I still don’t know why I lost interest. Likely it was because so many fun coloring books had come out around the same time and my attention span was fickle 😉
When I resumed working on it I filled in the remaining areas with the same fineliners as well as my set of Feela double-ended markers that have a brush tip on one end and a fineliner on the other.
I added Inktense water-soluble ink pencils at the end for the background, but clearly had not yet figured out how to apply them without leaving streaks, sigh.
I can’t say I’m super thrilled with the final image, though I am quite happy it’s done.
If I were to start it all over again I’d pick a cohesive color palette with the Color Catalog first. Ignoring the larger picture and working everything as individual motifs gives a rather chaotic look in the end that I don’t think I pulled off well.
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It seems like everywhere you look online these days, people are taking stock of 2018 and setting goals for moving forward. The first few days of the new year tend to be all about making resolutions, and to that end- here’s one of mine:
I resolve to turn the following 19 wips (works in progress) into FOs (finished objects) before the end of 2019.
I’ll write at length about each project when I finish (and post) about them, but for now here’s a short blurb for each:
1. FO Project Jars
I need to rip out all the individual lengths of yarn (1-10 yards long, each), match them up with what project they were from, and put the separated yarn into jars designated for each year.
2. Harvest Moon Pullover – crochet
I started this sweater on November 25 2016 as a way to use my adored Noro Silk Garden limited stash on something for myself. Limited yarn + crocheted pattern with big holes = a sweater that might fit… right?
3. Granny Rectangle Blanket – crochet
I started this blanket on August 9 2015 as a way to use up random sock yarns I figured I’d never get around to using for, y’know, socks. Figured out how to make granny squares as rectangles and then alternated with white for… some reason.
4. & 5. Ralph and Black Sheep’s Sweaters – sewing & cross stitch
I started these sweaters for the boys’ favorite stuffed animals a few nights before Christmas 2016. They were intended to be little surprises for them but instead they’ve sat in a bag ever since. Sadly Jakob is no longer as into iHasCupQuake as he used to be, so I’ll need to rip out the stitching on the front of Ralph’s sweater and hope it doesn’t leave gaping holes in the fleece. Then I’ll have to figure out new designs to personalize the fronts, find where I put the sleeve pieces, and sew the little sweaters together.
6. Drops V-Neck Pullover – knitting
I started this deep-v sweater somewhere in 2015 or 2016. It’s slouchy and soft and I want to wear it already.
7. Fluffy Shawl – knitting
I started this shawl on April 6 2015. It’s been sitting untouched in a bag since roughly that Fall. I love how the colors blend together (black Sandes Garn Sisu and purple/green Noro Kureyon Sock) and would like it to be done and hugging my shoulders.
8. Comfy Socks – knitting
According to myself, I started these socks 2 FULL YEARS AGO. They’re supposed to be my ‘take along’ knitting but because I haven’t finished designing the pattern, I never take them with me to work on. I need them done so I can reclaim the needles and portable hanging knitting bag and start being more productive again.
9. Fun Fur Vest – knitting
I started this Bergere de France vest in 2012(!!). My Ravelry projects page has it listed as completed on Feb 10 2015 but clearly it isn’t. No ends are woven in, it might need armhole cuffs, and I think I was debating overdying the entire thing black.
This page from Grimm’s Fairy Tales was a test to see if I could get good results using dollar store colored pencils. I’ve since moved the pencils somewhere else and want to finish the image so I don’t need to dig them out any more.
12. Grimm Fairy Tales Little Red Page – coloring
Those of you who follow me on Instagram would have seen this page from Grimm’s Fairy Tales back when I started it in June. I love how it’s turning out and want to see how well I can complete it.
13. Imagimorphia Eagle 2-Page – coloring
This double-page spread from Imagimorphia was started in the Fall of 2016. I loved coloring the tiny rainbows and then lost steam.
I honestly don’t remember when I started this page. Luckily I’d blogged about it!
