Winter

Viking Penguin Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

Purchase Viking Penguin Olaf Pattern

I have had this idea of creating another penguin quilt pattern for months now. I recently got a set of loose colour pencils and I desperately need to make a new pencil case. That provided a perfect excuse to draw my little Viking Penguin Olaf. Viking helmets didn’t really have those horns, but Olaf insisted that I put horns on his helmet. Although I think he looks very cute, he thinks the horns make him look more formidable!

I couldn’t resist taking a short break from the stained glass flower blocks to make him. The penguin pattern is for a 10″ block. I scaled it down to make a 7″ block for my pencil case. Originally I was going to give him a green vest, but the red looks so much better on him against the starry background. Olaf is available in my shop if you want to make him for yourself.

Penguin Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

Purchase Little Penguin Polaris Pattern

It all started with Little Penguin Polaris. I have a gimpy and chubby kitty cat called Charlie, whose photo occasionally surfaces here. He would like nothing more than for people to take him seriously. Except it has never worked since he was a baby. He just gets picked up and cuddled, and he just sits on your lap with all of his claws tucked in.

When I was going to make a little winter-themed block for a friend, I knew I had to make a chubby little disgruntled penguin in a scarf and a hat. So if Charlie were a penguin instead of a cat, this is what he would look like where all the other grown up penguins are just not taking him seriously enough!

Polaris and Olaf have become great friends already. They are busy planning all sorts of mischief together.

Thank you for staying with me until the last set of cards from this set of 61 index card paintings. Here are the last five –

icad 2015 Sunrise Painting | Whims And Fancies

Sunrise

I like to look toward the west during sunrise where the first rays of the sun light up the mountain ranges while the full moon sets behind them.

icad 2015 Affair Of The Hearts Painting | Whims And Fancies

An Affair Of Hearts

icad 2015 Edinburgh Tenement Painting | Whims And Fancies

Edinburgh Flat

I really like moss-covered stone buildings.

icad 2015 Explore other worlds | Whims And Fancies

Cross the boundary and explore other worlds

icad 2015 Telescope, Stars And Blake Painting | Whims And Fancies

I had to make this one as my final card. I love William Blake’s work and I love the stars. I see William Blake’s words come to life every time I look through my telescope.

I will share another post about the index card painting experience along with photos of all the cards together. It has been a lot of fun sharing these cards with you. Thank you again for your encouraging words.

I will leave you with a photo of the lunar eclipse I took last Sunday. We are surrounded by mountain ranges, and there was also a thick layer of cloud right at the horizon. The eclipse occurred right around sunset for us, so it was low in our sky. I really wanted to see it during the maximum eclipse. Just as I was losing hope, a faint, eclipsed moon showed up, shortly before the maximum eclipse and right above the cloud layer.

Lunar Eclipse 2015 | Whims And Fancies

Enjoy,
-Soma

Ink

Love Of Notebooks And Ink | Whims And Fancies A Very Small Subset Of My Ink And Paper Collection

I grew up on top of my grandfather’s large printing business which printed books, among other items. I learned about different stocks of paper, various types of ink, book binding techniques, etc. at a very early age. The sounds and smells of the large printing machines, ink, paper, glue, typesets – it was magical. I was hooked for life to the world made of ink and paper which turned into a passion for art.

Books

Foyles Books London | Whims And Fancies

Advertisement At A London Tube Station

I have always lived mainly within the pages of books, away from the world around me. I walk around glumly for days when a book disappoints me. I stay in a haze every time I say goodbye to my ink-and-paper friends at the end of a book. It all started with my aunt telling me stories when I was too young to read. Then it continued on with my mother taking me to large annual book fairs and with reading from my grandmother’s book collection.

Camera

Valley View, Yosemite National Park | Whims And Fancies

Winter in Yosemite National Park, California

Lenses are an old hobby of mine. I see the world through the camera lens. My camera is my security blanket and the source of my confidence. I wake up at wee hours to catch the first sunlight, I even hike up the sides of mountains despite my severe acrophobia, all for that one perfect shot! ( My husband has the yawns and the droopy eyes to prove it! )

To see the world in a grain of sand,
And heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

– William Blake

Rocks

Liberty Cap Nevada Falls, Yosemite National Park, California | Whims And Fancies

John Muir Trail, Yosemite National Park, California

I study rocks and I collect them. So, if I get a bag of coal, that is a very good thing. Although it feels a bit nightmarish for me to ever settle down in one place, the diversity of California’s geology has kept me here, camping, hiking and exploring. I specially love the Sierra Mountains.

This picture was taken from the John Muir trail. Towards the end of the hike, instead of checking the map, we decided to follow our instinct. So, a 6-mile hike turned into …. wait for it… a whopping 7-mile hike!!!

Stars

Milky Way | Whims And Fancies

Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park, California

It’s a love affair. When it’s dark outside with clear skies and my nose is not stuck in a book, you will most probably find me peering through my telescopes, with a little help from my husband because of their weight. Currently I am in the process of building a radio telescope at home.

Travel

Fjord, Norway | Whims And Fancies

Heading Into Gairangerfjord, Norway

I have to travel, or I fall apart. Before a trip I read, I do research and I pore over maps. It’s a ritual for me. Then I whisk my husband away on an exhausting trip. I want to soak in everything about the new place without wasting a single moment.

Cold

Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park | Whims And Fancies

Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

I was born in January, and I have a feeling Old Man Winter must have made me using a little piece of himself. I have been in the icy arctic rain with an ear-to-ear smile on my face. Winter is when I am outside the most. Those of you who abhor winter, don’t judge me, I was born this way.

Now it’s my turn to pass the torch. Not only do I love the diverse art these ladies create, I also feel very comfortable nominating them because of their encouraging personalities and their eagerness to share and help. I know you will love them too.

Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts
Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs
Esther @ I Patch And Quilt
Kris @ Kris Loves Fabric
Mary @ Needlemom

Also please remember to visit Lara at Buzzing Bumble and Susie at Susie’s Sunroom.

Weeping Angel Quilt | Whims And Fancies

It is to their credit that I am ready to try Free Motion Quilting on this angel block. Wish me luck!!

And have fun visiting my friends,
-Soma

Viking Penguin Olaf, Paintings And Eclipse

One Lovely Blog Award And Friendship

Ink