Ameesha Lee

Festive Freebie

2011-12-16T14:05:00.000-08:00

I'm getting into the festive spirit, even though all the recent snow has melted & it's been in the pluses all week! We picked out a real tree, messy pine needles & all. Ornaments have been hung, along with chocolate versions I've managed to avoid eating..for now. I've even managed to illustrate some gift tags to be hung from the few humble presents which will soon be under said tree!

I've made them available & free to use here. Just print & enjoy if you please!

The Morran Book Project

2011-12-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

The Morran Book Project, a collection of illustrations dedicated to a lovely Swedish doggie is now available for purchase! All profits go to the World Society for the Protection of Animals which is a good enough reason to buy one for me, not to mention all the pretty pictures inside the book.

I'm sure Morran is wagging her tail up there! Here is a link to the online store.

Photo by Camilla Engman

The Littlest Mammoth & Me

2011-11-30T10:07:00.001-08:00

The latest news over this way, I finally have some prints of my illustrations for sale! It's been in the works since the start of this year & finally the all bells & whistles have been shined & put up by the lovely folk at Mammoth & Company. Three of my Fauna prints are now available in a range of different sizes, printed on nice fancy paper & shipped to your door! The prints are a part of The Littlest Mammoth, the sister company to Mammoth Collection, which caters to more kid-friendly artworks, though many big people seem to think their alright too!

You can take a peek here & see the available prints below. I've also created a fancy button to the right of my blog that can take you there. I have a few more prints in the works, which should be up in the New Year after the crazy festive season is over!

Speaking of festive, today was the first day of snow! Brrrrr.

Queen Of The Forest

2011-11-10T19:00:00.001-08:00

A little illustration escape from client work & looming deadlines. For a good cause & a lovely four legged Queen Of The Forest.

Off for a long weekend road trip to Montréal to give my little brain a rest. Et où je vais manger toutes les choses délicieuses! (Thanks google translate! Haha)

Update: Very sad to say the lovely doggie in the illo above has recently passed away & gone to the big doggie forest in the sky. It certainly looks like she had one amazing life & that's something to be happy about.

Happy Little Vegemite

2011-10-16T17:49:00.000-07:00

Eeek, hello my lonely little blog. I've disappeared off the map for two whole months, my longest period of neglect since I started! Life just took over. So a few little updates while I get back into the swing of bloggy things..

-We were taken over by a rare sighting of an Aussie koala, since returned to it's natural habitat, leaving me with lovely memories, a big lot of homesickness & cravings for Vegemite on toast.

-Autumn has arrived with crunchy, colourful leaves now under foot. New touks (beanies for you Aussies) are at the ready to keep chilly heads nice & cozy.

-Currently vying for title of soon-to-be Best Aunty Ever! & cannot stop myself from purchasing all sorts of cute kiddy everythings & anythings. The melone will feel the love even across these big seas!

-It's stranger than Donald Trumps hairpiece, but this year I'm actually looking forward to the long winter ahead, hibernating to work on something pretty amazing. Maybe a little sneak peek soon!

Songbird

2011-08-10T19:52:00.001-07:00

Back in November, just after we made the move to our new nest, snow was falling, winter coats were pulled on & we were invited to a neighbourhood meet & greet. An old school, hand-shaking, cheese-gorging, wine-drinking, hello neighbor! kind of 'do. It was a sweet introduction to our little hood & it lit a spark of new friendships. Cheese AND new friends, not bad!

This week marks a single release for one such friend, who happens to be an amazing songbird. I have to pinch myself when I get to hang out in her living room listening to her while she tickles the ivories & sings her heart out. I'll remember this when I have to pay big bucks at some giant arena to see her play! Recently we worked together on her cd artwork/photo shoot & it was such a fun process, free & fun & creative, as all good projects should be.

Congrats Morgs!

Oh Oz

2011-07-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

I'm slowly sorting through my photos from our christmas escape to my lovely hometown of Perth. Grouping them into four areas of faces, places, eats & odds + ends seems like a good place to start. Also a good idea to do it in the middle of this hot Ontario summer, while my winter blues are far away & the sunshine and tanned legs help to keep my homesickness at bay!

A few random pics until my sorting is done & dusted.

Free Fancy Flora

2011-06-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

No longer do I have to spend my pennies on store-bought bunches of flora, with just a hop, step & a sometimes clumsy tumble over two constantly-under-foot kitties (who are always dying to go chase the poor innocent squirrels!) I can pick my own colourful beauties from our little corner of the world. Pretty cool & in keeping with my year of non-spending. But that's another story!

Our backyard is now nice & private thanks to Boy Wonder who took a week off to build a custom fence with his own two hands. And I consider myself crafty! Amazing.

What A Tart

2011-06-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

The second of it's kind, this time with strawberries on top to hide the mush of rhubarb below. I haven't managed to get my rhubarb slices looking as perfect as the recipes photo, yet. Luckily there's a few more sticks in the garden waiting for me to practice on!

Recipe, which I loosely followed, is here.

In an attempt to cut out some of the bad stuff, since this baking kick isn't wearing off, I used spelt flour for the crust & coconut sugar for the rhubarb syrup/stew. Tastes just as good if you ask this refined sweet tooth!

Bananarama

2011-05-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

My latest baking adventure, banana muffins loaded with dark chocolate chips. Super good for my first time! Much better than the 80's British pop sensation, who I actually thought were Australian up until one minute ago! Thanks Wikipedia.

I left some bigger chunks of banana instead of mashing it all up, made for a gooey-er, softer muffin. Delicious! I can't find the original recipe I used from a random google search but this one is very similar & it comes with a celebrity endorsement..go Willie! I also substituted the sugar for organic coconut sugar, recommended by our local health food store owner. So much like brown sugar & way healthier!

Recipe is here.

