Brunch Re-Charge

Brunch at Sherri's is becoming our go-to for to recharge our engines.

 The food is consistently good, and the staff are very friendly.

A pot of coffee, full belly, and pleasant conversation,

the perfect pick-me-up.

Brambly Hedge Inspiration

 

I've been ogling the gorgeous mouse art in the Brambly Hedge
books.  I snagged "Spring Story" on our last Goodwill trip.


If you've never seen one of these books
by Jill Barklem, you are in for a treat!

Last weekend I kept daydreaming about drawing and writing about one
of our cute little gray-tailed voles, let's call her Vivette the Valley Vole.

 Maybe Vivette the Vole can have adventures with Gerby the Gerbil.
I'd like to see that happen :).

Writing, Painting, Designing

My summer plans are laid out, three stages of writing, painting, and

designing to learn more about each discipline.  I'm still in stage #1,

building my "lexicon" for each field (favorite words, paints, ideas).

The next step will be stringing together these basic components within

each field (figures of speech, color mixes, and rules of good copy).

And then I get plenty of creative practice play.  My teachers are a

group of wonderful books I'll be highlighting in the weeks to come.

Faerie Flowers

Along with my gorgeous scarves from Marian of Beautiful Place

have come a garden's worth of felted fantasy faerie flowers.

A perfect posy to pin on a shawl, decorate a hair clip, or...

 ...make a tussy-mussy that lasts all year.

If only wedding bouquets could be this beautiful.

 

 Every sparkly flower is unique...

...and each one seems to have a special story.


Who wouldn't want to play in a fairy garden?

Jumbo Stars

 I'm prancing around enjoying the Sunday sunshine with my

newest jumbo stars from Little Love Letter Arts.

Even in the shade these are dazzling, a lot of colorful crystals

can fit on the nearly 3.5 inch extra-large star.

The back is just as pretty, pink and purple rainbow glitter

and a swirly silver accent piece.

And would you believe, a mother of pearl shell star too!

The center changes color with the light, similar to the crystals.

The back sprinkles sparkles everywhere.

 

I may be walking the cats...

...but I'm star-gazing too.

Koi Watercolor Sketch Box

 I have been having issues with my traveling Winsor & Newton

watercolor set.  The size and brush are great, but I need to carry

a surface, water, towel, etc.  So I decided to try the ultra-cheap

Koi 24-watercolor pocket field sketch box.

 Its not tiny at 6" x 4 1/2" x 1" but it contains everything I need.

24 colors, a water pen I adore, sponges for blotting...

 ...even a removable palette that firmly attaches in three different

configurations.  The cover also acts as a postcard-sized easel.

My watercolor paper and small ruler/straight edge fit inside.

The colors are saturated and mixed just fine wet on wet, some

with a bit of granulation.  This sketch box is a blast! I can see

using this for a long time by refilling the wells from tubes.

Doughnut Day

 To celebrate National Doughnut Day, we headed to our favorite

shop, which also donated 50% of sales to the Salvation Army.

 I may have a doughnut "problem," not only are they scrumptious,

I can't take my eyes off of them.

 I'm not the only one with this issue :).