Paws For a Bit - Collie Series, Part Two

Here are the next two card designs available in my new card line:

"Paws For a Bit"

Collie series

Card Interior:

"Wishing you sunshine and abundance of every good thing!"

 

Card Interior:

"Just checkin' in, making sure all is well!"

 

These cards, like most of my card designs, can be left blank inside 

or customized with a different interior sentiment.

 

 

Hope you are not feeling "Melon-Collie" and that your day "borders" on inspirational!

♥ Cath-

"Paws for a Bit"

Do you ever get a jolt of inspiration?

Is your next step to frantically snatch up any scrap of paper you can find

so you can jot it down while the idea was still fresh in your mind?

Me too! 

Some of the ideas I have are so strong that jotting it down is not enough - 

I have to draw it out in detail and then paint it, and I'm not satisfied until it is completed.

Other ideas simply fill a moment and I jot them down and then happily ponder them.

I peruse them in my mind while working away at other projects...

These ideas, strangely enough, are usually lists - a whole group of ideas

that might work into something someday... 

...so they are carefully tucked into the back of my sketchbook 

or added to the small pile of  'thoughts' resting on my bookshelf,

waiting for the day that I revisit them.

Well, just a couple weeks ago while sorting through some papers on my bookshelf, 

I came across a list of thoughts I had started compiling a few years ago...

and the inspiring idea was still there! 

I carried the list back to my sketchbook and began to visualize the words on the list...

That list went from being a happy thought jotted down and tucked away

to a strong idea that had to be completed!

And from that I have created a new card line called:

Originally inspired by, and in memory of, our beautiful collie, 

Duncan McAndrew

 

 This new greeting card series features six new collie designs

and are available for purchase.  

I will post two designs each day over the next few days.

Here are the first two designs in the "Paws For A Bit - Collie" series:

 Card Interior: 

"Way to go! You really took command of the situation!

 

Card Interior: 

"Thinking of you..."

These cards, like most of my card designs, can be left blank inside 

or customized with a different interior sentiment.

 There are plenty more ' jotted-down ideas' waiting for me

~ An inspiring thought, indeed!!

♥ Cath-     

First Steps

This week has been difficult. I didn't know that it would be, but it is.

Every once in a while I get halted in my daily tasks 

by the realization that our little family is growing up.

We have reached the age where each morning our eldest now hugs each of us good-bye 

and steps out the door on her own.  

Mom's not driving her to her destination and Dad's not walking her to the bus stop.

Our youngest is now sitting in the highly sought after front seat of the car 

on the way to school and talking like a fifty year old.

~ mind you, this talking like a fifty year old is not uncommon, 

it only gets more interesting the older she gets!

She steps out of the car and I realize she has reached the age 

when it's kinda sorta embarrassing to hear your Mom say, maybe too loudly, 

"I love you! Have a great day!" 

- especially when a teacher is standing nearby! 

 (You think I would have learned from when our eldest entered this stage, oops!)

But she always smiles a little smile and says, "Bye!" 

before she throws her backpack over her shoulder and heads into the school.

I've been mopey this week because of all these moments of realization,

glad that we've all reached these new milestones in our little family,

but also wishing time would slow down a bit.

My dear friend listened to me for a while and then she said, 

"Grab your sketchbook and draw a picture of what you just told me!"

I said, "No, it's not a happy picture!"

"Yes, it is!, she hastily replied. 

She went on to express how we have brought God into our home in everything we do. 

We have raised, and continue to raise, our girls to honour Him and now our eldest 

is taking those first steps that she needs to take. She has a strong faith in God herself

and it's through her confidence in Him and in our training that allows her to do this.

She has simply begun to wade out into deeper water now.  The lessons will be bigger but we will keep guiding her according to God's will. Encouraging her to go to God for His help and care in all that she faces. Showing her that going to Him with gratitude and thankfulness alleviates much of the burdens we carry.

Oh, and my friend also said that I needed to include Proverbs 22:6 in my drawing.

I grabbed my sketchbook and it really did help me feel happy about this new beginning, 

these new steps that each of our children are taking on their own.

"First Steps"

(graphite, 8.5" x 11")

My friend is very wise.

We can't hold our children back.

We have to use all the time we are blessed with and teach them about the goodness of God

and His love for us all. We need to teach them His principles that make every day better and make situations in life easier to handle.  We have to let them grow and develop and begin to apply the things they have learned from us. Yes, some of us will still hold our breaths a little, but prayerfully, we must let go and let them take those first steps.

Thank you dear friend - I know you're reading this -

thank you for your wise words and the inspiring thoughts!

♥ Cath-

"It Is A Truth Universally Acknowledged That A Girl In Possession of Some Good Tiles Must Be In Want of Inspiration"

Who knew that a $5.00 bag of 'Rectangular Wood Pieces'

from the craft section of Michael's could be SO INSPIRING!!

I originally bought this pouch of pieces to paint tiny little bibles 

for a Vacation Bible School activity I was prepping for the preschool class.

But I had left over tiles in two sizes: 3/4" x 1.5" and 1/2" x 1"

What to do, what to do??

Well, I like quirky, one-of-a-kind art as much as the next person... 

I was quickly envisioning a collection of tiles with little 

unique, hand-drawn 'somethings' on them...

I could frame them and sell them or just hang 'em up in my art room...

But what to draw? What should the collection be?

How about dogs?