No photos this time, they were gobbled up before I got a chance.

Beary Crafty

2011-05-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

Every now & then I get to escape from the land of bad posture & computer screens and use my hands for something other than tapping away at a keyboard! It's a necessary venture to keep me sane and to remind myself that some of the very best things ever created are crafted by hand. So when I recently got the opportunity to work with some amazing art directors & set designers helping to build miniature worlds for a film shoot, it was heaven for this craft-loving lady! Foam, paper, wood, powders, paint, electrical bits & bobs were all formed to create a city, an ice world, caves & a desert. It was magic! I loved every second of it, even when my fingers induced burn after burn from the hot glue gun & I was covered in strands of spiderweb-like glue remnants. I wasn't pretty!

After a tour of the studio I discovered that the building also housed a puppet-making facility, filled with amazing characters just waiting for someone to stick there hand up & bring them to life! Hahaha. So many amazing little costumes & hilarious faces. My favourite of all had to be the big brown bear sitting all by himself, staring back at me with his funny old face. I would of tried to take him home but he was huge!

ps. Excuse the crappy iPhone pics, I wish I had a super-duper camera with me all the time!

Über die Meere

2011-05-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

About two years ago I swore I would make more of an effort to send snail mail, real handwritten letters with a tonne of unapologetic & unavoidable smudges that only a lefty could make! Crumpled edges & scuff marks left by the posties, who we trust to deliver our little boxes & love letters to the doors of our loved ones. How could an email possibly compare?

So I haven't fulfilled this pledge nearly as much as I would of liked, I can do so much better! In fact I think I've found my new calling. I wonder if one can get paid to wrapped presents full time? And I don't mean slapping a bit of generic crappy hallmark-ish paper around the thing & calling it a day..I'm talking glorious handcrafted creations with bells & whistles & quirky touches to make the person opening the parcel giddy with all love that's been put into it! What a joy.

I can hardly wait till this one arrives on the deserving doorstep of one of my most loved loved ones. Yippee!

Homegrown

2011-04-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

Daffodils sneakily put by my bedside, plucked from our budding garden that's sprouting all sorts of little marvels. I'm waiting patiently for our rhubarb to flourish so I can make all sorts of tarts, crumbles & other tasty treats. Apparently it is the best rhurbarb around, according to our new neighborhood friends. Hooray! Spring, I'm so happy to see you again.

Cause & Effect

2011-04-19T07:09:00.000-07:00

The proof is in the pudding, or meat pie in this case. Lately I'm trying this new thing where I think about doing something, then actually do it. Fancy that? It feels good, this new found super-productivity. Not that laziness is big trait of mine but I sometimes tend to get a bit caught up in thoughts of self doubt & all that silly stuff. In this turning over of a new leaf I'm banishing all doubts & nagging useless thoughts & getting on with it all instead. Hip-hooray! Ideas/to-do lists/baking missions are coming along in leaps & bounds.

Photo 1: Aussie Meat Pies made recently, easy & delicious!
Photo 2: Quick sketch done for a drawing group I joined back in Perth, I love creative group endeavours!
Photo 3: My first attempt at bread making, not so successful but it looks good in photos, haha.
Photo 4: The most exciting project on my plate, lots of doodles to come!

Sweet Tooth's Beware

2011-04-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

I found this ridiculously sweet, cavity-inducing recipe for a homemade Twix-like slab of heaven on Pinterest, a website I've been playing around with lately. The sugar headache I've given myself resulting from only just the process of making this, not even indulging in a little slice yet, is confirmation that I shouldn't be making this a regular in my baking repertoire!

Delicious & gooey, not recommended for those with bad teeth! Luckily this girl is cavity-free, can you believe it?

Recipe can be found here.

Something old, Somethings New

2011-04-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

I'm slowly putting up a new illo here & there on my website. Here is the latest, part of a little series I'm doing on different types of creatures in the Fauna realm. I'm really enjoying my rekindled affair with my pen & trusty Staedtler eraser, which always reminds me of my lovely Dad & all his drawing supplies. The smell of freshly printed plans & pretending I was drawing something super important at his drawing desk! Good memories.

Hello Tiger

2011-02-18T06:58:00.000-08:00

I'm back. It's nearly the end of February and while I could write a big, long post on all the reasons why
I haven't posted for two whole months (ok two & a half) I will instead start my new blogging year off with a hip-hooray and a hello! to 2011 and all the lovelies out there who read my infrequent updates,
I know your out there. (Even if you leave my comment box thingo lonely most of the time!).

So Happy 2011, lots to catch up on but until I get myself & my hundreds of Oz-trip photos organized I'll leave you with this illo. A pressie for my real life Tiger, fiesty but worth all the rrroooars!

ps. Does anyone else find Blogger (almost typed 'Booger' then, appropriate no?) completely hard to work with sometimes? Testing out using bigger images so excuse any weirdness until I master the Booger.

The Lost Virtue

2010-11-30T15:24:00.000-08:00

I used to use the phrase 'patience is a virtue' alot. But recently this appropriate little saying has flown out the window & into the chilly air, especially today! We've now been living without an oven & stove for four looooong weeks & this lady is going a bit nuts! I can hardly wait to make real food again...hot, soupy, saucy foods. Ahhhhh.

So while I impatiently wait for the big truck to bring our shiny new oven, I will attempt to create something lovely instead of stomping around the floorboards pouting. I'm giving embroidering a whirl, here goes!

Second Summer

2010-11-23T10:27:00.000-08:00

In a few shorts weeks we will be boarding a plane on route to Aussie land, where my hometown will be in full summery swing. It's been two years since our last trip to it's sandy shores & I am more than ready for my second summer. Flip flops will be a staple, along with icey poles, BBQ's & long overdue catchups with my best mates & lovely family. Bliss.

Lots to do before we fly off, so my dear little blog, forgive me if I neglect you a little.

