Rozzie Land

Cintiq to Imac hook up

Hi all,

This is just a quick post to share how I hooked my Cintiq to my Imac. I was going through some hiccups that I shared over at facebook but I want to post the solution here just in case anyone finds it helpful in future. I apologize in advance for the quality of the photos (quick phone shots).

So yes, very excited to get my Cintiq and thought it would be a case of simply taking it out of the box and plugging in. It turned out, however, that I needed an adapter.

Here is the layout of ports on the back of my Imac...

The far right port is the the DVI port which is used to connect with the Cintiq. In my manual it only shares what you will need if you are attaching to a mac mini. So I found an ehow article that takes you through the hook up step by step to an Imac. As it turned out, it wasn't the adapter I needed either. It said to get a "mini display port to dvi adapter" (which I purchased) but the only port I could get it to fit into was the firewire port.

After some research, it turns out that I simply needed a "mini dvi to dvi adapter" which looks like this:

I got mine one from the Apple Accessories section at Best Buy for $16.00 (Dynex was the brand).

Here is how it looks completely connected: 

 

Click to enlarge

 

Phew, running like a charm. =O)

(Emily relieved that mom isn't stressing anymore)

BTW, isn't the desktop calendar cute? It is by teddy bear artist Jenny Lee, of Jenny Loves Benny.

I download her calendar every month. Her creations make me smile. =o)

Friday Five on Saturday

Hello, friends. I'm sorry for the lack of posting. A few of you have been asking where I am and if I'm okay. I am. Summer has just taken over and I feel like I'm trying to play catch up more than anything. =o) When the kids are back in school, I should hopefully be a better blogger. (I do post weekly at the PBJ blog and try to follow friends at facebook and twitter so if you are there, please look me up). 

Here is a "Friday Five" to catch up a little:

1. One main reason I haven't been blogging as much is that I've been making my health goals a priority. Guess what? I have lost 20 pounds so far. If people tell you that losing the weight will not make you happy, they are wrong. I am ecstatic! I am feeling more and more like my authentic self with every passing day.   

 

 

2. Speaking of health and wellness, I am so excited about a project that I was just offered. Dover Publishing asked if I would be interested in doing another book like my "Science Around the House" (coming out in Sept.) .  This one will focus on making healthy eating fun for kids. How serendipitous is that? Deadline is December so I have my hands full. 80 pages.

 

Portion of one of the samples for proposal.

 

3. This summer, gratefully, I did have work come my way. It was mostly educational so a lot of b&w. I did a book for Flying Frog Press which was also in b&w but will be colored digitally in-house. I am anxious to see how it turned out. =o)

 

 

4. Because of that, I have really let my color work go this summer. I haven't done anything new since the Santa pieces I did in the Spring. Here are some sketches I have on my table waiting to be colored. I did these for a friends son who loves all things military. I don't have much geared to boys in my portfolio so I'm anxious to get these in there. 

click to enlarge 

 

5. Summer movies... I haven't been as often as I would have liked. I missed out on Toy Story 3 and Shrek Forever After. I did catch Eclipse and Inception, though, and enjoyed both! 

Speaking of the Twilight series, the sound track to Eclipse is awesome. It is nearly as good as the first one and definitely stronger than the second one. Moody and ethereal quality to it.  One of my favorites...

So that's about it. Summer is nearly over and it has been a good one. Kids start back to school on August 12th ( I know, insanely early) so I'm going to try and savor these last couple of weeks of sleeping in. 

 Happy summer all.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful dads out there!

 

 Kevin, thank you for being such a good man and fine example to your kids. We love you dearly and are so very proud of you.

 

Handsome, isn't he? Inside and out.

Dad, it is so difficult not having you here to say in person how much I love you. But you knew then and I like to believe that you still hear me now. To the best dad that anyone could ever ask for. You used to text me all the time,  "Do u miss me?" and dad my answer is still the same. Yes, very much.

 

May 22 1944-  January 29, 2010

  xo

 

Happy Memorial Day

 

(My husband Kevin, who is currently deployed in Afghanistan. Miss him terribly but so very proud of him.)

Happy Memorial Day everyone. Here's to the wonderful service men and women past and present. 

  

Friday Five

Hi Friends,

Sorry to be so absent.  May has just whizzed by in a flash.  Here's a Friday Five to see if I can get back into the swing of things.

