Kid friendly studio?

Posted on July 31, 2012 Posted in Kids, knitting, Life1 Comment

I have to admit, back in the Spring when I was moving all my kids’ craft stuff into my studio… I was a little worried. My idea was to make it a space for us to share. We were moving into a smaller home and there was no longer any room for all their painting/drawing stuff (there’s lots). I was planning to have them home with me this summer. Maybe we could share the studio?

My quiet, lovely studio. The place I go for time alone. To have time to focus and work. Was I really going to bring my loud, crazy ( but wonderful) children into that space? What was I thinking?

Whatever I was thinking it was good. These kids LOVE coming to my studio. We pack a picnic, head out for the morning or afternoon and they draw, paint or play… and I work. It ‘s amazing, and so much fun. I still get my quiet alone time , don’t worry. I go in some evenings and also usually for a full day on the weekend.

I ‘m getting work done and get to have my kids with me. Maybe it helps that I’m working on things like these frogs. The girls sit and play with them for hours. I love having them there with me.

Sometimes the craziest ideas are the best ideas.

A Blue Couch

Posted on July 26, 2012 Posted in Life1 Comment

I can’t say I sew because I LOVE sewing. I sew because I like to have nice things…things I can’t usually find here on PEI, or if I can, I can’t afford them.

That is how I found myself sewing our new blue slipcover. I can think of many, many things I’d like to do rather than sew a gigantic slip cover… but I’m super happy I did it. Our old gross couch is brand new again, and clean and so lovely. Everyone looks pretty sitting on this couch…

Especially this new pillow I made too. I found an amazing framed needlepoint at our local thrift store and thought it would make a great pillow. What I really wanted to do with the couch was this , but this is almost just as good…

The cost of the entire project? 140$. No joke. Throw in some sweat and tears and you have an almost new couch! It should last us another couple of years, until then, this one is making us all very happy.

Art in the Open: Sneak Peek

Posted on July 22, 2012 Posted in Art, P.E.I

A little sneak peek at what I’m working on for Art in the Open. Catherine and I are building a 65’x65′ labyrinth out of fabric which will be inhabited by all sorts of creatures, toadstools and tree stumps.

Yes, I said 65 feet x 65 feet… I need to seriously get busy!

!!!!

Posted on July 15, 2012 Posted in Illustration7 Comments

We had some major excitement here this week. An advance copy of Noisy Poems for a Busy Day arrived! I had a hard time not crying when I opened it up and saw the pages, but reading the enclosed note by my editor pushed me over the edge. I think Sosi was terrified until I explained “happy tears, these are happy tears!”.

The book doesn’t come out until this December, but you can preorder it here or here. It is such a fun book to read to your kids, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. It looks great!