I'm Going to Be an Auntie.... AGAIN!!!

Congratulations Heather and John!!! 

Thomas is going to be a big brother!!! 

      This is the card I made for them... I have been waiting to post so they could tell all their people first. I made the giraffe using a sharpie and water color colored pencils. Then I tied blue and pink ribbon around his neck (we should know in January which color to use in the future!) ... and a cute little speech bubble to express my surprise... and I think the parents surprise too! July will bring the newest member of the family!

Door Handle Signs

Over the summer I found some blank door handle signs on sale. I instantly though... Hmmm? I could totally make some cute door handle signs for Andrew and Josh for their new rooms. I bought all the supplies I would need. Then I put them in a box and told myself as soon as I got back to Ohio I would make them in time for the big move into the new house. Well, of course, I did not make them as soon as I got back to Ohio. BUT... I did finally get around to it. I was a little nervous about the "Jolee" stickers I chose and covering them with "Modge Podge", but it worked great! I hope they like them!

More Acorns!

"Scratch Board"

"Simulated Air Brush"

"Wood Block"

Picturebooks!

I am taking graduate classes at THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY... (I think it is fun to say... it sounds so big and important). I am getting my Masters degree in... wait for it... Children's Literature. I have always had a love for books written for children. I think it my love for books was solidified at Messiah College taking classes with one of the best teachers I have ever had... Anita Voelker. She is the reason I am continuing my education in the field of literature. Anyways... this quarter I am taking a class that focused on Picturebooks. Before I started the class I imagined we would focus on the practical uses of picturebooks in the classroom. On the first day of class I discovered I was completely wrong. Instead of practical uses we are learning about the ART of a Picturebook... how they are made, the actual art involved in making the illustrations. Our final project involves making a book. How cool is that? Two weeks ago we spent the entire three hours in class in an art studio creating various forms of art centered around a sketch we had to bring to class. We took our sketch and then we experimented with four different art medias used to make illustrations for books. Some classmates were quite frantic about having to be artistic. Me, on the other hand thought the night was fantastic. I like to refer to it as therapy. I don't think I am an artist in comparison to "real" artists... but I am a "dabbler", and this night gave me an opportunity to dabble in things I'd never experienced before. We had to mount our creations with a poem for the next class. I thought I'd share!

Thanks... or any time!

Notice the brown and green theme!!! I cannot seem to get away from these two colors. I also love the image of the moose. It reminds me of two things: 1.) My sister, Heather, who at one time collected things with moose on them and 2.) New England, a place where, although I've never seen one, they live.

I made a couple of these cards to send out to say "Thank You" for birthday gifts I received last month for my BIG 3-0!