Purrrr-fect love notes

A tradition started when Miss A first went to school...so for 2 years before Miss J started school she received notes in her Lunch bag...I couldn't stop the tradition when Miss J started last year...
This one is a "cat bookmark" which Miss A would have found in her Lunch bag today....they're always kept a surprise...even though they try and sneak a peak when I am drawing them!
So, this is the 4th year in the running...wow...that's a lot of love notes! I try and draw something on each of them...but sometimes a note is all they get.
I didn't realise how much they love them until one day I forgot...I had better not repeat my forgetfulness...


You can see some of the Love notes here and here and here.


What do you do to tell your family that you love them everyday?


Have a great weekend.
Char.x

steps till the end...

 So...I've been on the computer most of this day so far...apart from a few hours whilst working on this piece.

It's for this lovely lady over HERE.

 she has such adorable kids...these pictures I create of a mother and her "load" first came about whenever I would struggle when our girls were much smaller...and I would think of MY mother with 3...and say to myself "suck it up...if Mum could do it...so can I"...

 From those words...many drawings, commissions have been requested...I think it's a great gift to either give yourself to honour your journey as a mother...or to a friend,sister,mother...

4 children...I could only imagine how little I would get done in a day. I really do bow down to all these fabulous Mamas who have more than 2 children...you give up your all.

 Lisa has a wonderful Blog called Earth Mama...and she's constantly crafting with her youngans...very inspiring!

































Well...it's finished and in the mailbox...
Hope you love it Lisa as much as I loved drawing it. You have a beautiful family.

Don't miss MONDAY's MENTIONS in the post below!!!

OH...and I am opening up Sponsorship spots on our Blog again...(I've placed a page above for all of you which are interested!) just email me for more INFO.

HUGS
Char.x

Book illustrations FINISHED

 Hello wonderful readers...today is a good day! I finished the illustrations for Shelly and my 1st book!!!
 I'm sorry this is only a tease really as I can't write the title...or give you the story written word for word...BUT...it's all about Rhythm and Rhyme....it's about accepting who you are...and learning from your mistakes...it's about making a positive out of a negative.

 She really is a sweet girl...she just needs to think before she speaks(hey, sounds like someone I know!!! :-)

she has family and friends who love and care about her...

 She just needs to fit in...and control that voice of hers!

 Life isn't always easy...

 BUT...she figures it out...

Soon you'll be able to read about her...

 HOPEFULLY soon...we're sending it off to a friend who is a text editor for a publishing house here in Canada...not that this will be the Publisher who will snap up our series...BUT you never know.
We're shooting for May 2012...

We're excited...and it's the 1st book I have ever illustrated, but have a list as long as my arm to complete.
It's great to have goals...and this is a BIGGIE!!!

HAVE a great Thursday, you know you'll be the first to know when things HAPPEN!
and...thank you...for the VERY sweet comments with regards to Miss A the other day. They warmed my heart. THANK YOU!

BIG hugs
Char.x

New Banner...what do you think?

I know,I know...I keep trying to change the existing one...but take a look at all of them together...
I am really loving the colours of our new one...and the fact that it's of Tam and I across the Ocean...which is very symbolic...we're 2 birds (as they would say in the UK) and...well...enough said.
I would love your feedback!

Should we keep the birds up for a while???

Have a lovely weekend!


HUGS
Char.x

Family Load...

 

It's mid-November already!!! I can't believe we're at the end of 2010 already...how is it possible that a year can pass SO quickly? Do you think it would still pass this quickly if we all lived in the Caribbean?

I've been fortunate this past week that so many projects have come my way.
Here's the latest...do you remember our Tell All Tuesdays with Nerissa? Well...just as many of the past requests...she wanted something for her and her family.She has 4 adorable children and a very supportive husband.
Her Cupcake business has taken off...if you live in the Durham Region or GTA she has specials on "Cupcake Friday"...go to her Facebook Page.
They really are the BEST cupcakes around!

It was so much fun to do...I'm really enjoying this series.


When I get a chance I will be updating my Etsy Store and reminding you about new listings...as well as the end of year sale I'll be having.
I have a new watercolour to finish...I'll show you the progress tomorrow.


HOPING all is well with you.
HUGS
Char.x.

Friday Celebrations!

Another piece in Celebration of a Birthday...and when my husband brings back his Birthday illustration...I will show you that one too...
Can you hear the Celebrations going on behind this picture?
There's Sushi on the menu today...YUM!

What's on your Menu tonight?

HUGS
Char.x

remembering...

Today we remember how our Country fights to keep us all safe...we remember the past and present...and we should also remember all those families who have lost love ones due to their bravery...

Moms and Dads who are left without their loved ones should also be remembered...they carry on with their lives and hold the home fort...

This was a piece I finished for a friend who in the past 4 years has always bought Art from me for others...today was when she honoured herself and bought something to hang on her walls.

She's a busy Mum with twin boys...she's creative and works from home whilst raising her family...
I love how she stepped up to buy something for herself...Thanks S!

I have to dash...I have another one of these to finish...it's for another fabulous Mum who has 4 kids.

WHAT have YOU bought for YOURSELF recently???

HUGS
Char.x
I will make an effort to pass by and say hi today...sorry it's been a while...I wanted to post yesterday but blogger was acting up.

sweet little creature...

1 finished...2 to go...
Miss A still has a fever...Miss J is on the ice-lollies...
Still waiting for the Healthy Angel to pass by and give us all a clean bill of health...


