderful friend.
she's giving it to her mom today - i hope she likes it!
happy valentine's day to moms everywhere, and to the rest of us too!
xoxo

clean slate

2011-02-13T12:52:00.000-08:00

i meant to post these photos at the start of the year.
when starting a new book i always need to clean the work space and also often do some rearranging too.

this time there was a major improvement - creating an L-shape with the two surfaces so i have a large area to my left (being left handed) for materials.

you can see some of my inspiration on the wall -the amazing nancy cote, sarah dillard, and some other PBAA artists (helping me figure out how to draw pigs!).
by now the space is um, not quite so neat...but i thought i'd show my best face!

pompom pin

2011-02-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

bitty 2" hedgehog brooch for that hedgehog-obsessed friend -
you know who you are!
xo

Big Meadow pattern set!

2011-01-31T18:20:00.000-08:00

i finally finished the Big Meadow pattern set for my etsy shop. it was a long time coming, since, as i've probably said before, these patterns take an unimaginably long time to complete!

i had fun adding new animals and doing a different treatment with the basket, since the word Meadow was a bit too much to applique.

this set has a leafy log for the animals to jump over or to gnaw on...

and some felt fir trees too.

the pdf is 15 pages and includes patterns, instructions, diagrams and reference photos.
it's a great pattern for urging Spring to get here soon!
xo

yin-yang

2011-01-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

mid-day bath

2011-01-27T13:28:00.001-08:00

Miss Hedgehog

2011-01-24T13:52:00.000-08:00

i couldn't resist rescuing this precious plush hedgie-doll from ebay. she's probably from the 1970's.

first order of the day: remove her soiled cothes and hat - which was glued to her head - oh dear!

and replace her flimsy felt hands with proper stuffed paws - made from vintage cotton velvet.
(she's posing next to a hedgehog painted on fabric by my big bro - also in the 70's)

next order of the day: new clothes!
xoxo

never-ending cuteness

2011-01-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

what can i say about my constant companions?
xo

a little late...

2011-01-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

Ginger-Mouse cookies...

...better late than never!

(recipe from Christmas with the Mousekins).
Okay - now it's really good-bye!

crafty kitty

2011-01-03T14:16:00.000-08:00

a little embroidery, perhaps?

So long, Christmas Mousekins - see you next year!

2010-12-31T14:57:00.000-08:00

santa's gift

2010-12-28T15:22:00.000-08:00

look what santa brought!
i can't wait to sew me some nice fat catnip mice!

kitty in the window

2010-12-27T19:29:00.001-08:00

good little mousie

2010-12-26T14:35:00.000-08:00

magic day

2010-12-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

I hope your day was full of magic.
xoxo

Nana Mousekin's Christmas Eve Story

2010-12-24T12:53:00.000-08:00

Finally, all the presents had been wrapped and put under the tree. The stockings were hung, and a big plate of cookies and cheese was set out for Santa Mouse. Now it was time for Nana Mousekin’s Christmas Eve Story:

“A long, long time ago,” she began, “when your papa was just a teeny, tiny baby--can you imagine that?”

“NO!” said Mimi and Momo, for although they heard the same story every year, they still could not believe that Papa Mouse had ever been a little baby!

“We had just moved to Sassafras Valley,” Nana Mousekin continued. “and we were nearly out of sugar, milk, and cheese. But it was two days before Christmas, and the nearby shops were closed! So your Grandpa set off for the only store that was open, which was two whole hours away. He had a good map, and he promised to be back for supper. I busied myself in the kitchen, and your baby papa played on his blanket.

But a few hours later, the sky darkened and big scary clouds swept in from the west, bringing howling winds. Then the snow started to fall--huge thick snowflakes--as big as teacups! Before long, the whole world was covered, and I could only see white out the window.

I put the baby to bed and tried to stay calm, but I was worried sick about Grandpa. Was he lost in the storm? Would he freeze to death far from home? If he did make his way back, would he find the house, so buried in snow? I wanted to go out and call for him, but the front door was completely blocked with snow. As hard as I pushed, I could not make it budge. If Grandpa did return, how would he even get inside?

