Paws For A Bit: Collie Series, Part Three

For those who may not know, there are two different kind of coats in the standard collie breed:

    "Rough Coat" (like Duncan)                AND                                  "Smooth Coat"

I felt that info was needed in order for the next two cards to make perfect sense...

And now on to the cards:

Card Interior:

"Sorry to hear you're having a rough time."

Card Interior:

"Hope you days are going smoothly!"

The series of six collie cards are available individually or as a set.

 

Coming soon... 

I was inspired to create another dog series while I was working on this one!

Stay tuned next week for a preview of a special 4-card series!!

♥ Cath-

We Interrupt The Current Blog Posts For The Following Message: Happy October!!

I FALL FOR AUTUMN EVERY SINGLE YEAR!

It's true!

That hint of crispness in the air...

That soft golden light of the sun as it begins its descent toward the horizon...

The jewel tones found amidst the changing foliage...

The crunch and rustle of a walk through the leaves...

That perfect moment when the sun is behind you, causing the kaleidoscope of autumnal colours on the trees before you to glow as though they were lit from inside and beyond those glowing branches the sky is thick with the deep blue-grey clouds of a impending rainstorm - WOW! The contrast of colours - the warm fall hues against the cool grey blue hues... the juxtaposition of the sharp angled leaves/branches and the soft misty motion of the storm clouds - it's just breathtaking!

Really, Fall is the only season in which a grey day doesn't feel quite so grey

 - the outdoors just seem to always glow with a soft pleasant light!

It seemed perfect timing that I was re-reading a beloved Canadian classic, 

"Anne of Green Gables" by Lucy Maud Montgomery 

I really love the characters L.M. Montgomery creates in this book 

- especially the main character Anne Shirley,

she sees everything with such a beautiful wide-eyed, child-like heart of wonder!!

I found so many inspiring quotes while I was reading it through this time!

One in particular struck me and inspired the following watercolour doodle:

"Autumnal Walk" 

(watercolour, 7" x 9.5")

Here is the context from the book for the quote I used above... 

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, Chapter 16:

"October was a beautiful month at Green Gables, when the birches in the hollow turned as golden as sunshine and the maples behind the orchard were royal crimson and the wild cherry trees along the lane put on the loveliest shades of dark red and bronzy green, while the fields sunned themselves in aftermaths.
Anne reveled in the world of color about her.
"Oh, Marilla," she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs" 'I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it? Look at these maple branches. Don't they give you a thrill--several thrills?"

 L.M. Montgomery's writing is very inspiring! 

One can so easily envision Anne, Marilla, Matthew and all the other memorable residents

who round out the beautiful village of Avonlea in Prince Edward Island!

Aww.... 

*contented sigh*

Happy October to one and all!!

Go outside, take a walk, take a deep breath of the crisp air 

- if you're lucky there may be even a hint of wood fire wafting on that breeze!

Thrill in the colours and soft glowing light that surrounds you!

God has made a beautiful season for us to enjoy!!

Be inspired by it!!

♥ Cath-

   

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-