This ghost is officially my favorite thing that takes up less than three square inches.
Just a few little snippets from a wee project I'm working on that I'm very excited about.
I've got my fingers in a bunch of different (metaphorical) pots of paint right now, so it's busy, busy time even when it doesn't seem it.
I'm not just making cookies, promise! Although I sincerely hope that those of you in need of cookies in your life will consider making the ones from the last post.
xo
So, this post begins with a mystery. The mystery of why I have started to receive Cottage Living magazine in the mail. I thought maybe one of the moms (mine or Josiah's) was responsible, but nope. If anyone has any theories, feel free to throw them out there.
A very wonderful thing came of this mystery, which is these cookies that I have made twice in the span of one week, because they are SO. GOOD. I think they might be too good. And where did the recipe come from? Why, Cottage Living's March 2008 issue.
Here is the recipe, if, after seeing my onslaught of cookie-making photos, you feel compelled to break out the peanut butter. I usually tamper with recipes, but didn't with this one.
Leave it be.
We had very fantastic friends over last night, and I was a little nervous (because one of them is a little bit of a picky eater). However, I made my favorite chicken dish, and then these magical-mystery cookies for desert, and I think everything was a hit.
Enjoy! I hope the beginning of the week is off to a nice start for you.
I've been playing around with making some little sculptures recently, and I thought I would show you a ghostlet (these have been making the rounds, both in my sketchbook and in plush form here) ...
I think he's saying "Oh my goodness! I'm so happy that these two reached Portland safe and sound."
Also, in the shop now are the newest prints from the images included in the last update..."Snow, Rose + Bear", "Creeping Corridor", etc.
Dinner guests tonight, and straightening up the studio to do.
See you soon!
I realized that I hadn't posted about comics very much in the last year...which doesn't mean that I haven't been reading them, per se, it's just that I have a hard time finding stuff that I like. And sometimes (as in the case of Genevieve Castree) when I find an artist I like (in this instance, in the Drawn + Quarterly showcase from 2005), it's really difficult for me to get ahold of their work.
She is a musician, also, and has released comics as well as LPs + comic sets. And her work is soooo beautiful to me, and I can't visit a comic shop without inquiring (always in vain) about it.
Her Canadian publisher had this one little book: Roulathèque Roulathèque Nicolore, in stock recently and it came in the mail a week or so ago:
And poking around the web, it looks like she currently has (or maybe just had) an exhibition in NYC of the images from her new book/record set, Tout Seul dans la Forêt en Plein Jour (which I am anxiously awaiting).
Happy Weekend!
I don't know if I've ever been so excited over a printed product for the shop. Really and truly, these so exceeded my expectations when they returned from the printers, I was in paper-nerd heaven!
The surface of each label is very lightly textured, and just so darn nice.
We're already putting ours to use around here! Josiah asked if he could have 900, and I said: "...You can have maybe 9". I've been scheming these since the freebie download at Craftsanity, and I'm so proud to offer them in my shop. They are packaged up in glassine packets, and look so very pretty that way.
They're now in ye olde shoppe, so if you're of the bookplate-ish persuasion, hop over and take a peek!
Isn't this a sweet batch? I'm getting all of the listings ready for the update, but I wanted to pop over and post a few photos of these sweet girls and their lovely silk velvet frocks.
Silk velvet is a trickster to sew with, but it was totally worth it. I want to keep all 4 of these for myself! Of course, I won't, and they'll be in the shop in just a little bit!
UPDATE: Hello my dears. That was a very crazy-fast update, as lots of the comments have said. Thank you! I hope no-one is too very down-hearted about it, because there will be more soft things in May! And who knows, maybe there will be something you like more or better? I'm already scheming up new designs and images! And there will be a new product for the shop tomorrow or Friday that I'm pretty flippin' excited about.
Thank you again, so much.
xoxo
Well, the afternoon got away from me...so this post is a little late in the day. I got caught up in finishing making up a round of (pretty awesome) new Sophie dolls, and then my new sewing machine came (!!!), and well, here I am at 8 pm.
Here, also, is a new painting I finished work on in the last few days:
All Horns and Thorns 11"x14"x2" Acrylic on canvas
Her crown is, to me, like the lace band from this post of Amy's.
Have a happy night, and I'll see you tomorrow for the update (I'll try my very best to post photos here of the new Sophies before the update goes live).
xoxo
I was finally able to photograph all of the dolls that are completely finished. So, you guys can get a look at the "boy modification" of the regular small-dollie pattern:
Cute n' Handsome, right? Those girls have been needing some company. I think the little gingham-guy on the left is my favorite...but maybe that's just 'cause I favor the raven-haired.
Also, here is a one-of-a-kind girl doll I've been working on. She is lucky (and cool) enough to have a pet ghost (who can be attached or detached to her arm by way of a little loop of felt on his backside):
She has "legs for days", as the saying goes. I'm really happy with the way she turned out...there might be more in the future, with a few minor tweaks here and there, but for now, she is the only one of her kind.
And here is a little "Hollywood Squares"-ish peek at the girl-dolls that will be in the update on Wednesday:
That's all for this doll-happy post! See you tomorrow with more goodness for the update.
xoxo
A new portrait-style painting that will be part of the update on Wednesday...
She Moves Among the Sparrows 8"x10"x2" Acrylic on Canvas
The title comes from a NIck Cave song that I love.
Now I'm working into the evening, after a fun, quiet Saturday-into-Sunday hangout with my pal Jenny (the day started out with a migraine, and thankfully, got much better the longer it went on). There is going to be so much good stuff in this update, I just want to make sure I'm able to finish all that I want to by Tuesday evening!
See you soon, and thank you for all the kind and nostalgic words about the work from the last post...they made me very happy.
Snow, Rose & Bear 11"x13"x1" Acrylic on wood panel
I want one of my future children's book projects to be a re-illustrating of Snow White & Rose Red, which is one of my favorite fairy tales, and has special significance (because that was what my mom called me and my sister when we were small). That story is so dear to me.
Aaannnd another rabbit painting...
Lepus Creepus 7"x9"x1" Acrylic on wood panel
Sorry to be short on words, but better to be long on pictures (I think).
Happy Weekend, my dears!
