Spring Refresh

Back on the blog from a little hiatus. Lots has changed and not at the same time. Like many people this time at home has given me more time to focus on my side creative life. And locating and refreshing this blog has been on my list of to-dos for a while. And now is the perfect time to get back at it. Since launching my Etsy store, I've added a Spoonflower shop with a variety of designs for wallpaper and fabric, and now a consolidated Lamb Design Goods website to house all my various product and process info and links. I've been able to create these through baby steps throughout the last three years and longer. There are definitely days I don't feel creative especially now on quarantine. I have moments of feeling super productive and others where I rather just stare at the ceiling. But right now I am taking advantage of my more energetic moments to bust out a few tasks. I'm hoping that refreshing this blog will help me bring all these things together and help me stay inspired. Baby steps are sometimes just what we need to get us where we want to go.

Drawing a Day (well, almost)

Just wrapped up a year of daily drawings (well frequent drawing, at least). I love that this has started a drawing habit and also has me practicing different drawing techniques more often. The relaxation it provides my scattered brain is immeasurable.

I highly recommend picking up a hobby that makes you happy. Or rediscovering a favorite activity and making a little time to let yourself run with it. Start small. Allow yourself to play and make mistakes. Don't feel like it has to be perfect. I've gotten really good at calling those "mistakes" my "studies" instead. I often come back to the idea days or weeks later and improve upon them. It gives you confidence and satisfaction.

What creative hobby are you itching to let out?

XOXO Valentines

Wanted to post this year's Valentine project before St. Patrick's day rolls around too...

L's latest thing is tic tac toe. And the song X's and O's. So there you have it. Ready made for a take on the tic tac toe Valentines idea.

I took advantage of my paints from my daily drawing challenge to brush out red and orange X's and O's and a red color wash for the game board background. A couple of dotted pen strokes and embellishments for the lettering and separator lines and I had my base for the card. I then scanned and assembled the design in Photoshop. Placed them four up on a page and printed them out double sided.

All that was left was to assemble the bags and sort out Hersey's Kisses and Hugs for the game pieces. That was L's job, which he loved.

New Year Challenge Turns into Treat

 
 
 
 

Just before New Years Day, my friend encouraged me to start a drawing challenge for the month of January. Usually I'm really bad with committing to things like this but for whatever reason I had no good excuse not to so I jumped right in. I've been wanting to draw more and this seemed like a New Years resolution I might actually do. Not only did I make it almost everyday on time, I became obsessed by it. I was excited to get home and tackle the next illustration. All I could think about was sketching, pens, paint and techniques.

We chose a list from Creativebug which was perfect. I loved the promps everyday. And the community of other people also taking the challenge was so encouraging. Everyone was supportive. Seeing all the other illustrations and talent was motivating and inspiring. Highly recommend it! It made me feel more positive, productive and energized. When January started to wind down, I was sad that it was ending.

But I've created a new list for February and have other friends joining in this month. Even though we aren't in sync with the larger community this time, we are still having fun.

It's amazing what a little doodling or crafting each day can do!

Color Palette: Koi

I loved the colors of the Koi at the Japanese Garden so much that I thought I'd try to paint them rather than just put a color palette together. I haven't been illustrating or painting enough, so this gives me the excuse to dust off my brushes and get the kinks out of my system.

Hummingbird

It's the time of year when we start to see hummingbirds in our yard again. I've never really been a big bird lover but for some reason these little creatures make me smile every time I see them. And another chance for me to practice painting. This one is modeled after a colorful puffed-up little hummingbird snapped by a local photographer.

The Leap

With lots of great encouragement from my awesome husband (he gets huge brownie points!), I have finally taken a break from corporate life. It's a big leap for me. Like any good worrier, I can think of a million reasons why it's not a good idea, like eating only ramen for the next year or so. But now that I've done it, I keep asking myself why I didn't do it sooner. I have a to do list of personal projects a mile long and I keep having to set new priorities so I can actually start crossing some of the list. But it's happening and I'll make sure not to waste this precious time!

Here's a look at my ever transitioning 'office' spaces. A heck of a lot more inspiring than the typical office.

Finding Time

Everyone seems to be short on time these days. With a busy office job and spending time with my little guy, it's hard to squeeze in all the personal projects and hobbies that I used to take on. I feel like I've finally hit a point where I can rediscover those loves. It helps that the 4yr old loves painting too. Each time he sits down to paint, I make sure I'm set up too. It's taking some practice. I'm feeling a bit rusty but it is good all the same. So here's a taste of some of my latest 'free' time with my painting partner. Hopefully there will be more to come soon.