Day#10

I've been a fan of Beatrix Potter's work since I was a child. Her work keeps amazing me.
This is a cross-stitched Mrs. Tiggywinkle for a laundry bag that I want to make.

Day#7

Vintage children's books (this is an illustration By Alice and Martin Provensen, 1962)

Bye bye snow!

For the past two weeks, it has been very cold, with snow and ice. That was quite a long time ago over here and I really love the beauty of a white world. Since yesterday, the weather has changed, now it's gloomy and wet and I don't like it at all! Luckily, I took some pictures the past days.
Red boots:

And more red:

And a red house, where I would love to live:

These paws are so cute, the cats made these imprints on our frozen pond. They look like a scene out of Ice Age.

And here's a glimpse of our new terrace and windows. I have to wait till February to paint the walls in our new room.


And now it's time to start dreaming about spring!

British books

I bought a few nice books for my library while in the UK.
This book, illustrated by Clarke Hutton. It was originally published in 1945, and I love the colours of the drawings.



The ultimate Peter Rabbit book was too big to scan properly, but it gives you an idea.
If you like Beatrix Potter, buy it!



And finally this one, all about houses in Britain.
It's a perfect inspiration for when I have to draw a cute house or cottage.

Fox and Hare

This book "Cookie Cookie Fox and Hare" is one of a serie for early readers. My daughter really loved to read these books when she was starting to read. I think there isn't a translation in English available.
The illustrations are by Thé Tjong-Khing, a Dutch artist. I try to buy everything he makes, I really love his drawing style.

Peter Pan

I really like to browse trough my book collection, and that makes it so hard for me to dust bookshelves. I always end up with a book on a chair, dreaming away...
So maybe I can show you a random book from my library from time to time, if I have no blogging inspiration for instance.
These gouache illustrations are from an old Peter Pan book.

I wish I could create an atmosphere like that!

The healing sketch

Natascha Rosenberg is an illustrator who lives in Madrid, Spain. Her blog is very cute and refreshing. Lovely drawings, beautiful pictures.




She also started a group on Flickr, where you can post your daily sketches. And that's what I'm going to do now!

Click this banner, if you want to join too.

Books and bears

Another post about my daughters' room, as I am spending quite a part of my time there lately...
Today I was putting back her books on the shelves, and it struck me how many childrens' books have a bear as the main character. And this are only a few examples I came across.

This is her lovely Steiff bear, I bought him when I was pregnant. As you can see, he is already wearing his autumn outfit!

Cuteness

What always strikes me: japanese books, crafts, objects...are often very cute and attractive.

These little frogs are in an amigurumi book I bought on ebay, I did not yet try to make them, I have to study the patterns a bit, before I can start.


And these illustrations are in a very cute book I found in France last year, a day in the life of a bear (his name is Kuma Kuma), illustrations by Kazue Takahashi. The story is a bit sad and melancholic, the bear is living alone in a little house. At the end of the book you wonder if the bear has a happy or a lonely life.



These illustrations are in a book my father brought from a trip to Japan, way back in the sixties. I love the layout of these pages!

And finally, I made another mosaic, with cute and lovely things.

1. kittendoll Ava, 2. Sad Bird, 3. Forest of Mushrooms., 4. old russian illustration II, 5. red kokeshi, 6. Decole - Peter & Paul hook, 7. Baby, the Stars Shine Bright Sleeping Beauty jsk (sax), 8. Tibbles, 9. FRÖSI #6, 1962 (Detail), 10. michiko chan 1, 11. DSCF0042, 12. o passaro no seu ninho, 13. Jenn Docherty (blog image), 14. branchbird, 15. pillows, 16. vintage children´s book 1977

Gustaf Tenggren

While clearing my daughters room, I found a little book illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren.
I think he draws the cutest cats ever. He also did a few golden books.

A preview...

I went to Paris a few days ago. Due to the end of the schoolyear, a lot of computerwork and heaps of ironing, I will post all my drawings and pictures in the weekend.
But here are already 4 postcards I bought, all cute in their own way.

Old russian book

My father gave me this book when I was six years old. He bought it in Moscow.
I have never been able to understand it, but I didn't care, I loved the illustrations a lot. And still do!

Mon Larousse en images

Another nice book I found on a flea market, a french vocabulary for children, edited in 1956, illustrated by Hélène Poirié.
This illustrations would be nice to use as an embroidery inspiration.