drawing on fabric...

Experimenting is fun! My first fabric drawing ever! I just bought some pebeo fabric paints and went to town. I know nothing about this, so I'm winging it:) It felt a bit like gouache, and the fabric was so thin that it would occasionally soak through, but not too much. I'll be using thicker fabric next time. I wonder what is the best fabric, the best paint and the best technic. If anyone has any advise on the subject, please share:) I'm all ears.

unexpected perfection...

Up until yesterday I thought I don't really like poodles or brown and black together... but this image of an all over pattern 60's dress crosses it all out. Found this on a wonderful Cathy of  California blog. I think it's stunning! I feel very inspired by it:)

mmm...olives...

Yep, I'm still on the all things kitchen roll:) I'm not a big cook (by any stretch), but I sure like the presentation part. I think this new pattern of mine could be an oil cloth, and then I could line my kitchen drawers with it or put it on a picnic table as a table cloth or make lunch bags with it:) ...big plans:)

birthday card:)

I've made this card a little while ago and it was just laying on an imaginary shelf in my computer, collecting imaginary dust... and than... boom! 2 birthday parties for 5 y. olds at ones! That's what happens when kids start school and the pool of their friends triples:) I get to use my own cards, thou... and, thankfully, at this stage, it's still easy to please them in terms of presents:)

pillowing...

Today I feel it's the kind of day when this hilarious invention could come in very handy. At least these are my pre-coffee thoughts:) Here's the link to where I found this wearable pillows.

pottery fun:)

I'm practically in love with the little clay boy I found at three potato four. Look at him, with his little bow tie and perfect calmness. Lately, my own head has been filled with clay:) All I think about is pottery and ceramics. Stig Lindberg this, Lisa Larson that... To give an outlet to this obsession I would have to find some pottery courses soon... or at least go buy some clay and make me a little clay boy:)

a new pattern:)

A new pattern:) This one is a little more horizontal than my usual pattern. You could tell I've been thinking about ceramics (again). Lisa Larson, especially, has been on my mind. I'm wishing for more hours in a day so I could take a pottery class:)

I'll see you all on Wednesday. Tomorrow is one of these - I MUST GIVE 100% TO THE PROJECT AT HAND - days, so I'll be focused on work.

cover illustration:)

I made this cover a little while ago for a wonderful book by Kristen Tracy (Random House Publishing) that's coming out in 2009. Since Lilla posted about it yesterday - I'm guessing it's OK to show you:) It was such pleasure to illustrate this quirky neat character 'Camille'! - it turned into one of my favorite covers:)

kitchen dreams are made of...

Today, a few fantastic finds that would make any kitchen funner!

1. TECHNICOLOR ENAMEL POT FOUND AT THREE POTATO FOUR

2. VINTAGE 1950's CAKE STAND FOUND AT H IS FOR HOME

3. BENGT & LOTTA 2-LEVEL SERVING TRAY FOUND AT HUSET

4. CERAMICS BY LOLA GOLDSTEIN

5. BABEL  SERVING TOWER BY KOZIOL & PLATTER AND DIP BOWL BY JOSEPH JOSEPH FOUND AT IGGLOO

6. HAPPY MIXING SPOON FROM URBAN OUTFITTERS.

7. ART CLASS PITCHER FROM ANTHROPOLOGIE

ceramic pattern...

I'm a bit obsessed with the kitchenware lately. Can you tell?:) Can't stop thinking about ceramics... enamel... stonewear... Have I had a tad more time on my hands, I would take up pottery.

the happy mag for kids:)

Got my copy of ANORAK last week! Such fun! Worth sharing! Really cool illustrations and a ton of fun facts. Girls love it:)

Hope I get to work with them one day.

tag...

I've been tagged by the wonderful Adri from Mielie peeps! to reveal the contents of my bag.

This  gave me a chance to get rid of the mystery crumbs and unnecessary receipts. Hooray for that!

Here are 12 things I shook out of my fun pop corn bag:

1. My favorite wallet (I love coffee and Orla Kiely)

2. Ecojot sketchbook (in case I have an idea on the go that needs to be sketched out)

3. Keys  4. Pen (a must)  5. My tiny bebe watch (I'm too lazy to put it on in the morning)

6. A little wrist pouch (from Skipping Girl) I carry some occasionally needed papers in.

7. Floss  8. tic tac (just in case)

9. Mr. Lunch address book (I still find it handier to have an address book rather than typing people into the cell)

10. Sunglasses (prescription and I've had these for 11years.... it's getting sad, but I just can't part)

11. Cell phone 12. Lip balm

Organizing the bag always makes me think of the scene from 'Amelie' (where one of her mothers 'likes' is reorganizing the purse).