Home Sweet House

2010-11-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

We are now in our new nest & have been busy making it cozy, ready for the long winter ahead which I'm sure is just around the corner. So far my favourite part of our new home (apart from the fresh air & big trees surrounding the house) are the mismatched wood floors. Every beam seems to be a different colour! The master bedroom is pretty amazing too with lots of bright natural light flooding in & big ceilings to daydream in. I think it's pretty much fit for a King, one who happens to be mine & one of the best ever.

So Long Papercuts

2010-10-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

The big crafty paper project has finally come to an end & it's nice to see it up on big shiny tv screens, especially knowing all the hard work that went into it. So no more paper for now, it's back to computer-land for me. I'll put together a little highlight reel soon but for now here are some finished stills from the animations.

Little Treasures

2010-10-05T10:14:00.001-07:00

I'm not much of a camper but our recent adventure up to Manitoulin Island might change that. The island is the largest that occupies a freshwater lake in the whole wide world and it was beeeaaautiful. A nice retreat from the city & a great place to explore tonnes of amazing flora, when we weren't munching on the local bakery's butter tarts. And I thought the bears would be dangerous!

My lovely friend Alëna is a big mushroom lover, even bringing a mushroom guide book along with her to our forest walks. My favorite was the bright orange ones in the first photo. Looks magical even in a crappy iPhone photo!

Detaching

2010-09-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

September, where did you go? Almost a month since my last post. Naughty blogger I am.

We've been stealing moments in-between this nutso, busy month & making trips to our new neighborhood to explore. Finding new cafes (well actually, the one & ONLY cafe in walking distance from our new house, oh how the city has spoilt us) with old & new little friends, walking the streets, picking our favorite houses (apart from ours, of course!) & getting used to the new area we'll soon be calling home.

The city seems to be louder & stinkier than ever, perhaps my brain's way of detaching itself from downtown life, ready for some fresh air & a new (old) house to make a home.

Homemade

2010-08-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

There's nothing better than getting homemade treats, especially ones made with spoonfuls of love. I made this granola for one of my favorite people in the whole wide world & soon it will be bouncing across the skies, on route to Aussie land.

Peaches & cranberry's were the stars this time. Now time to make some cute labels!

Marcel: The Shell With Shoes On

2010-08-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

This is a ridiculously cute little short story about Marcel the shell. I think the voiceover is genius, it sounds so genuine & honest.

I'm starting to realize how difficult it can be to not only come up with an original, good story but to tell it in a way that gets across all the feeling, sentiment & guts of the tale, all in the hopes to get the audience to feel something. Stories like this, even as simple as Marcel's, inspire me to want to create my own some day.

(Thanks to the lovely Ron for introducing me to little Marcel!)

Papercuts

2010-08-13T07:57:00.000-07:00

For the past month or so I've been working away with a fellow crafty friend on a big job for a TV show. I think I can speak for both of us when I say we've had enough of paper & are almost looking forward to sitting at our computer's again! It's been weeks of cutting, scoring, folding, problem-solving, papers cuts & fingers too sore to keep on cutting.

But so far the results are well worth the manicure-needy hands!

Coco

2010-08-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

I'm not much of a fashionista, in fact I'm not even too fond of that word. Although I love well-made, one-off indulgences from time to time, I don't really buy clothes with labels & probably wouldn't even if I could afford the astronomical price tags. The closest I've come to Chanel is walking past the windows when I used to work in the fancy suburbs of this city, most times admiring the window displays more than the actual clothes.

So I didn't expect to enjoy the film about Coco as much as I did, thinking that if Audrey (Tautou-from Amelie fame) was in it, I guess it couldn't be too bad. I was right, it was lovely! She was quite the woman, a free spirit way ahead of her time. A line from the movie that I loved went something like "When a woman cuts her hair, she is about to change her life".

After chopping my long hair off three weeks ago, big changes were in the air & though it could be nothing more than coincidence, I like to think that quote has some kind of mysterious truth to it!

Big change #1: We now officially own the lovely little house below. Yippee!

Fork In The Road

2010-07-23T14:39:00.001-07:00

Sometimes there are moments, forks in the road where your life can either take you one way or the other. Lately it seems that a lot of people are going through this kind of thing. Where big decisions need to be made that could take your life in absolute opposite directions. This is true in my case, and it say I'm not a little freaked out would be a lie. But I guess that's a part of it all & in the end if you never take risks, life would be pretty dull. Something I've never wanted, so hurrah for big changes!

A whole new adventure awaits.

May Day

2010-05-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

Phew, I'm sneaking in a last-minute May update. After getting back from France things have been a bit nuts with projects galore. The latest to check off the list is my first attempt at art directing some TV spots for a not-so-small music event here in Canada. A bit daunting to say the least but a pretty fun challenge I couldn't pass up.

So I spent most of last week up to my ears in paper cranes, watercolors, balloons & all sorts of other props. Included in the project was a request for a big octopus mural to help fill the blank walls of the shoot location. Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I actually get paid to do this stuff.

Guess I should keep that a bit quiet though..

A bientôt à Toronto!

2010-04-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

In a few short hours I will be leaving on a jet plane (haha) to Paris, for the very first time for two glorious weeks. Bags are packed, kitties have been cuddled & my expectations are soaring! I've been told I won't be disappointed.

This lovely little book by a fellow Aussie girl (with damn good taste I might add) will be helping me on my way.

Off I go!

ps. If the title sounds weird it's because I know absolutely zero French apart from a few words here & there so I used google translator! Hope the Frenchies cut me some slack.

Secret Life Billboard

2010-04-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

After weeks of watching clever Chris paint away, the billboard is all finished & it looks pretty good if I do say so myself! It's very weird seeing my work on such a large scale & I can't help but have a bit of a proud chuckle every time I walk by it on my way to work. The illo is promoting a show that's all about teen pregnancy, not something I see myself watching but it does have Molly Ringwald in it, which was enough to get me excited about the project since I'm a huge fan of John Hughes movies!

