For Illustration Friday.

This drawing was an exercise, an exercise in working through a creative block that I hit this week.  Everything seemed to be going smoothly earlier this week and then for some reason, probably all the life-things not art-related, I really wasn’t feeling creative.  At all.  But I wanted to be.  It’s crap, that feeling.

I find it difficult to not over-think and analyze things that I do, including drawing.  I mean, my day job is, at times, very cerebral which fits my personality quite well but so much thinking — to clarify again: OVER-thinking — can be bad for the imagination.

So I told myself to just draw and stop editing myself.  I remember drawing as a kid, for HOURS, and not being too concerned with the outcome. Oh! I just remembered, I used to love to draw Betty Boop, hee hee!  I would create all kinds of outfits and scenarios for her.  Silly things.  And it was really fun.  So, there was a time when I would draw for the sheer pleasure of it.  Do you remember that feeling?

Thank you for your comments and sales!  I admit, launching the new shop is a little nerve-racking, hee hee.  Anyway, I’m glad to have put the shop up because I can focus more on making things, the best part.

There are many new treats in the shop, including these vintage digital kits!  I’m really happy about them, actually.  I love vintage postcards, particularly Victorian and Edwardian ones, and I’m so stingy about them - I can’t seem to part with them!  So, along with vintage buttons, millinery, calling cards and even an old saucer, I made a digital few kits to share.  Violets & Violas, above, has a ton of high resolution PNG files which are really nice because they have transparent backgrounds which are good for layering in blog headers and scrapbooks.  (And since they are 300 dpi, you can print them out too!)

There’s also a kit with pretty blue vintage buttons, ranging from the 1920s through the 1950s, in PNG format and in a handy collage sheet (JPG) to print out (both 300 dpi).

And red & pink vintage buttons too!  Love those swirly ones.  Oh!, what projects can be made with these…

I’m so thoroughly enjoying the little rain we are having.  Staying in, snug and cozy.  For dinner tonight we’re having tacos with blue corn torillas  (I just love the novelty of them) which I need to make ready right now.

Happy Wednesday, my dears!

(P.S. Images are watermarked and degraded for posting purposes - digital files do not contain these watermarks and are high quality, of course!)

Phew!  It took a little while to get all of this up; I wanted to get the shipping as accurate as possible as well as list all necessary details for each piece.  I’m just making my September 1st self-imposed deadline!  Anyhow, please take a look when you can.   I’ve got some really beautiful things in the shop for really reasonable prices.  Just wanted to note: I’ll reimburse shipping overcharges that exceed $1.00 USD.  That might be especially helpful if you are combining goods.

Also, if you order over $20, I’ll include a free vintage hankie in your shipment! (Unless you only order crochet patterns since I can’t email you the hankies, hee hee.)  I’ve got a bunch of white hankies with simple designs that I just hand washed so they are ready for new homes.

Happy looking!

» fable* on etsy

Just when I was about to finish up the sewing lessons I, well, go off and get married…It’s official, I’m a Mrs.!

A Mrs. who voluntarily got up at 6:30 this morning (that’s A.M.) ; I couldn’t sleep (perhaps I’m still wired from the events this week!) so I put on my robe (it was almost chilly), ate some Nilla Wafers and mini pretzels (you’ve really got to eat them together, it’s so good) while watching bits of Life Begins for Andy Hardy and snapped a couple of pics.

I will - OF COURSE - be sharing real wedding pictures with you as soon as I get them!  I’ve already looked over the Polaroids and am so far really excited about our photos.  To be continued!

(Updated 08.07.09: I added a few photos to flickr, not official wedding ones, but a few stills I took myself.  Enjoy!)