Starting a New Book

Well truthfully,  I've been working on this book for awhile now.  Lots of sketching.  Lots of character drawings.  Trying to figure out the layout of the book.  But, mostly trying to decide weather to illustrate in watercolor or in cut paper.  As you know, I have fallen in love with cut paper.  I just can't seem to leave those little scissors alone.  At any rate, this is a bit of a run down of how I go from sketch to final illustration.  I hope you enjoy.

Thumb nail sketch, very small.  I always love the first sketch the best.  It's so spontaneous!

A more finished sketch at the 100% page size.

Then I start building the parts of the illustration.
Tuti was first.

And the finished illustration.  I did a watercolor wash background and then started building from the background, right up to placing the scissors in the foreground.  I took a photo of the finished artwork instead of scanning.  I think it shows more depth.

Making Quilts with Paper

It's getting to be that time of year when all I can think about is quilts.  Yes, I quilt.  Not very well, but never the less, I do give it a try once in awhile.  In fact, every July I go to Sisters Oregon for a quilt class.  Sisters has a huge quilt show the second Saturday in July and the week before the show is Quilters Affair.  There are a variety of classes given everyday.  My friend Julie and I have signed up for one class.  That's really all I can do.  Some people take a class everyday!  There is no way I could do that.  I have a hard enough time keeping up with one class.
Anyway... 
So today, I made a couple paper quilts.  These are small and may get sold as cards at the gallery.  But for now.  I'm just enjoying making them, and dreaming of making a real quilt soon.

5x7 cut paper cards.

Paper Flowers

Just a couple more cut paper cards for the gallery.  The sunny weather should be here for good this coming weekend.  I'm looking forward to it.  All my flower pots are planted.  Now, to get the weeds out of my flowerbeds.  I hope I can make a little dent in my yard work, but who knows.  My grandson is coming for a visit...I can hardly wait!

 So, this is kind of a more graphic flower in cut paper. 

On this one, I even wove paper!  So, cleaver, I can hardly stand it.