Thanks to Jolly Productions for putting such care into it & for creating the above video of the whole process! Clever indeed.

You can click on the pic above for a bigger view of the illo.

Seven Things

2010-03-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

I don't participate in many blogland activities (unless you count the odd comment here & there) so I thought I would give this one a go, sharing a list of seven things about myself & then passing it along to other blog friends. Alas I don't have a tonne of friends out here in blogland so if you do happen to read my blog & want to join in, go for it & let me know if you do! Project passed on by Miss Allen, one of my very fav blogland friends. Hello Cass!

Here goes my list:

1. Seven has always been my favorite, sometimes lucky number, so I pretty much had to do this.

2. It took me a long time to feel ready & able to start a blog. I was never sure how to write about myself & I was super worried about how I would be perceived. I'm not so worried anymore & have come to love sharing bits & pieces of my life.

3. I am a redhead but always, always felt way more attractive with dark brown hair. My boy convinced me to grow out my natural colour & I am slowly starting to feel good about it.

4. My sister is my main inspiration for getting into the creative fields & I couldn't be happier. Thanks Ren, I miss you.

5. I cannot, no matter how hard I try, stop wanting to draw birds.

6. I love traveling. In just over a month I will be going to Paris & the south of France for the very first time! I am more than a little excited. Paris tips anyone?

7. I am super, ridiculously clumsy & I once stubbed the same big toe 10 times in one day. I'm not even kidding.

Recipe Sundays: Orange Chocolate Cupcakes

2010-03-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I've already skipped a Sunday. Sometimes life gets in the way & you find yourself eating cheese & crackers for dinner, your well intended recipes flying out the kitchen window.

But here we go, Orange Chocolate Cupcakes found through Design Sponge. I made the chocolate cake from scratch, no boxed mix for me. I also used cream cheese for the icing instead of just sugar & butter.

Delicious but dangerously sweet! Will be taking a break from baked goods & next will try a healthy curry or veggie dish, just in time for my April health kick. Bootcamp here I come!

Up In The Air

2010-03-11T12:15:00.000-08:00

For a few days now I have been sitting up high above the streets watching two busy men work day & night with brushes & other tools I can't quite see from a far. I feel almost sneaky watching them work away, not knowing that I've been watching them all along & hoping that they get all the little details just right. You see this might just be the biggest illustration I've done so far & definitely one that will be seen by more people than I could ever imagine!

I'm making a stop-frame animation from start to finish which I will post here once it's all done. In the meantime, I hope their not too cold up there!

Recipe Sundays

2010-02-28T15:53:00.000-08:00

In my effort to cook more at home I've decided to try a new recipe every Sunday & will hereby write a 'Recipe Sundays' post every week. To kick this little endeavor off, I made this tasty Apple Puff Pancake this morning, found through one of the many lovely blogs out there.

I added blueberries to mine & also a few cheeky shots of Domaine Pinnacle Crème de Pommes. A pretty yum way to start Sunday off!

Neglected

2010-02-28T15:06:00.000-08:00

My cozy home studio, is just about all I could ask for (with the exception of my dream of surrounding myself with one or two lovely studio mates to work alongside of one day) but it has been completely neglected lately. Pencils & brushes are crying out for attention & I frequently have dreams of abandoning my computer for them. I have truckloads of ideas & projects I want to start on, let alone finish.

I also need to move on from my long-term love affair with birds & maybe focus on the trillions of other fauna out there. So I'm now on a bird ban & will force myself to expand my creative horizons. Fauna suggestions welcomed! Otters might be first on my list, cute little buggers.

When All Else Fails, Bake.

2010-02-25T17:01:00.000-08:00

I've been having a less than average week. The kind that makes you want to stay under the covers & hibernate until your good & ready to face the world again. Luckily snow storms are blowing around this town so if I chose to do just that, I wouldn't feel as guilty as I normally would. Not nearly as guilty as eating platefuls of the above delicious treat that I will love & leave you with until this week blows over.

The photo doesn't do it justice (I slightly burnt the tops, oops) but trust me, it's deeeeelicious.

Caramel Croissant Pudding (from Nigella Express, by Nigella Lawson)

Ingredients
2 stale croissants
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/2 cup whole milk
2 eggs, beaten
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Tear the croissants into pieces and put in a small gratin dish; I use a cast iron oval with a capacity of about 500ml/ 2 cups for this.

Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, and swirl around to help dissolve the sugar before putting the saucepan on the hob over medium to high heat. Caramelize the sugar and water mixture by letting it bubble away until it all turns a deep amber colour; this will take 3 to 5 minutes. Keep looking but don't be too timid.

Take the pan off the heat and add the cream - ignoring all spluttering - followed by the bourbon and milk. Whisk to mix, then still whisking add the beaten eggs. Pour this quickly over the croissants and leave to steep for 10 minutes.

Place in the preheated oven for 20 minutes and prepare to swoon.

Aww Yeah Mate

2010-01-25T19:06:00.000-08:00

It's officially Australia day back home right now and I'm remembering blissful days at beautiful, remote beaches, barbies with lovely friends & listening to classic aussie tunes like ACDC. Their song 'You Shook Me All Night Long' still reminds me of school discos and my first dance with the boy with big rough hands!

I have such a fierce love for my country, heightened by the fact that I've been away from it's white, sandy shores for seven years. To say I miss everything about it is an understatement & distance really does make the heart grow fonder in my case.

So to all my lovely Aussies out there, hope you have a beautiful, sunny, happy Aussie day wherever you are!