All night I sat fretting by the fire, until I must have dozed off in the wee early morning.

Suddenly, I was startled awake by a great thump overhead. ‘The house is falling in!’ I screamed, as great heaps of snow fell down the chimney. But right then there was a second great thump, and guess who landed in the fireplace?”

“Grandpa Mousekin!” said Momo.

“That’s right,” said Nana. “And guess who followed right behind him?”

“Santa Mouse!” said Mimi.

“He had rescued your Grandpa from the storm and delivered him home, supplies and all, safe and sound!”

“Wow!” exclaimed Momo. “What did he look like?”

“His eyes,” Nana remembered, “how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry! His cheeks were like roses; his nose like a cherry; His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and his whiskers and chin were as white as the snow. He had a broad face and a little round belly that shook when he laughed—like a bowl full of jelly!”

“Did you offer him something to eat?” asked Mama Mouse.

“I put out a plate of my Special Pinwheel Cookies,” said Nana, “and he munched down two right away.” ‘Delicious!’ he declared, brushing crumbs from his beard. ‘But if it’s not too much trouble’, and he asked for something else to go with them.”

“Cheese!” said Momo.

“That’s right,” said Papa, “that’s how we know that Santa Mouse likes a little cheese with his cookies.”

“He didn’t stay long,” Nana concluded, “because he had so much to do. He knew the storm would slow things down—that’s why he had started a day early, and that was very lucky for us, wasn’t it? He went back up the chimney, got into his sleigh, and we heard him exclaim as he flew out of sight:

‘Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!’”

from Christmas With the Mousekins - A Story with Crafts, Recipes, Poems and More! by Maggie Smith

ho ho ho!

2010-12-23T22:51:00.001-08:00

cookies, cookies, and more cookies...

2010-12-21T10:13:00.000-08:00

i'm hard at work on my Holiday Cookie Paunch!
download the recipe for Nana Mousekin's Pinwheel Cookies here.
xo

li'l robin

2010-12-19T14:05:00.001-08:00

little robin ornament (inspired by this amazing gift bag art)...with shiny glass bead eyes, embroidery, and sparkly seed-bead embellishment...
...it came out so cute, i might offer it as a sewing kit next year!
xo

charming charms

2010-12-18T15:40:00.001-08:00

i got my friend Karen crafting again, with my Lucky Charms sewing pattern.
and look what she made!!
i'm especially in love with this gray owl...he would make an adorable pin!
xo

feline fizzle

2010-12-17T10:14:00.000-08:00

the holidays are so exhausting...
next year it's mice for everyone - and that's IT!

bitty birds!

2010-12-15T23:34:00.000-08:00

the decorating hasn't really begun, but i just wanted to see how cute some Bitty Birds look on the tree...
answer: very cute!
i'm fantasizing about a whole tree covered with them...
hmm, maybe for an itty bitty tree!
xo

waiting...

2010-12-12T14:50:00.001-08:00

waiting patiently for their place on our 9' tree...
...more of my handmade ornaments & decorations from the last few years.
merry merry!

ornaments

2010-12-09T23:07:00.001-08:00

one of my favorite ornaments from a few years ago - Big 'n Little Lambs. i had thought to make up the pattern to sell on Etsy but that didn't happen....maybe next year! xo

Mousekins crafts!

2010-12-07T12:59:00.001-08:00

these are most of the crafts from Christmas with the Mousekins, including Momo's Christmas Tree Hat, and Angel Mouse Tree-topper.
this is Rosemary & George, sporting their hats made at a little book signing i did on 11/27. they were so into it!
and here's a tree-topper (emailed to me) made by a mom and her daughter when the girl was home sick from school. isn't she the cutest?
happy christmas crafting! xo

Lucky Charms!