Well, I made one or two dog designs whenever I sat down but then by the sixth, 

Inspiration struck! 

What if I made a collage of animals, each one representing a letter of the alphabet!

Woo-hoo!!

Asking whoever happened to be in the room, "What animal begins with...."

I worked away drawing whatever animal was suggested

and came up with this:

 "Animal Alphabet"

What I love about this is that there's no going back - it's ink on wood - 

there is no erasing, no changing your mind!

I was so excited that I had fitted the tiles in such a way 

to make the whole alphabet fit into a neat li'l rectangle,

well, that is until my darling husband looked at it for less than 2 seconds 

and announced I was missing a letter - his mathematical brain amazes me!

Umm, yes, I forgot the letter "Y", my apologies to the Yawning Yak
who may have been Yearning to be a part of this piece!!

Well, still having several tiles in that little plastic bag from Michael's, what was I to do next?

How was I to use them up? An even BIGGER inspiration struck me!!

Wait for it...

"Pride & Prejudice"

(fineliner pen, watercolour, gouache on wood tiles arranged on chalkboard)

After studying Jane Austen's handwriting I copied some favourite quotes from her story 

onto a few of the tiles, added 'lace' detail to some, and even painted miniature versions of the

three major houses in the story: Longbourne, Netherfield Park, and Pemberly.

 
I included all the couples - even my favourite, Aunt & Uncle Gardiner!

They are all just resting on a chalkboard surface,
I hope to adhere them to a permanent surface soon!

Here are a few close-ups:

The tiles are just about used up, only a couple tiny ones left...

Loving the spark, Boom! POW!! of inspiration!!

♥ Cath-

Fishing for Some Business!

A couple months ago I was asked to create

a logo for a business that had just changed their name

With a couple of sketches and a few great suggestions from my dear friend, Lisa,

I was inspired to sit down and complete this design...

 "Fish Magnet Baits Official Logo 2014"

(watercolour, gouache, pen/ink)

If you are a fisher-person or know someone who is

check out Fish Magnet Baits Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/fishmagnetbaits

Based in Fairborn, Ohio

Great couple, making great lures and baits!! 

♥ Cath-

"Lydia"

Sometimes developing a character can be difficult...

It's one thing to draw kids and let the drawing tell a bit of of a story...

 ... you can capture bits and pieces of a personality and express emotion 

but sometimes you just feel like something may be missing...

Then, one day you meet a kid like "Lydia" - an instant character!

Her imagination is already so animated that all the hard work is done for you! 

You just have to be smart enough to scrawl it down on paper before she runs off 

on some other crazy adventure of her own making!!

And you just know that this character is meant to be in a book!

 

 ♥ Cath-

In Love With July

I love the month of July!

My little sister has a birthday in July, 

the kids get out of school for summer break (in Canada), 

Our country celebrates its birthday at the beginning of the month - so there are always fireworks!!

AND

July is the month my husband and I celebrate our wedding anniversary!!!

I love it! 

A whole month of celebrations!!

And this year it's EXTRA SPECIAL!!

This year we are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary!!

Woo-hooo!!!!

So needless to say, I've had my favourite guy on my mind 

whenever I have sat down for some down-time doodling!

My first doodle began on an envelope - as you can see toward the middle of the design:

The next was more intentional, I used some art quality paper 

and again snatched up my favourite Staedtler Fineliner pens...

"Happy Thoughts"

(pen on cold-pressed paper, 7" x 9.5")

I loved how it turned out, and that inspired me toward beginning another one the next day...

I wanted to created something of a companion piece or a series to celebrate our anniversary

so I thought I would start with a word that describes us...

I thought about words like "LOVE", "HAPPY", and "JOY"

but when I really thought about it the word that describes us best is "TOGETHER"

We decided to spend our lives TOGETHER.

We have been TOGETHER for twenty years 

(22 years if you count the years we dated!)

TOGETHER we built our marriage on God and His principles.

TOGETHER we endured the heartache of losing a baby mid-pregnancy.

TOGETHER, four years later we welcomed another baby.

We prayed TOGETHER and clung to God TOGETHER when our new baby 

had to undergo open-heart surgery 14 days after she was born.

We praised God TOGETHER when we were blessed with taking our darling girl home!

Three years later we welcomed another little girl into our family!

 TOGETHER we are raising our children to love God and pray to Him and read His Word.

We mourned TOGETHER when we each in turn, lost a beloved parent.

TOGETHER we have been through A LOT! 

But we are determined to be TOGETHER come what may

Because being TOGETHER is the BEST WAY!!

  "Together"

(pen on cold-pressed paper, 9.5" x 7")

Well, I had no idea how many design ideas were still waiting to be doodled onto paper!

The next day I had to begin another!

 "Heart of Hearts"

(pen on cold-pressed paper, 9.5" x 7")

I really like the 'swirling'  effect in the centre of this design - this one was very calming to work on...

The end result just makes me smile!

Today, yet another idea popped into my head and I grabbed up my art paper and pens

 and started working it out... some hours later (I get into an art zone and I lose track of time!)

I completed this design:

"Sweet Dreams"

(pen on cold-pressed paper, 7" x 9.5")

July is a month all our own to celebrate special occasions and watch fireworks...

It's a month filled to the brim with fun and activity and especially LOVE!

"Is there any felicity in the world superior to this?"

Nope, I don't think so!

♥ Cath-