Box of love, '08

This is my digitally-created card for this year's Box of Love. I used paper and elements from Lliella Designs. , but of course added my own touches as well.

You can find out more about Boxes of Love, and see one of my earlier cards here.

Clique Beetles

As soon as Dudley rolled into town with his ball of dung, he suspected he might have a hard time fitting in.

For Illustration Friday.

Click Beetles, get it? A clique of click beetles. Ah well, hopefully my fellow bug bloggers will enjoy it.

Current events, illustrated

What's this? Art?? That I made???

Yes, I actually made something, and I'm submitting it to Illustration Friday for the first time in a dog's age.

The topic this week is island, and my tiny island is really just the backdrop for the double whammy of disasters, both natural and financial that have dominated the news. Fortunately, the little island that is my own life is far less turbulent, but I am a terrible worrier sometimes, and sometimes it takes strong feelings, even negative ones, to jump-start my creativity.

Big Red Sun

I found a link to this wonderful, artsy-planty-designy place on Gennine's blog, where she was inspired to make her own exquisite succulent arrangement.

Click on the picture to get to their website, then click "explore" to see all their stuff. In particular, I liked the "vessels" section. It's got a rather long slideshow, but they're very beautiful arrangements, well worth it if you have the time. Very inspirational indeed.

Fierce

Illustration Friday's theme this week has been "fierce". I still check Illustration Friday every week, even though I haven't participated in a long time. But I remembered this old college sketchbook drawing which I had even titled, "one of the Fiercer Animals," which was originally a line from Winnie the Pooh. I went through both a "lioness" phase and a "mythical creatures" phase while in college, and this creature seems to be a little of both.

In the spirit of the original intent of this blog, which was to have a place for my old artwork, I am posting this, but for some reason, I still don't feel ready to link it to the IF webpage. I guess it's just been too long.

Baby Jacob is an angel now

Here's something I haven't told anyone. Ever since I started blogging more than 4 years ago, I have been drawn to the personal blogs of families with special babies. Some are micro-preemies. Some have serious illness or birth defects. Maybe it's the nurturing mama in me. Or the potential future grandma. I get very "attached" to them. I find their stories much more compelling than any "reality" TV show, and I follow their progress as they struggle and grow and develop.

But sometimes they die.

Little Jacob was born on January 14th, with Trisomy 18. Through his parents, he told the world about his life, his family, his struggles. Lots of people fell in love with him from afar and prayed every day for him, but his illness took a toll on his tiny body and he passed away last weekend.

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "baby", so this picture is in memory of Jacob.

If it's only happening in my head, is it still art?

I get plenty of creative ideas, but nothing ever seems to take shape lately. Too busy spinning my wheels to actually get it in gear, you might say. But stuff is in there, in my brain, in my heart. Just beyond my fingertips.

Last night, while standing in my yard, I was inspired to create this. I am fascinated with the idea of digital scrapbooking and would like to get into it more.

I also have this recurring resolution to draw something, anything, every day, or at least several times a week. Just sketch out whatever is on my mind, and post it, even if it's not finished, or even very "good." But I haven't managed to do that yet. It's all up here in my head, though, if that counts for anything.

Pink Roses

Sushi wasn't the only impulse buy I got at Trader Joe's yesterday. This beautiful miniature rose in a little tin pot was only $4.00.


The leaves are deep dark green and so perfect they almost look fake.


And a bonus. It smells good! Most miniature roses don't have a fragrance.

Spring stuff

I may have mixed feelings about Easter (and Christianity in general), but I sure do enjoy all the spring-themed merchandise that is proliferating in the stores these days. They're bright and colorful, and full of cute animals, even bugs.

These items were stealthily photographed* at Cost Plus World Market yesterday. They are made from thick, brightly colored felt.


baskets


flowers and butterflies. See how thick the felt is?



And look...they have some of those little bug-shaped wood pieces on them. Cue the It's a Small World music.



*Cost Plus doesn't like people to take pictures of stuff inside their stores. I asked them permission once, and they said no. This was before I got my current camera, which is very small and can be used very discretely, and also before everybody and their brother had a cellphone with a camera in it. So as far as I know, all sorts of people are taking pictures of all the cool stuff they have there. But I still feel like I've "gotten away with something" when I do it.