DAD
It's this kind of night.
Make Friends
I made a new friend recently. More of a reacquaintance, really.
Not of human form, but of an art medium form. That is of gouache. It was in college when we were first introduced. I wasn't too interested then. Maybe it was because my college instructor only supplied our art bins with black and white.
Months ago I purchased a fine gouache colour set on a whim from a local art store.
It hasn't been 'til late that I decided to open them up. The newness of the year can sure motivate you to look back and think of the things you wanted to accomplish in the past year.
As a result, I'm so delighted to have gained a new friend in gouache paint.
Gouache are traditional water based opaque colours which give flat, smooth washes.
I've been hauling them around with me... even bringing them to morning lattes, instead of drawing.
My friend Kim knitting some fingerless gloves at 3 Friends Coffee House.
Saw this lil' guy... one of my favorite plant eating dinosaurs.
Crafty Wonderland Super Colossal Holiday Sale 2010
December was a busy month! I've been meaning to post about the Super Colossal Holiday Sale for almost a month. Here we go... finally!
Saturday, December 11th and Sunday, December 12th were 2 amazing days. One event that has made Portland so welcoming for me has been Crafty Wonderland. I am so humbled that there are people out there that get down with their art nerdy selves; appreciators & creators alike. I would love to give a shout out to all those who attended and supported handmade.
Over 12,000 shoppers attended! The organizers said that this show was by far their biggest and best event to date. It was so nice to meet new and old faces... sale goers & vendors. There was so much handmade awesomeness that I wanted to marvel over, but I had to man my booth. Ha!
A few snaps of my booth...
Greeting cards, Mini vintage Scrabble rings, button rings, bingo rings, compass rings, and vintage Portland map rings in a vintage fisherman's tackle box
Suitcase filled with Herb Series prints & framings • Vintage Oregon map marble magnets on edge
A handful of my favorite vendors handmade awesomeness...
View more snaps on my Flickr.
I really can't wait for next year's Holiday sale!
Finland Folk Dancers
Lately I've been intrigued of my ancestry. During my visit home to Nebraska, my grandma sent me home with some books about Finland. I've been having fun skimming the glossy pages of pictures and drawing in my sketchbook. My old high school art teacher, Ms. D would be proud of my continuous lines.
Poppy Seed drawing print has a slight new look. It will be released very very soon. To pre-order a 5"x7" or 8"x10" print be sure to drop me a line.
I heart buttons. I have so many buttons, it's ridiculous. I have a vintage Pyrex bowl filled with them. Speaking of items soon to be released, I will be listing little surprises in the shop like button rings. Each ring has a antique brass band and is topped off with eye catching buttons.
I did a print & framing custom order last week. Aren't they exquisite? I love these 16" x 20" frames with their milky white mats. From left to right: Nutmeg, Cinnamon, and Poppy Seed.
Breakfast for Lunch
My love and I took a bike ride to Mississippi Avenue for the weekend. It's one of my favorites. There are so many shops and street art.
We were so excited to see that Cup & Saucer opened a location on Mississippi. We couldn't resist eating there for lunch. If you haven't ate there I totally recommend it!
Check out the delicious grub we ordered...
Garden Omelet with scone & potatoes Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, mushroom, spinach and cheddar
Lucky Scramble Bacon, mushroom, green onion, cheddar cheese scrambled with three eggs on top of potatoes
Lastly, here's a recent drawing I did when I was visiting Nebraska. I finally snapped a photo for you to see. Enjoy!
Roadtrip to the Oregon Coast
My husband, Justin and I drove out to the coast this last Saturday. We finally celebrated his birthday, it was in the beginning of July.Here are lots of photos! Enjoy! Feel free to leave a comment.
Out on the open road - Hwy 99W
Rectangle shaped stacked hay bales
We are almost to the finish line!
Look! It's a deer!
Standing on Proposal Rock
Looking up at Proposal Rock
Looking up at Proposal Rock - close up
Crevice in Proposal Rock
Seaweed find
Where's Proposal Rock?
