What is your little doll hiding?

Out of all the Russian nesting dolls, the smallest one is the cutest. She is the baby in the family, and she is so tiny that if you're not careful, you could lose her.

But what happens when you put all the nesting dolls together again? Is the little doll still the cutest? Or does she have something evil to hide.

What is your little doll hiding?

This OSWOA was done on a water colour post card, using acrylics, water soluble crayons, water colour paper and a gel medium finish.

Creative Challenge and OSWOA

Yesterday was the last of my Creative Challenge! I have to say these last 21 days have absolutely flown by!

It has been pretty amazing that not one day I skipped doing 'something creative', even if it was colouring in the drawings I had already done in my sketchbook, or thinking of Nanowrimo-ideas (I think I've got one! I'm working out details, but I honestly think I can work with this idea, yay!). I have learned that I feel lots better when I do sit down and do something creative, and that I don't have to 'finish' something that same day in order for me to feel satisfied.

Maybe I should just continue doing what I have been doing for these last 21 days, what do you think...>

Also....

Just when you think you understand what ACEO means (Artist Card, Editions and Originals, but you knew that, right?), there's something new: OSWOA. It stands for Original Small Work Of Art, and they are slightly bigger than the ACEOs, giving you more space to work with, and more art to enjoy. OSWOAs are 4x6", making them the same size as standard photo's, and therefor easier to frame or put in a photo album.

I just listed my very first one in my Etsy shop, so come and have a look and start your very own OSWOA collection today!

Nanowrimo

Two weeks from now, November madness, otherwise known as Nanowrimo, starts again.

Nanowrimo stands for (inter-)NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth, and the objective is to write a 50,000 word novel in just 30 days!

Sounds crazy? Oh yes! Sounds fun? Absolutely!

This will be my 5th year of doing Nanowrimo, and I've reached that goal ('won Nanowrimo', as everyone who reaches the goal is a winner in Nanowrimo's book) every time, even before the month was over. I don't have much problems writing 50,000 words that don't even make sense half the time, no, it's finishing the actual story that's my problem. I write way more than the daily target, burning myself out completely by the end of the goal, so I don't even look back at the story.... I tell myself every year that this will be the year I actually finish it, but.. oh well.... But let's not go on and on about it, right?

Why would any sane person want to do this? Because you always wanted to write a novel, but never got round to it. Because you like to challenge yourself. Because although writing is a lonely job to do, having a forum with people doing the exact same thing at the exact same time will keep you going. Because you like competing, even though that's not the main goal of Nanowrimo. Because you're mad about writing. Because you're mad, period.

Come and join Nanowrimo, and look me up. I'm Eveline_uk on there. See you in November!

Twitter

Curious about what I am up to when I'm not blogging or flooding the Etsy forums?

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Creative Challenge, day 15

Yes, YES, I've been keeping myself busy with the Creative Challenge, I just haven't been updating my blog. I know, bad bad me!

Let's see... What have I been doing?

I've turned my Art Journal page in the post below into four ACEOs, two of which are currently in my Etsy Shop.
I wrote little stories about them in my Flickr description, which I think counts as being 'creative', right?
I started a separate sketchbook come art journal thingy for my birds and other characters, just in case I will go ahead and turn it into a children's book or something....

I also finished my first spread in my Art Journal for the Round Robin we're doing, and I have to say I feel so much better for it! Now I 'only' have to do another spread and I can send it off to the first one on my list!

And last night, as I was struggling to think of anything to do (my sweet Love was already asleep and I did not feel like painting with just a small light on), I went to the The Dreamy Giraffe's blog, and found a link that got my writing juices flowing straight away. Six word stories! I had no idea you could write a story using just six words!

So I wrote these last night:

'Kebab man knows: chicken, salad, mayo'

'Staring at ceiling. Mister Sandman? Please?!'

And today I am writing more. I'm loving it. It's the complete opposite of Nanowrimo where the objective is to write a novel of 50,000 words, so you'll end up using 'fluffer words' in order to get to your daily target, but I do like these six word stories.

And on this site, you can submit your own!

Creative Challenge, day 9

Meet the birds!

Lalasa (Persian for Love and Friendship)
Dea (Greek for Courageous)
Baina (Arabic for Clear)
Wakinyela (Native American for Dove)


Tye said I should do a children's book on othese little birdies. Who knows, I might...

Art Journal Round Robin

A few days ago, I had a thought. A brilliant thought, if I do say so myself: what better way to 'force' myself to stick to my Creative Challenge than to start an Art Journal Round Robin?

Every time I heard about a Round Robin (a group of people who send a journal, or atc's or other work around so it will end up again with the person who sent it in the first place) I was too late to sign up. Starting one would be ideal. And, as I was meeting new people on Suzi Blu's Ning-network, I knew exactly where to find people who might want to join.

