Worms, worms, worms!

My daughter had me on a worm hunt the other day. Apparently she needed some friends to hold and play with as her older sister was off to school.

So here I was pulling out gaint clumps of rain soaked weeds and dirt, searching for some "wormie" friends for my littlest to find comfort with. After the fifth worm and one snail, I called it quits and encouraged her to come inside to look at them in a proper container as opposed to an old icing can.

Now, I can't blame my daughter for having a fascination with all things cute, small, and buggy. In fact, I am the one pointing out the ladybugs crawling in the grass and the worms wriggling in the street and the one encouraging her to go get some sugar to watch the ants have a field day.

So many other children and adults screech and shriek when she comes up with a handful of slugs and worms in her hands, but I think it is cute.

And, of course, that is when I got to thinking....instead of sentencing those poor little critters to death by toddler handling and torture...I would just make her a little worm she could carry with her where ever she went. Now she already had a "wormie" in green that is by the Ugly Doll brand, but I wanted one that was a bit more realistic and was not a "monster".

I had to make two because I knew my older daughter would want one also.

And, of course, I couldn't just stop there with the worms. No, oh, no....I have been thinking about those little squiggly wigglers for quite some time. Only I see them wearing top hats, beanie hats, holding balloons and lollipops and going to the circus. Just like the ants, the worms must have entire city infrastructures under the ground with all kinds of exciting things to do.

Here is what my imagination came up with! Check it out!

These adorable worm portraits were designed with Etsy in mind and will debut in the shop by this weekend. They are just so cute and fun! I think they would look great in a child's room or hanging by the kitchen sink. I will be adding a little eye screw to the top of the wooden block and then I was thinking of a red ribbon to hang it from. So cute!

Bye Now!

Wanted...More Work Space!

I wish that I could brag and say that I have this awesome large arts and crafting room to work in, but the reality of the situation is that my craft space is more like a cave that is damp, dark and warm.

I keep most of my crafting paper, pens, paints, books, and knick knacks shoved away in the tiny space that also houses two technological beasts that cause me the most work at home. It is the laundry room. It would be a large space if the washer and dryer did not live there, but then I would stink and not have clean clothes...

Yes, the converted mud room (as they used to call it) is my space. I have to share the counter space with a sink, which sometimes comes in handy, but most often it is just filled with things.

The lighting is just awful...too eye-straining bad to do pen and ink work but I don't mind the space for doing the wire sculpture art. (However, those projects are on indefinite hold since painting season is hopefully upon me.)

Here is a glimpse of a temporary workspace set up at the kitchen bar in front of my sink. Did I mention my kitchen is about the same size at the laundry room? Well, it is a "bit" bigger...

Tea Time

There once was a time when tea was the primary drink of choice among people...here and around the world. Social events were developed around drinking this beverage....and it was served hot.. NOT cold!

The first tea times in England were hosted at about 5 o'clock and included a menu centered around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, assorted sweets, and, of course, tea.

I like a nice cup of hot tea, usually Lady Grey, Darjeeling, or Irish Breakfast...but it seems as if everyone, including myself, have jumped on the bandwagon of trendy and overly advertised coffees and lattes. The only problem with it this new trend of bistros and coffee bars is that we have lost some of the unique traditions of low and high tea times with their snacks, desserts, fashion, and conversation.

Tea and Cake

Ta Ta!

Ant Love

The ants have come out of hibernation, especially since Mr. Turtle is taking a break from all that traveling.

Who would have thought that a pair of kissing ants could look so cute!

If they are not careful, I see a colony in their future...and possibly a card set too!

Ta Ta!

Mushroom Garden

With all that rainy weather lingering up here, the ground has become super moist and perfect for producing lots and lots of mushrooms. My youngest daughter loves nature and going on mushrooms hunts. She came home from a play date the other day with a cup full of tiny critter homes.

To think in one afternoon, she devastated an entire make-believe ant community!

