Blogging Rut

I'm stuck in a rut. I'm a bad blogger. I was being so good and consistent with this blog and suddenly this last month I feel like I've run out of steam. I feel tired and uncreative. Every time I sit down to start an illustration or photograph a little project, I suddenly hit this mental wall. What happened? ...I'm not really sure.
I do know that the shorter days are exhausting and that after work I can hardly do more than get up from the couch and go to bed. Perhaps the problem is that work has been creatively draining for the last while and now it has sucked any energy left for my personal projects. Yes, shocking; I know. After all the complaints I had about work being boring and pointless and suddenly it is flipped completely; now I complain that I don't have any creative energy to work on personal things. Honestly, I'm impossible to please (hubby, don't say a word!)
At this point I really want to say to you all, please don't give up on my little blog! I will be back, I promise. I plan to recharge over the holidays and buckle down with new personal projects in the new year. Embroidery, book ideas, illustrations, these are all hovering in my mind. I just need a little more time to reflect. I hope you will come visit when I am myself again!
Until then, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and all that other jazz. I'll be seeing you soon!

The Christmas Countdown

Is anyone else looking around and wondering how the holiday season just sort of snuck up on us? Geez...Already December and I can hardly believe another year is coming to a close. Yesterday Hubby convinced me we needed to get into the Christmas spirit, so we busted out the decorations and lights, popped in The Sound of Music DVD and away we went. Nothing like a little Julie Andrews doe ray me to get us into a festive mood. I'm really looking forward to the break - it has been a hectic fall. Although work has been pretty slow, everything else in our lives is bustling. This would explain the lack of posts on this here blog, but I do plan to get right back on the blog horse as soon as the New year rolls around.

So, until then, please bear with my sparatic check-ins and some rushed photos of mini projects that are going on around here. The 2 stuffy ornaments below are not quite finished - I still need to find some little bells to sew to the end of the sleeping toques. But aren't they cute?

Ok, my elementary sewing skills are not exactly working for me here, but the design is the best. I found a photo (can't remember where) of Hilary Lang's ornaments she had published in a magazine. Now, I have no idea where to find this magazine - perhaps someone out there knows of this magazine and where it is sold? But the photo was so amazing, I was inspired to try to make some myself. Yes, quite risky of me to attempt a sewing project without instructions...eeek!

Well folks, that's all for now. I'm so tired these days, it is defenitely the time of year for cocooning! Ug....bring on the holiday season!

Illustration Friday ~ Invention

"Eureka!" he exclaimed as he revelled in the invention. And the fish soared higher and higher - finally experiencing the wind against their gills.

Great topic this week! I really had a blast painting this one. Of course my flying fish had to make another appearance ;-)

Tiny Shiny Art

Hello blog friends! I'm so excited to give you a peek at one of the Christmas projects I've been lucky enough to work on this year. I have some very talented entrepreneur friends who invited me to create original illustrations for their latest endeavour called - drum roll please....

I met Kay and Jeff through work - we are all artists working under the same big corporate roof. They always have some creative project on the go and this time I'm so thrilled to be a part of it! A couple months ago, they ordered and recieved a button maker which magically presses cute little one inch buttons - and since it arrived, they have been unstoppable! This creative duo have made fabric buttons, limited edition illustration buttons and even some originals that they've painstakingly painted/drawn/collaged at the teeny weeny 1" scale.

I've contributed some illos for Christmas and here they are as a finished product - their packaging is so slick and professional! Unfortunately my camera is rubbish, so it does nothing to display what it looks like in person; but, fortunately, they will be updating a website and since Kay has a background in photography, there will be no lame photos!

Here are the scans of what the illustrations actually look like. The buttons are so cute and I'm totally pleased with how they turned out. The big debut of all the buttons will be at a local craft show here in Coquitlam, BC on Dec. 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Check out tiny shiny art for the details if you are in the area - you do not want to miss out! They also have big plans to build up a website so everyone can shop for these gems - and they even plan to expand with other shiny product lines. I'll be sure to keep you posted.

So, there you have it folks. My big excuse as to why I have been so inconsistent with Illustration Friday and creative posts in general. I'm knitting away for some xmas gifts and I'm even sewing some ornaments for family stocking stuffers. I just really hope I can finish everything in time - the countdown has officially begun. Tick tock!

Welcome November

Well, it finally hit me that winter has arrived. We just got back from a weekend at the in laws in Grand Forks and we were struck with a dump of snow there and back. The lower mainland is experiencing major downpours, but the interior of BC is definitely seeing the white stuff.

I can't say the weather has brought on any sort of Christmas spirit - I regret to disappoint anyone, but I'm really not the most festive person when it comes to this holiday season (I know... bah humbug). I love the time with family and friends - all the eating and drinking...and eating some more. But it is such an exhausting time. Already I am overwhelmed with lists of things to do before December 25th.

But here we are, suddenly it is November. And time is certainly not slowing down for anyone. Last week we got the shocking news that Hubby lost his job (it looks like his boss is selling the business). This was difficult information to process, but now that we've had the week to mull it over - I feel surprisingly calm and hopeful for his future; our future. Sometimes we need to be pushed out of old comfort zones in order to move ahead in life.

And on the subject of being pushed forward...tomorrow brings another birthday for yours truly. *Sigh*...where does the time go? Last year was the big 30, and I was so traumatized about falling into the next decade that I didn't really pay attention to any aging that was affecting my body or mind. But I have to say, I do feel the age this year. I'm pulling out a lot more grey hairs and I notice that I shop for eye cream that contains anti-aging remedies. Also, I don't seem to keep the brownies or chocolate off my hips the way I used to and I noticed a frightening sag in the skin just below my chin (am I getting jowls??). Yikes! Did you know that every 7 years our bodies regenerate all new tissues so that we are completely different persons? How bizarre!

But I shouldn't dwell on the negative changes. I do notice that my thought process has definitely matured, and I have become MUCH more patient than I ever used to be. I still feel like I'm trying to figure myself out, but I am trying to be more open when I'm faced with the ups and downs of life. What I learned in Europe was that I really want to experience each moment for what it is and not be so obsessed about what is going to happen next. That is a tricky one for me since I am probably the biggest worry wart out there. But, there it is and that's all I have to say on turning 31. Except that some new art supplies will be the most excellent b-day gift ever and I plan to hit the store this weekend. Yay!

Illustration Friday {Smoke}

I think one of the cornerstones of the Parisian diet is a fresh cafe au lait and a long cigarette. The French people are so glamorous and the air is so...hazy.

Embroidery for Swap

I'm so frustrated with my camera...I can never get decent pictures when they have a lot of white. Alas, here is an embroidery that I sent off last weekend for this swap . I've never participated in any sort of online anything before, so this is all new territory. I started to click on the links of other people who have sent something away and I was so totally impressed by every blog...gulp. I hope they like my little patch. The photo also looks crooked, but actually it is completely square - I just don't have the time to doctor it up in photoshop.



We're having a bit of a rough week here in Sallyland, but I still want to finish an illo for Friday...it's coming along, just not as well as I had hoped. Anyways, I'll try to post it tomorrow night.

One quick note: I just wanted to thank you all for your lovely comments on my travel posts. I had forgot to mention that I survived the flights pretty well - much better than expected. We all had our own personal tvs which was a huge help, especially on the way home when dealing with overwhelming impatience to get to my own bed. But thank-you for your concerned emails and comments! You guys are the best :)