15. The Time Garden Quilt Page – coloring
I don’t recall when I started working on this page in Daria Song’s The Time Garden either but judging from other posts about it I’d made in April 2016, I’m going to guess it was about that time. I have NO idea, however, why I stopped it so close to being done.
16. The Princess Bride Fred Savage 2-Page – coloring
This page was blogged when I first started it, way back in March 2017. I don’t want to move on to another page in the book until this one is done, though, so I need to make the time to finally get it finished up.
I’ve never shown these before, except for the odd glimpse in the background of Instagram pics. I started this trio of plastic canvas portraits when I moved in August 2017. While I love how they look in black and white (and blue), I designed them to be in full color and I’d love to see them complete.
Think I can do it? Want to play along? Use the tag #19WIPtoFO2019 so I can see how many you get through!
ps: As I’m about to post this I just realized that 19 projects means committing to completing more than one per month. Months that are already pretty busy with Becket, work, kids, commissions and all the new projects I want to work on and might come up over the year… Wish me luck- I’m gonna need it!!
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I don’t have a ‘Crafty Compilation’ for either of the last two weeks as I’ve spent them working primarily on some sample knitting that I’m not sure if I can talk about yet. So, instead, here’s a quick tip for those of you who enjoy coloring: pants hangers are your friend.
Yup. Actual hangers that you use to hang up your pants. (Or your kids’ pants, in my case).
I’ve been using binder clips with my Art of Coloring: Disney Villains book ever since I got it. I’ve been using a lot of water media in it and I’ve taken to clipping the book shut whenever I’m not using it to minimize most of the page warping. Because this book has thick cardboard covers it stays open pretty flat on its own, though I tend to pop the clip onto my working page mostly so I don’t misplace it until I need it again. With other books I’ve taken to working on a clipboard for both the hard surface as well as the ability to clip the book open to my current page. For the most part, that worked perfectly.
Then one day I was laying on my belly in bed coloring the page above (the Eagle image in Kerby Rosanes’ imagimorphia). It was held down by my clipboard on the far right of the right page but I kept getting frustrated at the left-side page flipping shut every time I reached over for my coloring supplies (Stabilo 88 and Staedtler Triplus fineliners, as well as Caran D’Ache Neocolor II watercolor crayons for the purple wisps). I’d been laying on my belly and constantly raising up onto my elbows to brace the page between color changes was starting to hurt more than the coloring itself soothed.
Henri had had a similar problem holding open his Pokemon books so he could sketch from them, and I’d lent him my cookbook stand. It was a great solution but now that I needed it I didn’t have the heart to steal it back for myself. That’s when I remembered the image going around Facebook a while ago in a list of kitchen tips: using a pants hanger to hold your recipe up and out of the way, by hanging it from an upper cabinet doorknob. I had no need to hang my coloring book, but it would be perfect for what I needed too!
And it was! The two clips hold the pages down on either side, but the stiff bar that connects them keeps them open flat, where the book could otherwise still slip shut. (The above wip image is also from imagimorphia, and the background wash was done with the Neocolor IIs). After you’ve finished coloring the page, the hanger can then be used to clip the book shut as it dries to minimize any warping from the wet pages.
If you wanted you could also store your books from the hangers, sideways along a bar similar to needlepoint sets. (Ooooh now I’m picturing a dry cleaner-style conveyor holding all my coloring and craft books… that would be awesome!!)
And for an easy reminder to pin:
That’s all for now. Hopefully this tip could be handy for some of you!
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And once again, what seems to happen cyclically around here has happened again. Every time I get into a rush on secret projects that I cannot blog about, the blog itself falls into a standstill. I get so focused on the major things… a sculptural piece I’m mailing out soon, baby gifts, the props for my upcoming show… and I forget that I can also share the small things that are just as important and fulfilling, if not as fun or tutorial-able.
Here, then, are some of those moments, from the last 6 weeks.