Move Over Grey Sunday

2010-01-17T20:05:00.000-08:00

Winter seems to be filled with white & grey days, everyone seems to look a little more tired & grumpy, like the cold is just one more thing getting in their way. Smiles are less common and lots of big black coats rush past, trying to escape the cold & get to their destination.

Maybe if everyone wore a bright salmony-pink coloured coat every now & then, they'd feel happier? I'm giving it a go.

'What I wore' doodle inspired by this cute blog idea.

Super Silly Season

2010-01-09T21:41:00.001-08:00

Dearest Blog Of Mine (and my handful of lovely readers who have stuck by my blog so far),

I'm sorry to have let you fall by the way-side. The silly season was silly indeed, too much stuff to do in too little time including a super duper big illustration job that came my way, along with three nasty colds just to test my patience in the middle of it all. Then came Christmas with bows to tie & stockings to fill, not to mention feasts to indulge in.

Thanks for sticking with me. This year will be great, I can feel it already!

Seven Big Ones

2009-11-09T07:11:00.000-08:00

Saturday marked the 7 year anniversary of my arrival to Canada. I can't believe how time flies and how life's twists & turns can instantly turn your world upside-down, with you ending up a million miles from where you thought you'd be! No complaints here though, bring on the adventures, I love 'em!

The day passed without any fuss. Instead, a much needed day of not having to be anywhere in particular, strolling the East-end streets with tonnes of antique stores to get lost in & lots of new little friends to be made. Charlotte, with her bright pink collar, was my fav. Super cute!

Halloween Housewarming

2009-11-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

Halloween is BIG in North America. It's often a huge competition to come up with the most creative, never-been-done-before costume! This year my outfit didn't quite come together & I resorted to recycling my doll idea from a few years ago. Nevertheless it was a spooky, fun, candy-filled halloween-housewarming shared with the likes of David Letterman & his shy intern, a grumpy Postman, a sea Captain, Beaker from The Muppet Show & an amazing kitty jigsaw puzzle duo, just to name a few!

Winged Creatures

2009-10-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

I've been working on all sorts of projects lately & one of them is finally ready to unveil. A few months ago I came across a site called Envelop, an online store front for illustrators and designers, based out of Belgium. I thought I'd experiment with it but to be honest, I've always felt a bit funny trying to sell my work. The thought that someone might actually want to take something I made home with them? Weird!

But here goes. Two pillow covers to start with & I'm already dreaming up ideas for aprons & oven mits! You can take a closer peek at them here.

Uppercase

2009-10-13T17:49:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered a great blog/magazine that has become one of my regular must-sees when I take a break from work and need a good cup of tea and some inspiration. Uppercase hails from Calgary here in Canada and I was lucky enough to be a small part of the third issue. The article asked for readers to recreate an album cover based on their all-time favorite song. I love fun projects like these, a real treat amid a tonne of client work and restrictions.

Inspiration

2009-09-28T21:15:00.000-07:00

I love these images of illustration & type from my recent trip. Funny that they all seem to feature reds & grays, good colours for winter no? Shopping anyone?!

September has been busy to say the least. Lots of changes on the horizon, looks like my prediction of a sea change was right on schedule. And in less than two days we will be settling into our new nest, just in time for winter. Hooray!

Summer Escape 02: Montreal

2009-09-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a long overdue post on my Montreal trip. Goodbye Summer! The leaves are beginning to turn orange & are starting to fall off their branches. Out come the wintery clothes as the weather starts to become chilly & cool..winter is on it's way.

Summer Escape 01: Quebec City

2009-09-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

After working through most of the short summer we have here, a long overdue escape was much needed. My long lost friend Weezer (short for Louisa) who I met way back in our design school days, came for a short but sweet getaway! First stop, Quebec city, a French speaking provence in the middle of Canada. Here we wandered around the Old City for hours, a maze of hilly, cobble-stoned streets with boulangeries galore, full of naughty treats you pretty much have to try!

The city is perched right on the edge of a cliff that overlooks the St Lawrence River and the buildings are so old & quaint, it makes the whole place feel quite romantic & not at all North American. It was a nice escape from the urban streets of Toronto. J'adore Quebec.

Next stop, Montreal!

Where Are My Unicorns

2009-08-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

I was seven when I laid eyes on my first John Hughes movie. On the day I saw it, I was excited for another reason entirely. My mum and my Nan were taking me and my sister to see a movie called 'The Last Unicorn'. I was like a kid in a candy store, ready for an afternoon of mythical, lovely creatures and eating choc-bombs in the dark.
I remember sitting in my seat and the lights going down, ready for my long-awaited unicorn story to unfold...but hang on, these people looked real, and I was sure there wasn't supposed to be a girl with bright red hair in it? Where were my unicorns?

We were in the wrong theatre watching what would become just one of my favorite John Hughes movies, Pretty in Pink. After that came Weird Science, Sixteen Candles & The Breakfast Club, one of my all time favorite movies, with more than few memories attached to it.

Unicorns were long forgotten and I was introduced to a whole new era of 80's movies that became a part of my teenage years & beyond.

Thank you Mr Hughes, I'm glad we stumbled into your theatre.

Number 90

2009-08-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

I knew a sea change was coming. It's now officially in motion, especially on the home front! Soon enough we will leave a noisy townhouse complex behind & will have a whole lovely house all to ourselves! I can hardly wait. The new nest has a million times more character (including the cute little courtyard above) & happens to be right across the street from a gigantic park. It's also close to my favorite patisserie with the best croissants ever. Uh oh!

Hello Number 90, we are pleased to meet you!

The Angry Sea

2009-07-29T09:04:00.001-07:00

Apparently practice makes perfect, but I'm not there yet & to be honest I don't want things to be "perfect". Too much pressure, not to mention how boring perfection can be. So instead I doodle away, working on characters & angles & colour combinations, making mistakes & figuring out how to make things better & better. It's so much fun!

