Simon's Cat fan art

If you have read this blog from the beginning, you might recall my love of Simon's Cat, an animated series featuring Simon's Cat whom is always up to no good in his quest for moar foooood. Simon's Cat has appeared in videos, games, comic strips, and books. He is freaking awesome. The creator, Simon Tofield, started Simon's Cat with a video called "Cat Man Do" somewhere around 2008 and it blew up from there.

I'm a huge fangirl and as such, I like to doodle Simon's Cat still frames from time to time. Well, the other day, I found some awesome knee high pink faux-chucks on clearance at Clare's. I couldn't pass them up even though they are pink. In fact, I bought 4 pairs of them- one for me, one for E, one for L, and one for the cousin staying with us. Let's be real- no one turns down knee high faux-chucks when they were as cheap as I found them. Seriously.

So when I got these things home, I knew I'd be decorating them. My cousin painted a braided chain of multicolored hearts on her's. L painted bows, skulls, and stripes. E painted stars, stripes, bows, and paint splatters. I didn't want to do that- I wanted a high concept that would challenge me and my very poor painting skills. That's when I came up with the idea to use Simon's Cat! Off to Google I went to find still frames that I wanted to use for my boots.

I painted the familiar logo on the tongue of each boot. I don't plan to lace them all the way up anyways so that worked out well. Then, on onE boot, I painted Simon's kitten in a teacup on the bottom and Simon's cat with a bat on the top of that panel. On the other boot, I painted Simon's cat trying to convince a birdy that he is the birdhouse. I think they came out beautifully. I have some complaints but since these are only for me, I won't list them. I'm very happy with the way they came out. :)

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Hula Girl is Done!

Well, like it or not, my art project is finished. To recap: I painted a beach scene with a hula girl cutout for E&L's birthday party coming at the end of the summer. Voila!

Here is L trying it out just as soon as the paint dried. So we have a windswept sky, crashing waves, and a palm tree in the background with a hula girl in the foreground. I'm not good at making stuff non-cartoony but the girls love it and that is what counts. I have my own complaints (the tree... the freaking tree! It should have been bigger.) but the girls are flipping for it. I'll call this a win.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Revision is Done!

So all internet activity was put off for the past few weeks while I finished a final revision on my 3rd novel. I can proudly say that it is finished and ready for my beta readers. It took a lot longer on this revision than usual but the extra effort really showed. After a computer sabbatical yesterday, my fingers don't ache, my eyes are uncrossing, and the frown lines on my face may go away soon. Score!

I have 3 other projects in various stages of 1st draft-ness. The 2nd novel in my urban fantasy series is about 1/2 finished. My childrens novel is about 1/3 written. The 3rd novel in the Immortalis trilogy isn't beyond the 1st chapter yet but that's why they are called works-in-progress. I thought I would be going back to one of these projects now that the latest one is finished, but no.

Instead, I am taking on a massive art project. Yeah. E&L's birthdays are a few days apart at the end of the summer. They are having a luau themed party this year and asked me to make a stand-up cutout for photos. You know- those things where you get behind them and stick your face in the hole so that you are magically part of the photo. They want a beach scene with a dancing hula girl. I think they have completely overestimated my artistic abilities, but we'll see what can be done. It will be interesting for sure.

I've missed the internet. I had a good streak going with the blogging over the past couple months so I'll be back at that while I try to figure out how to paint using this awesome background technique I found but still be able to put my hula girl in the foreground. I'm out of my league here, but I'm not going to tell the girls that. Cross your fingers for me to figure it out soon.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Art with my Students

My long term subbing position ended today and I can honestly say that I am going to miss that place! The kids were wonderful little critters. They were a challenge at times, but I always left with them on my mind and in my heart and I always returned the next morning ready and happy to see every single one of them. The teachers and faculty at this particular school are an incredible exception to the rule that when you get a bunch of women together, all you'll have is back-stabbing, nagging, and constant bitching about everything. Those ladies (and men) are fantastic educators- professional, caring, intelligent, and ready for anything!

I thought I'd share some of the art-type things I did for a few of the kids that were interested during the last 3-5 minutes of the day. I have mentioned before that I'm not exactly an artist. I can cartoon in a passable manner and if I try really hard, I can make something look decent. Check out the pictures. The drawings are ones I did for my kids and the painting was made for my little nephew PL.

 for a kindergartner

  for a kindergartner

  for a kindergartner

 for a 5th grader

 for a 5th grader and a 4th grader

 for a 5th grader

 the first bunny I did for the 5th grader

 the picture that started it all (and that I forgot to post originally)

 for the baby!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Listening

My parents didn't read to me. They didn't read my homework with me. They didn't read the recipe directions to me as they made dinner. They didn't read the newspaper aloud after dinner. They certainly didn't read me bedtime stories.

Because of that, my earliest experience of someone reading to me was in school. I know my early teachers must have read to me, but I don't remember them. I do vividly recall a story read aloud by a substitute teacher though.

This woman told us she was going to read a poem to us and that we could draw a picture based on what we heard afterwards. She read "Hungry Mungry" by Shel Silverstein. I closed my eyes as she read about the poor hungry kid. As the story went on, that kid turned into a big fuzzy monster in my mind. It was, in fact, a monster I had seen before. The sense of de ja vu was so strong, it twisted my stomach.

When the teacher finished reading, she passed out the long manila paper popular back then and crayons. She offered one of those little chunky notebooks with the kaleidoscope covers that were hugely popular in the early 90s as a prize for the best picture. I drew my version of Mungry until the sick feeling in my stomach went away. My Mungry ate the world in one big gulp. Though he wasn't describe in the poem, my little 9 year old self knew what Mungry looked like as he ate the Earth because I had dreamed about drawing him before.

I won the substitute teacher's contest that day. I honestly wasn't trying but it was one of those times that I just knew I was right (about Mungry's looks).

 This is a very poor recreation of my picture of Hungry Mungry as he ate the world. I drew it as close to memory as possible. I know, from some of my surviving artwork from that age, that my "action" always happened on the left side of the paper, my right side always ended up smaller than the other, and I splayed the feet in every single drawing. I tried to remember that as I drew this.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Shoe Art

While bored with E & L tonight, I decided to break out some plain white canvas shoes and sharpies. I didn't have anything else to do right that moment so it seemed like a good idea at the time. Here is the fruit of today's artistic endeavor.

 Sun and moon shoes. :) Bicolor laces and an open book included!

 Bubbles, stripes, stacked sticks, and flowers on the sides.

 A fountain pen, more flowers, and a checkerboard on the other sides.

 A dragon and a lacy thing on part of the backs.

 Bouncing balls and layered ovals on the other part of the back.

 What do you think?

I had a lot of fun with these and can't wait to wear them. I think I'm going to wear them to the TGIO party tomorrow. I shouldn't be anywhere near mud there. :)

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3

Friday Five: Child Friendly Crafts

Last weekend, the girls and I created a really neat crayon art project and I was inspired to search for other projects for the girls to do over long breaks. Spring break is coming up soon-ish so I like to be prepared. Today's Friday Five is a list of those crafts with links, pictures, and/or videos (including the project from last weekend).