work/life

I almost didn't make it back to blog and I bet you didn't have an inkling of a clue that I was even in peril.  

Here's what happened:  We took all three kids to Disneyland for two, count them, two days.  I'm not a huge fan of crowds. Especially fun park crowds. Where do these people live in everyday life?  I've never seen exposed flesh in such vast quantities on my trips to the grocery store. Hell, I don't see it at our community pool.  Call me a prude, but please, people. If you have large gigglies, let's keep them contained. Just sayin'.

Anyway. It was pretty harry carry. No pun intended.  There was a fair amount of whining and screaming.  Some from me, most from the kids.  The Sugar Daddy just walked around and looked like the sexy hot dad he is that is willing to schelp his kids around the ant hill known as "Disney".

But the memories! We are building memories right? Well, the kids can sort that out with their therapists later.

Anywho. 

Work Life. Yes. That's what this post is supposed to be about. My art in Work Life.  Uppercase published this book which is chalk full of amazing artists.

And then there's me.  I feel like such a poser next to so many of the other people in the book.  

Thom flipped through the book then he looked at me and said, "Mom, you're so good. You're like the best."

And this is how we ended up at Disneyland. See how that works?

Here's the piece I did for the book.

And here's a look at the entire book.

You can purchase the book here if you are so inclined.

I'm off to get caught up on the laundry and spend the entire day trying to get "It's a Small World" and some awful mental pictures of Disneyland people out of my head,

midnight rooster

Well I've got more stamp stuff to share.

Midnight Rooster is a paper craft kit club that commissioned me to draw a set of illustrations that they would offer as exclusive add ons for their kits.

I asked what they wanted me to draw. The response was, "Just draw anything. We don't have a theme. We know we will love what you do."

Wow. If only each job could be so free and easy!

I wonder if it will ever get old seeing my work made into a tangible product.  I get so excited with each project.

You can purchase the stamps and other really great paper crafting goodies from Midnight Rooster.

the project

Simply put, I think that Mindy Gledhill's new album "Anchor" is the best album I have heard in a very long time.  I used to wait with baited breath for Ben Folds to release his albums. Then more recently I have been anxious for Ingrid Michaelson to put out new stuff.  I had a short love affair with The Weepies and Josh Ritter still makes me sway, but lately, more often than not, you can find me driving car pool, singing along with Mindy at the top of my lungs.

So imagine, just imagine, what I said when she asked me to do some illustrations for her music video.

Hell to the yes. That's what I said. And oh. my word.

After waiting for what seems like forever, I finally get to reveal this little project that has been like pink frosting on my life.

With a cherry and sprinkles. You know the ones. I think they are called nonpareils, which is a French word, so they must come from France. The tiny colorful ones, but, oh just watch the video.

Thanks Mindy, you make my world that much better by being you.

You can purchase "Anchor" and the rest of the album on iTunes, or buy the CD here.

step right up!

         by secondsister

Step right up! Come inside! Take a look at the curious inhabitants found under our big top!

First and foremost, we have our strong man. Look at those muscles folks! Look at the stamina! This specimen of manhood can tame to wildest beast! Watch him handle the fiercest of lions on this hot afternoon and next week in the courtroom. Mr. Meeker joined our troop some sixteen years ago and he just keeps getting stronger!

Now folks, let's not dawdle. Move it along. That's right. Crowd around, don't be shy, take a look. Here we have April, the bearded woman. Yes folks, that's right. A bearded woman. She quit trying to pluck out all her chin whiskers some five or six years ago. And just look at those brows! We will have to move her in with the wolf boys! But oh can she juggle! Just look at that! Look at her go! There's diaper changes and appointments and nap times and meals and oh, look at that, she just picked up blogging and studio time! Isn't she amazing?

Okay folks, let's head this way! Keep hold of your young ones. Yessiree! You are in for a treat! Through the bleachers we go. Watch your step now. Ladies and Gentlemen please look up! Let me introduce our daring darling, our high flying sweetheart, Amelie! Don't let her beauty distract you! This girl's a veritable monkey! Watch her scale any object in sight. She teeters off the most precarious of footholds. This little cutie nearly gives us all a heart attack everyday with her daring stunts.

Oh, what do we have here? Please direct your attention to center ring! That's Thomas the Clown! Just look at the dexterity! Thomas can ride his bike without training wheels! And it only took him three years! Impressive! (Ahem, doesn't share his sister's daredevil nature.) Thomas sure keeps us laughing around here. Yes, he's quite a jokester that Thom. After all, what would a circus be without a clown?

