Paper Pictures

Moving on to a new blog...

2009-05-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

Please come visit me at my new blog-- pretty day.

Thanks!

Illustration Friday - Contagious

2009-05-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

Joy is contagious! Spread it whenever you can!

This will probably be my last post on Paper Pictures. My new blog is pretty day. I'm doing a lot more sewing and fabric art now, so Paper Pictures doesn't quite fit anymore. And pretty day will fit more with my new Etsy shop (which is coming soon, but is sure taking a lot of work to get it all up and running!)

Songbird

2009-05-01T13:59:00.001-07:00

My husband made it to the next level in a local songwriting contest. Now he's madly trying to write another song before the semifinals. More late nights ahead...

House of Love

2009-04-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

My friend recently commissioned me to make a set of tea towels for a bridal shower gift for her co-worker. (This is one of them.) I was honored that she asked me and it was really fun to make them. I hope their home will be blessed with joy and love!

Speaking of homes, ours has been a whirlwind of activity lately! My husband is busy working on his songwriting and I'm trying to set up an etsy site to sell my art. So now we are both staying up too late and filling the house with scraps of paper.

Illustration Friday - Poise

2009-04-01T17:05:00.001-07:00

When she's out in nature, she always feels full of beauty and poise.

The Search

2009-03-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she set off anyway.

Illustration Friday - Subtract

2009-03-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

Subtract the clouds and rain-- and spring is here!

Happy first week of spring!

A Lucky Star

2009-01-30T11:02:00.000-08:00

Last night we saw a shooting star-- it has been so long since I've seen one! I guess I haven't been getting out enough at night. It was especially nice because we saw it when coming home from a local pub where my husband sat in with the band and sang a few songs. (A first for him!) Everyone was so nice, we stayed out too late, and then got to see this beautiful shooting star.

Illustration Friday - Opinion

2008-11-24T22:55:00.000-08:00

My opinion.

Illustration Friday - Strings

2008-10-14T23:17:00.000-07:00

It appeared to be fragile, yet nothing could unravel her Castle of Dreams.

Illustration Friday - Sugary

2008-10-07T22:51:00.000-07:00

Hot coffee-- there is almost nothing better. One lump or two?

This is something I made in my sewing class. I really admire people who can sew-- I think it's so challenging. It's very unforgiving. Things can go so wrong, so quickly. And I have no patience for the seam-ripper.

2008-08-13T07:33:00.000-07:00

I'm going to take a break from posting for a while so I can focus on a new project I'm working on.

Goodbye for now!

Illustration Friday - Enough

2008-07-18T23:36:00.000-07:00

She had finally had enough! So, she hitched a ride on a passing bird and no one knows where they went.

Garden of Dreams

2008-07-08T23:02:00.001-07:00

When you visit the Garden of Dreams -- stay a while.

Illustration Friday - Sour

2008-07-05T20:49:00.001-07:00

Love had gone sour. She knew it was time to let it go.

Peace of Mind

2008-07-02T21:52:00.001-07:00

Peace of mind, please be mine.

Illustration Friday - Hoard

2008-06-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

A pair of wings, a hoard of cash, and she was FREE!

Illustration Friday - Punchline

2008-06-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

A skeleton walks into a bar and says, "Give me a beer and a mop."

The Explorer

2008-06-02T15:36:00.001-07:00

She was ready for something new ... and so off she went!

Illustration Friday - Baby

2008-05-30T12:10:00.001-07:00

(I'm not really sure what this image means. It just popped into my head when I read that the topic was 'Baby.' Any ideas?)

Taking the Step

2008-05-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

My husband is going to play at an open mic this weekend at a local pub. He's played guitar for about 15 years but this will be his first time really playing in public. We're each slowly working towards our goals...very s l o w l y. We are big fans of The Tortoise and the Hare story.

Illustration Friday - Worry

2008-05-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

She felt trapped by all of her worries. And didn't realize how close she was to being set free.

(This topic ended up being more fun than I thought it would be.)

The Rescue

2008-05-23T22:18:00.001-07:00

It was time for her to rescue her heart from the depths. Luckily, she was a strong swimmer.

Illustration Friday - Wide

2008-05-16T20:05:00.001-07:00

She was a dreamer. And the world opened wide in front of her-- full of possibility and hope.

Illustration Friday - Electricity

2008-05-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

The magical glow of the coffee maker light...When the power goes out this is what I miss the most. I don't mind using candles and handwashing dishes-- but if the power is still out by the time I go to bed at night, I get anxious thinking of the next morning with no coffee to wake up to.

(This picture is pretty silly, and was probably not the best use of time to make it. But you know how it is when you get a picture in your head and you have to try it out-- just to see what it will look like? Well, now I know- Mr. Coffee doesn't make for the most dynamic imagery:)

Illustration Friday - Seed

2008-05-07T16:56:00.001-07:00

Children are the seeds that will grow into our future. Tend them well.

This image is in honor of my son's preschool teachers and Sunday teacher. They put so much work and heart into helping the kids grow and learn.

The Honeymoon!

2008-04-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

This is a wedding picture for friends who just got married. They are currently on their honeymoon in a tropical paradise.

Illustration Friday - Wrinkles

2008-04-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

Long live crow's feet!

