A Lady and Her Dress

I discovered something at the weekend - I can draw a bit. I was sketching and I thought to myself, wouldn't it be nice to be able to draw like a fashion designer? So I sketched some more, and then got all brave and took out a black Copic pen and committed. I drew strong lines over my pencil sketches and did not look back.

This is not what my wedding dress looks like by the way.

Then the trusty Copic markers came out - they're really quite good - and a bit of paper shaping, and voila - a lady and her dress.

A teeny smudge or a snub nose? You decide...

It's a postcard, which means I haven't given up on my Postcard a Week challenge. But it's a departure from mail art for sure, into the realms of I-know-not-what-I-can-do. It's inspired by the fact that a couple of weeks ago I collected my wedding dress from England, and it now sits in my wardrobe to be peeked at (only by me though) every other day. Which is all Rather Exciting. Especially as I also have all but one item of the rest of my outfit, meaning that I am going to be trying it all on about once a week from now until September.

I'm not brave enough to draw feet yet. But it was important to get the crinoline in there! 

I'll be working on catching up with the postcards this week - after this, who knows what I'll come up with?

Simply Mum

In the UK today it's a special day for mums. Not being one to share my feelings easily, especially in public, I'm going to be short on words and big on colour to (hopefully) show how much I appreciate my mum.

I made her card from scraps. It sounds horribly un-special, but in fact...

 

... I think it's quite special. I made the little flags from sandwich picks and cocktail sticks, and the pin is actually from my mum so she gets it back today.

Happy Mother's Day!

A Bride and Her Maids

I'm gambling on the bride in the picture not reading my blog, as this is her 30th birthday present and it's not her birthday for another week. I hope I haven't spoiled the surprise! Anyway, I made this page for a friend who got married a few years ago.

 

It's inspired by a Pencil Lines sketch from March (and the reason I'm posting it now is so that I can enter in time).

 

You can't see because the photo is black and white, but the blue I've chosen matches the bridesmaids' dresses (and that's me, on the far left of the photo). I also used a bit of orange - not my favourite colour, but I love how it goes with the blue.

I hope my friend likes this. And is surprised by it, in a good way of course.

Feeling a Bit Sketchy

I've been feeling a bit sketchy for the last couple of months, and a lot sketchy for the last couple of days. Not sure what's been wrong with me, if anything - just a general physical and mental lethargy. Maybe it's as simple as my body needing some sunshine. Thankfully, there was some of that yesterday, and the warm sun on my skin must've helped a bit, because I completed two layouts yesterday evening.

One of them, inspired by a Creative Scrappers sketch, celebrates my relationship with my brother: few words pass between us, and even though he's six years my younger, he never stopped growing; he's more like a big brother.

Supplies used: Echo Park Little Boy paper (Rock Star), Echo Park Sweet Summertime alphas, Thickers, Tim Holtz stamps, bakers' twine and a couple of miscellaneous items.

It Must Be Love

... to go to these lengths of measuring, cutting, punching, painting, inking and printing. Not to mention sticking, writing, stamping and posting.

This photo shows a stage in the wedding invitation making process that was actually quite near the end. Today we are even closer, so close we can smell the envelope glue, but I'm going to leave y'all hanging on just a little bit longer so that the guests can have a look at the finished cards first. What better way to spend a Sunday? (Don't answer that; I'm all too aware that there are more fun things to do!)