And now folks, I've saved the most curious of creatures for last. If you will just follow me to the menagerie. Please keep hold your young ones. We wouldn't want to loose any to the big cats. No sudden moves please. Stay together now. Just this way. Please gather closely so everyone can get a look. This little beast was a surprise addition to our circus a few months back. We are still trying to figure out where he came from. At first we thought he might be a chimpanzee. See how his hair sticks strait up like a chimp? But now we are thinking he might be some species of bear. He seems to be storing up vast amounts of fat which we can only surmise might be for hibernation. In any case, we do love this little guy. We named him Henry. He giggles when you poke his tummy. We are hoping to send him to magicians college. Maybe he can make some money appear in our pockets! Ha! Ha!

Thank you for joining us today Ladies and Gentlemen! Don't forget to buy your warm peanuts and hot dogs in the concessions tent. Come again!

for sugar daddy

Oh and I also need a babysitter.

ha! bet you thought i wasn't going to do it!

If you thought I just wasn't going to post a paper doll for July, your wrong baby, wrong.

I made it in under the wire with four hours left to spare.

Meet Lily Wu. Lily lives in San Francisco with her little cat Temperance and her mother and father. On Saturdays, Lily's grandpa takes her to his bakery and she helps him make moon cakes. Lily learned to knit last summer and she has made lots of pot holders and a sweater that turned out a little lopsided. Lily is looking forward to the August Peach festival where she will debut as Little Miss Peach. Her grandpa is making special peach moon cakes just for the occasion.

I forgot to add folding tabs to Lily's outfits so before you cut her out, pencil in some tabs. You can print Lily out any size you like. You just need to click on the image. It will take you to Flickr. Choose the "all sizes" tab. You will be able to select from various sizes. The original prints out legal paper size.

idea

1. Good Morning Friday, 2. close up doodles, 3. no. 6, 4. red stitches, 5. aqua pincushion | detail, 6. Cute Cupcake, 7. penelope waits bunting 3, 8. Gardenia/ Indigo Dyed, 9. teapot close-up, 10. Russian doll, 11. a quarter purse for Olivia, 12. Les Coquelicots Peu Sous Le Nuage Gris 03

I have a little idea rattling around in my brain. It's been brewing, cooking and bubbling, percolating to the surface for some time now.  It involves embroidery and my own little illustrations. 


Stay tuned.

ruby bloom, pleased to meet you

Meet Ruby Bloom Samson. Ruby lives in brownstone in New York. She attends St. Mary's school for girls where she is learning Latin and pre-algebra. On Wednesdays, her mother takes her to ice skating lessons. After the lesson, she and her mother like to stop at their favorite Pizza place for a slice of pepperoni. They eat their pizza in Central Park and watch the swallows peck at the crumbs on the ground.


For her eighth birthday, Ruby's Uncle Walter bought her a dove. Ruby named her Sunday.  Sunday likes to chirp and chatter, especially when Ruby comes home from school.  Ruby's father likes to say that Sunday got her name because she talks all week long and twice as much on Sundays.

Please feel free to download Ruby and Sunday. They can be printed out any size you desire. After you have printed them on cardstock and colored them, you can laminate the entire sheet and then cut out each piece. You can cut off the tabs and use sticky strips.  You can also leave them unlaminated and use adhesive putty.

If you want your dolls to stand up, cut a square block around Ruby's feet. Cut two slits along the bottom of the block and slide in two little strips of paper.

I love to get photos of my dolls in use! Please send them!

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To download Ruby, simply click on the graphic. That will take you to Flickr. In the top left corner you will see a button that says "All Sizes". Click that and choose the size you want to download.


All paper dolls on Suaviloquy are free for download, however, if you use them for commercial purposes you will need to credit the source. That's little ol' me in case you were wondering.

envy

I'm not a butterfly girl per say. I'm not a heart girl either. You can keep your sweet little hearts thank you very much. I won't be needing them on my clothing or anywhere in my house.

But lately, well lately, I've been a little fascinated (is that the right word?) by these winged creatures. They keep popping up in everything I create. I think it might boil down to envy.

Just watch a butterfly as it flits about your garden. They are so carefree, light and graceful.

For a girl with her feet firmly on the ground (surrounded by laundry) it seems impossible to ever be so blithe.

So I will continue to create my little butterflies and maybe if I work hard enough and long enough, someday I will be an old grandma on a porch and when a butterfly flutters by I will be able to say that I am as carefree as he.

lydia

My mother taught me the magic of paper dolls. I've loved them ever since I was little. At one time I had a set of Shirley Temple paper dolls. Oh how I would love to know where they went.

I decided to do a series of my own paper dolls. And I think I will share them here, for those of you out there that love them as well. They make a great quiet activity for a little girl who must occupy herself during church or in a waiting room. Being quiet can be pretty difficult sometimes.

I can't wait until Birdie is old enough to play with paper dolls instead of ripping their heads off and eating their clothes.

I am sending Lydia to my niece with a box of crayons and a pair of child safe scissors.

You will need some good white card stock. I like to copy my dolls off so that they are about four inches tall.

I plan to post a doll every month, but don't hold me to it. Things are a little ify around here lately.