 

 

1. May was full of birthdays including my first born Jesse who not only turned 18 but also graduated from high school this week. Talk about time going by. Sigh. Yes, I'm sad but I also know the turd has no intention of leaving the nest any time soon so it's all good. =O)

 

2. Oh man, so sad for this to be over. I was late to the party and watched all the seasons back to back via hulu this past month and I'm just not ready to leave the island. I am in the camp of viewers that really liked the ending. Very satisfying.

3 main reasons I will miss Lost:

 

Just kidding! Sort of. ;o)

 

 3. This week was my birthday too and my mum got me these:

 

I love, love, love them. I wasn't really skeptical but I didn't particularly think they would make all that much of a difference to my walking but wow.  I can go for miles now and I'm so surprised at the change in my posture. I can definitely feel different muscles being worked (glutes and front top thigh) so I'm sold. Would highly recommend them. They feel kind of weird at first , like you are going to topple over, but after a while it feels "normal". 

 

 

4. YAY LEE! He had my vote.

Okay, is it just me or do you think these two hooked up? They were just so "close" during the season. Then her boyfriend dumps her the night of the finale. Coincidence? I'd love to see them record a duet. They're both awesome.

 

 

5. Not much exciting to share illustration wise so here is something that came in the mail this week. When I was first starting out, Hopscotch Magazine gave me my first job and I worked with them regularly providing b&w work for a couple of years. Every now and again they will reprint something I've illustrated and I receive a copy and a little royalty check. They were great to work with!

xo to all. Have a happy and safe Memorial Weekend and please keep our troops serving overseas in your prayers. 

0:-)

Peachtree Week in full swing

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to say that Peachtree Week at the PBJ's is in full swing. Be sure to check out some great books being reviewed and be sure to leave a comment to be entered in the book giveaway on Monday. Commenting more than once to increase your odds is encouraged!  =o)

 

 

I had the pleasure of reviewing, "Arbor Day Square". I'm a big fan of Cyd Moore's illustrative style so when I saw that this book was available I just had to have it. =o) 

The story is set in the early 19th century so if you have any little ones that  enjoy "Little House On the Prairie", they'll enjoy this as well.  You can read the review here.

Plus, it will introduce kids to  fun community activities that make our Earth happy. =o)

Peachtree Week at the PBJ's- Book Give Away!

 

 

Pop on over to the PBJ's blog for "Peachtree Week" with a book give-away!

All week, we're celebrating Peachtree Publishing by sharing one of their fabulous books with you daily.

 

And guess what else? Peachtree has generously sent us the above picture books to share with 3 lucky winners!

To be entered, simply leave a comment and you will automatically be added to the drawing. Feel free to visit daily and leave a comment to increase your odds. The winners will be announced on Monday, May 17th. Good luck!

I hope you enjoy the week as much as we do.

Santa Samples

Happy Friday everyone!  

This week, I worked up some Santa Illustrations for a potential project. This happens quite a lot . There will be a request from a publisher to see samples reflecting a certain theme and your agent sends samples from his/her stable of artists. I wanted to be included in this submission so I had to get these completed quickly. 

They are a bit different from my typical style. I omitted the stitching in hopes that it would help them look a tad older. Plus, it was quicker...and just plain fun. =o) 

(click to enlarge)

 

 

 

   

Beach Play

 

 Here's a little wordless story I worked up for my portfolio. I had a lot of fun with this one. Sometimes I feel like the singer Pink. Remember when she first came out with her signature pink hair? Each year the pink became more and more subtle with a strip here or a dollop there. That's how I feel with my work. There is an essence of the felt work I started with several years ago but just barely in this piece.

PS. There is actually quite a lot of texture to this one but hard to see due to the size I had to upload.

Happy Easter

 

  

They Draw and Cook

 

 

There is a fun blog you need to check out. It's called "they draw and cook" which posts illustrated recipes.  Above is my contribution. I hope other illustrators out there will participate too! 

Friday Five

Hi All,

Haven't done this in a while and it's a fun way to catch up. So here goes:

1.  Just finished up a second batch of educational work. I really love working in black line. Can't show you much so here is a snippet: 

 If you have the niggle to try a new program, do it. I'm so thankful that I pushed myself to learn Adobe Illustrator because this last assignment hinged on knowing the program. 

 

 2. Technology is great. I am so thankful for SKYPE. Hubby is in Afghanistan and being able to see him is wonderful beyond words. Thank you skype, it's such a gift.

 

 

3. Created a new blog banner. Decided that it would work well as a portfolio piece so I replaced "rozzieland" with "home sweet home".

 

 
 
 4. Have you visited the Picture Book Junkies blog yet? If you're interested in the picturebook market, I think you'll like it. I post there every Tuesday.

