Another cute card using my "Brandy and Emma" stamp design!

I just found this wonderful card designer who used another one of my new stamp designs featured in The Angel Company's new catalog. She blogged about the new stamp sets here .

It's so much fun to see how people use them to create wonderful cards!

To purchase the new rubber stamps contact and angel nearest you!

Illustration Friday - "Midsummer Night"

For Illustration Friday - "Midsummer Night" from a book I illustrated due out in October.

Brandy lives on in stamps :)

I already posted about this earlier but I just found this cute card created with my stamp design by this talented Angel Company consultant. The Angel Company  catalogs start shipping today!

My beloved dog Brandy lives on in stamp designs! Brandy is featured in several other sets along with her sidekick Emma, modeled after my daughter Emily.

If interested in purchasing be sure to contact an angel nearest you! :)

Summer Solstice

Happy Summer to everyone! My sweet sister brought me this bouquet last night. I LOVE hydrangeas so much!!!

Ok, back to sketching! I'll post something soon...just can't share at the moment. :)

Packaging is key...keylime ;)

I just love the way Piperlime packs their items with such great attention to detail... I ordered some sandals. Free shipping and returns to boot so their is no risk to order online! Just how cute is this?

Of course I also love everything having to do with lime! The color, the fruit and key lime pie, too! :)

Here are the sandals...but don't laugh at my ugly feet! Artists can't really afford pedicures!! ;)

Ok, back to sketching my next picture book for tiger tales!

Designing rubber stamps

I have been designing rubber stamps for The Angel Company for a few years now but I am super excited about some new sets that will be coming out in their new catalog in late June. Many of the stamp designs were inspired by my beloved pet, Brandy. Here is a sneak peek from a guest card designer.

Here is the original painting of this design that I did several years ago.

Asleep - Illustration Friday

This week's Illustration Friday's topic is "Asleep". This is art from an upcoming book to be published in Sept. titled My Big Book of Prayers.

Christmas in May

Here's another peek of the picture book I am working on at the moment. Listening to Christmas music on Pandora as I paint to get into the zone.

Wet-in-wet watercolor technique

I have been doing a lot of wet-in-wet watercolor technique on the new book I'm painting. It's a big challenge but fun. There are moments I feel totally out of control but it's also exhilarating to not know what the outcome will be. Talk about letting go! Which is completely new for me but I am really enjoying it.

painting...

I am painting away on a new project. I will reveal more in late June...but let's just say I am listening to Christmas music while working on it. Here's a sneak peek.

Messy studio and sleeping studio companion included. ;)

Shhh! Spring is here!

Shhh! Spring is here! Maybe, if we don't say it out loud, Spring will stay! It has been a LONG Winter and it seems at least for the moment that warm weather is here at last! Here are a few photos I took in my yard, today.

Quentin Blake - The power of illustration

Junkin' treasures

I love watching American Pickers on the History Channel and even though I am not a "junker"...that's what we call them in our family...my sister and brother-in-law are the best junkers I know! I am lucky cuz all I have to do is give them my wish list and they go on the hunt!

Here are just a few of the recent treasures they have gotten for me. Thanks Jan and Pat!!! :)

 A wonderful Corona typewriter that still works! The case is the to the left with my hubby's old slinky from the fifties. A 1959 Highlight's Magazine and a great book, Art for Children...I found those two gems. :)

 A very cool small portable Corona typewriter and a couple old fans.

This is what I woke up to on March 14th!

And it's started snowing like crazy again since this picture! It's a white out at the moment outside my studio window.
What is even crazier than this? It's supposed to be up to 70 by Thursday! That's the best part of Spring snows...they don't stick around very long.

painting...painting...painting

Working away...here's what's on my desk.

Illustration Friday - Layers

Here's a small cropping of a piece I did for the Tomie dePaola Illustration contest that SCBWI had recently. The illustration was for the opening of Johanna Spyri’s wonderful book Heidi.

I thought it was appropriate for Illustration Friday's "layers".

Note- I just realized I had two versions of this illo that I worked on so I added another version where Heidi's clothes are bigger and the shoes a bit clunkier as well as a few other changes.

Not sure which one I like better?

What's on my desk?

I'm working on a sweet board book project at the moment. I can't give many more details until it comes out but I'll give you a peek. You will see a little color study above the painting that I did digitally. I find it really helps me to do that before just jumping into a painting. That way, I can work out all the color issues ahead of time.

working...

It's been way too long since my last post because I have been working feverishly on a board book project along with other assignments as well. I am having lots of fun but I haven't had time to post so here is a little peek. Lot's of toddlers in this book.

Too much trust?

Here is Brad hard at work in his office chair.
Here's Cassie...too trusting? Good thing we always look down to see where she is before moving an inch.

Magazine art

I recently did an illustration for Jack and Jill magazine, the Jan/Feb 2011 issue. They do a fun contest called Pen in Hand where they choose one of their young subscribers whose story was chosen to be illustrated and featured in their magazine. Here is Tiny Tom's Courageous Adventure.