Close up of the orchids on Neskowin Beach
Looking out Siletz Bay in Lincoln City, OR
Crafting at Siletz Bay in Lincoln City, Oregon
My sandy foot and crafting/drawing tools
Looking out Siletz Bay in Lincoln City, OR
Sea Lions at Siletz Bay in Lincoln City, OR
Take this here rain check
Good morning to you all! It's very early for me... 4:00am. Some silly reason I've been waking up this time early every day this week. Let me state– THIS NEVER EVER HAPPENS. I heart sleeping. Make that a gigantic heart. Ok, so I've been pretty terrible about updating this blog. Eek! Has it really been 3 weeks since my last post? I really need to kick myself in the rear. It even has been perfect blogging weather...rainy. Bleh, I am pretty tired of this stinking hard core rain we have been having in Portland. Well, I don't hate it completely. I love having my apartment windows open. Hearing the pitter-patter is nice. And so is the smell. Mmmm. But I am yearning for a little Vitamin D and bicycling that doesn't involve soggy skinny jeans.
For some odd reason the rain has gotten me thinking of "David the Gnome". If you were a child in the mid to late-80's like me & you had cable... you probably were a big Nickelodeon fan. I'm curious how many of you out there liked the TV show "David the Gnome"? I had a flash back of being around the age of 5, all curled up on the couch with my mom, watching the show that would eventually be subdued by an afternoon nap. All while it was raining, of course. I wonder what I would think of it, if I watched it today. My mom sure loved it. And I'm pretty sure today I'm the same age as she was then.
Very soon I will be making my first roadtrip of the season out to the coast. And absolutely NO Mr. Rain! You are sooo not invited. Sun? absolutely!
Speaking of roadtrips, remember when I posted on here about my drive out to Mount St Helens? Oh... back in the Spring of last year? Well here's the post if you would like to read it. With all this H20 jibber-jabber, here are some earrings that I crafted. With Clearwater Lake on the brain, I named them...
"That time my toes met the shoreline"
:: View in Etsy Shop ::
I adore these faceted glass beads. They're awesome! See how their colors, teal & amber, blend together? It's especially cool how they hit the light. I really wish I had more of them. Yes, unfortunately I only will be able to make a few more. I guess you can say they are limited edition. He he.
Well you nice folks have an excellent weekend! I will leave you with a sketchbook drawing from yesterday. Enjoy!
Maybe see ya on Monday!
New silly avatar for '10 & Tuesday's accomplishments
A week or two ago I was pondering the idea of creating a new avatar for my Flickr, Twitter, and every other social networking website that is linked to A Tea Leaf. I mean it's a new year, that should mean a new avatar, right? I'm a lil' sad to leave behind the "I Can Has Plum" pic; it sure was a silly one. This year's avatar includes a pretty sweet coffee mug that was just filled to the brim with Yerba Mate. I love this white glass mug, it's fantastic. It has a lot of sentimental value to me; it use to be my grandmother's. I remember when I was a wee one, watching her pour coffee into it and thinking to myself, 'why would anyone drink coffee', blergh. Obviously, in present time at the ripe ol' age of 27, my taste buds have changed. As many of you know, not only am I a bit obsessed with Hello Kitty and Norwich Terriers, but hot beverages as well. Mmm... Yerba Mate.
I've been hyped up this week. It sure has been a productive one. Sometimes I wish I had my own chopper on the roof, though, so I could get to point A to point B uber fast and be so much more productive. I decided that I'd try something new in the sketchbook. Since I love documenting and all, I doodled Tuesday's accomplishments. I used one of my favorite mediums too... Gelly Roll Moonlight opaque pens. (Click on image to view larger.)
I had a ball drawing this. I'm definitely up for another one in the next month or two.
Giveaway is getting a lil bit sweeter
My first ever giveaway is getting a lil' bit sweeter. Now you can win 2 prints of mine– Coriander & Poppy Seed!
I'm also extending it. The winner will be now contacted and announced on Monday, November 9th.
To win all you have to do is write a comment below, along with your name and an email address!
New Earrings, Giveaway, & Etc.
Oh my! I haven't written a blog post since October 12th! Here's a quick run-through of the latest.
New Earrings... October Nights and Black Kitten's Green Eyes are available for purchase in my Etsy Shop.
My Dill drawing of my Herb Series is featured in an Etsy Treasury called Dill or Sweet. They can't be beat! Click here to view.
On Sunday, November 8th I will be selling my art and jewelry at Crafty Wonderland. More info here!
I'm doing my very first give-away on here! I will be giving away an 8" x 10" print of my Poppy Seed drawing!
