He opened his arms as wide as possible and said, “Mommy, I love you THIS much!” Click here to rate this illustration!

Wow I can’t believe I’m already into my second week at home! Time flies when you’re having fun! :o)

I’ve really been wanting to make more posts/fun illustrations during the week but things have just been so busy - but don’t worry, I’m right on the ball when it comes to Illustration Friday ;) I guess I’m just catching up from all the work piled up while I was working a full time job. My hubby and I are also moving into our brand new house at the end of the month! So I’ve been packing and planning in my spare time. This is our first house so it’s pretty exciting - the construction started last year, so we’ve been waiting a while to move in! Click here to view a few progress photos.

On another note, now that I’m a new mama-to-be, I’ve been browsing the internet for cute baby stuff. There is so much darling stuff out there, I think I might go broke on softies alone - hehe! My mom told me she bought some cute little booties from a company called Kaloo. She said they were soo soft and cute, and she just knew I’d love them. I immediately googled them to come across their website. What a lovely company! Their toys and furniture are not only gorgeous, soft, and precious but also so inspirational! I love being inspired by softies - I’ll just have to design my own line one of these days. I’ve attached a few photos below, but feel free to browse their website - and they also have a fun games section!

Anna stays close to her nightlight when she’s afraid of the dark. Click here to rate this illustration!

 

Let me start off by saying ‘YAY!!! I’m free from work!’. It’s so exciting to finally be able to dedicate my full week to illustration. I have so many projects I’d like to start and can’t wait for my first full week of freedom & fun!

On another note, this week’s Illustration Friday topic is Seed. (Click here to rate this illustration) This topic incidentally coincides perfectly with my big announcement! I’m three months pregnant! This is part of the reason I wanted to quit my full time job - so I can take care of myself during this important time. What a perfect Illustration Friday topic to make this announcement :o) I hope you enjoy this week’s submission. And you’ll be hearing a lot more from me in the next few days. Hope you all have a great week!

A few of you have emailed me some gorgeous photos of the cards you’ve made using my brand new “Lily & Milo” stamp collection! I am blown away by your amazing talent. I love seeing your work! Below are some examples from Sandrine Vachon. She is so very talented and I love reading her blog and keeping up to date with all her latest creations. I’ve also received a couple emails from Jeanette Bosman & Stampingcaz. Check out their blogs to see their beautiful “Lily & Milo” cards! If you have some “Lily & Milo” cards on your blog, let me know and I’ll add your link!

Oh and just as a side note: ONLY TWO MORE DAYS UNTIL I’M DONE MY FULL TIME JOB! YAY! :o)

Updated! More “Lily & Milo” cards can be found on Agnes’ blog, Lena Einarsson’s blog, Rebecca Clews’ blog, Therese Pysselhorna’s blog, and Lilou la Scrapeuse’s blog. 

Grandma’s may have wrinkles, but they’re one of family’s most treasured gifts. Click here to rate this illustration.

Thank you all for your wonderful and supportive comments in my last post! It means so much to me and now I’m all excited and revved up for a great new chapter in my life!

I just wanted to make a quick announcement that my new stamp collection, “Lily & Milo”, is now available for purchase!! You can buy them at Stamp-and-Scrap.com or click here to view a complete list of stores.

I hope you like them and I’m soooo excited to see all your beautiful creations! Feel free to email me photos of your cards/crafts using these stamps and I’ll post them on my blog!

As of May 3, 2008 I’ll be a free woman! I’ve put in my notice at my full time job and I’ve decided to become a full time freelance illustrator. I have so many dreams and aspirations as an illustrator and it’s been so hard to work towards any of these dreams with a full time job in the way. I want to dedicate all my time to establishing myself as an illustrator! One of my dreams is to illustrate a children’s book. I’ve had no time to contact publishing agencies or anyone to get into this area - this will finally be my chance!

I also plan to post on my blog MUCH more often! I want to attempt to get at least 2 new illustration posts done each week and also include lots of updates on my progress with various projects and marketing ideas. I am so thankful for all the wonderful people that read and comment on my blog. I really enjoy receiving your kind emails and feedback on my work. This is going to be such an exciting time for me - I can’t wait to get started on all the wonderful plans in my head. I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

Hmmm I’ve been having a bit of trouble with the last couple Illustration Friday topics. I’ve stretched the topic a little to fit a fun image I had in my brain ;) This is Emma’s ‘primitive‘ form of transportation! Click here to rate this illustration.

It’s a GORGEOUS sunny day today and I’m sooooo excited to  get off the computer and soak in some sun! It’s been too long. Hope you enjoyed this illustration! Have a wonderful day! 

i

Now Available as an art print or greeting card!

This week’s Illustration Friday topic is Fail. Well, even though I was wwaaaaayyy too busy to complete the topic this weekend, I figure it works for me anyway - I ‘failed‘ to complete it. Does that work as my submission? Hehe ;o) I promise I’ll be back on my toes next week!

In the meantime, I really wanted to post another inspirational artist. Claudio Degliuomini is an incredible illustrator from Argentina. Her work is very unique, whimsical, fun, and colorful. I love the way she’s developed her animal characters. Her compositions are wonderful and I adore her beautiful aesthetic! I just wanted to share her with anyone that hasn’t already been exposed to her incredible work. I’ve added some of her illustrations below, but you can also visit her blog or website to view more of her work!