Lineanongrata

summer linen

Linen feels so much like summer. Evoking sand, pebbles, the beach. It has a visual life and an organic quality of it's own, wrinkling, seemingly cracking, 'one' all the same. I'm planning to put a whole range of products made of linen in the shop during the next few weeks. Because it's summer. And because I have a new obsession.

In fact, make that two new obsessions. Printing being the second one. I know I'm being a child, but reproducing the same image over and over again gives me such a thrill.

These coasters (made of linen, of course) are in the shop now, as are these notebooks.

The print is called 'remind me', and I'll tell you more about it in the next couple of days. If ever I forget, remind me, will you ?

if - seed and a thought on silence

A week ago I realized that I had been listening to one of my favorite author's new release as an audiobook for two and a half hours and and had literally no idea what had happened so far.

That's what I do when I work on my own projects, be it an illustration or some craft project. I listen to audiobooks. It's a little bit like cinema in my head. At the same time I have half an ear open for outside noises. One of the boys having his arm cut off (they did buy the chainsaw they dreamed of and it was only with effort that we could save some of the trees on the winery) or some other emergency. Plus there is a section in my brain that thinks about the blog post I would like to write that day. To that you can add the usual list of projects I would love (no, make that looooooove) to do or make, rattling along in another part of my brain and there is a lot of noise in my head every day.

Mothers with two or more children are bound to think 'hah my dear, that's nothing. You just see and wait...' And that's exactly why I wait to have those 1,52 kids I'm supposed to have while living in France. Who wants to have cute babies when there are craft projects to finish?

When all the uproar inside and outside of me became so loud I couldn't concentrate on a suspense audiobook any more I knew it was time for some silence. That's why this blog has been a quiet one last week. I took time to water plants (aha ! the 'seed' illustration does have something to do with today's post ! What a happy coincidence.), sew some sweet clothes for someone very very special and dream about projects I want to do. Quietly. One after the other.

Etsy made me do it

That was indeed exactly the question.

I opted for a shop update and shall kiss Vincent later. Lucky me.

The illustrations you can purchase in the Lineanongrata shop now have been published in a German magazine for kindergarten teachers and school teachers for young children. They were linked to context but do make nice illustrations on their own, I think.

sorely tempted

... to pull out all the seedlings we planted two days ago to see if anything has happened to them yet.
You won't find any pictures of that because I haven't done so. Yet.

Sorely tempted also to spend more time than I can spare on creative endeavors

that have little

or nothing

to do with wine or labels. And everything with my own private amusement.

You won't find any pictures of that, either. Because I resisted. Of course.

showing off before the weekend

Yes, showing off. Like in 'every once in a while I do something semi-creative'.

Semi because the illustrations I used for these stickers existed already. And creative because it took me hours to figure out the packaging. Logical and three dimensional thinking have never been real to me. Just something other people know how to do.

Do you remember when they tell you in math class how 'this will help you when you build a bridge', which is nice but for the fact that I won't ever need to. Construct a bridge.

The stickers turned out nicely, though.They have a matte finish that makes them special, at least to me.

My problem is that I ran out of surfaces to stick them on, so now I'll just be obliged to sell them in the Lineanongrata shop (they'll be in the shop by sunday or monday. As soon as I find the time.).

Obliged, mind you.

What are you all planning to do this weekend ? We shall go to Nîmes to visit with friends and I will try to finish this lovely secret madness:

It's a gift for someone so I can't say much about it for now. But I like how it's starting to look.

Have a peaceful weekend, all of you.

if - pet peeve

No self-respecting farm or winery without its rat. Yesterday I saw one coming out of the shed where I store the dog food, actually taking flight by scrambling up the wall. Like spiderman.
It's not the idea of rats that disturbs me. It's the fact that this one looked healthy and well nourished. That's what told me it was time to start the psychological warfare.
I sang all night, songs about throwing oneself off a steep cliff.
It didn't do any good.
So Vincent and I went to town today and bought two small boxes that emit ultrasounds and will get rid of rats, mice, roaches and, apparently, mosquitoes. I'm peeved there aren't any yet because I would have liked to see them swarm off in a great disgusted cloud.
But I'm reconciled when I think about the rats. At this very moment they are all trying to protect their ears with scarfs, hats and cushions, but by tomorrow they'll be gone.
Defeat by ultrasounds.
They'll be peeved then.

a tale of two shops

Do I hear uhs and ahs? (Don't let me down on this. Come on. You can do it.) Do you think this would be a cute gift for someone small and special ? Then I recommend you go see the new Beebee Mod shop. It opened today and Jen, you did a great job.

This Lineanongrata print is only available on Beebee Mod. So hurry, because there are not thousands of it to be had.

The Lineanongrata Etsy shop will be (slightly) updated soon. Slightly because I don't have a whole lot of time to work on things I like at the moment. But for every hour I spend designing labels for wines I give myself ten minutes for my illustrations or the things I'm making.

These are the first of some tiny sticker sets that I have planned for the shop. '6 Chicks', six stickers with this illustration.

Maybe the scratchy cat and the princess and her frog would make good stickers, too. I'll have a closer look at these possibilities as soon as possible.

spring is the new chic(k)

Something light for my exhausted brain. I'm planning to make this illustration into small stickers for the shop. What do you think about that ?

We came back from the trade fair two days ago. I had a very very good time, though my head's still turning from all the languages that were spoken and needed listening to and understanding of. I manage three fluently and usually wish I spoke Italian as well. Nobody can beat the show the Italians are capable of putting on. Be it for persuading a customer or for pure entertainment at dinner. Even without understanding every word I laughed so hard my stomach ached at night.

We even sold some wine (I know: Hear the enthusiasm. Selling wine is something abstract for me. Selling illustrations is what feels real.)

Oh yes, I almost forgot: We also managed to miss our flight home. Hadn't done that in a while. But some things never change. I still felt an idiot, standing at the check-in counter, panting because I did a pretty decent sprint from the car to the counter, and trembling nervously because I had kind of known for the last half hour that we wouldn't be taking that plane that day, but still hoping and wishing the car could go faster.

Wishing you all a happy Easter with lots of spring to accompany it.

IF - garden

My wish to create a second edition of the 'make words grow print' coincided nicely with the garden theme.

Originally I had something completely different in mind for the illustration, but am very pleased with how it turned out. It did that all on it's own. Fancy that.

sauce robert

My mother and sister make a good Sauce Robert.

I'm an authority on donuts and cookies, so if you were wondering whether or not you should make these: You absolutely should. But beware ! Amanda is right. You'll want your eight children or the neighbors over to share them with. Otherwise you'll eat them all, just like me, and be awfully sick.

For people with hypoglycemia or diabetes: If you're making these with Fructose you might want to try to start the yeast with real sugar (in a separate bowl, with a little bit of hand warm water). You won't need a lot of it and once it has all taken to life and action you can incorporate it into your dough without a problem. It hasn't bothered me health wise and believe me when I say I have eaten a lot of the donuts. The flour and Fructose should even things out in your body.

It's worth mentioning because I haven't been able to make yeast live and grow with Fructose and it becomes frustrating after a while to eat flat cakes.