Right now I'm running with fiery Captain Gingernipa & seeing where his adventures take him (& me).

Ahoy There

2009-07-14T14:38:00.000-07:00

These new friends introduced themselves to me after a bout of frustration. Not quite sure where their going but I think it's going to be fun! What I do know is that it's time for a sea change! The wheels are in motion & I'm excited for a new phase in this little career of mine.

A Good Love Story

2009-06-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for them and this one is lovely! I just finished reading the book a few months ago. It looks like the movie will live up to the book..yippee!

ps. Plus there's a Canadian AND an Aussie in the lead roles..ahhh world's colliding, I love it!

Snail Mail

2009-06-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like the surprise of receiving a postcard or letter (or if your really lucky, a parcel!) in the mail. I think the decline in good old-fashioned letter writing is particularly huge and it's being taken over with the ease of instant emails, not to mention facebook & all those other social-networking sites that allow people to know what your up to every three minutes..no thanks!

I am making a vow to write more letters, send more postcards (when I'm somewhere exotic that is!) & ship off the numerous parcels I (almost!) have ready for my lovelies around the world!

ps. I finally got my Curvy book in the mail this week. Yay! Here's a peek at my illustration..

Roadtrip

2009-05-25T07:53:00.000-07:00

I love the city, with a million different pockets to explore & so many places to sit and people watch. I am definitely a city girl! But every now & then it's time to hit the road & escape the honking horns & smelly smells that come with every big city.

Who knew this innocent little country visit would turn into a puppy-filled weekend, with a brand new addition to my boy's family. Meet Mr Barkley! A ridiculously cute Bassett Hound, who kept stepping on his big, floppy, long ears & who didn't hit the ground for more than a few minutes at a time, cuddles galore for this ball of cuteness!

Fears, the letter D

2009-05-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

I've been putting off tackling this fear letter* for months now & thought it was time I faced it, at least illustration-wise. I've been avoiding it partly because it feels like a pretty personal one, and almost like a strange confession for some reason! I think maybe because I feel like I should of faced this inevitable fear by this stage of my life...but no, I have not! Time to start the adventure towards Getoveritville...starting next week!

Me procrastinate? Never.

*Early last year I started a 'Fears' project where I had the idea to illustrate all my fears going through the alphabet..yes I'm only at 'D'! Raises some interesting avoidance issues, oh I know!

A Sneezy Start

2009-04-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

Just when the weather finally starts taking a nice, warm turn right before the weekend..achoooo! Both me & the best non-human pal a girl could have, Mr Dexter, seem to have caught a nasty cold. Instead of enjoying the +20 degree weather, (which I might add, is a BIG deal here after nearly 6 months of freezing, snowy, careful your toes might freeze off- weather) we were stuck inside sneezing & weezing ourselves silly! Hmppf.

On the bright side, it's been yonks since I got to stay home on a weekday & indulge in lots of cups of green tea, sitting on the couch while watching Bold & The Beautiful (I can't believe their still dragging out the same old Taylor-Ridge-Brooke love triangle..c'mon!) & trying to figure out if I'm sick enough to not finish my latest art project or maybe make some kind of delicious apple tart..

Not So Natural

2009-04-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

Drawing has never been something that has come completely natural to me. I really have to try at it. Often erasing & re-erasing only to give up in frustration when I can't get a nose right, or I somehow ended up with six fingers instead of the five I intended my creature to have. Sigh.

I think it's time I embraced my not-so perfect doodles & just keep doodling until I become comfortable with the fact that they don't HAVE to be perfect. And really their imperfections are, at the very least, original & 100% mine. Funny noses & excess fingers included!

So I've been experimenting with doing super quick sketches the past few days. And (incase you think I have an old man fetish!) I started drawing an interesting old man from this blog I visit every now & then & kept finding more wrinkled faces & funny expressions to draw. They just all happened to be old fellows!

Spoilt Rotten

2009-04-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

It was just silly. If turning thirty is this good, I don't know what I was worried about! My lovely family & friends really overdid it but I happily soaked it up & appreciated every minute of my Happy Monday! You couldn't wipe the smile of my face as the doorbell rang again & again for the next unexpected goody being delivered. Lucky I took the day off! Hehe.

I really do have the best family & friends ever! I was feeling the love.

These goodies were waiting when I was finally allowed down stairs! Even a nice hot cuppa tea waiting...wow wee!

No paper wrapping in sight for these pressies, they were hand-sewn in fabrics with prints that where meant to hint what the gifts were. Phew, I have one crafty boy!

Pressies from my lovely Miss Lam! A beautiful Jade ring, along with Aussie treats I miss & crave! She knows me well.

Dexter approves & wishes he could fit inside..doh!

Beautiful flowers from my mum & a huge gourmet fruit basket from my dad & lovely family back home officially confirmed that I am well & truly spoilt rotten! Thank you my lovelies, you really are the best.

Thirty Ain't A Dirty Word

2009-04-06T19:21:00.000-07:00

So it looks like I survived..just. It wasn't so much the turning of a whole new year (with quite the stigma attached to it) that made me want to curl up in the fetal position & rock myself to sleep the day after. It was more the traditions that are pretty much mandatory & inescapable for any self respecting birthday party! Drinks (and lots, I mean LOTS, of them), copious amounts of h'orderves, bowls & bowls full of candy (or lollies for my Aussies out there!) which also included self-made fairy bread (I did say I didn't want to grow up didn't I?) and a full-blown, drool-inducing birthday cake, just when you thought you couldn't possibly eat any more. Phew! How did I survive?

This, along with rooms full of my lovely Canadian friends, there to celebrate & over-indulge with me, made it one of my best birthdays of all time! Not too mention that all of the above loveliness was due to one lovely boy who pulled it all together, what a guy. My guy, yippee!