 

 

5. Favorite movie of the week? Food Inc.  Please see it and pass it on. It's eye opening and makes me want to do better with the choices I make. It is our way of "voting". We do count.

Have a great weekend!

                                                                                                                                                                 

Benny

Hi all,

I have been working on a couple of things that I'm afraid I can't share yet so here is an illustration I finished recently for a personal project.

His name is Benny.

 

 

Taking Inspiration From The Oscars

 

It was Oscar weekend and what a fun show it was. Weren't Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin hilarious?  I was so happy for the "Hurt Locker's" accolades.  I only wish "Moon" would have been acknowledged (zero nominations), especially actor Sam Rockwell.  Still good, though.

One of my favorite segments was the "Best Short Film" category. It left me so inspired. Before the nominees were announced, they had directors discuss the importance of the short film in their careers.

 

 

John Lasseter (won best animated short for "Tin Toy" 1988 and then went on to direct Oscar winning "Cars") said:

You know, the tools to make a film are so readily accessible. Cameras, your lap top. My advice to young film makers is, the tools never make a great film, it's what you do with the tools. Telling a great story. Entertaining the audience. That's what's going to win you an Academy award.

This is true with illustration. So often, we get caught up in getting the most expensive this or top of the line that. I know I have often thought,  if I could only afford _ _ _ _  then I would be a great illustrator. How naive. Yes, it's important to have the right tools but what you do with them is what will get you noticed.  It still boils down to the creativity you share. I mean, we hear this advice all the time don't we with our portfolio pieces? Your illustration's must tell a story. The viewer should be left wanting to know what happens next. That's what makes them dynamic and interesting. Not that one created it with the most current programs on a cintiq (which I want btw!). 

 

 

And then there was, Taylor Hackford (won best short film, " Live Action" 1978 then later directed Oscar winning "Ray") who shared:

When you're a young film maker, nobody believes you can make a feature film. The best way to convince them is to make a short. You've got to start somewhere.

Again, this resonated with me. When we're first starting out, we envision our picture book sitting on the wall of fame at Barnes & Noble. Am I right? But how do you get there? I am still a firm believe that every job is a stepping stone. That's not to say we should work with a self publisher who is going to take advantage of us. But I do think working on projects that excite us yet  don't necessarily pay well is a great way of getting experience and honing our "voice" in the industry.

Yes, you've got to start somewhere and you just never know where it will lead.

Anyway, it was a great show and now I have a list as long as my arm of films I want to see as well as inspiration to get better at what I do.

The PBJ's are back online!

 

After a year long hiatus, I'm thrilled to announce that the "picture book junkies" are back in blog land. We are a group of illustrators that are absolutely addicted to picture books and children's publishing. We plan on sharing our work, thoughts, links - anything that pertains to the wonderful world of the picture book.  Poor economy or not, picture books will always be!

 * On a personal note, I just wanted to thank everyone that stopped by to pass on their condolences on the loss of my dad. It has been a painful journey that I know many of you can relate. Your words brought me great comfort.

Playing with repeats

 

I feel an addiction coming on.  I recently ordered Tara Reed's e-book on creating repeats and started playing with some existing spot art I have. Wow, this is just way too much fun. =o)

Dream Big 2010

Looking for a dose of inspiration? I'm finding it over at Lisa Schroeder's blog.  There she has YA author posts where they share their experience with dreaming big. And don't skip it if you think it's only geared to writers. It speaks to everyone who has that niggling dream in their heart. Love it.

 

 

Speaking of Lisa, many congrats to her on the release of her newest book, Chasing Brooklyn. I began following Lisa's blog when she was writing for the picturebook market. It has been so inspiring to watch how she has grown and reinvented herself. Go Lisa!

Breaking into Freelance Illustration

 

This is such a fun time of year because everyone is so inspired about pursuing their dreams with gusto!  It's infectious.  With that in mind, I thought I'd post a recommendation if there is anyone visiting that is interested in freelance illustration. 

Holly DeWolf's, Breaking Into Freelance Illustration is chock full of valuable info and encouragement. Definitely a book to add to your arsenal. Holly did a fabulous job of covering all the bases and it was so fun to see interviews in there with fellow illustrator buddies Kathy Weller, Jannie Ho, Holli Conger and Susan Mitchell.  I also had the privilege of being one of the contributors which was a lot of fun- thanks Holly!

Anyway, get this book, you won't be disappointed.  =o)

 
 

10 in 2010

 

Happy New Year everyone. I hope this is a healthy and prosperous year for all of us.

