interview

... had a brief interview with Susan Zevon a few weeks back about gift wrapping ideas; she wrote about Leslie Carola's book "Wrapped With Style" which included many of my designs.
I mentioned in the interview that I loved using templates to tear out envelopes to give gift cards, photos or thank you notes. It's so simple and I get to use my own papers. No measuring or scissors.  The article, with variations, has turned up everywhere and unfortunately I neglected to mention where I got the templates - so  here's the url: http://www.greensneakers.com.

pic. 1 - tear out shape           pic. 2 - turn over and fold shape around center template       pic. 3 - use dabs of glue to adhere sides and bottom flaps; use sticker or envelope glue for top flap. 
(I didn't show it here but I prefer using double sided papers.)

This product image courtesy of Jon Van Gorder shows brightly dotted paper complimented by a ribbon with smaller dots, a creation by Susan Swan from the book "Wrapped with Style," Universe Publishing, 2009.

variety

is the spice of life - or something...

Enjoyed doing this simple project for Highlights. I love playing with patterns and shapes.

Upstart poster - reverse side

Upstart poster

Scholastic poster

chickens

I love chickens - here are some done
for a poster that I can't show yet.

raccoon nap

this cutie is for an upcoming Scholastic poster

October Cricket magazine

just because it's a beautiful day

One of my papers with the addition of
beautiful vintage butterflies.

the new Girl Scout book is at the printer

I've done another big project for one of my favorite clients-
(I think I should qualify for an honorary badge soon! or at least
some Girl Scout cookies.)
The AD, Sara Gillingham, made the brilliant suggestion to adapt
what I had already been doing for headlines for a font to be used for the
body copy too. It has a crude paper cut look to it which
suits the book well. We used fontgarden.com to generate the font.
I'm working on a couple others now too just for fun (one, a curly
cut paper kind of font which I've used on my new website www.susanswan.com -
along with the Girl Scout PaperDaisies font.)

The journey theme for the girls this time is 'It's Your Story--Tell It!'
and I got to show animals from around the world. And even got
to do some animal masks that the girls can download and put together
themselves.

what I've been doing

sneak peak of bits and pieces of a non-fiction picture book for Capstone
now on it's way to the printer

critters

I have just finished lots of really 

enjoyable projects-

many involving animals.

This one for AAA Traveler Magazine 

should be in mailboxes now.

Can't show this kid's mag cover yet but I can tell you

it's about George Washington and his dental, er, problems.

His happy horse is in the background...

Texas wildflowers

Indian paintbrush wildflowers are so much more beautiful 

(especially closeup) than the bluebonnets that everyone

makes so much of here in Texas. Originally they were going 

to play a bigger part in the kid's mag cover I just did but ended 

up getting overshadowed by a baby buffalo.

So-here's a few of them just because...

new work

just finished work for the October issue of Cricket Magazine...

here's just a tiny part- loved doing this project!

 I painted some papers and roughed up the textures in Photoshop
to give me interesting buffalo fur and scanned in some grass,
painted over it, and made a  pattern for the grassy plains.
I think that's a paper I'll find lots of uses for.
-And you'll have to wait until October to see the rest.

kid magazine

I slipped in a little illo for a kid's mag in the midst
of the Girl Scout project, and used some of my papers too.

sketches

I've been so busy with the Girl Scout book; I get to draw lots of animals this time...
here's part of a sketch and some patterns that I've been working on for the book and also my licensing website.

licensing art

I have been working hard to get some images put together to offer for licensing. I was trying to get several collections put together and a website up before my next Girl Scout book starts, but as that project begins Monday, and every moment will have to be dedicated to it, I'll have to wait until there is another lull to get back to this. Coming up with patterns is addictive- I'm more than slightly obsessed!


















(I have gotten a lot of extremely useful information from
Tara Reed's ArtLicensingInfo.com.  She has e-books,
videos and product mockup templates available. Very helpful!)

science project

here's the newest...
for a kid's science mag

Girl Scout project continues

just completed this promo piece
for book 3 of the Daisy Leadership series-
the ms for the actual book isn't ready for me yet
but I've heard a little about it and
it's going to be a lot of fun to do.

rose

this is part of an illo for a poem in another kid's magazine, there's more, and a funny spider, but I'm not to show it until publication

fireflies

just did this cutie for a kid's magazine article about fireflies

sketches

I don't tend to hang on to sketches but found
this one while cleaning up. I remember this
was a rush assignment and fortunately
no changes were asked for; it went from
sketch to finish in the matter
of three days or so.

another postcard

the art is from an English as second language reader completed a few months ago...

finally-a new postcard in the mail tomorrow....