IF - Vacant

This is my entry for Illustration Friday this week. The theme is Vacant.

When I was a kid we had a vacant lot across the street. This is where we went exploring and bug collecting in the summer and it's also where we built our snowmen in the winter. There's a house there now and I don't think any of the neighborhood kids (all grown up now) have fully forgiven them for building on our vacant lot.

("Snowman" will be in my ETSY shop soon!)

ETSY Shop Update

I am planning an

ETSY shop update

in my bumblebina shop for Monday, November 3rd.

Here's a preview:

Newest Teacher Sign

This one is going in the mail today. Teacher signs are available in both of my ETSY shops --tmatthews and bumblebina.

Early Voting - Anybody else?

Birthday Hat

Here's what I've found. I cannot follow a knitting pattern. Not cannot=unable, but cannot=unwilling. I find that I have to do something to change it. I don't know why, but I do. This hat is one from Susan B. Anderson's Itty Bitty Hats. I ADORE this book and her 2nd book Itty Bitty Nursery.

I followed her pattern pretty closely--the most I've ever followed a pattern actually--except for the noted changes below:


This hat is for my sweet angel niece who turns 1 this week. She won't wear headbands so I imagine she'll not keep the hat on long. Hopefully long enough for my sister to take her picture so she can lie to me and tell me how much the baby loves it and won't take it off! :)

Haley's Animals

I have been dying to blog these little sweeties since I completed them but I had to wait until they arrived at my sister's house. She commissioned them for her daughter Haley's room. Haley is turning 1 next week and is, I swear I am not biased, the cutest thing you've ever seen. Okay, I'm a little biased, but seriously she's an angel.

Anywho...these are each 12" x 12". Below is the scan of each which had to be cropped since my scanner cannot accomodate 12" x 12" but the color is more true.

Step By Step - The Birth of a Dog, a Bird, a Cow and a Fish

...without the gross stuff. :)

Here's some WIP pictures from my latest paintings.

The sketchbook

Sketched on primed canvas with pencil

The black outlines done with a small brush

The Paint

The finished paintings

In their new home--my niece's bedroom

Inspire Me Thursday - Nervous

I'm always a little nervous when I send a commission out to the buyer. You want so much for them to love it. And it's a little like sending a part of yourself out into the world. These arrived yesterday and the buyer said she loves them so much she danced around when she saw them. Yeah! Love to hear that. :)

The theme this week for Inspire Me Thursday is NERVOUS.