2010-12-05T14:21:00.000-08:00

last week a friend was wanting a hand-sewing pattern to give her crafty 10-yr old niece for christmas...i set to designing and making these fun felt charms, and i became a little obsessed!
they can be used for necklaces, key chains, pins, zipper pulls, or just cute decorations.
Owl, Heart, Love Bunny, Fancy Cat, Pouch Pup, and Bitty Bird.
they're a bit addictive because they are so quick and fun to make, and you want keep trying them out in different color combos.
the pattern is available in my shop. wouldn't it make a nice gift for a crafty person if you buy some supplies to go along with it?
happy crafting and last-minute-gift-making!
xo

big farm in austin, tx

2010-12-04T22:27:00.000-08:00

a customer in Austin sent me this photo of the Big Farm set she made from my pattern. i just love how completely different it is from mine - i really dig some of her fabric choices!
besides reporting that the instructions were easy to follow for a novice seamstress, she said, "It's hard to give it away since my 3yr-old fell in love with each animal while I was making them."
yay!

Christmas book

2010-12-01T17:35:00.000-08:00

the holiday season is here, and i'm happy to announce my first Christmas book: Christmas with the Mousekins - A Story with Crafts, Poems, Recipes and More!
This is really my dream-come-true book in so many ways. besides taking place in a mouse world at Christmas-time, it incorporates recipes and craftiness into the story. i designed a lot of fun projects for the book.
there's lots of love & hugs & family togetherness,
and lots and lots of cookies!
(continued in post below)

2010-12-01T17:26:00.001-08:00

Recipes and craft instructions follow the Mousekins making them in the story. so it's all very integrated.
mimi mouse gives baby mouse this cute felt mobile, and the next page shows how to make it (as well as a Mousie Sock Puppet and Mimi's little mitten bookmarks).
there are lots of projects in the book and even more online, for a real home-made holiday. we had the book printed on un-coated stock (no shine, just matte), which is really neat, and adds to the old-fashioned feel.
i've received some nice emails already from moms who have enjoyed the story and the craft projects with their kids. one woman wrote that her older girls (8 & 12) love the crafts too, so there's a wide age-range appeal ...

and another said they are definitely making Cinnamon Snail cookies this year!
i'm sensing that women enjoy the book for themselves, for its sense of nostalgia and for the crafts & recipes. so that's great.
the story starts two weeks before Christmas, so the book would make a nice early gift so that kids, moms, and grandmas (and hey, maybe dads and granddads too!) can join in with the busy Mousekins as they get ready for the big day - decorating their tree, baking cookies and delivering them to friends, crafting paper garlands and an angel-mouse tree-topper, and making gifts from felt and ribbon.
have a Merry Mousie Crafty Christmas!
xoxo

new pattern set completed!

2010-11-26T20:51:00.000-08:00

i'd been meaning to expand my Little Softies Farm sewing pattern for months...
most of the new animals had been made after the usual trials and changes to the patterns...
Horse, Cow, Hen, Dog & Cat have been added to the original set of Donkey, Goat, Lamb, Goose, Pig & Piglet...
it takes a ridiculous amount of time to do all this and then to write everything up with instructions & diagrams (as well as the patterns). but the Big Farm Set pattern is now available in my shop. it would be fun to fill up a christmas stocking with the whole set!
xo maggie

first snow in seattle

2010-11-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

the Snow Fairy came last night and dusted our world with magic.
Happy Winter!
xo

rainy gray cuddle weather...

2010-11-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

who doesn't love a chicken?

2010-11-11T13:55:00.000-08:00

the very chilly & gray weather here in the northwest has given me the Christmas Crafting Bug just a little early!
here's a new ornament i just designed, called "chicken 'n egg".
i'm offering the sewing pattern for sale in my etsy shop.
i can't wait to get our tree & display her with my other handmade ornaments.
this would be fun as a kitchen decoration too - keeping chickens being such the rage now.
and anyway, who doesn't love a chicken?
xoxo

little bunny softie

2010-10-12T14:33:00.001-07:00

i designed a new bunny pattern for a very special baby who soon will arrive....
8" tall, made from wool, satin, velvet ribbon, and vintage flannel.
soon to be mailed to california...bye - bye, bunny!

mouse house

2010-10-08T14:32:00.001-07:00

here's how some of my 2"-real-fur-made-in-germany mice are living...
in the nursery...in the playroom...
these 2 came new from a dollhouse store in the '90's on the upper east side in nyc when i lived there. they are evidently not being made anymore but can be found on ebay.
these 3 are my very old ones, watching a tv made by my big bro.
in the kitchen...
...at the farm stand.
happy weekend!