Here are my 10 for 2010.

• Learn Corel Painter. I have no idea where this will lead  but I am feeling like I need to explore this program.  
• Pursue writing again. I really let this go by the wayside in 2009. I know my dream is to write and illustrate my own books so I need to work towards that.
• Explore art licensing. 
• Make time for more crafting/decorating/gardening.
• Release control. 
• Take each day one day at a time.
• Slow down and listen to that little voice.
• Be a more active blogger. 
• Just be without putting too much pressure on myself.
• Finally shed these dumb 10 pounds!

 

New Year, New Calendars

 

Every year I look forward to getting my new Linda Nelson Stocks calendar for Christmas.  I love her folk art style, especially her snow scenes.

 

But this year, I've splurged on a second calendar by illustrator pal Susan Mitchell. Her needle felt characters are adorable. When I saw that she'd done a hedgehog, I knew I just had to have a copy!

Dec 25th- MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

Merry Christmas to you all. Hope you have a wonderful day. xo

 

Merry Christmas Eve!

 

Merry Christmas Eve! 

This lovely panda was designed by my pal, Theresa Smythe.

 

Dec 23rd- Sew Pretty

 

This is an absolutely gorgeous book to browse through during the holidays for inspiration. I got bought this last year and I admit again, I didn't do any of the projects. One year I will, though. What I love most are the fabrics. Oh the fabrics. I researched on line and it looks like you can only order them from the UK- http://www.puddlecrafts.co.uk/ . Tilda is the line.

If you are thinking more about the new year ahead, there are a series of craft books from Tone Finnanger that are also a feast for the eyes.

 

 
 

Dec 22nd - "Pressie" hiding

  

I love hiding small "pressie's" in the Christmas tree. Can you find the 2 in this photo?

 

Dec 21st - the snuggie

I have been wanting to get one of these for my dad but held back because I felt like surely there must be a way to do one of these things and have it feel more personalized. Thanks to the internet, I found a pattern. I have my 3 yards of fleece but can't confirm how well it works yet but it looks like it should work pretty well.  

Here's the link: 

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=280850.0

Search,"homemade snuggie", if the link doesn't work. You will find a link to the pdf pattern by Welmoed Sisson.

ADDENDUM:

 

The pattern works! Just finished making it with the help of my mum. Three yards is plenty of fleece.  The trickiest part are the arm holes. We made a template on paper and pinned it on the fabric and cut out. Pinning/stitching the arms to the holes was finicky but not impossible. The arms came out really long so we made a big hem and still had enough to roll up as a cuff. 

Thanks to my husband for modeling. =o)

 

Dec 20th

 

Dec 19th- Snow!

 

Before

 After

This is all we got today but weatherman says to expect a snowy christmas eve!

 

 

Dec 18th- Hint Hint

 

This is what I get every time I try to wrap something. 

 

Dec 17th- Starbucks

 

I did a long drawn out rant about stress this week but decided it was better to focus on something nice. Like a hot cup of peppermint white mocha. I even have this during the summer. Just love it so much.

Hop on over to Alicia Padron's blog.  What a coincidence, she's posted a cute starbucks commercial! 

http://lovetoillustrate.blogspot.com/2009/12/beautiful-ad-starbucks.html

Dec 16th- Cookies

 

Emily, my 13 yr old, is the baker in the family and although we haven't made time to bake from scratch yet this season, these have satisfied her need to get in the kitchen. I think she likes the independence of making these for us without help.

Dec 15th- Lily

 

This is a terrible phone photo but I knew if I moved, I'd wake her. Here's Lily napping by the tree. She loves big stuffed animals and often uses them like a pacifier to put herself to sleep. There's a hedgehog about the same size that Santa will be bringing her this year.

Dec 14th- Farm and Zoo books

 

HAPPY DAY!  My complementary copies of the zoo and farm books I did for SoundPrints/Smithsonian arrived. I worked on these over a year ago and they are finally published!  It says at Amazon that they come out in January but it also says "in stock" so I assume from that they are available for purchase.

I am so pleased at how they turned out. I was such a nervous wreck because you just never know how things will look when you send files for printing. PHEW! 

I'm so tickled that they got here in time to send to my niece and nephew for Christmas.

Dec 13th- A Christmas Carol

 

I love Charles Dicken's,  "A Christmas Carol". Went to see this recently and although I enjoyed it and its lush graphics, I found the characters were a bit "creepy".  But I'm sure I'll get myself a copy when it comes to DVD. I haven't seen it in 3D and I think that was probably a mistake. I will definitely try to get back to the theater with the kids to see if that makes a difference.