Over March break the boys went to spend the week with my inlaws. They learned how to play UNO and have been so hooked that even after being away from consoles for a week, this ^ was their first night back home. Ignoring the systems, ignoring the tv, spending a quiet night after dinner rushing to get ‘just one more game in!’. 🙂
I’ve been doing some coloring, mentioned a bit here and there on Instagram. I’ve got big posts semi-worked up talking about markers and pencils and storage, but while all that’s been getting ready, I’ve been enjoying some quiet time of my own while the kids play or while watching tv and tackling some pages from one of my new favorite coloring books: The Time Garden by Daria Song. The wallpaper background on these two (and the subsequent 2 pages set in the same room) took about a week to complete, tucking into it here and there when my attention wasn’t needed elsewhere. I used my Staedler Triplus Fineliners in Mauve and Gray in alternating rows, and the dots in between the flowers were colored in Silver Gray. The dots within the flowers were colored with a metallic silver pen from the dollar store, and then I filled in the background itself with an old blue Bristol colored pencil I’ve probably had since I was 10.
We went out for a nice family dinner for my father-in-law’s birthday, and it proved to be a long, late night for the boys. We were driving home from the restaurant at about 9:30 at night when I peeked into the back seat and saw them, sound asleep, and cuddling.
Back to more coloring. After the long spread of wallpaper I decided to tackle something equally as detailed, but with smaller sections that could feel completed as I worked on them. I jumped ahead to the Ghiradelli/Pier 39 spreads in the book. Wherever I’ve found repeating elements I’m working on them at the same time vs having to make notes on what colors I’ve used where, so I did the large sign on the above spread and then jumped immediately into the matching cable-car page that followed. The crab sign is colored to match the real one, using various Triplus or Stabilo 88 fineliners and then a light shading of colored pencil, and then after coloring the sign and its supports I suggested the myriad lights with a metallic gold gel pen.
The Yarn Harlot‘s Strung Along retreat happened this past weekend and I donated some patterns for their goodie bags. Hopefully they liked them!Â
Saturday had another cute moment for the kids, when I passed by the open door to the den and noticed them watching tv like this. Go figure… they’re so close that even with a whole floor and mini futon and couch and easy chair, they still prefer to snuggle together no matter what they’re doing. I can’t imagine they’ll be this close when they’re teenagers, but it sure makes me smile for now.
Sunday night I was working on the props for my show, making lists of everything I still needed to take care of, and a plan of action, and casually nibbling on a piece of kernatzel (pepperoni stick). Turns out my cat is addicted to them. ADDICTED. What looks like a cute little moment above WAS TAKEN OVER 2 HOURS. Each one of those photos is 30 minutes apart AND HE NEVER LEFT MY SIDE THE ENTIRE TIME. Sitting. Staring. Drooling.
Finally, a bit more coloring, this time from the cable car page. I don’t have the materials yet for one set of props, and the others were glued and clamped and drying in the garage, so I made a fresh cup of coffee and put on a YouTube channel I like and settled down to color the ice cream adorning the cable car.
I got this far when Yannick came home, and I showed him my progress, especially proud of the shading on the center cones (all done with the two sets of aforementioned fineliners and colored pencils). “The cones look great,” he said. “The pop too. But what’s the turd on the end?”
Hmph.Who says you can’t polish a turd? (Actually, you can, and not just by recoloring an ice cream pop). The markers and pencils play really nicely together and I was able to adjust the highlights so it looks more like a slightly melty Magnum bar. I also finished up the chocolate and strawberry swirls in the center, as well as the neon sign.
Any more coloring will have to be put on hold, as tonight I buy the final items needed to finish the props, and then my next few nights will be spent making same. I can’t complain, though- it’s for a really great cause.
If you want to see some incredible dancers, some amazing singers, a hugely talented band… yummy food… oh- and me… then get your tickets now and come enjoy the show!
This post may contain affiliate links. This means I might make a small commission on purchases made through the links, at no cost to you.
Then one day I was laying on my belly in bed coloring the page above (the Eagle image in
Who says you can’t polish a turd? (Actually, 
jeloca.com 