There are 2 ways to win:
- Send a tweet on Twitter with the hashtag: #atealeaf. Maybe something like: "Hoping to win this awesome print: http://tinyurl.com/poppyseed! #atealeaf". I'll watch the hashtag and automatically register you for the contest.
- Or register using Facebook. All you have to do is invite 10 friends to become fans of the A Tea Leaf Facebook fanpage here. Once you've done that just let me know in the comments below and I'll register you to win.
The winner will be contacted and announced on Friday, November 6th.
New Earrings & Mint drawing
It's Friday! Woo-hoo!
Well it's just about over with, isn't it? I'm staying home this evening due to feeling a bit under the weather. Hopefully things turnaround with the help from hot tea. I mean come on, who wants to be sick over the weekend? Surely not I.
I don't know if you noticed but 2 new sets of earrings made their way into my Etsy shop yesterday. I'm having so much fun using these little twig beads that I acquired awhile ago.
Float on Clouds - Earrings - View in Etsy Shop
One More Song - Earrings - View in Etsy Shop
Lastly, a new plant is added to my Herb Series! I've been pretty anxious to post this one.
Mint - 8" x 10" Print - View in Etsy Shop
Well that's all for now. I'm gonna kick back with a steamy cup of Chamomile tea, snuggle with my cat, and watch a movie borrowed from a friend. Hope all you lovelies have good weekend and enjoy that crisp Autumn air.
Standard Movement Series Pendants
It's Friday and you know what that means... new arrivals in the ATeaLeaf Etsy shop! And I have a special surprise for you all. You can now choose the artworks you would like for your wearable. It gets a little bit sweeter too: not just one side, but two!
Standard Movement Series Pendants
Choose your favorite front and back and I will personally custom make your new necklace!
Head on over to my Etsy shop and get the ball rollin'. Hope you all have a long and lazy weekend lovelies!
00016 - Western White Clematis
Introducing my 16th piece of my series, Standard Movement.
00016 - Western White Clematis – Click here or image above to purchase a print
To begin with, the oval frame. My thoughtful Godparents found it at an antique store. They are so sweet. As many of you know, I love bubbled glass. Who doesn't? I love how it enhances my imaginative 2-D world. Next, something new this time around. I usually use vintage paper for the main background, in this case I used fresh, crisp ledger paper. I wanted this work to be much simpler than the last, so I left a lot of white space and added fewer textile pieces which represent orbs. I incorporated a white flowering plant that I discovered on a walk to Portland's striking St. Johns bridge. The plant caught my eye with it's showy seedheads.
I searched high and low. Alas I found the name of the white flowering plant, it's called Western White Clematis. I read that it is a perennial vine and a member of the Buttercup family. It also goes by names such as Virgin’s Bower, Traveler’s Joy, and Leather flower. It sounds like a terrible idea to get in contact with, its oils are extremely irritating to the skin. It can also cause internal bleeding of the digestive tract if digested in large amounts. Eek! However, Native Americans would use it for headaches and nervous disorders, in small doses, of course.
If you would like to purchase a print of this original artwork of mine, they are available in my online shop, here. The prints are a limited edition of 30, printed on a heavy cardstock paper, backed with matboard, and slipped into a cellophane envelope. Whew! Did you get all that? I will also sign each print and ship them in a bendproof mailer. Live near Portland and wanna save on shipping? I will also be selling these guys at Crafty Wonderland and Skating with Scissors Craft Bazaar. I'm so jazzed to participate in my first two craft shows!
New Work: 00015 - False Lily of the Valley
It's Saturday and I'm still trying to get caught up with posting last weekend's creations. Whew.May I present to you... 00015 of Standard Movement Series.
00015 of Standard Movement – 5" x 7" – purchase print
I even think it's the best piece I've made thus far.
Within this mint green frame are a variety of items, including pages from a vintage accountant workbook and pocket dictionary, an elementary report card dated 1953, a black & white class photograph. Something new this time around... I incorporated a lace tablecloth, cutting it into honeycomb shapes. I've been meaning to incorporate textiles for the longest time, and alas it finally has been done.
Within coffee rings, I drew a plant, False Lily of the Valley that I discovered while hiking near Indian Beach. Scientific name: Maianthemum dilatatum is an aggressive groundcover for moist shade, which was very apparent... I saw heart-shaped leaves & berries in the shadows everywhere on the hike. I read up a little bit on the berries... "they can be used as food, although they are not especially tasty. Other aboriginal uses of the plant include the treatment of cuts, sore eyes, internal injuries and sterility."
