Dress For Occasions

 Some glam illustrations from Modern Manners for NYE.

Bow Tie Man

I sketched this dapper gent in a tux and embroidered his bow tie through the paper.

Overflow with Peace

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

--Romans 15:13

Christmas Chair

We are starting our present pile on this vintage red chair.

Inspiration: Tin Tile

Distressed white tin and quilted crimson.

I'll Be Home for Christmas

We're using this '50s metal dollhouse (a recent thrift purchase) on our Christmas mantel! It has a mirror behind it and lights strung through it, giving the windows a lovely festive glow!

Billings Estate

Billings Estate a.k.a. Park Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, was built between 1827 and 1829 for for Braddish and Lamira Billings. The Estate was designated a National Historic Site in 1968 and became a museum in 1975. It has a cemetery on the property with graves dating to 1820. 

This home is a great example of Georgian architecture for its landscaped lot, symmetry, wooden cladding, paired chimneys, dentil moulding, portico, dormer windows, and 5 bays of multi-paned windows with a centered door occupying the middle bay on both floors. 

It is sensible and elegant.

Rustic

 Emphasis on rust.

Willis Condo

I just finish this condo design! 

Here is the concept statement: 

This space is the perfect foil for the soul of an active individual devoted to corporate life. It provides a soothing backdrop for informal meetings, yoga, laptop work, and listening to records. A serene mood is achieved through elegant texture, rich hues, layered lighting, ancient accents, Asian touches, and original art, though it is not without punches of vivid colour to reflect the homeowner’s dynamic personality. Above all, authenticity is key: organic elements are paired with simple and ergonomic design, and natural imperfections are highlighted as works of beauty.

I made the base floor plan on AutoCAD and hand rendered the rest of the selections.

Here are my perspective drawings of the space.

Apple of His Eye

"Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."

--Psalm 17:8

Mittens the Fiend

My Mittens the Fiend design is now for sale as fabric, wallpaper, and gift wrap in my shop!

Inspiration: Vintage Blue Car

Sleek blue in rough black and white brush.

Remember

"We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields."

--Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD

Captain America Shadow Box

 I made this shadow box for a special Captain America enthusiast in my life. 

 The image at the back is a collage I made of various images from the comics, and I painted the text in reverse on the glass, leaving the white center stripe clear.

This is one of the collage photos...this kid cracks me up.

Listening In

Little Brother Listens by George Hughes

Spoonflower Exhibit Model

 I was asked to dream up an exhibit design for a course I am in and make a scale model (1/2" = 1'-0") for it. I chose create a design for the type of booth Spoonflower might have at a trade show to promote a new (fictional) cotton upholstery fabric.

 The fluid space frames resemble bolts of fabric being unrolled, and there are segments along them for a variety of designs from the Spoonflower Marketplace to be displayed. 

The ones shown are from my shop and ottomanbrim's shop. The wallpaper design at the back is by joanmclemore and the one on the sides by alicia_vance.  

 Above the seating area at the back of the exhibit there is a hanging chair made of the new upholstery fabric. The hanging banners are all the different types of fabric Spoonflower offers.

 On the back wall there is a shelf of bolts of fabric and wallpaper samples, and a table to view and cut them on. There are Spoonflower Handbooks for distribution as well.

Eyes to the Soul Skirt-to-Be

Today I received my Spoonflower order of three yards of my Eyes to the Soul fabric on Basic Cotton Ultra. I'm gonna make it into a skirt! Woo!

Smug Kitty

That smirk says it all.

Lace and Ginger

I love the softness of this scene from the '80s Anne of Green Gables mini-series.

Ponte Vittorio Emanuele

Ponte Vittorio Emanuele by June Woodbridge, oil on canvas. The palette is gorgeous. 

Vintage Postcard: Square Notger, Liège

Liège, Belgium. I found this postcard and several accompanying postcards from Liège in a little plastic baggie at a thrift store.

The Spoonflower Handbook is Here

 I got this little gem in the mail the other day! Several months ago I sent Spoonflower a small contribution in response to a submission call for the book.

 It is signed by Stephen Fraser, co-founder of Spoonflower.

 I'm especially excited about pages 56-57!

 Published on those pages is a little insight on my design process, specifically colour selection.

My Belle Boulevard design accompanies the text.