love notes for valentine's day

you're my shelter from the storm

under your skin feels like home

each love note painting comes gift wrapped in hand painted paper with a hand stamped tag

a moleskine, with a favorite lino cut print, for writing your love notes

did i find you or you find me?

i love making these little intimate paintings. the process of layering and texturing is very meditative. then comes the tricky part, for the black ones. while the paint is still wet, i scratch the words into the canvas in, to my eye,  a very imperfectly perfect way. it feels like a secret message to the one you love.

i was asked to make a custom one for a couple who just got engaged. i was so honored and thrilled to be asked. i'm so excited for them!

there's a few more in the shop.


xo

update

 just thought i'd give you all an update on my crochet project.

well, at least i've chosen the yarn and the pattern. that's gotta count for something, right?

anyone else working or thinking about working on a knitting or crochet project?



also just listed this personalized family recipe book in the shop.

with rose gold metallic polka dots!

work

working on some notebooks

best ideas ever

best dad ever

the lilacs are blooming, the bittersweet will run riot if i let it and the bridal veil spirea bush needs planting. so happy spring is here!

surfacing

is anyone else wondering where april went?

march and april are always busy around here because, as those of you with kids in college know, there is the great and dreaded fafsa to fill out. if i'd just get organized and stay that way things would be oh so much easier. i complain about this every year so i'll just stop now.

one cool thing was being asked if i would like to donate a bunch of moleskine notebooks to the goodie bag for a blogshop workshop, run by bri emery of design love fest and photographer angela kohler. after weighing the pros and cons, talking to everyone and anyone about it, i decided to go for it.

31 notebooks later...

here's one in progress

the workshop is over, got some lovely mentions here and here. it's kinda cool thinking about my little notebook traveling around in the hands of all those bloggers.

here's to all of your magnificent thoughts!

susan o'malley

this is taken from artist Susan O'Malley's project called "Community Advice" where she asked people "what advice would you give your 8-year old self?" along with "what advice would you give your 80-year old self?" from their responses she created posters, one reading - don't ever lie, and others - don't pull people's hair and you've had a long wonderful life - good job.

i love this idea. i might say to my 8 year old self something like - keep drawing! and maybe to the 80 year old me - all that matters is love. or maybe that should be reversed. what would you say to your 8 and 80 year old self?


and here's a new moleskine in the shop

new work

some new work in the shop

i think spring may finally be here.  i swear the buds on our forsythia appeared overnight!  i hope spring is showing it's greenery in your neighborhood!