In a future work I would like to illustrate the blooming stage of the star shaped flowers, pictured above. The stamens remind me of snails' tentacles.
I have 00015 prints available in my Etsy shop for 16 dollars each. http://www.atealeaf.etsy.com Each print will be signed, numbered (in a limited edition of 30), and shipped in a sturdy bendproof mailer.
Hope everyone is having a relaxing weekend!
Sage drawing
"Most popular American herb, sage is fragrant, a little bitter, good with pork, other meats, baked fish, and salads."
Sage – print – Click here or illustration above to purchase & more info
Chives drawing
"Related to the onion but more delicate in taste, chives make a favorite garnish for boiled potatoes. They are often mixed with butter and lemon juice or with cheese as a cracker spread. Their flavor helps all salads, like cottage cheese salad."
Chives – print – Click here or illustration above to purchase & more info
New Dill drawing
Happy happy Friday all!
A few weeks back, during my trip to Nebraska I filled my sketch book's pages full of simple drawings of flavorful herbs. Well this week I yanked out the Epson scanner from it's hideout and began scanning them all in! With my all time favorite program, Illustrator... I added some color and texture. May I present you with my first piece of my herb series...
Dill - print – Click here or illustration above to purchase & more info
I was going for a simple line drawing look and I really liked how it turned out. I did a little reading up on Dill... apparently in the Middle Ages it was used in a love potion and was believed to keep witches away. Already a future illustration idea is brewing up in my head.
I will be selling 8" x 10" prints of the original digital artwork in my Etsy shop for only $10.00! It will be signed, numbered (in a limited edition of 30), and shipped in a sturdy bendproof mailer.
Mother's Day pendants
Since I've heard that both my mom and my mother-in-law, have received their Mother's Day surprise packages, I can now share them with you!
Nurture thy Mind No.8 Pendant Necklace - Mother's Day - Jade
For my mother-in-law's pendant, I incorporated my favorite coastal plant to draw... jade. I also included my signature globes, orbs, honeycomb and those cute lil' spiderweb-like stitchings. The week before Mother's Day, her and I were chit-chatting on the phone. She was telling me how she is so appreciative of all the artwork I have done for her in the years past. I am so grateful to have such a supportive mother-in-law. The topic of my art was brought up because she was rearranging her sitting room. She had gathered all my artworks and decorated the room with them. So when this petite artwork showed up in her mailbox, you can imagine her reaction. And discovering that it was just not art... but also jewelry!
And get a glimpse of the back!
I incorporated a vintage map of my "born n' raised" state, Nebraska and scattered some doodles. Off to the left you can see a snippet of the term family and it's definition from an antique pocket-sized dictionary.
Nurture thy Mind No.9 Pendant Necklace - Mother's Day - Pine
For my mom's pendant, I incorporated some sort of pine that I discovered on a trail on Germantown Road. I have yet to research it! I also included orbs, honeycomb and those cute lil' spiderweb-like stitchings too. Discovering this tree connected thoughts in my head of memories playing around the pine trees that my parents have in their backyard. When they planted them I was seven years old they were probably 4 feet or so... and now having quadrupled in size, they've long outgrown my height.
And No.9's backside...
This is ultimately my favorite back that I have ever. ever. done. To go into detail about this, would be like writing a book. This portion of Omaha has a lot of history, a lot of memories for my mom as well as for me. After using a definition in my mother-in-law's pendant, I fell in love with incorporating terms. So on my mom's pendant I incorporated a snippet of the word "together" and it's definition. I finished the back by stamping my birthdate at the very top, which happens to be tomorrow or in an hour, however you look at it. I'm very content with these two pieces. It's so tranquil that, through art, you can elaborate on these memories.
Today's creation!
Take a gander of what I created this afternoon!
Nurture thy Mind No.6 Pendant Necklace - Jade - purchase
I'm falling in love with drawing spiderweb-like stitching in my latest mixed media works; and finishing them off with filling in the negative space with my favorite Prismacolor markers & pencils. In this particular piece you can find this element in the bottom left-hand corner. I like how the stitching is somewhat mechanical, like it belongs in a CAD drawing.