Before we get to the party pics, let me start with the pre-party fun...

So long before the party even got started, my lovely and ridiculously talented friend, Stacey, got to work on making me look birthday party pretty! Now all bias aside, this girl is freakin' talented! Recently signed to Ford (as in one of the biggest & best modelling agencies in the world) as a 'Ford MakeUp Artist', and having worked with some major fashion clients, I felt like a princess or at the very least a spoilt, lucky friend!

Before!

After! See, talented!!

Now onto the party!

Pre-guest arrival. Thanks to Donna Mai for the table styling, another super talented friend!

Cake made by our lovely friend Norb. Delicious & fat-free! (Ok, I lie).

Me & the lovely boy.

And last but not least...friends!!

Two Little Numbers, 3+0

2009-04-01T12:46:00.001-07:00

I'm days away from an end of an era & I can't say that I'm not slightly freaked out by this significant turn of events. Sigh. Where does all the time go & how on earth did I get to be such a big number already? On their own, their perfectly innocent little numbers, but together? I'm not sure if I like them as a couple yet! Time will tell & in the meantime I'm trying to put on a brave face & seek the wisdom of lovely wise ladies such as the one above & perhaps the odd gay make-up artist! One who laughed at me recently & said "Oh honey, welcome to your Carrie Bradshaw years!"

The last few days of my twenties..here I go!

Eeeeeeeek!

2009-03-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

I can hardly wait for this:

The original book was one of my all time favorites when I was a little kid. I've yet to read many books as an adult that had the same kind of magical feel to it. Though I guess everything is a bit more magical when your a kid. I mean tooth fairies, father christmas & the boogie man! Who wants to grow up? Not me.

Update: The trailer is now up! Take a look here.

Hairy Crafts

2009-03-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

Finally, the first official Crafternoon of 2009 took place this week! I should of got some photos of the lovely ladies that came over & got their crafts on, but alas, I got too carried away with my crafty endeavors & totally forgot, whoops. Next time!

I did take a few quick pics of my results from Crafternoon 01! Not sure about these quite yet, but I think I could be onto something...

Good News

2009-03-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

It's always nice to get a bit of good news, especially first thing on a Friday!

This morning an email was sitting in my inbox waiting to tell me I've made it into Curvy '09! I think I'll hold off from showing my selected work here until I get my little hands on the actual book. In the meantime, here are some of my old Curvy submissions from previous years.

Might I say, I prefer my current work much better!

Curvy '09

2009-02-26T17:56:00.000-08:00

Tweet, tweet. One of my submission's to Curvy 2009!

Crafty Valentine

2009-02-18T17:29:00.000-08:00

Here is a peek at my very first try at creating a paper diorama, made especially for a certain Canadian fellow. A few more little touches here and there & it should be ready to hang!

Almost as good as the real thing

2009-02-12T14:02:00.000-08:00

Unless you've been hiding under a rock (or perhaps hibernating if your in more chilly climates like myself!) you might not of heard that Polaroid are discontinuing all their instant film & related products to concentrate on digital technology. This news had me quite sad & gloomy until I stumbled across a little application called Poladroid! With a simple drag & drop of your favorite photo, the application recreates your pic into a pretty damn good recreation of a polaroid. I agree, it's never going to be as good as the real thing but it's not bad! And it's now my new favorite distraction! What will these crazy kids think of next? Haha.

Brrrrrrr

2009-02-03T14:57:00.000-08:00

Snow, snow & more snow. My new self-appointed mission for February: a day of tobogganing, in order to remind myself that winter is not all slippery sidewalks & frozen noses!

New Addition

2009-01-25T16:56:00.000-08:00

It started out as an innocent catch up, a friendly visit to our friends art studio.

But, uh oh! By the end of said visit I had a new addition to my fledgling little art collection. And oh is she a beauty! A 44 x 55 " masterpiece by the talented & lovely Mr Driscoll. It's big, glossy and beautiful and mine all mine!

Home Sweet Home

2009-01-20T18:20:00.000-08:00

After almost a month of blissful summer fun in my lovely home town of Perth, we're back to chilly, snow-covered Toronto. I miss everyone & everything already..but lots of good memories to keep me going until the next visit!

Crafty Update

2008-11-16T16:53:00.000-08:00

After months of fitting in crafty moments here & there, my lastest project has finally taken flight! A cute lil' mobile for the soon-to-be new edition to the Taylor clan. I can't wait to meet the little fello..I hope he likes his birdies!

Five Years!

2008-11-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

Today marks a somewhat momentous occasion in this little life of mine, it's my 5 year anniversary of arriving in ol' Canada! Time really has flown by & some moments I'm still completely surprised at where my 'let's just see what happens' adventure has taken me. From seeing my first snow-fall, getting what I always thought would be my 'dream-job', to making a home here with my lovely Canuck. It's been a rollercoaster at times, but one I would never regret (pretty amazing seeing as rollercoasters make me puke!). So thanks Canada, your pretty great, eh!

Here is one of the first photos of me & L back in our Sydney days! Good memories indeed.

Dorks & Douchebags & Hosers

2008-10-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted some photos took on set from the three idents I created for MTV2, a new channel that was recently launched here in ol' Canada. Check out my Dork, Douchebag & Hoser below. Nice work fella's!

Fears, C*

2008-09-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest fears happens to be a very small, creepy creature. Yick!

*Update! My IF Submission for 'Clique', seemed appropriate seeing as they always seem to travel in numbers! Double Yick.

Clutter

2008-09-09T14:42:00.001-07:00

I think I may be the world's worst communicator. There's too much clutter in this little brain of mine. It's nearly fall & my head's long overdue for a spring clean.