This was a really quick collage. I don't have a lot of time this week and I thought I'd skip this topic because "wrinkles are no fun!" But then I realized that some of my favorite people ever are my grandparents and it seemed right to honor the great wrinkled ones!

Illustration Friday - Primitive

2008-04-23T21:38:00.001-07:00

The "primitive" still exists in each of us. Sometimes we forget, because we are surrounded by technology and our modern, indoor lifestyle. But the same essence and fire burns in us that has always been there, through all cultures, at all times. It is still there-- waiting for us to take the time to reconnect.

Illustration Friday - Fail

2008-04-15T22:04:00.001-07:00

They tried to tell her she had failed. But she knew that she just had to wait for the tide to change, and she'd be back on her way. And, of course, the tide always changes.

Illustration Friday - Save

2008-04-08T23:34:00.000-07:00

"Love is not something you save and hoard. You're born with it and you spend it... and there's always more..."
-John Okada, author

Illustration Friday - Homage

2008-04-02T21:29:00.001-07:00

This image pays homage to my grandfather. It's about a dream I had after he died, in which his spirit taught me how to fly.

I still miss him, but his spirit lives on!

Illustration Friday - Heavy

2008-03-18T21:38:00.001-07:00

Somehow the night felt very heavy.

Illustration Friday - Garden

2008-03-10T20:42:00.000-07:00

It is believed that in dreams a garden symbolizes the process of self-discovery.

Illustration Friday - Leap

2008-03-05T18:18:00.001-08:00

When you take a leap of faith, be sure to hold on tight! Don't let self-doubt or other's judgments loosen your hold on your dream.

Collage = Multiple Attempts

2008-02-27T13:36:00.001-08:00

Since the Illustration Friday topic is "Multiple" I thought I'd show the multiple reject pieces that it takes to make a collage. Every time you want to try out a different color or different size, you have to cut another piece of paper. This image shows all the extra pieces I cut for my "Multiple" collage. (Except the bird... I just threw him in.)

Illustration Friday - Multiple

2008-02-27T09:34:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had multiple wishes come true at the same time?

Illustration Friday - Theory

2008-02-18T16:43:00.000-08:00

She knew there was magic in shooting stars that couldn't be explained by any scientific theory.

Illustration Friday - Choose

2008-02-12T21:44:00.000-08:00

She learned that if you have a hard choice to make-- stop and listen to your heart. It will always lead you in the right direction.

Know when to fold 'em

2008-02-08T14:34:00.001-08:00

She had always played by their rules. But now it was time to fold, cut her losses and fly away-- a free bird, following her heart.

Illustration Friday - Blanket

2008-02-06T11:53:00.001-08:00

She sailed on, under a blanket of stars, feeling so small, and yet so free.

Queen of the Butterflies

2008-02-05T07:15:00.000-08:00

One day, she declared herself Queen of the Butterflies. And somehow, it became true!

Illustration Friday - Tales and Legends

2008-01-26T17:57:00.000-08:00

According to Native American legend, "The trickster Lox takes the form of a wolf, follows hunters, invades their camp, and destroys everything he can." This image is post-invasion, when Lox and friends are hanging out campfire-side.

Illustration Friday - Stitch

2008-01-16T14:42:00.000-08:00

She finally learned that by holding the needle herself she could stitch together her life exactly as she wanted it.

Bowl of Fruit

2008-01-09T11:40:00.000-08:00

This is a quick painting I did at an Illustrated Watercolor Journaling workshop I took with a local artist. It was a great class-- a beautiful day in the mountains and tons of art supplies! I love workshops because they are a great excuse to just experiment and play, without worrying about results. And you get a whole day of uninterrupted art time-- a rare and complete luxury!

Illustration Friday - 100%

2008-01-06T15:20:00.001-08:00

50% woman. 50% fish. 100% mermaid.

On your journey, beware of the mermaids. While beautiful and enticing, they are almost certainly a sign that you are about to be shipwrecked.

The Journey

2008-01-02T20:57:00.000-08:00

It had been a long journey but at last she saw a sign, letting her know that she had almost reached her destination.

Illustration Friday - Soar

2008-01-01T17:39:00.001-08:00

One day she got tired of running away from her fears- so she taught herself to fly.

Illustration Friday - Backwards

2007-12-16T21:52:00.000-08:00

Backwards- one's reflection.

Midway, I realized that this image would have been a lot easier to do digitally. But I still love my scissors and glue stick, I think...

Night Flight

2007-12-14T20:50:00.000-08:00

She always felt that if she tried hard enough, she could do anything.

Holiday House

2007-12-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

Another holiday card (paint and collage). I think the cards are my favorite part of the season. I'm not big on baking, but I love the card and ornament making.

Illustration Friday - Little Things

2007-12-10T14:24:00.000-08:00

I took all my little collage scraps that have been piling up on my desk and made an image. It was a huge relief to get rid of the scrap piles. It's amazing how much better I feel now that my desk is clean-- it's one of those little things that makes a big difference. These are before and after pictures.

Dove Silkscreen

2007-12-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

Holiday card - Peace on Earth, Good Will to All!

Illustration Friday - Excess

2007-12-02T09:10:00.001-08:00

Small Steps, Long Journey

2007-11-28T22:01:00.001-08:00

Just a quick collage- when the journey seems too long, keep dreaming of the goal.

Illustration Friday - Zoo

2007-11-26T22:32:00.000-08:00