Lost and Found: Second Blogiversary Giveaway!

Oh Happy Day!!!

October 1^st marks the two year blogiversary of Lost and Found and I’m celebrating with a great big giveaway! This is my way of letting you know how much I appreciate all of you who stop here to visit and inspire me with your comments, good humor, and positive energy. It doesn’t matter if you just clicked here by accident, googled your way over, visit regularly, or fall somewhere in between—I’m so happy you’re here!

Now--on to the giveaway! I’ll be the first to admit that my giveaway last year was pretty lame. What can I say? I was new and unprepared and offering up a yet-to-be-created original piece of art might not have been the best idea I’ve ever had. I had 8 participants for the giveaway and I’m grateful to each of them for taking a chance on my mystery prize. This year I’m much better prepared and I hope I can double the number of participants for the giveaway. Of course, I’ll need your help to reach that goal.

Since this is the second blogiversary of Lost and Found, I decided to give away TWO original hand-lettered watercolor pieces to TWO lucky readers. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and tell me which piece you would like and why. I'll make my choices based on your comment--so make it a good one! Be sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner.

First up is this illustrated quote by Howard Thurman. I love this message! This inspirational quote gives us permission to do what we love because doing so is in the best interest of the entire world. What could be better than that? Seriously.

The second piece is a happy little doodle of a favorite phrase of mine. No deep thoughts here. This one is just for fun.

Both pieces were done with permanent black marker and watercolor and the images measure approximately 6.5 x 8.5 inches which is a bit larger than I usually work. Each one will arrive in a black frame ready to hang on the wall or to display on a flat surface. Here's a peek at how the first one looks framed and hanging on my newly-painted green kitchen wall.

Don’t be shy! Jump right in let me know if either of these pieces would brighten up your life, your home, your studio, or your workplace. Leave your comment by midnight on October 1^st and I will announce the winners on October 2^nd. 

 Good luck and thanks for visiting!

IF - Old-Fashioned and Good Advice

Here's a little good old-fashioned advice for you on this fine Friday. You just can't go wrong with old-fashioned advice. I guess that's why it's still around generation after generation.

Collage Book Experiment

Recently, Cloth Paper Scissors magazine hosted a reader challenge to create a mixed media mini-book. The only stipulation was that the size couldn't exceed 6x6x1 inch. Other than that, it was anything goes. I've been having so much fun playing around with the stitched collage post cards that I've been making, that I was inspired to see if I could transfer the technique to a small book.





I created this 24-page book mini-book using manila folders, paper scraps, watercolor, gouache, embroidery floss, beads, and my sewing machine. I finished it and emailed in my photos on the very last day possible. My book wasn't selected as a finalist to be mailed to the magazine and possibly included in a future issue, but I'm happy with my effort just the same for several reasons:

1. I actually finished something! Yep, I took the project from start to finish without getting distracted, bored, or disillusioned with it. It's a radical new concept I'm trying out.

2. I used up a bunch of my scrap paper stash. Not enough to make a dent in the humongous collection, but still....

3. I taught myself how to bind a book using the long stitch binding method.

4. I'm inspired to make more books! I already have a few ideas floating around in my head on how to expand on the collage/stitch process and try out a few more techniques.

This book doesn't really tell a story in the traditional sense, but I like the texture and feel of it. Plus, for me it tells a personal story through my memories of the paper that passes through my life. I may not remember what I ate for lunch today (or even if I ate lunch at all!) but I can remember where almost every scrap in the book came from. I guess you could say this is my version of a crazy quilt in paper/book form.

IF - Proverb

The Illustration Friday prompt this week is Proverb which I could probably illustrate until the cows come home. I like to get the majority of a drawing done on my lunch hour so that I can paint, scan and post when I get home from work. I started off with the proverb "it's no use crying over spilt milk" but couldn't get the glass right so quickly scrapped that in favor of something simple and a bit more upbeat. Don't worry--I'm not crying over that failure. The scan doesn't really show the metallic silver paint inside the cloud, but it looks quite nice in person. Have you experienced any silver linings lately?

IF - Dessert

Today's Illustration Friday word is one of my favorite ever! Probably because I'm a sucker for dessert. I can be tempted by anything ooey, gooey, fruity, chewy, flaky, or chocolately. But my absolute favorite dessert is a slab of good old-fashioned cake. I freaking LOVE cake!!!!

This illustration has the honor of being the first in my brand new watercolor Moleskine. I recently filled up my first Moleskine (after about 3 1/2 years) and had to buy another. Now, every time I open it, I'll be reminded of just how much I love cake. :)

IF - Immovable

I know a few people who have mastered this bit of good advice. You can call them stubborn, relentless, tenacious, determined, or unyielding. But one thing is for sure--until they get what they want they are IMMOVABLE!

IF - Atmosphere

I know that for me, the atmosphere of a blog has a lot to do with how often I visit. My favorite places on the web are written with a sense of humor and are lighthearted, fun, inspirational, uplifting or all of the above. I hope you enjoy some of those things when you visit here!

Time for a Change

Today I'm taking my own advice and making a few changes here at Lost and Found. I decided it was time for a new look. Something a little lighter and brighter. I switched to a wider template and changed the background color to white. I'll probably continue to tweak things a bit until it feels right. Your feedback is welcome!

IF - Star gazing

For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.
--Vincent van Gogh

It was by sheer coincidence that I decided to read up on the life of Vincent van Gogh while waiting for the Illustration Friday prompt to be posted online today. I'm not sure what inspired me to re-acquaint myself with his life story, but when I saw that the word this week was "star gazer" I knew that an homage to Vincent was in order. Starry Night is van Gogh's most famous painting and one of the most well-known images in modern culture.

When I was in high school, I read a biography of Vincent van Gogh that included many of the letters that he wrote to his brother Theo. There's no doubt that I was motivated to read the book because of Don McLean's song "Starry, Starry Night." At the time, I was struck by the tragedy of van Gogh's life and felt overwhelming sadness that he never got to experience the artistic success during his lifetime that came after his death.

But today, after reading about his life here, I felt something very different. I felt hope. Here was a man with no artistic training or obvious talent who became one of the greatest artists in history. At the urging of his brother, Theo, van Gogh taught himself to draw and then to paint. And he continued to paint through dark and difficult times when others--himself included--doubted his ability.

If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.
--Vincent van Gogh

IF - Caged

This little doodle is my submission for the Illustration Friday prompt of CAGED. I illustrated a quote by Jacques Deval that says a lot about two very different kinds of love.