I found 9 great people and now we can get started! We will all send our own Art Journal round, so everyone will end up with an Art Journal filled with artwork done by all of us.

I'm itching to get started. I bought a new Art Journal the other week, but now I am suffering from 'blank page fear'. I have no idea what to do as a first page, what will the others think of what I did when they see it up close?

I'm sure it will get better, once I make my first mark. But that first mark.... Maybe tomorrow....

Creative Challenge day 5, 7 and 8

Remember I said I did Day 5 and continued on Day 7? Well this is it.. It's not finished yet, so there will be a follow up on this one.

Yesterday for Day 8 I did some sketches for ACEOs I will be doing later today, and another cheetah sketch. But I wasn't too happy with it, so it ended up in the bin. I did it tough, so that's all that counts, right?

Creative challenge day 6

This week you can watch Big Cat Live on the BBC. It's a series on wild life in Africa that's been going on for years now. The crew has been following some of the big cats since they were cubs.

It's on every night for a week, and you can watch webcams 24/7. There's also a messageboard where people can interact with the crew. This year, the episodes on TV are live, and there are nightview camera's so you can watch the cats at night.

The series concentrates on lions, leopards and cheetahs, and this year, a cheetah they named Shakira is one of the big stars of the series. She's a single mum who gave birth to six cubs, one did not make it out of the den, and the other day, the trackers found her out in the tall grass with only three of her five surviving cubs. She was crying for her young, you could see the pain in her eyes.

For my Creative Challenge, I paused the programma en tried to draw her. I've never really done any of this drawing from life, but I really like the way it turned out.

(And for those wondering if I have been a good girl and done Day 5, yes I have. But what I did wasn't finished yet. I'm adding bits today and hopefully will be able to show you tomorrow.)

Creative Challenge day 4

For my 4th day during this Creative Challenge, I decided to do an Art Journal page about it.

The text reads:
'A few days ago I started something called The 21 Day Creative Challenge. I had read about it on a few different blogs. The idea is that it takes 21 days to create a new habit. And because I find myself thinking and dreaming and planning and not much time actually creating even though I like myself much better when I get my bum in the chair and paint or draw or write. So now, for 21 days straight, I will sketch, doodle, write, paint, crochet, (art) journal, photograph... Anything creative counts. This is day 4 of 21 days. I can do it.'

And hey, who says fish can't have a nose and hair?

(For more pictures, go to my Flickr page, and don't forget to leave a comment!)

Creative Challenge day 3

Did not have much time to do anything today, but in the evening I managed to do a few sketches. Tye's niece (8) and nephew (11) were here, and they were really impressed. Even when I was not so happy with my work, the shape of the polar bear's head bugs me, the body of the lion cub is too long, the lamb has a weird neck, they told me that it was 'really good'.

Niece even took it a step further. 'You are the bestest artist. You should be on the telly doing art.'

Ahhh.... Out of the mouths of babes, right?

21 Day Creative Challenge

You didn't know it, but on 1 Oct. I decided to join the Creative Challenge I've been reading so much about on other people's blogs. KJ from The Dreamy Giraffe talked about it in August, and she got it from Love to Illustrate, and she got it from Gina Perry.... And now I'm doing it.

From 1st Oct. to the 21st Oct. I will do something creative. Anything. Sketch, paint, make an ACEO/ATC, do an Art Journal page, write (NANOWRIMO is only a month away!!!), crochet (I am hiddeously behind on my One Block a Month challenge), collage, anything! And I will do my very best to blog about it, too.

So today is actually day 3 of my challenge, how cool is that? Yesterday I made these 6 ATCs that go in my Art Journal page I did yesterday as well. You can find more pictures on my Flickr.

Nowwwww..... what to do, what to do....? You'll read about it (hopefully) tomorrow!

Whenever she felt lonely

.... she would dance with Mr. Octopus, go for a Hedgehog-walk, take care of Meerkat kids or do karate with Kitty Cat and she would feel better.

The other day I was doodling animals for my Secret Language / Symbols journal (a Suzi Blu workshop homework assignment) and out came these characters.

The little girl stuck in her costume isn't feeling too happy. She feels restricted and lonely, it's hard to communicate when you're dressed up and don't even have hands to hold on to anyone. And she does need a cuddle.

So out come her little friends. Mr. Octopus, who in my Secret Language stands for fun, being a bit of a clown and being playful, Hedgehog, who stands for protection and is a bit of an outsider herself, Meerkat, who never gets any rest and could do with some help looking herself after the kids so she can calm down a bit and Kitty Cat who stands for everything warm like home and cuddles and love. They all help her in their own special way to make her feel a bit better, and guess what.. It works! They are the best friends in the world!

I used water colour paint, water colour pencils, a bit of acrylics and Steadtler fineliner on this Art Journal page. For some strange reason, I think I'll be seeing a lot of this little girl and her furry friends.