A skunk named BEE

just being happy

drifting lazily through smell

petals so tiny

If you want to be happy.... BE!

playing in my sketchbook

I hadn't put too much in my sketchbook for a long while until the girls and flowers i showed recently.....

then i started doing these....

I put down random blobs of watercolor, 

let it dry and drew around what i could see, 

not a new idea or anything,

 i've seen lots of books or blogs where people do this, 

but i hadn't in awhile, and it's sort of addicting and fun. 

Plus i end up seeing and drawing things i never would have drawn that way without trying this,

...like this little fox.

 He showed up in green, sort of fox-like but not really.

 so then i tried him again on a paint chip named marigold. 

So now I have this character, Marigold, the fox. I like him...

Happy paint party friday and hello all at Artists Play room! and hello to the creative everyday people!

5. things that make me happy

1. My kids helped my husband and I make some raised beds and I am excited to be able to plant soon.....We built them 4'x4' and 10 inches tall.  We lay down newspapers over the grass, (well this one has cardboard instead of newspaper), then added a layer of old leaves, then compost mixed with just a little vermiculite and one bag of soil for all so actually very little soil added in. We have a huge compost pile that has been unused for years so we had enough for 5 squares and two long beds. 

 In between the squares is going to be flat rocks surrounded by gravel eventually I think...

2. My youngest didn't help but he was good and didn't try to run off the whole time we worked! and that is a wonderful thing, truly. He's on a 3 week good streak in his autism classroom at school. (If only we could figure out why, and make sure we keep doing what ever it is that turned his behavior around....)
I talk about him as if he was litttle, but as you can see he isn't anymore....

 

3. I have been having fun sketching and planning where things will be planted...

4. Making painted rock herb markers...

 I draw it on using my regular tip gel pen, then I add thickness along the edges...

woodland guardians

watching over my artwork

 judgmental  critics?

Then I spray them with a varnish, i have tried all different kinds, any will work.

5. My daughter is back home from New Mexico and excited about helping plant as well!

favorite stuff on Etsy

 

Since I spend too much time on etsy, I decided to add some of the stuff I see on here... I don't know these shops but I like how cheery these items are...

1. Vintage paint by numbers

2. Daffodil fabric flowers

3. Heinrich German gravy boat

4.Origami Lillies

5. Polymer clay Daffodil beads

6. Spring flower bias tape

a glimpse into my sketchbook

My sketchbooks used to be filled with color and nature sketches, lately they have page after page of these wide faced girls in black and white. Actually the color has only gone because I am using a cheaper sketchbook instead of a watercolor journal.... it just doesn't work well with paint  but I am not sure why these characters keep appearing.... so yesterday i did a few quick sketches with color just to  remember what I used to do...

Happy Paint party friday!

4 things that make me happy

 

1.  There are finally signs of spring in my yard...

I looked these up...

 they are called Glory of the snow.... 

 

2. I have been obsessively re-reading all my Alice Hoffman books... I have about 11 or 12 and she's written so many more that it makes me happy knowing I have plenty more to look forward to...

3. I have been even more obsessively watching these...
My older son talked me into watching the first episode, I didn't want to. I had heard about it everywhere and didn't want to watch it for some reason... maybe because everyone else liked it.
But one episode and you are hooked...
He got me these for an early mothers day gift. I am now only at the beginning of season three so no spoilers please. I am in love with Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister so if they die do NOT tell me...

And the season sets each come with a map... don't you just love the opening credits with the maps and gears?

4. I got this sooo cute and wonderfully filled May basket from my MOM for May day. I am enjoying it bit by bit. It was arranged better before the photo, I have rooted around in it now and smelled all the pretty smelling soaps and such...Thanks Mom!