3 weeks ago it was Snowing in the Mountains

It was 80 degrees and above all week.  This is the magic of San Diego.  My mom flies into San Diego in a few hours just in time for mothers day. Hopefully the sun is shining wherever you are.

The Sketchbook Project

           I signed up to work in a book for The Sketchbook Project for 2012. If you haven't heard of it you basically buy a book from the organizers, work in it and then send it back to the group organizers.  Once your book is checked in they are all send on a 12 city tour for the public to view.  I've known about this project for a few years and signed up for a book 2 years ago but it was near the end of the sign up right before the holidays and my sketching skills were not up a level I wanted to present to the world.  Luckily I know about it in the beginning of the sign up phase so I can take my time and get it done.  The best thing about a small book is that it is easy to carry around and I can't  wait to start on it next week.  The pages are made with 20lbs drawing paper which is comparable to copy paper and I'm debating gluing pages together or painting them with some sort of ground so I don't have to worry about bleed through.  Daniel Smith makes a new watercolor ground that I wasn't sure how I could use but it's rather tempting for a project like this. 

        I like to re-use packaging so I decorated the envelope and covered it with tape and contact paper to use as a storage case for the book. Plus the tape keeps it a bit protected from the elements.  If it's still in good shape when I finish the book I'll use it again to mail the book back.  I love brown paper but it has a way of attracting dirt. You really have to wipe your hands before you touch it or you get greasy(sunblock, moisturizer or lotion) fingerprint stains that will never come out.  

I picked up a set of atyouSpica pens (and yes that is the name of the pens) and I am in Love with them. I have been stalking them for six months at the art shop around the corner and I finally had a 40% off coupon to use them on because full price they run $30 (YIKES).  The pens come in two color combinations and I chose set B.  They are glitter pens and the ink has a transparent quality (4 of the colors are opaque) to it and  work well over other media.You can see a little bit of the glitter in the shot below.  Magical.

 The Sketchbook Project Website 

Book Reader Case

      I have bought a bunch of pillow tops at a yard sale in March having no idea what I was going to do with them but for a dollar how could I pass them up.  I love the cursive and have a fondness for foxes and rabbits.. I immediately hung the red version on the wall but was still left with a blue and sage green.

        Enter my sister's new  book reader and the perfect item  to make a case for.  Perfect because I can barely sew and it is thick enough to offer a little protection and it was free.  While I was sewing I noticed a left over piece of ribbon that I saved from a box of candy and matched the colors of the animals so well that I made it into a handle..

Vitamin D Journal

 I have a small bad habit of making a journal and not finishing the last pages.  Last year I vowed to finish them off and I didn't get very far so I'm jumping back in.  I've dove back into the Vitamin D journal and since I only like half of the work in it I'm trying new things.

I updated the front page with PanPastel artist pastels. I like rubbing the color on with my fingers but I don't like having to apply fixative so it's a trade off.  My local art store carries all the colors now so I may buy a few more.The sets come with make up type applicators and I have a few of those that I got on sale a few years ago. You could simply make your own set with the $1 make up wedges and eye shadow applicators.  I love how they made the containers so you can make your own stacks as each of the containers can be connected  by simply discarding the lid.
http://www.panpastel.com/colors.html

Watercolors, Neocolor II,photos,color copy,and pens.

The last of the post cards

Care package

 My friends just had their first anniversary so I put a little paper filled themed box together for them.  The letters were simply cut out of cotton fabric and glued to card stock. The flower was a photograph I took a few months back.

 I wrapped everything in tracing paper complete with the lyrics of a song Josh Grobin sings on his latest record.

They had red velvet cupcakes at the ceremony so I thought the pancakes were a nice touch and I found cupcake mix to add as well along with other red themed candy to add a spicy love layer to the box.  I'm betting the cupcakes are still in the box because I've learned neither one of them likes to do the dishes.  

Spending the day with my mother

Happy Mother's Day

Journaling over lunch

Yum Yum soup with tofu from the Thai Joint.