IF: "Pay Attention!" says Mrs. Bunn

"Who knows which letter comes next?" she asks.

Three little hands fly into the air.

"I can see these lessons have been paying off!" says Mrs. Bunn with a big smile.

For this weeks IF: Lesson.Sketched out with pencil, scanned and colored in Adobe Photoshop.

Tiny Doodles

.. to pass the time.. waiting for House and the Chicago Code on come on tv last night. :)

I've been swooning over all things vintage pyrex lately... i need to get my collection going!
I went on a trip to Hancock, MA (and surrounding areas) this weekend and sadly, I had to pass up some good looking pieces!  I did buy a vintage Egg beater for $2 though. :)

I am in Love with all the simple designs. :)

 

If you are looking for these pieces they were in various Shops in Red Hook! I can go find the store names if you desperately need them. :)

Friendly Reminder- Sketchbook Project 2012!

So As you may have seen, I just posted something to Illustration Friday on Monday morning. I'm really trying to keep up each week with submitting.... 

After submission, I happened to glance at the Ad/ sidebar and what do I see? What is the Ad that has caused me to write a whole post about it? What amazingness was there on that site??  (well I guess I spoiled it in my post title & my images).. It's the Sketchbook Project for 2012!


I didn't even realize when the sign-ups began! (..since October, haha). I admit I totally forgot about it! I didn't want to put it off like I did last year.  So I sucked it up, signed up on the spot! 

I'll (hopefully) be starting school in the Fall, so this will be great practice for the pressure of completing projects on time.  :) 




The theme I picked is Stitches and Folds. The theme is just a jumping-off point, but i plan to keep it around.

  I'm super excited to start. I love that you can rebind and modify the moleskin sketchbook any way that you want to suit your look. :)  (a few tiny rules though)... I love this idea of a traveling art show, and whoever came up with it is genius. 
 
I can't wait to start!  I missed out last year.  :(  That won't happen again. 

Anyone else join in yet?  

Completed books must be postmarked by Jan 31st 2012. I've got some time, but I'm so pumped I might just explode! Let's hope that motivation is around when my sketchbook is delivered and lasts til Jan 2012... 


Check it out: The Sketchbook Project 2012

IF: a squirrel who cannot reach the pedals, won't get very far.

He's just enjoying being high up on his shiny new Penny Farthing. 

I originally drew this with colored pencils, scanned it, and made a background in illustrator. Then, I added some touches in photoshop. But when I saw the final product, I noticed that everything was so rendered and neat, and the main character was lacking.... So i re-did the entire thing in Adobe Illustrator, and I'm much happier now.  :) 

Here is my colored pencil original anyways...

I like that its a bit wonky, but the whole thing needs to be wonky for it to look good in my opinion. :)

IF: Follow Me.. if You Dare!

This is inspired by a special I watched recently on the Irwin family. I would love travel to the Australia Zoo. Anyone been there? I thought about a really difficult journey down the path less traveled deep into the jungle. I've got my boots and my compass, Who's with me?  :) 

Done in Illustrator, and tiddled around with in Photoshop...

IF: Teddy Bears need baths too!

There's no best friend like a teddy bear best friend..

This was inspired by a story my friend told me about his childhood. :)

What I'd like to be doing right now...

Sitting in a tree, on a swing, swaying in the cool breeze, knitting the longest scarf ever...

How did she even get up there? How does she change yarn colors? 

How will she get down? Maybe her new scarf will become a rope ladder.

I should have drawn a little table up there with lemonade & biscuits in case she gets hungry...

I wanted to draw something that provokes some funny questions. :) "Spring-Swing Knitting Bear" was created with pencil, colored pencil, a little marker, some chocolate for me, and a little background filling in photoshop.   :)  I hope it makes you smile. I am very patiently waiting for Spring to actually start feeling like Spring. Today was awfully cold.. hopefully it gets warmer soon. I want to start gardening at Ian's house.