High-5 magazine job finished

2010-10-07T12:27:00.000-07:00

sneak peak of the finish - it will be in the march issue.
painted traditionally on a new water color paper (for me) -
fabriano artistico.
mixed media with a bit of fabric collage.
scanned in and touched up in photoshop.
it was fun!

mouse hunt

2010-09-23T14:23:00.001-07:00

this adorable 2" fur mouse (made in w. germany in the 70's) is from a recent hunt on ebay.
i now own 25 of these mice, all with different attire (or none), including my 3 old ones that survived my childhood.....more photos to come.
but this one is especially sweet. i'm in love!

new job for High-5 magazine

2010-09-10T12:47:00.001-07:00

i have such a fun new assignment for High-5 magazine (Highlights).
it involves lots of toys...
...and a kitty.
what could be better?
(sketched entirely in photoshop).

there's a mouse in the garden!

2010-08-19T13:37:00.001-07:00

i finally made a long-ago requested Strawberry Mouse for an amazing Etsy customer who has purchased quite a few of my plush animals.
she is made from a most precious 1940's cotton print...
and she's on her way to california.
good-bye, little mouse!

vintage fabric-a-rama in my etsy shop

2010-08-10T22:06:00.000-07:00

for a while i've been wanting to "share" some of my ginormongous collection of vintage cotton fabrics accumulated over many years, mostly from ebay. there is just Way to much for even a healthy human to use in a lifetime! so, we have pretty little roses...

fun mod flowers...

delicious fruit....

and crazy people throwing snowballs!
there's Lots, LOTS more to come.
and i'm happy to report that i've already had my first sale--yay!
hoping it's a good sign of LOTS more sales to come.
you can see these prints and more, for sale in my etsy shop.
happy sewing!

educational job finished

2010-07-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all your comments and encouragement on my last post!
there's something there that i like with the digitally "distressed" line and flat color, but it needs more developing....
the studio asked me to do my "traditional" style, so i did my same-old, same-old.
i guess they were right--these do look better. (and they were a lot more work!)
i'm pretty happy with the 8 pieces, and the studio is too.
meanwhile, i will continue to fiddle with photoshop...

new style for educational work?

2010-07-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

i was playing around in photoshop for an educational job due this month, and came up with this technique which i think looks really cool...
but i was told by the studio that assigned it that it looks like a colored sketch, not a finish. bummer!
what do you think?

sketching about summer...

2010-06-24T16:22:00.000-07:00

well after all my kvetching it seems that summer has come to seattle with a bang, with some glorious, crisp sunny days...when i think back, this sketch is what summer means to me. i did a lot of this on the swing our dear family friend arthur constructed for my 5th birthday.
happy summer!

new book for father's day

2010-06-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

Daddy is A Cozy Hug, the companion book to Mommy is A Soft Warm Kiss (and also written by Rhonda Gowler Greene) is now available in stores, just in time for Father's Day.
here are some sneak peaks from inside the book, which takes readers through a year of moments (and seasons) shared between a little boy and his dad.
this is one of my favorite scenes--i love the idea of the little boy so cozied-up in his dad's warm coat.
good parents do their best to protect us from so many things....
...and always give plenty of hugs.
so lots of hugs back, to all you dads out there!

where is summer?

2010-06-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

after a beautiful warm and sunny weekend, it's back to chill and drizzle here in seattle...
i know it's pretty, but Where Oh Where is Summer?
the cats know what to do...i think i'll join them.