I found this group of toadstools growing in the corner of my window. They are so soft and beautiful. And I don't have to wash my hands after touching these. I am debating if I should put them in the Etsy shop.

Bye

Stationary and Cards

I have been working very hard to try and manage my beast of a computer and force it to let me make stationary and cards. The stationary has not been difficult and they are set up and ready to go...I have actually begun the process of creating more stationary templates to expand the ant series...and I have also contemplated creating stationary sets for the bees and worms....

The cards have been the worst to try and create. My technology beast that is supposed to make life quicker and easier has an evil mind of it's own and often decided to randomly shut down on me in the middle of a project and then the photoshop program we have is resistant to me printing cards on anything but a 5 x 8 index size....which means that the image always comes out on the middle fold of the card no matter what I do to reposition it....

So....I have been printing them from a Word document. This will work for now...but I hope to have a plan to tackle this and hopefully get them into the Corel printhouse program I need to install...or....maybe I will just have to get them professionally done...ouch!

I can feel my non-existent pocket book screaming already!

Thanks for Reading!

p.s.--the card and stationary sets are not in the Etsy shop yet, but if you are interested in them...you don't have to wait...contact me directly at rittenhousef@yahoo.com Also...the stationary sets are of the red and black "Hello" ants!

Mr. Turtle Takes a Nap

If you have been to my Etsy shop, you will see that I did an original series of drawings based on the character of Mr. Turtle. It started with Turtle Town and then I imagined Mr. Turtle being a world traveler. What better way to show the world than cities recreated on Mr. Turtle's back like Paris, London, Rome, etc.

He is such a cute character, that I also imagined him as having had a really long and exciting life with a variety of occupations and nifty things that he has done....thus said....here are two more Mr. Turtle pictures.

Good Night Mr. Turtle

This is the end image for the series where Mr. Turtle is finally reunited with his long lost, but well-traveled T-Rex stuffed animal.

Mr. Turtle and the Florist Shop

This picture is the first ink image of Mr. Turtle where I have incorporated other colors, than just the red in the kite.

If interested in Mr. Turtle's story....please check out the Etsy shop and read the item descriptions, which tell where he is traveling and why!

Bye!

The Jam Ladies

When fall comes to the PNW, there is a crisp cold air that blows through and there is a scent of dying leaves as they begin to fall and accumulate on the ground. Even though it is "supposed" to be summer....I could smell the scents of fall all around me. But the only thing that I did not smell was the sweet scent of ripening berries on the vines, whose scent carries on the wind.

This cold weather is very much like the same weather when I make my jellies and jams. I love the way the kitchen is encompassed by the smell of cooking apples, blackberries, plums, sugar and spices. It smells especially nice when I make apple butter and spiced apple plum sauce.

But since the season of fruit is not upon us....I miss the process of making the jellies...the smells...and the jars... and, of course, that is when inspiration hits!

Since I could not make jellies, I decided to make Jelly and Jam Ladies...and in a variety of different flavors.... here are some, with more on the way!

Granny Blackberry

Miss Strawberry

Mademoiselle Marmalade

Lady Blueberry

Bye for now!
More to come!

In the Corner

I am sure that many of you have been wondering where the Red Kite has been. I tucked her away in the corner for a while as I tested different techniques and returned to painting in oils. But then the weather of the PNW suddenly took a turn towards winter again and it grew incredibly dark, dreary, and cold! I must admit that my attitude also began to transform to reflect this nasty weather.

Here is it June and we are having highs of only about 50-55 degrees! The cold, rain and overcast skies leave me feeling more than just dreary...and more like I am suffering from Seasonal Affect Disorder. Often, I just do not feel as if I can work in this type of weather and I also do not enjoy being stuck in the house for such a long period of time...slowly accumulating the trapped feeling of cabin fever.

My thoughts tend to turn dark and discouraging....but relief is in sight because the weather is predicted to turn sunny towards the end of the week and I have been slowly progressing on some projects....especially the cards and stationary I have been trying to master for quite some time on my technological beast!

Sun up!