My favorite versions:

 

 

 

 

 

Dec 12 th- glove reindeer

 

http://kleas.typepad.com/kleas/2009/11/glove-reindeer.html 

How cute is this fun little project?

(I'm sorry I can't make my links look cleaner. Ever since I swapped to my mac, it won't let me right click on links and copy/paste into the typepad application. This means I have to re type the entire address to make an active link.  If anyone has had this experience with mac/typepad and has advice, please let me know. It's really frustrating and I'm tempted to leave typepad.)

ADDENDUM: Tech support helped me with this issue. Simple solution is to use the keyboard function "command v" instead of the mouse for pasting. Still not sure why this is an issue but I'm happy there's a solution!

Dec 11th- craft book love

I'm doing it again. I'm sipping a latte and thumbing through gorgeous little books at Barnes & Noble, daydreaming about making these cuties through the winter. I did the same thing last year. Bought lovely craft books and guess what ? I never did a single project. So, I'm trying very hard not to get this. But on the other hand, is it so wrong to have books around  simply for the pleasure of looking at them? Decidedly no!  But not today. If I receive a bookstore gift card for Christmas this is on the top of my list. And so is this one. Another amigurumi book that I won't use. =o)

 

 

 

Dec 10th- holiday postcard

 

Received some lovely news. My rep asked if she could use this image for her holiday mailing. 

I am thrilled because I shamefully didn't make a card this year...again. This one was made last year but finished too late to be sent out to publishers. 

Some of you may be thinking, why would you send a postcard if you have a rep?

Well, it can't hurt. If anything comes of a mailer I've sent, I pass the reigns to Janet to handle the details. I don't enjoy dealing with contracts so for me it is worth every commissioned penny to have Janet take over even if I found the job myself.

Dec 9th- White trees

 

http://blissfully-domestic.blogspot.com/ 

I was at my daughter's choir recital the other night and they had a little white christmas tree on the stage. It was adorable with all the aqua, pink and lime green decorations. So happy and different. I wish I could figure out a reason to get one. Here's a lovely version from blogger, blissfully domestic.

Dec 8th- Prep & Landing

 

Tonight will be all about this! Boy, I hope it's going to be as good as it looks. =o))

Addendum: IT WAS ADORABLE! I hope they'll do another one next year.

 

Dec 7th- Anthropologie tea cup

 

www.anthropologie.com

This morning, I'm enjoying hot black coffee and honey in this pretty little thing.

Over the weekend I visited one of my favorite shops, Anthropologie. The environment in there is so cozy and chic. I am always drooling over the colorful kitchenware and this time I couldn't resist buying something for myself. I know, shame on you for buying yourself a gift before Christmas.   

The inside of the cup has the same motif and my middle finger fits perfectly over the little flower near the handle. What a comfortable idea. If you have someone on your list that enjoys coffee or tea, I'd recommend this pretty little cup. If you don't have the shop near you, they have an online store. You can buy this little cup in a variety of colors. 

Dec 6th- Sketched Out Advent Calendar

http://sketchedout.wordpress.com/category/christmassy/

Go visit Linda Silvestri's fun illustration advent calendar. And don't forget to click the image to see the "rest of the story". Such a fun idea!

Dec 5th - Science at home book done!

Break open the bubbly, I officially inked in my last sketch last night! I have been working on this book since the summer and as much as I have enjoyed it, I'm so thrilled to be finished. 

I had to create 75 pages of science projects that kids can do at home. Here is a snippet from one of the pages. It was fun researching and trying to figure out the best way to illustrate, provide directions and the scientific content. I think I spent more time researching which projects to use for the book than creating the actual pages. What a challenge but I think probably the most fun I've ever had on a project.

So now I'll get all the files together and ship out on Monday to the publisher.

Dec 4th - Yankee Candles

Loving these scents this season. I especially like that they aren't overpowering. Emily has "christmas cookie" but it's a bit sweet and gives me a headache but these are just delicious.  

 

 

  

Dec 3rd- holiday sheets

 

I am having such a hard time getting out of bed in the morning and it's their fault! I indulged and got some flannel sheets (the red ones with snowmen) that were on sale at Macy's over the weekend. Oh, so soft and cozy. I may not switch in the new year. =o) 

 

Dec 2nd - wall paper

 

 

I am at my computer the majority of the day so I thought it was high time to replace my spring themed wallpaper. Here is a great one from my favorite softie artist, "jenny loves benny". If you visit her blog she has it on her right side bar for download. Her work is gorgeous, isn't it?

http://jennylovesbenny.blogspot.com

DEC 1st!