Dilly Dog featured in etsy treasury

2010-06-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

one of my Dilly Dogs is the only toy to make it into an Etsy treasury of items made from seersucker fabrics.
very appropriate, since here in seattle we are finally about to have a real summer weekend....
so put on your seersucker shorts, pants, or jacket, and Enjoy!

quick mouse repeat/pattern

2010-06-09T20:26:00.001-07:00

creating patterns in photoshop

2010-06-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

i've just created my first 2 very simple half-drop patterns in photoshop, following the instructions of the fabulous and incredibly generous illustrator Jennifer Morris.
this could become addictive! visit her post (and her blog) and make your own patterns too!

2 new Sleepy Dogs in my shop

2010-06-04T11:52:00.001-07:00

Sleepy Dogs carry their pillows wherever they go...
so they are always ready for bed or a nap...
in a tree.....
on the lawn.....
sometimes they like to hang upside-down on the shrubbery....
they have even been spotted sleeping standing up....

2 new Sleepy Dogs in my etsy shop are looking for homes!

fooling around in Photoshop

2010-06-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

i'm trying for a real charcoal-like line in PS...but the only brush i like draws in gray, and then i have to darken it with contrast. this would make corrections/changes/additions difficult...any tips?
xo

TV kids

2010-05-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

nothing much going on this holiday weekend, so here are 2 photos of our boys Lance and Lester watching cartoons and animal planet a few years back. we lived in a smallish apartment then.
where we live now our TV is positioned much higher off the ground, so it doesn't catch their attention very often. besides, they have more windows here and lots more nature to watch outside--plus the frequent bug inside--even better than TV!

horsies found a home

2010-05-27T15:43:00.000-07:00

some things sit in your etsy shop for a long time and you start to think they will never sell (and some things never do), but then suddenly out of the blue (like most sales are), somebody wants them, and it makes everything feel okay.
i knew that some small person would really love these horse softies, so it was frustrating to have them stuck in a storage box instead of being played with.
finally they are going to a home in wisconsin, maybe a horse ranch?
or at least a house with a nice yard.
i hope they have lots of fun galloping in the tall grasses!

High Five magazine, June issue

2010-05-24T16:13:00.000-07:00

i received my complimentary copies of the June issue of High Five magazine, which i have a piece in. it printed a little on the dark side even tho i thought i had overcompensated by over-lightening the digital scan i sent them (it was painted traditionally).
but still i am really happy with it. it was such a fun project for me--hard to go wrong with a little girl and a garden/flower maze as subject matter!
the last time i did a spread for them i was not super happy with it, so it's nice to feel good about something.
now if only that warm sunny weather would come to seattle! it's very confusing here for me with the chilly climate. i still feel we're in winter, so i don't realize so much time is passing...this caused me to miss a sketch deadline today (okay, can't totally blame it on the weather) because for a northeasterner, it feels like, maybe March, but def not the end of May (which i had in mind as the due date)...

miss mouse reads in her new sweater

2010-05-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

miss mouse got her new sweater, and a scarf and bloomers, and it's a good thing because aside from a few beautiful spring- and even summer-like days, it is mostly still damp, chilly and cloudy here in seattle!
hoping for warmer weather, she is reading my beloved old The Bunny's Nutshell Library--four magical little books, created by the genius Robert Kraus, published by Harper & Row in 1965.

doodle for a new project

2010-05-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

stitched illustrations by Miyuki Sakai!

2010-05-15T14:53:00.000-07:00

i just opened my new Martha Stewart magazine and was blown away by these beautiful illustrations of plates that were created by "drawing" with a sewing machine. wow! at first i thought there was pastel underneath, for the lighter smudgy-looking colors, but no, it's more stitching with lighter colors of thread!
Miyuki Sakai is really a genius. she has taken free-motion stitching, which is usually used on quilts and fabrics, to a new level. i've always wanted to try the technique, but i don't have the right kind of sewing machine. sigh...
see more of her amazing stitched pictures at miyukisakai.com.

dancing pigs!

