Paintings

Little Stories are posts where I share odds and ends from my life and my atelier. Since I missed making posts in October and November, I will share two Little Stories back to back. While I am working on large projects, I like to keep a few small projects handy. When I need a break, I switch over to the small ones. Specially when I am stuck on a project, taking a break and going back to it after a while helps me see it from a new perspective. Before we continue with the adventures of The Girl And Her Cat, let me share a few small finishes with you.

A “little” decision

I have a small announcement to make. Last month, I have officially closed my Etsy shop. With all the recent seller policy changes over at Etsy, I felt like I was losing my identity as an artist there.

Ever since I opened my shop here at the website in 2020, you gave me the confidence to make this decision with your continuing support and purchases from my shop here.

Most importantly, I can keep in touch with you more directly. I always enjoy the interaction that I have with you here.

So, from now on, this is the only place where I will sell my quilt patterns, cards, prints and journals. Thank you so much for continuing to purchase from my shop here. It means a lot to me.

A little warmth

I really like Thea Colman’s knitting patterns at Ravelry. They are beautiful and very well written. This one looks intricate but it is an extremely easy cable pattern to follow. I made this one with extra long ribbing, so my husband’s ears will be covered completely and keep him warm when we travel to cold places in winter months, which is something we do often.

The yarn came from Shropshire. We were meandering around the small villages there when I happened to spot a small yarn shop. I was looking for some English wool. The lady at the shop was so helpful. With her help I got three skeins of this 100% Bluefaced Leicester wool, reared, sheared and spun in Yorkshire. The yarn is wonderful to knit with and softened as I knitted with it.

The combination of the pattern and the yarn made for such an enjoyable knit, and the smile on my husband’s face made it extra special.

A little drawing

Last December, we were visiting one of my favourite places in the Sierra mountains. I wasn’t in much of a mood for gallivanting around the mountainside this time. I saw a tree outside the cabin window with its wild-looking trunk and branches. It was so peaceful to sit by the window-side and a warm fire, sipping hot chocolate and drawing the time away.

I probably will paint this one day as part of a landscape, but for now it is a finished drawing in my sketchbook.

Little bookmarks

Specially since I started book making, the amount of scrap paper I have lying about has increased. They are too small for any significant project, but not small enough that I can toss them in the recycling bin without feeling guilty. I use them for playing with colours. Recently I started making little 1″ x 4″ mini bookmarks out of them. The four botanical ones went to their new homes. I have the flying birds at home now. They are all painted using Van Gogh watercolour on leftover papers from the pocket journals available in my shop.

A little Girl and Her Cat

I have of course also been painting in my little 3″ x 4″ blue books. Here are some more of the adventures of The Girl And Her Cat from the Wandering Pages book. Please click on the image thumbnails to see the pictures and read about their wanderings –

Wandering Pages has all the paintings that I have shared from this little book so far.

Do you also work on small projects alongside large ones? Or are you a one-project-at-a-time kind of person?

Until next time,
-Soma

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page. Please pay a visit to some of them.

A little about the books –

The books are encased in covers made with high quality book cloth.

They are made with paper vetted by me.

I hand stitch them the traditional way with special strong thread, then additionally use glue and other methods to secure the spine.

They are also bound in a way that they stay flat. There is almost no gap in the middle, so a painting can be done spanning both pages.

The end papers are made with card stock. My logo is on the back for authenticity.

Wandering Pages

It all started with the Lost Pages book and the Girl And Her Cat. It is time for them to return here. This time, the adventurous girl and her cat decide to take a walk past the little bridge that they can see over the wall and see where it takes them.

So without further ado, let’s see where they go in the Wandering Pages Book. Please click on the image thumbnails to see the pictures and read about their wanderings –

Aside from exploring with them, I have also been making the new books in these colours. They are all clothbound, which I have always found to be very special. Please click on the image thumbnails to see the photos.

Purchase Journals

I want these books to be available to both artists and non-artists. So I have created two kinds. Other than the paper, the two kinds of books are identically made.

For artists – The pocket watercolour journals are made with 140lb cold press artist grade 100% cotton watercolor paper.

For non-artists – The pocket journals are made with 140lb high quality paper great for pen, ink and gentle watercolor. I use them for any kind of notes such as gardening, travel and nature.

At 4″ x 3″ (4” x 6” opened) the books are the perfect size to carry around everywhere. You get the exact journals that I make for myself. This way, I can share the joy of using traditionally-made clothbound journals filled with wonderful paper with you. You can purchase the journals from my shop.

Since I make them personally, please allow me a few days for making them, especially if you are getting them for gifts.

I hope you liked the beginning of the new adventures of the Girl And Her Cat, as well as the books I made. Where would your journey begin, I wonder…