Summer

2008-09-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

Summer is nearly over even though it feels like it just began. Oh these Canadian seasons, too many chilly months for my liking! Luckily it was a fun (if not a little short) summer with lots of good memories to keep me warm & fuzzy when the snow starts falling & singlets & thong (flip flops for you Canucks!) weather is long gone. Here's a peek at some of the shenanigans that were had!

Cottaging with the Clays

You know it's a good cottage when they have old, old issues of Australian Women's Weekly cook books on the shelves, complete with a recipe for Cream Buns! Oh my. A nice little reminder that my trip home is just around the corner.

A weekend of eating, drinking, lazing & scrabble-playing delight. Our first scrabble game & guess who coincidentally picks out all the letters in my name...weeeeird!

The Lovebirds Tie The Knot!

Beautiful weather, a lovely couple, an all-vegetarian menu (it was YUM) & a big dance floor, mostly full of tipsy girls shaking it to Roots Manuva..fun!

Directing Debut

This summer I tried my hand at creating on-air idents for a new channel we launched at work. Taking on the challenge of directing, editing & doing all the animation for 3 idents was a lot to bite off on my first go..but luckily my Nerd, Hoser and personal fav, my Douchebag were all brilliant & it looks like they will be a success! I will post the quicktimes once they are all done. And Cut!

Dirty 30!

It all started with a big big fish, a shark infact. But not the scary, chomp-your-toes-off kind! This one had crooked, not quite scary teeth & was filled with all kinds of sugary treats. Perfect for a Birthday Boy to attack with a samarai sword! But the sharkey-ness didn't stop there. You could say I got a bit swept away & decided shark cupcakes were a must to complete the overall sharkey theme! Perhaps I'm just getting my lovely boy ready for all the fishy encounters Perth might bring this (Australian) summer..eeeek!

Detach(ed)

2008-08-21T10:01:00.001-07:00

New Illustration Friday Submission. Perfect subject seeing as I've been feeling completely detached from my whole life back home..I suppose that's because I am. Some days are harder than others but lately my little heart has been aching for home. December, could you be here tomorrow please?

Love Bird

2008-07-21T18:44:00.001-07:00

I'm loving painting with watercolor's & have been coming up with all sorts of creatures to practice on. This little fella made his home on a card for one half of a pair of love birds who are soon-to-be Mr & Mrs. Tweet!

Where The Wild Things Are

2008-06-30T21:57:00.001-07:00

Along came a story for me to illustrate. The adventures of a lone man, making sure the big bad oil companies leave the forest & it's little (and big) creatures just the way they found them. Elks & eagles & butterflies, pipelines & oil drums. Some things should never meet.

B is For.

2008-05-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

Fears, starting with the letter A.

2008-04-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

I've decided to begin an illustration/collage project based on fears. The idea is to illustrate a different fear every week by way of using the alphabet. I thought it would be an interesting project & maybe somehow cathartic! We'll see.

Finally!

2008-03-31T14:44:00.000-07:00

It's been nearly 5 years since I've been home & I'm long, LONG overdue for a trip back. The tickets are booked & I'm dreaming of the sunshine & Aussie folk I left behind all those years ago! Only 8 months to go..the countdown is on!

The First.

2008-03-03T07:46:00.000-08:00

My very first commissioned illustration has been published in the newest issue of Unlimited Magazine! Yes, that's a teddy bear wearing a gold dollar sign. You can call him Pimp Teddy-o.

Late Night, Winter Fun

2008-02-06T19:43:00.001-08:00

The winter blahs have been creeping in and some days the cold & slush & grey dark skies all get a bit too much for this Aussie. So last weekend it was great to get into the winter spirit & do something new & oh so wintery, tobogganing! You couldn't choose a better time to go than after a giantic late night snowstorm, covering the city in mountains of snow. And even though I looked like a bloody mess afterwards, raccoon eyes & wet hair galore, this new little adventure was worth the mess!

Curvy, here I come.

2008-01-31T11:34:00.000-08:00

Recently some of my illustration/design work has been selected for Curvy 2008,
an art & design event happening in Sydney, Australia (my lovely homeland) in April.
Yay! I was lucky enough to be apart of the very first Curvy event back in 2004 so it's
great to be invited again all these years later.

Curvy "has been kicking up a creative storm since 2004 and with four editions
out, CURVY still remains an international favourite amongst lovers of art and
supporters of female artists. Each year the book features 100 of the most exciting
female graphic designers and illustrators from over 20 countries around the world!"

Fun indeed! Above is one of my selected works..

Always

2008-01-10T13:54:00.001-08:00

Birds always seem to come up in my drawings. Cute little fella's!

Soaring & Falling

2008-01-03T14:30:00.000-08:00

It's a whole new year all over again & time for some resolutions! One of my top goals for 2008 is to develop my own style more as I feel it's like old Aunty Ann after a few wobbly-pops, a bit all over the place really!

This little illustration is an experiment using my newest friend, Mr Wacom. I think I'm falling for him.

All mine.

2007-12-30T21:40:00.000-08:00

Finally I seem to have a little space that is all mine. My old
paint-chipped dresser & creaky stool have become a makeshift
studio, pen's & doodles scattered everywhere! It's a great escape
& I love it.

Little Things

2007-12-11T15:17:00.001-08:00

Here is my very first Illustration Friday submission, yippee! It's a great little site that I have been admiring from a far for sometime now.

te quiero España

2007-12-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

Today I've been day-dreaming about my trip to Barcelona this past summer.
What a city! So many crooked little streets to get lost in, a big blue sea to
dip your toes into & super yummy tapas to munch on. Oh joy.

I can't wait to visit again one day.

Old Style & Class

2007-12-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across these photos while online a few months back.

There is something about this old gentle man that caught my eye.
I'm sure he has stories to tell.

He was my muse for this quick illo.

Hello, Hello, I am here.

2007-12-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

I'm hoping this little blog sticks around, I think I have some commitment issues!

Hello new blog.