IF: Jill and the Sunflower stalk

For this weeks Illustration Friday, I decided to make a very Spring Picture. All of the plants are popping their little green heads out of the ground, but this sunflower is mighty early, and mighty big!

Jill didn't know how good her gardening skills really were, that is, until she looked up...

 Sketched with pencil, outlined in ink, colored with markers & colored pencils and finished up in photoshop.

This is my sketch/ line drawing.

Collaborative Birthday Illustration for Danny!

Ian and I wanted to actually make my sister's bf, Danny something neat for his birthday (which was yesterday).  We've been working on this for over a week, and now since it's already been gifted, i can post it up! I sketched it out, Ian helped me render it, he fixed parts, and added much needed details. He also drew the doggies! Then I colored it Tuesday night. All of the clothes are based on things they own. The dachshund is Harley, and the Jack Russell is Danny's dog, Fred. :)

Here is the line drawing...

(i forgot to take a pic of it before i started coloring, haha!)

This is the completed piece (scanned in).. 

 It looks better in person.... something is up with our scanner!

And this is the drawing in its frame! :)

I wish they made 6x9 frames. that would've been perfect! We settled on a 5x7.. a bit snug.

Overall I'm really pleased with it. We both are! And Danny, my sister and everyone loved it. :)

Tweed Fox gets a hat

I made myself, well, my blog, a little hat. Something pretty for it's upper parts. Otherwise known as a header.  :)  I wanted something cute, crafty, cut-and-paste and sketchy, but still simple.  I've been experimenting with digital collages lately. It's actually a really fun "medium" to work with.  


What do you think of the new header?

If you'd like my help making headers or want me to design you one, let me know. I really enjoy doing it!

IF: You better layer up! it's 6 degrees outside!

Lately the weather has been an absolute tease. It was about 60 degrees on Saturday (NY). And now it's turned to only 6 degrees at night. Totally unfair! I just got back from Chicago and it didn't even snow! I was looking forward to some real Windy City storms (as long as it didn't interfere with my plane ride back of course, haha).. but nothing. It was quite warm actually.

Anywhoo... I was chilly as I was drawing this, coloring it, and now I'm chilly as I am posting this. Make sure to wear as many layers as possible!

She's got a felted cloche hat with feathers, a green scarf, a yellow dress, a teal skirt, 

a purple and pink striped button-down shirt, an orange cardigan, 

something that looks like a blue "Members Only" Jacket (haha), purple leggings, 

grey knee-high socks, orange frilly socks and T-strap mary janes. I'd say that's a good start!

IF: Silly Fox, Rabbit's already HAVE Bunny Ears!

This is my first official post as the tweed fox! This is now my official Illustration blog!
My old blog will be strictly crafts and recipes.

I hope that you'll stick around for more! :)

Sketched this out for IF during a lull at work yesterday.
I couldn't wait to draw it out better, so that's what happened last night and most of today!

I say two in a sweater is better than one. More warmth!

And this is my sketch. :)

Rabbits and Foxes are my favorite animals. i couldn't decide which one to draw in a sweater, so i figured I'd draw them both!

My Self Portrait

Done with colored pencils, and prismacolor markers. :)

Rainy Day Watercolors

IF: Bunny in Reverse

A Sassy bun in a cute car. :)

IF: Chet Chicken & Farmers!

IF: Surrender the Fort!

IF: Fearless

This was posted for last weeks Illustration Friday for Fearless.

It's my Amelia Earhart inspired duckie!


Originally posted At my Main blog : www.astoriadesigns.wordpress.com

IF: Detective

Posted over at my MAIN BLOG!

SKETCH:


Colored with Colored pencils:


Finished in Photoshop!:


"Who's Been Eating my Carrots?"

IF: DIP

i posted this over at my Main Blog www.astoriadesigns.com. A very good Coat Rack

But i figured i'd share here too!



i liked the theme and posted again!


More illustrations over at my WORDPRESS BLOG!

thanks for checking me out. :)