 

And so the countdown begins! This is my favorite time of year and I want to savor every moment of it.  Christmas day always comes too fast. 

 

Touch n Feel Covers

  

These haven't had the tactile elements added yet but I wanted to show what the touch n' feel books are going to look like. They come out in the Spring.

New Moon

 

YAY! The day is finally here.  Emily and I took a ditch day to see it , hoping to miss the lines and the plan worked. I did schedule a dental appointment to at least validate a day off of school but really it was a ditch day all the same. =o)

If you are a Twilight fan you will enjoy it, they stayed true to the book again which is always great. 

What made the first movie really work for me was the soundtrack so I was praying they'd pull it off again with this one, and they did for the most part. Not as much of a moody, ethereal style that appealed to me in the first but enough to make me want to get the soundtrack.

Anyway, it was a fun girls day out for sure!!!!  

* OH! Don't know if any of you have read, "The Lovely Bones" but I was so surprised and excited to see that it has been made into a movie (they showed previews today). I enjoyed the book -except one area that I thought was totally unnecessary and took away from the story for me personally- but I'm hoping they'll omit it from the film version. 

Christmas Wish List

Have you noticed how we have completely skipped over Thanksgiving and are already on the countdown to Christmas?  It's crazy but I have to admit all the subliminal (and not so subliminal) advertising is working because I've already started my wish list.

I thought I'd share what is on the top.
I tried this at  Brookstone last weekend and just fell in love with it. It massages your neck and shoulders and really hits the spot. It's called the , Ineed neck and shoulders massager. I didn't want to take it off.  Kevin wanted me to get it but I balked at the price and asked for it for my Christmas gift. But now I regret it because I don't know if I can wait that long! 

Anyway, I just wanted to share in case you are looking for gift ideas. Brookstone is in our local mall and maybe it's in yours as well. If so, go in and give it a try.

 

That's not me but that was definitely my expression when I had it on.

Vote! Cheerios spoonful of stories literacy project

 

  Click here to vote

One of my favorite children's book authors, Karma Wilson,  is involved with this project. Go here  to learn more.  And in the mean time, please vote!!

Friday Five

Hi everyone.

Long time no blog. Fall already, where did the summer go?

1. Thanks again for the wonderful suggestions for my shoulder pain. I managed to finish the last leg of the board book work using Alleve. I'm wondering if  a cintiq may be in my future. I find I wear my shoulders like earrings when I'm at the monitor too long. Maybe that wouldn't happen as much with a cintiq? I don't know. Something to think about.

Speaking of the board books, here is a sneak peek at one of the finishes. 

These will be touch and feel books published by Lobster Press but I'm not sure when they come out. I had a very positive experience working with them and can't wait to see them published.

2. This summer, I had my first experience working with an advertising agency. Oh, boy, totally different animal from children's publishing. After all was said and done, it was  a great experience but I had a hard time not getting stressed out. I'm learning I need to chill out because ultimately the work always gets done somehow, some way. I should hopefully be getting my copies soon. It is a brochure/booklet for Elecare infant formula and was done in my traditional felt style. 

3. And now I'm back to work on a project I started before the summer that's due in December. It is a science craft book . I am having such a blast working on this. I am responsible for the writing and illustration for this project book so a lot of research has been involved. 

(a little peek)

You just never know what will come as a result of your portfolio. I had a b&w illustration that I did years ago depicting kids blowing bubbles with directions on how to make them at home. This caught the eye of an AD and I was asked to submit ideas for a science based project book.  Never in a million years would I have ever imagined  sitting here creating such a book but I am and it is F U N. 

BTW If you know of any fun science projects (or crafts that have a scientific bent) that you'd like to suggest, I'm all "ears". I'm looking for ones that can be done at home with every day things.

4. I have been such a lame blogger so I don't feel like I deserve these but I must give a big hug to Sherry and Nikki for sending me these awards over the summer. Please check out their blogs, they are both so talented. xo

5. I am so bummed. I've been meaning to take myself to see "Time Traveler's Wife"  but I waited too long.  When I went to check movie times I found that our theater stopped showing it ..yesterday. BAH HUMBUG. 

So I guess I'll have to console myself by watching Wolverine....again. Can't get enough of my boyfriend, Hugh. =o)

Have a great weekend everyone. Happy illustrating.