Oh... I almost forgot.. I tag Carolyn Gavin (designer jots) ... you are it:)

Drumroll... And the giveaway winners are:

16 *mindi*

31 tatjana

43 whatkatiedid

Please e-mail me with your addresses at dardik(at)sympatico(dot)ca and I will ship it this week:)

Thank you all for playing!

giftcard inspiration...

Sometimes the inspiration comes from weird places, and today that place is giftcardcollector.com. Looks like some of my favorite illustrators (Kirsten Ulve, Alexander Blue, J. Otto, etc.,) have done a giftcard for Target. It's a great skill to be able to convey a message and make it visible from a far on just 2x3.5 inches of space.

I threw in the DOMO giftcard just because I couldn't stop laughing when I saw him dressed as a vampire:)

new print:)

Ta Da! I have a new print available on monkeypowered (etsy)! I'm a little sad about the summers end. It went by so fast. I need to squeez in more walks in the park before fall really takes over.

200th post giveaway!

I've got a lil' giveaway to share with you today! A couple of books to celebrate my 200th post! Yay!

"Dance" is an 'American Girl'  book I've illustrated a while ago. Here it is... finally out in print!  If you have (or know) a young girl (7 to 10y.o.) that enjoys dancing - this book is for her! It's an introduction to dance. Leave me a comment and I will announce a couple of winners on Monday morning, September 15th.

P.S.: Thank you all for your help with my difficult pattern choice. I've chosen 6 (with your help) and am ordering a 1/2 yard of each. If you are curious... the choices are: 1,3,7,14,15&17. Boy, I really wish I could choose them all...

3 yards of what?!....:)

O boy! Great news! At last I've been invited to participate in beta version of Spoonflower! Hooray for that! I get to order up to 3 yards of my own pattern. A tad pricey, but worth it to me:)

Now, what I have to do is decide which pattern(s) to use. Will you help? Will you let me know which is the most worthy of this textile experiment?! If so..... leave a comment. Tell me what's that lucky number(s). I can't wait to read it:)

thanks for sneaking and peeking:)

Thanks everybody for visiting my place yesterday via design*sponge sneek peak! I was happy to have you over:) Thanks for all the sweet comments. They are really appreciated!

my magic garden...

Welcome to my magic garden. Very exited to show you my new pattern today! I really like the way it turned out! This would make fantastic bedspreads or curtains for the girls room. Especially if it's a particularly large print. Love the large print lately.

tiny painting...

How can a busy girl squeeze in an oil painting into her intense schedule. Simple. Make it a very small oil painting:) In fact, this is the smallest oil painting I've ever done - only 8x8". My girls, their school and autumn have been large on my mind - thus the theme. I hope to make more of these little squares.... 'cause it's fun!

WISHING YOU A SUPER DUPER WEEKEND!

fun find:)

I love calendars. I love bubble wrap. Someone finally put these two together!  Hooray for Bubble calendar!

It is a poster size calendar (48"x18"). You can order one here. This would make a great present for the minimalist that likes to pop bubbles in your family:)

cute...japanese style:)

Time for some juvenile fun!

Right now I'm working on a 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' collection for Creative Imaginations. It's going to be a fun collection! I've got some of my inspiration from this japanese site (click here). So much cuteness in one place. Time well wasted:)

the turkish way...

Hello. My name is Helen, and I'm a coffeeholic. I like coffee in every way. The stronger, the better, of course. (Meeting adjourned).

I bought this little turkish coffee pot a little while ago and I was itching to try it! I've seen my parents make it when I was a kid, so I asked my dad to show me. Here's the turkish coffee tutorial (according to my dad):

1. Grind your beans (the finer the better).

2. Put 3 hipping table spoons (of ground coffee) into the turkish pot (mine is about 3,25" tall).

3. Add 2 tea spoons of sugar.

4. Fill the pot with water, leaving about an inch, inch and a half of space at the top.

5. Put it on the burner and wait for it to boil.

6. When it boils... promptly take it off the burner, letting the foam to settle down.

7. When the foam settled down, put it back on the burner, and then take it off again (several times).

8. Now that it's done, let it sit for a few minutes - allowing the grinds to sink to the bottom.

Pour into cups. Enjoy. Don't forget to turn the cup over  into your saucer when you are done drinking - for a little fortune telling!

kitchen curtains?:)

What a morning! School, daycare, 3 cups of coffee, a million of e-mails.... I'm ready for a nap:) 

Here's a little pattern I've cooked up yesterday. I've been all about the mod kitchen thing lately... and so, it finally bled into my work. I wish I was half as exited about cooking as I am about vintage cookware.