Fox in the Woods

Bird Hat!

It's still pretty cold, though it's spring.

xo

erin

COCO Wheats and a Sale

I have been wanting to try COCO Wheats since I was little. Really little. We never got them, instead it was always plain-Jane Farina. Farina with a pat of butter and cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top. It was okay, I liked it just fine...but it didn't wow me like I imagined the too-expensive-for-my-mother-to-risk-it Coco Wheats would.

Well, while meandering down the super duper breakfast isle(s) at Woodman's last week...while contemplating buying the Quaker Oats Peaches and Cream, I spotted them. They were calling my name.  "Erin, put down those partially hydrogenated oats true Quakers would be spinning in their graves about...pick me, pick me!!" And so I said YES to my inner child and  bought them.

I brought them home and they've been sitting in my pantry waiting for a morning that wasn't so rushed. Well folks, today was the day. I tried them. I was not disappointed. Okay, I did have to put more sugar in them...but once I did, it was like all the years just melted away and I was 6 again. I was in heaven. I'm not sure how healthy it is-ahem-extra sugar...but I don't care. It was totally worth it.

To celebrate my love of Coco Wheats and all my NEW prints, I'm having a huge sale in my shop. $6 selected mini prints, and $12 beloved(my most popular) full size prints. Kind of an out with the old and in with the new. It's almost spring and I need to do some spring cleaning.

For a limited time all my newest prints will be $15. They are printed on the most amazing paper I have come across. This paper is THICK and STRONG. Like, if you held it at the edge of one of the short ends, it won't flop over. It's stiff and stays right up. It's like post card thickness, but it's not smooth. It has the most beautiful cloudy texture and matte finish. I love this paper, and if they ever discontinue it, I don't know what I'll do. It's already hard to find. It's also archival and touts "museum quality" standards, made of purest of natural materials, and made in France.

I'll be taking pictures of the actual prints themselves to show them off a bit. The sun has FINALLY come out today after a rough week of nothing but clouds and rain. It's still in the 20's but no matter, the SUN is out!! No wonder I'm in a much better mood today. I just needed a little bit of sunshine....and Coco Wheats.

Feeling anything about something doesn ' t always feel good

This is a heavier post than anyone visiting the site for my artwork may want to read, so feel free to skip it.

If you do want to read it, I guess you'd have to understand what's been going on in my state.

Shop update

I never thought I'd get around to it..but I did! The shop has been updated with the four prints I showed you earlier in the year(here & here), and one new one:

They are all bigger than the original paintings which were 5x7. Each one is printed on 8.5x11, 280 gsm, Montval Torchon paper, filling up the paper while still leaving a white border for framing.

Back to work on yet another new painting!

I went for it

More tomorrow. The others weren't finished in time for decent light.

New Baby!!

My friend Amy just had a nice big healthy baby girl... so go over and wish her the best, then buy something beautiful from her amazing shop and know you'll be supporting a lovely new mama!!

Take care!

xx

Erin

New Paintings I ' m too afraid to paint

They're kind of in reverse order. I made the last one shown, first. I received such an amazing response at the Art vs. Craft show, that I was inspired to come home and draw again.

I knew I wanted to paint(or draw) I just didn't know where to start. I started riffling through some old drawings that I made into digital collages about two years ago. I thought I'd just play around and add another layer, paint on it and see where it took me. That's the last one pictured. All the above followed the same night. Just reworking something old opened a flood gate. I have a fifth in the making that I started today, but I've been sitting on all these since November. I guess I'm waiting for a quiet moment I can lay out all the paints on the table again without worrying about anybody bumping into it, causing a huge black brushstroke to go gliding across a face, or paint water spilling everywhere and flooding the paper.  Ahhhh, maybe in 5 or so years. Maybe.

Or maybe I thought actually photographing them, posting and writing about them to the public, would light a fire under me and grant a good dose of bravery. We'll see.

Bunny Bed (do it yourself doll furniture)

So, I don't know anything about dollhouse scale, and the whole thing boggles my mind and gives me an instant headache if I start to try to think about it. Needless to say, I'm not going to.

This thing won't fit in any dollhouse, it's big.  Ten inches total--big enough for one bunny to get really comfy, or two to snuggle.

It will fit perfectly on a little girls nightstand though, and it will stand nicely in a corner devoted to messes and dolls and other precious little things.

And I have to apologize for the bad lighting and generally bad picture, but I just finished it and I'm way too excited about it to wait. It's Sunday night, we have a whole new busy week ahead of us, and who knows when I'll get another chance to make things look better. I have to work with what I have right now. It's certainly not perfected by any means, I see lots more beds being cut out in my future...but here it is. Here is what I have so far...

It's made with boxes from toys the kidos got for Christmas (a calico critters cottage and legos), and Basic Grey scrapbooking paper.

Is scrapbooking one word? The Mac is trying to say it isn't, but I believe it is. Anyway, there you have it. Most of it anyway. Bed clothes here I come....as soon as my sewing machine finds a place of it's own. However, this may give me the excuse I've been looking for to make the bunnies a hand sewn paper pieced quilt. Pfft, who am I kidding? as if I need an excuse.

By the way, the whole affair was inspired by this:

From Little Golden Books "The Three Bears" - 1948
Illustrations by Feodor Rojankovsky

Photo and info via Ms. Bird

I have been reading this book to Ruza daily just so that my eyes can drink up all the amazing illustrations. So inspiring...all the vintage little golden books are. I mean, Richard Scary is probably the main reason I started making little clothed animals in the first place. I get my Little Golden Books for a buck at Half Price Books...and rummage sales or antique shops of course. Although, I'm not always that lucky at rummages(and antique shops can be a bit pricey), but I go to HPB a lot. I love that place.

And that's about it. Before I start rambling I'll say good night and have a good week. I'll be working on a better set up for pictures and more furniture, so please stay tuned!

P.S. The chair I'm working on has a space for the foxes' tail. Oh no, I haven't forgotten about the foxes.