HUGS
Char.x

Good OLD FASHIONED Post.

good old fashioned POST...or "Mail" for all the N.Americans reading this out there. I did it as a kid...did you?

this trip over to the Uk was wonderful for our girls as they started to make real connections with their cousins and my friends little ones. They would comment on how far away Christmas was...and they wouldn't see eachother until then, and this upset them...SO...we decided we would ask them all to become their PEN-PALS...

everyone loves receiving mail and so today we spent 3 hours this afternoon putting packages together. I added a few little dolls and the girls added stickers and cards.

oh, that's the belly button Monster which little Miss A wanted me to draw on the girl's T-Shirt.

FUN surprises to come in our Mail box...YAY for snail mail....REAL POST!

Have a great weekend...

HUGS

Char

Oh, JUST quickly before you go...so I delivered the portraits today...not the reaction I was expecting. I really am NOT sure if the commissioner(mum of the kids) actually liked them? She never said "I really Like them" or "They're just what I wanted" or "WOW" or "you've done a wonderful job"...ALL SHE DID WAS ask her kids "what do you think?"

baffled I am...yes...baffled....BUT, she paid...so should I give a &*R&$*&?

Across the Ocean we go...

a belated Happy 4th July to all our friends in the US...sorry if I haven't visited your Worlds recently!

I have been packing for our trip to the UK, we leave this afternoon...

Mum goes in on Saturday for her double hip OP...

the girls are excited about seeing their Mormor and Morfar, Aunt and Uncles and cousins...

there will be lots of berry picking and riding little Shetland Ponies, making camps in the woods and going for walks...

I,amongst cooking,cleaning and looking after Mum...will be working on illustrating a book a friend has written....my FIRST one...

the above painting is a snippet of what's to come...

I am excited about it...

I will miss Mr.R lots...and am hoping that my parents internet connection will enable me to blog and check mail.

check back tomorrow...I'll be sharing lots of English Countryside...it's been a couple of years since I was there in the Summer...SO different from Winter there...the days are extremely long and the flowers and fauna are beautiful and luscious.

I better catch my wings...cheerio!

HUGS

Char.x.

to be continued...

do you remember this post about my Mum?

well, it's a little delayed...but I'm working on "My Dad" as a belated Father's Day tribute...

I'll be back tomorrow with a colourful rendition of the above...

Bon nuit...sleep well...OR...good morning and have a great day...

Off to catch some dreams...

Char.x

Luxray the GREAT

good morning everyone,thank you dearly for all the sweet comments....last week was a SUPER busy one,so if I haven'y replied or visited your World yet...I will try tonight

...it's the start of a new week...and it's going to be a busy one!

late last night I finished Luxray for Vincent. He's turning 7 and loves Pokemon...so I found Luxray who's one of the characters...this is my first non-real animal which I have painted. As an artist you have to bend to others sometimes...kids grow up...we have to grow with them!

the binders of my watercolour pads are filled with colour tests...I keep them as a memory of the paintings I did...is that wierd?

What do you keep that not too many people know about?

have a great Monday.

HUGS,

Char.

woof...woof...woof...

it's Sunday evening(already),how was your evening?...

the girls are in bed after a busy day, daddy took them flying this afternoon which they LOVED...we've had a full week of dancing and trying to finish projects which have been put on hold for a while.

Here are the 3 finished Once Upon a Time watercolour commissions, their dog passed away and the 3 siblings will each receive one from their Mum...how sweet!

I have SO much organising to do before we go to the UK next week...and a couple more commissions to finish.
Just about to start another Once Upon a Time painting now...I will post it tomorrow morning.

2 more days of school this week...and Canada Day on Thursday...which is also our 10th year wedding Anniversary. I know...10 years...pretty great considering we only knew each other physically for 5 days before Mr.R proposed...I KNOW...crazy!!!

have to go paint...so have a good evening/sleep/morning.
HUGS
Char,ON

all choked up

today was a special day...(here's the painting I made for Little Miss A's teacher thanking for such an amazing year)

our little Miss A graduated from Kindergarten...

and thankfully she'll be moving up into Grade 1 with her best buddie...Little miss O.
I am so proud of her...and am SO shocked at how quickly these 6 years have past.
I am also quite choked up...does it get any easier? Accepting that your little ones are forever getting older?
Her smile fills my heart...thank you little Miss A for you are our pride and joy. Keep smiling those beautiful smiles...they will get you far in Life!!

Have a lovely evening fabulous readers and thanks for stopping by...check back tomorrow...I have a game to play with you.
HUGS
Char,ON

boys and their tractors...

good morning...are you having a good Wednesday?

we're having a quiet morning...it's raining today...

the girls are tired from Caribbean dancing last night...they perform every night next week...we have what's called "Fiesta Week" here starting on Father's Day. I think there are 12 Pavillions in our town...Polish,Italian,French,German etc...and ours is the Caribbean Hall.

They're all open for Lunch where they serve their traditional cuisines and then open again for the evening...each Hall hosts a show with dancing from their country. It's a lot of fun...but it will be a LONG week.

my nephew just turned 2 and is pretty hot on Tractors...I wasn't going to post this until he received it in the mail...but I don't think he'll check in on our blog here...so I think we're safe...

I have a painting for Miss A's teacher to finish today which I started last night...and the girls finished the Grad cards for Miss A's class yesterday(can you believe the Kindergartens have a full blown Graduation?)...

times are busy around here...2 weeks left of school...and then we'll be packing to come over to the UK.

not sure what to get my husband for Father's day...any suggestions?

Have a lovely day...

HUGS

Char,ON