2010-05-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

the book i'm working on now is the first that i'm doing all the sketching in photoshop. because drawing is not really easy for me--it takes quite a lot of work to get to what i want or "see"--the flexibility of photoshop is really great, and i think i'm getting a better result. from now on i think i'll always work this way. have a nice weekend!

learning to make a live link

2010-05-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

theresia expained how to make a live link in a posting, so here goes.
this is one of my newer designs--"Sleepy Dog", available in my etsy shop. thanks, theresia, it was easy!

Daisy dog arrived safely in the UK!

2010-05-12T15:56:00.000-07:00

theresia sent me this photo to show that Daisy Dog made it safely through the volcano cloud to her house in the UK. now she's hanging out with one of theresia's adorable mouse dolls, like the one i traded her for. one of the best things about Etsy is when you have the opportunity to trade with another crafter/artist. i think this was a happy deal for both of us!
this is MY mouse (theresia's original photo from the listing in her etsy shop) and i love her very much. i'll need to make her a sweater because it's still so chilly here in seattle!
see more of theresia's fabulous stuffed toys and pincushions in her shop:
www.strawberriesandcream.etsy.com

mom and me in 1975

2010-05-11T17:48:00.001-07:00

this is a scan of an old photo of my mom and me in 1975--can you tell by the hippy bag and the homemade pants? i remember they were really itchy.
the photo was framed and sat on my grandma's dresser for decades, thus the bad fading and yellowing. i've corrected it a bit, but there's only so much i can do without fading things out completely.
but it was a really happy time, and that's what matters.

more to come about the Real star of the photo: Lamby (silent "b" please!) and how she came to inspire my first picture book!

New book for Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! this book just came out that i illustrated for walker/bloomsbury.
it's called Mommy Is a Soft, Warm Kiss.
i'm missing my own mom today.
this pretty much sums up how wonderful she was when one of us kids got sick.
my mom really loved spring, and so do i.
it was soon after my mom died that i had to start on the illustrations for this sweet story, written by Rhonda Gowler Greene, which School Library Journal describes like this: "In rhymed couplets, the child expresses how important her mother is to her every day and all year round. Realistic, attractive illustrations show the parent and child engaged in many activities, with the mother the center of them."
i was worried that it was going to be too upsetting to work on this book, but somehow it was actually a comfort, like i was getting to spend more time with her.
thanks mom, for making it so easy to imagine all these lovely mother-and-smalldaughter moments. xoxo

Left, right, left...

2010-04-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

I just noticed most of the characters I've posted here so far are facing to the left. Which is strange, because as a left-hander, my preference and tendency is to draw things facing to the right. This also seems like the direction of movement, from left to right....the way we read....although in a book with many scenes, of course one needs to vary the directions, so maybe this means I've done a good job with that, and not always resorted to my basic instinct...
I notice that when my friend (right-handed) is working on a drawing, his characters usually face to the right, and I always want him to flop at least some of them! But to him they look correct.
left, right, left, right.......

Close-ups from the scene posted earlier

2010-04-30T15:24:00.001-07:00

Some close-ups from the moving scene.....I have to say I do love the tiny baby beaver...he's about
1/4 inch tall in the original illustration.
This was my first book with animal characters, and by the end I was totally converted!!
I now understand why most illustrators prefer animals over people.
There is more freedom and more fun!

plush doggie - vintage cotton fabric

2010-04-18T18:31:00.000-07:00

this is one of my plush doggies, made for a trade with a wonderful etsy artist who lives in england. i'm afraid to put Daisy in the mail for fear she won't make it safely overseas due to the volcano eruption, which has caused huge delays & backlogs with the postal system.

first image posted!

2010-04-18T18:27:00.001-07:00

this is a painting i did for OUR LIBRARY, written by eve bunting, published by clarion in 2008. while googling the pub date just now, i happened upon a really lovely post/review by a librarian on the blog OFF THE SHELF. this image is looking so tiny, maybe i'll post a close-up.

learning to blog

2010-04-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

with more illustrator friends starting blogs, i thought i'd join them and see what this is all about...