Sophie the Pearl

New Digital Collage

I haven't been designing much for IF (Illustration Friday), lately but I found some great backgrounds online for free, and wanted to get creative. I used some Photoshop brushes and styles, and a 19th century photo. Lots of fun!

Spoonflower Submissions

tiny squares

posies and circles

striped flowers

Right now I can't afford to have anything printed at Spoonflower, but eventually, I want to sell yardage in my Etsy shop. I'd also like to use some of it to make more Heart Stuffies.

I based my designs on fabrics from a vintage quilt that I purchased many years ago. The quilt doesn't have a specific design, rather, there are randomly patched pieces of very interesting fabric. There must be stories behind the pieces, i.e., "Aunt Gert's favorite dress", "that old tablecloth Mother loved so much", or "Annette's play clothes". Maybe I'll make up stories for them.

Cherries

1. Cherries, 2. Cherry*, 3. First-Cherry, 4. Red Cherries !, 5. Cherries, 6. For the Love of Cherries, 7. Sweet Cherry Pie, 8. Cherries "Sato Nishiki", 9. cherries

Emeralds

1. emerald, 2. Emerald Damselfly, 3. natural emerald, 4. Emerald Starling, 5. Beryl var. Emerald, 6. Beryl var. Emerald, 7. emerald-matrix02, 8. MY EMERALD ISLE. KILKENNY, IRELAND., 9. ★Emeralds In The Sky★, 10. Emerald Gypsy, 11. Emerald Spring, Flint Hills, 12. Emerald City, 13. WIP Necklace Emerald Green 001, 14. Emerald Ring, 15. Emerald Green, 16. Emeralds

Doorknocker Mosaic

1. Church Door Knocker, 2. Lizard Door-Knocker, 3. door knocker, 4. door knocker, 5. My door knocker, 6. door knocker, 7. Fly door knocker., 8. Door Knocker - Bologna, Italy, 9. Spade shaped door knocker, 10. door knocker, 11. Snail Cottage - door knocker, 12. Knockers, 13. Dragon door-knocker, 14. Eye knocker, 15. 2-17-08, 16. Fish Door Knocker

I thought it would be fun to make a mosaic of unusual doorknockers, and in the process, I found a few that I'd like to have made for myself...

Rabbit Mosaic

1. A Rabbit Warren Welcome, 2. belly rabbit, 3. Two-headed rabbit, front view, 4. Trusting rabbit, 5. little grey rabbit and the stocking, 6. checkered rabbit 1, 7. Beatrix potter exhibition : Peter Rabbit, 8. Rabbit, 9. Rabbit, 10. Thursday Rabbit Visitor 0001a, 11. Winter Rabbits, 12. Rabbit, rabbit, 13. Found - One white rabbit, 14. Rabbits do not know what they are / Jack Spicer, 15. Rabbit Hand Shadow - Chromolithograph Trade Card, 16. The Were-Rabbit

I am scared to death of...

the federal government
my own ever-increasing debt
loneliness, or rather, ending up all alone
slipping into some kind of dementia when I get old
losing the use of my limbs, eyesight or hearing
hurting people unwittingly
panic attacks (is this irony?)

I am blessed with...

living in the USA
a few really good friends
relatively good health
my Power Mac Pro
my job, even if it sucks (Hey! A lot of people are getting laid off!)
my sister, who is willing to help me out of a financial jam (within reason)
Cody, who is a pretty terrific son
lots of life lessons that didn't kill me
my Jeep that still runs after 13 years
a background that provided me with good sense of right and wrong
enough sense to be grateful for what I have!

So far my Blessings List is longer than my Fears List. Who can ask for more?

Sea Urchin

1. She sells sea shells…, 2. She Sells Sea Shells on the Sea Shore, 3. Sea Shell, 4. Sea Urchin Shell, 5. Sea Urchin Shell, 6. sea urchin shell, 7. sea urchin shell, 8. Sea urchin shell, 9. Sea Urchin Shell

Blue Dress

1. Blue dress, 2. Knitted Dress --- Light Blue, 3. Summer Blue Dress, 4. blue dress, 5. Blue Floral Dress, 6. 1850s Blue Silk Dress, 7. blue dress, 8. Beautiful Blue Purple Formal Afghani Dress, 9. Blue Floral Dress 2

Pink Bowls

1. mixing bowl with hearts, 2. The Late Great Pink Bowl, 3. Darling handmade needle felted litte pink bowl, 4. bowl of blossoms, 5. pink bowl, 6. pink gooseberry bowl, 7. RESTAURANT WARE BOWL, "SHELL PINK", 8. Chicago Jazze pink Boomton plastic bowl, 9. Lovely lovely pink nesting bowls and family recipes from Frankie!!, 10. Royal Worcester Pink Bowl, 11. Pink Margrethe bowl, 12. pink retro bowl, 13. Rare White and Pink Fire King Cereal Bowl, 14. Fire King Pink Cereal Bowl, 15. Pink Redwing Bowl, 16. Vintage bowl for baby