Reading (mush)Room

The second of my contest winner suggestions:

For DalaHorse's "I put it under the magnifying glass and..."

Playing around with some old art

About 100 years ago - well, okay, maybe more like 20... I did a few sketches of some fairies. Dunno exactly what I was going to do with them, maybe a calendar or something.
Anyway, not too long ago I found them in an old folder, so I thought I'd scan them and then do my digital "thing" with them to update them.

Here's the first one, my Ice Fairy.

Fairies and fires and callers, oh my!

I had a sale! Yea!



This was for one of my favorite little fairies. I did this one completely in Corel Painter, and it's a really fun art program because you can totally make stuff look like it's hand painted. (Ok, what the hell is it with me and the word "totally"?! I totally use it way too much!) I need to play around in it some more, and probably get the newer version, because my computer doesn't like the old one very well (I think it's 3 years old now).
I also have a good start on my jewelry. It's been fun making stuff again. Hopefully I will have some pictures to post on Monday. Maybe tomorrow if I really get my butt in gear.

I am kind of frustrated I haven't posted for a while. Been working a lot. We've had some mandatory overtime because a lot of people have been sick, some on vacation and one of our gals fell off a ladder and fractured her spine. (ouch!) And then Thursday we had a HUGE storm here. Lots of thunder and lightening and grass fires. That's always fun in a 911 center. (Not!) Then right in the middle of everything we (or the ground right next to the building) got hit by lightening! Everybody yelped and jumped in their seats. Luckily our computers are well protected, but sheriff's radio lost all theirs for a bit. It was pretty nuts for a while. Thank goodness it started to rain right after so hopefully that put out all the grass fires that got started.

Ah, summer!

It's been what we call "stupid busy" around here. Domestic violence calls have doubled:


Assaults have doubled (The new thing here seems to be stabbings. Good grief!):


Our "special" callers are calling 20 times a day, some of them (seriously), and they all seem to be coming out of the woodwork:


The heat, and now the full moon, are making people ca-ray-zee! We have discussed plans to get a crop duster to spread Prozac around town. If anyone can help with that I'd appreciate a call!



Have a great weekend!

Fairies and Birthdays and Monkey Faces, oh my!

So Friday is Monkey Face's birthday. Monkey Face, of course, being my neice, Evelyn. As previously posted here, her mama is having a fairy tea party for her, tutu's and all. Mama Bear apparently has all the stuff done already (I know because I called to volunteer with last minute decorating, fingernail painting, whatever, today, like a good Auntie, but she said it's all taken care of. Is it wrong of me to think "phew!"?) Anyway, I bought Monkey Face (what!? She looks like a little monkey! Seriously, think MonChiChi in pigtails...plus she climbs like a chimpanzee!) a couple dollys to have tea parties with, but my main present, which will probably be more for her mama for a while, is a drawing of Evelyn in a fairy dress.

Just in case you're interested in my process (sometimes I like to see how other people work, but I realize you may not, so it's not long...) I took this:
which is one of my favorite pix of her little (monkey) face and used it with inspiration from this: which I now can't remember where I stole it from found it on the interwebs (so if anyone recognizes it please let me know so I can give proper props for such a lovely dress!)...
...and voila! (Well, ok, it was more like "can't you people leave me alone, I'm working here! Oh, what? I'm at work and drawing is not my job? Damn..." for the last couple days [I know, I know, I'm the world's best procrastinator but in my defense...well, I have no defense. sigh.])

Anyway, what I have come up with is this:
Ta Da!
I think I'm relatively safe posting this ahead of time since I think the only family members who read this are my dad, and my mom, on occasion. (Hi, Mom and Dad!)

PS. This, like all my other stuff, was done in Adobe Illustrator with a Wacom tablet, just in case you're interested!

Tutu Cute

Evelyn is having a fairy tea party for her birthday at the end of the month. I think she's ready.
Not sure about Finn...
I'm thinking he'll have some words for his mama when he's about, oh, 15 or so.

Mermaid Dreams

Is she dreaming of a life on land? Does she dream of having legs? Or does she, perhaps, dream of having wings?

Wishes Granted

My newest fairy...

Fairy Queen

A woodland fairy queen I've been working on a little at a time for a while. I think she's finally done...