Paper and Threads

We took the train to Washington DC last weekend for our first visit with Annabelle.  I used 3 Cachet Linen Watercolor Journals for our multiple visits to London to visit our other grandchildren when they lived there in 2006-2007.  I had one more just waiting for a special theme - and I decided that it would be my travel sketchbook for Washington DC and my visits to see Annabelle.  When we arrived Friday evening I had just enough energy before bed to sketch a few flowers from the bouquet from her greatgrandfather and the tiniest cutest little pink socks I ever saw..

On Saturday morning I held her on my lap after I finished feeding her, and held my sketchbook up in one hand while sketching her little hands and feet.

The edges of these 7 X 10 pages don't scan very well.

We took her out for fresh air Saturday and visited Eastern Market where I always find something fun to sketch and paint.  The tin rooster I saw in the morning was already sold, but there was a ceramic one that worked just fine!  And I loved the cute lion face on a batik wallhanging made by another vendor.

On Sunday I sketched her new "lovey," a Jellycat stuffed animal called "Miaow Bella Mocha."  This was a gift from her cousin - before anyone knew her name.  Now Annabelle has her cat Bella.  It is customary in our family to take a picture every month with a specific stuffed animal to see changes in my grandchildren's size and development during the first year.  My daughter and other daughter-in-law have been so creative that these are among my favorite pictures of our grandchildren.  Bella will be used for those photos with Annabelle.

Posted by Shirley at 4:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

My two oldest grandchildren started to show an interest in my point-and-shoot digital camera just as they turned 3 (because I take so many pictures of them)!  I taught them how to hold it carefully, focus until the green light came on, then shoot.  They LOVED taking pictures and when unsure what we could get them for their birthday, we bought each the Fisher-Price children's digital camera.  It is very simple, but can actually take reasonable photos.  We recently took our cameras around the neighborhood, and my granddaughter took one photo - straight ahead- for every 10-12 steps she took!  I had to delete a few from the card so she could capture the building at the end of our walk, the external facade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  I uploaded their JPEGs to their own folders on my computer and each got to select one for a 5 X 7" print to take home.  The only down-side of these cameras for them is battery use! 

Posted by Shirley at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

My daughter brought me tulips on the 18th to celebrate Spring.  I tried to be really loose sketching and painting them.

Last Friday my daughter brought Callum to stay with us for 5 days - I love having my grandchildren here alone with us.  After he had his bath and went to bed, I sketched his really cute little shoes.  Without sketching and painting them, I'm not sure that I would have ever really noticed they are blue gray and lime green.  These 7wide little feet have certainly grown beautifully since he was born 6 weeks early in London one year ago.

When Callum's cousin Annabelle was born on Saturday, I decided to sketch and paint the bear that I made to celebrate her birth.  Tomorrow we will go to meet her and visit my son and daughter-in-law for the weekend and the bear will take her first train ride.  I love watching my children become parents - they are all so much in love with these little guys!

Posted by Shirley at 8:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

Annabelle Miriam was born today at 3:54 PM to our son Jason and his wife Shannon.  Mommy and baby are wonderful and Dad - a Pediatrician - says she's just perfect.  I sketched and painted the waiting nursery when I visited several weeks ago - and took her the new babyquilt and matching musical pillow.  This week I made her a really soft pink bear and will take it for our visit next weekend.

                              There is a music box in this shadow applique pillow.

                                           This bear is so soft - I hope she loves it! 

Posted by Shirley at 5:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

We don't play cards - and the only deck that I could find in the apartment came from a Benefit Dinner for a Health Care non-profit organization that we attended.  Loved the joker - so that was good for sketching.  The individual cards each had a single Medicare fact printed on the face side.  Wish I had something more exciting! 

Posted by Shirley at 8:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)