Hide n Seek

Snow White and Rose Red play hide n seek with Bear.
For the Sketchbook.

Lost Crates

A couple months ago I found a company online called Lost Crates.
I don't remember exactly how they came to my notice, but once I found them, I couldn't forget them!

Do you like stationery? Maybe a little too much? Do you lovingly caress notebooks when you go to card stores? Do you like to doodle? Do you have a desk full of note cards and tablets, or wish you did?
Then this is a store for you!

When you first go to Lost Crates, they ask you to take a fun personality quiz. It's set up with pictures and you can re-take it whenever you want:

(Fun fact about me: I did NOT pick the yogurt...)

Once your account is set up and you pay your dues (no, sorry, it's not free) then you have to wait.
And wait.
And wait... Okay, it's not that bad, it just seems like it takes forever!

I got my first Lost Crate last month, and just got my second one today. I have to say I'm rather tickled with them! It was almost like Christmas, getting to open the boxes.

The blue thing is an "eco stapler", meaning it uses no staples. Super cool little gadget! The pens are a lovely quality and I can't wait to have time to actually do some sketching with them. I love the notebooks, too, the big one is especially fabulous! 

Today I got my second crate: 

I used to love fountain pens, and used them all through college. I was happy to see a new one in my crate today!

I guess I'm going to have to get busy and so some real sketching! If only I didn't have to have a grown-up job...  :)

The neighbors.

I like where we live, because technically we are in the city limits, and we have a nice neighborhood area but we are far enough out of the city proper, and up in a wooded area, so even though it's a pretty big neighborhood, we have lots of trees and natural areas, with miles of trails for walking or bike riding.

We also have nice neighbors that sometimes stop and chat on the trails, like this:

We also like that sometimes they just drop by to visit, like this:

We also have a family of coyotes that sing us to sleep at night, though they are more shy and we don't see them around as much.
It's a nice neighborhood.

The new shirts are here! The new shirts are here!

That's right, the Keep Calm and Carrion shirts are up and live in my Etsy shop!
I'll be listing a couple each day to keep the listing fresh, but right now there is one of each size listed. If I get enough interest in a women's style, I'll get some of those, too.
So go there!
Buy something!
Yes, you!

And now for something completely different!

Well, okay,  not completely different...

I have placed an order for Keep Calm and Carrion t-shirts!
I'm announcing on my blog for pre-order, then once they are actually in my possession I'll list them on my Alice's Secrets Etsy shop.

So- if anyone's interested, let me know. $20 for pre-order from my blog (via PayPal - you would just use my email address - admin@olivehuedesigns.com), they will be $25 on Etsy.
I will have the following sizes:
M-4
L-7
XL-7
XXL -2

They are a unisex t-shirt, white, with a dark red design. If they sell well, I'll do another run. If you need a size you don't see listed (and I'll keep what's available up to date here) let me know and the next run I'll add it for you.
(Then later I might add the Keep Calm and Klick Your Heels and then maybe the Aim for the Head as well.)

Wish me luck!

I have a blog

No, really, I do! It's just that, well, life sort of got in the way. Again. So I apologize for being lame all month.

And I sort of dropped the ball on the contest I was having, so we'll go there first.
I got some great ideas from the suggestions that were given me (Otin, your poem rocks! I may have to re-visit that later on...)
The ones I decided to go with are Bella Sinclair's "Little did they know...", Rebecca S's "Once upon a time they lived happily ever after...and this is how it all began," (which I think I'm going to end the book with) and Dala Horse's "I put it under a magnifying glass and..."

Congrats! Once I get the artworks done I will get in touch and get addresses where to send the prints!

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In other news - I am thinking of offering my Keep Calm and Carrion design as a t-shirt.

 I have had a great response with those posters, and the shirts that came from the Wildlife Conservation Society's Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project have been pretty popular with the few friends and family that have received one. So I think I'm going to do some, without all the Conservation Project stuff  on it , of course. Once I get those printed out and in my hands, maybe I'll have a little giveaway with those, too (no, really!)

And...I'm trying some new ideas out in my Alice's Secrets Etsy shop. I have always been interested in typograpy, and I love the graphic look of typography posters. Here's some of my new designs, they are being uploaded to my shop today.

Now go hug a vet.